AP-Newswatch

A hostage in Gaza is rescued by Israel after 326 days of captivity

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli forces rescued a hostage found alone underground in Gaza, freeing a living captive from Hamas’ vast tunnel network for the first time since the Oct. 7 attack that ignited the war. The 52-year-old Israeli man was taken Tuesday to a hospital in Israel, where members of his large Bedouin Arab family gathered around his bedside in a joyful reunion. The rescue brought a rare moment of joy to Israelis after 10 months of war but also served as a painful reminder that dozens of hostages are still in captivity as international mediators try to broker a cease-fire in which they would be released.

A judge pauses key Biden immigration program. Immigrant families struggle to figure out what to do.

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — Immigration attorneys say families are in limbo after a federal judge in Texas paused a Biden administration program that would provide immigrant spouses of U.S. citizens a pathway to citizenship. The order Monday night by a federal judge in Texas followed a challenge by 16 states and is led by Republican attorneys general. The program could benefit an estimated 500,000 immigrants in the country, plus about 50,000 of their children. The pause on the program will be in place for 14 days but could be extended. The Department of Homeland Security says the government will continue to take applications as it defends the program in court.

Iran’s supreme leader opens door to negotiations with United States over Tehran’s nuclear program

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s supreme leader has opened the door to renewed negotiations with the United States over his country’s rapidly advancing nuclear program. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei told its civilian government on Tuesday that there was “no harm” in engaging with its “enemy.” Khamenei’s remarks set clear red lines for any talks taking place under the government of reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian. Khamenei renewed his warnings that Washington wasn’t to be trusted. But his comments mirror those around the time of Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with world powers. The agreement saw Tehran’s nuclear program greatly curtailed in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions. Then President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the deal in 2018.

From cold towels to early dismissal, people are finding ways to cope with a 2nd day of heat wave

CHICAGO (AP) — As a heat wave stretched into a second day this week, residents in more than half a dozen states are looking for ways to beat the heat amid hot soupy temperatures approaching triple digits. The National Weather Service has issued excessive heat warnings and advisories Tuesday in large patches of Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Cities in multiple states opened cooling centers in response, including Chicago where temperatures were expected to close in on 100 degrees. Some schools dismissed students early. But relief was expected soon, with cooler temperatures expected starting Wednesday.

Utah mother and children’s book author Kouri Richins to stand trial in husband’s death, judge rules

PARK CITY, Utah (AP) — A Utah mother of three who published a children’s book about grief after her husband’s death and was later accused of fatally poisoning him will stand trial. Utah state Judge Richard Mrazik ruled on the second day of Kouri Richins’ preliminary hearing that prosecutors had presented enough evidence against her to proceed with a jury trial. Richins faces a slew of felony charges for allegedly killing her husband, Eric Richins, with a lethal dose of fentanyl in March 2022 at their home in a small mountain town near Park City. She has been adamant in maintaining she is innocent.

New Hampshire resident dies after testing positive for mosquito-borne encephalitis virus

New Hampshire health authorities are reporting the death of a person who tested positive for the mosquito-borne eastern equine encephalitis virus. The Hampstead resident’s infection was the first in the state in a decade. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services says the person had severe central nervous system symptoms. There is no vaccine or antiviral treatment available. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about a third of people who develop encephalitis from the virus die, and survivors can suffer lifelong mental and physical disabilities. There are typically about 11 human cases of eastern equine encephalitis in the U.S. per year.

Leonard Riggio, who forged a bookselling empire at Barnes & Noble, dead at 83

NEW YORK (AP) — Leonard Riggio, a brash, self-styled underdog who transformed the publishing industry by building Barnes & Noble into the country’s most powerful bookseller but later saw his company overtaken by the rise of Amazon.com, has died at age 83. Riggio’s reign at Barnes & Noble began in 1971 when he used a $1.2 million loan to purchase the company’s name and its flagship store on lower Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. He acquired hundreds of new stores and launched what became a nationwide empire of “superstores” that combined a chain’s discount prices and massive capacity with the cozy appeal of couches and cafes.

NFL teams already have started trimming rosters ahead of deadline to reach 53 players

NFL teams already have started trimming their rosters ahead of Tuesday’s deadline. Teams must pare down to 53 players from 90 by 4 p.m. Eastern. Each team is also allowed to add up to 17 more players on its practice squad, including a spot allocated for the International Player Pathway Program. Several notable players already have been released, including wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. He was cut by the New England Patriots on Aug. 9 and re-signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. The Miami Dolphins cut third-string quarterback Mike White, who started seven games for the New York Jets in 2021-22.