In the news

■ Brandi Smith, a reporter for Houston’s KHOU-TV, and photographer Mario Sandoval received praise from colleagues and viewers after they stayed in the field and broadcast the rescue efforts from Tropical Storm Harvey even as floodwaters forced the evacuation of their station’s building.

■ Sen. Mitch McConnell, the majority leader who has drawn criticism from President Donald Trump over legislative roadblocks, told GOP members in his home state of Kentucky that people should not be surprised by the challenges that come with governing, saying, “Welcome to the democratic process.”

■ Mohammad Ali Taheri, the founder of a mystical, New Age version of Shiite Islam, plans to appeal the death sentence handed down by an Iranian court on charges of founding a cult, his attorney said.

■ William Ashwell, a Mississippi man who in 2006 pleaded guilty to felony charges in a burglary case, learned that his convictions have been overturned by the state’s Supreme Court, which ruled that prosecutors were unable to prove they had ever filed the papers charging him with a crime.

■ Antonio Guterres, secretary-general of the United Nations, arrived in the Middle East on a threeday trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories, where he plans to meet with leaders to discuss ways to revive the peace process.

■ Jared Booth, a Columbus, Miss., police officer, lost his appeal of a 28-day unpaid suspension over Facebook posts that included sexually suggestive content and a racial slur, a punishment he called unfair because a former City Council member also used racial slurs online.

■ Richard Codey, a Democratic state senator in New Jersey, plans to introduce a resolution calling on the U.S. Coast Guard to ban the long-term anchorage of large yachts near the Statue of Liberty, saying the practice is “antithetical to the spirit of one of the world’s most compelling symbols of freedom and equal opportunity.”

■ Bill King, an Army veteran from Crossville, Tenn., had a tearful reunion with Pretty Boy Floyd, a pet Capuchin that serves as a therapy animal to help him cope with post-traumatic stress disorder, after the monkey escaped and spent a week on the loose.

■ Brian Tempel, 35, and Marie Kirkland, 23, were arrested in George County, Miss., accused of running an illegal tattoo parlor out of a home where investigators also reported finding drugs and stolen property.