***DUPLICATION ALERTS:
Sports: Penn State brief. Check your lineup.
Egypt brief also moved as a separate.
Gay marriage brief also moved as a separate.***
MIAMI
Guantanamo prisoners resume eating
Most prisoners on the hunger strike at Guantanamo Bay have resumed eating, the U.S. military said Friday, suggesting a possible end, or at least a pause, to a protest that brought renewed attention to their indefinite detention at the base in Cuba. The military tally of prisoners on the hunger strike was still at 102, but 99 of them had eaten a meal within the past 24 hours, said Army Lt. Col. Sam House, a detention center spokesman.
SYRIA
Gunmen kill rebel commander
Al-Qaida-linked gunmen killed a rebel commander in Syria aligned with the Western-backed militias fighting against Bashar Assad’s regime, the highest-profile casualty of growing tensions between moderate and jihadi fighters among rebel forces. Observers worried Friday that the commander’s death will increase distrust and suspicion between forces already at odds over territory and leadership as the nearly three-year civil war continues in Syria.
PENNSYLVANIA
Abuse payouts could begin soon
Penn State could soon be paying out millions of dollars to victims of former assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky after disclosing Friday it had tentative agreements with some of the young men who say he sexually abused them. The school does not plan to comment on specifics until the deals are made final, which could happen in the coming weeks. University president Rodney Erickson called getting approval for settlement offers “another important step toward the resolution of claims from Sandusky’s victims.” Sandusky, 69, was convicted a year ago of 45 counts of child sexual abuse.
EGYPT
Backers rally for ousted leader
Tens of thousands of Islamists rallied Friday in cities across Egypt, vowing to sustain for months their campaign to restore deposed President Mohammed Morsi to power. Ten days after the military coup that toppled him, however, Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood and its allies appear to have failed to bring a significantly wider segment of Egyptian society into the streets on their side.
CALIFORNIA
Gay marriage foes back in court
Opponents of same-sex marriage demanded Friday that the California Supreme Court immediately halt the practice that recently resumed in the nation’s largest state after a nine-year legal battle. The group that sponsored voter-approved Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriages in 2008, launched a new legal attack in what one expert described as a last-ditch argument with little chance of succeeding. In its petition, ProtectMarriage argued that state officials who began issuing marriage licenses to gay couples had incorrectly interpreted a June 24 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
NEW YORK
Officials eye bug bombs in blast
Bug bombs set off at once inside a Chinatown beauty salon may have caused an explosion and fire that injured a dozen people, fire officials said Friday. Three people remained hospitalized in serious condition Friday. Nine others suffered burns and smoke inhalation in the Thursday blaze. Fire investigators received reports that 24 pesticide cans, which release gas to kill bugs, were deployed in the beauty salon. The poisonous flammable fumes ignited, possibly from a pilot light or a spark from an electrical appliance. Fire officials believe the blast was accidental.
MEXICO
Volcanic ash closes airport
An airport serving Mexico’s fourth-largest city suspended operations Friday due to volcanic ash from the Popocatepetl volcano. The international airport in Puebla was temporarily closed as a precautionary measure. The closure affected six domestic and international flights to Houston and Dallas. The airport is east of Mexico City and about 20 miles from the 17,886-foot volcano.
MICHIGAN
Cancer claim leads to trial
A Michigan woman who gained deep sympathy and financial help in her community by claiming to have cancer was ordered to stand trial Friday on fraud and five other charges. After hearing 10 witnesses over two days, a Sanilac County judge said prosecutors revealed enough evidence against Sara Ylen, 38, who even received hospice care worth $100,000 over a two-year period.
UTAH
Bear’s death being investigated
A Boy Scout camp director in Utah shot and killed a black bear that wandered too close to campers after someone left a bag of a candy bars on top of a picnic table. The shooting is under investigation by wildlife officials, who visited the camp earlier on the day of the shooting to warn Scouts about bear safety, including the need to leave a clean camp and to properly store all food and trash.
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