In the week ending May 23, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for unemployment insurance was 282,000, an increase of 7,000 from the previous week’s revised level, the Labor Department reported. The four-week moving average was 271,500, an increase of 5,000 from the previous week’s revised average.

The average interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage is 3.87%, up from 3.84% one week ago, according to Freddie Mac. The average interest rate for a 15-year fixed-rate mortgage is 3.11%, up from 3.05%.

U.S. stocks fell slightly Thursday, following a sell-off in the Chinese market and continued worries about the approaching debt payment deadline for Greece, according to the Associated Press. The Dow lost 36.87 points (0.20%) to finish at 18,126.12, the NASDAQ closed 8.62 points (0.17%) lower at 5,097.98, and the S&P 500 slipped 2.69 points (0.13%) to 2,120.79. The Russell 2000 decreased 1.26 points (0.10%) to 1,253.10, and the Wilshire 5000 was down 31.65 points (0.14%) at 22,391.29.

On the NYSE, 3.2 billion shares traded, with 1.4 declining issues for every advancing issue. On the NASDAQ, 2.8 billion shares changed hands, with a 1.2 to 1 ratio of decliners to advancers.

The price of the 10-year Treasury note slipped 3/32, increasing its yield to 2.140%. The price of the 30-year Treasury bond decreased 14/32, bringing its yield up to 2.890%.

ON THIS DATE: In 1790, Rhode Island became the last of the original thirteen colonies to ratify the U.S. Constitution. In 1848, following approval of statehood by the territory’s citizens, Wisconsin entered the Union as the 30th state. In 1916, the official flag of the president of the United States was adopted. In 1917, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born into a politically and socially prominent family in Brookline, Massachusetts. In 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal, became the first explorers to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

And now it’s time for FRIDAY FILES!

In Berlin, Germany, a thief broke into the new interior ministry headquarters days before staff moved in—and stole the toilet seats. In addition, the thief stole the faucets and toilet paper holders. “Many of the toilets are unusable. The atmosphere is rather strained,” said an employee who chose to remain anonymous, according the UK’s The Telegraph.

In Aspen, Colorado, a man accused of violating a restraining order came into court and placed a stuffed owl on the table in front of him. According to UPI, the man told the judge: “He’s a very sensitive guy, has law degrees from Yale, Harvard and Stanford. I think he’ll be able to represent me before a public defender comes online.”

In Seattle, Washington, a couple checked online and discovered they had a lottery ticket worth $1 million. Their luck could have turned sour when a thief broke into their car, where the lottery ticket was laying in plain view. However, the thief stole only a pair of sunglasses sitting on top of the ticket and left the ticket in the car.

In Knoxville, Tennessee, a Delta flight from Philadelphia to Atlanta was diverted to Knoxville about 2 p.m. Tuesday due to weather in Georgia. Soon Twitter was abuzz with reports that the captain and crew had ordered pizza for the whole plane, according to the Associated Press. Delta spokesman Morgan Durrant said the pizza party was part of a new airline policy. “It’s part of an effort company-wide when weather disrupts our operation to get food and beverages to delayed customers,” Durrant told CNN.

In Chongqing, China, the goalkeeper for the Chongqing Lifan soccer team was sipping on his water bottle next to the goal during a game when a midfielder for the Lianoning Whowin team kicked the ball into the untended goal. UPI reports that the goalkeeper, who apologized to the team in private, was fined $8,064 for missing the goal, which cost Chongqing their lead and led to the game finishing in a tie.

In Quincy, Illinois, a couple, married for 59 years and having 12 children, welcomed their 100th grandchild recently. They have 53 grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren, and the birth of a great-great-grandson on April 8 brought the total to 100.

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