ATLANTA (AP) — C.J. Cron drove in two runs, José Ureña outpitched Max Fried, and the Colorado Rockies beat the Atlanta Braves 3-2. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2019, Fried has 50 wins, second-most in the majors to Yankees ace Gerrit Cole, and he had a 2.12 ERA in his previous 11 starts. But the first-time All-Star wasn’t his usual sharp self.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — State governments flush with money are returning billions of dollars to their residents. Already this year, at least 31 states have enacted some form of tax cut or rebate. That's likely to grow when Missouri and Idaho convene special sessions in September to consider tax breaks. The number of states enacting tax breaks is far beyond usual. States have extra money because of surging tax revenue and federal pandemic aid.

MOSCOW (AP) — Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the Soviet Union, has died at 91. He waged a losing battle to salvage a crumbling empire but produced extraordinary reforms that led to the end of the Cold War. The Central Clinical Hospital in Moscow said in a statement that Gorbachev died after a long illness. No other details were given.

ATLANTA — Gov. Brian Kemp announced Tuesday he is allocating around $250 million to help low-income Georgia communities improve parks, sidewalks, recreation facilities, and healthy food access. A statement from the governor’s office said investment in infrastructure such as parks and sidewalks has been connected to better health and decreased mortality from COVID and other illnesses.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The U.S. Navy’s Mideast-based 5th Fleet says Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard seized and later let go of a U.S. sea drone in the Persian Gulf. Cmdr. Timothy Hawkins, a 5th Fleet spokesman, said Tuesday the incident saw a Revolutionary Guard ship try to seize a Saildrone Explorer. Hawkins said the Guard vessel was towing the drone behind it as a U.S. Navy ship and helicopter approached it. Hawkins told The Associated Press the Navy called repeatedly to the Iranians, who ultimately let the drone go.

PERRY, Ga. – Georgia’s rural economy is being buffeted by national and global headwinds that are making it harder for farmers to make ends meet, an agricultural economist said Tuesday. Supply chain disruptions, trade wars, droughts across the globe, the COVID pandemic and the war in Ukraine are challenging farmers on multiple fronts, Gopi Munisamy told an audience of farm industry and political leaders during a summit on ag issues

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — When you build a powerhouse program, it’s inevitable that others will try to copy your success. That means hiring people who work for you. Georgia coach Kirby Smart will see another familiar face on the opposing sideline Saturday when the reigning national champion Bulldogs open the season against No. 11 Oregon. Smart’s former defensive coordinator, Dan Lanning, is now guiding the Ducks.

COOK SPRINGS, Ala. (BP) – More than 50 children of missionaries (missionary kids) preparing to enter college in the U.S. this fall gained insights and encouragement for “reentering” well during the annual MK Re-Entry Retreat held at Alabama Woman’s Missionary Union’s WorldSong Missions Place.

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi’s capital city is struggling with multiple water problems — too much on the ground after heavy rainfall in the past week, and not enough safe water coming through the pipes for people to use. Parts of Jackson were without running water Tuesday because flooding worsened problems in one of two water-treatment plants. The city of 150,000 had already been under a boil-water notice for a month because the Health Department found cloudy water that could cause digestive problems.

College students often keep lists to keep them on track, but lists have taken on a new significance for Auburn University basketball player Dylan Cardwell. He’s seen God’s hand at work through them. “Twice I’ve put things on a list, and both times God used those things to spread His kingdom,” said the junior center.  Cardwell made the first list as a high school student during the 2019–20 basketball season, writing down 10 goals for his senior year and thinking he had a sure-fire way to guarantee success.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The number of open jobs in the United States rose in July after three months of declines, a sign that employers are still urgently seeking workers despite slowing economic growth and high inflation. The increase will be a disappointment for Federal Reserve officials, who are seeking to cool hiring by raising short-term interest rates to try to slow borrowing and spending, which tend to fuel inflation.

PRAHOVO, Serbia (AP) — The worst drought in Europe in decades has not only scorched farmland and hampered river traffic, but it has also exposed a part of World War II history that had almost been forgotten. The hulks of dozens of German warships have emerged from the mighty Danube River as its water levels dropped.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — There is a limited amount of farmland, so when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last spring prompted worries that people would go hungry as wheat remained stuck in blockaded ports, there was little U.S. farmers could do to meet the new demand. But that may be changing. Earlier this summer, the U.S. Department of Agriculture instituted new policies to encourage American farmers to begin growing two crops on one piece of land, one after the other.

BAGHDAD (AP) — Armed supporters of a powerful Iraqi cleric who clashed with security forces in the capital have begun to withdraw from the streets. That restored a measure of calm following a serious escalation of the political crisis gripping the nation. Following two days of deadly unrest that sparked fears instability might spread throughout the country and even the region, cleric Muqtada al-Sadr told his supporters Tuesday to leave the government quarter.

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The first ship carrying grain from Ukraine for people in the hungriest parts of the world has docked at the Horn of Africa port of Djibouti as areas of East Africa are badly affected by deadly drought and conflict. Food security experts call it a drop in the bucket for the vast needs in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, the nation where this first shipment is going.

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — The U.N. humanitarian chief is warning that Afghanistan faces deepening poverty with 6 million people at risk of famine. Martin Griffiths urged donors to restore funding for economic development and immediately provide $770 million to help Afghans get through the winter. He spoke at the U.N. Security Council Monday where the United States argued with Russia and China over who should pay.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Andriy scrambled back to Ukraine at the start of Russia's war after moving to Western Europe to work as an engineer. He underwent a conversion within weeks from civilian life to a sniper being trained by Ukraine's special forces. He spoke to The Associated Press while practicing alone at an informal firing range near Kyiv.

NABLUS, West Bank (AP) — The Israeli military says several Israelis were wounded overnight after they entered the Palestinian West Bank city of Nablus and came under fire. The Israelis appeared to be headed to a flashpoint shrine in the city, where visits are usually coordinated by the military under tight security precautions. After they came under fire, the military said Tuesday troops entered the city, which is under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, to evacuate the Israelis.

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — A surge in fighting on the southern front line and Ukrainian claims of new attacks on Russian positions is feeding speculation that a counteroffensive has started to try to turn the tide of the war. The British defense ministry said Tuesday that as of early Monday “several brigades of the Ukrainian Armed Forces increased the weight of artillery fires in front line sectors across southern Ukraine.”

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has again filed paperwork to terminate his agreement to buy Twitter. This time it's based on information in a whistleblower complaint filed by Twitter’s former head of security. In an SEC filing Tuesday, Musk said his legal team notified Twitter of “additional bases” for ending the deal on top of the ones given in the original termination notice issued in July. Musk’s advisors cited the whistleblower report by former executive Peiter Zatko.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey has arrived in Taiwan for a visit focused on semiconductors, the critical chips that are used in everyday electronics and have become a battleground in the technology competition between the U.S. and China. His visit is the latest in a recent string by U.S. politicians that have angered China, which claims the self-governing island off its coast as part of its territory and says the visits encourage Taiwan independence forces.

ATLANTA (AP) — A prosecutor in Atlanta has announced a sprawling indictment targeting members of what she called a violent street gang that targeted the homes of famous athletes, entertainers and others. The indictment announced Monday says singer Mariah Carey, Marlo Hampton of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” Atlanta United player Brad Guzan and other victims all had their Atlanta-area homes broken into.

ATLANTA – A former Statesboro city councilman was sentenced to 33 months in prison Monday for evading taxes on income from bars he co-owned. Will Britt, a member of the council from 2004 through 2015 now living in Bluffton, South Carolina, and a group of business partners owned various bars near college campuses in several Georgia communities, while claiming each bar was owned by a single individual, according to court documents and statements in federal court.

NEW YORK (AP) — Serena Williams has won her match in the first round of the U.S. Open. Williams beat Danka Kovinic 6-3, 6-3 under the lights in Arthur Ashe Stadium. Williams is a 23-time Grand Slam champion who turns 41 next month and has said she is ready to move on from her playing days. She will play again Wednesday.

ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp announced Monday that his office will provide $62 million to help Georgia communities address homelessness and housing insecurity. The governor’s office will award the funds to 20 organizations that applied via a competitive process. The funds will be used to build affordable housing, improve existing housing, and provide mental health services to people who are homeless.