Grievances linger as Cuba, U.S. symbolically mark start of new era in post-Cold War relations

WASHINGTON - The Cuban national flag fluttered in the Washington sun Monday as the U.S. and Cuba formally ended more than a half-century of estrangement, formally re-establishing relations severed at the height of the Cold War. But the symbolism of an embassy ceremony could not conceal deep, lingering conflicts between the nations.

In the sweltering July heat and humidity of America's capital, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez presided over the flag-raising ceremony just hours after an agreement to restore diplomatic ties broken in 1961 took effect at the stroke of midnight. He later met with Secretary of State John Kerry, becoming the first Cuban foreign minister to set foot in the State Department since 1958.

Kerry announced that he would make a reciprocal visit to Cuba to dedicate the U.S. Embassy in Havana on Aug. 14. He spoke of a need to move beyond the enmity that was spawned as President John F. Kennedy grappled with Fidel Castro's revolution and Soviet expansionism and that hardened over the 54 years that followed.

Despite pledges of goodwill and mutual respect, ghosts of past animosity hung over the events.

At the reopening of the Cuban embassy and again at a joint news conference with Kerry, Rodriguez repeated demands for the U.S. to end its 53-year embargo, return the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, stop efforts to change or reform Cuba's communist government and pay compensation for damage done to the island and its people over the past five decades.

Details of friendly, yet troubled gunman emerge in Tenn. shooting, but motive still unclear

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - Bits and pieces have emerged over the past few days about Muhammad Youssef Abdulazeez's troubled life. But two significant pieces of the puzzle are missing: Why did he ambush two military sites, killing four Marines and a sailor? And was he propelled to do so by his own demons or at the direction of someone else?

Until last Thursday's shooting, the Kuwait-born 24-year-old was not on the radar of terrorism investigators. As a result, a portrait of his background, contacts, computer use and travels must be assembled from the ground up and pieced together.

He blended into everyday life in Chattanooga as a clean-cut high school wrestler who graduated from college with an engineering degree and regularly attended a local mosque.

But he also had a more turbulent side, as evidenced by his arrest for drunken driving after returning from Jordan. He was set to face a judge later this month.

Abdulazeez was killed in a shootout with police at a Marine-Navy facility where the slain servicemen were killed. Authorities said Abdulazeez was driving a rented silver Mustang convertible, wore a vest with extra ammunition and wielded at least two long guns - either rifles or shotguns - and a handgun.

U.N. Security Council unanimously endorses nuclear deal between Iran and 6 world powers

UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Security Council on Monday unanimously endorsed the landmark deal to rein in Iran's nuclear program and authorized measures leading to the end of U.N. sanctions, but also approved a provision that would automatically reinstate the harsh measures if Tehran reneges on its promises.

European Union foreign ministers meeting in Brussels immediately followed suit, endorsing the agreement between Iran and six major powers and taking the first step to lift EU sanctions.

President Barack Obama told reporters he hopes the Republican-controlled U.S. Congress, where there is strong opposition to the deal, will pay attention to the "broad international consensus," stressing that the deal is "by far our strongest approach to ensuring that Iran does not get a nuclear weapon."

But House Speaker John Boehner accused Obama of "ignoring the concerns of the American people" by allowing "such a consequential vote" to go ahead in the U.N. just 24 hours after submitting the agreement to Congress, which has 60 days to consider it. "This is a bad start for a bad deal," he said.

While sharp differences remain between the United States and Iran, ambassadors from both countries called the agreement an important achievement for diplomacy.

He's not going away: With no donor pressure, billionaire Donald Trump brushes off critics

WASHINGTON - Donald Trump faced an avalanche of fresh criticism Monday for questioning Sen. John McCain's heroism. But he's getting no pressure at all from the one community that could push a candidate out of the 2016 presidential race: political donors.

The billionaire businessman is paying for his own campaign, and that means Republicans may have him around far longer than some party leaders would like.

"Nobody leaves a race because they get tired, or because they think they don't have the votes. They leave the race because they run out of money," said Frank Luntz, a GOP pollster. "Donald Trump will never run out of money, and that makes him incredibly powerful."

Indeed, Republican operatives suggest that Trump enjoys a rare freedom.

Because he doesn't need tens of millions of dollars from wealthy donors - a notoriously risk-averse crowd - the standard rules of politics simply don't apply. He can afford, literally, to continue dropping the verbal bombs that have defined his presidential campaign since the day he joined the 2016 contest in June.

California interstate bridge damaged in flash flood could have limited reopening within weeks

DESERT CENTER, Calif. - The interstate bridge that was washed out when a flash flood barreled down a Southern California desert gully could have a limited reopening within weeks.

While the eastbound span of the Interstate 10 bridge collapsed, the westbound span still stands - though severe erosion means it is not passable.

A spokesman for the California Department of Transportation said Monday that work crews plan to shore up the westbound span within several weeks. Eastbound traffic could then use one of the bridge's two lanes, for now.

Caltrans spokesman Will Shuck didn't have an exact timeframe for the limited reopening, but said, "we're certainly not talking about months."

The bridge failed Sunday as remnants from a tropical storm dumped heavy rain on the desert about 50 miles west of the California-Arizona line.

June, first half of 2015 break old records by far as Earth keeps heating up

WASHINGTON - Earth dialed the heat up in June, smashing warm temperature records for both the month and the first half of the year.

Off-the-charts heat is "getting to be a monthly thing," said Jessica Blunden, a climate scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. June was the fourth month of 2015 that set a record, she said.

"There is almost no way that 2015 isn't going to be the warmest on record," she added.

NOAA calculated that the world's average temperature in June hit 61.48 degrees Fahrenheit (16.33 Celsius), breaking the old record set last year by 0.22 degrees (.12 degrees Celsius). Usually temperature records are broken by one or two one-hundredths of a degree, not nearly a quarter of a degree, Blunden said.

And the picture is even more dramatic when the half-year is considered.

- The Associated Press