U.S. and world news for Oct. 15

Israel: The Washington Post reported this morning that Israeli officials have told the U.S. that Israel will not go after Iran’s oil or nuclear facilities in retaliation for Iranian strikes on Israel. The U.S. has been urging Israel to limit what it does in any further attacks on Iran so as not to provoke a wider war in the Middle East. A statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said that Israel would decide what to do based on Israeli’s best interests.

Geraldo Rivera: Former far-right Fox News commentator Geraldo Rivera has endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris for president. Rivera said that Donald Trump cannot be trusted to honor the U.S. Constitution. Rivera had been an outspoken supporter of Trump in the 2020 election. He said that Trump’s on-going campaign to overturn results of that election is menacing. He said that people who support Trump’s lie about defeating President Biden in the 2020 election also become liars.

Rally: At a rally in Erie, Pennsylvania, yesterday, Vice President Kamala Harris played on a large screen a video of Donald Trump saying he would use the National Guard and maybe the U.S. military to go after his political opponents, who he called “the enemy from within.” Harris said that Trump “is increasingly unstable and unhinged, and he is out for unchecked power.” Harris said that Trump is refusing to release his medical records because he has something to hide.

True Value: The hardware retail brand True Value has filed for bankruptcy protection in federal court in Delaware. True Value said that it will continue to serve the 4,500 independent retail locations that have affiliated with it while the Chapter 11 proceeding takes place. True Value said that it has an agreement for a rival company, Do it Best, to buy True Value for $153 million. True Value said it hopes to close the transaction by the end of the year.

Bank of America: Bank of American today reported third quarter net income for 2024 of $6.9 billion compared with $7.8 billion for the third quarter of 2023. Third quarter revenues for 2024 were $25.3 billion, an increase of $178 million from the same period a year ago. The bank said asset management and investment banking fee income went up. It said its average deposits during the quarter were $938 billion, down 4% from the same period in 2023.

Combs: Six new federal lawsuits were filed in Manhattan against Sean “Diddy” Combs charging the music mogul with various sexual crimes. Combs is accused of a variety of sexual assaults against both men and women. The attorney who filed the lawsuits said he is representing more than 100 people who accuse Combs of assault and more lawsuits are likely.