Storms damage homes in Oklahoma and Kansas

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) — Fast-moving storms with strong winds, large hail and apparent tornadoes have left a trail of damage in Oklahoma and Kansas. The storms struck Sunday. They damaged nearly 20 homes in one Oklahoma county and injured at least two people. A nursing home was damaged. More storms were forecast for the region later Monday. Meanwhile, Houston has made progress in recovering from last week’s deadly storms. Officials there say power was restored Sunday to a majority of the hundreds of thousands who had been left in the dark and without air conditioning during hot and humid weather.

Hunter Biden presses for delay in federal gun trial set to begin next month

WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden is pressing for a delay in his federal gun case, asking an appeals court to pause the Delaware trial set to begin next month. Defense attorneys for the president’s son argued Monday there isn’t an urgent need to start the trial on June 3, shortly before the scheduled start of another trial on tax charges in California. His lawyers are filing fresh appeals in front of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in a bid to have the case tossed out. Hunter Biden is accused of lying about his drug use to buy a gun in 2018. His lawyers have said he did not break the law.

Can pink noise enhance sleep and memory? Early research drives a color noise buzz

(AP) — White noise is frequently used to mask background sounds and it now has competition in a rainbow of colors. There’s a growing buzz around pink noise, brown noise, green noise and their theoretical effects on sleep, concentration and the relaxation response. The science is new with only a few small studies behind it. That hasn’t stopped thousands of people from listening to hours of these noises on YouTube and on meditation apps. Scientists at Northwestern University are studying how short pulses of pink noise can enhance the slow brain waves of deep sleep.

Pentagon vows to keep weapons moving to Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is committing to keep U.S. weapons moving to Ukraine as Kyiv faces one of its toughest moments against a renewed assault by Russia. Austin and as many as 50 defense leaders from Europe and around the world were meeting Monday to coordinate more military aid to Ukraine. He said, “We’re meeting in a moment of challenge.” He noted that Russia’s new onslaught on Kharkiv showed why the commitment was vital. Austin vowed to keep U.S. weapons moving “week after week.” However, those weapons have not fully reached the front lines and Ukrainians officials have said they are still struggling to fight back against a vastly more equipped Russian military.