AP News Summary at 1:35 p.m. EDT

Senior US officials dictate memorandum with Iran to journalists

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Senior U.S. officials have dictated the memorandum of understanding with Iran to journalists after days of secrecy. The officials spoke Wednesday on condition of anonymity to read the the draft, which Iran has not released, ahead of formal signing ceremony set for Friday. According to the officials, the draft agreement includes a new “minimum†standard for downblending of highly enriched Iranian uranium and has provisions to ensure the “territorial integrity†of Lebanon after Israel's latest attacks against Hezbollah in Lebanese territory. In return, the U.S. will move to waive, but not eliminate, some wide-ranging sanctions against Iran once the deal is signed.

The interim US-Iran deal leaves the fate of Tehran’s nuclear program still to be negotiated

WASHINGTON (AP) — The interim deal between the U.S. and Iran is supposed to usher in a two-month period that would address the most divisive issue between the longtime adversaries — Tehran's nuclear program. Preventing Iran from attaining a nuclear bomb is a key reason that President Donald Trump said he launched the war alongside Israel in February, but the tentative agreement he has trumpeted leaves little runway to negotiate the long-running sticking point. The previous nuclear pact between Iran and world powers, which Trump pulled the U.S. from in his first term, took many months to negotiate. There’s deep skepticism among Republican and Democratic lawmakers and others that the deal would have any effect on nuclear talks.

Trump delays his own national intelligence nominee, fueling tension with fellow Republicans

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is trying to stop the confirmation process for his own nominee to head the nation's intelligence agencies. Trump’s extraordinary move Wednesday upended Senate efforts to renew a crucial surveillance program that expired last week and fueled fresh tensions with fellow Republicans on Capitol Hill. Trump declared in a social media post he was delaying the nomination of Jay Clayton as director of national intelligence just hours before his scheduled hearing. Republicans eventually postponed the hearing for Clayton, who’s U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York. Further complicating matters, Trump says he won’t sign the surveillance program renewal without his legislation to require proof of citizenship for voters.

Warsh to face spotlight as Federal Reserve likely to leave interest rates unchanged

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Federal Reserve will enter the Kevin Warsh era Wednesday, as President Trump's pick to lead the central bank oversees his first policy meeting and holds his first news conference. Yet Warsh isn't expected to immediately usher in significant policy changes. The Fed is likely to keep its key rate unchanged Wednesday at about 3.6% for the fourth straight meeting, economists say. Wednesday's highlight is likely to be the press conference Warsh will hold in the afternoon, which Wall Street investors, economists, and quite likely the White House will closely watch to see how Warsh conducts himself in his first public appearance as Fed chair.

Luigi Mangione will assert psychiatric defense in murder case in UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killing

NEW YORK (AP) — Luigi Mangione will assert a psychiatric defense at his state murder trial in the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Judge Gregory Carro said Wednesday that Mangione's lawyers have informed him they will attempt to show that he was suffering from “extreme emotional disturbance at the time of the occurrence.†By asserting a psychiatric defense, Mangione would effectively be admitting that he killed Thompson but did so because of mitigating circumstances. If a jury finds that Mangione was emotionally disturbed at the time of the killing, it could convict him of manslaughter instead of murder, meaning he'd be sentenced to less time in prison.

‘A million years isn't enough’: Victims’ relatives confront Gilgo Beach serial killer at sentencing

RIVERHEAD, N.Y. (AP) — A Long Island architect who lived a secret life as the Gilgo Beach serial killer has been sentenced to to life in prison without parole. Rex Heuermann had previously admitted in court to killing eight women, many of them sex workers. Police discovered the remains of several of the women along a coastal parkway not far from Long Island's Gilgo Beach. Family members of victims delivered emotional statements during the court hearing. Jasmine Robinson, a cousin of victim Jessica Taylor, said, “You fill me with so much repugnance, I can't stand it.â€

G7 leaders back Trump’s plan to end Iran war that faces skepticism at home

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France (AP) — Leaders at the Group of Seven summit have backed U.S. President Donald Trump’s tentative agreement with Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and extend a ceasefire. They called it a “historic opportunity†to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The deal, expected to be signed Friday in Switzerland, would allow Iran to sell oil without restrictions if a final agreement is reached. Trump has not released the agreement’s text but described it as “very strong.†G7 leaders also pledged support for Ukraine against Russia and vowed to tackle global drug gangs and migrant smugglers.

Georgia Republican legislative leaders reject governor’s call for 2028 redistricting

ATLANTA (AP) — Republican lawmakers in Georgia won't redraw congressional and state legislative districts for the 2028 elections during a special session called by GOP Gov. Brian Kemp. In a letter to Kemp on Wednesday, Republican House leaders said changes to Georgia's maps should take place only after a deliberative process providing the public ample opportunity for input. They also noted that legal challenges are still ongoing against some of their current districts. The decision marked a setback for both Kemp and President Donald Trump, who has urged Republican-led states to redraw congressional districts to their advantage

Dangerous flooding from Tropical Storm Arthur, first of the Atlantic season, threatens Gulf Coast

MIAMI (AP) — Tropical Storm Arthur is the first of the Atlantic season and threatens the southern United States with dangerous flash flooding. The National Hurricane Center announced the storm Wednesday and said Arthur would skirt over the Gulf Coast with heavy rain through Friday. The storm loomed over a World Cup match in Houston between Portugal and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It also formed amid days of heavy rain that has been drenching southern Texas. Authorities near Houston said a teenager appears to have drowned in a retention pond Tuesday following a period of heavy rain.

Ancient teeth from Siberia rewrite the plague's timeline, dating back to over 5,500 years ago

NEW YORK (AP) — Scientists have found evidence of the oldest known plague, dating back about 5,500 years ago — some 200 years earlier than previously thought. Rare, modern-day plague persists and is treated with antibiotics. Researchers found ancient DNA from the plague-causing bacteria in teeth from remains buried in four Siberian cemeteries. They tracked the family dynamics of how and when people got sick and dated the oldest outbreak to around 5,500 years ago, affecting a small community of hunter-gatherers. The new research published Wednesday in the journal Nature shows that the prehistoric plague was just as deadly as the bubonic plague, which spread through Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa.