Temperature in NYC reaches 100 as eastern US swelters under extreme heat wave

NEW YORK (AP) — Extensive triple digit heat, broken temperature records and oppressive humidity piled up into a steaming mess as the heat dome crushing the Eastern half of the nation sizzled to what should be its worst Tuesday. New York City’s John F. Kennedy Airport hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit a little after noon, the first time since 2013. More than 150 million people woke up to heat warnings and forecasters at the National Weather Service expected dozens of places to tie or set new daily high temperature records Tuesday. “Every East Coast state today from Maine to Florida has a chance of 100 degree actual temperature,” said private meteorologist Ryan Maue, a former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration chief scientist. “Getting Maine to 100 degrees is infrequent.”

Americans sour on US economy and anxiety over tariffs remains the chief culprit

WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans’ view of the U.S. economy worsened in June, resuming a downward slide that had dragged consumer confidence to its lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic five years ago. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index slid to 93 in June, down 5.4 points from 98.4 last month, which represented a brief uptick. The regression surprised economists, who had expected a small uptick this month. In April, American consumers’ confidence in the economy sank to its lowest reading since May 2020, largely due to anxiety over the impact of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs confirms he won’t testify and compliments the trial judge

NEW YORK (AP) — Sean “Diddy” Combs has tossed a compliment to the judge at his sex trafficking trial as he confirmed that he won’t be testifying. Combs told Judge Arun Subramanian that he’s doing an “excellent job” after the judge asked him Tuesday if he planned to testify. The question was posed after the government rested after calling 34 witnesses, capping a more than six-week-long presentation of evidence against the hip-hop maven. Prosecutors have cited “freak offs” described by two ex-girlfriends of Combs’ as proof of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Defense lawyers say they were consensual sexual encounters consistent with the swingers lifestyle. Combs has pleaded not guilty.

Woman with ties to cultlike group appears in court after border agent’s killing

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) — A woman charged in the death of a U.S. Border Patrol agent has appeared in Vermont federal court in one of multiple criminal cases linked to a cultlike group known as Zizians. Authorities say Teresa Youngblut fired the bullet that killed agent David Maland during the January traffic stop. They say another agent fired back, wounding Youngblut and killing her companion, Felix Bauckholt. Youngblut appeared in court on Tuesday for a discovery hearing.