30-year fixed mortgage
US new home sales slump to six-month low in May
Sales of new U.S. single-family homes dropped to a six-month low in May as a jump in mortgage rates weighed on demand.
big-ticket items
US consumer confidence retreats slightly; house prices remain elevated
The mixed survey also showed consumers’ perceived likelihood of a recession over the next 12 months retreated this month.
American users
DOJ Prepares To File Lawsuit Against TikTok, Citing ‘Children’s Privacy Violations’
On behalf of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the U.S. Department of Justice is getting ready to bring a consumer protection lawsuit against ByteDance’s TikTok app later this year, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday.
AI
Exclusive: Amazon mulls $5 to $10 monthly price tag for unprofitable Alexa service, AI revamp
Amazon is planning a major revamp of its decade-old money-losing Alexa service to include a conversational generative AI with two tiers of service.
appliance outlets
US retail sales rise less than expected in May
U.S. retail sales barely rose in May, suggesting that economic activity remained lackluster in the second quarter.
Attacker
State Dept: Gunman Who Opened Fire At U.S. Embassy In Lebanon Was Wearing ‘ISIS’ Vest
On Wednesday, a shooter opened fire at the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon, injuring a security guard before being immediately apprehended by Lebanese authorities.
1983
Report: Gunman Attacks U.S. Embassy In Lebanon, Captured After Shootout With Lebanese Army
The Lebanese army stopped an attack by a gunman on the U.S. Embassy in Lebanon on Wednesday morning in Beirut.
50 people
At Least 9 Dead And More Than 50 Injured As Strong Winds Plummet Stage At A Campaign Rally In Mexico
Nine people were killed, including one child, and almost 50 people were injured when a stage collapsed at a political campaign rally in Mexico on Wednesday night.
2013 movie
Scarlett Johansson says OpenAI chatbot voice ‘eerily similar’ to hers
Johansson made the comments hours after the artificial intelligence company said it was taking down the voice, called ‘Sky.’
Abril Elfi
FDA Clears 2nd Neuralink Brain Implant Patient
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared a second patient to get the Neuralink brain implant chip.