Lawyers representing families of victims and survivors of the condominium collapse in Surfside, Florida, last June have told a judge that they've reached a nearly $1 billion tentative settlement.

Harley S. Tropin is a lawyer representing the plaintiffs. He announced the settlement during a hearing on Wednesday before Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Michael Hanzman. Still pending final approval, the settlement involves insurance companies, developers of an adjacent building and other defendants.

“I’m shocked by this result — I think it’s fantastic,” Hanzman said. “This is a recovery that is far in excess of what I had anticipated.”

Earlier this year, Hanzman had approved an $83 million settlement to compensate people who suffered economic losses such as condominium units and personal property, the Associated Press reported.

The 12-story building called the Champlain Towers South condominium collapsed suddenly in the early-morning hours on June 24 and almost instantly destroyed dozens of individual condo units, burying victims under tons of rubble. Rescuers worked for weeks digging through mountains of concrete to find survivors, then later to recover the remains of those who died. A total of 98 people were killed.

JetBlue is going hostile in its effort to acquire Spirit, the latest twist in an industry battle for the low-cost carrier.

Spirit previously rejected a takeover offer from JetBlue, favoring an earlier deal to merge with fellow budget airline Frontier.

Now, JetBlue is appealing directly to Spirit's shareholders, urging them to vote against the Frontier deal while launching its own all-cash offer of $30 per share.

JetBlue said in a statement Monday that its offer represented a "60% premium to the value of the Frontier transaction." The airline added that it was willing to negotiate a $33-per-share deal if Spirit agrees to provide information about its business that JetBlue claims has been withheld.

"The Spirit Board failed to provide us the necessary diligence information it had provided Frontier and then summarily rejected our proposal, which addressed its regulatory concerns, without asking us even a single question about it," JetBlue said in a letter addressed to Spirit shareholders. "The Spirit Board based its rejection on unsupportable claims that are easily refuted."

Spirit's rejection

Spirit rejected a $33 a share cash offer from JetBlue on April 2, saying that it didn't believe a merger with the company would be cleared by regulators, and that "given this substantial completion risk, we believe JetBlue's economic offer is illusory."

Instead, the Spirit board said it was sticking with a cash and stock deal it reached in January with Frontier. That deal was valued at that time at $25.83 for each Spirit share. But Frontier shares have since fallen.

Shares of Frontier were slightly higher in premarket trading Monday on news of JetBlue's hostile takeover attempt, but even with the rise, its offer for Spirit is worth less than $20 a share. Shares of Spirit were also higher on the JetBlue news, while JetBlue shares were narrowly lower.

Spirit did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Creating a bigger competitor

If Spirit and Frontier were to combine, the new airline would leapfrog JetBlue and Alaska Air in the number of miles flown by paying passengers, according to 2021 statistics, putting it behind the four major airlines that control about 80% of the nation's air traffic — American, Delta, United and Southwest Airlines.

Both Spirit and Frontier operate as ultra-low-cost carriers, with very low base fares and extra charges for just about anything else a passenger needs, including carry-on baggage.

They depend much more on bargain-hunting leisure travelers and carry fewer business travelers than their larger rivals. Spirit argues that the fact that JetBlue charges higher fares on average than Spirit or Frontier is another reason that regulators are unlikely to accept a deal.

"Spirit believes that merging with Frontier will enable the combined ultra-low-cost carrier business to achieve scale, improve operational reliability, have increased relevance to consumers, and do an even better job of delivering ultra-low fares to more consumers and competing more effectively against the Big Four carriers, as well as against JetBlue," Spirit said two weeks ago when it rejected JetBlue.

But JetBlue argued at that time that its fares are lower than those on the four major airlines, and when it enters a new route, fares for the major carriers are cut by about 16% because of the competition. The company said that is greater than the reduction in fares by the big four when either Spirit or Frontier enter a market.

Spirit's reputation

Although passengers might like low fares, many don't like the experience of flying with low-cost airlines.

Spirit had by far the highest number of complaints, with 13.25 complaints per 100,000 passengers, from January through September 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. JetBlue had the second most complaints on that basis with 6.85, while Frontier had the third-most in the industry with 5.76. Frontier had by far the worst rate of complaints in the same period of 2020 when it recorded 60.24 complaints per 100,000 customers.

Frontier and Spirit also had the industry's worst customer satisfaction ratings, according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index. Meanwhile, JetBlue scored at the top or near the top in customer satisfaction rankings in different categories of travelers in a recent survey of 7,000 airline passengers by JD Power.

Antitrust concerns

The Biden administration has been much more active in challenging mergers and other combinations with the stated goal of promoting greater competition.

For example, JetBlue recently entered into an alliance with American Airlines that allows the two carriers to book passengers on each other's flights. In September, the Justice Department sued to end the agreement, saying it was bad for competition and airfares in the Northeast.

Both American and JetBlue have argued that passengers benefit from the agreement and are fighting the suit. Spirit argues that as long as JetBlue's alliance with American remains in place, there is no chance that JetBlue would be allowed by regulators to buy Spirit.

What is the 'great replacement' theory & how is it connected to the Buffalo shooting?

Updated: 11:57 PM EDT May 16, 2022

Following Saturday's deadly shooting rampage in Buffalo, N.Y., a 180-page purported manifesto attributed to the suspect has surfaced, which outlines the shooter's motives, details how he had been radicalized and how he "planned to kill as many Blacks as possible," according to officials. The manifesto's author also wrote about something called the "Great Replacement."Sister station KCRA 3 's Brittany Johnson 'Gets the Facts' on what this theory is all about.What is the theory about?The theory has different iterations but in a nutshell, the "great replacement" theory, which is sometimes called "replacement theory," is the belief that your group is being replaced or extinct because another group is growing in number and you see this other group as a threat to your group's existence.The theory goes back centuriesAccording to the Anti-Defamation League, the theory goes back centuries but was popularized by French Author Renaud Camus when he published an essay titled, "Le Grand Remplacement" or "The Great Replacement" in 2011. The term was coined when Camus warned of "reverse colonization" and explained native White Europeans are being replaced by non-White immigrants from Africa and the Middle East. He believes this trend will lead to the "ethnic and civilizational substitution" of the White race in Europe and the West.Great Replacement Theory linked to Buffalo shooting The shooting in Buffalo, NY has been connected to this theory because it was repeatedly referenced in a 180-page document linked to the reported shooter. The author used racist, anti-immigrant and anti-semitic beliefs, and wrote about how he planned to "kill as many blacks as possible," according to NBC News.Great Replacement theory linked to previous mass shootings and terrorist attacks, here are a few:In 2019, a suspect investigators said subscribed to the great replacement theory killed 51 people at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand. That same year the man suspected of targeting Latinos in an El Paso Walmart and who is on trial for killing 23 people, who authorities attribute a four-page racist screed that decried a Hispanic "invasion" of Texas and the U.S., and called for ethnic and racial segregation, also subscribed to the great replacement theory. The suspect in the 2018 shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue "made statements regarding genocide and his desire to kill Jewish people" during the attack, according to prosecutors. Eleven people were killed in the shooting in what the ADL has said is the "deadliest attack on the Jewish community in the U.S."Sister station KCRA 3 spoke with Assistant Professor Milan Obaidi of the University of Oslo in Norway, where he said the great replacement theory has also been used to carry out the 2011 Norway attacks. Obaidi researches violent extremism and radicalization. Sister station KCRA 3 spoke with Obaidi about a recent publication he authored with three other professors titled "The Great Replacement Conspiracy: How the Perceived Ousting of Whites Can Evoke Violent Extremism and Islamophobia."Q: What did you study in relation to this publication?Obaidi: In these studies, we looked at intentions to commit acts of violence toward another group. We didn't look at an actual act of violence, you know that is it clearly and practically impossible. In psychology we usually rely on attitudes, measuring people's attitudes and intentions. So yes, in these studies, we persistently found a link between the idea that your group is being replaced, and people's willingness to support or express extreme attitudes toward other groups. ... The implication of this theory is that it may legitimize violence, because it specifically portrays one group as being a victim of, of being under existential threat, and then it justifies violence as a necessary means to actually avert such threats. It {the theory} justifies the use of violence, because one group is being seen as a victim of being extinct by another or being replaced, and then violence becomes a means to actually prevent this. So, people who believe in this theory, do believe that they will be extinct and then they use violence to justify this or to avert this from happening.Obaidi: These studies were conducted in the Scandinavian context in Norway in Denmark. So, we basically looked at these in these studies, whether the perception that your group is being replaced by another group. With most of it, people also express negative attitudes, but also extreme intentions toward the group that they perceived as replacing their group. We used experiments, but also we run three surveys in these experiments. People are shown video clips of Norwegian TV where they were shown that in Norway in 20 years there will be a large number of this particular group of people and they will actually exceed the number of living Norwegians in certain areas in 20 years and then we were looking at how people would respond to this idea that their group will be shrinking and another group will be increasing in size. We found that the people who were in these replacement, treatment, or conditions also expressed more Islamophobic attitudes toward Muslim minorities in the regional context.Q: Is there always a direct link between believing in this theory and then carrying out an act of violence?Obaidi: It's also important to emphasize I think, that yes, maybe a lot of people believe in this theory, but not everyone would actually do something like, go and shoot other people. So there's not a not always direct link, because then we would probably have a lot of people going around shooting people. I think there are a large number of people who do believe and I mean, we know that the public, mainstream politicians, and media personalities, have touted these kinds of ideas. But it is so important to say that not every person who believes in it would do something such as going and shooting other people. Q: What is the discussion we should be having about this?Obaidi: A discussion would probably whether we see more of these kinds of attacks. Based on previous attacks, we know that there have been a lot of some of these attacks, they've been just copycatting other attackers, and they've been quite heavily inspired by previous attacks. And some of the tactics are quite similar. For example, the Christchurch attack, he was live-streaming his attack. And the same thing happened with the Norwegian attempt terror attack a couple of years ago in Norway, and we saw it Saturday in Buffalo. So there's clearly this group of young, certainly young people who are inspired by each other. My worry is probably, or maybe, a lot of people, whether we will see something similar because it is inspiring other people because this is what happened in recent years. I think that is probably something that most people are worried about these days.

Another fall for stocks on Friday had the S&P 500 flirting with a 20% drop from its peak set early this year, putting it within the grasp of what Wall Street calls a bear market.

The benchmark index was down 0.4% for the day in afternoon trading and on pace for its seventh straight losing week. Rising interest rates, high inflation, the war in Ukraine, and a slowdown in China's economy are all punishing stocks and raising fears about a possible U.S. recession. The last bear market was in 2020, an unusually brief downturn that sliced 34% off the S&P 500.

The index finished the week off with a 3 percent loss, which was its seventh straight weekly decline, the New York Times reported. It's the longest window of losses since 2001.

Surprisingly low earnings reports from Target and Walmart this week didn't help either which contributed to dragging the markets even lower. The New York Times points out that since World War II, recessions almost always follow bear markets.

The Supreme Court could potentially expand second amendment rights as it takes a look at a New York law.

Currently, New York law requires people seeking a concealed carry license to show a “proper cause.”

In 2008, the Supreme Court held that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to keep arms at home for self-defense.

Now a new case, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association vs. Bruen, questions whether handguns can be carried in public for self-defense.

In order to conceal carry, New Yorkers must prove that they have a great need for the license and that they face a “unique danger” to their life.

Conservative justices are in favor of striking down the New York law, arguing that it goes too far and imposes a burden on the Second Amendment.

Some justices are open to considering to allowing New York to ban guns from crowded places.

Arguments were held in November, months before a gunman opened fire at a Buffalo grocery store and killed 10, and another opened fire at a Texas elementary school and killed 21.

A decision from the Supreme Court is expected in the coming weeks.

BUFFALO, N.Y. — A 911 dispatcher has been fired for their handling of a 911 call from a person inside Tops during the mass shooting on May 14, according to an Erie County spokesperson.

Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said on May 18 that the dispatcher acted "totally inappropriate" when taking the 911 call and was placed on administrative leave pending a hearing. The dispatcher allegedly asked why the individual was whispering and Poloncarz said one of the parties hung up and ended the phone call. The hearing took place Thursday and the dispatcher has been fired.

An Erie County spokesperson released the following statement:

The firing of this dispatcher is in addition to another incident involving a different call taker who was fired for their actions during a 911 call on Sunday, May 22.

This story was first reported by WKBW in Buffalo, N.Y.

Raise your hand if you saw that coming from the Cincinnati Reds.

Joey Votto lined a tiebreaking double in a three-run 10th inning for his second go-ahead hit of the night, and Cincinnati beat the New York Yankees 7-6 on Thursday to earn an unexpected series win.

Last in the NL Central, the Reds got an outstanding outing from Luis Castillo and took two of three at Yankee Stadium from the top team in the majors. They blew a sizable lead for the second consecutive night, but this time recovered and held on to win for the sixth time in seven games overall.

Boosted by a ninth-inning comeback in the opener Tuesday night, it's the first time they've won back-to-back series all season.

“This whole series felt like a playoff series,” Cincinnati manager David Bell said. “It’s a great experience for our team and that’s how you get better.”

It was only the sixth time in major league history a team with a winning percentage below .400 won a road series against an opponent with a .700 winning percentage 50 games into a season, according to STATS.

The last time it happened was 2001, when the struggling Kansas City Royals upended Seattle. Before that, it hadn't happened in 46 years.

New York has lost only four series all season and has won 20 of its last 24 home games.

“It’s pretty special,” Reds shortstop Kyle Farmer said. “No one can take that away from us and it’s pretty cool.”

Aaron Judge hit his major league-leading 31st home run to start a Yankees comeback in the eighth - one inning after he made a diving catch in center field.

Gleyber Torres tied it 4-all with a two-run homer off Jeff Hoffman, costing Castillo a win. Matched up in a crisp duel with fellow All-Star Nestor Cortes, the right-hander pitched seven splendid innings of two-hit ball.

“He's one of the best pitchers in the league,” Judge said. "He just didn’t leave too many mistakes for us to hit. When you have 100 (mph) and you’re painting the corners, that’s in for a tough day.”

Tyler Stephenson followed Votto's double off Lucas Luetge (2-3) with an RBI double of his own, and Donovan Solano added a run-scoring single with two outs to make it 7-4.

Matt Carpenter led off the bottom of the 10th with a two-run homer against winner Reiver Sanmartin (3-4), who got two outs in the ninth.

New York tried to finish off yet another rally but Dauri Moreta got two outs for his first major league save, retiring DJ LeMahieu on well-struck drive to center field with two on to end it.

Moreta said he got the game ball and will give it to his mother.

Votto gave the Reds a 2-1 lead in the eighth with an RBI single off reliever Jonathan Loáisiga, just activated from the injured list. Farmer added a two-run single to make it 4-1.

“Things didn't work out the way I wanted,” Loáisiga said through a translator.

Castillo struck out eight and walked four, throwing 114 pitches in an impressive trade audition for contending clubs.

“He’s nasty,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “He was tough.”

Cincinnati figures to be a seller ahead of the Aug. 2 deadline, and Castillo is a prime target for teams in need of starting pitching.

“I’ve heard the rumors about being traded to the Yankees and stuff like that," he said through a translator.

Votto said opposing hitters keep telling him how good Castillo's stuff is when they get to first base.

“He was excellent. He seems to be getting hotter, so it’s been really fun to watch,” Votto said. “It’s the best I’ve seen him.”

Anthony Rizzo doubled with one out in the sixth for New York's first hit. Judge, who had walked, went to third on the play and scored on Giancarlo Stanton's RBI groundout.

Cortes also went seven innings, allowing four hits and a walk with four strikeouts. The only run he gave up came on Brandon Drury's shallow sacrifice fly to right that caught Carpenter, an inexperienced outfielder, off guard.

Carpenter made the catch with the bases loaded but didn't look home right away, allowing Nick Senzel to score easily from third.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Reds: Senzel returned to the starting lineup in center field. He was a late scratch Wednesday with back stiffness and was caught stealing as a pinch runner in the eighth. ... INF/DH Mike Moustakas was placed on the injured list without an injury designation, an indication the move was likely related to COVID-19 protocols. Cincinnati recalled INF/OF Max Schrock from Triple-A Louisville. ... RHP Luis Cessa (left intercostalis) planned to play catch. ... RHP Vladimir Gutiérrez is scheduled for Tommy John surgery next Wednesday.

Yankees: RHP Luis Severino went on the 15-day injured list, one day after leaving his start with right shoulder tightness. Severino had an MRI that showed a low-grade strain to his right latissimus dorsi muscle. ... Loáisiga had been sidelined since May 23 with shoulder inflammation. ... OF Aaron Hicks (bruised right shin) sat out for the second consecutive game. ... RHP Domingo Germán, sidelined all season due to right shoulder impingement, is set to make another rehab start Friday for Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

UP NEXT

Reds: Rookie RHP Hunter Greene (3-10, 5.70 ERA) faces Cardinals RHP Andre Pallante (2-4, 3.18) in the opener of a three-game series Friday night at St. Louis.

Yankees: LHP Jordan Montgomery (3-2, 3.19 ERA) faces visiting Boston in the opener of a three-game series Friday night. The longtime rivals split a four-game set last weekend at Fenway Park. RHP Nathan Eovaldi (4-2, 3.16) is expected to return from injury to start for the struggling Red Sox against his former team. Eovaldi has been sidelined since June 9 with lower back inflammation.

NEW YORK (AP) — A co-defendant of the so-called Central Park Five, whose convictions in a notorious 1989 rape of a jogger were thrown out more than a decade later, had his conviction on a related charge overturned Monday.

Steven Lopez was exonerated in response to requests by both Lopez’s attorney and prosecutors.

Lopez was arrested along with five other Black and Latino teenagers in the rape and assault on Trisha Meili but reached a deal with prosecutors to plead guilty to the lesser charge of robbing a male jogger.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg told a judge Monday that a review of the case found that Lopez had pleaded guilty involuntarily “in the face of false statements” and under “immense external pressure.”

Lopez, now 48, served about three years in prison before being released in the early 1990s.

The brutal assault on Meili, a 28-year-old white investment banker who was in a coma for 12 days after the attack, was considered emblematic of New York City's lawlessness in an era when the city recorded 2,000 murders a year.

Five teenagers were convicted in the attack on Meili and served six to 13 years in prison. Their convictions were overturned in 2002 after evidence linked a convicted serial rapist and murderer, Matias Reyes, to the attack.

Prosecutors who reviewed the case had concluded the teenagers' confessions, made after hours of interrogations, were deeply flawed.

“A comparison of the statements reveals troubling discrepancies,” they wrote in court papers at the time. “The accounts given by the five defendants differed from one another on the specific details of virtually every major aspect of the crime.”

The Central Park Five, now sometimes known as the “Exonerated Five,” went on to win a $40 million settlement from the city and inspire books, movies and television shows.

Lopez has not received a settlement, and his case has been nearly forgotten in the years since he pleaded guilty to robbery in 1991 to avoid the more serious rape charge. His expected exoneration was first reported in The New York Times.

“We talk about the Central Park Five, the Exonerated Five, but there were six people on that indictment,” Bragg told the Times. “And the other five who were charged, their convictions were vacated. And it’s now time to have Mr. Lopez’s charge vacated.”

Wall Street capped a choppy day of trading with a mixed finish for stock indexes Monday, as investors brace for another sharp interest rate hike by the Federal Reserve this week as the central bank combats inflation.

The S&P 500 edged up 0.1% after fluctuating between gains and losses. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite fell 0.4%.

Smaller company stocks fared better than the broader market, sending the Russell 2000 0.6% higher.

The major indexes are coming off solid gains last week following a mix of mostly better-than-expected reports on corporate profits. Falling yields in the bond market also helped, easing the pressure on stocks after expectations for rate hikes by the Fed sent yields soaring much of this year.

On Wednesday, most economists expect the Fed to announce a three-quarter percentage point hike in its short-term rate, a second consecutive hefty increase that it hasn't otherwise implemented since 1994. It would put the Fed's benchmark rate in a range of 2.25% to 2.5%, the highest since 2018.

Wall Street will closely watch a news conference by Fed Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday to get a sense of policymakers' next steps.

"The only question is will Powell sound a little less hawkish in his press conference, which could allow the market to continue to breathe a sigh of relief," said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA.

The U.S. economy is slowing, but healthy hiring shows it isn't yet in recession, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press." She spoke ahead of a slew of economic reports due this week that will shed light on an economy currently besieged by rampant inflation.

Since the Fed last met in June, the government has reported that inflation accelerated to a 9.1% annual rate, the most since 1981.

Still, some early signs suggest that inflation may be cooling from red-hot levels. Auto club AAA said on its website as of Monday that the average price of a gallon of regular gas is $4.36 per gallon. That's down 16 cents from a week ago, and 55 cents cheaper than late June, when the average price was $4.91 per gallon. Crude oil prices have fallen nearly 10% this month alone.

Even so, elevated inflation is increasingly prompting consumers to reprioritize their spending.

Walmart's shares fell nearly 10% in after-hours trading Monday after the retail giant lowered its profit outlook for the second quarter and full year. The company blamed surging inflation on basics like food that are forcing shoppers to cut back on discretionary items, particularly clothing, that carry higher profit margins.

Outside of the Fed meeting, the week's highest-profile report will likely be Thursday, when the Commerce Department releases its first estimate of the economy's output in the April-June quarter. Some economists forecast it may show a contraction for the second quarter in a row. The economy shrank 1.6% in the January-March quarter. Two straight negative readings is informally considered a recession.

On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose 5.21 points to close at 3,966.84 Monday. The Dow gained 90.75 points to 31,990.04, and the Nasdaq fell 51.45 points to 11,782.67. The Russell 2000 added 10.89 points to 1,817.77.

Energy companies, banks and health care stocks helped lift the market Monday. Exxon Mobil rose 3.3% and Bank of America added 0.9%. UnitedHealth Group gained 1.5%.

Losses by technology and communications stocks kept indexes' gains in check. Chipmaker Nvidia fell 1.7% and Meta closed 1.6% lower.

Restaurant chains, retailers and other companies that rely on direct consumer spending also fell. Olive Garden owner Darden Restaurants dropped 2.1%, while Dollar Tree fell 2.1%.

World Wrestling Entertainment jumped 8.4% after CEO Vince McMahon retired Friday amid an investigation into alleged misconduct.

Weber slumped 12.6% after the Illinois-based grill maker announced the departure of CEO Chris Scherzinger. It also pulled its 2022 forecast and suspended its dividend.

Newmont slid 13.2% for the biggest decline in the S&P 500 after the gold miner's second-quarter earnings fell sharply from a year earlier amid higher costs and weaker gold prices.

Bond yields rose. The two-year Treasury yield, which tends to move with expectations for the Fed, rose to 3.04% from 2.97% late Friday. The 10-year yield, which influences mortgage rates, rose to 2.81% from 2.78%.

Earnings were mostly quiet, but pick up later this week when technology heavyweights like Apple, Meta, Microsoft and Amazon all report their results. Other big companies reporting this week include Coca-Cola and McDonald's, where investors may look to see the impact of inflation on these inflation-conscious, consumer-facing companies.

Stocks are lower on Wall Street in afternoon trading Tuesday after Walmart warned that inflation was negatively impacting American consumers' spending power.

The S&P 500 was down 1.3% as of 2:42 p.m. Eastern, wiping out modest gains from a day earlier. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 247 points, or 0.8%, at 31,744 and the Nasdaq Composite slid 2%.

Walmart shares dropped 8.3% after the retail giant cut its profit outlook for the second quarter and the full year, saying rising prices for food and gas are forcing shoppers to cut back on more profitable discretionary items, particularly clothing.

Walmart's profit warning in the middle of the quarter is rare, and raised worries about how the highest inflation in 40 years is affecting the entire retail sector. Stocks of other major chains fell following Walmart's announcement, made after Wall Street's closing bell on Tuesday. Target dropped 4.2%, Macy's slid 6.5% and Kohl's fell 8%.

Investors have remained deeply concerned about inflation's impact on company profits and how it will affect U.S. consumers. While Americans' finances are relatively strong thanks to savings built up during the pandemic, those nest eggs are being spent on high gas and food prices.

The major indexes are coming off solid gains last week fueled by mostly better-than-expected reports on corporate profits. Falling yields in the bond market also helped, easing the pressure on stocks after expectations for rate hikes by the Federal Reserve propelled yields higher much of this year.

The central bank is expected to announce a rate hike of up to three-quarters of a percentage point on Wednesday, triple the usual amount. The central bank is waging an aggressive campaign to stem four-decade high inflation. The expected hike would put the Fed's benchmark rate in a range of 2.25% to 2.5%, the highest since 2018.

Bond yields were mixed Tuesday. The two-year Treasury yield, which tends to move with expectations for the Fed, rose to 3.04% from 3.02% late Monday. The 10-year yield, which influences mortgage rates, fell to 2.79% from 2.82%.

Technology stocks, retailers and communication companies were among the biggest drags on the benchmark S&P 500 index. Microsoft was down 3.5%, Amazon slid 5.3% and Facebook owner Meta Platforms dropped 4.5%.

The losses easily outweighed gains by health care and utilities stocks. Small company stocks also fell, sending the Russell 2000 0.6% lower.

Investors were eying the latest batch of corporate earnings reports.

Shares of automaker General Motors fell 3.1% after the company said its second-quarter profit fell 40% from a year ago, as computer chip and parts shortages hobbled factory output and drove the company's U.S. sales down more than 15%.

The Detroit automaker earned $1.67 billion from April through June, well below the $2.79 billion it made a year earlier. GM couldn't deliver 95,000 vehicles during the quarter because it lacked parts.

Shopify slumped 15.3% after the Canadian e-commerce company said it is cutting 10% of its staff, or about 1,000 employees, as it reckons with an unexpected sales downturn after pandemic-fueled growth.

Tech heavyweights Alphabet and Microsoft report their results after the closing bell, while Meta, Apple and Amazon report later in the week.

A collision between a double-decker bus and a city bus in Manhattan on Thursday left dozens injured and at least 18 people requiring hospitalization for non-life-threatening injuries, according to the New York City Fire Department.

First responders received notice of the crash on the borough’s east side shortly after 7 p.m. Thursday, said FDNY Deputy Chief Kevin Murphy.

“The first two units arrived to find two buses involved in what appeared to be a serious accident, complicated by the fact that one of them was a double-decker bus,” Murphy said at a news conference at the scene.

Ropes and ladders were used to assist passengers with getting off the buses, officials said.

“Any time you have two buses involved you have a significant number of patients that likely need to be treated,” Murphy said. “So seeing that quantity of people right away, I think the units did a very good job getting them off the bus quickly and taken to the appropriate resources.”

Eighteen patients were transported to area hospitals but none have life-threatening injuries, the fire department said.

“Many injuries are just cuts, bruises, scrapes, some suspected fractures. Some head and neck injuries as well,” said EMS Deputy Chief Paul Hopper. “We’re all quite fortunate it was not much worse.”

Another 63 people were needing assessment from a fire department doctor, Hopper said, adding, “We expect that they will refuse medical attention and be seen by our doctor who is on the scene and on the bus evaluating patients.”

It is not yet clear what caused the crash, fire officials say.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said there was a crash at 7:17 p.m. on bus route X27 and referred CNN to the fire department for further details. Police referred CNN to the fire department when asked for comment.

The McDonald's employee who was shot at a Brooklyn, New York, restaurant on Monday has reportedly died.

According to WNBC, the alleged shooter and the 23-year-old employee got into an altercation stemming from cold french fries.

Police said they arrested a 20-year-old for the shooting. He is charged with attempted murder and criminal possession. Those charges could be upgraded now that the victim is dead.

An 18-year-old was also arrested in the case. PIX 11 reports that she handed the shooter the weapon and then ran off with it after the shooting.

It's primary election day in New York, Florida and Oklahoma.

Though New York held many of its primaries in June, the Empire State's prolonged redistricting process not only pushed its congressional primaries to August, it also created several notable Democratic races.

New York is also holding two special elections to fill vacant house seats.

There is a full slate of primaries in Florida, including a key Democratic gubernatorial primary to see who will take on Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in the fall, a Democratic Senate primary to see who will take on Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, as well as a number of competitive House races.

And there are primary runoffs in Oklahoma including the GOP contest for the special Senate election to replace Sen. Jim Inhofe when he resigns next year.

Here's a look at the results as they come in:

11 p.m. ET

Josh Riley won the Democratic nomination for U.S. House in New York's 19th Congressional District, while Andrew Garbarino won the Republican nomination for U.S. House in the state's 2nd Congressional District.

10:40 p.m. ET

Tina Forte won the Republican nomination for U.S. House in New York's 14th Congressional District, while Nicholas LaLota won the Republican nomination for U.S. House in the state's 1st Congressional District.