According to a Commerce Department report Friday that is closely watched by the Federal Reserve, consumer prices rose 6.3% in July from a year earlier after posting an annual increase of 6.8% in June, the biggest jump since 1982. Energy prices made the difference in July: They dropped last month after surging in June.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX and T-Mobile are teaming up to help provide voice and data services anywhere by having satellites connect with cellphones using T-Mobile’s wireless spectrum. The plan, called Coverage Above and Beyond, looks to use SpaceX’s Starlink satellites that are in low Earth orbit and T-Mobile’s wireless network to reach people even in remote areas of the U.S. that typically don’t receive traditional cell signals.

DENVER (AP) — The three NFL teams that had been the models of stability at quarterback have new signal-callers in 2022. The Seattle Seahawks traded Russell Wilson to Denver and the Atlanta Falcons traded Matt Ryan to Indianapolis. Wilson had started for a decade in Seattle and Ryan was the Falcons' starter since 2008. The Pittsburgh Steelers lost Ben Roethlisberger to retirement. The two-time Super Bowl winner was their starting quarterback since 2004.

LONDON (AP) — British residents will see an 80% increase in their annual household energy bills. The U.K.’s energy regulator announced Friday that costs will go from 1,971 pounds a year to 3,549 pounds in October. It follows a record 54% annual spike in April. The costs are roiling the British economy, which has the highest inflation rate among the Group of Seven wealthiest democracies and seen disruptive strikes for months as workers push for pay to keep pace with the increasingly expensive cost of living.

MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — The deadly siege of a hotel in Somalia's capital over the weekend was the longest such attack in the country's history. It took more than 30 hours for security forces to subdue the al-Shabab extremists who invaded the hotel. In a national address this week, Somalia’s president spoke of “total war” to confront the group that has controlled parts of the country for years.

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Taiwan's leader says China and Russia are “disrupting and threatening the world order" with Beijing's recent large-scale military exercises near the island and Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. President Tsai Ing-wen spoke during a meeting in Taipei with U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, who is on the second visit by members of Congress since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip prompted China to launch the exercises.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — The Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons are expected to highlight the competitions for the final roster spots in Saturday’s final preseason game for both teams. That means Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, like most starters, is expected to be an observer. The Jaguars and Falcons had two joint practices at the Falcons' facility this week. Jaguars coach Doug Pederson says most starters won’t play on Saturday. Falcons coach Arthur Smith hasn’t revealed plans for his starters.

MARIETTA, Ga. – There are some very motivated and highly assiduous people in their 90s (nonagenarians) who accomplish amazing things. That is the case with Lloyd Blackwell of Marietta’s Eastside Baptist Church. He is a layman with an exceptional history as a churchman, missionary, Gideon, and servant of God.

McDONOUGH, Ga. (AP) — Police say three people were shot at a warehouse south of Atlanta. Henry County police said on Twitter they responded to multiple calls of a shooting at the warehouse in McDonough just before 12:30 p.m. Thursday and found three people suffering from gunshot wounds. McDonough is about 30 miles south of Atlanta. Two of the victims were treated and taken to hospitals. The third was treated and released at the scene.

This week’s Bible study is adapted from the MasterWork curriculum by Lifeway Christian Resources and will focus on 2 Timothy 1:7-12.

Scientists have created “synthetic” mouse embryos from stem cells without a dad's sperm or a mom's egg or womb. The lab-created embryos mirror a natural mouse embryo up to 8 ½ days after fertilization, containing the same structures, including one like a beating heart. In the near term, researchers hope to use these so-called embryoids to better understand early stages of development and study mechanisms behind disease without the need for as many lab animals. The feat could also lay the foundation for creating synthetic human embryos for research in the future.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — As inflation and other economic issues may be stretching most Americans’ budgets, Southern Baptist pastors may be feeling the pinch more than most. A study conducted by Lifeway Research along with GuideStone and Baptist state conventions found compensation for full-time Southern Baptist senior pastors has remained flat over the past four years, while the total pay package has decreased.

Fourth-ranked Clemson is determined to follow a year of change with a return to the top of the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Tigers saw their six-year run as league football champions snapped last year, then the Tigers lost coordinators on both sides of the ball to head-coaching jobs. Yet Dabo Swinney’s team is favored again ahead of teams like No. 13 North Carolina State, No. 16 Miami, No. 17 Pittsburgh and No. 22 Wake Forest. The Hurricanes are picked to win a Coastal Division race that includes four new head coaches.

NEW YORK (AP) — Novak Djokovic will not play in the U.S. Open, as expected, because he is not vaccinated against COVID-19 and thus is not allowed to travel to the United States. Djokovic announced his withdrawal from the year’s last Grand Slam tournament on Twitter on Thursday, hours before the draw for the event was revealed.

DULUTH, Ga. – The Georgia Baptist Mission Board has created a series of videos for churches to use in promoting this year’s Mission Georgia offering, proceeds from which are used to share the gospel in some of the hardest to reach places in the state.

ATLANTA – Georgia has positioned itself on the ground floor of the electric-vehicle revolution and is poised for further growth as demand for EVs takes off, the state’s economic development chief said Wednesday. Since 2020, EV manufacturers and their suppliers have invested $13 billion in Georgia while creating more than 18,000 jobs, Pat Wilson told members of a legislative study committee on the “electrification” of transportation at its first meeting.

ATLANTA — Many rural Georgia counties lack easy access to methadone clinics, according to a new study by a University of Georgia team.  Methadone is a “gold standard of opioid addiction treatments,” according to study author and UGA health economist Jayani Jayawardhana. Methadone helps people quit addictions to drugs like heroin, oxycodone and fentanyl.  

Doing the Lord’s work may bring attacks, but the battle belongs to the Lord, President Adam W. Greenway encouraged students during his August 23 convocation message at Southwestern Baptist …

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Four more states will ban almost all abortions this week. It's another result of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade. To date, 13 states have passed so-called trigger laws that were designed to take effect when that decision was announced. The majority of those states began enforcing their bans soon after the June 24 decision.

HONG KONG (AP) — Tropical Storm Ma-on has made landfall in southern China’s Guangdong province after bringing rain and stiff winds to Hong Kong, where the stock market was closed for the morning session. Residents of coastal areas around the city of Maoming were urged to stay away from the shore Thursday morning as the typhoon arrived.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A judge has ordered the Justice Department to make public a redacted version of the affidavit it relied on when federal agents searched the Florida estate of former President Donald Trump to look for classified documents. The directive from U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart came hours after federal law enforcement submitted under seal the portions of the affidavit that they want to keep secret as their investigation moves forward.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California is poised to required 100% of new cars, trucks and SUVs sold in the state to be powered by electricity or hydrogen by 2035. The California Air Resources Board is expected to vote Thursday on the policy. It sets the most aggressive roadmap in the nation for phasing out gas-powered cars and is likely to reshape the U.S. car marketing by speeding the transition to electric vehicles.

According to britannica.com, “an instrument is a tool or device that is used for a particular purpose.” For 15-plus years working in a dental office, I have handed my dentist/boss instruments throughout each workday.  At first glance, they may appear to be utensils made for torture, but in truth, they are not.

BALTIMORE (AP) — Six months into the war in Ukraine, American companies — including federal contractors — continue to buy everything from birch wood flooring to weapons-grade titanium from major Russian corporations, despite President Joe Biden’s insistence that the U.S. would crack down on Russia in response to its February 2022 invasion of its neighbor. The Associated Press found more than 3,600 shipments of wood, metals, rubber and more have arrived at U.S. ports from Russia since it began launching missiles and airstrikes into its neighbor in February.

LONDON (AP) — The moving vans have already started arriving at Downing Street, as Britain’s Conservative Party prepares to evict Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Debate about what mark he will leave on his party, his country and the world will linger long after he departs in September. Johnson led the U.K. out of the European Union and won a landslide election victory before his government collapsed in a heap of ethics scandals.