Good Morning! Today’s edition is 821 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Trump pauses Iran strikes

• Lincoln reflecting pool charges dropped

• Risks and benefits of “bedrotting”

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Big Stories

U.S. Pauses Iran Strikes as Talks Resume

• President Donald Trump said the U.S. has agreed to pause planned military strikes against Iran after Tehran requested negotiations over what he described as the "parameters of a deal." Trump said the proposed agreement would include reopening the Strait of Hormuz and addressing Iran's nuclear program.

• The announcement is the strongest sign of potential de-escalation since fighting between the U.S., Israel and Iran intensified. Trump said Israel also supports the pause, though Iran publicly characterized the U.S. statements as psychological warfare and did not confirm any agreement had been reached.

• While the pause could restart diplomacy, previous ceasefire efforts and negotiations have repeatedly broken down, leaving the durability of any new agreement uncertain.

Let Them Play Ball!

• The Women's Professional Baseball League opened its inaugural season Saturday, marking the return of a U.S. professional women's baseball league for the first time in nearly 30 years. More than 4,000 fans attended the rainy opener, where the Los Angeles Queens defeated the New York Heights 10-8.

• The league begins with four teams representing Boston, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, though every game this season will be played at Robin Roberts Stadium in Springfield, Illinois. Each club has a 15-game regular season before the September playoffs. ESPN will stream every game, while Scripps Sports Network will televise a selection of matchups.

• The launch builds on a legacy that stretches back to the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, which operated from 1943 to 1954 and inspired the film A League of Their Own. Former AAGPBL player Maybelle Blair, 99, threw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Water Utilities Cyberattacks

• The FBI and Environmental Protection Agency warned water utilities nationwide after cyberattacks at municipal water systems were reported in at least seven states last week.

• The largest known incident targeted more than 30 municipal water systems in Minnesota by remotely accessing equipment used to manage water operations. Officials said there is no evidence drinking water was contaminated, but some utilities temporarily lost monitoring and control capabilities.

• U.S. officials have increasingly warned that foreign hackers, including Iran-linked groups, are targeting critical infrastructure, though authorities have not publicly attributed this week's attacks to any specific actor.

Quick Stories

US News

• Authorities released two ransom notes in the kidnapping of Savannah Guthrie's mother, hoping the messages generate new leads. (More)

• Federal prosecutors dropped charges against former Olympic canoeist David Hearn after new evidence pointed to faulty construction at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, not vandalism. (More)

• Wildfires near Spokane, Washington, destroyed more than 600 structures and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate as crews battled uncontained blazes. (More)

World

• A strike by WestJet flight attendants canceled hundreds of flights and disrupted travel for about 250,000 passengers over Canada's holiday weekend. (More)

• A woman detonated a bomb outside a Moscow restaurant, killing three people and injuring at least 21 in what Russian officials called a terrorist attack. (More)

• Rescuers recovered the remains of renowned climber Nirmal Purja and three others after a deadly avalanche on Pakistan's Broad Peak. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed higher on Friday (S&P +0.70%, Nasdaq +1.00%, Dow +0.53%) as Amazon and Microsoft helped indexes rally. (More)

• OPEC+ approved another oil production increase for September, completing the rollback of its voluntary output cuts. (More)

• Trump Media launched a subscription service offering Wall Street firms faster access to President Trump's Truth Social posts for up to $100,000 a month. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Shiho Kuwaki won the Women's British Open for her first major title after defeating Esther Henseleit in a sudden-death playoff. (More)

• "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" opened to an estimated $355 million domestically, posting the second-biggest opening weekend in box office history. (More)

• The Dodgers acquired two-time reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal from the Tigers in the biggest move before baseball's trade deadline. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Researchers found personality traits continue evolving throughout life, often changing as much as health, income, and life satisfaction. (More)

• Ultrathin layers of a common metal oxide become magnetic when stretched, opening new possibilities for low-power electronics. (More)

• August will bring a rare total solar eclipse, the Perseid meteor shower and a partial lunar eclipse in one of the year's biggest months for skywatchers. (More)

Extra Credit

Why saffron costs over $600 per ounce.

The health risks and benefits of “bedrotting.”

Could you survive eating George Washington’s diet?

Toilets can be works of art too.