GREENBELT, Md. (AP) — Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty on Friday to illegally retaining classified information, sealing a deal with federal prosecutors that could allow him to avoid a prison term.

Bolton, who became an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump after serving in the Republican’s first administration, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 28 by U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Bolton, 77, of Bethesda, Maryland, pleaded guilty to a single count of illegally retaining national defense information, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years. His plea agreement with the Justice Department may enable him to avoid time behind bars, but the judge ultimately will decide his punishment.

The plea agreement recommends capping any prison sentence at five years, but the judge isn’t bound by that part of the deal. Bolton, who also agreed to pay a fine of $2.25 million, can withdraw his guilty plea if the judge imposes a longer prison sentence or a larger fine.

Bolton must pay half of the fine within five days of his plea and the balance within 90 days. He agreed to forfeit his retirement pay for his federal service. The plea deal also requires him to submit to a debriefing with federal intelligence officials and perform up to 100 hours of community service.

After a prosecutor read aloud a summary of his offenses, Bolton agreed that it was accurate.

“I’m sorry for it,” he told the judge.

Defense attorney Abbe Lowell said Bolton “did what real leaders do” by pleading guilty.

“He took responsibility for a mistake he made, thereby saving the government resources to pursue a case that could expose additional sensitive information,” Lowell said in a statement after the hearing.

U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes, the top federal prosecutor for Maryland, said Bolton knew how to properly handle and store classified information.

“He also knew the damage to national security that could be caused by mishandling that sensitive information. Nevertheless, as Mr. Bolton just admitted, he put our national security at grave risk in violation of the law,” Hayes told reporters.

Bolton was charged last October with 18 counts of either retaining or disseminating classified information, including diary-like notes that he shared with relatives as he wrote a memoir about his career in government.

Other Trump adversaries have been charged with federal crimes during his second term in the White House. While some of those cases have collapsed under judicial scrutiny and amid claims of political retribution, Bolton didn’t mount a vigorous defense against his charges before cutting a deal.

FBI agents searched Bolton’s Maryland home and Washington, D.C., office last August, but the investigation began before Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

Bolton served as national security adviser for more than a year in Trump’s first administration before getting pushed out in 2019. He later published a book called “The Room Where it Happened” that presented an unflattering portrait of Trump’s leadership.

The Trump administration fought unsuccessfully to block the book’s release, claiming it contained classified information that could jeopardize national security. Trump derided Bolton as a “crazy” warmonger who would have led the country into “World War Six.”

Bolton’s indictment focused on notes that he shared with his wife and daughter rather than the contents of his book. 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.

Bolton shared over 1,000 pages of diary-style information about his daily duties as national security adviser with his family members, according to a court filing accompanying his guilty plea. There is no evidence that his relatives shared the information with anybody else.

However, sometime after Bolton left government service, a hacker linked to Iran accessed classified information from Bolton’s personal email account, the court filing says. Bolton directed a representative to notify U.S. officials about the hacked account in 2021. ]]> https://www.wptf.com/2026/06/26/ex-national-security-adviser-john-bolton-pleads-guilty-to-illegally-retaining-classified-information/feed/ 0 https://www.wptf.com/2026/06/26/disagreements-between-supreme-court-justices-bubble-into-public-view-as-major-rulings-loom/ https://www.wptf.com/2026/06/26/disagreements-between-supreme-court-justices-bubble-into-public-view-as-major-rulings-loom/#respond Fri, 26 Jun 2026 17:02:07 +0000 Alyssa Vail 2026-06-26T17:02:07+00:00 https://d3739.cms.socastsrm.com/?p=15709 This combination photo shows Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Sept 16, 2024, in New York, left, and Justice Samuel Alito in Rome, Sept. 20, 2025. (AP Photo)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is handing down major opinions at a rapid clip, but even with some of the biggest decisions yet to come there are signs of tension between the justices.

One highly unusual exchange for the restrained and traditional atmosphere came Thursday, as the members of the nation’s highest court took the bench as usual to read a short summary of their decisions. Those rulings included two major immigration wins for President Donald Trump.

After conservative Justice Samuel Alito finished his reading of the majority’s ruling limiting how people can seek asylum at the southern border, liberal Sonia Sotomayor spoke up to read from her strident dissent.

She traced the difficult journey many asylum seekers face and outlined a painful chapter in the country’s history: When the U.S. and other countries turned back a ship full of Jewish refugees attempting to flee persecution in Nazi Germany in 1939. About 250 of those passengers later died in the Holocaust.

Sotomayor said the majority’s opinion would allow the Trump administration to block people from applying for asylum at the border, which would result in more deaths. The decision “regrettably and tragically extinguishes the light of the torch of the Statue of Liberty.”

Justice Brett Kavanaugh watched her intently as she spoke, while Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson looked straight ahead.

Majority opinions are always read from the bench and dissenters can speak up as well to underscore their objections, which typically happens in few cases every term. More rulings are expected on Monday.

Sotomayor’s spoken dissent, however, appeared to be a surprise for Alito. In a very rare move, he spoke off the cuff. He sounded surprised and frustrated, saying he would have added more detail to his summary if he’d known about plans to speak.

For the conservative majority, the case was about whether border officials can delay asylum seekers’ entry into the U.S. “until they can be processed in a safe and orderly way.”

Out loud, Alito defended his opinion by noting that the policy at the center of the case had been used under both the Obama and Trump administrations. “I won’t add anything more to that,” he said.

The exchange comes during the court’s busiest time of the year, as the justices prepare to release opinions next week on some of the biggest issues of the term, and Trump’s presidency so far. Those include his push to restrict birthright citizenship and expand the president’s power to fire board members at independent agencies.

Supreme Court justices have spoken publicly about their cordial working relationships and regular lunches as a group where they set aside cases to talk and share each other’s company. And while there are ideological splits between the court’s conservative majority and its liberal wing, they also decide many cases unanimously, including one this month about the Second Amendment rights of marijuana users.

Still, it isn’t the first time unusual tensions have surfaced this term. Sotomayor issued a rare public apology in April to another justice, Brett Kavanaugh, for what she termed “hurtful comments.” She had said during a law school talk that a colleague “probably doesn’t really know any person who works by the hour.”

In another public appearance in March, Kavanaugh and Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson sparred over the many emergency orders the court had issued allowing Trump to move ahead with key parts of his agenda. ]]> https://www.wptf.com/2026/06/26/disagreements-between-supreme-court-justices-bubble-into-public-view-as-major-rulings-loom/feed/ 0 https://www.wptf.com/2026/06/26/trump-says-iran-violates-ceasefire-with-drone-strike/ https://www.wptf.com/2026/06/26/trump-says-iran-violates-ceasefire-with-drone-strike/#respond Fri, 26 Jun 2026 16:57:46 +0000 Alyssa Vail 2026-06-26T16:57:46+00:00 https://d3739.cms.socastsrm.com/?p=15707 EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE - JUNE 17: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a bilateral meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on the sidelines of the G7 Summit on June 17, 2026 in Evian-les-Bains, France. Leaders from the Group of 7 (G7) countries convened in Evian, France, near the Swiss border, for their annual summit to discuss challenges to peace and security for Ukraine and Europe, the situation in the Middle East, and other geopolitical issues. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) blamed Iran for a drone strike on a cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz, calling it a “foolish violation” of the ceasefire.

He did not identify the ship; however, the British military said Thursday that a vessel was hit by a projectile off Oman. This comes at a fragile time, as the U.S. and Iran are negotiating an interim peace deal.

Trump also threatened a 100% tariff on imports from any nation that taxes digital services from U.S. companies, specifically singling out Europe. His post on social media said those nations are considering “imminent” taxes, and that the tariff would override any previously negotiated trade agreements.

Former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton pleaded guilty on Friday to illegally retaining classified information, sealing a deal with federal prosecutors that could allow him to avoid a prison term.

Bolton, who became an outspoken critic after serving in the first Trump administration, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 28. ]]> https://www.wptf.com/2026/06/26/trump-says-iran-violates-ceasefire-with-drone-strike/feed/ 0 https://www.wptf.com/2026/06/26/bright-branzino/ https://www.wptf.com/2026/06/26/bright-branzino/#respond Fri, 26 Jun 2026 09:00:11 +0000 Savannah Gunter 2026-06-20T04:56:23+00:00 https://d3739.cms.socastsrm.com/?p=15657  

Ingredients

• 2 whole branzino, cleaned and scaled
• 2–3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lemon (half sliced, half for juice)
• 3–4 garlic cloves, smashed
• Fresh herbs (parsley, thyme, or rosemary)
• Salt and black pepper
• Optional: cherry tomatoes or sliced fennel

Instructions

1. Prep the Fish

Pat the branzino dry thoroughly. Score the skin lightly on both sides to help it crisp and absorb flavor.

2. Season Generously

Rub the fish inside and out with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Stuff the cavity with lemon slices, garlic, and fresh herbs.

3. Heat & Roast

Place on a lined baking sheet and roast at 425°F for about 18–22 minutes, until the skin is crisp and the flesh flakes easily.

4. Crisp the Finish (Optional)

For extra crisp skin, broil for the last 1–2 minutes while watching closely.

5. Brighten & Serve

Squeeze fresh lemon over the top and serve with roasted vegetables, greens, or a simple olive oil drizzle.

Ingredients

• 1 bagel (everything, sesame, or plain)
• 2–3 tbsp cream cheese
• 2–3 oz lox (smoked salmon)
• 2–3 slices tomato
• Thin slices red onion
• Capers (optional)
• Fresh dill (optional)
• Lemon wedge
• Black pepper

Instructions

1. Toast the bagel

Slice your bagel and lightly toast it until warm and just crisp on the edges, or keep it soft for a classic deli feel.

2. Spread the cream cheese

Spread a thick, even layer of cream cheese across both halves so every bite has that rich, tangy foundation.

3. Layer the Lox

Drape the smoked salmon gently over the cream cheese, folding it slightly for a soft, silky texture.

4. Add freshness

Add tomato slices and thin red onion for brightness and a crisp bite that balances the richness.

5. Toppings time

Sprinkle capers and fresh dill over the top, adding that signature salty-herbal deli flavor.

6. Brighten & Season

Squeeze fresh lemon over everything and finish with a crack of black pepper.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump berated Senate Republicans during a visit to the Capitol Wednesday for allowing a vote to block his war in Iran, further escalating a feud that has diverted GOP efforts to focus on election-year affordability issues and brought much of the chamber’s business to a halt.

Invited to speak at the GOP luncheon by Florida Sen. Rick Scott, Trump had signaled ahead of time that he would use the closed-door meeting to push senators to pass his proof-of-citizenship voting bill. But the conversation was more focused on Tuesday’s vote to approve the war powers resolution, a mostly symbolic measure that allows Congress to rebuke the administration’s military actions. The House passed its own version of the resolution earlier this month.

Trump had particular words for the four Republican senators who voted with Democrats on the measure — Republicans Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Susan Collins of Maine, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana — after calling them “losers” on social media.

Most Republicans stayed quiet. But Cassidy, who lost re-election in his primary last month after Trump endorsed an opponent, stood up and defended his vote.

“I stood and said, ‘You have not told the American people what’s going on,’” Cassidy told reporters after the meeting. “This was supposed to last four weeks, it’s lasted four months. Our original objectives have not been achieved.”

The two men “went back and forth,” Cassidy said, and he “matched his tone and volume” until someone told him to sit down and he tried to de-escalate. But Cassidy said that he did not want to be bullied.

“I am voting for war powers until I get a briefing,” he said afterward.

Trump repeatedly told Cassidy to sit down, according to a person familiar with the private meeting who was not authorized to discuss it. At one point, the president called the senator a “lunatic.”

Publicly, Trump said afterward that they had “a really great meeting.” But he hinted at the discord.

“We like everyone in the room,” Trump said. “I don’t like a few people, but that’s okay”

The meeting capped weeks of friction between Trump and Senate Republicans and added a new layer of frustration as Tuesday’s vote was the first time the Senate had adopted a war powers resolution on the Iran war. Trump made clear he was in no mood to compromise before it even started, calling off a scheduled signing ceremony on a housing bill that passed both chambers overwhelmingly this week and that GOP lawmakers were touting as an election-year achievement.

Tillis told reporters, “Damaging a lining in a reflecting pool is something that Pirro wants to prosecute to the fullest extent of the law, if it’s proven true, and yet they’re releasing people who pled guilty to assaulting a police officer? What freaking parallel universe did I just wake up in?”

He was asked if he believed the reflecting pool was cut by vandals. He replied, “I’m telling you what, I like to think a $15 million membrane could withstand a pocket knife.”

President Trump has blamed vandals for the shortcomings on the renovations, whom he claims, without offering any evidence, were cutting up the lining with knives and pouring toxic chemicals into the water.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration on Wednesday reached a multi-state settlement with chemical giant Chemours Co. over years-long, illegal discharges of synthetic “forever chemicals” used to make products resistant to water, grease and stains. The settlement is the first by the federal government to resolve enforcement claims against a manufacturer of harmful chemicals known as PFAS.

Under the agreement, filed in federal court in West Virginia, Chemours will pay a civil penalty of $22.5 million for alleged violations and spend $90 million over 15 years to mitigate PFAS discharges in three states: West Virginia, North Carolina and New Jersey.

Chemours, a spin-off of chemical maker DuPont, also agreed to install PFAS pollution controls for and surface water discharges and air emissions at a West Virginia facility at an estimated cost of $60 million, supply clean drinking water to communities near its West Virginia and New Jersey sites at an estimated cost of $280 million; and implement controls to reduce releases of PFAS and other toxic chemicals from its facility in North Carolina, based on a pending independent assessment.

Combined, the penalties and relief programs are estimated to cost at least $450 million, the Justice Department said.

The settlement allows Chemours to continue manufacturing PFAS for commercial and military applications while preventing future contamination and protecting communities from existing pollution, said Adam Gustafson, principal deputy assistant Attorney General for the Environment and Natural Resources Division.

Justice Department says settlement protects public health

“The Trump administration recognizes the important role of Chemours for it commercial and military obligations,” Gustafson said in an interview. “The settlement protects public health while preserving that important balance.”

The settlement against a major PFAS manufacturer “delivers on the Trump administration’s promise to make polluters pay and stop PFAS contamination at the source,” said Jeffrey Hall, assistant EPA administrator for enforcement and compliance assurance.

The agreement will greatly reduce PFAS contamination of water, land and air and even begin to mitigate past harm, Hall said. “This settlement brings Chemours into compliance with the law and holds it fully accountable,” he said.

In a statement Wednesday, Chemours said it has already begun planning and implementing operational improvements at its facilities and will take steps to mitigate future emissions and enhance existing programs.

“This settlement provides Chemours with greater clarity on future compliance requirements and actions to support long-term responsible manufacturing,” spokeswoman Jess Loizeaux said.

The settlement comes as the Trump administration is expected to propose softening Biden-era limits on “forever chemicals” in drinking water, while delaying but keeping tough standards for two common types of the substance.

The proposal will start the formal process of rolling back parts of the first-ever limits on PFAS in drinking water finalized during former President Joe Biden’s administration. Officials at the time found they increased the risk of cardiovascular disease, certain cancers and babies being born with low birth weight.

The agency is committed to addressing Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water while following the law and ensuring that regulatory compliance is achievable for drinking water systems, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said.

Chemours discharged PFAS into rivers in three states

The settlement determined that facilities Chemours operates in the three states have discharged PFAS into the Ohio River, Cape Fear River and Delaware River, respectively, in violation of permits required by the Clean Water Act and state laws. Chemours also violated legal requirements under the federal Toxic Substances Control Act at all three facilities.

As a result of the alleged violations, people living near the facilities were exposed to illegal PFAS, officials said. PFAS are widely used and found around the world, with scientific studies showing that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.

The violations continued for over a decade, the Justice Department said. The facilities were previously owned for many decades by DuPont. The settlement announced Wednesday does not resolve DuPont’s liability for past PFAS violations, officials said.

A federal judge last year ordered Chemours to stop discharging unlawful levels of cancer-causing chemicals into the Ohio River from the company’s Washington Works plant in West Virginia. The pollutants endanger the environment, aquatic life and human health, U.S. District Judge Joseph Goodwin wrote in the August 2025 order.

The West Virginia Rivers Coalition had asked Goodwin to require the company to immediately comply with its permit limits after violating them for more than five years.

DuPont, Chemours and another company, Corteva, agreed to pay New Jersey up to $2 billion last year to settle environmental claims stemming from PFAS. The federal settlement does not affect the state case.

North Carolina AG blasts settlement

North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson called the settlement “an insult to the people of eastern North Carolina.”

His state is “ground zero for GenX contamination, but this deal does practically nothing to clean up our water,” said Jackson, a Democrat. GenX is a trade name for a synthetic chemical developed as an alternative to PFAS but which has raised significant health and environmental concerns in its own right.

“Chemours made this mess, and Chemours should clean it up,” Jackson said in a statement.

The federal consent decree calls for 14 specific treatment systems to reduce PFAS in wastewater, stormwater and groundwater from the West Virginia plant. Chemours will test drinking water near the West Virginia and New Jersey sites and provide treated or alternative clean water.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte will check in face-to-face with Trump on Wednesday, visiting the volatile U.S. leader two weeks before the annual summit of the military alliance at a time when the Pentagon is reviewing the size of the U.S. military footprint in Europe.

The saga over the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool took a turn as Trump said Tuesday that six people have been arrested over recent damage. The president’s troubled $14-million-plus rehabilitation project has become a visceral flashpoint over law enforcement, aesthetics and environmental concerns ahead of the country’s 250th anniversary celebrations.

Ingredients

For the Tart Crust

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons ice water

For the Vanilla Filling

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

For the Blueberry Topping

• 3 cups fresh blueberries
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Make the Tart Dough

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Cut in the cold butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in the egg yolk and ice water until a dough forms.

2. Chill the Dough

Shape the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

3. Bake the Tart Shell

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Roll the dough into a 10-inch tart pan, pressing it evenly into the bottom and sides. Prick the crust with a fork and bake for 18–22 minutes until lightly golden. Cool completely.

4. Prepare the Filling

Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until light and fluffy.

5. Make the Blueberry Topping

In a saucepan, combine 1 cup of the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch, and water. Cook over medium heat until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining blueberries. Let cool completely.