U.S. Factory Orders Pull Back More Than Expected In April

A report released by the Commerce Department on Friday showed new orders for U.S. manufactured goods pulled back by more than expected in the month of April.

The Commerce Department said factory orders slid by 0.6 percent in April after surging by an upwardly revised 1.4 percent in March.

Economists had expected factory orders to edge down by 0.2 percent compared to the 1.1 percent jump originally reported for the previous month.

The bigger than expected decrease in factory orders came as orders for durable goods tumbled by 1.3 percent amid a 6.6 percent slump in orders for transportation equipment.

Meanwhile, the report showed new orders for non-durable goods inched up by 0.1 percent in April after jumping by 1.6 percent in March.

The Commerce Department also said shipments of manufactured goods rose by 0.4 percent in April after spiking by 2.1 percent in March.

Inventories of manufactured goods also increased by 0.3 percent in April after climbing by 0.8 percent in the previous month.

With inventories and shipments both rising, the inventories-to-shipments ratio was unchanged from the previous month at 1.48.

Jeff Bezos and his brother are going to space on Blue Origin’s first human flight July 20

Jeff Bezos’ first move after formally stepping down as CEO of Amazon? A trip to space.

The founder of the retailing giant confirmed Monday he and his brother, Mark, will board the first human flight of New Shepard, a suborbital rocket system developed by his aerospace company Blue Origin.

“Ever since I was five years old, I’ve dreamed of traveling to space,” said Bezos in a video post on his personal Instagram account. “On July 20th, I will take that journey with my brother.”

Jeff and Mark Bezos will join the winner of an auction of a seat aboard the New Shepard to participate in the flight. The current top bid is $2.8 million.

Last month, Amazon announced Bezos will leave his role as CEO and become executive chair on July 5. At that time, Andy Jassy will assume the CEO position. 

This story is developing.

iOS 15: A history of the system that powers your Apple smartphone

Life-changing tech hacks: Teach Siri to say your name right, blur out your house on Google Maps and more

Follow Brett Molina on Twitter: @brettmolina23.

Denver fatal crash: 1 dead after 3-car wreck on I-25

One person died after a three-vehicle crash on Interstate 25 early Monday morning, according to Denver police.

The crash occurred on I-25 at 20th Street, northwest of Coors Field near downtown Denver.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known. Denver police said it was investigating and “it’s going to be a while.”

Northbound I-25 was closed for nearly four hours as investigators worked the scene.

It was one of two fatal overnight crashes on I-25 along the Front Range.

Apple boosts its US investment

(CNN)Apple (AAPL) is about to reveal its latest set of changes to the software used everyday by millions of people — and possibly some new gadgets, too.

Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference, a multi-day event that is typically heavy on software news, is set to kick off with a keynote at 1 p.m. ET on Monday.
The company is rumored to be planning a range of announcements, including revamped MacBooks, updated iMessage features and an overhaul of the iPad operating system.

Beyond new gadgets and the introduction of iOS 15, WWDC will also be an opportunity for Apple to address its developer community in the midst of two major recent spats with app makers — a contentious legal battle with Fortnite-maker Epic Games over Apple’s App Store fees and a feud with Facebook (FB) over Apple’s new app-tracking privacy policy.

This year, for the second time, Apple’s WWDC will be held online. Apple will stream the keynote on YouTube.

The Supreme Court said it won't hear a case challenging why only men have to register for the draft in the US

• The Supreme Court on Monday said it wouldn’t hear a case challenging male-only selective service.
• Justice Sonia Sotomayor announced the denial on behalf of herself and Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Stephen Breyer.
• Sotomayor said the court would defer to Congress.
• See more stories on Insider’s business page.

The Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up a case that would’ve debated the merits of male-only selective service in the US military.

In writing for the court on behalf of herself, Justice Brett Kavanaugh, and Justice Stephen Breyer, Justice Sonia Sotomayor acknowledged the “role of women in the military has changed dramatically” since The Military Selective Service Act, which created the draft, was passed in 1948. 

“But at least for now, the Court’s longstanding deference to Congress on matters of national defense and military affairs cautions against granting review while Congress actively weighs the issue,” Sotomayor wrote.

Jeff Bezos To Fly Into Space With Brother In July

Amazon’s founder Jeff Bezos and his brother Mark Bezos will be flying into space on July 20, about two weeks after Jeff is set to resign as Amazon CEO. Jeff will become one of the first civilians to travel to space.

The brothers will be flying on the first human flight of the New Shepard spacecraft, which is made by Jeff’s aerospace company Blue Origin.

“Ever since I was five years old, I’ve dreamed of traveling to space. On July 20th, I will take that journey with my brother,” Jeff Bezos posted on Instagram on Monday.

The brothers will join the winner of an ongoing auction of a seat aboard the spacecraft to participate in the flight. The auction will end on June 12. About 6,000 people from 143 countries have already put forward bids. The auction currently has a highest bid of $2.8 million.

According to reports, the rocket will blast off from the Earth, and once it reaches the Karman line, 100 kilometers above sea level, the capsule will detach from the booster, allowing those inside to view the curvature of the earth and experience weightlessness. The trip will last a total of 10 minutes. The booster and capsule will then land separately, with capsule landing on the earth surface with the help of parachutes.