KREM-TV (Spokane, WA)

Supporters of two citizen-led ballot initiatives took a major step Thursday, turning in petition signatures to the Idaho Secretary of State's Office in hopes of qualifying for the November ballot. One effort seeks to place the Reproductive Freedom and Privacy Act before voters. The other, backed by the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho, would legalize medical cannabis.

KELLOGG, Idaho — A long-running effort to rehabilitate public pickleball courts in Kellogg received a significant funding boost through the Innovia Foundation's annual Community Grants Program. Innovia recently announced it is awarding $1.3 million in grants to 125 organizations across Eastern Washington and North Idaho. The grants support projects focused on education and youth development, health and well-being, arts and culture, economic opportunity and quality of life.

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries has opened inspections at two other kraft paper mills in the state following the tank failure at Nippon Dynawave in Longview that killed 11 workers. The inspections, announced Thursday, are separate from the agency's ongoing investigation into the Nippon Dynawave disaster. "Keeping workers safe at work is our top priority," Gov. Bob Ferguson said in a statement.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A three-armed spacecraft rocketed into orbit Friday to rescue a NASA telescope that’s in danger of crashing back to Earth. Northrop Grumman launched Katalyst Space Technologies’ Link spacecraft from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific. The Pegasus rocket blasted off from the belly of a modified airplane, putting Link on course to reach and capture NASA’s Swift Observatory in about a month. Launched in 2004, Swift is sinking faster than ever because of recent solar storms.

TEHRAN, Tehran Province — Iran prepared Friday for the dayslong funeral of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, with banners across Tehran urging the public to rise up in support of the Islamic Republic after the devastating war that killed the 86-year-old cleric. The country's theocracy expects to see millions flood the streets of the capital beginning Saturday in scenes reminiscent of the burial of the late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1989.

WASHINGTON — The World Cup has already seen some fantastic goals, including ones from prominent soccer stars. France's Kylian Mbappé, Argentina's Lionel Messi and Norway's Erling Haaland are among the top scorers at the tournament so far, putting them in the lead for the Golden Boot, a trophy for the most goals in the tournament. This story continues below. More in Soccer The Golden Boot winner is not always part of the team that clinches the World Cup trophy.

LA GUAIRA, Venezuela — Speaking in a hushed voice, Rosa López recalled how she had to sidestep the rows of bodies lying under a harsh sun as she helped her daughter search for her missing husband. Even her years working as a nurse did not prepare her for the sight of the dozens of dead wrapped in sheets or blankets. “We saw a lot of bodies that had not yet been identified,” López said.

TUMWATER, Wash. — Supporters of a ballot initiative to repeal Washington's new income tax on high earners delivered boxes of petitions to the Secretary of State's Office in Tumwater on Thursday afternoon, seeking to let voters decide the fate of the law before it takes effect. The initiative's sponsor, Let's Go Washington, said they collected roughly half a million signatures, more than needed to qualify for the ballot.

WASHINGTON — Mars Petcare US is voluntarily recalling two lots of Pedigree canned wet dog food after discovering the products, which had been designated for destruction, were allegedly diverted and sold through unauthorized channels in the United States. The recall affects Pedigree High Protein Chopped Chicken and Duck Flavor 13.2-ounce cans with lot codes 613C3KKCFC and 613C1KKCFC, according to Mars Petcare and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

WASHINGTON — Record-breaking temperatures met millions of Americans on the Fourth of July weekend as the National Weather Service issued extreme heat warnings for 23 U.S. States on Friday. Major Northeast cities like Boston, New York, Newark, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. have already seen record-breaking temperatures, with all soaring to highs beyond 100 degrees.