G-7 to call on China to stop helping Russia’s war in Ukraine (2024)

The United States widened its sanctions against Russia Wednesday as G7 leaders prepared to gather in Italy for a summit where top priorities will be boosting support for Ukraine and grinding down Russia’s war machine. Wednesday’s package targeted Chinese companies which help Russia pursue its war in Ukraine and raised the stakes for foreign financial institutions which work with sanctioned Russian entities.

Cook County's top judge has asked state regulators to review allegations that an attorney was handcuffed to a chair after a judge kicked him out of her courtroom. The Chicago Sun-Times reports Cook County Chief Judge Timothy Evans referred misconduct allegations against Judge Kathy Flanagan to the Judicial Inquiry Board on Friday. According to a sheriff's report and court transcripts, attorney Brad Schneiderman was arguing for his client during a May 7 hearing when Flanagan told him to stop talking. Schneiderman walked away muttering, then turned back to the bench. Flanagan then yelled, “That's it. Take him.” A deputy took Schneiderman into a back hallway and cuffed him to a chair.

US widens sanctions on Russia, discouraging countries including China from doing business with Moscow.

Southern Baptists elect North Carolina pastor to be the next president of their convention.

The leader of Armenia has declared his intention to pull out of a Russia-dominated security alliance of several ex-Soviet nations as tensions rise between the two allies. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said Wednesday that his government will decide later when to leave the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a grouping that includes Russia and the former Soviet Central Asian nations of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. Amid the widening rift with Russia, Armenia earlier froze its participation in the alliance, canceled its involvement in joint military drills and snubbed CSTO summits. Pashinyan told parliament for the first time Wednesday that Armenia will leave the grouping altogether.

Elon Musk has dropped his lawsuit against OpenAI just ahead of a scheduled Wednesday hearing on the case. Musk in February sued the San Francisco artificial intelligence company and its CEO Sam Altman over what he said was a betrayal of the ChatGPT maker’s founding aims of benefiting humanity rather than pursuing profits. Musk’s lawyer filed a notice Tuesday seeking to dismiss the entire case. No explanation was given for why it was being dropped.

Wednesday

Wednesday

Slovenia forward Benjamin Šeško has turned down reported interest from Arsenal and other Premier League clubs to extend his stay at Leipzig. The Bundesliga club said Wednesday that the 21-year-old Šeško had extended his existing contract by a year to 2029. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United were all reportedly interested in signing the prolific forward. Šeško scored 18 goals in 42 games across all competitions last season after joining Leipzig from sister club Salzburg last summer.

First lady Jill Biden is kicking off her husband’s outreach to older voters, an effort blending rallies and phone banks with social events bingo nights and pickleball games. While President Joe Biden is in Italy attending the Group of Seven summit, the first lady will travel to four swing states to launch the Seniors for Biden-Harris effort. The Biden campaign says the first lady will visit Green Bay, Wisconsin; Duluth, Minnesota; Reno, Nevada; and Phoenix. While Jill Biden's events will feel like traditional rallies, the Democratic campaign also plans to use pickleball events and bingo nights to motivate older voters and keep them activated to help the campaign heading into November.

One of the several former players on an American Legion baseball team in South Dakota charged last year with rape has pleaded guilty to a lesser felony. According to court documents cited by KELO-TV, the 19-year-old former Mitchell player pleaded guilty to one count of accessory to a felony. Sentencing is in August and as part of a plea agreement, the former player agreed to testify against other defendants. In August, six players on the Mitchell American Legion team were indicted by a grand jury for second-degree rape and aiding and abetting second-degree rape. Three others were charged in juvenile court. The indictments say the victims were 16 years old.

The currywurst promises to be among the most tantalizing gourmet treats on offer at the European Championship this summer. The pork sausage garnished with curry sauce can be served with skin or without. It's choice that visiting fans will need to make before they become currywurst aficionados over the course of the month-long soccer tournament in Germany. The currywurst is considered a fast-food delicacy in a country where the humble sausage enjoys great importance. It's generally served on a white cardboard platter with a two-pronged plastic fork.

Jerry West, who was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame three times in a storied career as a player and executive and whose silhouette is considered to be the basis of the NBA logo, died Wednesday morning, the Los Angeles Clippers announced. He was 86. West, nicknamed “Mr. Clutch” for his late-game exploits as a player, went into the Hall of Fame as a player in 1980 and again as a member of the 1960 U.S. Olympic Team in 2010. He will be enshrined for a third time later this year as a contributor.

Slovakia’s government has approved a package of measures meant to boost security for leading politicians and others following an assassination attempt on populist Prime Minister Robert Fico. The measures need approval by Parliament, where the three-party coalition government has a majority. One proposal says authorities would have the right to ban protest rallies in front of politicians’ homes. Demonstrations also wouldn’t be allowed within 50 meters (yards) of the seat of government and president. Protection also would be provided for the leaders of all political parties represented in Parliament, the prosecutor general and the chief judge at the Constitutional Court.

Juan Soto has been on baseball cards with Ken Griffey Jr., Mike Trout and other big stars. But this one, well, this one was a little different . This one had the New York Yankees slugger and Puerto Rican musician Daddy Yankee. Soto says, "I mean, the Big Boss! It’s just great.” The Soto-Daddy Yankee collaboration is one of two “Signature Tunes” cards that are part of the latest edition of Topps Series 2, shining a light on players and the artists behind their walk-up music. Houston Astros slugger Kyle Tucker and rap superstar Travis Scott are on the other “Signature Tunes” card.

Senate lawmakers are set to question top federal officials about the rise of illegal electronic cigarettes in the U.S., a multibillion-dollar business that has flourished in recent years. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear from top officials at the Food and Drug Administration and Justice Department about attempts to stay on top of the vaping industry. The government agencies have cracked down on a handful of manufacturers of e-cigarettes, but thousands of unauthorized products continue to be sold in vape shops and convenience stores. Lawmakers are expected to press regulators for more cooperation in taking action against unauthorized vapes, especially fruit and candy flavored e-cigarettes that can appeal to teens.

Today in Sports, June 13 - Cavaliers come back from 3-1 deficit to defeat Warriors and win the NBA Finals

This Date in Baseball, June 13 - Roger Clemens reached 300 wins and becomes the 3rd pitcher with 4,000 Ks

Peihua Jiang knows how difficult it can be to convince a child to take a sip of a bitter liquid medication.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he won’t resign if his party suffers a poor result in a snap parliamentary election as he appealed to voters not to succumb to the “fever of the extremists.”

Jerry West, the Hall of Fame player and executive who was the inspiration for the NBA logo, has died at age 86.

NEW YORK — Eight suspected terrorists from Tajikistan have been arrested in major cities across the country, including New York, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, over their alleged ties to ISIS, according to reports.

Wednesday

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Hamas demanded several changes to a cease-fire proposal that go beyond the group’s previous stance, casting fresh doubt about the chances for a deal anytime soon.

CONCORD, Georgia — About 400 people live along this crossroads in Pike County established long ago as a stagecoach stop. And it seemed like half of them piled into Concord’s converted general store this week.

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jun 12, 2024--

The European Union is moving to hike tariffs on electric vehicles made in China. EVs are the latest flash point in a broader trade dispute over Chinese government subsidies and the Asian nation’s burgeoning exports of green technology to the 27-nation bloc. The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm, said on Wednesday that preliminary results from an ongoing investigation into Chinese EV subsidies show the country’s battery electric vehicle “value chain” benefits from “unfair subsidization” that hurts EU rivals. On July 4, it plans to impose provisional import taxes of up to 38.1%, on electric vehicles from China. That’s on top of the 10% duties for all imported EVs.

The elections were overseas, but for members of the MAGA movement, the rightward tilt in the European Parliament was still a chance to declare victory.

Indonesian authorities have arrested six suspects in an international poaching ring targeting the Javan rhinoceros, a critically endangered species. Police say the suspects are part of a network that used homemade firearms to kill at least 26 Javan rhinos since 2018 to get their horns, which are in high demand in Asia. The horns are predominantly used in traditional Chinese medicine and increasingly for making ornaments. Police and rangers from the Ujung Kulon National Park are searching for eight other members of the syndicate. Their leader was arrested last year and was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Françoise Hardy, a French singing legend and pop icon since the 1960s, has died. She was 80. Her son, musician Thomas Dutronc, announced the death on social media, sharing a poignant photo of himself as a child with her. Hardy, who had been battling lymphatic cancer since 2004, faced her illness with remarkable candor. She passed away on Tuesday. Hardy’s lyrics often captured the angst and longing of adolescence, resonating deeply with young audiences. Her influence extended far beyond France. In 2023, she was the only French artist named in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 200 greatest singers of all time.

Group of Seven leaders will call on China to stop enabling and sustaining Russia’s war against Ukraine, according to a draft statement seen by Bloomberg.

Multi-million-dollar works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Yayoi Kusama and Alberto Giacometti went on the market this week as fair Art Basel opened in Switzerland. Thousands have flooded the exhibition center for VIP previews before doors open to public on Thursday. More than 280 international galleries exhibited everything from paintings and sculpture to video installations and performance art in what one expert called the “Super Bowl of the art world.” A new report linked to the market found that sales fell last year and were particularly thinner at the top end of the market. But transaction volume grew, driven by sales at lower price levels.

Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann has called up Borussia Dortmund midfielder Emre Can to replace Aleksandar Pavlović. Pavlović is going to miss the European Championship because of illness. The German soccer federation says Pavlović was unable to join the squad for the 2-1 win over Greece in Germany's final Euro 2024 warmup. Can, who has played 43 games for Germany, will be expected to provide backup for Toni Kroos, Robert Andrich and Pascal Gross. Germany opens Euro 2024 on Friday against Scotland in Munich.

Group of Seven leaders will call on Hamas to accept the cease-fire deal outlined by U.S. President Joe Biden, according to a draft statement seen by Bloomberg.

Republicans loyal to Donald Trump are largely echoing the former president’s claim that the Justice Department has treated President Joe Biden’s son with kid gloves while zealously prosecuting Trump. They used Hunter Biden's conviction Tuesday for charges related to buying a gun while addicted to drugs to press unsubstantiated or debunked allegations that Joe Biden acted while vice president to advance his family members’ foreign business interests. Trump’s campaign issued a statement calling the verdict “nothing more than a distraction from the real crimes of the Biden Crime Family.”

The House is expected to vote on a resolution holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress for refusing to turn over audio of President Joe Biden’s interview in his classified documents case. It is a move that comes just weeks after the White House blocked release of the recording to lawmakers. The contempt action represents House Republicans’ latest and strongest rebuke of the Justice Department and of Garland’s leadership. And it's playing out against the backdrop of an extraordinary conflict over the rule of law that has animated the presidential campaign. But it remains uncertain if House Speaker Mike Johnson can garner enough support on the floor to pass the contempt resolution as Republicans have the slimmest of majorities.

Russia launched a large-scale missile and drone attack across Ukraine overnight, the second such assault this month, as Kyiv’s top military commander said the advance of Kremlin forces has largely stalled on the front line.

Chinese state media say a helicopter has crashed in southeastern Jiangxi province and three people on board are missing. The crash occurred Wednesday afternoon. Search and rescue efforts are underway. No other details were immediately given in a report by the Xinhua News Agency.

Demolition of the building where 17 people died in the 2018 Parkland school shooting is set to begin. Crews will begin tearing down the three-story building at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Thursday. The building had been kept as evidence in the 2022 trial of the killer and last year's trial of a sheriff's deputy who didn't enter it and confront him. Some are glad the building will soon be gone, seeing it as a horrific and constant reminder of what happened. Others think it should be preserved so it could be used to teach politicians and officials about school safety measures.

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)