AP News Digest 3 am

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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ONLY ON AP

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR — Nearly 2 million Ukrainians refugees have been sent to Russia. Their journey starts not with a gun to the head, but with a poisoned choice: Die in Ukraine or live in Russia. Those who choose to live in Russia are then taken through a series of what are known as filtration points, where treatment ranges from interrogation and strip searches to being yanked aside and never seen again. Ukraine portrays these journeys as forced transfers to enemy ground, which is considered a war crime. Russia calls them humanitarian evacuations. An AP investigation found that many refugees are indeed forced to embark on a surreal journey into Russia, subjected along the way to human rights abuses. It also found an underground network of Russians trying to help Ukrainians escape. By Lori Hinnant, Cara Anna, Vasilisa Stepanenko and Sarah El Deeb. SENT: 3,500 words, photos. An abridged version of 1,060 words is also available.

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TOP STORIES

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SRI LANKA — Sri Lanka’s Parliament is voting by secret ballot for a new president to lead the country out of the deep political, economic and humanitarian crisis that toppled the previous leader and has left simmering tensions in the island nation. By Krishan Francis. SENT: 770 words, photos.

ELECTION 2022-MARYLAND — Dan Cox, a far-right Maryland legislator endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has won the Republican primary for Maryland governor. Cox defeated a moderate rival backed by outgoing Gov. Larry Hogan. Cox will face the winner of the Democratic primary in the November general election. Despite being a win for Trump, Cox’s victory over former Hogan Cabinet member Kelly Schulz could be a blow to Republican chances to hold on to the seat in November. By Brian Witte. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.

UNITED STATES-UKRAINE-CORRUPTION — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s dismissal of senior officials is casting an inconvenient light on an issue — Ukraine’s history of rampant corruption and shaky governance — that the Biden administration has largely ignored since the outbreak of war with Russia. By Matthew Lee and Nomaan Merchant. SENT: 1,040 words, photos.

TEXAS SCHOOL SHOOTING-LOCKDOWNS — Nearly two months after a deadly shooting a Texas elementary school, a Texas House of Representatives committee report found that frequent lockdowns contributed to a “diminished sense of vigilance about responding to security alerts.” Nearly 50 security alerts and lockdowns were called in Uvalde since February, many of which are attributed to “bailouts” — a local term for people fleeing from law enforcement after crossing into the U.S. By Jake Bleiberg and Acacia Coronado. SENT: 1,190 words, photos.

TRUMP-PENCE — Former Vice President Mike Pence is becoming increasingly brazen in his willingness to counter former President Donald Trump. The two will hold dueling rallies in Arizona on Friday, and they will again cross paths a few days later when they deliver major speeches in Washington. By Jill Colvin. SENT: 920 words, photos.

EUROPE-HEAT — Britain shattered its record for highest temperature ever registered amid a heat wave that has seared swaths of Europe, as the U.K.’s national weather forecaster said such highs are now a fact of life in a country ill-prepared for such extremes. By Danica Kirka and Jill Lawless. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

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MORE ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

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EU ENERGY — The European Commission presents its emergency plan on energy and how to keep its 27 member countries warm next winter amid fears that Russia will cut off gas supplies. UPCOMING: 400 words, photos by 6 a.m.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-MICRONESIA — Micronesia has likely become the final nation in the world with a population of more than 100,000 to experience an outbreak of COVID-19. SENT: 400 words, photo.

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TRENDING

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SESAME PLACE-PARADE INCIDENT — Sesame Place apologizes after Black girls snubbed at parade. SENT: 370 words.

LAW & ORDER SET-SHOOTING Man shot dead while working at “Law & Order” film location. SENT: 230 words, photos.

MUSK-TWITTER — Twitter-Musk takeover dispute heading for an October trial. SENT: 650 words, photos.

NASCAR-CHICAGO STREET RACE — NASCAR to hit the streets of Chicago with downtown race. SENT: 780 words, photos.

HOOVER DAM-EXPLOSION — Hoover Dam transformer explodes; no one hurt. SENT: 560 words, photos, video.

PLANE-BLOWN TIRES — Delta flight from Atlanta blows tires at Los Angeles landing. SENT: 160 words.

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WASHINGTON

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BIDEN-CLIMATE — President Joe Biden is announcing new actions on climate change at a former coal plant in Somerset, Massachusetts, that is shifting to one powered by wind. UPCOMING: 470 words, photo by 5 a.m.; 750 words after 2:45 p.m. remarks.

CONGRESS-MARRIAGE RIGHTS — The U.S. House overwhelmingly approved legislation to protect same-sex and interracial marriages amid concerns that the Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe v. Wade abortion access could jeopardize other rights criticized by many conservatives. By Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 1,060 words, photos, videos.

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NATIONAL

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MOTHER AND SON KILLED — Once-prominent and now-disbarred South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh is briefly leaving jail for a bond hearing on murder charges in the shootings of his wife and son 13 months ago. SENT: 580 words, photo. UPCOMING: Developing from 10 a.m. hearing.

IVANA TRUMP — Ivana Trump, an icon of 1980s style, wealth and excess and a businesswoman who helped her husband build an empire that launched him to the presidency, is set to be celebrated at a funeral Mass in New York City. SENT: 250 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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ITALY-RABBI REVIVING ROOTS — From a tiny synagogue she fashioned from her ancestral home in a southern Italian mountain village, an American rabbi is keeping a promise made to her Italian-born father. She is reconnecting people in the region of Calabria to their Jewish roots. SENT: 1,180 words, photos.

MEXICO-DRUG LORD — When fugitive 1980s Mexican drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero was arrested in Mexico last week, it stirred up old, terrible memories for Lannie Walker, the daughter of American writer John Clay Walker. SENT: 710 words, photos.

AFGHANISTAN-ADDICTION-PHOTO GALLERY — Drug addiction has long been a problem in Afghanistan, the world’s biggest producer of opium and heroin, fueled by persistent poverty and by decades of war that left few families unscarred. SENT: 760 words, photos.

MYANMAR LANDMINES — Amnesty International says Myanmar’s military is laying landmines in and around villages in Kayah, a conflict-affected region near the border with Thailand. SENT: 430 words, photos.

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BUSINESS/ECONOMY

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SOARING DIESEL FUEL-IMPACT — The price of diesel fuel has skyrocketed in recent months — much more even than regular gasoline — especially after Russia invaded Ukraine in February. By Business Writer Cathy Bussewitz. UPCOMING: 1,300 words, photos by 6 a.m.

FINANCIAL MARKETS — Asian shares advanced after Wall Street rallied to its best day in more than three weeks as companies reported strong profits for the past quarter. By Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach. SENT: 470 words, photos.

HOME SALES — The National Association of Realtors reports on sales of existing homes in June. By Business Writer Alex Veiga. UPCOMING: 130 words, photo after 10 a.m. release, then updated.

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SPORTS

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ALL-STAR GAME — Giancarlo Stanton and Byron Buxton homered back-to-back in the fourth inning to rally the American League over the National League 3-2 in the All-Star Game, the AL’s ninth straight victory in the Midsummer Classic. By Sports Writer Beth Harris. SENT: 1,430 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, Shuji Kajiyama (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.