Power at the gas pump: Oregon lets drivers fuel their own cars, lifting decades

SALEM, Ore. (AP) — For the first time in 72 years, Oregon motorists can grab a fuel nozzle and pump gas into their cars without an attendant, since a decades-old ban on self-serve gas stations has been revoked.

Gov. Tina Kotek signed a bill on Friday allowing people across the state to choose between having an attendant pump gas or doing it themselves. The law takes immediate effect.

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Torrential rains have triggered a landslide at a base camp of a revered Hindu temple in the north Indian state of Uttarakhand, killing three people. Officials said Saturday that at least 17 others were reported missing in the village of Gaurikund in Uttarakhand state. The landslides were reported on Thursday night when a portion of a hill caved in because of torrential rain. Giant boulders fell on roadside shops and eateries that got swept away in the fast-flowing Mandakini River. Rescue efforts resumed on Saturday after they were called off late Friday due to the onslaught of rain in the area.

Friday

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AMERICAN LEAGUE

THROUGH AUGUST 4

A judge in Colombia has ordered President Gustavo Petro’s son freed from detention while he is investigated on allegations of illicit enrichment and money laundering. The Attorney General’s Office presented evidence that it said shows Nicolás Petro received money illicitly. But the judge said prosecutors did not substantiate the need to keep the president’s son in detention or under house arrest. He was ordered released under the condition that he not leave Colombia or participate in political activities. Nicolás Petro was arrested early Saturday, and this week charged with the two crimes. He has agreed to cooperate in the probe, and prosecutors say he acknowledged Thursday that his father’s 2022 election campaign received money of dubious origin.

A beloved bookstore in Vermont’s small capital city moved across the street to a new spot farther from the Winooski River after an ice jam sent river water into the store in 1992. But the move to higher ground wasn't enough to save it from the latest flooding from torrential rains in July seen by some as the state’s worst natural disaster since a 1927 flood that killed dozens of people and caused widespread destruction. Now the mostly gutted shops and restaurants in downtown Montpelier are considering where and how to rebuild in an era when extreme weather is occurring more often. Vermont’s flooding was just one of several major flood events around the globe this summer that scientists have said are becoming more likely due to climate change.

MLB

All Times EDT

No big winner, again: Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $1.55 billion.

LOS ANGELES — Los Angeles’ hot labor summer will get a little more heated Tuesday morning, when thousands of Los Angeles city workers plan to walk off the job for a 24-hour strike. Tuesday’s action would be the first major city worker strike in at least 15 years.

A judge has ruled Texas' abortion ban is too restrictive for women with pregnancy complications

State legislatures across the country are rushing to get a handle on fast-evolving artificial intelligence. Many are focusing first on their own state governments before imposing restrictions on the private sector. Legislators are seeking ways to protect constituents from discrimination and other harms while not hindering cutting-edge advancements in medicine, science, business, education and more. Connecticut plans to inventory all of its government systems using AI and regularly check to see if they're discriminatory. Legislatures in Texas, North Dakota, West Virginia and Puerto Rico have created advisory bodies to study and monitor AI systems their agencies are using.

Nolan Jones had four hits and three RBIs, and the Colorado Rockies beat the St. Louis Cardinals 9-4 in a matchup of last-place clubs. Elias Díaz had two hits and drove in two runs as Colorado won for just the third time in nine games. The Rockies finished with 15 hits. Nolan Gorman hit two solo homers for St. Louis, which has dropped six of eight. Gorman, who has 24 homers on the season, missed Thursday night’s 5-3 to Minnesota with a sore foot. Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright (3-6) was tagged for seven runs and nine hits in three innings. He remains stuck on 198 career wins in his final season.

A funeral home in El Salvador offers pink coffins with Barbie linings

The Justice Department is facing the biggest test in its history in the prosecution of former President Donald Trump. It is navigating unprecedented conditions in American democracy while trying to fight back against relentless attacks on its own credibility and that of the U.S. election system. The success or failure of the case has the potential to shape the credibility of the Justice Department. Try as Attorney General Merrick Garland might, there is no escaping the politics of the moment when the Justice Department of a president who is running for reelection is indicting his chief political rival, the frontrunner for the Republican nomination.

Only a single municipality, the Village of Pingree Grove in Illinois, has signed a contract so far with the U.S. Census Bureau to have the agency conduct a repeat head count following the 2020 census. But many more are conducting or exploring do-it-yourself special censuses without the imprimatur of the federal statistical agency. They include several municipalities in Tennessee, including Lebanon, La Vergne and Cumberland Gap. The goal is to get more state funding that reflects a growing populations in many cases. Some experts warn, though, that while locally-conducted censuses can be useful, they come with some concerns about data privacy and the methodologies used.

Michael A. Taylor homered to lead off the seventh inning, the third solo shot of the game for the Minnesota Twins in a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks. Jorge Polanco and Max Kepler went deep against Diamondbacks starter Merrill Kelly. Kelly otherwise cruised through six innings with nine strikeouts. Taylor greeted Scott McGough with an opposite-field drive that put the Twins in front. Jhoan Duran recorded his 20th save in 24 tries for his latest shaky finish for the Twins. Lourdes Gurriel homered in the second inning for the Diamondbacks.

A judge has ruled Texas' abortion ban is too restrictive for women with pregnancy complications

On the battlefields of Ukraine, the fog of war plagues soldiers. A related issue afflicts those who are far from the fighting but avid to learn developments in the vast war. Disinformation, misinformation and absent information all cloud civilians’ understanding. Officials from each side denounce devious plots being prepared by the enemy, which never materialize. They claim victories that can’t be confirmed and stay quiet about defeats. None of this is unique to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. But Europe’s largest land war in decades is taking place in a superheated information space. Modern communications technology tends to multiply the confusion because deceptions and falsehoods reach audiences instantly.

This week's charges against former President Donald Trump for trying to remain in power despite losing the 2020 election have highlighted a new worry about American democracy — increasing calls by Trump and his allies for more control of federal prosecutions. Several legal experts are calling it perhaps the most troubling threat to the country’s democratic institutions should Trump, or another Republican, win the White House next year. Trump and other conservatives have argued that such a takeover is overdue, especially because they see the prosecutions against him as the 2024 presidential campaign is heating up as nakedly political.

MLB

The Rockies have had a nasty case of the Redbird flu, seemingly forever. They snapped out of it in a big way Friday night.

Climate protesters have briefly interrupted a match at the DC Open tennis tournament between three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray and top-seeded Taylor Fritz. Action was delayed in the first set when three jumbo tennis balls were tossed onto the court in the event’s main stadium. In the stands, some people chanted and displayed signs protesting the use of fossil fuels. A spokesperson for the tournament said there was no damage done to the court. At Wimbledon last month, three environmental activists were arrested after jumping out of the stands to disrupt matches by scattering orange confetti and puzzle pieces on the court.

BASEBALL

MILWAUKEE — The look of the lineup didn’t exactly resemble Murderers’ Row. It actually might’ve been more reminiscent of Desolation Row, with seven players having spent time in the minor leagues this season, four who had other employers on opening day and just three with more than 100 games …

Friday

Republican anger over the U.S. Justice Department’s indictment of former President Donald Trump was on stark display at a special election debate on Friday in suburban Salt Lake City. Two of the three Republicans vying to succeed resigning U.S. Rep. Chris Stewart agreed with audience members outraged by legal efforts against the Trump stemming from his efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. Though Utah is one of the few states in which a campaign is underway in 2023, such questions could prove to be a harbinger for candidates running up and down the Republican ticket next year.

MINNEAPOLIS — Three Twins hit a solo home run in Friday's 3-2 comeback victory over Arizona at Target Field.

THROUGH AUGUST 3

AMERICAN LEAGUE

THROUGH AUGUST 3

NATIONAL LEAGUE

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