Here’s what you need to know at the end of the day.
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Good evening. Here’s the latest.
1. President Trump reversed course on Russia again, saying the country is no longer targeting the U. S.
The remarks contradict the U. S. intelligence chief and come a day after Mr. Trump promised the government was working to guard against possible Russian interference in the coming midterm elections.
Earlier, Mr. Trump tweeted that “many people at the higher ends of intelligence” loved his remarks on Monday regarding Russia’s possible meddling.
It was not immediately clear whether the president was referring to smart people or high-level intelligence officials.
He also implied that “haters” were angry that he got along with the leader of Russia and “would rather go to war.”
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2. Separately, President Trump questioned a core value of NATO: mutual defense.
In an interview with the Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Mr. Trump wondered why the U. S. should be responsible for defending Montenegro, a small country in the alliance 5,000 miles away. But mutual defense is part of the treaty’s charter: If one NATO country is attacked, all NATO countries would be considered under attack as well and would join in defense.
Mr. Trump has long expressed skepticism about NATO, though he emerged from the summit this month claiming diplomatic victory on spending by members.
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3. New details have emerged about Maria Butina, the Russian woman charged with secretly acting on behalf of Russia.
Ms. Butina, 29, was recently in contact with a suspected Russian intelligence official as part of a “yearslong” conspiracy, prosecutors said. They also wrote that she had offered sex to an American in “exchange for a position within a special interest organization.”
“The defendant is considered to be on par with other covert Russian agents,” prosecutors said. Ms. Butina, above, was arrested on Sunday in Washington and accused of being an unregistered foreign agent of Russia.
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4. The E. U. fined Google $5.1 billion, a record penalty, for abusing its power in the smartphone market.
Officials said Google, which makes the Android mobile operating system used in smartphones, broke antitrust laws by striking deals with handset manufacturers such as Huawei and Samsung. Above, Margrethe Vestager, Europe’s competition commissioner, discussing Google on Wednesday.
The agreements required Google’s services, such as its search bar and Chrome browser, to be favored over rival offerings. European authorities said those moves unfairly boxed out competitors.
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5. The Trump administration is taking steps to restrict asylum access in the U. S.
The government announced new guidance for asylum officers to scrutinize applications more closely, and to weigh the applicants’ claims of fear against whether they have previously entered the United States illegally.
The moves are part of a larger plan developing in Washington to reshape the reputation of America as a safe haven.
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6. In India, false rumors about child kidnappers have gone viral on WhatsApp, prompting fearful mobs to kill two dozen innocent people since April.
Our reporters went to the village where one of the victims, a 65-year-old grandmother, was mistaken for a “child lifter” and killed.
WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook, has a quarter billion users in India alone, and the app and local authorities are struggling to stem the flow of false information.
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7. “It was a miracle.”
The 12 Thai soccer teammates and their coach, newly released from the hospital, appeared at a news conference, dribbling soccer balls to cheers from the assembled crowd and telling the harrowing tale of the long wait in a cave for help.
The boys displayed gratitude to rescuers, regret for worrying their parents and solemn regard for the Thai diver who died working to save them.
The coach’s tribute: “He sacrificed his life to protect and save us, the 13 Wild Boars, so we could go back outside and be happy, live a normal life.”
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8. In northern Syria, makeshift prisons hold suspects accused of fighting for ISIS. Their home countries — nearly 50, including the U. S. and European nations — are reluctant to repatriate the Islamic State fighters, fearing that they could spread radical ideology.
Above, an S. D. F. soldier guarding one of the jails.
In a rare visit, Times reporter toured the prisons. Here’s what he saw.
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9. Bruce Springsteen is headed to Netflix.
The musician announced that his Broadway show would be released as a special on the streaming service in December. The show, “Springsteen on Broadway,” combines stripped-down versions of some of Mr. Springsteen’s most popular songs with stories about his life adapted from his memoir, “Born to Run.”
The show has been an enormous financial success; as of Sunday, it had grossed $76 million.
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10. And finally, the late-night hosts didn’t pull any punches yesterday evening when it came to President Trump’s shifting comments on Russia.
“The news today is that our president is a liar,” Jimmy Kimmel, above, said. “And not even a good one.”
Stephen Colbert cried foul, too. “You either accept it was Russia, or say it could be other people. You can’t do both. ‘I, Donald, take you, Melania, to be my lawfully wedded wife. Although, I could take other people too — there’s a lot of people out there.’”
Have a great evening.
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