Biden defends move to let Ukraine hit Russia with US weapons (2024)

Here are the bestsellers for the week that ended Saturday, June 1, compiled from data from independent and chain bookstores, book wholesalers and independent distributors nationwide, powered by Circana BookScan © 2024 Circana.

Mark Christofferson pulled up to the hospital, jumped out of the car and raced inside for help.

Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon must report to prison by July 1 to serve his four-month sentence for defying a subpoena from the House committee that investigated the attack on the U.S. Capitol. U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols on Thursday granted prosecutors’ request to make Bannon begin serving his prison term after a three-judge panel of a federal appeals court last month upheld his contempt of Congress conviction. But Nichols also made clear in his ruling that Bannon could seek a stay of his order, which could delay his surrender date. Bannon’s lawyer at trial argued the charges were politically motivated

An Iowa man is accused of killing three people an injuring a fourth by attacking them with a metal pipe at a rural home. Sheriff Brian Gardner says in a news release that among the potential motives being investigated is “the possibility of the crime being made into a movie.” He did not elaborate. Luke Truesdell of Marion, Iowa, was charged Thursday with three counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. It's not clear if Truesdell has an attorney yet. The Linn County Sheriff’s Office found the victims Wednesday afternoon after being called to a home in a rural area near Cedar Rapids.

The head of the U.S. Secret Service says security plans for the Republican National Convention are still being determined as protesters blasted restrictions they claimed will violate free speech with just weeks until the event. Roughly 30,000 visitors are expected in Milwaukee next month when former President Donald Trump is slated to become the Republican party’s official presidential nominee. Largescale demonstrations are expected, but how close protesters will be allowed to the downtown Fiserv Forum convention site is up in the air. Top Republican officials have expressed safety concerns and protesters have sued the city of Milwaukee over rules on where demonstrations will be allowed. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle says law enforcement agencies are prepared.

Russia’s foreign minister is visiting Africa's sub-Saharan region of the Sahel this week as Moscow seeks to grow its influence in the restive, mineral-rich region. Russia has emerged as the security partner of choice for a growing number of African governments in the region, displacing traditional allies like France and the United States. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has made several trips to Africa in recent years to boost Moscow's influence. His stops this week included Guinea, the Republic of Congo, Burkina Faso and Chad. Russia has also used the private security company Wagner and its likely successor, Africa Corps, with Russian mercenaries taking up roles from protecting African leaders to helping states fight extremists.

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage dipped to just below 7% this week, little relief for prospective homebuyers already facing the challenges of rising housing prices and a relatively limited inventory of homes on the market. The rate fell to 6.99% from 7.03% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.71%. Mortgage rates are influenced by several factors, including how the bond market reacts to the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy and the moves in the 10-year Treasury yield, which lenders use as a guide to pricing home loans. Yields eased this week following economic data showing slower growth.

The charges brought this week against a warden and eight staffers related to the deaths of two inmates at Wisconsin's oldest prison are renewing calls to close it and another lockup. The prison at Waupun was built in the 1850s and has long been a target for closure amid concerns about deterioration, extended lockdowns and staffing shortfalls. Republican lawmakers say they will increase oversight amid renewed discussions about building a new prison. Concerns over job losses and the cost of building a new prison have been stumbling blocks in the past.

The Big 5 has expanded with the addition of Drexel this season and the men’s Classic among Philadelphia’s six Division I programs will return for three more seasons at the Wells Fargo Center. The men's Big 5 Classic is in December at the Wells Fargo Center. Penn, La Salle, Temple, Saint Joseph’s and Villanova will be joined in women’s hoops by Drexel. The Dragons joined the Big 5 in men’s basketball last season. The women’s Big 5 champion will be crowned on Dec. 6 in a tripleheader at Villanova. Saint Joseph's won last season's Big 5 championship.

Thursday

Boeing’s Starliner sprung two new leaks in its propulsion system after launch from Cape Canaveral on Wednesday, but NASA has told its two NASA astronauts on board that it’s safe to proceed with planned docking at the International Space Station today.

Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon must begin 4-month sentence for contempt of Congress conviction by July 1, judge rules.

The Office of Inspector General says the Census Bureau didn’t adequately monitor contract orders worth hundreds of millions of dollars dealing with advertising to promote participation in the 2020 census. The watchdog agency said in a report last month that bureau contracting officers failed to make sure standards were followed to measure the performance of contractors and didn’t receive supporting documentation for paid media invoices totaling $363 million. The report says that, as a result, the bureau could have accepted substandard performances, potentially wasting millions of taxpayers' dollars. The Census Bureau says that, while the findings in the audit report are valid, the advertising program was a success.

CHICAGO — When President Joe Biden announced his executive order restricting asylum seekers this week, he stood with a phalanx of politicians from the southern U.S. border to highlight the dire situation there.

Italy coach Luciano Spalletti has named his final 26-man squad for the European Championship with Riccardo Orsolini, Samuele Ricci and Ivan Provedel the players to miss out on the Azzurri’s title defense. Lazio goalkeeper Provedel will continue training back in Rome in case he is needed. Late call-up Federico Gatti has been retained and it is a remarkable feat for a player who had just finished a season in the third tier of Italian soccer when Italy won the pandemic-delayed Euro 2020. Italy starts its title defense against Albania in Dortmund on June 15, the day after Euro 2024 kicks off. Spain and Croatia are also in Group B.

Broadway has had great success with “Hello, Dolly.” Now get ready for “Hello, I’m Dolly.” Dolly Parton is writing new songs to go along with some of her past hits and co-writing a stage story inspired by her life for a musical that she hopes to land on Broadway in 2026. Parton will team up with Maria S. Schlatte on the story. Schlatte won an Emmy for producing Netflix’s “Christmas on the Square,” which starred Christine Baranski. “Hello, I’m Dolly” is the name of Parton’s 1967 debut album, which had the songs ″Dumb Blonde″ and ”Something Fishy.″

The American Civil Liberties Union has prepared a blueprint for using lawsuits, advice to state and local officials and lobbying in Congress to try and thwart the large-scale raids, huge detention camps and mass deportations that former President Donald Trump has promised should he win a second term. The 21-page memo responding to Trump’s campaign promises on immigration and border policies is the first in a series of policy roadmaps examining how the group will push back against Trump’s promised actions on top issues. It was shared first with The Associated Press, ahead of its formal release on Thursday.

LAS VEGAS — Dave Marlon jumped out of his black GMC Denali. It was around noon and already over 100 degrees.

At Whitney Houston's 2012 funeral, which was broadcast live on CNN, Kevin Costner delivered a 17-minute eulogy. But if the network had had its way, his remarks would have run much shorter, the "Yellowstone" actor says.

ATLANTA — Tasha Smith, a veteran actor and director, nabbed a small role in “Bad Boys: Ride or Die” film as the devoted wife to detective Marcus Miles Burnett, played with signature comic flair by Martin Lawrence.

DENVER — Schools involved in Colorado’s universal preschool program can discriminate on the basis of religion, a federal judge ruled Tuesday. However, the judge stopped short of granting schools enrolled in the program the power to discriminate against other protected characteristics, includ…

BALTIMORE — Baltimore Police want to hire more civilians, free more police up for patrol and get officers out of their cars, engaging with the public on foot.

LAS VEGAS — Dick Ramsey was on board the USS Nevada off the coast of France during the Allied invasion on D-Day, June 6, 1944 — 2½ years after the battleship nearly sank in shallow water at Pearl Harbor during the infamous attack by Japanese airplanes.

More than 1.2 million rechargeable lights are under recall in the U.S. and Canada following a report of one consumer death. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Good Earth Lighting’s now-recalled integrated light bars have batteries that can overheat — and cause the unit to catch on fire. That can pose serious burn and smoke inhalation risks. To date, the CPSC notes that there’s been one report of a consumer who died, as well as another who was treated for smoke inhalation when the light caused a fire in their home last year. Both regulators and Good Earth Lighting urge those in possession of these recalled products to stop using them immediately — and contact the company for a free replacement.

NBA

LAS VEGAS — The U.S. Department of the Interior announced Thursday it will invest $700 million in federal funding for long-term water conservation projects across the Lower Colorado River Basin, including Lake Mead.

The women of pop are not putting up with speculation about their bodies today.

LOS ANGELES — Kendrick Lamar, the widely acknowledged champion of this year's most brutal rap feud, will be taking an onstage victory lap this month in the form of a live Juneteenth performance in Inglewood, he announced Tuesday.

Americans broadly support LGBTQ+ people living as they wish, with large majorities backing same-sex marriage, same-sex couples raising children and laws to protect queer people from job discrimination, according to a new nationwide poll for the Los Angeles Times.

WASHINGTON — The Michigan Democratic Party has called for a federal probe into the relationship between Grand Rapids-area Republican congressional candidate Paul Hudson and a political action group supporting him.

It can sometimes be difficult for child actors to shed public conceptions of them as a kid on screen, hindering these stars from being taken seriously in Hollywood as adults. But at 30, Dakota Fanning is feeling better than ever about her creative voice and agency and has found herself drawn to complicated characters. The realness of her character in “The Watchers,” a psychological horror fantasy film which hits theaters Friday, is part of what drew her to the role, something she and director Ishana Night Shyamalan bonded over.

A former 911 dispatcher in Pennsylvania is no longer facing prosecution for involuntary manslaughter based on allegations he failed to send an ambulance to the rural home of a woman who was found dead a day later of internal bleeding. Greene County District Attorney Brianna Vanata said she acted to end the case against Lee Price this week after reviewing an investigator’s report that said he felt charges weren't justified in the July 2020 death of 54-year-old Diania Kronk. Price’s defense lawyer says Price is moving forward and happy to put the charges behind him. Trial in the case had been scheduled for next week.

The United States won the toss and elected to field against Pakistan in their Group A game at the T20 World Cup. The U.S. made a winning start to the tournament by beating Canada by seven wickets at the same venue in the opening game of the event, which it is co-hosting with the West Indies. The home team made one change and brought in Nosthush Kenjige in place of all-rounder Shadley van Schalkwyk. Pakistan had a setback on the eve of its opening World Cup game when all-rounder Imad Wasim was ruled out due to a side strain.

Officials say residents in Atlanta no longer must boil water before drinking it. The advisory was lifted on Thursday, six days after an initial water main break west of downtown began causing problems for the city’s water system. While the first rupture was repaired on Saturday, a second leak that began later Friday wasn’t fixed until Tuesday. Normal water flow and pressure was restored citywide on Wednesday, but more time was required to test for bacteria to ensure the water was safe to drink. Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is supporting a plan to spend $5 million to reimburse businesses for losses during the water outage. He also promises to assess the city’s infrastructure and deploy monitors to detect leaking pipes.

Michigan State has added former Michigan assistant and Lansing native Saddi Washington to Tom Izzo’s coaching staff. The move was announced Thursday, two months after Mark Montgomery left the Spartans to lead Detroit Mercy. Izzo also promoted Jon Borovich and Austin Thornton to assistant coaching roles to join Thomas Kelley and named Doug Wojcik associate head coach. Washington was an assistant coach for the Wolverines for eight seasons, a run that ended when Dusty May was hired to replace Juwan Howard.

A change is coming for one of the best horses running in the Belmont Stakes after experiencing some difficulties in the Kentucky Derby. Sierra Leone lost to Mystik Dan by a nose after veering side to side down the stretch and might have won easily with a straightforward run. Trainer Chad Brown as a result is experimenting with a different kind of bit in the horse's mouth in the hope of giving new jockey Flavien Prat more control. Sierra Leone opened as the favorite in the field of 10 horses running in the final leg of the Triple Crown.

The Premier League says clubs will trial two new forms of spending caps from next season. Teams in England’s top division will trial a “Squad Cost Rules” system limiting spending on players to 85% of a club’s soccer revenue and net profit or loss on player sales. A second system called “Top to Bottom Anchoring” limits spending to a multiple of the lowest combined prize money and cash from TV rights forecast to be earned by a team.

Leaders of the United Methodist Church have expressed regret over last week’s decision by the branch in Côte d’Ivoire to leave the union following the church’s decision to repeal a long-standing ban on LGBTQ+ clergy but pledged to accept it. The developments were the latest in a series of ripple effects in conservative Africa, which is home to the vast majority of United Methodists outside the United States, amid disputes on sexuality and theology that have shaken the Methodist churches. The church’s Council of Bishops said on Wednesday that “while we grieve” the Côte d’Ivoire’s decision to sperate from the United Methodists, “we commit to work with them through the process of becoming an Autonomous Methodist Church.”

You have questions. I have some answers.

CENTENNIAL, Colo. — John Indergand was 19 when he joined the U.S. Army in March of 1943, some 15 months after the nation entered World War II.