U.S. aid worker remembered as 'free spirit' with empathy for others

By David Schwartz PRESCOTT, Ariz. (Reuters) - Kayla Mueller, the young U.S. aid worker who died while a captive of militants of the Islamic State group in Syria, was remembered by family and friends in her hometown on Tuesday as a "free spirit" driven by her enormous empathy for human suffering. The White House said Mueller's family received a message from her captors containing information that was authenticated by U.S. intelligence analysts who verified her death. President Bara