UNITED STATES-CUBA

WASHINGTON — Loud but hardly universal catcalls from Republicans underscored the obstacles and opportunities ahead as U.S. and Cuban leaders announced an opening of embassies in Havana and Washington and a resumption of diplomatic relations severed the year President Barack Obama was born.

CUBA-US DIPLOMAT

HAVANA — As the top U.S. diplomat in Cuba, Jeffrey DeLaurentis will oversee the conversion of the U.S. Interests Section into a full embassy. His admirers say his abilities should put him at the front of the line to be the nominee as the first U.S. ambassador to Havana in almost 55 years. 

FACES OF CUBA

HAVANA — Now that Havana and Washington have announced an agreement on reopening embassies, Cubans talk with The Associated Press about their hopes that rapprochement will improve their lives — or their doubts it will change anything. 

CHURCH FIRE

GREELEYVILLE, South Carolina — The Rev. John Taylor feared the worst when he learned his church was on fire, only days after a mass shooting at a black church in Charleston prompted Southern leaders to call for removing Confederate flags. 

EPISCOPAL CHURCH-GAY MARRIAGE

SALT LAKE CITY — Episcopalians vote overwhelmingly to allow religious weddings for same-sex couples, solidifying the church's embrace of gay rights that began more than a decade ago with the pioneering election of the first openly gay bishop. 

CALIFORNIA DROUGHT

SACRAMENTO, California — California's drought-stricken cities set a record for water conservation, reducing usage 29 percent in May, according to data released by a state agency.