News

NBC News reports: Target will soon stop accepting personal checks as a form of payment at checkout. In a statement to NBC News, the retail giant said it was committed to creating an easy and convenient checkout experience — but that due to “extremely low volumes,” it would no longer take personal checks starting July 15. It said it has …

The Texas Tribune reports: Hurricane Beryl has knocked out power for more than two million Texas customers, as of 9 a.m. Monday, based on estimates from PowerOutage.us and CenterPoint Energy. Outages are most extensive in the Houston area and coastal counties including Matagorda, where Beryl landed as a Category 1 hurricane at approximately 4 a.m. Monday morning. Significant outages are …

CNN reports: The Republican National Convention in Milwaukee next week could be an “attractive” target for violent extremists or other people looking to sow chaos by disrupting a high-profile political event, according to a threat assessment from federal agencies and the Milwaukee Police Department obtained by CNN. This election season has seen a “resurgence in disruptive tactics targeting election symbols” …

Politico reports: Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary effectively endorsed Donald Trump for president in an interview and, on the eve of this week’s NATO summit, blasted the United States for having a “war policy” in Ukraine rather than a strategy for achieving peace. Orbán contrasted U.S. policy unfavorably with what he described as a credible “peace plan” from China. …

USA Today reports: Hurricane Beryl made landfall along the Texas coast as a Category 1 storm early Monday, forcing the closure of major oil ports, flight cancellations, and a warning it would be a deadly storm for communities hit. By the time it made landfall near Matagorda around 4:30 a.m., winds had increased to 80 mph, according to the National …

Reuters reports: France’s left-wing New Popular Front coalition won the most seats in the second voting round of parliamentary elections, leading pollsters said on Sunday, putting them on track for an unexpected win over the far right National Rally (RN) party but short of an absolute majority in parliament. Cries of joy and tears of relief broke out at the …

Reuters reports: Voter turnout in France’s parliamentary run-off election on Sunday rose sharply from the last time in 2022 in a ballot that could see the far-right National Rally (RN) emerge as the strongest force. Although the RN is expected to win the most seats in the National Assembly, the latest opinion polls indicated it may fall short of an …

The Weather Channel reports: H​urricane warnings have been extended along parts of the Texas coast ahead of Tropical Storm Beryl. Flooding rainfall, storm surge inundation, high winds and tornadoes are all threats. Beryl is centered in the western Gulf of Mexico and is moving toward the northwest. Beryl is beginning to reorganize and is predicted to intensify en route to …

Charleston’s NBC affiliate reports: A Summerville man was killed in an accident involving a firework on the Fourth of July holiday.  Dorchester County Coroner Paul Brouthers said the victim, 41-year-old Allen Ray McGrew, ignited a large firework device and set it on his head. The device exploded, causing “massive head injuries.”  McGrew was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident …

Austin’s ABC affiliate reports: Texas officials are urging people to stay prepared — and not panic — ahead of Beryl. In a briefing on Friday afternoon, acting Gov. Dan Patrick and Texas Division of Emergency Management Chief Nim Kidd said it is too early to know Beryl’s exact path and where it will make landfall but people should still plan …

The Arkansas Times reports: They did it. They did it on a shoestring budget, with no organizational support from national groups. Just Arkansas women with clipboards, hustling. With 100,000 signatures in hand and more still being counted, backers of the Arkansas Abortion Amendment say they’ve got the numbers they need to put reproductive rights on the November ballot. And so …

The Houston Chronicle reports: The chance that Hurricane Beryl could come ashore in deep South Texas is becoming more of a reality now. Earlier this week, the National Hurricane Center had been forecasting that Beryl would most likely make landfall on the northeast coast of Mexico, but as the most recent model data has come in, Beryl’s projected path is …

USA Today reports: An American Airlines flight made an emergency landing after an Oregon man reportedly exposed himself and urinated in the plane’s aisle, New York authorities said. The 25-year-old was arrested and charged with indecent exposure in connection to the July 3 incident midair, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York wrote in a press …

The Associated Press reports: Brazil’s Federal Police have indicted former President Jair Bolsonaro for money laundering and criminal association in connection with undeclared diamonds the far-right leader received from Saudi Arabia during his time in office, according to a source with knowledge of the accusations. This is Bolsonaro’s second indictment since leaving office, following another in May for allegedly falsifying …

Axios reports: President Biden on Thursday spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and discussed developments in the negotiations for a hostage and ceasefire deal in Gaza. Biden has pushed for a deal for months. White House officials said they want to take advantage of Hamas’ positive response to the latest proposal in order to close the remaining gaps and …

Gallup Polling reports: Two in five Americans, 41%, say they are “extremely proud” to be American, the fifth consecutive year this reading has been in the 38% to 43% range. Another 26% of U.S. adults say they are “very proud,” also in line with recent years. The 67% combined share of Americans who are extremely or very proud is consistent …

The Washington Post reports: D.C. Water and Arlington County advised residents late Wednesday to boil their water for at least one minute before drinking, using it to cook food or giving it to pets, after the Army Corps of Engineers warned of clarity issues in local water sources. The warnings were issued because of “elevated turbidity levels in water supply …

The New York Times reports: In a move that will further consolidate the luxury retail market, the parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue has agreed to acquire Neiman Marcus in a $2.65 billion deal, creating the ultimate high-end department store behemoth. The deal, which had been rumored since Neiman Marcus filed for bankruptcy protection during the pandemic, comes just over …

The Nebraska Examiner reports: Nebraska appears poised to follow six states since the U.S. Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade to vote on the future of abortion rights in its state constitution. Abortion-rights petition campaign Protect Our Rights said it turned in a record 207,000 signatures since its mid-November 2023 launch, the most in state history for any petition effort. …

SF Gate reports: A Northern California wildfire tearing through parched vegetation on the outskirts of Oroville, 150 miles northeast of San Francisco, has triggered 13,000 people to evacuate their homes. The Thompson Fire was at 3,002 acres on Wednesday morning with zero containment, according to Cal Fire. “Conditions out there in our county this summer are much different than what …