Human Race

Appointed

The appointment of Carte Goodwin to the Senate seat left vacant by the late Robert C. Byrd means the nation's youngest senator will fill the shoes of a man once recognized as the chamber's oldest member. Goodwin, 36, is the first U.S. senator born in the 1970s. He will represent West Virginia until a November special election, in the meantime providing Senate Democrats with their crucial 59th vote.

Died

Gospel singer Doug Oldham died July 21 at age 79. Oldham performed with the late Jerry Falwell on the Old Time Gospel Hour and was a praise leader at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, Va.

Sentenced

A U.S. district judge sentenced a husband and wife to prison for spying on behalf of Cuba over a period of three decades, saying the couple had betrayed America. Retired intelligence analyst Kendall Myers, 73, will serve life in prison without parole while his 72-year-old wife Gwendolyn will spend the next 5½ years behind bars for their work keeping Cuba informed about U.S. policy toward the communist nation.

Pressured

Iranian officials are reportedly pressuring Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, the woman who drew international attention after she was due to be stoned on charges of adultery, to divulge the names of individuals campaigning for her release. Mohammadi Ashtiani's 22-year-old son, Sajad, is also under pressure after officials twice summoned him to the Iranian intelligence service. A global outcry spurred authorities to halt Mohammadi Ashtiani's scheduled stoning last month, but her lawyer says her fate is still unclear.

Settled

A Mississippi school district has agreed to pay former student Constance McMillen $35,000 and legal fees after she sued because the school canceled the prom instead of allowing her to bring her same-sex partner. The district also agreed to institute a policy prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in any educational or extracurricular activities.

Injured

Megachurch pastor Rick Warren suffered a severe eye injury July 19 after he pruned a firestick plant and sap from the plant came in contact with his eyes. Initially Warren expressed concern on Twitter about possible vision loss, but doctors say he should make a full recovery.

Marrying

After months of speculation, Chelsea Clinton, 30, was set to wed fiancé Marc Mezvinsky, 32, on July 31 in Rhinebeck, N.Y. The publicity-shy daughter of former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had kept details of her big day as closely guarded as some of her parents' national secrets.