Pete Buttigieg blasts Trump and Limbaugh on family values

Reuters
US 30-year fixed-rate mortgage falls to 7.09%, still too high to boost housing
U.S. mortgage rates fell this week for the first time in more than a month amid signs of slowing economic activity, but remain too high to provide a significant boost to the housing market. The average rate on the popular 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was down to 7.09% as of May 9, from 7.22% last week, ending five straight weekly increases, mortgage finance agency Freddie Mac said in a statement on Thursday. The decline in mortgage rates coincides with a drop in the 10-year Treasury yield following recent data showing a moderation economic and job growth.
Associated Press
Vietnam's arrest of reformist labor official could disturb bid for better trade terms with the US
A senior Vietnamese official with the country’s labor ministry was arrested for "deliberately disclosing state secrets,” police announced on Thursday, a development that analysts say could hurt Vietnam’s efforts to obtain more favorable trade terms for exports to the United States. There were no further details about lawyer Nguyen Van Binh's arrest — beyond the announcement on the website of the police in the capital of Hanoi — but rights activists allege he was detained because he supported the idea of independent trade unions, banned under the Communist government. Binh who headed the Legal Affairs Department at the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs, could face between two and 15 years in prison for disclosing state secrets under the law in this single-party, authoritarian state.
AFP
In south Brazil, race on to deliver aid ahead of new storms
Teams raced against the clock Thursday to deliver aid to flood-stricken communities in southern Brazil before the arrival of new storms forecast to batter the region again.Help arrived from outside Brazil as well.
AFP
Boeing passenger plane exits runway in Senegal injuring 11
A Boeing passenger plane came off the runway during takeoff from Dakar international airport early Thursday, injuring 11 people and shutting the hub for hours, its operator said.Eleven people were injured, four of them seriously.
AFP
US ship leaves Cyprus laden with aid for Gaza
A US container ship loaded with aid for Gaza left Cyprus Thursday in a new test of a maritime corridor to get relief into the besieged Palestinian territory, authorities said.The US-flagged MV Sagamore left the port of Larnaca after being loaded with aid from Britain, Cyprus and the United States, Cyprus government spokesperson Yiannis Antoniou told the official CNA news agency.
Associated Press
California to tap generative AI tools to increase services access, reduce traffic jams
California could soon deploy generative artificial intelligence tools to help reduce traffic jams, make roads safer and provide tax guidance, among other things, under new agreements announced Thursday as part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s efforts to harness the power of new technologies for public services. The state is partnering with five companies to create generative AI tools using technologies developed by tech giants such as Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Google-backed Anthropic that would ultimately help the state provide better services to the public, administration officials said. “It is a very good sign that a lot of these companies are putting their focus on using GenAI for governmental service delivery," said Amy Tong, secretary of government operations for California.
NBC News
Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava relinquishes crown days after Miss USA resigns
Miss Teen USA announced she’s stepping down Wednesday, two days after Miss USA said she is resigning and relinquishing her crown.
Associated Press
New York appeals court rules ethics watchdog that pursued Cuomo was created unconstitutionally
A state commission that investigates ethical violations in New York was created unconstitutionally, an appeals court said Thursday in a ruling that could strip the watchdog agency of its enforcement powers. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is fighting an attempt by the state Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government to force him to forfeit $5 million he got for writing a book about his administration’s efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cuomo argues the commission lacks authority under the state constitution to prosecute him.
Reuters
Venezuela president's son says country is open to paying $10 billion debt to China
Venezuela is open to paying its $10 billion debt to China, lawmaker Nicolas Maduro Guerra, son of President Nicolas Maduro, told Reuters in an interview on Thursday. Venezuela's relationship with China is "foolproof and weatherproof," Maduro Guerra said, adding that Chinese companies are open to investing in the South American country. Maduro Guerra's father is running for re-election in voting scheduled for July, amid complaints that opposition politicians are treated unfairly, prompting the U.S. to reimpose sanctions on the OPEC nation's oil industry.
USA TODAY
Biden administration will propose changes to the asylum process
Under current law, a migrant who arrives at the border is allowed to continue with the process even if they have a criminal background.
AFP
Porsche recalls thousands of Taycans over faulty batteries
German sports carmaker Porsche on Thursday confirmed it had recalled several thousand of its electric Taycan model because of risks their batteries could catch fire.Some 858 Taycans were initially identified as being at risk and recalled in January, but after further checks the company determined that further vehicles could also be affected.
Associated Press
Average long-term US mortgage rate snaps five-week string of increases, but remains above 7%
The average rate on a 30-year mortgage fell for the first time in four weeks, a slight relief for home shoppers already facing the challenges of rising housing prices and a shortage of homes for sale. The rate fell to 7.09% from 7.22% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. When mortgage rates rise, they can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting how much homebuyers can afford.
AFP
Hamas urges halt to airdrops of aid in Gaza after two killed
Hamas on Thursday called for an end to airdrops of aid after two Palestinians were killed in northern Gaza when a aid pallet crashed into a warehouse after its parachute failed to open.The latest fatalities take to at least 21 the number of people killed when airdrops of aid have gone disastrously wrong, according to the Hamas authorities.
Reuters
Key Democrat backs embattled US FDIC chief amid harassment scandal
An outside review released on Tuesday found the agency needed to adopt sweeping changes to fix workplace culture and address harassment, racial discrimination and other longstanding problems, citing accounts from more than 500 people, mostly current staff. Republican lawmakers since November have angrily called for FDIC Chair Martin Gruenberg to resign in the wake of the Wall Street Journal expose which prompted the investigation, conducted by the law firm Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton.
Associated Press
Haley will meet with donors to her shuttered presidential campaign. No Trump endorsement is expected
Nikki Haley is meeting next week with donors who supported her now-abandoned Republican presidential campaign, a reentry into public life that comes as the former South Carolina governor keeps drawing notable support in some state primaries despite Donald Trump's status as the presumptive nominee. Haley will appear at events on Monday and Tuesday with about 100 donors in Charleston, according to a person with knowledge of the plans. The gathering, first reported by The Wall Street Journal, is intended as a “thank you” to Haley's supporters.
Associated Press
China and US resume cooperation on deportation as Chinese immigrants rush in from southern border
Beijing and Washington have quietly resumed cooperation on the deportation of Chinese immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally, as the two countries are reestablishing and widening contacts following their leaders' meeting in California late last year. After China suspended cooperation in August 2022, the United States saw a drastic surge in the number of Chinese immigrants entering the country illegally from Mexico. U.S. border officials arrested more than 37,000 Chinese nationals on the southern border in 2023, 10 times the number during the previous year, further exacerbating tensions over immigration going into the presidential election.
CBS News
Neuralink brain-chip implant encounters issues in human patient
Elon Musk's Neuralink finds a brain-computer interface device captured less data a month after implant surgery.
USA TODAY
Trump and Republicans slam Biden over pledge to withhold weapons from Israel over Rafah
Republicans quickly accuse Biden of trying to placate college demonstrators and left-wing activists who favor the Palestinians
Associated Press
Chevrolet Malibu heads for the junkyard as GM shifts focus to electric vehicles
The Chevrolet Malibu, the last midsize car made by a Detroit automaker, is heading for the junkyard. General Motors confirmed Thursday that it will stop making the car introduced in 1964 as the company focuses more on electric vehicles. The midsize sedan was once the top-selling segment in the U.S., a stalwart of family garages nationwide.
Yahoo Finance
Stock market today: Stocks rise as Dow tries to extend 6-day win streak
Stocks have lost their bounce after a growing chorus of Federal Reserve officials made it clear that interest rates will need to stay higher for longer.

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