First, links to reports from teleSUR, Reuters, the Associated Press, and National Public Radio; others are accessible by clicking on their names or initials below. — MCM

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Tropical Storm Julia could become a hurricane this weekend. From teleSUR. Tropical storm Julia formed Friday off the Colombian peninsula of La Guajira with sustained winds of 65 km. Julia was 175 kilometers north of Colombia, moving westward at about 30 kilometers per hour, said the Nicaraguan Institute of Territorial Studies (INETER). Its path could reach Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize, and Mexico. Some Caribbean and Central American . . . READ MORE . . .

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Chile permanently closes mining areas connected to giant sinkhole, by Alexander Villegas | Reuters SANTIAGO —  Chile’s mining minister announced on Friday the permanent closure of mining stopes directly related to a giant sinkhole that appeared in the northern part of the country in July. Mining minister Marcela Hernando made the announcement after meeting with union members, mine workers and technical experts studying . . . READ MORE . . .

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Appeals court ruling allows Arizona abortions to restart, by Bob Christie | AP  PHOENIX  — Abortions can take place again in Arizona, at least for now, after an appeals court on Friday blocked enforcement of a pre-statehood law that almost entirely criminalized the procedure. The three-judge panel of the Arizona Court of Appeals agreed with Planned Parenthood that a judge should not have lifted the decades-old order that prevented the older law from being imposed. The brief order . . . READ MORE . . .

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Mexico’s armed forces are becoming increasingly powerful under its president. Scott Simon of NPR talks with Mexican security analyst Alejandro Hope about the increasing power the Mexican armed forces are getting under President Anders Manuel Lopez Obrador. Click HERE to listen and, another time, read.

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Linda Ronstadt on her new book ‘Feels Like Home.’ Scott Simon of NPR speaks with singer Linda Ronstadt about her new book, “Feels Like Home,” which looks back at her family’s deep Southwestern roots. Click HERE to listen and, another time, read.

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MAY BE CONTINUED