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  • Meloni slams Trump’s claim she ‘begged’ for a photo with him as Italy’s top diplomat cancels US trip


    ROME (AP) — The Italian government closed ranks on Friday to slam U.S. President Donald Trump over his claim that Premier Giorgia Meloni had “begged” for a photo with him during the recent G7 summit, a pushback that suggested America’s longtime European ally had had enough of Trump’s boasting and criticism.

    Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani abruptly cancelled a planned trip to the United States this weekend, calling Trump’s claims “serious and offensive” toward Meloni and all of Italy.

    Meloni for her part posted a video calling Trump’s claims “completely fabricated” and expressing astonishment that he would invent such things about an ally.

    “Italy and I do not beg,” she said pointedly.

    Trump had made the comments in an interview broadcast Friday on the La7 network. The La7 correspondent had asked Trump about Ukraine, but Trump raised Meloni and the conversation turned to their meeting during the just-concluded G7 meeting in Evian-les-Bains, France. Meloni and Trump were filmed speaking at several moments, including alone on a small sofa.

    According to La7, Trump said Meloni had “begged” him for a photo-op. Trump said he wasn’t obliged to do it but that he felt sorry for her and agreed, La7 said. The broadcaster put a dubbed version of the conversation online, not the original English audio.

    Meloni is astonished and defiant

    Trump’s posturing underscored how his alliance with Meloni — long seen as one of his closest friends in Europe — has frayed over his war in Iran, his tariffs against Europe and his complaints when anyone disagrees with him.

    He turned on Meloni in April after she refused to support his war in Iran and stood up for Pope Leo XIV when Trump lashed out at the pontiff.

    But Meloni’s strong response on Friday suggested she no longer fears Trump’s verbal attacks — attacks that could actually play in her favor in a country where public opinion of the American president has chilled, said Lorenzo Castellani, a political scientist at Rome’s Luiss Guido Carli University.

    “In some ways this was a favor to Giorgia Meloni, in the sense that she was accused until a few months ago of being a sort of Trump’s vassal in Europe,” he said.

    In her video, Meloni said she was responding to Trump’s claims because “certain things deserve an immediate response.”

    “Donald Trump’s statements are completely fabricated. I am frankly stunned,” she said. “I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves this way toward his own allies. After all, this isn’t the first time this has happened.”

    It was an apparent reference to an interview Trump gave to Italian daily Corriere della Sera in April in which he criticized Meloni’s refusal to back the U.S.-Israel war in Iran. Meloni didn’t respond publicly at the time. By Friday, it appeared she had had enough of his boasts and broadsides.

    “I can only say that it’s a shame he doesn’t show the same resolve toward the enemies of the West, toward the enemies of the United States — toward leaders with whom he, on the other hand, is much more accommodating,” Meloni said Friday. “But there’s one thing he must remember: Italy and I do not beg.”

    The White House did not return an immediate request for comment on Meloni’s remarks.

    Meloni had initially sought to build on longstanding strong U.S.-Italian ties when Trump began his second mandate, and had positioned herself as a “bridge” between Washington and the European Union. She was the lone EU head of state to attend his inauguration.

    But relations have frayed over the U.S. war in Iran, which Meloni has said was illegal, and Trump’s position on Ukraine, which Italy strongly supports. Trump’s tariffs and strong U.S. support of Israel over its war in Gaza have been other points of contention.

    Italian officials close ranks around Meloni

    By Friday afternoon, solidarity for Meloni had poured in from across the government and political spectrum, and included a call from President Sergio Mattarella, Italy’s respected head of state.

    “Whoever attacks @GiorgiaMeloni attacks all of us,” posted Transport Minister Matteo Salvini.

    Justice Minister Carlo Nordio referenced the sacrifice of American troops in World War II in underlining the harm to U.S.-Italy relations caused by Trump.

    “The thousands of crosses marking the graves of American soldiers who died to free us from Nazi-Fascist dictatorship did not deserve such a painful blow to our fraternal ties,” Nordio said on X.

    Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said he didn’t believe Meloni would ever beg someone for a photo, “not even under threat.”

    Tajani had been due to travel to the U.S. on Sunday to take part in an Italy-U.S. business forum in Miami during which he was to have meet with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, according to a U.S. State Department announcement of the meeting.

    A ‘fantastic’ friendship frays

    Meloni and Trump had gotten off to a strong start, and the two leaders are ideologically aligned on many issues. As the head of a far-right party, Meloni backs curbing migration and promoting traditional values.

    Weeks before Trump’s 2025 inauguration, Meloni met Trump at his Mar-a-Lago retreat, a visit that she said went “beyond expectations.” It was, she said at the time, “an opportunity to confirm a relationship that promises to be very solid.’’

    In the months after, Trump had praised her repeatedly, as “fantastic,” “incredible,” beautiful and a friend.

    But stark differences emerged over Ukraine. More recently, Meloni sharply warned against U.S. threats to take Greenland by force, saying she didn’t believe Washington would go so far and that regardless Italy would never support such a move.

    Meloni also received support from an unlikely ally in Europe: Spain’s Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who was on Friday asked about the back and forth on the sidelines of a European Council meeting.

    “About Meloni, first and foremost, all my solidarity,” he told reporters. “Secondly, I not only say this publicly in a response to your question, but also in private during the European Council meeting I offered her all my solidarity against this attack that is not political or personal … I really don´t know how to qualify it.”

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    Associated Press writer Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain, contributed to this report.


  • Anne Hathaway is pregnant with her third child


    NEW YORK (AP) — Anne Hathaway is pregnant with her third child.

    On Friday, the Oscar-winning actor posted an Instagram video in which she grins as she reveals a baby bump and hurries off camera. The 43-year-old Hathaway captioned the video “Baby, I’m yours” and for the soundtrack used the Barbara Lewis hit of the same name.

    When asked for confirmation, a Hathaway spokesman responded, “I think the video is pretty obvious.”

    Hathaway and husband Adam Shulman are already the parents of Jonathan Shulman and Jack Shulman. Friday’s news arrives at an especially busy time for the actor, whose films this year include “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” “Mother Mary” and “The Odyssey.”


  • World Cup players with dual eligibility face a tough choice about which country to represent


    GENEVA (AP) — Almost every World Cup matchup has a storyline of a player who could have represented another country.

    Take Folarin Balogun who scored twice in the United States’ opening win over Paraguay. He chose to play for the U.S. where he was born instead of England where he grew up or Nigeria where his parents came from.

    Or Yasin Ayari, who picked Sweden over his father’s native Tunisia, a decision that came into focus as Sweden defeated the North African team 5-1 with two goals from Ayari.

    And there’s Ayyoub Bouaddi, an 18-year-old standout who switched national teams from France to Morocco just weeks before the tournament kicked off.

    The World Cup in the U.S., Mexico and Canada is the biggest melting pot in the tournament’s history. Decades of migration are reflected in the rosters of major European teams like France, England and Germany. Meanwhile, many teams in Africa and the Caribbean rely heavily on their diaspora, made easier by a relaxation of FIFA’s eligibility rules.

    Dozens, if not hundreds, of players at this World Cup are playing for a country other than the one in which they were born. Many with mixed backgrounds switched allegiances when turning senior, following their heart – or their ambition.

    Players from France are everywhere

    Nearly 100 players at this World Cup were born in France, but only 23 of them play for the French national team. The others – France-born players with family ties worldwide – make up significant parts of the squads of Algeria, Cape Verde, Congo, Ghana, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Morocco and Tunisia.

    Bouaddi, one of the top performers in Morocco’s 1-1 draw with Brazil, was born in France and nurtured at top-tier club Lille. He played for France at the youth level and was captain of France’s under-21 team as recently as March, but switched to Morocco, where his family came from, just in time for the World Cup.

    “I’m very proud of my decision and very happy to represent my country, Morocco,” he said before the tournament. “My family is happy and I hope great things will come in the upcoming competitions.”

    Moroccan soccer federation president Faouzi Lekjaa personally visited Bouaddi at his home and met with the president of Lille to outline the North African kingdom’s soccer ambitions and the professional environment it offers, according to Moroccan state television.

    Morocco, which in 2022 became the first African country to reach the World Cup semifinals, relies heavily on players from its diaspora in Spain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. It has 19 foreign-born players in its 26-man squad.

    Defender Achraf Hakimi was born in Madrid and Real Madrid forward Brahim Diaz played one game for Spain before his FIFA switch to Morocco was processed in 2024.

    A complex choice for the children of immigrants

    Some of the biggest profiles of soccer had to make a choice. Kylian Mbappé was eligible to play for Cameroon or Algeria because of his family background but chose France where he was born and raised. Spain’s Lamine Yamal could have played for Morocco, his father’s homeland.

    Brothers Désiré and Guéla Doué took separate paths. Both were born in France but Désiré plays for France while Guéla chose to represent Ivory Coast, where their father is from.

    They’re not the only brothers who have ended up on separate World Cup teams. John Souttar represents Scotland while his brother Harry plays for Australia. Nico and Iñaki Williams were born in Spain to Ghanaian parents and while Nico chose to play for Spain, Iñaki picked Ghana.

    Tunisia tried to recruit Ayari, the Sweden midfielder who plays for Brighton in the Premier League, for its national team based on his father’s Tunisian background. However, his father, Azzouz Ayari, pushed back. He told Swedish media that he felt his son should represent the country in which he was born and raised.

    “I am an immigrant, but my children, no. Yasin is a Swede, with Tunisian background,” Azzouz Ayari told newspaper Aftonbladet. “I want him to play for Sweden because I want him to feel that he is giving back to the country that really took care of him.”

    Sweden fans won’t argue with that decision. Ayari scored twice in the team’s opener against Tunisia but muted his celebrations out of respect for his father’s home country.

    Birthright citizen Balogun chose the US over England

    Balogun’s two goals in the 4-1 win against Paraguay made him – and his background – more widely known to the American public. He played for England at youth level, except for a brief stint with the U.S. under-18 team, but switched to represent the United States in 2023.

    That was possible because of birthright citizenship rules in the U.S. – Balogun was born in New York, while his Nigerian parents were visiting.

    Balogun has cited the passion of U.S. soccer fans that he experienced while visiting a training camp in Florida in March 2023 as part of the reason why he decided to represent the United States. When they found out he was in Florida, many fans urged him to play for the U.S. national team. He also met with U.S. team officials.

    “I’ve always said the fans gave me so much motivation and showed me so much support. The most important thing has always been to be able to repay that,” Balogun said after the Paraguay game last week. “I just want to continue to show the fans I made the right decision.”

    Whether he could have gotten a place in the highly competitive England squad is unclear. At the time, then-England coach Gareth Southgate said they were monitoring his progress but couldn’t promise anything.

    FIFA sets the rules

    Switching nationalities is nothing new in soccer. Some of the sport’s biggest stars represented multiple countries, including Ferenc Puskás, who was the leader of Hungary’s “Mighty Magyars” in the 1950s but played for Spain at the 1962 World Cup.

    That Spain squad also included Puskás’s Real Madrid teammate Alfredo Di Stéfano, whose international career started with his native Argentina.

    In modern soccer, FIFA intervened in 2004 amid concern Brazilian players were being naturalized with a passport too easily by other countries, including Qatar.

    A “clear connection” with the country was insisted on, which could be two years of residence or a grandparent born there.

    FIFA’s then-president Sepp Blatter later aimed to “stop this farce” warning that at a 32-team World Cup “you will have 16 full of Brazilian players.”

    The residence demand on players aged 18 or over became five years in 2008, and a proposal at the 2011 FIFA Congress by the United Arab Emirates to cut it to three was rejected.

    Dual- or multiple-national players have been “cap-tied” by FIFA to any team they represented in a senior competitive game. Those who played only in friendlies or at youth level could apply to switch.

    FIFA eased its rules in 2020 to allow more eligibility changes, but players are locked to a nation if they play at a finals tournament of the World Cup or continental championship.

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    AP reporter Akram Oubachir in Casablanca, Morocco, contributed to this report.

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    AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/fifa-world-cup


  • Black bank card program to steer cash payments to single mothers in government housing


    One of the few Black-owned banks in the United States is introducing a debit card aimed at helping single mothers who live in government-subsidized housing escape poverty.

    The Bank King Card debit card will be offered beginning Friday in honor of Juneteenth by Redemption Bank, which will make a donation from every account opened to nonprofits that will steer the funding to needy families.

    “Bank King Card represents a new regenerative banking model that starts with investing in mothers who are a few hopeful dollars away from breaking out of poverty, and opening up America’s vaults of opportunity that have been closed to too many for too long,” Redemption Holding Co. chair and Chief Executive Ashley Bell said.

    A 2026 report by the Urban Institute and the Jeremiah Program says households led by single mothers experience widespread economic and caregiving hardship.

    Redemption Bank, based in Holladay, Utah, says it intends to make fixed-amount donations based on new Bank King Card account openings. The amount will be determined annually by the bank’s board of directors and will not be based on the amount of card purchases, according to Redemption Bank.

    Nonprofits that provide direct-cash services would apply for grants through a foundation developed to make sure the money gets to those who need it most.

    “What we’ve seen is these guaranteed income programs have been a jolt out of poverty for women around the country, including many women of color,” Bell said.

    Every dollar helps

    Money given directly to needy mothers and children is overwhelmingly spent to cover necessary goods or services, according to Chastity Lord, president and chief executive of the Jeremiah Program, which works to improve economic mobility for single mothers.

    But it also does so much more, she said.

    “It provides dignity,” Lord continued. “It ensures summer learning, not leaving kids at home. It increases nutrition. It allows the mom to make powerful decisions that benefit their children and their families instead of making decisions to just get by.”

    A pilot program through the Ohio Mother’s Trust funneled $500 each month for a year to 32 single mothers in the Columbus, Ohio, area.

    For Juanita Amakor of Columbus, the cash she received through the Ohio Mother’s Trust allowed her to catch up on bills and pay rent.

    “It’s the breathing room it gives you, knowing there is something extra coming in. It relieves a lot of anxiety,” said Amakor, 36, who has a 7-year-old daughter. “This help goes a long way, even if it was for something as little as being able to take my child to the grocery store, to the clothing store.”

    In Michigan, Rx Kids gives women a one-time allocation of $1,500 during pregnancy, followed by $500 per month throughout the child’s first months. The $1,500 can be used on food, prenatal care, rent, cribs or other needs. The $500 monthly stipend can be spent on formula, diapers or childcare.

    Kinea Wright and her family received funding through the Rx Kids program in Flint. It helped with some bills, diapers for her newborn daughter and other needs, especially after her husband was injured in a forklift accident.

    “Initially, (the money) was put up for a rainy day,” said Wright, 46. “I didn’t know the rainy day would come sooner than we thought. It was a blessing in disguise.”

    Juneteenth connection

    A year ago, Redemption Holding Co. completed its acquisition of Utah-based Holladay Bank & Trust, making it the first time a bank has been owned by a Black-led investment group in the Western U.S.

    At the time, Redemption Bank had roughly $65 million in assets. It primarily focuses on commercial lending and small business loans. Bernice A. King, the youngest child of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., is a co-founder and senior vice president of the bank.

    “Economic opportunity must be practical, accessible and rooted in the needs of families,” King said. “Bank King Card is an innovative way to support that work. It creates a practical opportunity for people to align their financial choices with their values while supporting mothers, children and families working toward long-term stability.”

    A Bank King Card credit card is expected to be introduced later with interest rates capped at 12%.

    The announcement of the Bank King Card coincides with Juneteenth, which also is the one-year anniversary of Redemption’s acquisition of Holladay Bank & Trust.

    Juneteenth — which combines “June” and “nineteenth” — represents the date in 1865 when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, learned they had been freed. It came two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. In 2021, President Joe Biden designated it a federal holiday.

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    Corey Williams is a member of AP’s Race & Ethnicity team.


  • Leafs acquire Darren Raddysh from Lightning and sign him to an 8-year contract


    The Toronto Maple Leafs took a big swing at improving their blue line before the start of free agency, acquiring Darren Raddysh’s rights from the Tampa Bay Lightning and signing the defenseman to an eight-year contract.

    The contract is worth $68 million, according to a person familiar with the deal. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Friday because financial terms were not disclosed.

    Raddysh will count $8.5 million against the salary cap through the 2033-34 season. He had never made more than a million dollars a year until now.

    The 30-year-old late bloomer cashed in on a breakout season in which he set career highs with 22 goals, 48 assists and 70 points in 73 games. That’s the same amount of points he put up in the previous two seasons combined since becoming a full-time NHL player as recently as 2023.

    Raddysh provides an immediate upgrade for the Leafs, who have a new coach in Jim Hiller and a new front office led by general manager John Chayka and franchise legend adviser Mats Sundin. Getting Raddysh’s rights from the Lightning for a fifth-round pick before he could hit the open market is Chayka’s second trade after clearing cap space earlier this week by sending goaltender Joseph Woll and defenseman Simon Benoit to Philadelphia.

    “We are thrilled to add a defenseman of Darren’s caliber to our organization,” Chayka said. “Darren has emerged as one of the NHL’s premier two-way defensemen, combining elite puck-moving ability with poise, competitiveness and strong play in all three zones. He strengthens our blue line in every situation and is exactly the type of player we want helping lead this team.”

    Raddysh was undrafted despite helping the Erie Otters win the Ontario Hockey League at the junior level in 2016-17. He signed with Chicago, got traded to the New York Rangers and inked a free agent deal in 2021 with the Lightning.

    He spent a vast majority of that time in the minors and was an All-Star in the American Hockey League before earning a job with Tampa Bay. He thrived this past season while the team dealt with injuries all over and led all players in the league at the position with 10 power-play goals.

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    AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL


  • The Habit You Don’t Know You Have Until Someone Points It Out – AFTER THE SHOW 6/19

    Murphy opens up about how his trainer caught a hidden habit-his left shoulder always creeping up while he runs the mixing board-and how he can’t un-notice it now. The crew digs into repetitive-motion strain, from the nail tech who works hunched over all day to the neck pain we’re all giving ourselves over our smartphones. Jodi and Sam weigh in on ergonomic fixes, self-awareness, and whether Murphy should finally become a standup-console guy.

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  • Natchez Murder Suspect Surrenders; Arthur Causes Tornado Damage


    A man wanted in a Farity murder investigation has turned himself in. Christopher “C.J.” Shepherd is now in custody in connection with the June 4 shooting that killed 19‑year‑old Caven Barrow of Natchez. Barrow was believed to have been driving near Lake Drive and Lancaster Avenue when he was shot, causing him to crash behind a church. Police are continuing to investigate and are asking anyone with information to come forward.

    Tropical Storm Arthur has moved out of the region after spawning multiple tornadoes. Tornadoes touched down in Houma and surrounding areas, damaging about half a dozen homes. Heavy rainfall also overwhelmed flood control pumps, and a few homes experienced flooding. Officials say no mandatory evacuations were required. Tornado damage was also reported in metro New Orleans, from Avondale across Old Jefferson to City Park.

    Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A new study from NiceRx ranks Oklahoma highest in heart disease deaths, followed by Mississippi with 235.6 deaths per 100,000 people. Louisiana ranks fifth with a rate of 217.7. The study notes that states with high heart disease death rates often have high obesity rates, though age, genetics, smoking, and access to healthcare also contribute.

    The 104th annual Louisiana Farm Bureau convention is underway in New Orleans. More than 1,600 farmers and their families are expected to attend, along with all four candidates in the June 27 U.S. Senate runoffs. The convention provides an opportunity for political candidates to speak directly with farmers about issues affecting the agricultural community. The event includes an awards ceremony, talent and queen’s contests, and two parties over its four-day schedule.

    The Mississippi River at Natchez‑Vidalia is at 35.47 feet and rising.

  • World Cup ticket buyers are left stranded as resale purchases fall through


    ATLANTA (AP) — Bina Ramroop broke down in tears when she realized she wasn’t going to get the World Cup tickets she had bought for her grandson’s 13th birthday.

    As thousands poured into Atlanta Stadium on Monday to see Spain face Cape Verde in what turned out to be a remarkable scoreless draw, Ramroop stood outside, increasingly stressed as she went back and forth for hours between StubHub representatives on the phone and FIFA representatives in the ticket booth. Each blamed the other.

    No one could figure out why the tickets Ramroop bought months ago on StubHub for $485 apiece couldn’t be transferred from the original seller to the FIFA ticketing app. StubHub offered her a refund and, as Ramroop heard the crowd roar for the start of the match, she knew she had no choice but to give up and take the offer.

    “I didn’t want a refund, I didn’t want my money back,” Ramroop said. “I wanted to go to the game.”

    The World Cup has delivered thrills on the pitch, but fans have flooded social media with complaints about tickets that never arrived, orders that were canceled at the last minute and hours they spent trying to sort out problems between FIFA’s ticketing system and outside resale platforms. The vast majority seem to be about industry titan StubHub, but people who bought through competitors such as SeatGeek and Vivid Seats have also reported issues. Interviews with fans and industry experts show that some cases stem from technical glitches in the transfer process, while others could involve sellers who never had tickets to deliver in the first place, though StubHub denies such sales happen on its platform.

    A grandmother’s disappointment

    FIFA has urged fans to buy resale tickets through its own marketplace, where it slaps a 30% surcharge on every resold ticket — 15% each from the buyer and seller. But many fans bought through other resale sites, either out of habit or because those sites have lower prices or are easier to navigate.

    Ramroop didn’t realize she was taking a risk when she bought through StubHub, which she had used in the past without issues.

    As she and her grandson Elijah Gomes took the long, lonely train ride back to the Atlanta suburbs, Elijah followed the score on his phone. The match had ended scoreless, and he tried to cheer up his devastated grandmother by telling her they hadn’t missed much after all (Cape Verdeans would beg to differ ).

    “He’s telling me, ‘Grandma, it’s OK, Grandma.’ And he’s trying to console me,” Ramroop said the next day.

    She was hardly alone. An Associated Press journalist witnessed more than a dozen frustrated fans at the match who said they were stuck in similar situations.

    StubHub blamed FIFA for the transfer problems that buyers like Ramroop have experienced. In a statement, it said FIFA has “poor technology infrastructure,” enacted last-minute transfer restrictions and didn’t launch its new ticketing app until a few weeks before the tournament. The company also called out organizers that “take anti-competitive actions” that limit where fans can buy and sell tickets.

    Asked about the technical issues, FIFA on Wednesday reiterated that sales through its official site are guaranteed to go through.

    An industry’s longstanding problem

    Industry observers say the problems appear to stem from more than one cause. For some, it may indeed be technical glitches — an issue that StubHub says is “very, very rare” and one that it is hard at work to solve. For others, they say it’s likely a more longstanding scourge: speculative sellers.

    Scott Friedman, an industry veteran and co-founder of a consultancy called the Ticket Talk Network, said some sellers list tickets before they actually have them, betting that prices will fall closer to the event so they can buy the tickets at a better price later. But because World Cup ticket prices have surged since the tournament began, those sellers have been forced to either buy expensive tickets to fulfill their orders or cancel and accept penalties from resale platforms. StubHub’s penalties are typically 200% of the ticket price, Friedman said.

    “This is not new at all,” said Friedman, pointing to other high-profile events where frustrated fans were left empty-handed, including Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. “This has been going on, but it’s making global news because it’s the World Cup.”

    StubHub says it requires sellers to prove they have tickets before they list them.

    But regardless of the reason for the canceled sales, Friedman said “StubHub should fill every single order to make sure fans get in the biggest global sporting event that happens every four years.”

    That’s what many fans say they expected when they purchased through StubHub.

    StubHub’s FanProtect Guarantee promises replacement tickets or a refund if tickets fail to arrive. But the policy repeatedly says those remedies are provided at StubHub’s “sole discretion,” meaning the company can choose a refund instead of securing replacement seats.

    “That is pretty explicit language,” said Michael McCann, a sports law expert at the University of New Hampshire. McCann noted that a buyer could try to challenge the language under state consumer protection laws, but it would be an uphill battle.

    A father’s regrets

    Pape Ndaw is crestfallen that the high school graduation gift he got for his son — tickets for them to see the Netherlands and Japan near their home city of Dallas — never arrived.

    He bought the tickets for about $550 apiece in December. Then, two days before the June 14 match, he received an email from StubHub telling him, “The seller can’t deliver your original tickets.”

    Ndaw accepted store credit rather than a refund, thinking he would use the funds to quickly get replacements, only to then realize that the cheapest last-minute tickets were going for more than $1,500 each. Not only were they not going to get to go to the game, but Ndaw said StubHub rejected his belated request for a refund instead of store credit.

    Breaking the news to his soccer-obsessed son was brutal, Ndaw said.

    “It was a disastrous thing,” he said. “He had told all his friends that he was going to that game. He literally cried. I mean, he is a 17-year-old kid, but he cried.”

    A family’s attempt to make the best of it

    Others fared somewhat better.

    Patrick O’Neil of Pittsboro, North Carolina, traveled to Atlanta with his wife, son and relatives after purchasing five tickets through StubHub for the Spain-Cape Verde match. Two tickets transferred successfully, but three never arrived.

    O’Neil’s 15-year-old son and his uncle ended up using the two tickets, while O’Neil, his wife and another relative watched from a nearby bar.

    After local media caught wind of their ordeal, O’Neil said StubHub contacted the family and offered tickets to another game. Since the family had already bought tickets to one, though, he and his wife asked the company to instead give the seats to local nonprofit Soccer in the Streets so they could go to people who otherwise might not be able to attend a match.

    “StubHub is not evil, but they’re part of the whole system that makes it really hard for just normal kids and people who might want to see a match get to go,” O’Neil said.

    On Thursday, a StubHub representative confirmed to the AP that the company would honor the O’Neils’ request and send tickets to the nonprofit.

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    AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup


  • World shares are mixed and US futures fall after a tech-led rally on Wall St


    BANGKOK (AP) — World shares were mixed Friday and U.S. futures declined as optimism over the U.S.-Iran deal to end their war was dimmed by the postponement of high-stakes talks on reopening negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program and getting oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz.

    U.S. markets will be closed Friday for Juneteenth.

    Planned talks in Switzerland between Iran and the United States over their efforts to reach a permanent end to war were delayed, while Israel’s military said its forces struck targets throughout southern Lebanon overnight as Hezbollah reported intense fighting in the area.

    “Both sides are trying to show some good faith,” Bas van Geffen of RaboResearch said in a commentary. “But even if the water appears calmer, there is still a strong undertow. The agreement remains fragile on multiple fronts.”

    Germany’s DAX rose 0.2% to 25,079.30, while the CAC 40 in Paris was nearly unchanged at 8,467.75. Britain’s FTSE 100 shed 0.2% to 10,376.64.

    The futures for the S&P500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average were down 0.2%.

    Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 wavered between gains and losses but closed 0.3% higher at a new record of 71,250.06. The government reported that consumer prices excluding volatile fresh foods was unchanged, but analysts said it would likely pick up in coming months despite higher fuel costs.

    Higher inflation was a factor driving the Bank of Japan to raise its benchmark interest rate earlier this week to a three-decade high of 1% as it gradually adjusts its policies after years of near-zero or negative rates.

    In South Korea, the Kospi lost 0.1% to 9,052.42, just shy of its record set a day earlier. The S&P/ASX 200 in Australia declined 0.9% to 8,828.70, while India’s Sensex lost 0.8%.

    Markets in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Taiwan were closed for the Dragon Boat festival.

    On Thursday, stocks rose on Wall Street, erasing most of their losses from a day earlier to notch weekly gains thanks to big advances for heavyweight technology companies. The decline on Wednesday was driven by anticipation that the Federal Reserve will likely raise interest rates this year in an effort to fight inflation.

    The S&P 500 rose 1.1% and the Dow industrials added 0.1%. The Nasdaq composite surged 1.9%.

    Technology stocks had some of the biggest gains and the most influence on the broader market’s rise. Intel surged 10.6% after U.S. President Donald Trump announced that the semiconductor giant will make chips for Apple in the U.S. Other big semiconductor companies gained ground. Nvidia rose 3% and Micron Technology jumped 8.7%.

    On the losing end, SpaceX fell for the second straight day since its big debut on the U.S. stock market last week. The Elon Musk-led rocket maker and AI company was down 3.6% following a 4.9% loss Wednesday.

    Oil prices wavered after the United States and Iran signed an agreement to end their war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz to oil tanker traffic. Brent crude, the international standard, spent most of the day lower before settling 0.4% higher at $79.85 per barrel. U.S. benchmark crude fell 0.2% to $75.85 per barrel.

    Early Friday, Brent crude was down 0.4% at $79.50 per barrel. U.S. benchmark crude was flat at $75.85 per barrel.

    Prices for crude oil are still above roughly $70 per barrel from before the war, but are well below the $100-plus price from a few weeks ago.

    Rising energy costs have been putting more pressure on already hot inflation. The average price of gasoline in the U.S. has dipped below $4 a gallon, but is still 25% higher than a year ago. Prices have been rising for a wide range of goods because of higher shipping costs.

    The Federal Reserve kept is key interest rate unchanged this week but hotter inflation means it will likely raise rates by the end of the year. Lower interest rates make borrowing easier for businesses and households, spurring growth, but they also tend to stoke inflation.

    In other dealings early Friday, the U.S. dollar fell to 161.31 Japanese yen from 161.38 yen. The euro was unchanged at $1.1458.


  • FLASHBACK: Jodi Tries and Fails with Body Tape/ Taylor’s Date Bark Recipe / Sam’s $687K Star Wars Card Gamble – FRIDAY 6/19

    Some Flashback fun while MSJ are out for the Juneteenth holiday. Jodi’s daughter Taylor stops by to share her healthy three-ingredient date bark, with a hilarious fiber warning courtesy of Murphy. Jodi recounts her rookie mistakes wrangling body tape under her gown for their big fancy night out. Plus, Sam digs a Mark Hamill Star Wars card out of his attic that could be worth nearly $700,000 and sends it off for grading.

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