AP News Digest 3 a.m.
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Your support makes all the difference.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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A DANGEROUS AMERICA — Amid the stream of mass shootings that have become chillingly commonplace in America, the reality of the nation’s staggering murder rate can often be seen more clearly in the deaths that never make national news. These are seemingly mundane disputes that spin out of control and someone goes for a gun. By Michael Tarm and Brynn Anderson. SENT: 1,500 words, photos. An abridged version is also available.
SHOOTING-JULY FOURTH PARADE — The man accused of opening fire at an Independence Day parade in suburban Chicago legally bought five weapons, including two high-powered rifles. Authorities said the purchases were allowed even though police were called to his home twice in 2019 for threats of violence and suicide. The suspect was charged with seven counts of murder. He is expected to appear at bond hearing Wednesday. SENT: 1,300 words, photos, video. With: SHOOTING-JULY FOURTH PARADE-VICTIMS — Parents of boy, 2, found alone at parade shooting among dead (sent).
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Despite a massive government crackdown on protests of the invasion of Ukraine, some Russians persist in speaking out against the invasion. Authorities rubber-stamped legislation that outlawed the spread of “false information” about the invasion and disparaging the military. They have used it against anyone who spoke out publicly against the attack or talked about the atrocities Russian troops were committing in Ukraine. Some have paid a heavy price. SENT: 900 words, photos.
UNITED STATES-G20-FOREIGN MINISTERS — Foreign ministers from the world’s largest nations are looking to address the war in Ukraine and its impact on energy and food security when they meet this week. Yet instead of providing unity, the talks may well exacerbate splits over the Ukraine conflict. By Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee. SENT: 960 words, photos.
BRITAIN-POLITICS — Prime Minister Boris Johnson appears before MPs, the day after two of Britain’s most senior Cabinet ministers quit after months of scandals. Treasury chief Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Sajid Javid resigned within minutes of each other. Johnson has been hit by allegations he failed to come clean about a lawmaker who was appointed to a senior position despite claims of sexual misconduct. UPCOMING 700 words, photos by 5 a.m.
CAPITOL RIOT-JURY POOL — A growing number of Capitol riot defendants are pushing to get their trials moved out of Washington, claiming they can’t get a fair trial before unbiased jurors in the District of Columbia. So far, judges presiding over the cases have consistently rejected requests for a change of venue. By Michael Kunzelman. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.
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TRENDING
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FDA-JUUL — The Food and Drug Administration issues a stay of its recent order for vaping company Juul to pull its electronic cigarettes from the market. The FDA says the stay is temporary while it conducts further review. SENT: 200 words, photo.
OBIT-BAND OF BROTHERS-BRADFORD FREEMAN — Bradford Freeman, the last survivor of the Army unit featured in the World War II oral history book and miniseries “Band of Brothers” has died at 97. SENT: 230 words.
RUSSIA-GRINER-LETTER — Brittney Griner’s appeal to President Biden in a handwritten letter continues to draw reaction after the WNBA All-Star acknowledged she fears never returning home. SENT: 730 words, photos.
CHINA-DATA BREACH — Hackers claim to have obtained a trove of data on 1 billion Chinese from a Shanghai police database in a leak that, if confirmed, could be one of the largest data breaches in history. SENT: 660 words, photos.
GREAT SALT LAKE — The Great Salt Lake hits a historic low for the second time in less than a year amid an ongoing megadrought. SENT: 100 words, photos.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHINA — Residents of parts of Shanghai and Beijing have been ordered to undergo further rounds of COVID-19 testing following the discovery of new cases in the two cities. Restaurants have also been restricted to takeout only in the northern city of Xi’an, which endured one of China’s most sweeping lockdowns under the hardline zero-COVID policy. SENT: 730 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CANADA-DISCARDED VACCCINE — Canada is going to throw out about 13.6 million doses of the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine because it couldn’t find any takers for them either at home or abroad. SENT: 200 words.
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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BIDEN-ECONOMY-OHIO — Trying to boost his standing with frustrated blue-collar voters, President Biden on Wednesday will tell workers at a union training center in Cleveland that his policies will shore up troubled pension funding for millions. SENT: 850 words, photo.
GEORGIA-ELECTIONS INVESTIGATION — A Georgia prosecutor investigating the conduct of former President Donald Trump and his allies after the 2020 election has subpoenaed Lindsey Graham, Rudy Giuliani, and other members of Trump’s campaign legal team to testify before a grand jury. The move marks a major escalation in a case that could pose a legal challenge to the former president as he weighs another White House run. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
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INTERNATIONAL
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SRI LANKA-ECONOMIES IN TROUBLE — Sri Lanka is desperate for help to weather its worst crisis in recent memory, but it’s not the only economy that’s in serious trouble as prices of food, fuel and other staples soar, partly due to the war in Ukraine. Alarm bells are ringing for many economies, from Laos and Pakistan to Venezuela and Afghanistan. By Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.
AUSTRALIA-FLOODS — Floodwaters have inundated or are threatening the homes of 85,000 people around Sydney. Rivers are starting to recede, but several remained at major flood levels Wednesday. SENT: 450 words, photos. With: AUSTRALIA-FLOODS-EXPLAINER — Factors behind Sydney’s recent flood emergencies. (sent).
PHILIPPINES-CHINA — New Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will meet China’s top diplomat to discuss long-simmering disputes in the South China Sea as he wades into foreign policy dilemmas that include the U.S.-China rivalry in the region. SENT: 650 words, photos.
EGYPT HOUSEBOATS — An Egyptian government push to remove the string of houseboats that dot Cairo’s Nile River banks has seen their numbers dwindle from several dozen to just a handful. Government efforts to remove them have drawn criticism in Egypt, where residents are mourning the loss of not just their homes but a way of life. SENT: 950 words, photos.
ARGENTINA-ECONOMY-MINISTER — The abrupt resignation of Argentina’s economy minister has engulfed the country in an all-too familiar anxiety that flows from its periodic financial crises. SENT: 710 words, photos.
TROPICAL WEATHER — Hurricane Bonnie weakens a bit after several hours as the first major storm of the eastern Pacific season while off southern Mexico. It isn't a threat to land. SENT: 220 words, photo.
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NATIONAL
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SHOOTING-JULY FOURTH PAEADE-NO SAFE PLACE — For many people, the mass shooting that killed at least seven people and injured 30 others in a Chicago suburb on July 4 was yet another reminder that any place, any event in the U.S. can turn dangerous or deadly. Highland Park is one of the country’s safest towns, and July 4th parades among the most American of celebrations. Even before Monday’s killings, some people already were on edge, questioning whether to venture into large gatherings, looking over their shoulders during even the most run-of-the-mill activities, from grocery shopping to going to school or catching a movie. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.
CALIFORNIA-WILDFIRES — Evacuation orders are expanded for communities near a forest fire in the Sierra Nevada region that’s steeped with the history of California’s mid-1800s Gold Rush. The blaze triples in size to more than 4.7 square miles. SENT: 320 words, photos.
SEX-TRAFFICKING DEFENSE — Wisconsin’s Supreme Court is set to decide Wednesday whether a sex-trafficking victim accused of homicide can argue at trial that she was justified in killing the man who trafficked her. SENT: 440 words, photos. UPCOMING: Update from decision, expected around 9:30 a.m.
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HEALTH/SCIENCE
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MEXICO-ENDANGERED PORPOISE — The Mexican navy begins a controversial plan to drop concrete blocks onto the bottom of the Gulf of California in a bid to snag illegal nets that drown critically endangered vaquita marina porpoises. SENT: 560 words, photo.
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BUSINESS/ECONOMY
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DRONES-OUT OF SIGHT — For years, there’s been one cardinal rule for flying civilian drones: Keep them within your line of sight. But that’s starting to change as aviation authorities relax some safeguards. Drones can now soar out of their pilots’ sight to inspect power lines in Virginia. They’re tracking endangered sea turtles off Florida’s coast and monitoring seaports and railroads in the U.S. and Europe. SENT: 810 words, photos.
WEST COAST PORTS-LABOR — A contract between shipping companies and 22,000 West Coast dockworkers expires but both sides continue to talk. SENT: 710 words, photos.
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SPORTS
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SRI LANKA-CRICKET FOR RELIEF — The sport of cricket has become a welcome distraction for Sri Lankans looking for a break from the effects of the economic crisis in the country. SENT: 550 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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