In the week ending July 4, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance was 297,000, an increase of 15,000 from the previous week’s revised level, the Labor Department reported. The four-week moving average was 279,500, an increase of 4,500 from the previous week’s revised average.

The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is 4.04%, down from 4.08% one week ago, according to Freddie Mac. The average interest rate for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage is 3.20%, down from 3.24%.

Yesterday, the Dow was up 33.20 points (0.19%) at 17,548.62, the NASDAQ increased 12.64 points (0.26%) to 4,922.40, and the S&P 5000 ticked up 4.63 points (0.23%) to 2,051.31. The Russell 2000 gained 5.19 points (0.42%) to finish at 1,234.15, and the Wilshire 5000 closed 57.71 points (0.27%) higher at 21,686.66.

On the NYSE, 3.2 billion shares traded, with 1.4 advancing issues for every declining issue. On the NASDAQ, 2.8 billion shares changed hands, with a 1.7 to 1 ratio of advancers to decliners.

The price of the 10-year Treasury note decreased 1 2/32, bringing its yield up to 2.319%. The price of the 30-year Treasury bond fell 2 22/32, increasing its yield to 3.116%.

ON THIS DATE: In 1850, Vice President Millard Fillmore was sworn in as the 13th president of the United States. President Zachary Taylor had died the day before. In 1890, Wyoming became the 44th state to join the United States. In 1900, ‘His Master’s Voice’, was registered with the U.S. Patent Office. The logo of the Victor Recording Company, and later, RCA Victor, shows the dog, Nipper, looking into the horn of a gramophone machine. In 1913, the highest temperature ever recorded in the U.S. was 134 degrees in Death Valley, California. In 1925, in Dayton, Tennessee, the so-called “Monkey Trial” began with John Thomas Scopes, a young high school science teacher, accused of teaching evolution in violation of a Tennessee state law. In 1941, Jelly Roll Morton—a native of New Orleans who became the first great jazz pianist, composer, arranger and bandleader—died in Los Angeles, California. In 1962, the United States Patent Office issued the Swedish engineer Nils Bohlin a patent for his three-point automobile safety belt “for use in vehicles, especially road vehicles.” In 1985, Coca-Cola resumed selling the old formula of Coke, it was renamed “Coca-Cola Classic.” It was also announced that they would continue to sell “New” Coke. In 1989, Mel Blanc, the “man of a thousand voices,” died at age 81. He was known for such cartoon characters as Daffy Duck, Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig. In 1997, scientists in London said DNA from a Neanderthal skeleton supported a theory that all humanity descended from an “African Eve” 100,000 to 200,000 years ago. In 1999, the U.S. women’s soccer team defeated China to win their second Women’s World Cup.                                                    

And now it’s time for FRIDAY FILES!  

In Alliance, Ohio, a 44-year-old woman faces a charge of misuse of 911. She called to say her Chinese food “was not up to par for her liking,” according to Cleveland, Ohio’s local FOX News station. Police responded and arrested her.

In Roseland, Illinois, a man was playing be.er pong at a 4th of July party and pulled out a 9mm semi.auto.matic gu.n in an effort to distract his opponent, according to DNAinfo. The man waved the gun in his opponent’s face to distract him during his turn, and the opponent pushed the man away. That’s when the gun went off, striking the opponent in his finger and another man, who was sitting nearby texting, in his shoulder. The victims drove themselves to the hospital, and the man was arrested at his home the next day.

In Exeter, England, the Exeter Express & Echo received a letter from two disgruntled prisoners at the Exeter Prison. Their complaint: The Sudoku puzzled published in the May 21 edition is “impossible” to complete. The two claim that 84 other prisoners agree with them. Their frustration is exacerbated by the fact they cannot get the solution to the puzzle as they are only allowed to have Thursday’s edition each week.

In Berlin, Germany, a 34-year-old man threw a bike through a restaurant window, entered and drank half a bottle of Tabasco. Police were alerted and found the man still in the restaurant. According to the Associated Press, he told police he broke in because he was thirsty. Yes, he was into.xicated.

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