California retail theft measure is headed for the ballot box. Here’s what we know so far (2024)

All 24 teams have now played and all 10 host cities have now staged games at the European Championship in men's soccer. It has been a good one so far on the field, if not for Kylian Mbappé who broke his nose. Host Germany started with a rout of Scotland conducted by Toni Kroos who came out of international retirement for this. The 34 goals came early and often from long distance. Off the field, players engaged explicitly in politics, while late and overloaded public transport frustrated fans who were vibrant at the 12 games. Just five days gone, 26 left.

Kazuko Shiraishi, a leading name in modern Japanese “beat” poetry, has died. She was 93. Shiraishi was known for her dramatic readings, at times with jazz music. American poet and translator Kenneth Rexroth dubbed her “the Allen Ginsberg of Japan.” Shiraishi died of heart failure on June 14, according to Shichosha, a Tokyo publisher of her works. With her trademark long black hair and theatrical delivery, she defied the stereotypes of Japanese womanhood. She was a pioneer in performance poetry, reading her works with the music of jazz greats like Sam Rivers and Buster Williams, including a free-verse homage to the spirit of Coltrane.

Los Angeles looks to end its six-game road losing streak with a win against New York. The teams play Thursday for the first time this season. New York is 6- at home, and Los Angeles is 1- on the road.

Chicago aims to stop its four-game slide when the Chicago Sky take on Dallas. Thursday's game is the third meeting this season between the two teams. The Sky won the previous matchup 83-74. Chicago is 1- at home, and Dallas is 2- on the road.

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An explosion and fire at a military ammunition depot in Chad's capital has caused fatalities and injuries. The explosions started late Tuesday at the depot in N’Djamena. President Mahamat Deby Itno said the fire caused human and material damage and an investigation would be conducted. A government spokesman said Wednesday the situation has been brought under control. The number of those killed and injured was not yet confirmed. The explosion set off frantic efforts to put out the fire and treat the wounded.

Singer Justin Timberlake charged with driving while intoxicated in the Hamptons

A bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation met with the Dalai Lama at his residence in India’s Dharamshala on Wednesday, in a visit that China has criticized as it views the exiled leader as dangerous separatist. The high-level delegation arrived a day before in the hillside town, which the Dalai Lama has made his headquarters since fleeing from Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959. India considers Tibet to be part of China, though it hosts Tibetan exiles. The meeting is expected to focus on a bill passed by the U.S. Congress recently, which is aimed at encouraging dialogue between the Dalai Lama and Chinese officials that could result in a peaceful resolution to the dispute between Tibet and the Chinese government.

Moist air from the Gulf of Mexico could bring some relief to firefighters battling a pair of wildfires in southern New Mexico. More than 500 structures have been damaged or destroyed in the mountain village of Ruidoso, and at least one person has died as a result of fire. Thousands of people fled with little notice as wind drove flames into the community of about 7,000 that expands with tourists in the warmer months. The National Weather Service says moisture from a tropical wave in the Gulf could bring rain to the area by Wednesday afternoon.

BASEBALL

Kim Jong Un vows 'full support and solidarity' for Russia in Ukraine in first comments during summit with Putin.

Hundreds of thousands of immigrants had reason to rejoice when President Joe Biden unveiled a highly expansive plan to extend legal status to spouses of U.S. citizens but, inevitably, some were left out. Biden says his administration will allow spouses without legal status to apply for permanent residency without having to first depart the country. To qualify, they must have lived in the United States for 10 years and be married to a U.S. citizen, both as of Monday. Every immigration benefit _ even those as sweeping as Biden’s election-year offer _ have cutoff dates and other eligibility requirements.

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Zack Gelof hit his first home run in nearly three weeks and the Oakland Athletics beat the Kansas City Royals 7-5 to end a nine-game losing streak. JJ Bleday had a career-high three doubles and drove in two runs, and Miguel Andujar added two hits to help Oakland to its first win since June 7. The last-place A’s have the fourth-worst record in the majors at 27-48. Nick Loftin hit his first career home run and had three RBIs for the Royals, who have lost three of four.

ANAHEIM — It wasn’t so much the first inning that got Griffin Canning in trouble this time. It was the first, second and fourth innings that put the Angels in a sizable hole that neither Canning nor the rest of the team could completely overcome.

Carlos Santana’s pinch-hit single with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning pushed the Minnesota Twins past the Tampa Bay Rays 7-6 for their sixth straight victory following an hour-plus rain delay. The Twins have won eight of their last nine games and have double-digit hits in each game on the winning streak. Max Kepler homered and Ryan Jeffers hit a sacrifice fly for the Twins to tie it in the fifth. Brandon Lowe and Josh Lowe hit home runs in the top of the inning for the Rays on each side of the stoppage that lasted 1:23.

A blast of heat and humidity in the Midwest and Northeast days before the official start of summer has put a wet blanket on outdoor activities from festivals to sports camps as officials urge people to take precautions. Cities that opened cooling centers this week advised that Wednesday’s Juneteenth holiday means some public libraries, senior centers and pools where residents could beat the heat will be closed. The dangerous temperatures are expected to peak in the eastern Great Lakes and New England on Wednesday and Thursday, and in the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic on Friday and Saturday.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin thanks North Korea for supporting his Ukraine policy.

Russian President Vladimir Putin says Moscow and Pyongyang will sign an agreement to bolster their ties.

Willie Mays, Giants’ electrifying ‘Say Hey Kid,’ has died at 93

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Nick Lodolo allowed one run in seven innings to win a fifth straight start, Santiago Espinal hit a two-run homer and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 2-1 on Tuesday night.

Ben Rice was ready with the scoop for his major league debut. After running to first base, the 25-year-old turned to the Bleacher Creatures during his first Yankee Stadium Roll Call. He rotated his right hand a half-dozen times over his glove as if eating, well, rice. Rice went 1 for 4 in New York’s 4-2 win over Baltimore. He will see playing time at first base while Anthony Rizzo is sidelined by a broken forearm. A former Dartmouth catcher, Rice was hitting .275 with 15 homers and 26 RBIs in 49 games this year with Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Sal Frelick robbed Taylor Ward of a tying home run with a leaping catch in center field for the final out of the Milwaukee Brewers’ 6-3 victory over the Los Angeles Angels. The Angels staged a three-run rally in the ninth and then got two more runners on base, bringing closer Trevor Megill into the game as Milwaukee's third reliever of the inning. Ward drove a 384-foot fly to center, but Frelick confidently stepped back and made a one-handed grab on the warning track. Christian Yelich hit his 200th career homer and rookie Tobias Myers pitched scoreless ball into the seventh inning for the Brewers.

OAKLAND — No. 9 hitter Zack Gelof’s mighty swing of the bat helped put an end to the A’s nine-game losing streak Tuesday night.

Strict asylum rules and the hostile treatment of migrants are pushing people from the Middle East, Africa and Asia out of Europe and toward the United Kingdom. The U.K. government has been hostile toward migrants, but many have family or friends there, and a perception they will have more opportunities in Great Britain. One morning last month, the rising tide crept around a group of Kurdish migrants, soaking the babies they hugged tight. Around a dozen people refused to leave the cold waters of the English Channel in a futile attempt to delay the inevitable: French police had just foiled their latest attempt to reach the United Kingdom by boat.

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THROUGH JUNE 18

AMERICAN LEAGUE

AMERICAN LEAGUE

THROUGH JUNE 18

THROUGH JUNE 18

NATIONAL LEAGUE

THROUGH JUNE 18

Kim and Putin meet in Pyongyang as worries are raised about North Korea's and Russia's military ties

There was one thing missing when a wealthy Missouri couple purchased their oceanfront home overlooking Camden Harbor in Maine: The million-dollar view was blocked by a neighbor's trees. The former CEO of the St. Louis Foundation went to great lengths to remove that obstacle, hauling a herbicide from Missouri to kill the trees. That view has cost about $1.7 million in settlements and fines, and that could grow with further testing. The herbicide leached into a neighboring park and the town’s only public beach. And the state attorney general is considering further action.