Sparkling future seen with merger of cleaning supply businesses

Tropical Storm Colin has brought rain and winds to parts of North and South Carolina, though the storm has weakened and conditions are expected to improve by Monday's July Fourth celebrations. Separately, the center of Tropical Storm Bonnie rolled into the Pacific on Saturday after a rapid march across Central America, where it caused flooding, downed trees and forced thousands of people to evacuate in Nicaragua and Costa Rica. Forecasters say Bonnie is likely to become a hurricane by Monday off the southern coast of Mexico, but it is unlikely to make a direct hit on land.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A federal appeals court on Wednesday threw out the 2020 conspiracy and bribery convictions of a major political donor in North Carolina and his associate, declaring that the trial judge erred in his jury instructions.

A shooter fired on an Independence Day parade from a rooftop in suburban Chicago, spraying the crowd with gunshots initially mistaken for fireworks. Hundreds of panicked revelers of all ages then fled in terror. At least six people were killed and at least 30 wounded. An hourslong manhunt ensued during which residents hunkered down in businesses or received police escorts to their homes. That ended with a traffic stop and brief chase Monday evening, when authorities detained a man they described as a person of interest. They identified no motive for the attack in Highland Park. That's an affluent community of about 30,000 on Chicago’s north shore.

A judge is considering a lawsuit filed by Mississippi’s only abortion clinic, which is trying to remain open by blocking a law that would ban most abortions in the state. The Jackson Women’s Health Organization sought a temporary restraining order that would allow it to remain open, at least while the lawsuit remains in court. A hearing was set for Tuesday. A law to restrict abortions in Mississippi is set to take effect on Thursday. The closely watched lawsuit is part of a flurry of activity that has occurred nationwide since the Supreme Court ruled.

Stocks fell broadly in morning trading on Wall Street Tuesday, extending a slump for the major indexes as investors continue to worry about the state of the economy. The S&P 500 fell 1.8% and more than 95% of stocks in the benchmark index were in the red. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2% and the Nasdaq fell 1.3%. Small-company stocks fell sharply in a signal that investors were worried about economic growth. Energy companies had some of the biggest losses as U.S. crude oil prices fell 5%. Banks also slipped along with falling bond yields.

After more than four months of ferocious fighting, Russia claimed full control over one of the two provinces in Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland. But Moscow’s seizure of the last major stronghold of Ukrainian resistance in Luhansk province came at a steep price. The critical question now is whether Russia can muster enough strength for a new offensive to complete its capture of the Donbas and make gains elsewhere in Ukraine. There are signs Russia is sustaining heavy losses. That raises doubts about whether Moscow’s forces and their separatist allies are ready to quickly thrust deeper into Donetsk, the other province that makes up the Donbas.