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With the “Transformers” franchise clearly at a crossroads, its protectors have turned to their deep bench. But just adding more robots won’t transform this tired series, says Associated Press critic Mark Kennedy. “Transformers: Rise of the Beasts” returns the franchise to its galaxy-wide, self-importance after taking a nice detour with 2018’s smaller “Bumblebee.” There's a new cast of animal robots and a very evil enemy in the planet-eating Unicron, but they're not used right and the movie limps from fight to fight. The problem is the same problem faced by all of the installments — balancing the humanity with the metal. The PG-13 movie opens Friday.

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There are a lot of questions surrounding this year’s Tony Awards and not just about who might win. The Hollywood writers’ strike has left much of Sunday’s telecast with unknowns. There will be performances from the nominated musicals, pre-recorded montages of the plays and acceptance speeches. Everything else seems up in the air. But if any group of people are best equipped to handle the electricity from a really live event, it’s the Broadway community. Going live without a net just doesn’t scare them. There’s plenty of time to eat up: A 2 1/2-hour pre-show on Pluto TV and then the three-hour main event on CBS and Paramount+.

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Darion Dunn surveyed the graded red clay on a sliver of land in Forest Park, Georgia. Where blue piping laid stacked on the ground on a recent Tuesday, Dunn’s company will build 16 townhomes.

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The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate eased back from a seven-month high this week, a welcome change for homebuyers navigating high borrowing costs and heightened competition for relatively few homes for sale. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan fell to 6.71% from 6.79% last week. A year ago, the rate averaged 5.23%. The pullback follows three straight weekly increases. The average rate on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with those refinancing their homes, also fell this week, slipping to 6.07% from 6.18% last week. A year ago, it averaged 4.38%, Freddie Mac said.

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There are a lot of questions surrounding this year’s Tony Awards and not just about who might win. The Hollywood writers’ strike has left much of Sunday’s telecast with unknowns. There will be performances from the nominated musicals, pre-recorded montages of the plays and acceptance speeches. Everything else seems up in the air. But if any group of people are best equipped to handle the electricity from a really live event, it’s the Broadway community. Going live without a net just doesn’t scare them. There’s plenty of time to eat up: A 2 1/2-hour pre-show on Pluto TV and then the three-hour main event on CBS and Paramount+.

  • 0

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate eased back from a seven-month high this week, a welcome change for homebuyers navigating high borrowing costs and heightened competition for relatively few homes for sale. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan fell to 6.71% from 6.79% last week. A year ago, the rate averaged 5.23%. The pullback follows three straight weekly increases. The average rate on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with those refinancing their homes, also fell this week, slipping to 6.07% from 6.18% last week. A year ago, it averaged 4.38%, Freddie Mac said.

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The United States should close NATO’s open door and make clear that it does not support Ukraine joining the alliance. There are three main reasons.

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There are a lot of questions surrounding this year’s Tony Awards and not just about who might win. The Hollywood writers’ strike has left much of Sunday’s telecast with unknowns. There will be performances from the nominated musicals, pre-recorded montages of the plays and acceptance speeches. Everything else seems up in the air. But if any group of people are best equipped to handle the electricity from a really live event, it’s the Broadway community. Going live without a net just doesn’t scare them. There’s plenty of time to eat up: A 2 1/2-hour pre-show on Pluto TV and then the three-hour main event on CBS and Paramount+.

  • 0

Darion Dunn surveyed the graded red clay on a sliver of land in Forest Park, Georgia. Where blue piping laid stacked on the ground on a recent Tuesday, Dunn’s company will build 16 townhomes.

  • 0

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate eased back from a seven-month high this week, a welcome change for homebuyers navigating high borrowing costs and heightened competition for relatively few homes for sale. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate on the benchmark 30-year home loan fell to 6.71% from 6.79% last week. A year ago, the rate averaged 5.23%. The pullback follows three straight weekly increases. The average rate on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with those refinancing their homes, also fell this week, slipping to 6.07% from 6.18% last week. A year ago, it averaged 4.38%, Freddie Mac said.

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The United States should close NATO’s open door and make clear that it does not support Ukraine joining the alliance. There are three main reasons.

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The United States should close NATO’s open door and make clear that it does not support Ukraine joining the alliance. There are three main reasons.

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The United Nations World Food Program says it is temporarily suspending food aid to Ethiopia because its supplies are being diverted. The announcement on Friday came a day after the United States Agency for International Development said it was doing the same. Some 20 million of Ethiopia's 120 million people rely on food aid because of drought and conflict. Much of the aid comes from USAID and the World Food Program. The suspensions bring fears that malnutrition could rise in Africa’s second most populous country. USAID, WFP and the Ethiopian government have not said who is responsible for diverting the food, but an internal document by donors indicates government involvement.

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Colombia’s government and the country’s largest remaining guerrilla group have agreed to a six-month cease-fire during talks in Cuba, the latest attempt to resolve a conflict dating back to the 1960s. The government and the National Liberation Army, or ELN, announced the accord at a ceremony in Havana attended by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, top guerrilla commander Antonio García and  Cuban officials. The cease-fire takes effect in phases, goes fully into effect in August and then lasts for six months.

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The White House says it has intelligence indicating Iran is providing Russia with materials to build a drone manufacturing plant east of Moscow as the Kremlin looks to lock in a steady supply of weaponry for its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The new U.S. intelligence was unveiled by the White House on Friday. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says U.S. intelligence officials believe a plant in Russia’s Alabuga special economic zone could be operational early next year. The White House also released satellite imagery taken in April of the industrial location where it believes the plant “will probably be built.”

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Starting next year, owners of electric vehicles made by General Motors and Ford will be able to charge their EVs at many of Tesla’s charging stations, the largest such network in the country. As part of their move, both Detroit-area automakers have decided to adopt Tesla’s EV charging connector, the plug that links an electric vehicle to a charging station. With GM and Ford joining Tesla’s charging system, the rest of the auto industry may be forced follow suit. If so, it would provide a major victory to Tesla, which would be assured a new and guaranteed revenue stream for years to come.

  • 0

Thousands of people are believed to be trapped by floodwaters across a swath of Ukraine after a catastrophic dam collapse. Officials say that more than 6,000 people have been evacuated from dozens of inundated cities, towns and villages on both sides of the river. But the true scale of the disaster remains unclear for a region that was once home to tens of thousands of people. At least 14 people have died in the flooding, many are homeless and tens of thousands are without drinking water.

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Ford has planned a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its iconic Mustang muscle car next year under a massive rebranding of Ford Performance that is aimed at bringing the automotive manufacturer “into the racing business.” The new Mustang Dark Horse-based race car was unveiled at Le Mans. Mustang will enter the GT3 category next year with at least two cars in both IMSA and the World Endurance Championship. The project is part of an overall rebranding of Ford Performance that was done by renowned motorsports designer Troy Lee and is aimed at making Ford a lifestyle brand with a sporting mindset.

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The United Nations World Food Program says it is temporarily suspending food aid to Ethiopia because its supplies are being diverted. The announcement on Friday came a day after the United States Agency for International Development said it was doing the same. Some 20 million of Ethiopia's 120 million people rely on food aid because of drought and conflict. Much of the aid comes from USAID and the World Food Program. The suspensions bring fears that malnutrition could rise in Africa’s second most populous country. USAID, WFP and the Ethiopian government have not said who is responsible for diverting the food, but an internal document by donors indicates government involvement.

  • 0

Colombia’s government and the country’s largest remaining guerrilla group have agreed to a six-month cease-fire during talks in Cuba, the latest attempt to resolve a conflict dating back to the 1960s. The government and the National Liberation Army, or ELN, announced the accord at a ceremony in Havana attended by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, top guerrilla commander Antonio García and  Cuban officials. The cease-fire takes effect in phases, goes fully into effect in August and then lasts for six months.

  • 0

The White House says it has intelligence indicating Iran is providing Russia with materials to build a drone manufacturing plant east of Moscow as the Kremlin looks to lock in a steady supply of weaponry for its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. The new U.S. intelligence was unveiled by the White House on Friday. White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby says U.S. intelligence officials believe a plant in Russia’s Alabuga special economic zone could be operational early next year. The White House also released satellite imagery taken in April of the industrial location where it believes the plant “will probably be built.”

  • 0

Starting next year, owners of electric vehicles made by General Motors and Ford will be able to charge their EVs at many of Tesla’s charging stations, the largest such network in the country. As part of their move, both Detroit-area automakers have decided to adopt Tesla’s EV charging connector, the plug that links an electric vehicle to a charging station. With GM and Ford joining Tesla’s charging system, the rest of the auto industry may be forced follow suit. If so, it would provide a major victory to Tesla, which would be assured a new and guaranteed revenue stream for years to come.

  • 0

Thousands of people are believed to be trapped by floodwaters across a swath of Ukraine after a catastrophic dam collapse. Officials say that more than 6,000 people have been evacuated from dozens of inundated cities, towns and villages on both sides of the river. But the true scale of the disaster remains unclear for a region that was once home to tens of thousands of people. At least 14 people have died in the flooding, many are homeless and tens of thousands are without drinking water.

  • 0

Ford has planned a return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans with its iconic Mustang muscle car next year under a massive rebranding of Ford Performance that is aimed at bringing the automotive manufacturer “into the racing business.” The new Mustang Dark Horse-based race car was unveiled at Le Mans. Mustang will enter the GT3 category next year with at least two cars in both IMSA and the World Endurance Championship. The project is part of an overall rebranding of Ford Performance that was done by renowned motorsports designer Troy Lee and is aimed at making Ford a lifestyle brand with a sporting mindset.

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California's transit agencies are asking Democrats who control the state's government to rescue them like Democrats in New York recently did. It's proving to be a much tougher sell in California. The nation's most populous state is far more automobile-reliant than much of the Northeast. The state is projected to have a $31.5 billion budget deficit. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has also proposed slashing another $2 billion from transit infrastructure funding to help balance the books. Bay Area Rapid Transit has warned they could be forced to stop running after 9 p.m. and on weekends without additional funding.

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Today is Saturday, June 10, the 161st day of 2023. There are 204 days left in the year.

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Donald Trump improperly stored in his Florida estate sensitive documents on nuclear capabilities, repeatedly enlisted aides and lawyers to help him hide records demanded by investigators and cavalierly showed off a Pentagon “plan of attack” and classified map. That's according to a sweeping felony indictment that paints a damning portrait of Trump's treatment of national security information. The first federal case against a former president cuts to the heart of any president’s responsibility to safeguard the government’s most valuable secrets. Prosecutors say the documents he stowed, refused to return and in some cases showed to visitors risked jeopardizing not only relations with foreign nations but also the safety of troops and confidential sources.

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Donald Trump's indictment on federal charges of mishandling classified documents at his Florida estate represents the most serious legal jeopardy so far for the former president. Trump faces 37 criminal counts related to the mishandling of classified documents, according to the indictment unsealed Friday. The charges include counts of retaining classified information, obstructing justice and making false statements, among other crimes. Trump is accused of keeping documents related to “nuclear weaponry in the United States” and the “nuclear capabilities of a foreign country,” along with documents from White House intelligence briefings. The top charges carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison.

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Austin Hays homered on the first pitch thrown by Kansas City starter Daniel Lynch, Tyler Wells took a three-hitter into the seventh inning and the Baltimore Orioles beat the struggling Royals 3-2. Gunnar Henderson had three hits, stole two bases and scored a run for the Orioles, who have won two straight for the first time since May 24-25. Coming off a victory at Milwaukee, Baltimore never relinquished the lead Friday night after Hays’ leadoff shot inside the left-field foul pole. Wells allowed two runs and five hits over 6 2/3 innings. It was the seventh loss in eight games for the Royals.

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The historic federal criminal case against former President Donald Trump has been assigned to a judge he appointed who faced blistering criticism over her earlier pro-Trump handling of a search warrant in his case. A person familiar with the development confirmed Friday the case was assigned to Judge Aileen Cannon, who issued a ruling last year granting Trump's request for an independent arbiter to review documents obtained during an FBI search of his Florida estate. Many legal experts saw her ruling as extraordinary and unusually broad, and it was later overturned on appeal. Cannon is a former federal prosecutor who was nominated to the bench by Trump in 2020.

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While it seemed scary and interminable, Wall Street's bear market last year was meeker than most. After the S&P 500 on Thursday closed at a level more than 20% above where it was in mid-October, Wall Street can give official dates for the birth and death of its last bear market, which is what traders call a long decline of at least 20% for the S&P 500. It started on Jan. 3, 2022, when the S&P 500 set a record high, and ended on Oct. 12, when it bottomed out 25.4% lower. It was both shorter and shallower than the average bear market since 1950.

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The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits last week rose to its highest level since October 2021, but the labor market remains one of the healthiest parts of the U.S. economy. The Labor Department reported Thursday that U.S. applications for jobless claims were 261,000 for the week ending June 3, an increase of 28,000 from the previous week’s 233,000. Weekly jobless claims are considered representative of U.S. layoffs. The four-week moving average of claims, which evens out some of the weekly variations, rose by 7,500 to 237,250. Overall, 1.76 million people were collecting unemployment benefits the week that ended May 27.

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There are an estimated 55 million women in menopause in the United States today, the majority of whom endure its most debilitating symptoms in…

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U.S. health advisers are backing the full approval of an Alzheimer's drug that received preliminary approval last year. A panel of advisers to the Food and Drug Administration on Friday voted in favor of the infused medication from drugmakers Eisai and Biogen. The FDA granted accelerated approval in January based on early results suggesting the drug could modestly slow Alzheimer's. Friday's full-day meeting focused on more recent study results intended to show that the drug clearly benefits patients. A decision from FDA is expected by July 6. It will be significant because insurers have delayed paying for the drug until it has full approval.

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President Joe Biden next week is set to attend his first political rally since launching his 2024 reelection bid in April, as he steps up his political activity before the end of the fundraising quarter. Biden will attend the rally in Philadelphia on June 17, which will be hosted by area unions, campaign spokesman Kevin Munoz said, a key constituency in a city and state that are crucial to his 2024 prospects. Biden’s campaign isn’t expected to host its own large-scale rallies until next year, following the timetable followed by former President Barack Obama in 2012. The event comes as Biden is launching on a flurry of fundraising trips this month ahead of the June 30 second quarter fundraising deadline, with stops in Connecticut, Illinois and California.

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Secretary of State Antony Blinken is planning to travel to China next week as the Biden administration pushes to improve badly deteriorated ties with the Chinese that hit a new low in February after a Chinese surveillance balloon was shot down over U.S. airspace. U.S. officials say Blinken expects to be in Beijing on June 18 for meetings with senior Chinese officials, including possibly with President Xi Jinping. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because neither the State Department nor the Chinese foreign ministry have confirmed the trip. The visit, which was agreed between Xi and President Joe Biden last year at a meeting in Bali, had been initially planned for February but was postponed after the spy balloon incident.

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The Pentagon says it will provide an additional $2.1 billion in long-term weapons aid for Ukraine. The new assistance package includes funding for more Patriot missile battery munitions, Hawk air defense systems and missiles, and small Puma drones that can be launched by hand. The latest infusion of funding comes as there are signs that Ukraine is beginning — or about to begin — the much anticipated counteroffensive to try to take back territory that has been seized by Russia.

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President Joe Biden signed an executive order aiming to bolster job opportunities for military and veteran spouses whose careers are often disrupted by their loved ones’ deployments. Biden used a visit to the recently renamed Fort Liberty in North Carolina to highlight the order. The order directs agencies to develop a federal government-wide plan on hiring and job retention for military spouses, bolster child care options, and take more than a dozen additional actions. Biden first visited a community college in Rocky Mount that is part of a coalition that received $23.7 million to train students for clean energy jobs. The money is from the Democratic president’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package.

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Today is Friday, June 9, the 160th day of 2023. There are 205 days left in the year.

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Former President Donald Trump says he’s been indicted on charges of mishandling classified documents at his Florida estate, igniting a federal prosecution that is arguably the most perilous of multiple legal threats against the former president as he seeks to reclaim the White House. The Justice Department had no immediate comment or confirmation.

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The Supreme Court has issued a surprising ruling in favor of Black voters in a congressional redistricting case, rejecting a Republican-led effort to weaken a landmark voting rights law. Conservative Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined with the court’s liberals in affirming a lower-court ruling that found a likely violation of the Voting Rights Act in an Alabama congressional map. The map had one majority Black seat out of seven congressional districts in a state where more than one in four residents is Black. The case had been closely watched for its potential to weaken the landmark voting rights law.

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Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson has died. He had an enormous impact on American politics and religion. Robertson turned a tiny Virginia television station into the far-reaching Christian Broadcasting Network, where he hosted the flagship “700 Club” show for half a century. Robertson ran for president as a Republican in 1988, and from that experience founded the Christian Coalition, which helped cement the Republican Party's enduring alliance with evangelical voters. Robertson also drew attention for his televised pronouncements of God’s judgment on America for everything from homosexuality to teaching evolution. Robertson died Thursday at the age of 93.

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Baltimore’s police commissioner is stepping down after four years in the role. Commissioner Michael S. Harrison’s departure was announced Thursday morning at a news conference held on short notice at City Hall. Harrison was appointed commissioner in 2019 and granted a five-year contract, which would have ended in March 2024. His tenure focused on leading the city’s embattled police department through a series of reform efforts following the 2015 death of Freddie Gray. Harrison moved to Baltimore from New Orleans, where he led that city’s police department through a reform process similar to the court-ordered changes being implemented in Baltimore.

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New York City has filed a lawsuit against Hyundai and Kia, claiming that the automakers’ vehicles are too susceptible to theft. The lawsuit alleges that Hyundai Motor America and Kia America Inc. failed to keep up with other automakers by not adopting immobilizer technology that ensured car ignitions could not be started without their keys. The city claims the vehicle thefts are straining the resources of its police department, as well as negatively impacting public safety and emergency services.

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Chris Licht was ousted as chief executive at CNN, following a series of missteps and plunging ratings. David Zaslav, the CEO of CNN parent company Warner Bros. Discovery, announced the leadership change on CNN’s morning editorial call on Wednesday. Zaslav appointed a four-person leadership team to lead the network in the interim. Licht replaced Jeff Zucker as CNN’s chief executive last year, with a mandate to move the network more toward the political center. The executive’s revamp of CNN’s morning show fell flat, leading to the firing of longtime personality Don Lemon. Licht’s plans to restructure the network’s prime-time lineup have moved slowly.