The State

Brock Johnson technically never played high school baseball, but next spring he’ll be suiting up for the Gamecocks. Admittedly, the word technically is doing a lot of heavy lifting in that sentence. Johnson played baseball during his time in high school. Johnson is a native of Powell, Wyoming, a place where the average temperature generally hovers near freezing temperatures during the first few months of the year. That, coupled with regular snowfall, doesn’t exactly scream baseball weather.

WASHINGTON - As America gets ready to celebrate its 250th birthday, Congress is taking a road trip back to the place where it all began - Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Led by Pennsylvania Democratic Rep. Brendan F. Boyle, members will gather for a ceremonial event Thursday in his hometown, an effort Boyle said was two years in the making.

Federal Reserve policymakers have less reason to deliver an interest-rate hike later this month, traders bet on Thursday, after a government report showed the U.S. economy added far fewer jobs than expected in the last two months. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 57,000 jobs in June, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its closely watched employment report on Thursday. That was about half what economists had anticipated.

LONDON - UK prosecutors on Thursday charged former UK pop star Paul Gadd, better known by his stage name Gary Glitter, with unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl aged under 13 and three counts of indecent assault on a girl aged under 14. The charges were linked to alleged sexual offences against a child dating back to 1978, the Crown Prosecution Service said in a statement.

LONDON - UK prosecutors on Thursday charged former UK pop star Paul Gadd, better known by his stage name Gary Glitter, with unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl aged under 13 and three counts of indecent assault on a girl aged under 14. The charges were linked to alleged sexual offences against a child dating back to 1978, the Crown Prosecution Service said in a statement. This story was originally published July 2, 2026 at 9:09 AM.

An airplane with two people on board bound for a small airport east of Charlotte crashed Thursday morning in South Carolina, officials said. The crash happened before 1 a.m. off Brooklyn Avenue just outside the Lancaster city limits, said Greg Nicholson of Lancaster County Emergency Management. The crash site is east of Rock Hill and south of Charlotte. The two people were taken to burn centers, according to the Lancaster sheriff.

Federal Reserve policymakers have less reason to deliver an interest-rate hike later this month, traders bet on Thursday, after a government report showed the U.S. economy added far fewer jobs than expected in the last two months. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 57,000 jobs in June, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said in its closely watched employment report on Thursday. That was about half what economists had anticipated.

BERLIN/PARIS - NATO plans to replace its ageing fleet of AWACS aircraft with GlobalEye surveillance planes from Sweden's Saab, four sources familiar with the matter told Reuters, a move that could test uneasy relations with U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump has been pushing allies to purchase American weapons and has repeatedly threatened to quit NATO, accusing European nations of free-riding by leaving the U.S. to pay for the continent's security.

Two food service companies are in court over who gets to rule the roost on "6-7" chicken nuggets. Perdue Foods is suing John Soules Foods after both companies launched frozen chicken nugget products inspired by the popular slang term "6-7." The nuggets are in the shape of 6's and 7's. In a June 23 filing in U.S. District Court for Eastern Virginia, Perdue alleged Soules Foods' "6-7" chicken nuggets have "highly similar breaded-numeral logo and packaging presentation" to its own product.

Krispy Kreme is marking America’s 250th birthday by handing out free original glazed doughnuts to customers dressed in patriotic colors. The Charlotte-based chain is also rolling out a festive Fourth of July collection alongside its summer treats. FULL STORY: Krispy Kreme is giving away doughnuts, if you dress the part. How to get a free one • Anyone wearing red, white and blue on July 4 can get a free original glazed doughnut at participating Krispy Kreme shops nationwide.