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Search warrant reveals what feds seized at John Bolton's home

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Federal agents who raided former national security adviser John Bolton’s home last month seized multiple computers and phones, a hard drive and a trove of documents including a “white binder labeled ‘statements and reflections to allied strikes,'” new court records revealed Thursday.

Bolton, a vocal critic of President Trump, has not been charged with a crime and was not detained after FBI agents raided his house in Bethesda, Md. on Aug. 22. The search was reportedly related to Bolton’s handling of classified information as he penned his 2020 memoir “The Room Where It Happened” about his time in the first Trump administration.

The new court filing outlines the items obtained by the Justice Department during its search of Bolton’s home and its efforts to keep the information confidential. Videos posted online showed agents in FBI jackets carrying multiple boxes outside Bolton’s home amid the search.

According to the itemized list of materials collected during the raid, authorities took two iPhones that belonged to Bolton, folders containing documents that were labeled “Trump I-IV” and four boxes of printed daily activities. They also confiscated two USB drives, two laptops and a desktop computer.

Bolton was Trump’s top national security adviser from April 2018 to September 2019, when the president fired him via social media without elaborating on disagreements that led to their fallout.

Trump revoked Bolton’s security clearance at the start of his second administration in January. The president has maintained that did not know about the FBI search before it took place on Aug. 22.

“He’s not a smart guy, but he could be a very unpatriotic guy,” Trump told reporters. “I know nothing about it — I just saw it this morning that they did a raid.”

In an op-ed that The Washington Examiner published after the raid, Bolton wrote that the second Trump administration was trying “to camouflage its disarray.” He compared the ordeal to Trump’s handling of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia.

“Donald Trump’s Ukraine policy today is no more coherent than it was last Friday when his administration executed search warrants against my home and office,” Bolton wrote

Analyst Report: CMS Energy Corporation

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Analyst Report: CMS Energy Corporation

Former Conservative minister Nadine Dorries defects to Reform UK

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BBC 'Breaking' graphicBBC

Former Conservative minister Nadine Dorries has defected to Reform UK.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, the ex-MP for Mid-Bedfordshire said: “The Tory Party is dead. Its members now need to think the unthinkable and look to the future.”

Dorries served as culture secretary and as a health minister under Boris Johnson, of whom she was a close ally.

She is the latest in a string of defections from the Conservatives to Reform UK, including former Welsh Secretary David Jones and ex-Tory Chairman Sir Jake Berry.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

You can receive Breaking News on a smartphone or tablet via the BBC News App. You can also follow @BBCBreaking on X to get the latest alerts.

Here are the top Powerball winners of all time: California dominates

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After Wednesday night’s drawing yielded no major winners, the Powerball jackpot ticked up another $300 million to a staggering $1.7 billion.

That marks the third-largest jackpot in U.S. history, behind only the $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot win in November 2022 and the $1.765 billion Powerball jackpot win in October 2023.

This Saturday will be the 42nd consecutive drawing without a jackpot winner, breaking the previous record of 41 drawings without a big-ticket winner.

The Powerball game has drawn winners since 1992, but the top 10 largest jackpots have all come within the last decade. And four of the five top winning jackpots have had tickets purchased in California.

Here’s a look at the Powerball jackpots of all time — and their winners.

1. $2.04 Billion: California, 2022

Edwin Castro was the sole winner of the $2.04 billion Powerball jackpot in November 2022, the largest U.S. lottery to date.

He purchased the winning ticket in Los Angeles County, at Joe’s Service Center in Altadena.

2. $1.765 Billion: California, 2023

The single ticket for the second-largest jackpot was purchased in a small town in Kern County, Calif., in October 2023.

Theodorus Struyck came forward as a representative for a group of individuals who bought the ticket at Midway Market in Frazier Park. The small family-owned business of 30 years received a $1 million “bonus check” for selling the ticket.

3. $1.7 Billion (estimated): TBD

The $1.7 billion Powerball jackpot now represents the third-largest jackpot of all time. A winner could be drawn this Saturday.

4. $1.586 Billion: California, Florida, Tennessee, 2016

The $1.586 billion Powerball jackpot in January 2016 was split three ways, at $528.8 million each.

Marvin and Mae Acosta bought their winning ticket in a suburb of Chino Hill, a suburb of Los Angeles, Calif.; married couple David Kaltschmidt and Maureen Smith said they purchased their winning ticket at a Publix in Melbourne, Fla.; and Lisa and John Robinson bought their winning ticket in Munford, Tenn.

5. $1.326 Billion: Oregon, 2024

Cheng “Charlie” Saephan came forward as the winner of the $1.326 billion Powerball jackpot on April 6, 2024. It was the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot at the time and the largest in his state’s history.

He shared the prize winnings with his wife and a friend, who went in on the ticket purchase.

6. $1.08 Billion: California, 2023

The $1.08 billion jackpot was the fifth largest in Powerball history when it was drawn in July 2023, and the fourth jackpot with a winning ticket purchased in California.

Yanira Alvarez bought the winning Powerball ticket at Las Palmitas Mini Market in downtown Los Angeles, and the California Lottery’s official announcement naming her as the lone winner came more than five months after the lottery was drawn.

7. $842.4 Million: Michigan, 2024

A three-member “The Breakfast Club” lottery club claimed the $842.4 million jackpot drawn in January 2024. The winning ticket was purchased at the Food Castle of Grand Blanc, in central Michigan.

8. $768.4 Million: Wisconsin, 2019

The largest jackpot in Wisconsin’s history was claimed by Manuel Franco, a resident of suburban Milwaukee, on March 27, 2019.

He purchased the ticket at Speedway in New Berlin.

9. $758.7 Million: Massachusetts, 2017

Mavis Wanczyk of Chicopee, Massachusetts was the sole winner of the $758.7 million Powerball jackpot, the largest jackpot in lottery history when it was drawn on Aug. 23, 2017.

Wanczyk purchased a total of five tickets, three with numbers that she selected and two Quic Pics, at the Pride Station & Store location in her hometown.

She was 53 years old when she won and had worked at Mercy Medical Center in Springfield for 32 years. But she immediately informed her employer she would not be returning to work.

10. $754.6 Million: Washington, 2023

Becky Bell was grocery shopping with her daughter at the local Fred Meyer in February, 2023, when she bought the winning ticket.

The Auburn resident worked for The Boeing Company for nearly 36 years, and the company had just delivered its last 747 jumbo jet. She said she saw the estimated $747 million jackpot as a sign for her to buy a ticket.

Analyst Report: Alphabet Inc

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avrotusa
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Analyst Report: Alphabet Inc

Starmer refuses to say if he will sack Rayner if she broke rules

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Chris MasonPolitical editor,

Kate WhannelPolitical reporter and

Billy KenberPolitics investigation correspondent

Watch: BBC’s Chris Mason questions Starmer on Rayner tax investigation

Sir Keir Starmer has repeatedly refused to say if he will sack Deputy Prime Minister and Housing Secretary Angela Rayner if his standards adviser concludes she broke the ministerial code.

Rayner referred herself to Sir Laurie Magnus after she admitted underpaying stamp duty on an £800,000 flat in Hove.

She has said the “mistake” was the result of incorrect legal advice which failed to “properly take account” of her circumstances.

Allies of Rayner have said she took advice from her conveyancer and two experts on trust law.

The conveyancing firm used by Rayner has said it did not give her tax advice, but calculated the stamp duty owed “based on the facts and information provided to us”.

Speaking to the BBC, Sir Keir he would “of course act” on Sir Laurie’s report which he expected to be “comprehensive” and delivered quickly but would not be drawn on whether Rayner would be fired.

He rejected a comparison with Boris Johnson, who as prime minister did not sack Priti Patel as his home secretary despite the then-adviser, Sir Alex Allen, saying she had broken the ministerial code.

The prime minister said he had strengthened the ministerial code and the role of the adviser since taking office.

The code sets out the standards ministers are expected to uphold including honesty and integrity.

Sir Laurie can advise on whether ministers have adhered to the code, but the prime minister decides what if any action to take.

Asked about report, which sources say could be published as early as Friday, Sir Keir said: “I do think in the end we need to establish the facts, which the independent advisor will do and come to a conclusion.

“I don’t think it’ll take long now for that bit of process to conclude and then, of course, it does fall to me.

“I completely accept that, to make a decision based on what I see in that report.”

The prime minister has the power to dismiss Rayner from her roles as housing secretary and deputy prime minister but cannot remove her as deputy Labour Party leader because she was elected to the role by Labour members.

Sir Keir said he knew on Monday that Rayner was taking further advice on her tax payments.

Rayner’s team initially said she had paid the right amount of stamp duty on Thursday in response to a report in the Daily Telegraph.

However, on Friday evening she asked a lawyer to review her situation. On Wednesday morning the KC offered their final advice which concluded she had not paid the right amount.

Acknowledging the underpayment, Rayner said: “I deeply regret the error that has been made. I am committed to resolving this matter fully and providing the transparency that public service demands.”

The prime minister – along with other cabinet ministers – has backed Rayner, telling MPs he was “very proud to sit alongside” her.

Both the Conservative and Reform UK have called on Rayner to resign.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch said the prime minister did “not have a backbone”.

“Time and time again he has said that if this situation happens he would instantly sack people.

“When the shoe was on the other foot when he was leader of the opposition he went after people for this same scenario – as did Angela Rayner.

“Now that the shoe is on the other foot what we are seeing from them is hypocrisy.”

Badenoch said Rayner’s admission she had not paid the correct amount of stamp duty should have led to “an instant resignation from her or an instant sacking from Keir Starmer”.

Timeline-style infographic showing key steps in Angela Rayner's stamp duty underpayment: In 2016, she and husband Mark buy a house in Greater Manchester. In 2020, their son receives an NHS payout, which is placed in a trust. In 2023, the couple divorce and split the house ownership - 25% each, 50% into the trust. In 2025, Rayner sells her 25% share to the trust. That same year, she buys a new property in East Sussex, paying £30,000 in stamp duty on it as her primary residence. However, because her son (the trust beneficiary) is under 18, Rayner and her ex-husband remain co-owners of the Greater Manchester property for stamp duty purposes, meaning she should have paid the higher “second home” rate of £70,000.

As first reported in The Guardian, the deputy prime minister used Verrico & Associates, a small family conveyancing firm in Kent to handle the purchase of the Hove property at the centre of a tax dispute.

Joanna Verrico, founder of the Herne Bay-based firm, said the company had calculated the stamp duty “based on the facts and information provided to us” adding: “We believe that we did everything correctly and in good faith.”

She said the company “does not deal with trusts or offer tax advice”.

Experts have previously said that conveyancers would be unlikely to be able to give specialist tax advice of the kind Rayner required.

It remains unclear who the two trust experts were who Rayner consulted, and whether they have specialised knowledge on stamp duty tax.

Former HHS chief: 'I can’t imagine what I would do if I were a parent in Florida'

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Former Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Wednesday said she “can’t imagine” how parents in Florida will protect their children as the state moves to end all school vaccines mandates.

“Florida has put out some terrifying guidance suggesting that they’re going to get rid of all vaccine mandates for kids in school,” Sebelius said during a Wednesday appearance on CNN’s “CNN News Central.”

“I can’t imagine what I would do if I were a parent in Florida thinking about sending my child to a school where you have no idea if there could be a measles outbreak or, God forbid, even polio will reappear. So, we are in uncharted territory,” she added.

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo compared current immunization requirements to slavery, sparking outrage among health experts and vaccine advocates who say a lack of vaccines will cause disease outbreaks. 

Ladapo is leading the effort to remove vaccine requirements from Florida schools following in the path of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who said the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will no longer recommend the COVID-19 vaccine recommendation for healthy children and pregnant women earlier this year.

“In my lifetime, CDC has been, you know, a standard for public health, not only here, but countries around the world have emulated it. And we have seen in about seven months a secretary with no scientific background, no training and a long history of vaccine skepticism and making money on suing vaccine companies begin to dismantle what is the protective shield around Americans,” Sebelius told CNN.  

“This is about health security. And as we learned with COVID, this is about our economic security. Another infectious disease that we’re not prepared for takes the whole economy down.  So, this is very dangerous territory,” she added. 

Last week, the CDC Director was removed by the Trump administration while four senior officials resigned citing the “weaponization of public health.”

“For the good of the nation and the world, the science at CDC should never be censored or subject to political paused or interpretations. Vaccines save lives — this is an indisputable, well-established, scientific fact,” former CDC Chief Medical Officer Debra Houry wrote in her resignation letter.

“Recently, the overstating of risks and the rise of misinformation have cost lives, as demonstrated by the highest number of U.S. measles cases in 30 years and the violent attack on our agency,” she continued, citing a measles outbreak from earlier this year.

Other officials agreed and said new policies were beginning to lean further and further away from scientific data or evidence and more towards political pursuits.

“I am not able to serve in this role any longer because of the ongoing weaponizing of public health,” Demetre C. Daskalakis, former director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases said. 

What Do Analysts Think About O’Reilly Automotive (ORLY)?

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avrotusa
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O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY) is one of the best automotive stocks to buy according to hedge funds. In a report released on August 13, Steven Shemesh from RBC Capital maintained a Buy rating on O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY), setting a price target of $111.00.

Jim Cramer On O’Reilly Automotive (ORLY): "Buy the One That's Not Going to Stock Split"
Jim Cramer On O’Reilly Automotive (ORLY): “Buy the One That’s Not Going to Stock Split”

Similarly, Argus Research initiated coverage on O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY) with a Buy rating on the same day, setting a $120.00 price target.

In another report released on August 12, Greg Melich from Evercore ISI maintained a Buy rating on O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY) with a price target of $110.00.

The stock’s median price target of $103.68 implies an upside of 6.10% from current levels.

O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY) owns and operates retail outlets in the US and is involved in the distribution and retailing of automotive aftermarket parts, supplies, tools, equipment, and accessories.

The company offers new and remanufactured automotive hard parts to both professional installers and do-it-yourself customers, including water pumps, fuel pumps, alternators, temperature controls, brake system components, and more.

While we acknowledge the potential of ORLY as an investment, we believe certain AI stocks offer greater upside potential and carry less downside risk. If you’re looking for an extremely undervalued AI stock that also stands to benefit significantly from Trump-era tariffs and the onshoring trend, see our free report on the best short-term AI stock.

READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now.

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.

Starmer considering new digital ID scheme to tackle illegal working

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Paul SeddonPolitical reporter

Starmer considering digital ID cards to tackle illegal immigration

Sir Keir Starmer has confirmed for the first time the government is looking at digital ID as a way to tackle illegal immigration.

The prime minister said a new identity programme could play an “important part” in reducing the incentive to enter the UK without permission.

The last Labour government started issuing ID cards to UK citizens, but the scheme was scrapped by the Tory-Liberal Democrat coalition over privacy concerns.

But Sir Keir said he felt the debate had “moved on in the last 20 years”.

Speaking to political editor Chris Mason, Sir Keir said: “We all carry a lot more digital ID now than we did twenty years ago, and I think that psychologically, it plays a different part.”

Asked whether a new scheme could play a role in reducing the attractiveness of the UK as a destination for illegal migrants, he added: “My instinct is it can play an important part. Obviously we need to look through some of the detail.”

He added that, two decades on from the row over New Labour’s physical ID card scheme, the public was likely to “look differently” at a digital-based scheme.

He did not confirm whether any new digital ID scheme would be mandatory.

By law, employers have to check that prospective candidates have the right to work in the UK.

Since 2022, they have been able to carry out checks on passport-holding British and Irish citizens by using digital verification services that have been certified by the government.

A Home Office online scheme also exists to verify the status of some non-British or Irish citizens, whose immigration status is held electronically.

It is understood officials are looking at whether requiring a digital ID could provide a more consistent approach to verifying identity.

They are also thought to be exploring whether the scheme could reduce the use of fake documents, and make it easier to target enforcement activity.

Estonia visit

Sir Keir’s comments are the most positive remarks yet by the prime minister about the idea, which is likely to reignite a debate over civil liberties.

Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden has visited Estonia recently to examine the Baltic state’s extensive use of digital identity to allow citizens to access government and some private services such as medical records, voting and banking.

The government has previously rejected a digital ID proposal suggested by former Labour Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair, whose government legislated for compulsory identity cards when he was in office.

Around 15,000 were in circulation when the scheme was scrapped by the coalition government in 2011, and the database destroyed.

In July, French President Emmanuel Macron said the UK had agreed to address the “fight against illegal work” as part of pull factors attracting illegal migrants.

There are sanctions including fines of up to £60,000 per unauthorised worker in cases where foreign workers are found to be working illegally.

For agency workers, the responsibility lies with the agency to conduct the relevant checks.

In March, the government announced the requirement to conduct a test would be extended to self-employed contractors carrying out work on behalf of a company.

Currently, firms are responsible for conducting checks on such workers only if they have sponsored the visa allowing them to work in the UK.

Home Secretary Yvette Cooper argued the extension would help enforcement in the so-called gig economy, where many workers are employed in temporary or casual roles.

Cassidy, RFK Jr. tangle in heated exchange on vaccines, Nobel for Trump

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In sharply worded questions, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) tangled with health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. about mRNA vaccines and conflicts of interest among Kennedy’s handpicked panel of vaccine advisors.  

Cassidy, a physician, was reluctant to support Kennedy’s confirmation but ultimately cast the deciding vote for his nomination to advance out of committee after receiving assurances about vaccine policy.  

The at times fiery exchange, during a Thursday Senate Finance Committee hearing, marks the strongest pushback and most contentious public exchange between the two since Kennedy’s term began. 

Cassidy first asked Kennedy if he thought President Trump deserved the Nobel Prize for Operation Warp Speed, the project that accelerated the development of COVID vaccines and treatment during Trump’s first term. 

When Kennedy answered affirmatively, Cassidy pressed him about his opposition to mRNA technology, and why his agency cut more than $500 million in contracts for mRNA research.  

“As lead attorney for the Children’s Health Defense, you engaged in multiple lawsuits attempting to restrict access to the COVID vaccine,” Cassidy said. “It surprises me that you think so highly of Operation Warp Speed when as an attorney, you attempted to restrict access to the COVID vaccine.”  

Kennedy said he supported the COVID vaccine initially because there were so many people getting seriously sick and low levels of natural immunity to the virus.  

He also said he supported the effort because the vaccine was “perfectly” matched to the virus, and there were no mandates under Trump.  

Cassidy then pressed Kennedy about conflicts of interest on the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel.  

Kennedy said he fired the panel’s previous members because they had conflicts of interest with drug companies that made them unable to participate as independent advisors.  

Cassidy asked if Kennedy thought it was a conflict of interest to appoint panelists who are paid expert witnesses in litigation against vaccine manufacturers. 

Kennedy said it’s a “bias,” but an allowable one so long as it’s disclosed. 

Cassidy also read from a letter he received from a physician friend who said patients 65 and older can’t get a COVID shot.  

“I would say effectively we are denying people vaccine,” Cassidy said.  

“You’re wrong,” Kennedy told him. 

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