WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal Reserve officials were concerned at their meeting last month that consumers were starting to anticipate higher inflation, and they signaled that much higher interest rates could be needed to restrain it. The policymakers also acknowledged, in minutes from their meeting released Wednesday, that their rate hikes could weaken the economy.

ATLANTA (AP) — A rural Georgia monument that some people have dubbed “America's Stonehenge” has been demolished after a bomb destroyed one of its four granite panels. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation says the monument near Elberton was damaged by an explosive device and that authorities demolished the remaining structure for safety reasons.

Southern Baptist Convention President Bart Barber will be looking for people with “a sense of rightness” to serve on the Abuse Reform Implementation Task Force. “Everyone on this implementation task force needs to be committed to the solution of this problem,” Barber said on the podcast SBC This Week.

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (AP) — The man charged with killing seven people when he unleashed a hail of bullets on an Independence Day parade from a rooftop was expected in court Wednesday. Authorities are facing questions about how he was allowed to to buy several guns, despite threatening violence. The alleged gunman was charged with seven counts of murder Tuesday.

EAST LONDON, South Africa (AP) — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said the deaths of 21 teenagers in a nightclub tragedy is a crime and South African officials must increase steps to prevent alcohol from being illegally sold to youths. Ramaphosa spoke to more than a thousand mourners at the funeral in East London for the young people who died at a tavern nearly two weeks ago. It’s still not known what caused the deaths of the young people, one just 13 years old, whose bodies were found in the Enyobeni tavern.

NASHVILLE (BP) – For the second time in three months, Cooperative Program giving failed to meet budgeted expectations in June. Southern Baptist Convention Executive Committee interim President Willie McLaurin blamed the economy for the lower-than-expected receipts, making no mention of an assortment of divisive issues that stirred debate at the SBC annual meeting in June.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Immigrant advocates are hoping a federal appeals court will uphold an Obama-era program that prevents the deportation of thousands of immigrants brought into the United States as children. A federal judge in Texas last year declared the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program illegal — although he agreed to leave the program intact for those already benefitting from it while his order is appealed.

REMINGTON, Va. (AP) — For years, there’s been a cardinal rule for flying civilian drones: Keep them within your line of sight. But that's starting to change as aviation authorities prepare to cautiously relax some of the safeguards they imposed to regulate a boom in off-the-shelf consumer drones.

As followers of Christ, when people are hurting, we want to encourage them and comfort them. We long for words that will lessen their pain. 

CAIRO (AP) — An Egyptian government push to remove the string of houseboats that dot Cairo’s Nile River banks has seen their numbers dwindle from several dozen to just a handful. Houseboats are a Cairo tradition that dates back to the 1800s. Government efforts to remove them have drawn criticism in Egypt, where residents are mourning the loss of not just their homes but a way of life.

SKOPJE, North Macedonia (AP) — Police in North Macedonia say a protest over a proposal aiming to break a deadlock on the country’s efforts to join the European Union has left 47 police officers injured. The injuries occurred after a group of mostly young people broke off from the main protest, throwing stones, metal bars, eggs and Molotov cocktails at the parliament building late Tuesday.

LONDON (AP) — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said he plans to stay in power despite the resignations of two top Cabinet ministers and a slew of more junior officials. Johnson told lawmakers Wednesday that “the job of a prime minister in difficult circumstances when you’ve been handed a colossal mandate is to keep going.” Johnson’s hold on power has been shaken by the resignations of Treasury chief Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid.

MECCA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — Muslim pilgrims are converging on Saudi Arabia’s holy city of Mecca for the largest hajj since the coronavirus pandemic severely curtailed access to one of Islam’s five pillars. Saudi Arabia’s decision to allow 1 million foreign and domestic Muslims to make the annual pilgrimage, which begins Thursday, marks a major step toward normalcy after two years of a drastically scaled-down hajj. That’s still far less than the 2.5 million pilgrims who traveled in 2019 for the pilgrimage, typically one of the world’s largest gatherings.

BEIJING (AP) — Residents of parts of Shanghai and Beijing have been ordered to undergo further rounds of COVID-19 testing following the discovery of new cases in the two cities. Restaurants have also been restricted to takeout only in the northern city of Xi'an, which endured one of China's most sweeping lockdowns under the hardline zero-COVID policy.

ATLANTA (AP) — Austin Riley homered and drove in three runs, Ian Anderson allowed one run in a bounce-back start, and the Atlanta Braves beat the struggling St. Louis Cardinals 7-1. Riley hit a two-run homer and William Contreras also went deep in the first inning.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Attorneys on Tuesday argued over abortion laws in three Southern states in response to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gave states the power to limit or outlaw abortion. In Mississippi, the state’s only abortion clinic is trying to remain open by blocking a law that would ban most abortions in the state.

Major stock indexes shook off an early slump and ended with meager gains on Wall Street Tuesday as worries about the economy continue to weigh on markets. Oil prices slumped, bringing the price of U.S. crude back below $100 a barrel for the first time since early May. Tech stocks staged a turnaround and ended higher.

NASHVILLE (BP) – The theme and the officers for the 2023 SBC Pastors’ Conference have been announced by conference president Daniel Dickard. The theme for the conference, scheduled for June 11-12 in New Orleans, will be “Character Matters in Ministry: Beatitudes of a Pastor.” Eight speakers will preach through the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new poll shows that many Americans don’t expect to rely on the digital services that became commonplace during the pandemic after COVID-19 subsides, even though many think it’s a good thing if those options remain available in the future. The poll comes from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

HIGHLAND PARK, Ill. (AP) — Police say the gunman who attacked an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago fired more than 70 rounds with an AR-15-style rifle and killed at least six people. He then evaded initial capture by dressing as a woman and blending into the fleeing crowd. The details emerged Tuesday as FBI agents were peeking into trash cans and under picnic blankets during the search for more evidence in Highland Park, an affluent and close-knit community on the shores of Lake Michigan.

LONDON (AP) — Two of Britain’s most senior Cabinet ministers have quit in a move that could spell the end of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s leadership after months of scandals. Treasury chief Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid resigned within minutes of each other Tuesday.

On Sunday, July 3, 2022, as the nation prepared to celebrate its 246th birthday, Hebron Baptist Church celebrated its 180th. Members gathered for celebrations that included worship, a sermon by former Pastor Larry Wynn, a panel discussion by current and former pastors, and a fellowship meal.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A detention center in the wind-swept California desert town of Adelanto could house nearly 2,000 migrants facing the prospect of deportation. These days, it’s nearly empty. The facility is an extreme example of how the U.S. government’s use of guaranteed minimum payments in contracts with private companies to house immigrant detainees can have a potential financial downside.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — 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

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong’s new leader John Lee says he will work on easing restrictions for travelers while balancing the risks of a coronavirus outbreak overwhelming the health care system. He spoke at his first news conference since becoming Hong Kong's chief executive. Hong Kong and mainland China are among the few places in the world that still quarantine arrivals.