A Moscow court has sentenced American citizen Robert Woodland to 12 and a half years in prison on drug-related charges. Woodland, who was born in Russia, attended the court hearing today and is among a rising number of Americans detained in Russia amid deteriorating relations between the two countries. His legal team has indicated plans to appeal the verdict, citing Woodland's ongoing mental health issues.

In a separate development, the International Swimming Federation's executive director has been summoned to testify in a U.S. criminal investigation concerning alleged doping violations by Chinese Olympic swimmers. This inquiry focuses on how 23 Chinese athletes were permitted to compete in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics despite testing positive for a banned heart medication. The investigation intensifies as 11 of these swimmers are set to participate in the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.

As millions of Americans celebrate the July 4th holiday, the nation is experiencing extreme heat, with 134 million people in the southern and western regions under heat alerts. Celebrations continue unabated, featuring parades and cookouts. Notably, the Nathan's hot dog eating contest at Coney Island took place without 16-time champion Joey Chestnut, who was unable to compete due to a sponsorship conflict. Chicago's Patrick Bertoletti claimed the men's title by consuming 58 hot dogs in 10 minutes, while defending women's champion Miki Sudo set a new record with 51 hot dogs.

Additionally, July 4th marks the 100th anniversary of the Caesar salad, which originated in Tijuana, Mexico, created by Italian immigrant Caesar Cardini in 1924.

The PBS NewsHour will continue to cover significant topics, including federal pandemic aid for schools, efforts to enshrine abortion access in Missouri, and the environmental impact of artificial intelligence.