Longtime WRAL anchor Charlie Gaddy dies at 93

Longtime WRAL anchor Charlie Gaddy dies at 93

RALEIGH, N.C. (WPTF) — Charlie Gaddy, one of North Carolina’s most recognizable broadcasters and a longtime anchor on WRAL-TV, has died at age 93.

Before beginning his television career, Gaddy worked for a time at WPTF, the flagship station of the North Carolina News Network. In a 2024 interview marking WPTF’s 100th anniversary, he recalled the early days of local radio programming, including a show called Ask Your Neighbor.

“It was just something that somebody came up with as an idea, and they tried it to see how it would work,” Gaddy said. “And it worked beautifully. It was a very popular program and lasted a long time. But that’s how it started.”

Gaddy was born in Biscoe, North Carolina, attended Guilford College, and served in the U.S. Army. He became a household name across central North Carolina during his years anchoring WRAL’s evening newscasts, known for his calm demeanor and trusted presence.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.

Senate votes to move ahead with Trump’s request for $9 billion in spending cuts

Senate votes to move ahead with Trump’s request for $9 billion in spending cuts

By KEVIN FREKING Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Republicans on Tuesday advanced President Donald Trump’s request to cancel some $9 billion in previously approved spending, overcoming concerns from some lawmakers about what the rescissions could mean for impoverished people around the globe and for public radio and television stations in their home states.

The Senate vote was 50-50, with Vice President JD Vance breaking the tie.

A final vote in the Senate could occur as early as Wednesday. The bill would then return to the House for another vote before it would go to Trump’s desk for his signature before a Friday deadline.

Republicans winnowed down the president’s request by taking out his proposed $400 million cut to a program known as PEPFAR. That change increased the prospects for the bill’s passage. The politically popular program is credited with saving millions of lives since its creation under then-President George W. Bush to combat HIV/AIDS.

The president is also looking to claw back money for foreign aid programs targeted by his Department of Government Efficiency and for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

“When you’ve got a $36 trillion debt, we have to do something to get spending under control,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D.

The White House tries to win over skeptics

Republicans met with Russ Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, during their weekly conference luncheon as the White House worked to address their concerns. He fielded about 20 questions from senators.

The White House campaign to win over potential holdouts had some success. Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., tweeted that he would vote to support the measure after working with the administration to “find Green New Deal money that could be reallocated to continue grants to tribal radio stations without interruption.”

Some senators worried that the cuts to public media could decimate many of the 1,500 local radio and television stations around the country that rely on some federal funding to operate. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting distributes more than 70% of its funding to those stations.

Maine Sen. Susan Collins, the Republican chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said she was particularly concerned about a lack of specifics from the White House.

“The rescissions package has a big problem — nobody really knows what program reductions are in it,” Collins said. “That isn’t because we haven’t had time to review the bill. Instead, the problem is that OMB has never provided the details that would normally be part of this process.”

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said she didn’t want the Senate to be going through numerous rounds of rescissions.

“We are lawmakers. We should be legislating,” Murkowski said. “What we’re getting now is a direction from the White House and being told: ‘This is the priority and we want you to execute on it. We’ll be back with you with another round.’ I don’t accept that.”

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Collins and Murkowski joined with Democrats in voting against the Senate taking up the measure.

McConnell said he wanted to make clear he didn’t have any problem with reducing spending, but agreed with Collins that lawmakers didn’t have enough details from the White House.

“They would like a blank check is what they would like. And I don’t think that’s appropriate,” McConnell said.

But the large majority of Republicans were supportive of Trump’s request.

“This bill is a first step in a long but necessary fight to put our nation’s fiscal house in order,” said Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo.

Democrats warn of the consequences

Democrats warned that it’s absurd to expect them to work with Republicans on bipartisan spending measures if Republicans turn around a few months later and use their majority to cut the parts they don’t like.

“It shreds the appropriations process,” said Sen. Angus King, an independent from Maine who caucuses with Democrats. “The Appropriations Committee, and indeed this body, becomes a rubber stamp for whatever the administration wants.”

Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said that tens of millions of Americans rely on local public radio and television stations for local news, weather alerts and educational programs. He warned that many could lose access to that information because of the rescissions.

“And these cuts couldn’t come at a worse time,” Schumer said. “The floods in Texas remind us that speedy alerts and up-to-the-minute forecasts can mean the difference between life and death.”

Democrats also scoffed at the GOP’s stated motivation for taking up the bill. The amount of savings pales compared to the $3.4 trillion in projected deficits over the next decade that Republicans put in motion in passing Trump’s big tax and spending cut bill two weeks ago.

“Now, Republicans are pretending they are concerned about the debt,” said Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. “So concerned that they need to shut down local radio stations, so concerned they are going to cut off ‘Sesame Street.’ … The idea that that is about balancing the debt is laughable.”

What’s ahead in the Senate

With Republicans providing enough votes to take up the bill, it sets up the potential for 10 hours of debate plus votes on scores of potentially thorny amendments in what is known as a vote-a-rama. The House has already shown its support for the president’s request with a mostly party line 214-212 vote, but since the Senate is amending the bill, it will have to go back to the House for another vote.

Republicans who vote against the measure also face the prospect of incurring Trump’s wrath. He has issued a warning on his social media site directly aimed at individual Senate Republicans who may be considering voting against the rescissions package. He said it was important that all Republicans adhere to the bill and in particular defund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

“Any Republican that votes to allow this monstrosity to continue broadcasting will not have my support or Endorsement,” he said.

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Congressional correspondent Lisa Mascaro and staff writers Mary Clare Jalonick and Stephen Groves contributed to this report.

Pam Bondi dodges questions on Epstein and Bongino amid Justice Department turmoil

Pam Bondi dodges questions on Epstein and Bongino amid Justice Department turmoil

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER Associated Press

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested Tuesday that she has no plans to step down as she dodged questions about Jeffrey Epstein and her clash with a top FBI official, seeking to press ahead with a business-as-usual approach in the face of right-wing turmoil.

Pressed by reporters during an announcement touting drug seizures, Bondi sidestepped questions about the fallout of the Trump administration’s decision not to release more records related to the wealthy financier’s sex trafficking investigation. With some high profile-members of President Donald Trump’s base calling for her resignation, Bondi made clear she intends to remain attorney general.

Attorney General Pam Bondi suggested Tuesday that she has no plans to step down as she dodged questions about Jeffrey Epstein and her clash with a top FBI official, seeking to press ahead with a business-as-usual approach. (AP Video)

“I’m going to be here for as long as the president wants me here,” Bondi said. “And I believe he’s made that crystal clear.”

The announcement at the Drug Enforcement Administration headquarters represents an effort by Bondi to turn the page on the Epstein controversy and show that the Justice Department is forging ahead after days of mounting conservative criticism over the administration’s failure to deliver long-sought government secrets about Epstein. Bondi highlighted recent operations that led to the seizure of methamphetamine and fentanyl, including drugs that were hidden in a shipment of cucumbers across the Mexican border.

But her refusal to address the turmoil may only further frustrate conservative influencers who have been calling for transparency and accountability over the wealthy financier’s case.

“This today is about fentanyl overdoses throughout our country and people who have lost loved ones to fentanyl,” Bondi said in response to a question from a reporter about the Epstein files. “That’s the message that we’re here to send today. I’m not going to talk about Epstein.”

Trump has been seeking to tamp down criticism of his attorney general and defended her again earlier Tuesday, saying she handled the matter “very well.” Trump said it’s up to her whether to release any more records, adding that “whatever she thinks is credible, she should release.”

Asked about Trump’s comment, Bondi said the Justice Department memo released last week announcing that no additional evidence would become public “speaks for itself and we’ll get back to you on anything else.”

The turmoil over the department’s handling of the Epstein matter spilled into public view last week with reports of a internal clash between Bondi and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino. Part of the dispute centered on a story from the news organization NewsNation that cited a “source close to the White House” as saying the FBI would have released the Epstein files months ago if it could have done so on its own. The story included statements from Bondi, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel refuting the premise, but not Bongino.

Asked Tuesday whether she believes Bongino should remain in his role, Bondi said only that she would not discuss personnel matters. Bondi stressed that she had spent the morning with Patel, adding that: “I think we all are committed to working together now to make America safe again and that’s what we’re doing.”

Bondi had already been under scrutiny after an earlier document release in February that she hyped and handed out in binders to conservative influencers at the White House lacked any new revelations. When that first release flopped, Bondi accused officials of withholding files from her and claimed that the FBI later turned over a “truckload” of evidence with thousands of pages of additional documents.

Despite promises that more files were on their way to the public, however, the Justice Department determined after a months long review that no “further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted,” according to the memo released last week.

Charlotte to host MLS All-Star game in 2026 for first time, AP source says

Charlotte to host MLS All-Star game in 2026 for first time, AP source says

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Charlotte will host the Major League Soccer All-Star game for the first time in 2026, according to a person familiar with the decision.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not been made official. MLS commissioner Don Garber is expected to confirm the venue on Wednesday at a news conference in Charlotte.

Charlotte FC, owned by Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper, was named the league’s 28th franchise in 2019 and began play in the league in 2022. The game will be played at Bank of America Stadium, which is also home to the Panthers.

Charlotte has recently hosted Copa America and Club World Cup games.

This year’s All-Star game is set for Austin, Texas, between the MLS All-Stars and the Liga MX All-Stars.

The opponents for the 2026 All-Star game will be announced at a later date.

The tariff-driven inflation that economists feared begins to emerge

The tariff-driven inflation that economists feared begins to emerge

By CHRISTOPHER RUGABER and JOSH BOAK AP Writers

WASHINGTON (AP) — Inflation rose last month to its highest level since February as President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs push up the cost of everything from groceries and clothes to furniture and appliances.

Consumer prices rose 2.7% in June from a year earlier, the Labor Department said Tuesday, up from an annual increase of 2.4% in May. On a monthly basis, prices climbed 0.3% from May to June, after rising just 0.1% the previous month.

Worsening inflation poses a political challenge for Trump, who as a candidate promised to immediately lower costs, but instead has engaged in a whipsawed frenzy of tariffs that have jolted businesses and consumers. Trump insists that the U.S. effectively has no inflation as he has attempted to pressure Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell into cutting short-term interest rates.

Yet the new inflation numbers make it more likely that the central bank will leave rates where they are. Powell has said that he wants to gauge the economic impact of Trump’s tariffs before reducing borrowing costs.

Excluding volatile food and energy, core inflation increased 2.9% in June from a year earlier, up from 2.8% in May. On a monthly basis, it picked up 0.2% from May to June. Economists closely watch core prices because they typically provide a better sense of where inflation is headed.

The uptick in inflation was driven by a range of higher prices. The cost of gasoline rose 1% just from May to June, while grocery prices increased 0.3%. Appliance prices jumped for the third straight month. Toys, clothes, audio equipment, shoes, and sporting goods all got more expensive, and are all heavily imported.

“You are starting to see scattered bits of the tariff inflation regime filter in,” said Eric Winograd, chief economist at asset management firm AllianceBernstein, who added that the cost of long-lasting goods rose last month, compared with a year ago, for the first time in about three years.

Winograd also noted that housing costs, a big inflation driver since the pandemic, have continued to cool, actually holding down broader inflation. The cost of rent rose 3.8% in June compared with a year ago, the smallest yearly increase since late 2021.

“Were it not for the tariff uncertainty, the Fed would already be cutting rates,” Winograd said. “The question is whether there is more to come, and the Fed clearly thinks there is,” along with most economists.

Some items got cheaper last month, including new and used cars, hotel rooms, and airfares. Travel prices have generally declined in recent months as fewer international tourists visit the U.S.

Inflation rose last month to its highest level since February as President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs push up the cost of a range of goods, including furniture, clothing, and large appliances. (AP Video)

A broader political battle over Trump’s tariffs is emerging, a fight that will ultimately be determined by how the U.S. public feels about their cost of living and whether the president is making good on his 2024 promise to help the middle class.

The White House pushed back on claims that the report showed a negative impact from tariffs, since the cost of new cars fell despite the 25% tariffs on autos and 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum. The administration also noted that despite the June bump in apparel prices, clothing prices are still cheaper than three months ago.

“Consumer Prices LOW,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Bring down the Fed Rate, NOW!!!”

For Democratic lawmakers, the inflation report confirmed their warnings over the past several months that Trump’s tariffs could reignite inflation. They said Tuesday that it will only become more painful given the size of the tariff rates in the letters that Trump posted over the past week.

“For those saying we have not seen the impact of Trump’s tariff wars, look at today’s data. Americans continue to struggle with the costs of groceries and rent — and now prices of food and appliances are rising,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

Many businesses built up a stockpile of goods this spring and were able to delay price hikes, while others likely waited to see if the duties would become permanent.

More businesses now appear to be throwing in the towel and passing on costs to consumers, including Walmart, the world’s largest retailer, which has said it raised prices in June. Automaker Mitsubishi said last month that it was lifting prices by an average of 2.1% in response to the duties, and Nike has said it would implement “surgical” price hikes.

Powell said last month that companies up and down the supply chain would seek to avoid paying tariffs, but that ultimately some combination of businesses and consumers would bear the cost.

“There’s the manufacturer, the exporter, the importer, the retailer, and the consumer, and each one of those is going to be trying not to be the one to pay for the tariff,” the Fed chair said. “But together, they will all pay for it together—or maybe one party will pay it all. But that process is very hard to predict, and we haven’t been through a situation like this.”

Trump has imposed sweeping duties of 10% on all imports plus 30% on goods from China. Last week the president threatened to hit the European Union with a new 30% tariff starting Aug. 1.

He has also threatened to slap 50% duties on Brazil, which would push up the cost of orange juice and coffee. Orange prices leaped 3.5% just from May to June, and are 3.4% higher than a year ago, the government said Tuesday.

Overall, grocery prices rose 0.3% last month and are up 2.4% from a year earlier. While that is a much smaller increase than after the pandemic, when inflation surged, it is slightly bigger than the pre-pandemic pace. The Trump administration has also placed a 17% duty on Mexican tomatoes.

Families have cut spending on food as prices rise. Cassidy Grom, 29, her husband, and his mother are eating out less and try to stretch grocery store rotisserie chickens as far as possible, using them in salads and the bones for soup.

“It feels like a miracle if I’m able to leave the grocery store without spending $100,” the Edison, New Jersey resident said. “We’re trying to save for a house, we’re trying to save for a family, so prices are really on our mind.”

Accelerated inflation could provide a respite for Powell, who has come under withering fire from the White House over interest rates.

The Fed chair has said that the duties could both push up prices and slow the economy, a tricky combination for the central bank since higher costs would typically lead the Fed to hike rates while a weaker economy often spurs it to reduce them.

NC joins more than 20 states suing Trump administration over frozen after-school and summer funding

NC joins more than 20 states suing Trump administration over frozen after-school and summer funding

By BIANCA VÁZQUEZ TONESS AP Education Writer

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — More than 20 states sued President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday over billions of dollars in frozen education funding for after-school care, summer programs and more.

Some of the withheld money funds after-school and summer programming at Boys & Girls Clubs, the YMCA or public schools, attended by 1.4 million children and teenagers nationwide. Congress set aside money for the programs to provide academic support, enrichment and child care to mostly low-income families. But Trump’s administration recently froze the funding, saying it wants to ensure programs align with the Republican president’s priorities.

Led by California, the lawsuit alleges withholding the money violates the Constitution and several federal laws. Many low-income families will lose access to after-school programs if the money isn’t released soon, according to the suit. In some states, school restarts in late July and early August. The Department of Education did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

After-school programs for the fall are in jeopardy

Darleen Reyes drove through a downpour last week to take her son to a free Boys & Girls Club day camp in East Providence, Rhode Island. She told camp administrators the flash flood warning would have kept her away, but her son insisted on going.

Before kissing his mother goodbye, Aiden Cazares, 8, explained to a reporter, “I wanted to see my friends and not just sit at home.” Then he ran off to play.

In Rhode Island, the state stepped in with funding to keep the summer programs running, according to the East Providence club, and the state has joined the federal lawsuit. Other Boys & Girls Clubs supported by the grants have found ways to keep open their summer programs, said Sara Leutzinger, vice president for communications for the Boys & Girls Club of America. But there isn’t the same hope for the after-school programming for the fall.

Some of the 926 Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide that run summer and after-school programs stand to close if the Trump administration doesn’t release the money in the next three to five weeks, Leutzinger said. The clubs receive funding from the federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers program.

The YMCA and Save the Children say many of the centers they run are also at risk of shuttering.

“Time is of the essence,” said Christy Gleason, executive director of the political arm of Save the Children, which provides after-school programming for 41 schools in rural areas in Washington state and across the South, where school will begin as soon as August. “It’s not too late to make a decision so the kids who really need this still have it.”

Rural and Republican-led areas especially affected

Schools in Republican-led areas are particularly affected by the freeze in federal education grants. Ninety-one of the 100 school districts that receive the most money per student from four frozen grant programs are in Republican congressional districts, according to an analysis from New America, a left-leaning think tank. New America’s analysis used funding levels reported in 2022 in 46 states.

Republican officials have been among the educators criticizing the grant freeze.

“I deeply believe in fiscal responsibility, which means evaluating the use of funds and seeking out efficiencies, but also means being responsible — releasing funds already approved by Congress and signed by President Trump,” said Georgia schools superintendent Richard Woods, an elected Republican. “In Georgia, we’re getting ready to start the school year, so I call on federal funds to be released so we can ensure the success of our students.”

The Office of Management and Budget said some grants supported left-wing causes, pointing to services for immigrants in the country illegally or LGBTQ+ inclusion efforts.

But Congress’ appropriation of the money was in a bill signed by Trump himself, said Maurice “Mo” Green, North Carolina’s Democratic superintendent of public education. “To now suggest that, for some reason, this money is somehow or another needing review because of someone’s agenda, I think is deeply troubling,” Green told reporters Monday after North Carolina joined the federal lawsuit.

In North Carolina, about 40 schools are already in session, so the state is already trying to figure out ways to keep programs going, using state and local money, along with some federal money that has not expired.

The freeze affects programs including mental health services, science and math education, and support for students learning English, North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson said, with the most severe effects in smaller, rural school districts. The freeze could also lead to approximately 1,000 teachers and staff being laid off, Jackson said.

Summer clubs provide instruction for children

At the East Providence summer camp, Aiden, a rising third grader, played tag, built structures with magnetic tiles, played a fast-paced game with the other kids to review addition and subtraction, learned about pollination, watched a nature video and ate club-provided chicken nuggets.

Veteran teachers from his school corrected him when he spoke without raising his hand and offered common-sense advice when a boy in his group said something inappropriate.

“When someone says something inappropriate, you don’t repeat it,” teacher Kayla Creighton told the boys between answering their questions about horseflies and honeybees.

Indeed, it’s hard to find a more middle-of-the road organization in this country than the Boys & Girls Club.

Just last month, a Republican and a Democrat sponsored a resolution in the U.S. House celebrating the 165-year-old organization as a “beacon of hope and opportunity.” The Defense Department awarded the club $3 million in 1991 to support children left behind when their parents deployed for the Persian Gulf. And ever since, the Boys & Girls Club has created clubs on military installations to support the children of service members. Military families can sign up their kids for free.

“I suspect they will realize that most of those grants are fine and will release them,” said Mike Petrilli, president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative education policy think tank, speaking of the Trump administration’s review of the 21st Century Community Learning Center grants.

But not everyone is so sure.

Families see few affordable child care alternatives

Aiden’s mother has started looking into afternoon child care for September when kids return to school in Rhode Island.

“It costs $220 a week,” Reyes said, her eyes expanding. “I can’t afford that.”

The single mother and state worker said she’ll probably ask her 14-year-old son to stay home and watch Aiden. That will mean he would have to forgo getting a job when he turns 15 in the fall and couldn’t play basketball and football.

“I don’t have any other option,” she said.

At home, Aiden would likely stay inside on a screen. That would be heartbreaking since he’s thrived getting tutoring and “learning about healthy boundaries” from the Boys & Girls Club program, Reyes said.

Fernande Berard learned about the funding freeze and possible closure from a reporter after dropping off her three young boys for summer camp. “I would be really devastated if this goes away,” said the nurse. “I honestly don’t know what I would do.”

Her husband drives an Uber much of the day, and picking up the kids early would eat into his earnings. It’s money they need to pay the mortgage and everything else.

If her boss approves, she’d likely have to pick up her children from school and take them to the rehabilitation center where she oversees a team of nurses. The children would have to stay until her work day ends.

“It’s hard to imagine,” she said.

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AP Education Writer Collin Binkley in Washington and Makiya Seminera in Raleigh, North Carolina contributed reporting.

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The Associated Press’ education coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Find the AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Someone stole unreleased Beyoncé music from a car in Atlanta. What to know about the investigation

Someone stole unreleased Beyoncé music from a car in Atlanta. What to know about the investigation

By RUSS BYNUM Associated Press

A choreographer and a dancer traveling with Beyoncé for her concerts in Atlanta left their rental car in a parking garage for an hour while grabbing a bite, then returned to find a broken window and both of their suitcases stolen.

They lost more than just clothing, sunglasses and headphones. According to an Atlanta police report, the thief also made off with thumb drives containing the singer’s “unreleased music.” Police say they have identified a suspect, but they hadn’t announced any arrests as of Tuesday.

Here’s what we know about Beyoncé’s stolen music.

The break-in and robbery

The theft was reported July 8, which was two days before Beyoncé kicked off four nights of concerts at Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium as part of tour of the U.S. and Europe in support of her Grammy-winning album, “Cowboy Carter,”

Beyoncé’s choreographer, Christopher Grant, and dancer Diandre Blue called police after dining at a restaurant at a retail complex a few miles (kilometers) east of the downtown Atlanta stadium.

They said their rented Jeep Wagoneer had been broken into while parked in a nearby garage. They had left it for about an hour after stopping to eat shortly after 8 p.m.

Among the things that were stolen were two suitcases, a pair of sunglasses, Apple headphones, two Apple laptops and five thumb drives, according to the police report.

“They have my computers and it’s really, really important information in there,” one of the men told a 911 operator in a recording released by police. “I work with, um, someone who’s, like, of a high status, and I really need my computer and everything.”

Grant told officers at the scene that he and Blue work for Beyoncé and that he had been “carrying some personal sensitive information for the musician.”

The police report said the thumb drives contained “watermarked music, unreleased music, footage plans for the show, and past and future set list(s).”

A representative for Beyonce’ did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Police zero in on a suspect

Investigators have “secured an arrest warrant for a suspect,” police said in a news release Monday. They did not release the suspect’s name but said the person was at large.

The 911 caller, who isn’t identified on the released recording, noted that one of the stolen laptops had tracking software enabled. The police report says officers canvassed an area by following signals from the laptop and the stolen headphones.

Although it’s unclear what evidence following the tracking signals yielded, the police report lists a red 2025 Hyundai Elantra as a possible suspect vehicle. It also says an officer inspecting Grant and Blue’s rented Jeep was able to retrieve “two very light” fingerprints.

The police report also mentioned that cameras “captured the incident” at the garage.

Car break-ins are common in Atlanta

As thousands of Atlanta residents and visitors learn every year, thieves commonly target parked cars with luggage and other potential valuables left in sight.

There were 7,195 thefts from vehicles reported to Atlanta police in 2024, and 3,185 more have been reported since January. Police recorded 105 thefts from cars during the week before Beyonce’s unreleased music was reported stolen.

“Take your bags, phone, and anything important with you every time you leave your car,” police said in their news release about the thefts from Beyonce’s choreographer and dancer. “Don’t give criminals an easy win.”

Most US stocks fall, but Nvidia keeps Wall Street near records

Most US stocks fall, but Nvidia keeps Wall Street near records

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Most U.S. stocks are falling on Tuesday after an update on inflation hurt Wall Street’s hopes for lower interest rates. But indexes are staying close to their records thanks to Nvidia, the market’s most influential stock.

The S&P 500 was virtually unchanged in midday trading and just a bit below its all-time high, even as more than four out of every five stocks within the index fell. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 253 points, or 0.6%, as of noon Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.7% higher and on track to set another record.

Stocks felt pressure from a report showing inflation in the United States accelerated to 2.7% last month from 2.4% in May. Economists pointed to increases in prices for clothes, toys and other things that tend to get imported from other countries. Their prices could be rising because of the tariffs that President Donald Trump has imposed on countries worldwide in hopes of getting them to open their markets further to U.S. products.

“Inflation has begun to show the first signs of tariff pass-through,” according to Ellen Zentner, chief economic strategist for Morgan Stanley Wealth Management.

To be sure, the inflation rate reported on Tuesday morning wasn’t far from what economists expected. And an underlying measure of inflation that economists think is a better predictor of future trends accelerated by less than feared.

Altogether, the data helped caused Treasury yields to yo-yo a few times in the bond market before they began rising.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury climbed to 4.47% from 4.43% late Monday. The yield on the two-year Treasury, which more closely tracks expectations for what the Federal Reserve will do with short-term interest rates, rose to 3.94% from 3.90%.

A further acceleration in inflation could tie the hands of the Fed, which has kept interest rates on hold so far this year, because lower rates can give inflation more fuel, along with a boost for the economy. Wall Street loves lower interest rates because they goose prices higher for stocks and other investments, and Trump himself has been clamoring for the Fed to cut more quickly.

Fed Chair Jerome Powell, though, has been adamant that he wants to wait for more data about how tariffs affect the economy and inflation. Following Tuesday’s inflation report, traders are still overwhelmingly betting that the Fed will cut its main interest rate by the end of the year. But they pulled back their bets on the number of potential cuts, compared with a day before, according to data from CME Group.

On Wall Street, tech stocks were the outliers and rose after Nvidia said the U.S. government assured it that licenses will be granted for its H20 chip again and that deliveries will hopefully begin soon. Nvidia’s 4.4% gain was by far the strongest force pushing upward on the S&P 500.

Earlier this year, Nvidia said that U.S. restrictions on the chips used in artificial-intelligence development chiseled billions of dollars off its results for the first quarter of the year.

Stocks of big U.S. banks, meanwhile, were mixed following their latest profit reports.

JPMorgan Chase slipped 0.4% despite reporting a stronger profit than analysts expected, as CEO Jamie Dimon warned of risks to the economy because of tariffs and other concerns.

Citigroup rose 3% following its better-than-expected profit report. But Wells Fargo fell 5.4% following its own, as it trimmed its forecast for an important way that it makes money.

In stock markets abroad, indexes slipped in Europe after a mixed session in Asia. Indexes rose 1.6% in Hong Kong but fell 0.4% in Shanghai after a report said China’s economic growth slowed only slightly last quarter despite pressure from Trump’s tariffs.

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AP Business Writer Yuri Kageyama contributed.

Scottie Scheffler is chasing the claret jug at the British Open and searching for what it all means

Scottie Scheffler is chasing the claret jug at the British Open and searching for what it all means

By DOUG FERGUSON AP Golf Writer

PORTRUSH, Northern Ireland (AP) — Scottie Scheffler has won more tournaments and majors than anyone over the last three years. He is No. 1 in the world and no one is close to him. Nothing would mean more to him than leaving Royal Portrush with the silver claret jug.

And then?

That’s where golf gets a little complicated for Scheffler, who loves his job and all the work it entails, but who found himself searching Tuesday for what it all means.

He delivered an amazing soliloquy ahead of the British Open about fulfillment. The short answer: It’s not the two Masters green jackets, the Wanamaker Trophy he won at the PGA Championship, the three Jack Nicklaus Awards as PGA Tour player of the year or the FedEx Cup.

“Is it great to be able to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have in the game of golf? Yeah, it brings tears to my eyes just to think about because I’ve literally worked my entire life to be good at this sport,” Scheffler said.

“But at the end of the day, I’m not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers,” he said. “I’m not out here to inspire someone to be the best player in the world because what’s the point? This is not a fulfilling life. It’s fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it’s not fulfilling from a sense of the deepest places of your heart.”

His comments came in a year when Rory McIlroy fulfilled his life dream of winning the Masters, which gave him the career Grand Slam. McIlroy spoke last month about growing weary of being asked about his next set of goals, the next mountain he wants to climb.

“I probably just didn’t give myself enough time to let it all sink in. But that’s the nature of professional golf,” McIlroy said. “They do a very good job of keeping you on the hamster wheel, and you feel like it’s hard to get off at times.”

This is where Scheffler might be different. He seems to enjoy the hamster wheel. There is no next mountain to find because he’s busy scaling the one he is on.

He loves the chase. He wants the prize. He finds satisfaction in putting in the work. The thrill comes from competition. Scheffler also hates losing, no matter what’s at stake.

“Scottie don’t play games when he’s playing games,” said his caddie, Ted Scott.

They played a match at Cypress Point this year. It was Scheffler’s fourth day swinging a club since puncturing his right hand with a wine glass in a freak accident while making ravioli.

Scheffler gave him 10 shots, and the countdown began.

Scott his his approach into 5 feet and was feeling good about his chances, right up until Scheffler’s shot spun back and hit his caddie’s golf ball. They both made birdie. Scheffler won the next hole and said loud enough for Scott to hear, “Nine.”

He won the next hole with a par and said even louder, “EIGHT.”

“He was 6 under through six,” Scott said. “I gave him the $100 and said: ‘Don’t say anything else. I want to enjoy my day.’”

This is what drives Scheffler — winning the Masters, winning a bet with his caddie, winning anything. He has won 19 times since his first title at the 2022 Phoenix Open. Strictly by his math, that would be 38 minutes worth of celebrating.

“Sometimes the feeling only lasts about two minutes,” he said. “It’s pretty exciting and fun, but it just doesn’t last that long.”

So where does fulfillment come from if it’s not winning?

Scheffler is grounded in his faith, in a simple family life with a wife he has been with since high school, a 15-month-old son, three sisters and friends that are not part of the tour community.

“I love the challenge. I love being able to play this game for a living. It’s one of the greatest joys of my life,” he said. “But does it fill the deepest wants and desires of my heart? Absolutely not.”

He often says golf doesn’t define him as a person, and he said if it reached a point where the sport ever affected life at home, “that’s going to be the last day that I play out here for a living.”

He’s had moments of appreciation, for sure.

There was one moment last summer when his wife, Meredith, was in the living room and he was in his office. He walked out with the Masters green jacket and the plaid jacket from winning Hilton Head. He had The Players Championship trophy in one hand and another trophy in his other hand.

“Wassup, Mere,” he said to his wife.

Scheffler laughed telling the story. He’s not sure why he did it, except it was fun. And then it was back to work. There’s always the next tournament.

“There’s a lot of people that make it to what they thought was going to fulfill them in life, and you get there — you get to No. 1 in the world — and they’re like, ‘What’s the point?’ I really do believe that because what is the point? Why do I want to win this tournament so bad? That’s something that I wrestle with on a daily basis.

“It’s like showing up at the Masters every year. Why do I want to win this golf tournament so badly? Why do I want to win The Open Championship so badly? I don’t know,” he said. “Because, if I win, it’s going to be awesome for two minutes.

“Then we’re going to get to the next week.”

Xander Schauffele spent time with him at the Olympics last summer. Schauffele won two majors last year, including the claret jug. What they have in common is not lingering on laurels.

“That’s why he’s been No. 1 and hasn’t even sniffed looking backwards,” Schauffele said. “If he was sitting there looking at all his trophies every day, I’m sure he’d still be playing great golf, but I don’t think he’s that guy.”

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette launches 2026 gubernatorial bid, touts Trump ties

South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette launches 2026 gubernatorial bid, touts Trump ties

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina Republican Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette has kicked off her bid for governor in 2026, highlighting several years of what she considers pushing outgoing Gov. Henry McMaster’s agenda, and an already-formed connection with President Donald Trump.

Evette, first elected as McMaster’s running mate in 2018, spoke to hundreds of supporters Monday evening shortly after she released a short video confirming her run, news outlets reported.

“I stand before you as a mother, a conservative businesswoman and a fighter who is ready on day one to continue that conservative legacy as your next governor,” Evette said in her speech in Greenville.

The announcement video included earlier footage of Evette being praised by McMaster, who is term-limited from seeking reelection, and by Trump, for whom Evette has spoken at his rallies.

“With President Trump back in the White House, South Carolina needs a governor who has his trust, a governor who doesn’t need to build a relationship, a governor who can pick up the phone and get things done for South Carolina, because that relationship already exists,” Evette told supporters.

Four-term Attorney General Alan Wilson and state Sen. Josh Kimbrell have already entered the race for the Republican nomination. Others, including U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, are expected to join them.

An endorsement by Trump, who won South Carolina’s electoral votes in 2024 by 18 percentage points, could go a long way toward winning the primary, which isn’t until next June. South Carolina hasn’t had a Democratic governor in more than 20 years. The general election is in November 2026.

Evette entered Republican politics as a businessperson with no previous political experience — a trained accountant who cofounded a payroll, human resources and benefits firm with her husband.

Evette on Monday promoted a record while working with McMaster that included supporting law enforcement, tightening state immigration policies and backing abortion restrictions. She also pointed to barring transgender women from participating in women’s sports.

She said her top priorities as governor would include expanding school choice, eliminating income taxes and enforcing Trump’s immigration agenda. Evette also vowed in her speech to eliminate 10 regulations for every new one created and to fight “woke corporations” on the “radical left” that she said were trying to “transform our state.”

“I’ll follow the playbook that made South Carolina so successful,” Evette said.

Evette, from Travelers Rest, is the state’s first female Republican lieutenant governor. She and McMaster were the first team ticket jointly elected in state history after a change in the law.

Wall Street holds near its record amid doubts about Trump’s tariffs

Wall Street holds near its record amid doubts about Trump’s tariffs

By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stock indexes hung near their records on Monday following President Donald Trump’s latest updates to his tariffs, as speculation continues on Wall Street that he may ultimately back down on them.

The S&P 500 edged up by 0.1% to pull within 0.2% of its all-time high set on Thursday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 88 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 0.3% to set a record.

Stock indexes elsewhere around the world were mixed in their first trading after Trump announced plans over the weekend for 30% tariffs on goods from Mexico and the European Union. They won’t take effect until Aug. 1, the same deadline that Trump announced last week for updated tax rates on imports from Japan, South Korea and a dozen other countries.

The latest postponements for Trump’s tariffs allow more time for him to reach trade deals with other countries that could lower the tariff rates and prevent pain for international trade. They also feed into speculation that Trump may ultimately back down on his tariffs if they end up creating too much damage for the economy and for financial markets.

If Trump were to enact all his proposed tariffs on Aug. 1, they would raise the risk of a recession. That would not only hurt U.S. voters but also raise the pressure on the U.S. government’s debt level relative to the economy’s size, particularly after Washington approved big tax cuts that will add to the deficit.

“We therefore believe that the administration is using this latest round of tariff escalation to maximize its negotiating leverage and that it will ultimately de-escalate, especially if there is a new bout of heightened bond and stock market volatility,” according to Ulrike Hoffmann-Burchardi, global head of equities at UBS Global Wealth Management.

“As usual, there are many conditions and clauses that can get these rates reduced,” said Brian Jacobsen, chief economist at Annex Wealth Management. “That’s probably why the market might not like the tariff talk, but it’s not panicking about it either.”

For the time being, all the uncertainty around tariffs could help keep markets unsteady. This upcoming week has several potential flashpoints that could shake things.

On Tuesday will come the latest reading on inflation across the United States. Economists expect it to show inflation accelerated to 2.6% last month from 2.4% in May.

Companies are also lining up to report how they performed during the spring. JPMorgan Chase and several other huge banks will report their latest quarterly results on Tuesday, followed by Johnson & Johnson on Wednesday and PepsiCo on Thursday.

Fastenal, a distributor of industrial and construction supplies, on Monday reported a stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Its stock rose 4.2%, though it also said that market conditions remain sluggish.

Shares of Kenvue rose 2.2% after the former division of Johnson & Johnson said CEO Thibaut Mongon is stepping down. Kenvue, the maker of Listerine and Band-Aid brands, is in the midst of a strategic review of its options, “including ways to simplify the company’s portfolio and how it operates,” according to Larry Merlo, the board’s chair.

Waters slumped 13.8% after saying it had agreed to merge with Becton, Dickinson and Co.’s biosciences and diagnostic solutions business in a deal valued at roughly $17.5 billion.

All told, the S&P 500 rose 8.81 points to 6,268.56. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 88.14 to 44,459.65, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 54.80 to 20,640.33 to top its last all-time high set on Thursday.

In the bond market, Treasury yields held relatively steady. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.42% from 4.43% late Friday.

In stock markets abroad, indexes fell across much of Europe. Germany’s DAX lost 0.4%, and France’s CAC 40 fell 0.3%. But indexes rose 0.8% in South Korea and 0.3% in Hong Kong.

Chinese shares advanced after the government reported that exports rose last month as a truce in a tariff war prompted a surge in orders ahead of the Aug. 1 deadline for reaching a new trade deal with Washington.

Some of the biggest moves in financial markets were for crypto, where bitcoin continues to set records. This upcoming week is “Crypto Week” in Washington, where Congress will consider several bills to “make America the crypto capital of the world.”

___

AP Business Writers Matt Ott and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed.

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