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VOL. 48 | NO. 24 | Friday, June 14, 2024

Dive right in

Still some Nashville bars not ruined by tourists

Hoist a cold one to the humble neighborhood bar, which is, perhaps unexpectedly, the subject of a surprising amount of research. A local bar can define an area, function as a meeting space and be a touchpoint for the neighborhood.

JOE ROGERS: MY TAKE

Andrew Johnson: Really the worst US president?

My store of knowledge about the 17th president, Andrew Johnson, has until just recently consisted mostly of gaps. He took over after Lincoln’s assassination, was later impeached by the House but saved from conviction by one vote in the Senate, and, uh …

RICHARD COURTNEY: REALTY CHECK

Rising inventory a good sign for Midstate real estate

The Greater Nashville Realtors’ sales statistics for May are positive in what many see as a sluggish residential real estate market in the Nashville area.

Local Weather
Currently
Nashville, TN
44.1°F
Overcast
Wind: North at 8.1 mph
Humidity: 71%

EVENTS

Gallatin Young Professionals. Join other Young Professionals at various local eateries and grow your network. Wednesday, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Filly’s Grinders, 102 N. Water Avenue. Information

more events »

REAL ESTATE

Top Davidson County commercial real estate transactions for May 2024

Top Davidson County commercial real estate sales for May 2024, as compiled by the Nashville Ledger.

Mortgage rates ease for second straight week, leaving average rate on a 30-year home loan at 6.95%

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mortgage rates eased again this week, though the latest pullback leaves the average rate on a 30-year home loan at close to 7%, where it's been much of this year.

UT SPORTS

From Little League World Series to College World Series: Vols’ Phillips savors rare doubleheader

The first World Series experience for Marcus Phillips remains a bit of a blur. The University of Tennessee sophomore was a star player on the Sioux Falls Little League team that reached the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in 2017.

Virginia, Tennessee, Florida expect experience from '23 College World Series to provide an edge

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The game's the same. It's what happens away from the field and how players deal with it that can affect how long a team sticks around at the College World Series.

NEWSMAKERS

EO Nashville selects board members for 2024

EO Nashville, now in its 30th year, has named its board of directors for 2024. They are:

BRIEFS

Transit plan starts path toward November ballot

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell and his team filed an ordinance last week with Metro Council which would allow them to recommend the transportation improvement program’s inclusion on the Nov. 5 ballot.

BEHIND THE WHEEL

Chevy Colorado or Ford Ranger: Which is better?

Buying a midsize truck can be a smart choice if you want a truck that’s capable but less expensive and more maneuverable than the typical full-size truck. There are quite a few options available and among them are two domestic headliners: the Chevrolet Colorado and Ford Ranger.

CAREER CORNER

It’s not you, it’s them: Job searches getting tougher

Finding a new job can be easy – or incredibly difficult. If you’re one of those people who has always been able to find a new job quickly but are finding it to be difficult now, you might feel like you’re doing something wrong. Or maybe you’ve changed.

NASHVILLE AREA

For the endangered Nashville crayfish, its rebound is both good and bad news

NASHVILLE (AP) — Dale McGinnity has been turning over rocks in Mill Creek to study the endangered Nashville crayfish for a decade. He hopes to learn whether this little crustacean that makes its home mainly in the urbanized area around its namesake city is being harmed by all the development surrounding it. The results are encouraging.

Officials release autopsy of Missouri student Riley Strain

NASHVILLE (AP) — Riley Strain, a University of Missouri student whose body was recovered from a river after going missing in Tennessee's capital for nearly two weeks, died from accidental drowning and intoxication, according to a newly released autopsy report.

COURTS

Relatives of people killed in 2 Boeing Max crashes ask the US to fine the company $24.8B

Families of some of the people who died in two Boeing 737 Max crashes are asking federal officials to fine Boeing $24.8 billion and move quickly to prosecute the company on a criminal charge that was set aside three years ago.

ELECTION 2024

Trump declares 'I love Milwaukee' after reportedly using the word 'horrible' for the RNC host city

RACINE, Wisconsin (AP) — Former President Donald Trump on Tuesday repeatedly praised Milwaukee just weeks before it hosts the Republican National Convention, playing cleanup after he reportedly used the word "horrible" in talking about swing-state Wisconsin's largest city.

AGRICULTURE

Assault on US avocado inspectors in Mexican state led to suspension of inspections

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Two employees of the U.S. Agriculture Department were assaulted and temporarily held by assailants in the Mexican state of Michoacan, prompting the U.S. government to suspend inspections of avocado and mango shipments, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico said Tuesday.

MEDIA

Federal Trade Commission refers complaint about TikTok's adherence to child privacy law to the DOJ

The Federal Trade Commission has referred a complaint against TikTok and its parent company, ByteDance, to the Department of Justice.

ECONOMY

UK inflation falls to Bank of England's 2% target rate for first time in nearly 3 years

LONDON (AP) — Inflation in the U.K. returned to the Bank of England's target rate of 2% for the first time in nearly three years, official figures showed Wednesday, a development that has been seized on by the governing Conservative Party that its economic plan is "working" ahead of the July 4 election.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Luxury sales are flattening amid a self-inflicted creativity crisis and price hikes, study finds

MILAN (AP) — The post-pandemic surge in global sales of luxury handbags, shoes and apparel is set to stall this year amid a creativity crisis and price hikes as brands shift focus to the biggest spending customers, a new study by the Bain consultancy said Tuesday.

Nvidia's stock market value topped $3.3 trillion. How it became No. 1 in the S&P 500, by the numbers

Nvidia's startling ascent in the stock market reached another milestone Tuesday as the chipmaker rose to become the most valuable company in the S&P 500. Investors now say the company is worth over $3.3 trillion.

California fines Amazon nearly $6M, alleging illegal work quotas at 2 warehouses

LOS ANGELES (AP) — California has fined Amazon a total of $5.9 million, alleging the e-commerce giant worked warehouse employees so hard that it put their safety at risk, officials said Tuesday.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Russia and North Korea sign partnership deal that appears to be the strongest since the Cold War

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed an agreement Wednesday that pledges mutual aid if either country faces "aggression," a strategic pact that comes as both face escalating standoffs with the West.

US approves new $360 million arms sale to Taiwan for drones, related equipment

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Tuesday approved a new $360 million weapons sale to Taiwan, sending the island hundreds of armed drones, missile equipment and related support material, the State Department said in a statement that is sure to draw condemnation from China.

Biden is offering some migrants a pathway to citizenship. Here's how the plan will work

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new Biden administration policy announced Tuesday will give roughly half a million immigrants who are married to American citizens but lack legal status in the United States a pathway to citizenship for them and their children.

Republicans block bill to outlaw bump stocks for rifles after Supreme Court lifts Trump-era ban

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans blocked bipartisan legislation Tuesday that would have outlawed bump stocks after the Supreme Court struck down a ban on the rapid-fire gun accessory used in the deadliest shooting in modern U.S. history.


TUESDAY, JUNE 18
MUSIC INDUSTRY

Post Malone, Doja Cat to headline Global Citizen Festival to mobilize young people

NEW YORK (AP) — Post Malone and Doja Cat, two of pop music's biggest stars, will headline this year's Global Citizen Festival in New York's Central Park on Sept. 28, as organizers focus on mobilizing young people to help address the world's pressing problems.

COURTS

Trump adviser Boris Epshteyn pleads not guilty in Arizona's fake elector case

PHOENIX (AP) — Lawyers Boris Epshteyn and Jenna Ellis and former U.S. Senate candidate James Lamon have pleaded not guilty to nine felony charges in a case about trying to overturn former President Donald Trump's Arizona election loss to Joe Biden.

New York's top court declines to hear Trump's appeal of gag order in hush money case

NEW YORK (AP) — New York's top court on Tuesday declined to hear Donald Trump's gag order appeal in his hush money case, leaving the restrictions in place following his felony conviction last month. The Court of Appeals found that the order does not raise "substantial" constitutional issues that would warrant an immediate intervention.

Judge rules that federal agency can't enforce abortion rule in Louisiana, Mississippi

NEW YORK (AP) — A federal judge on Monday granted the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, as well as employers in two Southern states, temporary relief from complying with a federal rule that would have required them to provide workers with time off and other workplace accommodations for abortions.

ELECTION 2024

The politics of memes: How Biden and Trump are fighting each other on the internet

WASHINGTON (AP) — Whether it's a grinning Joe Biden as "Dark Brandon" or Donald Trump's face superimposed onto a scene from HBO's "Game of Thrones," both presidential campaigns this year have embraced digital memes, the lingua franca of social media.

ENVIRONMENT

What's a heat dome? Here's why so much of the US is broiling this week

FENTON, Mich. (AP) — With much of the Midwest and the Northeast broiling — or about to broil — in extreme summer heat this week, meteorologists are talking about heat waves and heat domes.

HEALTH CARE

Majority of Americans favor forgiving medical debt, AP-NORC poll finds

NEW YORK (AP) — Janille Williams wants to buy a house someday — but first, he has to pay down tens of thousands of dollars in medical debt.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Fisker files for bankruptcy protection, the second electric vehicle maker to do so in the past year

Electric vehicle maker Fisker filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the second electric startup to do so in the last year as even industry leaders struggle to lure more buyers beyond the early adapters of the technology.

Akio Toyoda, grandson of Toyota founder, wins shareholders' approval to stay in leadership

TOKYO (AP) — Toyota shareholders voted Tuesday in support of all the company's proposals, including keeping Akio Toyoda, grandson of the Japanese automaker's founder, as chairman on the board.

TRANSPORTATION

Boeing's CEO is scheduled to field questions about plane safety from U.S. senators

U.S. lawmakers are expected to press Boeing's chief executive Tuesday about the company's latest plan to fix its manufacturing problems, and relatives of people who died in two crashes of Boeing 737 Max jetliners plan to be in the room, watching him.

TECHNOLOGY

McDonald's is ending its test run of AI-powered drive-thrus with IBM

NEW YORK (AP) — Ever get your McDonald's order mixed up at an AI-powered drive-thru? The experiment behind the fast food giant's current automated order taker will soon be coming to a close.

AI could help spread false and misleading information on Holocaust, UNESCO report warns

WASHINGTON (AP) — A United Nations agency is warning that developments in artificial intelligence could spawn a new surge in Holocaust denial.

MEDIA

The Washington Post's leaders are taking heat for journalism in Britain that wouldn't fly in the US

NEW YORK (AP) — New leaders of The Washington Post are being haunted by their pasts, with ethical questions raised about their actions as journalists in London that illustrate very different press traditions in the United States and England.

ECONOMY

Retail sales rise a meager 0.1% in May from April as still high inflation curbs spending

NEW YORK (AP) — Consumers barely increased spending in May from April as still high prices on groceries and other necessities and high interest rates curbed spending.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Nvidia climbs to Wall Street's mountaintop as stocks broadly drift

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks edged up to more records following the latest signal that the economy's growth may be slowing without cratering, while Nvidia continued its rocket ride upward to become Wall Street's most valuable company. The S&P 500 rose 0.3% Tuesday, hitting another all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average edged up 0.1%, and the Nasdaq composite edged higher to another record. Nvidia climbed to top Microsoft and become the largest U.S. stock by market value at over $3 trillion. Treasury yields fell in the bond market after a report showed sales at retailers returned to growth last month but remained below economists' expectations.

Dollar Tree left lead-tainted applesauce pouches on store shelves for weeks after recall, FDA says

Dollar Tree failed to effectively recall lead-tainted applesauce pouches linked to reports of illness in more than 500 children, leaving the products on some stores shelves for two months, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.

This law is a lifeline for pregnant workers even as an abortion dispute complicates its enforcement

NEW YORK (AP) — Victoria Cornejo Barrera thought the legal helpline for workers sounded too good to be true and wondered if it was a scam.

Amazon Labor Union workers vote overwhelmingly in favor of an affiliation with the Teamsters

New York City warehouse workers who are part of the Amazon Labor Union overwhelmingly voted to align themselves with the Teamsters as they try to get a contract from the online retailer.

Apple kills off its buy now, pay later service service barely a year after launch

NEW YORK (AP) — Apple is discontinuing its buy now, pay later service known as Apple Pay Later barely a year after its initial launch in the U.S., and will rely on companies who already dominate the industry like Affirm and Klarna.

Adidas is investigating allegations of embezzlement and bribery in China: news reports

HONG KONG (AP) — Athletic apparel company Adidas has launched an investigation into allegations of "compliance violations" in China after receiving an anonymous letter earlier this month accusing local executives of embezzling "millions of euros," according to news reports.

Bankruptcy judge approves sale of Express Inc to group led by WHP Global

NEW YORK (AP) — A U.S. bankruptcy judge has approved the sale of the majority of Express Inc. 's operations to a consortium led by brand acquisition and management firm WHP Global — providing a lifeline to the struggling retailer and its hundreds of remaining stores.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Congressional Budget Office projects a $400 billion increase in this year's federal deficit

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday that it projects a federal budget deficit increase of $400 billion or 27% this year, from the last budget outlook released in February.

Ethics probe into Gaetz now reviewing allegations of sexual misconduct and illicit drug use

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House Ethics Committee on Tuesday gave an unusual public update into its long-running investigation of Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., saying its review now includes whether Gaetz engaged in sexual misconduct and illicit drug use, accepted improper gifts and sought to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.

Half a million immigrants could eventually get US citizenship under a new plan from Biden

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is taking an expansive election year step to offer relief to potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants without legal status in the U.S., aiming to balance his own aggressive crackdown on the southern border earlier this month that enraged advocates and many Democratic lawmakers.


MONDAY, JUNE 17
UT SPORTS

Kavares Tears' 3-run HR gets No. 1 Vols going in 6-1 win over North Carolina at College World Series

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Kavares Tears and Reese Chapman homered, Drew Beam limited North Carolina to one hit over five shutout innings, and Tennessee took control of its bracket at the College World Series with a 6-1 win Sunday night.

SPORTS

Nashville's Walsh follows world record with 1st Olympic berth; Foster wins 400 IM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Nashville's Gretchen Walsh followed up a world record in the 100-meter butterfly with something that felt just as good.

NASHVILLE AREA

Nashville court grapples with details on school shooter that were leaked to media

NASHVILLE (AP) — Attorneys fighting over the release of documents involving a 2023 Nashville elementary school shooting pleaded with a judge Monday to finally issue a ruling settling the matter, their request taking on a more desperate tone amid the recent publication of leaked records about the shooter.

MUSIC INDUSTRY

Scooter Braun says he's no longer a music manager, will focus on Hybe duties and his children

NEW YORK (AP) — Scooter Braun, one of the most recognizable names in the music business known for representing artists like Justin Bieber and Ariana Grande, will no longer work as a music manager.

RELIGION

Longtime Southern Baptist leader Paul Pressler, who was accused of sexual abuse, dies at 94

HOUSTON (AP) — Paul Pressler, a leading figure of the Southern Baptist Convention who was accused of sexually abusing boys and young men and later settled a lawsuit over the allegations, has died. He was 94.

COURTS

US Supreme Court refuses to take up challenge to Florida's online sports betting compact

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to take up a challenge to an agreement that gave the Seminole Tribe exclusive rights to handle online sports betting in Florida, dealing a blow to the deal's opponents.

ELECTION 2024

Biden's campaign announces a $50M advertising blitz highlighting Trump's conviction

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's reelection campaign is spending $50 million through the end of June, a blitz that includes its first television ad trumpeting Donald Trump's felony conviction and signals that the Democratic incumbent is seeking to make his Republican opponent's legal woes a bigger issue heading into November.

Emhoff will speak at groundbreaking of the memorial for the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting victims

WASHINGTON (AP) — Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris and the first Jewish person to serve as the spouse of a nationally elected U.S. leader, will deliver remarks on Sunday at the groundbreaking of the memorial to victims of the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting.

MEDIA

Tobacco-like warning label for social media sought by US surgeon general who asks Congress to act

The U.S. surgeon general has called on Congress to require warning labels on social media platforms similar to those now mandatory on cigarette boxes.

ENVIRONMENT

Over 75 million people in the US are under heat alerts. Go indoors and hydrate

PHOENIX (AP) — Over 75 million people in the United States were under extreme heat alerts Monday as a heat wave moved eastward, and the mid-Atlantic and New England were likely to see highs in the 90s as the week progresses. Excessive humidity will make it feel even more oppressive.

YOUR MONEY

The IRS wants to end another major tax loophole for the wealthy, raise $50B in the process

WASHINGTON (AP) — The IRS plans to end a major tax loophole for wealthy taxpayers that could raise more than $50 billion in revenue over the next decade, the U.S. Treasury Department says.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Wall Street rallies to more records as big tech stocks keep soaring

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rallied to more records as gains for technology companies keep pushing the market higher.

Gamestop shares slump following annual shareholder meeting

NEW YORK (AP) — Gamestop's CEO Ryan Cohen said the struggling video game retailer will focus on cutting costs and long-term profitability in an annual shareholder meeting Monday.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Biden will announce deportation protection and work permits for spouses of US citizens

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is planning to announce a sweeping new policy Tuesday that would lift the threat of deportation for tens of thousands of people married to U.S. citizens, an aggressive election-year action on immigration that had been sought by many Democrats.

Netanyahu dissolves influential War Cabinet after key partner bolted from government

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dissolved the influential War Cabinet that has overseen the fighting in Gaza, a government spokesperson said Monday, days after a key member of the body bolted from the government over frustration with the Israeli leader's handling of the war.

A record number of NATO allies are hitting their defense spending target during war in Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — A record more than 20 NATO member nations are hitting the Western military alliance's defense spending target this year, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday, as Russia's war in Ukraine has raised the threat of expanding conflict in Europe.


FRIDAY, JUNE 14
NASHVILLE AREA

Former Nashville officer arrested after allegedly participating in an adult video while on duty

NASHVILLE (AP) — A former Nashville police officer has been arrested for two counts of felony official misconduct after law enforcement officials say he allegedly participated in adult video while on duty.

COURTS

Justice Department won't prosecute Garland for contempt, says refusal to provide audio wasn't crime

WASHINGTON (AP) — Attorney General Merrick Garland will not be prosecuted for contempt of Congress because his refusal to turn over audio of President Joe Biden's interview in his classified documents case "did not constitute a crime," the Justice Department said Friday.

Alex Jones' personal assets will be sold to help pay Sandy Hook debt as judge decides Infowars' fate

HOUSTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday ordered the liquidation of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones ' personal assets but was still deciding on his company's separate bankruptcy case, leaving the future of his Infowars media platform uncertain as he owes $1.5 billion for his false claims that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.

Supreme Court has a lot of work to do, little time to do it with a sizable case backlog

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is headed into its final few weeks with over a third of the cases heard this year still undecided, including ones that could reshape the law on everything from guns to abortion to social media. The justices are also still weighing whether former President Donald Trump is immune from criminal prosecution in the election interference case against him, more than a month after hearing arguments.

Supreme Court strikes down Trump-era ban on rapid-fire rifle bump stocks, reopening political fight

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday struck down a Trump-era ban on bump stocks, the rapid-fire gun accessories used in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history, in a ruling that threw firearms back into the nation's political spotlight.

Judge blocks Biden's Title IX rule in four states, dealing a blow to protections for LGBTQ+ students

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration's new Title IX rule expanding protections for LGBTQ+ students has been temporarily blocked in four states after a federal judge in Louisiana found that it overstepped the Education Department's authority.

ELECTION 2024

Trump's 78th birthday becomes a show of loyalty for his fans and fellow Republicans

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Donald Trump spent the day before his 78th birthday being feted by Republicans in Congress who sang "Happy Birthday" and presented him with a cake and gifts. It was a remarkable show of loyalty for a former president who was shunned by many of the same lawmakers after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.

Trump endorses former Maryland governor Larry Hogan's Senate bid

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — Republican former Gov. Larry Hogan, who has been one of former President Donald Trump's fiercest critics in the GOP, received Trump's endorsement in his Maryland Senate bid on Thursday in an interview on Fox News.

Trump refers to Milwaukee as 'horrible' just before the city hosts the Republican convention

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump used the word "horrible" in talking about Milwaukee — the city where he will accept the Republican nomination next month — during a closed-door meeting Thursday with GOP congressmen, according to several people in the room who spoke afterward.

REAL ESTATE

Micro communities for the homeless sprout in US cities eager for small, quick and cheap solutions

ATLANTA (AP) — In a dreary part of downtown Atlanta, shipping containers have been transformed into an oasis for dozens of previously unsheltered people who now proudly call a former parking lot home.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Tesla driver tells police he was using 'self-drive' system when his car hit a parked police vehicle

DETROIT (AP) — A Tesla apparently operating on one of the company's automated driving systems crashed into a parked police vehicle Thursday near Los Angeles, narrowly missing an officer who was managing traffic at another crash.

Elon Musk gets 77% approval from shareholders to get back his big, $44.9 billion Tesla pay package

DETROIT (AP) — Tesla shareholders voted Thursday to restore CEO Elon Musk's record $44.9 billion pay package that was thrown out by a Delaware judge earlier this year, sending a strong vote of confidence in his leadership of the world's largest electric vehicle maker.

TECHNOLOGY

Microsoft delays controversial AI Recall feature on new Windows computers

REDMOND, Wash. (AP) — New laptops equipped with Microsoft Windows start shipping to customers next week without a flagship feature called Recall that drew concerns about privacy and cybersecurity.

AI startup Perplexity wants to upend search business. News outlet Forbes says it's ripping them off

The artificial intelligence startup Perplexity AI has raised tens of millions of dollars from the likes of Jeff Bezos and other prominent tech investors for its mission to rival Google in the business of searching for information.

TRANSPORTATION

FAA investigating how titanium parts with falsified records wound up in Boeing and Airbus planes

Federal regulators are investigating how parts made with titanium that was sold with falsified quality documentation wound up in Boeing and Airbus passenger jets that were built in recent years.

TRAVEL

Ready to renew your US passport? You can now apply online

WASHINGTON (AP) — There's an easier way to renew your passport — online.

ECONOMY

US consumer sentiment falls for third month on concerns about persistent inflation

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer sentiment fell in June for the third straight month as Americans took a dimmer view of their own finances and worried about persistent inflation.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Wall Street drifts to a mixed close after European stocks slump again

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks drifted to a mixed close as caution crept into financial markets heading into the weekend.

High orange juice prices may be on the table for a while due to disease and extreme weather

MOGI GUACU, Brazil (AP) — Orange juice prices have always been volatile, falling when bumper harvests create an oversupply of oranges and rising when frost or a hurricane knocks out fruit trees.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

Putin offers truce if Ukraine exits Russian-claimed areas and drops NATO bid. Kyiv rejects it

Russian President Vladimir Putin promised Friday to "immediately" order a cease-fire in Ukraine and start negotiations if Kyiv began withdrawing troops from the four regions annexed by Moscow in 2022 and renounced plans to join NATO. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected what he called an ultimatum by Putin to surrender more territory.

Pope Francis becomes first pontiff to address a G7 summit, raises alarm about AI

BARI, Italy (AP) — Pope Francis challenged leaders of the world's wealthy democracies Friday to keep human dignity foremost in developing and using artificial intelligence, warning that such powerful technology risks turning human relations themselves into mere algorithms.

G7 leaders agree to lend Ukraine billions backed by Russia's frozen assets. Here's how it will work

WASHINGTON (AP) — Leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy democracies have agreed to engineer a $50 billion loan to help Ukraine in its fight for survival. Interest earned on profits from Russia's frozen central bank assets would be used as collateral.

White House preps 'dreamers' celebration while President Biden eyes new benefits for immigrants

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden will host a White House event next week celebrating an Obama-era directive that offered deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants, as his own administration prepares potential new benefits for others without legal status but with long-standing ties in the United States.


THURSDAY, JUNE 13
WEST TENNESSEE

Tennessee sheriff indicted for profiting from inmate labor, misusing funds

MEMPHIS (AP) — The sheriff of a rural Tennessee county illegally profited from the work of jail inmates under his supervision and housed dozens of them in a home outside of the prison without permission, officials said Wednesday.

EAST TENNESSEE

Possible 2026 World Cup training camps list includes Chattanooga

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Possible team training camps for the 2026 World Cup include sites in Chattanooga, Tennessee; Cincinnati; Green Bay, Wisconsin; Louisville, Kentucky; St. Louis; Salt Lake City and Herriman, Utah; San Antonio; and Westfield, Indiana.

RELIGION

Southern Baptists narrowly reject formal ban on churches with any women pastors

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Southern Baptists narrowly rejected a proposal Wednesday to enshrine a ban on churches with women pastors in their constitution after opponents argued it was unnecessary because the denomination already has a way of ousting such churches.

COURTS

Supreme Court rules California man can't trademark 'Trump too small'

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled against a man who wants to trademark the suggestive phrase "Trump too small."

Supreme Court, siding with Starbucks, makes it harder for NLRB to win court orders in labor disputes

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday made it harder for the federal government to win court orders when it suspects a company of interfering in unionization campaigns in a case that stemmed from a labor dispute with Starbucks.

Donald Trump's lawyers press judge to lift gag order in wake of ex-president's felony conviction

NEW YORK (AP) — Donald Trump's lawyers are amplifying their calls to end the gag order that bars the former president from commenting about witnesses, jurors and others tied to the Manhattan criminal trial that ended in his conviction last month for falsifying records to cover up a potential sex scandal.

ELECTION 2024

Trump returns to Capitol Hill and whips up Republican lawmakers in first meeting since Jan. 6 attack

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump made a triumphant return Thursday to Capitol Hill, whipping up House and Senate Republicans in his first meetings since the Jan.6, 2021, attacks. He was embraced by GOP lawmakers who find themselves newly energized by his bid to retake the White House.

Presidential election a prime target for foreign disinformation, intelligence officials say

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. officials who track disinformation campaigns say they have issued more warnings to political candidates, government leaders and others targeted by foreign groups in recent months as America's adversaries seek to influence the outcome of the 2024 election.

Hollywood's A-listers are lining up behind Joe Biden. Will their support matter in November?

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Robert De Niro showed up outside a Manhattan courthouse to decry Donald Trump as his New York hush money trial was winding down, it sparked a life-imitates-art screaming match with a nearby group of the former president's supporters.

HEALTH CARE

Unanimous Supreme Court preserves access to widely used abortion medication

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously preserved access to a medication that was used in nearly two-thirds of all abortions in the U.S. last year, in the court's first abortion decision since conservative justices overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago.

Takeaways from Supreme Court ruling: Abortion pill still available but opponents say fight not over

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court unanimously upheld access to a drug used in the majority of U.S. abortions on Thursday, though abortion opponents say the ruling won't be the last word in the fight over mifepristone.

Abortion pill access is unchanged after the Supreme Court's decision. Here's what you need to know

WASHINGTON (AP) — Access to the abortion pill mifepristone will not change after the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rejected an effort Thursday by anti-abortion groups to roll back its availability, a win for abortion rights supporters and millions of women in states where abortion is legal.

AUTO INDUSTRY

Future of Musk, Tesla are on the line as shareholders vote on massive pay package

DETROIT (AP) — If Tesla shareholders approve an all-stock compensation package for CEO Elon Musk that was thrown out this year by a Delaware judge, it would almost guarantee he would remain at the company he grew to be the world leader in electric vehicles, shifting to AI and robotics including autonomous vehicles, which Musk says is Tesla's future.

TRANSPORTATION

The head of the FAA says his agency was too hands-off in its oversight of Boeing

The top U.S. aviation regulator said Thursday that the Federal Aviation Administration should have been more aware of manufacturing problems inside Boeing before a panel blew off a 737 Max during an Alaska Airlines flight in January.

Fired SpaceX employees sue the company for wrongfully terminating critics of CEO Elon Musk

NEW YORK (AP) — Eight former employees sued SpaceX and its CEO Elon Musk, alleging that Musk ordered them fired after they challenged what they called rampant sexual harassment and a hostile "Animal House"-style work environment at the company.

After several near-misses on airport runways, a tech company revives work on a hazard-warning system

DALLAS (AP) — As a Delta Air Lines jet began roaring down a runway, an air traffic controller at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport suddenly blurted out an expletive, then ordered the pilots to stop their takeoff roll.

Democrats in Congress say federal mediators should let airline workers strike when it's 'necessary'

A group of 32 senators say federal mediators should speed up labor negotiations between airlines and their flight attendants and other workers, even granting them permission to go on strike "as necessary."

TRAVEL

Use a roaming eSIM on your summer travels to avoid cellphone data fees

LONDON (AP) — For summer trips overseas, a smartphone is essential for most people. How else will you check Google Maps to find your Airbnb, post an Instagram video from the Eiffel Tower, or WhatsApp friends and family back home?

MEDIA

What happened to the likes? X is now hiding which posts you like from other users

NEW YORK (AP) — Social media platform X is now hiding your likes.

Ozy Media went from buzzy to belly-up. Its founder, Carlos Watson, is now on trial

NEW YORK (AP) — For nearly a decade, Ozy Media projected an image of new-media success.

ENERGY

Senate confirms new energy regulators, extending Biden's grip on panel that backs renewable energy

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's grip on a key federal energy commission will last beyond his first term, giving a boost to the Democrat's push for renewable energy regardless of the election results in November.

ECONOMY

US wholesale prices dropped in May, adding to evidence that inflation pressures are cooling

WASHINGTON (AP) — Wholesale price increases fell in May, the latest sign that inflation pressures in the United States may be easing as the Federal Reserve considers a timetable for cutting interest rates.

The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits jumps to the highest level in 10 months

The number of Americans filing for jobless benefits jumped to the highest level in 10 months last week, another possible sign that the labor market is loosening under the weight of high interest rates.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS

Most of Wall Street slips, but hopes for AI and rates send indexes to records

NEW YORK (AP) — Most U.S. stocks fell, but hopes for coming cuts to interest rates and Wall Street's continued frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology sent indexes to more record highs.

As CEOs focus on stopping corporate tax hikes, Biden's team makes case to them on global alliances

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden's chief of staff argued to an influential group of CEOs Thursday that the Democratic incumbent's emphasis on global alliances would help their businesses, even as the group rolls out an effort to preserve tax cuts that former President Donald Trump signed into law.

Cars? Pork? Perfume? China has many options if a trade war breaks out with Europe

BEIJING (AP) — Now that Europe has announced tariffs on China-made electric cars, the continent is bracing to see if the other shoe drops.

Baltimore's busy port fully reopens after bridge collapse, and a return to normal is expected

BALTIMORE (AP) — Commercial shipping traffic through the Port of Baltimore is expected to return to normal levels next month, officials said Wednesday, after the channel fully reopened this week for the first time since the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March.

NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL POLITICS

President Biden says he won't offer commutation to his son Hunter after gun sentence

FASANO, Italy (AP) — President Joe Biden said Thursday that he will not use his presidential powers to lessen the eventual sentence that his son Hunter will receive for his federal felony conviction on gun crimes.

Senate Republicans block bill on women's right to IVF as Democrats make push on reproductive care

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans blocked legislation that would make it a right nationwide for women to access in vitro fertilization and other fertility treatments after Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer forced a vote on the matter Thursday in an effort to drive an election-year contrast on reproductive care.

Biden to nominate Christy Goldsmith Romero as FDIC chair after abrupt departure of predecessor

NEW YORK (AP) — President Joe Biden will nominate Christy Goldsmith Romero to replace Martin Greunberg as head of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Yellen says China's trade policies could 'interfere significantly' with US bilateral relationship

WASHINGTON (AP) — Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen says Chinese "overconcentrated supply chains" pose a threat to U.S. jobs and recent investments meant to build up the U.S. green energy sector, and the Asian superpower's pursuit of its trade policies "may interfere significantly with our efforts to build a healthy economic relationship."

President Joe Biden faces first lawsuit over new asylum crackdown at the border

WASHINGTON (AP) — A coalition of immigrant advocacy groups sued the Biden administration on Wednesday over President Joe Biden's recent directive that effectively halts asylum claims at the southern border, saying it differs little from a similar move by the Trump administration that was blocked by the courts.

Biden's reelection campaign raises $40M in five days including $8M with Bill Clinton

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is again joining forces with former President Bill Clinton to rake in campaign cash, with a joint fundraiser with the two men Tuesday set to raise $8 million — part of a roughly $40 million total that Biden's reelection campaign has pulled in the last five days.


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