2. Despite its credit rating downgrade, the US always has been and always will be a triple-A country, says President Barack Obama. Speaking at the White House, the President renewed a plea to Congress to take action in September that will help create jobs and cushion Americans from a still weak economy.

 

3. The Pentagon says the remains of the 30 US troops killed when their helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan over the weekend will be taken to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Tuesday. NATO says the chopper was struck by a rocket-propelled grenade fired by an insurgent.

 

4. And at the age of 61 marathon swimmer Diana Nyad is looking to set an endurance record. She is making a 103-mile swim from Havana Cuba to Key West, Florida. By Monday afternoon, she was nearly a quarter of the way there.