LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mike Koenig sat back in his seat for a recent screening of “Mad Max: Fury Road.” But this was no ordinary theater chair. As the theater darkened and death machines rumbled across the desert on screen, Koenig’s chair rumbled with them. As bullets whizzed by Furiosa, the movie’s heroine played by … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The inventor of a popular Spider-Man web-shooting toy can’t keep reeling in royalties after his patent ran out, the Supreme Court ruled Monday The justices ruled 6-3 against Stephen Kimble in his long-running dispute with Marvel Entertainment over a Web Blaster toy that shoots foam string from a glove. Kimble sold his … Continue reading
BRUSSELS (AP) — Greece has finally offered economic reforms that creditors consider potentially acceptable, giving Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras a couple days to turn a spirit of goodwill into a deal that might keep the country from a painful exit from the euro currency. Even though a firm deal to get Greece more loans remained … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks advanced Monday on hopes of a breakthrough in talks between Greece and its lenders. Eurozone finance ministers are hopeful a deal can be reached later in the week to avoid the Mediterranean nation defaulting on its debts. Stocks also got a boost from merger news in the health care … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The United States began annual security talks with China on Monday, and an official said it plans to raise directly the breach of a federal government server that resulted in the theft of personnel and security clearance records of millions of employees and contractors. China has openly denied involvement in the break-in. … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that the government can’t force raisin farmers to give up part of their annual crop for less than it’s worth, a victory for conservative groups that hailed the decision as a win for private property rights. The justices ruled 8-1 that a 1940s-era program born out … Continue reading
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Angela Bassett is taking on the mantle of “Six,” the codename for the leader of the elite counter-terrorism group depicted in the video game series “Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six.” Bassett was unveiled Monday during a Ubisoft news conference at E3 as the latest “Six” in the upcoming “Rainbow Six: Siege” installment … Continue reading
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Nathan Drake is back in action. Sony capped off its game-filled Electronic Entertainment Expo briefing Monday night with a bullet-riddled demonstration of “Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End,” the forthcoming action-adventure starring the charismatic treasure hunter. The preview showed Drake and mentor Victor “Sully” Sullivan engaging in a firefight on foot before … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama and his legislative allies scrambled Monday for ways to revive his severely wounded trade agenda, although Democrats and Republicans alike said all options face serious hurdles. Obama talked with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. And White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough spoke with Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the House … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration is ordering food companies to phase out the use of heart-clogging trans fats over the next three years, calling them a threat to public health. The move will remove artificial trans fats from the food supply almost entirely. Consumers aren’t likely to notice much of a difference in their … Continue reading
HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Harare resident Alice Mhandara spent a U.S. dollar to take the bus into town to answer the government call to trade in her old Zimbabwe dollars, but she left the bank in disgust when her 90 trillion in old currency wouldn’t even cover the bus ticket home. Starting this week, Zimbabweans … Continue reading
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (AP) — The grandson of Oscar Hammerstein has lost his bid to create a museum and educational theater honoring the Broadway lyricist. Doylestown Township’s zoning board voted Monday night to deny variances that Will Hammerstein needed to build the project at his grandfather’s former Pennsylvania farm. The plan included construction of a 400-seat … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The trade defeat in Congress was an ominous sign in a month of challenges that could help determine President Barack Obama’s standing for the rest of his second term. Fellow Democrats rebuffed last-minute appeals to rescue his global trade agenda, and the House seriously damaged Obama’s chances of capping his presidency with … Continue reading
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — The torrential storms of last month essentially ended one of Texas’ worst-ever droughts, but much of the excess water has already flowed into the Gulf of Mexico or will evaporate by year’s end. With a wary eye toward the next prolonged dry-streak that inevitably will come, some think expanding the use … Continue reading
HOUSTON (AP) — Larry Gonzales was emerging from his Garda Cash Logistics armored truck to refill an ATM at a Houston-area Chase Bank in October 2013 when a man behind him demanded money. “People joke around with us,” said Gonzales. “I didn’t think this dude was actually serious. Next thing, I get shot in the … Continue reading
MARSEILLE, France (AP) — They simply wanted a place to pray, as required five times a day for faithful Muslims. But in France, that’s not necessarily simple. The country has relatively few Muslim prayer spaces compared with the population — one for every 1,200 by some estimates — and a group of five friends from … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — The Pope is on Twitter, along with the Dalai Lama, world leaders and, of course, Kim Kardashian. The short-messaging service can bring fleeting fame, instant ignominy and get you fired. It has been credited for sparking revolutions and, like Facebook, transforming the way the world communicates. But despite the buzz generated … Continue reading
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Commission said Sunday that weekend talks to find common ground between international creditors and Greece were unsuccessful and left a wide rift that needs to be closed within two weeks to avoid a possible Greek default. An EU Commission official, who refused to be identified because of the sensitivity of … Continue reading
NEW YORK (AP) — Melissa McCarthy’s globe-trotting comedy “Spy” cracked The Rock’s disaster movie “San Andreas” at the weekend box office, taking the top spot with a $29.1 million debut. The 20th Century Fox release led a crowded but somewhat lackluster weekend. Focus Feature’s low-budget horror prequel “Insidious: Chapter 3” opened strongly with $22.7 million. … Continue reading
STOCKHOLM (AP) — When leaders of the Group of Seven wealthy countries pledge to “decarbonize” the global economy, they’re talking about a shift so dramatic that one analyst described it as a new Apollo mission. Like putting a man on the moon, it would require overcoming major hurdles related to technology and money and the … Continue reading
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple announced a major new foray into streaming music on Monday as it showed off a host of new software features for its iPhones, iPads and Mac computers. The $10-a-month music service is called Apple Music and combines on-demand listening, a 24/7 radio station hosted by live DJs and a forum … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The federal government will make it easier for more students who attended the now-defunct Corinthian Colleges to get rid of their federal loans, officials announced Monday, as part of a new plan that could cost as much as $3.6 billion. Corinthian Colleges was one of the largest chains of for-profit colleges when … Continue reading
WILLIAMS, Ore. (AP) — A modern-style Oregon house once owned by Steve Miller of the Steve Miller Band has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. The William J. and Sarah Wagner Lippincott House was designed by architect Winifred Scott Wellington, a faculty member at University of California, Berkeley. Architectural historian Diana Painter … Continue reading
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Snoop Dogg sued Pabst Brewing Co. on Monday, claiming the beer-maker owes him a portion of its proceeds from the company’s sale last year. The breach-of-contract lawsuit seeks 10 percent of the net sales price paid to Pabst for its Colt 45 malt beer line, which was included in last year’s … Continue reading
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday threw out the conviction of a Pennsylvania man prosecuted for making threats on Facebook, but dodged the free-speech issues that had made the case intriguing to First Amendment advocates. Chief Justice John Roberts said it was not enough for prosecutors to show that the comments of Anthony … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 