Good morning. We’re covering Donald Trump’s indictment and an American journalist’s arrest in Russia. |
 | | The indictment kicks off a new and volatile phase in Donald Trump’s post-presidential life.Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times |
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A New York City grand jury hearing evidence in an investigation of the former president voted to indict Donald Trump for his role in paying hush money to a porn star, according to four people with knowledge of the matter. He became the first former U.S. president to face criminal charges. |
The development will shake up the 2024 presidential race, in which Trump is a candidate. Follow our live updates. |
The felony indictment, filed under seal by the Manhattan district attorney’s office, will most likely be announced in the coming days. By then, prosecutors working for the district attorney, Alvin Bragg, will have asked Trump to surrender and to face arraignment. |
While the specific charges remain unknown for now, prosecutors have focused on a $130,000 payment made to a porn actress who claimed to have had an affair with Trump. |
Michael Cohen, Trump’s fixer at the time, made the payment during the final days of the 2016 presidential campaign. The Trump Organization’s internal records falsely identified the reimbursements made to Cohen as legal expenses. |
Trump has consistently denied all wrongdoing and attacked Bragg, a Democrat, accusing him of leading a politically motivated prosecution. A conviction is not a sure thing. |
U.S. elections: The indictment could throw the race for the Republican nomination — which Trump leads in most polls — into uncharted territory. Whether an indictment would rally Republican voters to Trump’s side or erode his standing among them is uncertain. It is possible that Trump’s legal problems will lead voters to seek out an alternative. |
A volatile new phase: Trump has for decades avoided criminal charges despite persistent scrutiny and repeated investigations, creating an aura of legal invincibility that the indictment now threatens to puncture. His actions surrounding his 2020 electoral defeat are the focus of a separate federal investigation. |
 | | The Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich in a photograph dated July 2021. The Journal called him a “trusted and dedicated reporter.”Dimitar Dilkoff/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
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Russia arrests an American journalist |
Evan Gershkovich, a correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, was detained Thursday in Yekaterinburg, a city about 900 miles east of Moscow in the Ural Mountains, the Russian Federal Security Service, or F.S.B., said in a statement. He is accused of espionage. |
The arrest is a new escalation in Russian tensions with foreign media organizations since the start of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. Gershkovich, 31, is believed to be the first American reporter to be held as an accused spy in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. |
The Wall Street Journal vehemently denied Russia’s accusations and said in a statement that it was concerned for Gershkovich’s safety. The Biden administration condemned the detention. “The targeting of American citizens by the Russian government is unacceptable,” the White House press secretary said in a statement. |
Dmitri Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, confirmed the arrest. “We’re not talking about suspicions,” he said, adding, “He was caught red-handed.” |
A swap? In some past espionage cases, Russia has detained foreigners to instigate prisoner exchanges with the West. Gershkovich faces up to 20 years in prison under Russia’s criminal code. Acquittals in espionage cases are virtually unheard-of. |
Analysis: With Gershkovich’s arrest, President Vladimir Putin signaled to the world that he was doubling down on Russia’s wartime isolation, our Moscow bureau chief writes. |
Other developments from the war in Ukraine: |
 | | The Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui, pictured at his Manhattan apartment in 2017.James Estrin/The New York Times |
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Guo Wengui’s rise and fall |
The Chinese billionaire-in-exile Guo Wengui is awaiting trial in the U.S. on charges of defrauding thousands of investors of more than $1 billion. A Times investigation traces his remarkable trajectory, from Beijing insider to fugitive critic of the Chinese Communist Party and ally of Trump Republicans. |
Guo, who is accused of engaging in a complex scheme to bilk thousands of online followers, was arrested this month in his 9,000-square-foot New York apartment. He pleaded not guilty. |
His path, fueled by bravado, ruthlessness, a keen political antenna and alleged theft, has left lingering suspicion about his allegiances. |
From China to the U.S.: Guo rose from poverty to control a nationwide property empire. A crackdown on corruption in China pushed him to flee to the U.S. in 2015, where he found allies — and devoted followers — by forcefully criticizing the Chinese Communist Party. Right-wing American political figures embraced him. Guo raised millions for business ventures, promoted conspiracy theories and garnered support among the Chinese diaspora. |
Downfall: It all began to unravel as allegations of fraud piled up. Victims complained and, increasingly, sued. Guo’s supporters coordinated harassment campaigns targeting his critics, including the Chinese human rights activist Teng Biao. A U.S. regulatory authority filed civil suits against three companies tied to Guo, accusing them of conducting unlawful securities offerings. Now, if convicted on fraud charges, Guo could face decades in prison. |
 | | A Philippine Coast Guard vessel was deployed to fight the fire on Wednesday night.Philippine Coast Guard, via Reuters |
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- Authorities in the Philippines are investigating a fire on a passenger ferry that killed at least 28 people.
- At least 14 people were killed in India when a well cover collapsed in a packed temple.
- Japan’s bid to host the 2030 Winter Olympics in Sapporo is in jeopardy amid a still-unfolding corruption scandal linked to the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
- Three sailors were rescued in the Pacific Ocean, 1,800 miles southeast of Tahiti, after their sailboat sank in a collision with a whale.
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 | | Mexican authorities responding to the fire at a migrant detention center.Go Nakamura for The New York Times |
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- Mexico is investigating the deaths of at least 39 people at a migrant detention center near the U.S. border as a homicide case.
- Pope Francis, 86, is “gradually improving” after a night in the hospital in Rome, where he is being treated for a respiratory infection.
- Police missteps contributed to Canada’s deadliest-ever mass shooting in 2020, a commission found.
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 | | China invested in soccer schools and soccer fields but never created a pipeline of players.Cfoto/Sipa USA, via Reuters |
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China sank billions into soccer with dreams of becoming a major player in the world’s most popular sport. Schools were ordered to introduce the game into their curriculums, and plans were afoot to build tens of thousands of fields. |
 | | “I learned how to make wagashi by myself, by watching how it was made,” said Sayoko Sugiyama.Kosuke Okahara for The New York Times |
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“It requires a lot of strength to mix,” Sugiyama said. “That’s why traditionally, men tend to dominate the industry.” |
But things have been changing, slowly, for women in the Japanese confectionery business. The kitchens at big companies like Toraya, established in the 16th century, are usually run by men. But more and more women are opening small wagashi boutiques and experimenting with nontraditional flavors. Sugiyama has made sweets flavored with chai, hassaku (a Japanese citrus) and kuromoji (a shrubby and aromatic Japanese tree). |
While wagashi are known for their beauty, to Sugiyama, it’s the taste that matters. “Even after spending the day cooking, I still want to eat them,” she said. |
 | | David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. |
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Play the Mini Crossword, and a clue: Best friend of Charlie Brown (five letters). |
That’s it for today’s briefing. See you next time. — Mariah |
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