8:18 a.m. EDT AP Trending Summary: National News

BMW recalling more than 390,000 vehicles due to airbag inflator issue

WASHINGTON (AP) — BMW of North America is recalling more than 390,000 vehicles in the U.S. because an airbag inflator could possibly explode. The agency said Tuesday that the original steering wheel may have been replaced with a sport or M-sport steering wheel equipped with a Takata inflator. If the inflator explodes, it may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants of a vehicle, resulting in serious injury or death. BMW has not received any reports of any accidents or injuries in the U.S. that may be related to this issue, according to the latest report.

Gypsy Rose Blanchard pregnant soon after release from prison for conspiring to kill abusive mother

Gypsy Rose Blanchard is pregnant. Blanchard is the woman who recruited her former boyfriend to kill her mother after years of being forced to pretend she was gravely ill. She said in a YouTube video on Tuesday that she wants to give her child everything she lacked growing up. She says the baby is due in January, which will be just a little over a year after she was freed from a women’s prison northeast of Kansas City, Missouri. Blanchard’s case sparked national tabloid interest after reports emerged that her mother, Clauddine “Dee Dee” Blanchard, had essentially kept her daughter prisoner, forcing her to use a wheelchair and feeding tube. Clauddine Blanchard was slain in 2015.

Joe Bonsall, celebrated tenor in the country and gospel group the Oak Ridge Boys, dies at 76

Grammy award winner and celebrated Oak Ridge Boys tenor Joe Bonsall has died. A representative for his family says Bonsall died Tuesday from complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. He was 76. A Philadelphia native and resident of Hendersonville, Tennessee, Bonsall joined the Oak Ridge Boys in 1973, which originally formed in the 1940s. He saw the band through its golden period in the ’80s and beyond, which included their signature 1981 song “Elvira.” The hit marked a massive crossover moment for the group, reaching No. 1 on the country chart and No. 5 on Billboard’s all-genre Hot 100. The group is also known for such hits as 1982’s “Bobbie Sue.”

Pair of giant pandas from China acclimating to new home at San Diego Zoo

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Two giant pandas sent from China to the San Diego Zoo last month are acclimating to their new home. The pandas, Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, are not on public display yet. But the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance on Tuesday released the first photos of the pair settling into their habitat. Yun Chuan is a nearly 5-year-old male. Xin Bao is a nearly 4-year-old female. The alliance says zoo staff is working closely with Chinese experts to cater to the dietary needs and preferences of the pandas, including creating a local adaptation of a traditional Chinese bun known as panda bread.

Target will stop accepting personal checks next week. Are the days of the payment method numbered?

NEW YORK (AP) — Target says it will no longer accept personal checks from shoppers as of July 15. The Minneapolis-based discounter confirmed the move in a statement to The Associated Press on Tuesday, citing “extremely low volumes” of customers who still write checks. It’s another sign of how a once ubiquitous payment method is going the way of outmoded objects like floppy disks and the Rolodex. Target said it remained committed to creating an easy and convenient checkout experience with credit and debit cards, “buy now, pay later” services and the Target Circle membership program. Target’s decision leaves Walmart, Macy’s and Kohl’s among the retailers that still accept personal checks at their stores.

Messi’s 109th goal leads defending champion Argentina over Canada 2-0 and into Copa America final

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Lionel Messi scored his 109th international goal and first of the tournament, leading defending champion Argentina over Canada 2-0 and into the Copa America final. Julián Álvarez put the Albiceleste ahead in the 22nd minute and Messi redirected Enzo Fernández’s shot in off the face of goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau in the 51st. Messi has 28 goals in his last 25 matches for Argentina and 14 in Copa America play. Only Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo with 130 has more international goals than Messi. Argentina plays Uruguay or Colombia for the title on Sunday at Miami Gardens, Florida.

Milk, eggs and now bullets for sale in handful of US grocery stores with ammo vending machines

MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A company has installed vending machines that sell ammunition in grocery stores in Alabama, Oklahoma, and Texas, raising concerns among gun control advocates. American Rounds company officials say the machines use an identification scanner and facial recognition software to verify age. The company’s CEO says the technology makes the transaction at least as secure as online purchases. But activists say these safety measures belong in gun stores, not in places where families buy groceries. They worry gun violence will increase in a country where there have been 15 mass killings involving a firearm so far in 2024. On July Fourth alone, at least 33 people died in gun violence across the country.

Movie Review: Luke Gilford takes you on a trip to a queer rodeo in ‘National Anthem’

If “Barbie” (and Cormac McCarthy) taught us anything, it’s that few symbols proclaim hypermasculinity quite like horses do. Perhaps that’s why queer cowboy stories have endured in Hollywood — one way to make a love story interesting after all is by making it subversive or forbidden. Luke Gilford’s “National Anthem,” which opens theaters Friday, sits within that tradition of films. But Associated Press Reviewer Krysta Fauria says it also doesn’t. Although “National Anthem” is indeed a story about star-crossed lovers, it is also, more importantly, a coming-of-age exploration of what it means for a person to find community and a place to belong.

Under pressure from cities, DoorDash steps up efforts to ensure its drivers don’t break traffic laws

DoorDash says it’s stepping up efforts to identify dangerous delivery drivers and remove them from its platform after a flood of complaints from cities. In a letter sent last month to DoorDash and other food delivery companies, Boston officials said they were seeing an increase in the unlawful and dangerous operation of motorcycles, mopeds and motorized scooters by delivery workers. San Francisco-based DoorDash said on Tuesday that it has created a dedicated point of contact for the Boston Police Department to make it faster and easier to process requests for drivers’ records. If it’s successful, the action may expand to other cities.

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