AP News Digest 3 am

APTOPIX Tokyo Olympics Athletics (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

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.

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TOP STORIES

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-BIDEN-ANALYSIS — President Joe Biden’s administration drew up a strategy to contain one coronavirus strain, then another showed up that’s much more contagious. If Biden’s pandemic response is found wanting, Republican governors opposed to pandemic mandates also face an accounting. By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Zeke Miller. SENT: 990 words, photos, video. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-BIDEN — Biden chides Republican governors who resist vaccine rules.

CUOMO-SEXUAL-HARASSMENT-EXPLAINER — Just over a year ago, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo was widely beloved for his telegenic response to the coronavirus pandemic. But allegations of sexual assault and harassment sent the Democrat tumbling into a monthslong fall from grace, reaching a nadir with the release of a report substantiating allegations from 11 women. SENT: 1,110 words, photos, videos.

THE EXTRA PRESSURE — Being a young Black woman in American life comes with its own built-in pressure to perform, and entails much more than meets the eye. But for people like Naomi Osaka and Simone Biles, both prominent young Black women athletes under the pressure of a global Olympic spotlight, the glare on the world’s stage is even hotter. By Aaron Morrison, Astrid Galvan and Deepti Hajela. SENT: 1,300 words, photos.

CONGRESS-EVICTION MORATORIUM-BUSH — Missouri congresswoman Cori Bush once lived in a Ford Explorer with her two young children. Two decades later, that experience led the freshman Democrat to camp outside the U.S. Capitol, aiming to draw a spotlight to a pandemic-era eviction ban. By Brian Slodysko and Jim Salter. SENT: 980 words, photos, video. With CONGRESS-EVICTION MORATORIUM — CDC issues new eviction ban for most of U.S. through Oct. 3.

SUMMER OF EXTREMES — Extreme weather keeps smacking places this summer, but scientists say there’s something different this year from the recent drumbeat of climate weirdness. This summer a lot of the places hit are not used to getting extremes and many of them are wealthier, which is different from the normal climate change victims. By Seth Borenstein and Frank Jordans. SENT: 900 words, photos.

IRAN-INTERNET FREEDOM FEARS — A new bill to restrict access to social media applications in Iran has sent a wave of panic through society, stirring concerns among young Iranians, avid social media users and business owners. By Mehdi Fattahi and Isabel Debre. SENT: 900 words, photos.

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MORE ON THE OLYMPICS

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EXPLAINER-OLYMPICS AND DIPLOMACY — For all the International Olympic Committee talks of staying neutral, its games have long proven to be essentially and sometimes overtly political — for the games overall, and often for the athletes who are intended to entertain the world in a two-week show. UPCOMING: 770 words, photos by 4 a.m.

BELARUS EXPLAINER — A feud between Belarusian Olympic sprinter Krystsina Tsimanouskaya and her team officials that prompted her to seek refuge in Europe has cast a new spotlight on the repressive environment in the ex-Soviet nation where authorities have unleashed a relentless crackdown on dissent. UPCOMING: 850 words, photo by 4 a.m.

WOMEN’S-400-HURDLES — Sydney McLaughlin of the United States broke her world record and won the Olympic 400-meter-hurdles gold. SENT: 1,020 words, photos. With TOKYO-OLYMPICS-THE-LATEST.

PAUL NEWBERRY-BRINGING UP THE REAR — As the world’s greatest open water swimmers jostled for the lead at Tokyo Bay, my eyes kept drifting to the tiny little figure falling further and further behind everyone else at Tokyo Bay: To an Algerian who just wanted to finish. By Sports Columnist Paul Newberry. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4 a.m.

BUBBLE REMINDERS — There are clear similarities between what basketball players are having to endure at these Tokyo Olympics and what went on last summer for NBA and WNBA players. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. SENT: 700 words, photos. With NEXT INTERNATIONAL WAVE — There are now 52 NBA players at the Tokyo Games.

DEARING’S-DISAPPOINTMENT — Coming into the Olympics, Alice Dearing made a huge impact in the debate over ways to make swimming a more diverse sport. She had hoped to further her efforts with a strong performance in Tokyo Bay, but it wasn’t to be. By Sports Writer Paul Newberry. SENT: 470 photos, photos.

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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

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RESCUED TAHOE CUB ESCAPES — Bear cub rescued from Sierra wildfire escapes Tahoe center. SENT: 200 words, photos.

SUMO-SCARE — Sumo scare? Riders say horses might be spooked by statue. SENT: 570 words, photos.

AIRLINES-CANCELED-FLIGHTS — Spirit cancels half its flights; American also struggling. SENT: 640 words, photos.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SOUTH-AFRICA-VACCINATIONS — Hitting its stride after a faltering start, South Africa’s mass vaccination campaign gave jabs to 220,000 people a day last week and is accelerating toward the goal of 300,000 per day. SENT: 770 words, photos. With VIRUS-OUTBREAK-THE LATEST.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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ELECTION 2021-OHIO-HOUSE — Mike Carey, a coal lobbyist backed by former President Donald Trump, beat a bevy of Republicans in central Ohio, while Cuyahoga County Council member Shontel Brown pulled out a victory for the Democratic establishment in Cleveland, in a pair of primary elections for open House seats. SENT: 810 words, photos.

CONGRESS-INFRASTRUCTURE — The senators who spent months stitching together a nearly $1 trillion infrastructure package are now trying to sell it to the American people ahead of a key vote expected later this week. SENT: 1,000 words, photos, video.

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INTERNATIONAL

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PERSIAN-GULF-TENSIONS — The hijackers who seized a vessel off the coast of the United Arab Emirates in the Gulf of Oman left the targeted ship, the British navy reported, without elaborating. SENT: 610 words, photos.

GREECE-HEAT-WAVE — Firefighting planes resumed operation at first light in Greece to tackle a major forest fire on the northern outskirts of Athens that forced thousands to flee their homes the previous day amid the country’s worst heat wave in decades. SENT: 440 words, photos.

MALAYSIA-POLITICS — Embattled Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin refuses to resign after a key ally pulled support for him but said he will seek a vote of confidence in Parliament next month to prove his legitimacy to govern. SENT: 370 words, photo.

UNITED NATIONS-ISLAMIC STATE EXTREMISTS — Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says in a new report that the threat to international peace and security from the Islamic State extremist group is rising, pointing to an “alarming” expansion of its affiliates in Africa and its focus on a comeback in its former self-declared “caliphate” in Syria and Iraq. SENT: 700 words.

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NATIONAL

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WESTERN-WILDFIRES — Thousands of firefighters have prepared for a tougher fight against California’s largest wildfire as extremely dangerous weather returns, threatening to stoke flames into explosive growth. SENT: 550 words, photos, video.

SEATTLE-MAYOR — Voters in Seattle’s mayoral primary set up a choice between candidates representing the political divide between activist-left residents and more moderate progressives in one of the nation’s most liberal cities. SENT: 570 words, photos.

CALIFORNIA-RECALL — Republican candidates heading into their first televised debate in California’s looming recall election face a gamble: whether to pile up on Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom or try to undercut each other in front of a statewide audience. SENT: 690 words, photos.

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BUSINESS

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FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Asian stocks were mostly higher as traders mirrored overnight gains on Wall Street during another busy earnings week. SENT: 430 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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At the Nerve Center, Jerome Minerva can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Wally Santana (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.