Wall Street rises to finish its best week in 2 months after bank stocks stabilize

Wall Street rises to finish its best week in 2 months after bank stocks stabilize

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Wall Street cruised to the finish of a winning week on Friday after banks recovered some of their sharp losses from the day before.

The S&P 500 rose 0.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 238 points, or 0.5%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.5%.

The gains capped the best week for the S&P 500 since early August, but it was a roller-coaster ride. Indexes careened through several jarring swings as worries built about the financial health of small and midsized banks, as well as the souring trade relationship between the United States and China.

Some of the nervousness around U.S.-China trade tensions eased on Friday after President Donald Trump said that very high tariffs he threatened to put on Chinese imports are not sustainable.

Trump also told Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” that he would meet with China’s leader, Xi Jinping, at an upcoming conference in South Korea. That’s counter to an earlier, angry posting he made on social media, where he said there seemed to be “no reason” for such a meeting.

Bank stocks, meanwhile, stabilized on Friday after several reported stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected, including Truist Financial, Fifth Third Bancorp and Huntington Bancshares. That helped steady the group, a day after tumbling on worries about potentially bad loans.

The two banks at the center of Thursday’s action also rose to trim some of their sharp losses.

Zions Bancorp., which is charging off $50 million of loans where it found “apparent misrepresentations and contractual defaults” by the borrowers, climbed 5.8% following its 13.1% loss.

Western Alliance Bancorp, which is suing a borrower due to allegations of fraud, rose 3.1% after its 10.8% fall on Thursday.

Scrutiny is rising on the quality of loans that banks and other lenders have broadly made following last month’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection filing of First Brands Group, a supplier of aftermarket auto parts.

One of the financial firms that could feel pain because of First Brands’ bankruptcy, Jefferies Financial Group, rose 5.9% Friday. It had come into the day with a loss of roughly 30% since mid-September.

The question is whether the lenders’ problems are just a collection of one-offs or a signal of something larger threatening the industry. Uncertainty is high following a long stretch where many borrowers were able to stay in business, even with the weight of higher interest rates. And with prices soaring to records for all kinds of investments, the appetite for risk may have gotten too high.

JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon addressed the issue on an earnings conference call with analysts earlier this week.

“When you see one cockroach, there are probably more,” Dimon said. “Everyone should be forewarned on this one.”

“But banks make loan loss provisions and typically have plenty of capital to keep the cockroaches from causing structural damage,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. “Based on earnings and data so far, it looks like this isn’t an infestation” and that the potential canary in the coal mine “is probably passed out and not dead.”

All told, the S&P 500 rose 34.94 points to 6,664.01. The Dow Jones Industrial Average climbed 238.37 to 46,190.61, and the Nasdaq composite gained 117.44 to 22,679.97.

In the bond market, Treasury yields steadied following their sharp slides from Thursday, which came as investors rushed into investments seen as safer.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury edged up to 4.00% from 3.99% late Thursday.

Gold also pulled back from its latest record as more calm seeped through the market.

The price for an ounce fell 2.1% to $4,213.30, but it’s still up roughly 60% for the year so far. Besides worries about tariffs, gold’s price has also surged on expectations for coming cuts to interest rates by the Federal Reserve and concerns about the massive amounts of debt that the U.S. and other governments worldwide are building.

In stock markets abroad, indexes dropped across much of Europe and Asia after Wall Street’s weakness from Thursday moved westward.

Germany’s DAX lost 1.8%, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng sank 2.5% for two of the world’s bigger moves.

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AP Writers Teresa Cerojano and Matt Ott contributed.

Trump tells Zelenskyy he’s reluctant to sell Ukraine Tomahawk missiles after warning Russia he might

Trump tells Zelenskyy he’s reluctant to sell Ukraine Tomahawk missiles after warning Russia he might

By AAMER MADHANI and SEUNG MIN KIM Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump signaled to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday that he’s leaning against selling long-range Tomahawk missiles to Kyiv, while offering optimism that the war is moving toward an end that would mitigate a need for the powerful weapon.

Zelenskyy at the start of the White House talks said he had a “proposition” in which Ukraine could provide the United States with its advanced drones, while Washington would sell Kyiv the long-range Tomahawk cruise missiles that Ukrainian officials say they desperately need to motivate Russian President Vladmir Putin to get serious about peace talks.

But Trump said he was hesitant to tap into the U.S. Tomahawk supply, a turnabout after days of suggesting he was seriously weighing sending the missiles to help Ukraine beat back Russia’s invasion.

“I have an obligation also to make sure that we’re completely stocked up as a country, because you never know what’s going to happen in war and peace,” Trump said. He added, “We’d much rather have them not need Tomahawks. We’d much rather have the war be over to be honest.”

Zelenskyy and his top aides huddled with Trump and his team over lunch, a day after the U.S. president and Putin held a lengthy phone call to discuss the conflict.

Zelenskyy congratulated Trump over landing last week’s ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza and said Trump now has “momentum” to stop the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

“President Trump now has a big chance to finish this war,” Zelenskyy added.

Trump’s shifting rhetoric on Tomahawks is certainly disappointing to the Ukrainians. In recent days, Trump had shown an openness to selling Ukraine the Tomahawks, even as Putin warned that such a move would further strain the U.S.-Russian relationship.

But following Thursday’s call with Putin, Trump began downplaying the prospects of Ukraine getting the missiles, which have a range of about 995 miles (1,600 kilometers.)

Zelenskyy had been seeking the Tomahawks, which would allow Ukrainian forces to strike deep into Russian territory and target key military sites, energy facilities and critical infrastructure. Zelenskyy has argued that the potential for such strikes would help compel Putin to take Trump’s calls for direct negotiations to end the war more seriously.

Putin warned Trump during the call that supplying Kyiv with the Tomahawks “won’t change the situation on the battlefield, but would cause substantial damage to the relationship between our countries,” according to Yuri Ushakov, Putin’s foreign policy adviser.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said that talk of providing Tomahawks had already served a purpose by pushing Putin into talks. “The conclusion is that we need to continue with strong steps. Strength can truly create momentum for peace,” Sybiha said on the social platform X late Thursday.

Zelenskyy also was using Friday’s meeting to discuss the possibility of energy deals with the U.S.

He was expected to offer to store American liquefied natural gas in Ukraine’s gas storage facilities, which would allow for an American presence in the European energy market.

Zelenskyy previewed the strategy on Thursday in meetings with Energy Secretary Chris Wright and the heads of American energy companies, leading him to post on X that it is important to restore Ukraine’s energy infrastructure after Russian attacks and expand “the presence of American businesses in Ukraine.”

It is the fourth face-to-face meeting for Trump and Zelenskyy since the Republican returned to office in January, and their second in less than a month.

Trump announced on Thursday following his call with Putin that he would soon meet with him in Budapest, Hungary, to discuss ways to end the war. The two also agreed that their senior aides, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, would meet next week at an unspecified location.

The president said Friday it was “to be determined” if Zelenskyy would be involved in the talks in Hungary — suggesting a “double meeting” with the warring countries’ leaders was likely the most workable option for productive negotiations.

“These two leaders do not like each other, and we want to make it comfortable for everybody,” Trump added.

Before his call with Putin, Trump had shown signs of increased frustration with the Russian leader.

Last month, Trump announced that he believed Ukraine could win back all territory lost to Russia, a dramatic shift from his repeated calls for Kyiv to make concessions to end the war.

Trump, going back to his 2024 campaign, insisted he would quickly end the war, but his peace efforts appeared to stall following a diplomatic blitz in August, when he held a summit with Putin in Alaska and a White House meeting with Zelenskyy and European allies.

Trump emerged from those meetings certain he was on track to arranging direct talks between Zelenskyy and Putin. But the Russian leader hasn’t shown any interest in meeting with Zelenskyy and Moscow has only intensified its bombardment of Ukraine.

Asked Friday if he was concerned that Putin was stringing him along, Trump acknowledged it was a possibility but said he was confident he could handle the Russian leader.

“I’ve been played all my life by the best of them, and I came out pretty well,” Trump said. He added, “I think I’m pretty good at this stuff.”

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AP writer Michelle L. Price contributed reporting.

Hamas reaffirms commitment to ceasefire as delays in returning hostages’ bodies fray nerves

Hamas reaffirms commitment to ceasefire as delays in returning hostages’ bodies fray nerves

By WAFAA SHURAFA Associated Press

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Hamas moved Friday to shore up its brittle ceasefire agreement with Israel by reaffirming its commitment to the terms of the deal, including a pledge to hand over the remains of all dead Israeli hostages.

The militant group’s statement released in the early hours Friday follows a dire warning from U.S. President Donald Trump that he would green-light Israel to resume the war if Hamas doesn’t live up to its end of the deal and return all of the hostages’ bodies.

Hamas, however, maintains that some bodies were buried in tunnels that were later destroyed by Israel, and heavy machinery is required to dig through rubble to retrieve them.

The group also criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over his call to cut aid to Gaza, saying it was an attempt to manipulate humanitarian needs “for political gains.”

In a follow-up statement Friday, Hamas urged mediators to increase the flow of aid into Gaza, expedite the opening of the Rafah border crossing with Egypt and start the reconstruction process, especially for homes, hospitals and schools. It also called for work to “start immediately” on setting up a committee of independents who will run the Gaza Strip and for Israeli troops to continue pulling back from agreed-upon areas.

The ceasefire plan introduced by Trump had called for all hostages — living and dead — to be handed over by a deadline that expired Monday. But under the deal, if that didn’t happen, Hamas was to share information about deceased hostages and try to hand them over as soon as possible.

Netanyahu has said that Israel “will not compromise” and demanded that Hamas fulfill the requirements laid out in the ceasefire deal about the return of hostages’ bodies.

Obstacles to retrieving bodies

Hamas has assured the U.S. through intermediaries that it’s working to return dead hostages. American officials say retrieval of the bodies is hampered by the scope of the devastation, coupled with the presence of dangerous, unexploded ordnance.

The militant group has also told mediators that some bodies are in areas controlled by Israeli troops. Hamas crews were seen Friday in Hamad City, near Khan Younis, searching for the bodies of hostages.

On Wednesday, Israel received the remains of two more hostages shortly after its military said that one of eight bodies previously handed over wasn’t that of a hostage. Israel is waiting for the bodies of 28 hostages to be returned.

Hamas released all 20 living Israeli hostages on Monday. In exchange, Israel freed around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

Israel has also returned to Gaza the bodies of 90 Palestinians for burial. Israel is expected to turn over more bodies, though officials have not said how many are in its custody or how many will be returned. It is unclear whether the remains belong to Palestinians who died in Israeli custody or were taken from Gaza by Israeli troops. Throughout the war, Israel’s military has exhumed bodies as part of its search for the remains of hostages.

A Palestinian forensics team examining the remains said some of the bodies showed signs of mistreatment.

The fighting has killed nearly 68,000 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run government in Gaza. The ministry maintains detailed casualty records that are seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts.

Thousands more people are missing, according to the Red Cross and the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.

France says international force for Gaza is in the pipeline

Meanwhile, France said it’s working with its ″British and American partners″ to propose a U.N. resolution in the coming days that would provide a framework for the international force for Gaza.

French Foreign Ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux told a news conference Thursday that Arab countries are “very insistent” on having a U.N. mandate for this force.

″This resolution would allow a framework for the deployment of this mission, in support … of Palestinian security forces, who are in the process of evaluating what they will need and what they are capable of doing,″ he said.

He wouldn’t say whether France could eventually take part or what its role would be. ″First the mandate,″ he said, followed by which countries will be involved, and then specifics about who is providing what, which could include equipment, training, money.

Confavreux said aid, reconstruction and security efforts should be centralized within the U.N. system.

Killings in Gaza fray nerves

Hamas was also put on the defensive after Trump warned that “we will have no choice but to go in and kill them ” if the militant group didn’t cease killings of rival factions inside Gaza.

Trump said it won’t be U.S. forces that will mete out any punishment but “people very close, very nearby that will go in and they’ll do the trick very easily, but under our auspices.”

The president did not specify if he was speaking of Israel, but action by Israeli forces could risk violating terms of the ceasefire agreement.

A Hamas official Thursday defended the killings of alleged gang members that the militant group carried out in Gaza since Monday.

Speaking in Beirut, Hamas’ political representative in Lebanon Ahmed Abdul-Hadi said the individuals who were killed “caused death and corruption in Gaza and killed displaced persons and aid seekers.”

Hadi said the decision to sentence them to death had come from the “judiciary,” apparently referring to tribal customary judicial procedures. There are no functioning formal courts in the war-battered enclave.

“This was done by a Palestinian national and tribal consensus,” he said. “I mean, their clan agreed to this and not just Hamas.”

Wait for a large infusion of aid into Gaza goes on

The U.N. said the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza remains constrained because of continued closures of crossings and restrictions on aid groups.

According to the U.N. dashboard that monitors the movement of aid trucks into Gaza, only 339 trucks reached the territory and were offloaded for distribution since the ceasefire began on Oct. 10. Under the ceasefire agreement, 600 aid trucks would be allowed to enter Gaza daily.

The U.N. figures varied widely from those provided by COGAT, an Israeli defense body overseeing humanitarian aid in Gaza. A spokesperson for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said COGAT had reported 950 trucks crossing on Thursday and 716 on Wednesday. Crossings were closed on Monday and Tuesday for the exchange of hostages and prisoners and for a Jewish holiday.

U.N. aid chief Tom Fletcher said rapid and unimpeded access, sustained fuel entry, restored infrastructure, protection of aid workers, and adequate funding are needed for the U.N.’s 60-day aid delivery plan to work.

Currently, only 15 humanitarian organizations are authorized by Israel to deliver aid into Gaza.

Gaza’s truck drivers’ association, which organizes pickups of aid from the Gaza side of the border after Israeli inspection, said there has been no significant ramping up of supplies arriving since the ceasefire. But it cited improved security that has prevented looting or gangs intercepting aid convoys.

“There is no breakthrough,” said Nahed Sheheiber, the head of Gaza’s private truckers’ union. “There is no improvement except in one thing, the security of trucks that enables them to reach the warehouses.”

Only 70 trucks entered Gaza on Thursday, Sheheiber said, adding that the wait time for truck inspections and coordination is still long.

Since the beginning of the ceasefire, at least nine humanitarian organizations have gradually resumed services in Gaza City and parts of northern Gaza for displaced families and returnees, according to the U.N. humanitarian affairs report released Thursday.

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Associated Press writer Angela Charlton in Paris contributed to this report.

Easy Tiramisu

Easy Tiramisu

This recipe is so easy yet so decadent. The rich espresso, chocolate and cream flavors combine to make a delicious dessert.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups brewed espresso or strong coffee, cooled
  • 2 tablespoons coffee liqueur (optional)
  • 1 package ladyfinger cookies (about 24)
  • unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Instructions

1. Build the filling
In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. In another bowl, mix the mascarpone cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Then, gently fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until combined.

2. Build the base
Combine the espresso and (optional) coffee liqueur in a shallow dish. Then, quickly dip each ladyfinger into the coffee mixture, turning once, and arrange in a single layer in an 8×8-inch dish.

3. Layer the dessert
Spread half of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers. Then, repeat with another layer of dipped ladyfingers and the remaining mascarpone mixture.

4. Refrigerate
Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight for best texture.

5. Top and serve
Dust generously with cocoa powder and serve chilled. Enjoy with your favorite coffee or warm beverage!

Seth Jarvis scores twice and the Carolina Hurricanes stay unbeaten, beating the Ducks

Seth Jarvis scores twice and the Carolina Hurricanes stay unbeaten, beating the Ducks

By GREG BEACHAM AP Sports Writer

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Seth Jarvis scored his 100th and 101st NHL goals and added an assist, and the Carolina Hurricanes remained the NHL’s only unbeaten team with a 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night.

Alexander Nikishin scored his first NHL goal and Shayne Gostisbehere matched his career high with three assists for the Hurricanes, who improved to 4-0-0 with their second win to start a six-game trip.

Sebastian Aho had a goal and an assist and Frederik Andersen made 23 saves against his former team for Carolina. Jarvis scored the Canes’ first two goals, giving him five in four games during his sizzling start.

The Hurricanes reached the Eastern Conference finals last summer, and they appear loaded for another memorable season after outscoring their opponents 19-8 so far. Jarvis, Nikishin, Gostisbehere, Aho and Jackson Blake have all scored in each of Carolina’s first four games.

Leo Carlsson scored and Lukas Dostal stopped 27 shots for the Ducks in their first home defeat under new coach Joel Quenneville.

Carolina went ahead late in the first when Jarvis scored on a rebound after Gostisbehere intercepted Mikael Granlund’s poor pass. Jarvis added a power-play goal in the second, but Carlsson scored for Anaheim 70 seconds later.

Nikishin scored in the slot early in the third period. The promising 24-year-old Russian defenseman joined Carolina for four playoff games last summer, and he spent the summer learning English with a tutor before making the Canes’ opening-night lineup and racking up three assists in his first three regular-season games.

Aho scored his first goal of the season with 4:12 to play.

Up next

Hurricanes: At Kings on Saturday.

Ducks: At Blackhawks on Sunday to open a five-game trip.

October 17th 2025

October 17th 2025

Thought of the Day

Photo by Getty Image

“A day without laughter is a day wasted.” – Charlie Chaplin

North Carolina GOP’s proposed map seeks to thwart Democratic incumbent’s reelection

North Carolina GOP’s proposed map seeks to thwart Democratic incumbent’s reelection

By GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Republican legislators offered a redrawn U.S. House district map for North Carolina on Thursday, seeking to help President Donald Trump retain GOP control of Congress by attempting to thwart the reelection of the Democrat now in the state’s only swing seat.

State House and Senate GOP leaders unveiled the proposed boundaries in advance of next week’s General Assembly session, stepping into the national fray over mid-decade redistricting that has Democrats and Republicans battling to secure electoral advantages from coast to coast, including Texas and California. The Republicans announced earlier this week that legislators would return to Raleigh to debate and vote on a plan provided in response to Trump’s call to secure more GOP seats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

An intensely competitive midterm election looms in which Democrats need to gain just three seats to take control of the House. The president’s party historically has lost seats in midterm elections, something Trump is trying to avoid.

Republicans already approved a North Carolina map in 2023 that resulted in GOP candidates winning 10 of the state’s 14 U.S. House seats in 2024. That compared to a 7-7 seat split between Democrats and the GOP under the map used in 2022.

As anticipated, Thursday’s boundaries appear, based on past election results, to focus on helping the GOP win the 1st District seat in northeastern North Carolina currently held by Democratic Rep. Don Davis. He won a second term in 2024 by less than 2 percentage points.

The retooled 1st District boundaries would take in several coastal counties and remove others inland — including Greene County, Davis’ home county — to create a little more right-leaning 1st District. Greene and others would be placed in a reworked 3rd District currently represented by Republican Rep. Greg Murphy, which based on election results would appear to become a little less GOP friendly.

Republican leaders in North Carolina have proposed a new U.S. House district map that could thwart reelection prospects of a Democratic incumbent in the state’s only swing seat. (AP Video/Allen G. Breed)

Other districts to the west would remain intact. Based on results of several past statewide elections attached to the map, Republicans would stand a decent chance to win 11 of North Carolina’s 14 seats.

Republican legislators provided no formal comment on the proposal while inviting online comment from the public. But with an image of the new map, Senate leader Phil Berger wrote Thursday on X that the General Assembly “is ready to help Republicans secure Congress and move @realDonaldTrump’s agenda forward!”

The GOP holds majorities in both the state House and Senate. The state constitution prevents Democratic Gov. Josh Stein from using his veto stamp on redistricting plans.

The national redistricting battle began over the summer when Trump urged Republican-led Texas to reshape its U.S. House districts. After Texas lawmakers acted, California Democrats reciprocated by passing their own plan that still needs voter approval in November.

Other North Carolina Democrats have blasted Republicans for trying to help Trump, accusing the GOP of trying to steal a seat won by Davis, who is one of North Carolina’s three Black representatives. The current 1st District contains a few majority-Black counties. A retooled 1st District could lead to litigation alleging unlawful racial bias.

Redistricting action would happen even while North Carolina GOP legislators are more than three months late on passing a state budget and unable to finalize how to boost Medicaid spending.

“Instead, we’re coming back to talk about redistricting because Republicans believe if they can’t win fair, they’re going to change things and cheat and win that away,” state Democratic state Rep. Sarah Crawford said Thursday at a state Democratic Party news conference.

Davis, a former state legislator and Air Force veteran, mentioned regional concerns in a social media post Thursday evening.

Eastern North Carolina families “are struggling and feel that Washington, D.C., is broken. I understand these concerns all too well,” Davis wrote on X. “As we look at new congressional districts, I am considering every option, drawing on my local roots, experience in the military, and commitment to education.”

Ace Frehley, Kiss’ original lead guitarist and founding member, dies at 74

Ace Frehley, Kiss’ original lead guitarist and founding member, dies at 74

By HANNAH SCHOENBAUM Associated Press

Ace Frehley, the original lead guitarist and founding member of the glam rock band Kiss who captivated audiences with his elaborate makeup and smoke-filled guitar, died Thursday. He was 74.

Frehley died peacefully surrounded by family in Morristown, New Jersey, following a recent fall, according to his agent.

Family members said in a statement that they are “completely devastated and heartbroken” but will cherish his laughter and celebrate the kindness he bestowed upon others.

Kiss, whose hits included “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “I Was Made for Lovin’ You,” was known for its theatrical stage shows, with fireworks, smoking instruments and fake blood spewing from the mouths of band members in body armor, platform boots, wigs and signature black-and-white face paint.

Kiss’ original lineup included Frehley, singer-guitarist Paul Stanley, tongue-wagging bassist Gene Simmons and drummer Peter Criss. Band members took on the personas of comic book-style characters — Frehley was known as “Space Ace” and the “Spaceman.” The New York-born entertainer often experimented with pyrotechnics, making his guitars glow, emit smoke and shoot rockets from the headstock.

“We are devastated by the passing of Ace Frehley,” Simmons and Stanley said in a joint statement. “He was an essential and irreplaceable rock soldier during some of the most formative foundational chapters of the band and its history. He is and will always be a part of KISS’s legacy.”

Frehley and his band mates were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2014.

As the Kennedy Center’s new chairman, President Donald Trump named Kiss as one of this year’s honorees.

Frehley’s is the first death among the four founding members.

The band was extremely popular, especially in the mid-1970s, selling tens of millions of albums and licensing its iconic look to sell numerous products. “Beth” was its biggest commercial hit in the U.S., peaking at No. 7 on the Billboard Top 100 in 1976.

Frehley left the band in 1982, skipping the years when they took off the makeup and had mixed success. He performed both as a solo artist and with his band, Frehley’s Comet.

But he rejoined Kiss in the mid-1990s for a triumphant reunion and restoration of their original style that came after bands including Nirvana, Weezer and the Melvins had expressed their affection for the band and paid them musical tributes.

Ex-Trump national security adviser Bolton charged with storing and sharing classified information

Ex-Trump national security adviser Bolton charged with storing and sharing classified information

By ERIC TUCKER, ALANNA DURKIN RICHER and MICHAEL KUNZELMAN Associated Press

GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — John Bolton, who served as national security adviser to President Donald Trump during his first term and later became a vocal critic of the Republican leader, was charged Thursday with storing top secret records at home and sharing with relatives diary-like notes about his time in government that officials said contained classified information.

The 18-count indictment also suggests classified information was exposed when operatives believed linked to the Iranian regime hacked Bolton’s email account in 2021 and gained access to sensitive material he had shared. A Bolton representative told the FBI at the time that his emails had been hacked, prosecutors say, but did not reveal he had shared classified information through the account or that the hackers now had possession of government secrets.

The indictment sets the stage for a closely watched court case centering on a longtime fixture in Republican foreign policy circles who became known for his hawkish views on American power and who served for more than a year in Trump’s first administration before being fired in 2019 and publishing a scathingly critical book about the president.

Bolton is now the third Trump adversary prosecuted in the last month, meaning the case will unfold against the backdrop of concerns the president is using his Justice Department to pursue political enemies and to spare allies from scrutiny. Bolton foreshadowed that argument in a defiant statement Thursday in which he denied the charges and called them part of an “intensive effort” by Trump to “intimidate his opponents.”

“Now, I have become the latest target in weaponizing the Justice Department to charge those he deems to be his enemies with charges that were declined before or distort the facts,” he said.

Even so, the indictment is significantly more detailed in its allegations than earlier cases against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James. Unlike the other two cases that were filed by a hastily appointed U.S. attorney, this one was signed by career national security prosecutors. And though the investigation burst into public view in August when the FBI searched Bolton’s home in Maryland and his office in Washington, the inquiry was already well underway by the time Trump took office a second time this past January.

Sharing of classified secrets

The indictment, filed in federal court in Greenbelt, Maryland, alleges that between 2018 and this past August Bolton shared with two relatives more than 1,000 pages of information about his day-to-day activities in government.

The material included “diary-like” entries with information classified as high as top secret that he had learned from meetings with other U.S. government officials, from intelligence briefings or talks with foreign leaders, according to the indictment. After sending one document, Bolton wrote in a message to his relatives, “None of which we talk about!!!” In response, one of his relatives wrote, “Shhhhh,” prosecutors said.

Among the material was information about foreign adversaries that in some cases revealed details about sources and methods used by the government to collect intelligence. One document related to a foreign adversary’s plans for a missile launch, while another detailed U.S. government plans for covert action and included intelligence blaming an adversary for an attack, court papers say.

The two family members were not identified in court papers, but a person familiar with the case who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss non-public details identified them as his wife and daughter.

“There is one tier of justice for all Americans,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. “Anyone who abuses a position of power and jeopardizes our national security will be held accountable. No one is above the law.”

The indictment also suggests Bolton was aware of the impropriety of sharing classified information with family and friends, citing an April news media interview in which he chastised Trump administration officials for using Signal to discuss sensitive military details. Though the anecdote is meant by prosecutors to show Bolton understood the law surrounding government secrets, Bolton’s legal team may also try to point to it to argue a double standard in enforcement since the Justice Department is not known to have opened any investigation into the Signal episode.

Bolton’s attorney, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement that the “underlying facts in this case were investigated and resolved years ago.”

He said the charges stem from portions of Bolton’s personal diaries over his 45-year career and included unclassified information that was shared only with his immediate family and was known to the FBI as far back as 2021.”

“Like many public officials throughout history, Amb. Bolton kept diaries — that is not a crime. We look forward to proving once again that Amb. Bolton did not unlawfully share or store any information,” Lowell said.

Controversy over a book

Bolton linked the criminal case to an an unsuccessful Justice Department effort, after he left government, to block the publication of his 2020 book “The Room Where It Happened.”

The Trump administration asserted that Bolton’s manuscript, which portrayed Trump as grossly misinformed about foreign policy, contained classified information that could harm national security if exposed. Bolton’s lawyers have said he moved forward with the book after a White House National Security Council official, with whom Bolton had worked for months, said the manuscript no longer contained classified information.

A search warrant affidavit that was previously unsealed said a National Security Council official had reviewed the book manuscript and told Bolton in 2020 that it appeared to contain “significant amounts” of classified information, some at a top-secret level.

“These charges are not just about his focus on me or my diaries, but his intensive effort to intimidate his opponents, to ensure that he alone determines what is said about his conduct,” he said.

Bolton also served in the Justice Department during President Ronald Reagan’s administration and was the State Department’s point man on arms control during George W. Bush’s presidency. Bolton was nominated by Bush to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, but the strong supporter of the Iraq war was unable to win Senate confirmation and resigned after serving 17 months as a Bush recess appointment. That allowed him to hold the job on a temporary basis without Senate confirmation.

In 2018, Bolton was appointed to serve as Trump’s third national security adviser. But his brief tenure was characterized by disputes with the president over North Korea, Iran and Ukraine.

Those rifts ultimately led to Bolton’s departure, with Trump announcing on social media in September 2019 that he had accepted Bolton’s resignation. Bolton subsequently criticized Trump’s approach to foreign policy and government in his 2020 book, including by alleging that Trump directly tied providing military aid to Ukraine to that country’s willingness to conduct investigations into Joe Biden, who was soon to be Trump’s Democratic 2020 election rival, and members of his family.

Trump responded by slamming Bolton as a “washed-up guy” and a “crazy” warmonger who would have led the country into “World War Six.” Trump also said at the time that the book contained “highly classified information” and that Bolton “did not have approval” for publishing it.

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Tucker and Durkin Richer reported from Washington.

Senate Democrats, holding out for health care, reject government funding bill for 10th time

Senate Democrats, holding out for health care, reject government funding bill for 10th time

By STEPHEN GROVES and MARY CLARE JALONICK Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democrats rejected for the 10th time Thursday a stopgap spending bill that would reopen the government, insisting they won’t back away from demands that Congress take up health care benefits.

The vote failed Thursday morning on a 51-45 vote, well short of the 60 needed to advance with the Senate’s filibuster rules.

The repetition of votes on the funding bill has become a daily drumbeat in Congress, underscoring how intractable the situation has become. It has been at times the only item on the agenda for the Senate floor, while House Republicans have left Washington altogether. The standoff has lasted over two weeks, leaving hundreds of thousands of federal workers furloughed, even more without a guaranteed payday and Congress essentially paralyzed.

“As we are positioning as two sides that are seemingly dug in on this 16th day of a shutdown, real people are wondering is their government going to be there for them?” said GOP Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune again and again has tried to pressure Democrats to break from their strategy of voting against the stopgap funding bill. It hasn’t worked. And while some bipartisan talks have been ongoing about potential compromises on health care, they haven’t produced any meaningful progress toward reopening the government.

Thune, a South Dakota Republican, has also offered to hold a later vote on extending subsidies for health plans offered under Affordable Care Act marketplaces, but said he would not “guarantee a result or an outcome.”

Democrats say they won’t budge until they get a guarantee on extending the tax credits for the health plans. They warn that millions of Americans who buy their own health insurance — such as small business owners, farmers and contractors — will see large increases when premium prices go out in the coming weeks. Looking ahead to a Nov. 1 deadline in most states, they think voters will demand that Republicans enter into serious negotiations.

“The ACA crisis is looming over everyone’s head, and yet Republicans seem ready to let people’s premiums spike,” said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer in a floor speech.

Meanwhile, Thune was also trying a different tack Thursday with a vote to proceed to appropriations bills — daring Democrats to vote against funding legislation for the Department of Defense which would potentially lead to pay for U.S. military members during the shutdown.

A deadline for subsidies on health plans

Democrats have rallied around their priorities on health care as they hold out against voting for a Republican bill that would reopen the government. Yet they also warn that the time to strike a deal to prevent large increases for many health plans is drawing short.

When they controlled Congress during the pandemic, Democrats boosted subsidies for Affordable Care Act health plans. It pushed enrollment under President Barack Obama’s signature health care law to new levels and drove the rate of uninsured people to a historic low. Nearly 24 million people currently get their health insurance from subsidized marketplaces, according to health care research nonprofit KFF.

Democrats — and some Republicans — are worried that many of those people will forgo insurance if the price rises dramatically. While the tax credits don’t expire until next year, health insurers will soon send out notices of the price increases. In most states, they go out Nov. 1.

Sen. Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said she has heard from “families who are absolutely panicking about their premiums that are doubling.”

“They are small business owners who are having to think about abandoning the job they love to get employer-sponsored health care elsewhere or just forgoing coverage altogether,” she added.

Murray also said that if many people decide to leave their health plan, it could have an effect across medical insurance because the pool of people under health plans will shrink. That could result in higher prices across the board, she said.

Some Republicans have acknowledged that the expiration of the tax credits could be a problem and floated potential compromises to address it, but there is hardly a consensus among the GOP.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., this week called the COVID-era subsidies a “boondoggle,” adding that “when you subsidize the health care system and you pay insurance companies more, the prices increase.”

President Donald Trump has said he would “like to see a deal done for great health care,” but has not meaningfully weighed into the debate. And Thune has insisted that Democrats first vote to reopen the government before entering any negotiations on health care.

If Congress were to engage in negotiations on significant changes to health care, it would likely take weeks, if not longer, to work out a compromise.

Votes on appropriations bills

Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are setting up a vote Thursday to proceed to a bill to fund the Defense Department and several other areas of government. This would turn the Senate to Thune’s priority of working through spending bills and potentially pave the way to paying salaries for troops, though the House would eventually need to come back to Washington to vote for a final bill negotiated between the two chambers.

It was also an attempt to put a crack in Democrats’ resolve. Thune said Thursday, “If they want to stop the defense bill, I don’t think it’s very good optics for them.”

But Democrats appeared ready to vote against the bill advancing. They charged that Republicans had abandoned bipartisanship in the appropriations process, potentially leaving out funding for other areas of government that are priorities for Democrats.

“We believe that we need a strong defense, but we believe we need strong health care, we need strong safety for the American people, we need strong programs that help them with so many other issues, mental health and education,” Schumer said Thursday.

Connecticut Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democratic member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said that he wouldn’t vote to “move forward on appropriations bills until they’re serious about stopping health care premiums from going up.”

It left Capitol Hill with a growing sense that an end to the stasis is nowhere in sight.

“So many of you have asked all of us, how will it end?” Johnson said, “We have no idea.”

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Associated Press writer Kevin Freking contributed reporting.

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