AP News in Brief at 11:04 p.m. EDT

Trump says Clinton team funding for Russia info ‘a disgrace’

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans latched onto revelations tying Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign to a dossier of allegations about his ties to Russia. The president said Wednesday it was a “disgrace” that Democrats had helped pay for research that produced the document.

“It’s just really — it’s a very sad commentary on politics in this country,” Trump said in addressing reporters one day after news reports revealed that the Clinton campaign and the Democratic National Committee, for several months last year, helped fund research that ultimately ended up in the dossier.

The document, compiled by a former British spy and alleging a compromised relationship between Trump and the Kremlin, has emerged this year as a political flashpoint. Law enforcement officials have worked to corroborate its claims. James Comey, FBI director at the time, advised Trump about the existence of the allegations, and the ex-spy who helped assemble the document, Christopher Steele, has been questioned as part of an ongoing probe into possible co-ordination between Russia and the Trump camp.

Trump has derided the document as “phoney stuff” and “fake news” and portrayed himself Wednesday as an aggrieved party, posting on Twitter a quote he said was from Fox News that referred to him as “the victim.” The new disclosure about the dossier’s origins is likely to fuel complaints by Trump and his supporters that the document is merely a collection of salacious and uncorroborated claims.

“Well, I think it’s very sad what they’ve done with this fake dossier,” Trump said Wednesday, adding without elaboration that “they paid a tremendous amount of money.” He contended that Democrats had initially denied any connection to the document, but now, “they admitted it, and they’re embarrassed by it.”

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Trump, GOP at odds over using 401(k)s to pay for tax cuts

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and Republicans were at odds on Wednesday over changing the 401(k) retirement program to help finance tax cuts, with the president insisting the middle-class favourite will remain untouched and lawmakers open to revisions.

Rep. Kevin Brady, the chairman of the House’s tax-writing panel, wouldn’t rule out changes to the program used by 55 million U.S. workers who hold some $5 trillion in their 401(k) accounts, a system that has become a touchstone of retirement security for the middle class.

Earlier this week, Trump promised the program would be left alone, and appeared to bolster that pledge Wednesday, saying he moved swiftly to end speculation that the tax-deferred program may be changed because it’s vital for working Americans.

But he went on to muddy the waters, when asked about Brady’s statements hours earlier.

“Maybe it is, and maybe we’ll use that as negotiating,” Trump said during an impromptu news conference as he left the White House for a trip to Texas. “But trust me … there are certain elements of deals you don’t want to negotiate with … and Kevin knows it, and I think Kevin Brady is fantastic, but he knows how important 401(k)s are.”

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10 Things to Know for Thursday

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about Thursday:

1. GOP RESPONDS TO DIGRUNTLED SENATORS

Most Republican lawmakers rally around Trump and his agenda, with one all but saying “good riddance” to Jeff Flake and Bob Corker.

2. HOW TAX PLAN IS PLAYING ACROSS US

Most Americans say they believe Trump’s tax overhaul would benefit the wealthy and corporations, according to an AP-NORC poll.

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Thailand grieves in elaborate final goodbye to King Bhumibol

BANGKOK (AP) — A ceremony in an ornate throne hall Thursday morning began the transfer of the remains of Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej to his spectacular golden crematorium in the royal quarter of Bangkok after a year of mourning for the monarch Thais hailed as “Father.”

Three separate and intensely solemn processions involving thousands of troops, a golden palanquin, a chariot and a royal gun carriage will move the royal urn representing Bhumibol’s remains from the Dusit Maha Prasad Throne Hall to the crematorium. The journey along a 2-kilometre (1.2-mile) route will take at least three hours and is being watched by tens of thousands of mourners dressed all in black and broadcast across the country.

Thais have braved tropical heat and torrential downpours to secure street-side vantage points to witness the funeral. Thousands of police and volunteers are on hand to ensure order and entry into the royal quarter, which has been tightly controlled to eliminate the faint possibility of protest against the monarchy or military government.

An activist had been detained earlier this week after writing on Facebook that he planned to wear red clothing on the day of Bhumibol’s cremation, a colour associated with support for political movements ousted in recent coups.

Before dawn on Thursday, 63-year-old Somnuk Yonsam-Ar sat on a paper mat amid a crowd of onlookers opposite the Grand Palace in Bangkok. Her granddaughter slept in her lap and her husband rested his head against a metal barrier. The family arrived the day before from the coastal province of Rayong, where they run a food stall.

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Thai funeral steeped in Buddhism, history with modern touch

BANGKOK (AP) — The funeral for Thailand’s King Bhumibol Adulyadej is an elaborate, intricately planned event lasting five days. The ceremonies and processions are steeped in Buddhism, tradition and history and defined by modern and personal touches. Some facts about the events:

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PAST AND PRESENT

The crematorium — a representation of mystical Mount Meru, where gods reside according to Buddhist and Hindu legends — is likely to be the most impressively ornate structure most Thais will see built in their country in their lifetimes. But some of their ancestors may have seen grander edifices, such as the 102.75-meter (337-foot) -high crematorium for King Borommakot of the Ayutthaya Kingdom in 1759.

However, 19th century monarch King Chulalongkorn, known for his attempts to modernize the country, thought it was time to downsize.

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New details revealed in California mom’s disappearance

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A California sheriff released new details Wednesday in the mysterious case of a young mother who was found battered and bruised but alive along a freeway after she was missing for three weeks.

The Shasta County sheriff’s department also released sketches of two suspects.

The department said investigators collected male DNA from the clothing that victim Sherri Papini was wearing when she was found on Thanksgiving and female DNA that was discovered on Papini’s body. The samples have not been identified.

The bizarre case — with many of the most sensational details initially released by her husband in an exclusive interview with ABC — has baffled police and set social media buzzing.

Armchair detectives have scoured the internet’s darkest corners for clues and others argue the case is a twisted hoax akin to the movie “Gone Girl.”

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Premiums rising 34 per cent for most popular health plan

WASHINGTON (AP) — Premiums for the most popular “Obamacare” plans are going up an average of 34 per cent, according to a study Wednesday that confirms dire predictions about the impact of political turmoil on consumers.

Window-shopping on HealthCare.gov went live Wednesday, so across the country consumers going online can see the consequences themselves ahead of the Nov. 1 start of sign-up season for 2018.

The consulting firm Avalere Health crunched newly released government data and found that the Trump administration’s actions are contributing to the price hikes by adding instability to the underlying problems of the health law’s marketplaces.

President Donald Trump puts the blame squarely on “Obamacare” saying the program is imploding, while ignoring warnings that his administration’s actions could make things worse.

The Avalere analysis is for the 39 states using HealthCare.gov. Along with the increase for silver plans, premiums also are going up by double digits for different levels of coverage, including bronze (18 per cent), gold (16 per cent), and platinum (24 per cent).

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Brazil’s Temer survives corruption charges vote in Congress

BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — President Michel Temer survived a key vote Wednesday night on whether he should be tried on corruption charges, mustering support in Brazil’s lower house of Congress despite abysmal approval ratings and widespread rejection among his countrymen.

To avoid being suspended and put on trial for charges of obstruction of justice and leading a criminal organization, the president needed the support of at least one third of the 513 deputies in the Chamber of Deputies.

He reached the threshold of 171 about two hours into the voting. The final tally was 251 in support of Temer and 233 against. The remaining were abstentions and absences.

Temer survived a similar vote in August on a separate bribery charge.

“This accusation is fragile, inept and worse than the first one,” legislator Celso Russomanno said while voting in favour of Temer.

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Fats Domino stirred New Orleans flavour into rock ‘n’ roll

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — In appearance, Fats Domino wasn’t a typical teen idol. He stood 5-feet-5 and weighed more than 200 pounds, with a wide, boyish smile and a haircut as flat as an album cover. But Domino sold more than 110 million records, with hits including “Blueberry Hill,” ”Ain’t That a Shame” and other standards of rock ‘n’ roll.

Domino, the amiable rock ‘n’ roll pioneer whose steady, pounding piano and easy baritone helped change popular music even as it honoured the grand, good-humoured tradition of the Crescent City, died early Tuesday. He was 89.

Mark Bone, chief investigator with the Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, coroner’s office, said Domino died of natural causes early Tuesday morning.

His dynamic performance style and warm vocals drew crowds for five decades. One of his show-stopping stunts was playing the piano while standing, throwing his body against it with the beat of the music and bumping the grand piano across the stage.

Domino’s 1956 version of “Blueberry Hill” was selected for the Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry of historic sound recordings worthy of preservation. The preservation board noted that Domino insisted on performing the song despite his producer’s doubts, adding that Domino’s “New Orleans roots are evident in the Creole inflected cadences that add richness and depth to the performance.”

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The hassle factor of flying to the US is about to rise

Flying to the United States is about to get more inconvenient, all in the name of security.

New security measures take effect Thursday at airports around the world. A spokeswoman for the Transportation Security Administration said the new steps will cover about 2,100 flights a day.

Here are highlights that you need to know.

WHICH AIRLINES AND PASSENGERS?

All of them. The new procedures apply to all flights to the U.S. from other countries. They will apply to both American citizens and foreigners.