Trump pulls nomination for top Washington, D.C., prosecutor in rare defeat
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Yahoo
a few seconds ago
- Yahoo
Trending tickers: latest investor updates on Intel, Amazon, Applied Materials, UnitedHealth and AB Foods
Intel (INTC) Shares in Intel (INTC) were higher in pre-market trading amid reports that the Trump administration is in talks with the chipmaker to have the US government take a stake in the company. It is unclear what size stake the federal government will take, but Bloomberg – which broke the news – reports that the deal will help 'shore up' a planned factory in Ohio that has been delayed. The plan stems from a meeting this week between US president Donald Trump and Intel (INTC) CEO Lip-Bu Tan, the report said. The Wall Street Journal adds that the administration has been exploring ways to boost the US share of semiconductor manufacturing and reportedly sees Intel as the domestic company best positioned to challenge TSMC (TSM). Taking a stake in Intel (INTC) could have different implications than offering subsidies. Quoting Mira Ricardel, former undersecretary of commerce for industry and security in the first Trump administration, the Journal said that such a stake could give the US government greater influence over and visibility into Intel's operations, particularly regarding China, in ways that regulations or subsidies likely could not. Read more: FTSE 100 LIVE: Markets higher ahead of Trump-Putin summit in Alaska Last week, Trump called for Tan to step down as head of Intel (INTC), with the US president writing on his Truth Social social-media platform that the CEO was 'highly conflicted', a reference to Tan's web of investments in Chinese technology companies. White House spokesman Kush Desai said "discussion about hypothetical deals should be regarded as speculation unless officially announced by the administration." Amazon (AMZN) Analysts are looking at Amazon (AMZN) shares with renewed interest this Friday morning after the e-commerce giant announced a push in groceries that could earn it an even bigger online retail market share. The online retailer said on Wednesday that customers in more than 1,000 US cities and towns now have access to fresh groceries with its free same-day delivery on orders over $25 for Prime members, with plans to reach over 2,300 by the end of the year. "We believe the expansion of same-day delivery for fresh perishable groceries will support Amazon's continued share gains across US e-commerce despite increased competition," JPMorgan (JPM) analyst Doug Anmuth wrote in a new note. His team reiterated the stock as its "Best Idea" and maintained a $265 price target. Freedom Broker analyst Egor Tolmachev raised the price target on the stock to $255.00 (from $240.00) while maintaining a Hold rating. The investment bank noted how Amazon (AMZN) has delivered strong financial results for the second quarter, surpassing both market expectations and its own guidance across all segments. The expansion is expected to put more pressure on grocery delivery services offered by such rivals as Walmart (WMT), Instacart and Target (TGT). Applied Materials (AMAT) Shares in Applied Materials (AMAT) sunk by over 10% ahead of the US opening bell as the semiconductor equipment company provided an outlook for the current quarter that fell short of Wall Street expectations. Applied Materials (AMAT) said it expects $2.11 per share in adjusted earnings in the current quarter, lower than LSEG estimates of $2.39 per share. The company said to expect $6.7bn in revenue, versus $7.34bn estimated. 'We are currently operating in a dynamic macroeconomic and policy environment, which is creating increased uncertainty and lower visibility in the near term,' said CEO Gary Dickerson. For the fourth quarter, Applied Materials (AMAT) expects earnings of $1.91 to $2.31 per share and revenue of $6.2bn to $7.2bn, both below consensus estimates. Read more: Analysts' top emerging market fund and trust picks CFO Brice Hill said the weaker outlook reflects 'digestion of capacity in China and non-linear demand from leading-edge customers given market concentration and fab timing.' The company's most important division, semiconductor systems, reported $5.43bn in sales, above estimates, and representing a 10% rise from last year. UnitedHealth (UNH) Shares in UnitedHealth (UNH) surged by over 12% in pre-market trading after Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRK-B) disclosed a new stake worth approximately $1.6bn in the US health insurance giant. The Omaha-based conglomerate acquired more than 5 million shares in UnitedHealth (UNH) during the second quarter, according to a regulatory filing, marking Berkshire's first position in the company since it exited the stock in 2010. At that time, Buffett pulled back from the health insurance sector more broadly. The disclosure positions UnitedHealth (UNH) as Berkshire's (BRK-B) 18th-largest equity holding, sitting just behind Amazon (AMZN) and Constellation Brands (STZ). The move also comes as Berkshire trimmed its Apple (AAPL) stake by 20 million shares over the same period, bringing its total holding to 280 million shares. Before the news, UnitedHealth (UNH) shares had fallen nearly 50% in 2025 through Thursday's close, as the company became a focal point of mounting political and regulatory scrutiny over rising healthcare costs in the US. The company is currently under investigation by the Department of Justice for its Medicare billing practices. Buffett, the investor known as the 'Oracle of Omaha', has a decade-long track record of buying stocks during their dip and riding companies back to profits. AB Foods (ABF.L) Shares in Associated British Foods (ABF.L) were little changed in London this Friday morning despite the announcement that it has agreed to buy bread brand Hovis. ABF (ABF.L) will acquire Hovis from private equity firm Endless in a deal thought to be worth around £70m, following a review of strategic options for its Allied Bakeries division. Allied Bakeries, which includes Kingsmill, Allinson's and Sunblest, made an annual loss about £30m despite sales of about £400m last year, according to analysts at the broker Panmure Liberum. George Weston, ABF's chief executive, said: "This transaction will create a UK bakeries business that is both profitable and sustainable over the long term. Stocks: Create your watchlist and portfolio "Supporting the Hovis and Kingsmill brands with well-invested and efficient operations will also enable innovation and growth. This solution will create value for shareholders, provide greater choice for consumers and increase efficiencies for customers." The deal is subject to regulatory approval. It will be scrutinised by the competition authorities given the combined bread market share of Allied Bakeries and in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Newsweek
a minute ago
- Newsweek
What Will Happen At Trump-Putin Summit? 4 Possible Outcomes
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The White House called Friday's meeting between Presidents Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump a "listening exercise," but even if it aimed to manage expectations over the chances of a breakthrough in the war in Ukraine, other diplomatic outcomes could ensue. Trump and other administration officials signaled that the Alaska summit will not end the fighting in Ukraine, and that it would likely require a follow-up summit involving both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who will be absent in Anchorage. Even without a ceasefire, experts have told Newsweek the meeting has other consequences, like the return of Putin to the top table of diplomacy and the sidelining of Europe over the war he started. Russian President Vladimir Putin pictured, left, on July 31, 2025, at the Kremlin in Moscow, and President Donald Trump pictured, right, on August 7, 2025, at the Oval Office in the White House, Washington, D.C. Russian President Vladimir Putin pictured, left, on July 31, 2025, at the Kremlin in Moscow, and President Donald Trump pictured, right, on August 7, 2025, at the Oval Office in the White House, Washington, D.C. Getty Images Why It Matters Trump has downplayed expectations for his meeting, in which he said his conversation with Putin "will be good, but it might be bad." But even without a breakthrough, there is concern over how much Putin has gained simply by meeting the president on U.S. soil with no Ukrainian leadership present and what the consequences of this might be for the conflict. What To Know The Russian delegation for the meeting at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage will include Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Defense Minister Andrey Belousov, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov and Russia's sovereign wealth fund head, Kirill Dmitriev. Putin aide Yury Ushakov said the war would be the focus but the discussion would also build on earlier talks with Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff, and that trade, economic cooperation and global security would be on the agenda. Here are four possible outcomes of the Trump-Putin summit, according to experts. 1. Diminished Role for Europe Ukraine's European allies reiterated during a call on Wednesday, involving Trump and Zelensky, Kyiv's position that borders cannot be changed by force. But Kyiv's European partners are stuck in a pattern in which they are responding to Trump's maneuvers, rather than shaping the diplomatic efforts to end the war, Rafael Loss, policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), told Newsweek. This shows Europe's dependency on American security guarantees and favorable trade relations. The EU would find it impossible to defy any U.S.-Russia agreement for fear of losing American support to defend Europe and Ukraine, he said. An ECFR policy brief in June said that the EU will bear the brunt of the conflict's outcome. European NATO members have upped defense spending since Trump began his second term in office, amid questions over Washington's role as the continent's security guarantor. But after the summit, Europe and Ukraine's leaders should prepare for Trump's urge to normalize relations with Russia and for Putin to continue to string Trump along with ambiguous promises of deals, Loss said. A view of downtown Anchorage on August 13, 2025, ahead of the meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska. A view of downtown Anchorage on August 13, 2025, ahead of the meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska.2. Putin Ends His Isolation No major Western leader has met with Putin since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. But after being internationally isolated by the West, Putin returns to the U.S. for the first time in a decade with pro-Kremlin media making much of Alaska's symbolic status as a former outpost of the Russian empire. "The optics for Putin are brilliant. He is being welcomed to the United States, although he's an international war criminal," said Richard Portes, economics professor at London Business School, referring to the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) that the U.S. does not recognize. Jana Kobzova, ECFR senior policy fellow, said the meeting effectively means an end to Putin's international isolation and that he gets a summit with the U.S. president, without any concessions. "That is already a good outcome for Putin," she said. Valerie Sperling, an expert on Russian politics at Clark University, said that if Trump tries to make concessions on Ukraine's behalf that Zelensky would refuse, Putin can spin it as showing the Ukrainian president as uncooperative. "Putin will probably come out ahead from this summit no matter what happens there," Sperling said. 3. 'Neutralization' of U.S. on Ukraine War Kobzova said Russia's most favorable outcome would be the "neutralization" of the U.S. over Ukraine, in which there would be decreased American involvement in efforts to end the war and an end of military aid to Kyiv. "Expect Putin to float all kinds of possibilities for joint U.S.-Russian energy and other business, including tapping Arctic resources," she said. British newspaper The Daily Telegraph reported Thursday that Trump might offer economic incentives to Putin—including opening up access to natural resources off Alaska's coast. This report has not been confirmed, but cooperation with Russia in the Arctic has been on Trump's agenda since he returned to the Oval Office. The commercial opportunities to expedite a peace deal also include minerals in occupied Ukrainian territory and lifting American sanctions on Russia's aviation industry, according to the newspaper, whose claims have not been independently verified. 4. No Ceasefire but Another Meeting Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Thursday that there would be no communiqué issued after the summit, and Trump has said a further meeting involving Zelensky would be required before any ceasefire could be agreed. Referring to territory that Russia partially controls, Trump said last week that "There'll be some swapping of territories to the betterment of both" countries, in exchange for a ceasefire. Kyiv has repeatedly rejected ceding territory to Moscow as counter to its constitution. Vuk Vuksanovic, associate at London School of Economics think tank LSE IDEAS, told Newsweek that Russia has no incentives to agree to either a ceasefire or yielding on its two key demands: Ukraine giving up on NATO membership and agreeing to give up on Crimea and four regions that Russia annexed in 2022. With Russian forces advancing in Ukraine's Donbas region, Moscow is convinced its battlefield situation will only get better, and so does not want to give its advantage away now by agreeing to a ceasefire, Vuksanovic added. Trump has warned that Russia would face "very severe consequences" if he finds Putin is still not serious about ending the war on Friday, but the White House messaging is that a further meeting would be needed involving Zelensky. Konstantin Sonin, a Russian-born economist and Putin critic who is a professor at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, said the Alaska summit is unlikely to produce any tangible result. "Putin is delusional and will not reduce his demands, and Zelensky has his back against the brick wall. The sticking point is that if Ukraine disarms, for example, abandons the Fortress Belt in Eastern Ukraine, Putin will attack again," Sonin told Newsweek. What People Are Saying Jana Kobzova, ECFR senior policy fellow, told Newsweek: "Russia's most favorable outcome would be the 'neutralization' of the U.S. when it comes to Ukraine." Vuk Vuksanovic, associate at LSE Ideas, told Newsweek: "The biggest question mark is whether, in the absence of any solution, Trump, in frustration, may decide to walk away from Ukraine fully." Valerie Sperling, professor at Clark University, told Newsweek: "The summit cannot lead to a deal to produce peace in Ukraine if Ukraine will not be represented there." Yuriy Boyechko, CEO of Hope for Ukraine, told Newsweek: "Friday will be a test of whether the United States still holds its ground as a global superpower on the world stage." What Happens Next The meeting starts Friday at 11.30 a.m. local time and the leaders will first speak one-on-one with only translators present, before moving to broader talks with their delegations, according to Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov. This will be followed by a working breakfast. A joint press conference is expected at the end of the summit, Russia news agency Interfax reported.
USA Today
2 minutes ago
- USA Today
From crime to tariffs, Trump challenges the unacceptable. It's what good leaders do.
Progressives' meltdown over Trump sending 800 National Guard troops to help make DC's streets safe is an example of how wrong they've been about the consequences of the president's actions. Progressives have been consistently wrong about the consequences of President Donald Trump's actions. Their overreaction to Trump's decision to establish law and order in Washington, DC, is the most recent example. On Aug. 11, Trump described our nation's capital as full of "bloodshed, bedlam and squalor." He then deployed National Guard troops and vowed to take over the Metropolitan Police Department to 'help reestablish law, order and public safety' in the city. I lived in the DMV area − DC, Maryland, Virginia − for about a decade. Many of us have our own anecdotes, supported by data, about the decline of our nation's capital. Trump's order prompted a wave of fact-checking in mainstream media. The New York Times, for example, wrote about fact-checking Trump's "false and misleading claims" about crime. Progressive leaders insisted that the president was not only wrong but also acting like a bully. Did Trump exaggerate about the level of crime in Washington? Perhaps. But the reality is that the crime rate in the capital city is far above an acceptable level. See for yourself: Maybe people don't read those statistics and think Washington is filled with mayhem and squalor, but the city isn't just about midnight strolls beside the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, either. The president's order raises important questions: Just how much violence should we accept in our cities? Is there really no viable way to help more Americans feel safer in their homes and neighborhoods? Trump is challenging an unacceptable status quo, which is what good leaders should do. Are you worried about crime? Do you agree with Trump's actions in DC? Tell us. | Opinion Forum Progressives' meltdown over Trump sending 800 National Guard troops to assist in making Washington streets safe is another example of how wrong they've been about the consequences of the president's actions. Liberals were wrong about Trump's tariffs For months, liberals screamed that Trump was destroying the U.S. economy with his tariffs. Inflation would spike. Unemployment would skyrocket. The public would revolt because of the financial pain he was so ruthlessly inflicting on them. None of it has happened. According to the latest consumer price index data released Aug. 12, prices rose 0.2% in July, with the annual inflation rate at 2.7%. This spring, grocery prices fell at the fastest rate in five years. Gas prices were down nearly 10% in July from a year ago. The stock markets also have shaken off their fear of tariffs. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq have set multiple record highs in recent weeks, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged almost 2% in the five-day period ending Aug. 13. That's fantastic news for the tens of millions of Americans who have retirement and other investment accounts. The doomsday predictions about tariffs from only four months ago turned out to be drastically overblown. But I have yet to hear any progressives publicly admit they were wrong. Trump's wins expose the left's disturbing pattern This pattern has happened on other issues, like border security. Under President Joe Biden, migrants crossed the border illegally in record numbers. Trump, after returning to the White House in January, quickly regained control. In fact, Customs and Border Protection reported that the agency released zero illegal immigrants into the United States in May. That was an incredible feat. Yet, it was hardly recognized in the news media. Opinion: Democrats have devolved into a clown show. No wonder polls show voters prefer GOP. The left has developed a pattern in overreacting to Trump that will ensure the Democratic Party's continued decline. It goes like this: Trump proposes a policy change or issues an executive order. Democrats and their allies in the media predict imminent doom. Trump's policy decisions turn out to be correct. Then progressives ignore the results and simply move on to shouting about something else. Progressives are so anti-Trump that they're now anti-common sense too. Democrats will pay a heavy price for traveling down such a self-destructive path. In 2028, voters will have to choose between a conservative candidate who stands for less crime, border security and balanced trade policies that promote prosperity and a Democratic candidate who rejects commonsense solutions for ideological reasons. I know who I'll choose. Nicole Russell is a columnist at USA TODAY and a mother of four who lives in Texas. Contact her at nrussell@ and follow her on X, formerly Twitter: @russell_nm. Sign up for her weekly newsletter, The Right Track, here.
