AP News Digest 3:55 a.m.
Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan at https://newsroom.ap.org.
——————————
TOP STORIES
—————————-
CHINA-US — President Xi JInping warned against meddling in China’s dealings with Taiwan during a phone call with his U.S. counterpart, Joe Biden, that gave no indication of progress on trade, technology or other irritants, including Beijing’s opposition to a top American lawmaker’s possible visit to the island democracy, which the mainland claims as its own territory. SENT: 820 words, photos.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-DEVELOPMENTS — Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine say that at least 40 Ukrainian prisoners of war captured during the fighting for Mariupol have been killed by Ukrainian shelling. SENT: 90 words, photos.
UNITED STATES-RUSSIA-ISOLATION COMPLICATION — The Biden administration likes to say Russia is now isolated internationally because of its invasion of Ukraine. Yet its top officials are hardly cloistered in the Kremlin, and now the U.S. wants to talk. By Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee. SENT: 900 words, photos.
SEVERE-WEATHER-APPALACHIA — Heavy rains have caused flash flooding and mudslides as storms pound parts of central Appalachia. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said Thursday that at least eight people have died from flooding in the state. He says property damage has been massive, with hundreds losing their homes. Water rescues continue across the region. In eastern Kentucky’s Perry County, the emergency management director called the damage “catastrophic.” By Bruce Schreiner and Timothy D. Easley. SENT: 750 words, photos, video.
CONGRESS-BUDGET-MANCHIN — Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin had been wrestling for more than a year over President Joe Biden’s big rebuilding America package. They sat down 10 days ago with a new offer on the table: the $739 billion package now headed toward votes in Congress. Here’s a look at how it happened. By Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 1,180 words, photos.
ABORTION-DOWN-BALLOT-RACES — Some Democratic candidates in statewide down-ballot races have decided to make abortion access key to their campaigns. They’re doing so even when it may not have an obvious connection to the office. A Connecticut state treasurer candidate is airing ads in which she promises to “lead the crusade” for abortion rights and to push companies in which the state invests to fund abortion access. By Susan Haigh and Julie Carr Smyth. SENT: 970 words, photos.
BRITAIN-WOMEN'S-EURO-2022 — Thirteen-year-old Izzy Short struggles to pick her favorite England player as she anticipates the team’s appearance in Sunday’s final of the European soccer championships. There’s forward Ellen White, defender Lucy Bronze, midfielder Georgia Stanway, captain Leah Williamson. The whole team basically. The high school player says she looks up to them and how positive they are. The march to the final against Germany has energized people throughout England, with the team’s pinpoint passing and flashy goals attracting record crowds, burgeoning TV ratings and adoring news coverage. The team has been a welcome distraction from the political turmoil and cost-of-living crisis that dominate the headlines when they aren’t playing. By Danica Kirka. SENT: 1,140 words, phots.
———————————————————————-
MORE ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
————————————————————————
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Russian forces launched a missile attack on the Kyiv area for the first time in weeks and pounded the northern Chernihiv region as well, in what Ukraine said was revenge for standing up to the Kremlin. By Susie Blann. SENT: 805 words, photos.
—————————
TRENDING
—————————-
LOTTERY-JACKPOT — A $1.1 billion lottery prize will be on the line Friday night as numbers are drawn for the Mega Millions game. SENT: 140 words, photos.
OBAMA-PORTRAITS – White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre says that portraits of the former president and Michelle Obama will be presented in the East Room, as is traditional, on Sept. 7. SENT: 410 words, photos.
ALASKA-CHILDREN-KILLED — Authorities investigating the deaths of three children who were shot by their 15-year-old brother have not found any evidence that the shootings were planned, an Alaska State Troopers spokesperson says. SENT: 460 words.
TEXAS-SCHOOL SHOOTING-PRINCIPLE — The principal of the Texas school where the nation’s deadliest classroom shooting in a decade happened was reinstated three days after she was suspended with pay in the wake of security criticisms leveled by a legislative committee. SENT: 260 words, photo.
ELECTION INTERFERENCE — The State Department offers a $10 million reward for information about Russian interference in American elections. SENT: 240 words.
ELECTION-2022-POSTAL-SERVICE — The United States Postal Service is creating a division to handle election mail issues as part of an effort to ensure swift and secure delivery of ballots for the 2022 midterm election, officials say. SENT: 220 words, photo.
———————————————————
WASHINGTON/ POLITICS
———————————————————
ELECTION 2022-CONSPIRACY COUNTY — The resignation of a county elections clerk in a rural county in Nevada opens a window into the long-term consequences of election conspiracy theories. Officials in Nye County have recommended scrapping voting machines in favor of hand-counting all ballots. Experts warn that could increase the likelihood of human error, delay results and create chaos. By Sam Metz. SENT: 1,610 words, photos. An abridged version of 980 words is also available.
CONGRESS-BUDGET-ELECTRIC VEHICLES — The deal by Senate Democrats on a bill to support families, boost infrastructure and fight climate change is likely to jump-start sales of electric vehicles. The measure would give EV buyers a $7,500 tax credit starting next year. By Auto Writer Tom Krisher. SENT: 680 words, photos.
BIDEN-ECONOMY — President Joe Biden and his administration go into overdrive to play down a sobering new economic report and instead highlight legislative progress on measures he says will help tame inflation, reflecting political tensions sure to play out on a daily basis in the runup to the midterm elections. By Zeke Miller and Josh Boak. SENT: 820 words, photos, video.
CONGRESS-CLIMATE — A surprising deal reached by Senate Democrats would be the most ambitious action ever taken by the United States to address global warming and could help President Biden come close to meeting his pledge to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. By Matthew Daly and Tom Krisher. SENT: 1,280 words, photos.
CAPITOL RIOT-INVESTIGATION — The House Jan. 6 committee has interviewed former Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and is in negotiations to talk to several other former members of Donald Trump’s Cabinet as it scrutinizes the days after the Capitol insurrection and discussions about whether to try and remove the then-president from office. By Michael Balsamo, Mary Clare Jalonick and Nomaan Merchant. SENT: 660 words, photos.
SUPREME-COURT-SOTOMAYOR-BARRETT — Two of the Supreme Court justices who disagree most often on the outcomes of cases say they both still try hard to persuade each other, and sometimes succeed. Justice Sonia Sotomayor and Justice Amy Coney Barrett made the comments in a pre-taped conversation made public for the first time. SENT: 690 words, photos.
CONGRESS-COMPUTER CHIPS — The House has passed a $280 billion package to boost the semiconductor industry and scientific research in a bid to create more high-tech jobs in the United States and help it better compete with international rivals, namely China. By Kevin Freking. SENT: 630 words, photos. WITH INFRASTRUCTURE-RURAL-BROADBAND – Federal officials announced plans Thursday to spend $401 million in grants and loans to expand the reach and improve the speed of internet for rural residents, tribes and businesses in 11 West and Central U.S. states. SENT: 500 words, photos.
US-BORDER-WALL — Border officials got the go-ahead Thursday to fill four remaining gaps in the U.S.-Mexico wall near the southern Arizona community of Yuma for safety reasons. The Department of Homeland Security says in a statement that the construction work will help protect the lives and safety of migrants in an area where there is a risk of drowning and falls. By Anita Snow. SENT: 580 words, photos.
ELECTION-2020-WISCONSIN-BALLOT-FRAUD — Two people in Wisconsin who believe false claims that the 2020 election was marred by widespread fraud admitted they broke state election law by requesting absentee ballots for others in an attempt to underscore vulnerabilities in the state’s voter website, according to a local sheriff. SENT: 550 words.
SECRET SERVICE DIRECTOR — Secret Service Director James Murray is delaying his retirement as the agency deals with an inspector general’s investigation and congressional inquiries related to missing text messages around the time of the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. SENT: 420 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-BIDEN-BOOSTERS — President Biden’s administration launches a renewed push for COVID-19 booster shots for those eligible, pointing to the enhanced protections they offer against severe illness as the highly transmissible BA.5 variant spreads across the country. SENT: 490 words, photo.
TWITTER-GOVERNMENT DEMANDS — Twitter warns that governments around the globe are making more requests of the company to remove posts or snoop on accounts. SENT: 390 words, photo.
VIRGINIA LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR-INVESTIGATION — The FBI has recently conducted interviews about the origin of the sexual assault allegations made in 2019 against then-Virginia Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, according to Fairfax and several others who said they were interviewed. SENT: 980 words, photo.
————————-
NATIONAL
————————-
ABORTION — A bill up for a final vote in West Virginia’s Senate could make the state the first to pass new legislation restricting access to abortions after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling removing its protected status as a constitutional right. SENT: 700 words, photos.
EXECUTION-ALABAMA — An Alabama inmate convicted of killing his former girlfriend decades ago was executed despite pleas from the victim’s family to spare his life. Joe Nathan James Jr. received a lethal injection at a south Alabama prison after the U.S. Supreme Court denied his request for a stay. SENT: 680 words, photo.
STOLEN-IDENTITIES-COUPLE-CHARGED — Bobby Edward Fort enlisted in the Coast Guard in 1994 and retired 22 years later with a secret security clearance that allowed him to land a job in Honolulu as a defense contractor. But the real Bobby Fort was dead. The man who enlisted as Fort was held without bail Thursday on charges he stole the dead baby’s identity 35 years ago. Federal prosecutors say Walter Glenn Primrose and his wife had been fraudulently living for decades under the stolen identities of two dead Texas infants. SENT: 860 words, photos.
DOCTOR-SEXUAL ASSAULT-FBI — The FBI reaches out to attorneys representing Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles and other women who say they were sexually assaulted by Larry Nassar to begin settlement talks in the $1 billion claim they brought against the federal government. SENT: 660 words, photos.
GEORGE FLOYD-CIVIL RIGHTS-OFFICERS — Three former Minneapolis police officers went before a federal judge during the last week to be sentenced for violating George Floyd’s civil rights, and for each man, U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson handed out penalties well below what prosecutors sought and below federal guidelines. SENT: 910 words, photo.
CALIFORNIA SERIAL KILLER-DEATH PENALTY — The California Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the conviction and death penalty for one of two men implicated in at least 11 notorious horrific torture-slayings in the mid-1980s in which the duo kept their victims hidden in a secret bunker in the Northern California woods. SENT: 840 words, photos.
NEWTOWN-SHOOTING-INFOWARS — A producer for conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’s media company tried to paint a sympathetic portrait of him as a jury decides how much in financial damages he should pay for his past claims that the 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school was a hoax — a move that lawyers for parents of a child slain in the massacre immediately rebuked as hypocritical. SENT: 740 words, photos.
ABORTION-INDIANA — Indiana’s Republican-dominated Senate rejected a push by conservative lawmakers to strip exceptions for rape and incest victims in a proposal that would ban most abortions in the state. SENT: 740 words, photos.
DC-MIGRANTS – The District of Columbia has requested National Guard assistance to help stem a “growing humanitarian crisis” prompted by thousands of migrants that have been sent to Washington by a pair of southern states. By Ashraf Khalil. SENT: 404 words, photos.
————————————
INTERNATIONAL
————————————
BRITAIN-CONSERVATIVES-ISSUE — Britain’s next prime minister will take office amid turmoil: galloping inflation, a war in Ukraine, souring relations with China, a changing climate. But not all those issues are getting equal attention as Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and former Treasury chief Rishi Sunak vie for the votes of about 180,000 Conservative Party members. One of them will be elected Sept. 5 to replace the scandal-tarnished Boris Johnson, who stepped down as party leader this month. By Jill Lawless, SENT: 960 words, photos.
UNITED-NATIONS-LIBYA — The U.N. Security Council voted Thursday to extend its political mission in Libya, but at Russia’s insistence for only three months rather than a year-long mandate. SENT: 660 words, photo.
IRAQ-PROTEST-EXPLAINER – What’s behind the storming of Iraq’s parliament by followers of Iraq’s influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr? By Samya Kullab and Qassim Abdul-Zahra. SENT: 1066 words, photos, video..
————————————————-
BUSINESS/ECONOMY
—————————————————
FINANCIAL MARKETS — Asian shares were mixed Friday, as Chinese shares sank after leaders acknowledged the official 5.5% growth target for this year won’t be met. SENT: 730 words, photos.
INFRASTRUCTURE-RURAL-BROADBAND — The federal government is pledging $401 million in grants and loans to expand the reach and improve the speed of internet for rural residents, tribes and businesses in remote parts of 11 states from Alaska to Arkansas. SENT: 510 words, photo.
CHINA-ECONOMY — China’s leaders effectively acknowledged the struggling economy won’t hit its official 5.5% growth target this year and said they will try to prop up sagging consumer demand but will stick to strict anti-COVID-19 tactics that disrupted manufacturing and trade. SENT: 380 words, photos.
—————————————
HEALTH/SCIENCE
————————————-
MONKEYPOX-HOW-IT-SPREADS – For most of the six decades that monkeypox has been known to affect people, it was not known as a disease that spreads through sex. Now that has changed. The current outbreak is by far the biggest involving the virus. It’s been designated a global emergency. But this is a complicated outbreak that may shift in how it spreads and which population groups are most affected. There is also debate about whether monkeypox should be called a sexually transmitted disease, with some critics complaining that the term creates a stigma and could be used to vilify gay and bisexual men. By Mike Stobbe. SENT: 1280 words, photos. With US-MONKEYPOX-RESPONSE – Under fire, US officials say monkeypox can still be stopped; MONKEYPOX-AFRICA-NO-VACCINES — Africa’s alone in monkeypox deaths but has no vaccine doses (both sent).
CLIMATE UK HEAT WAVE — Human-caused climate change made last week’s deadly heat wave in England and Wales at least 10 times more likely and added a few degrees to how brutally hot it got, a study says. By Science Writer Seth Borenstein. SENT: 620 words, photos.
—————————————-
ENTERTAINMENT
—————————————-
PBS-FINDING-YOUR-ROOTS-MANGANIELLO — Joe Manganiello marveled at the years-old mysteries in his family that were solved through DNA by researchers on PBS’ “Finding Your Roots,” including a revelation involving the actor’s paternal grandfather. SENT: 490 words, photo.
————————
SPORTS
————————
ROYALS-YANKEES — Aaron Judge hit his third walk-off homer this year, his major league-leading 39th home run of the season, to lift the New York Yankees over the Kansas City Royals 1-0. New York was held to one hit before Judge drove a first-pitch fastball from Scott Barlow into the Kansas City bullpen with one out in the ninth, a 431-foot drive that gave the Yankees their 12th walk-off win this season. SENT: 890 words, photos.
MARLINS-REDS — Daniel Castano was hit on the forehead by a 104 mph line drive off the bat of Donovan Solano in the first inning of the Miami Marlins’ 7-6 win over the Cincinnati Reds. The 27-year-old left-hander fell to the field on his knees and held a hand to his head as catcher Jacob Stallings, manager Don Mattingly and athletic trainers went to the mound to check on him. Castano did not appear to lose consciousness and left the field under his own power. The Marlins said Castano showed mild concussion symptoms and was bruised. SENT: 750 words, photos.
———————————————
HOW TO REACH US
————————————————-
At the Nerve Center, Vincent K. Wills can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Donald E. King (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from http://newsroom.ap.org. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.
