AP News Digest 3 a.m.
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ONLY ON AP
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AWOL-WEAPONS — An Associated Press investigation has found that at least 1,900 U.S. military firearms were lost or stolen over the last decade. These weapons are intended for war — but some have ended up on America’s streets. Security lapses included unlocked doors, sleeping troops and a surveillance system that didn’t record. The Pentagon and armed services say that missing firearms are a tiny fraction of the military’s stockpile and note that some weapons are recovered. By Kristin M. Hall, James Laporta, Justin Pritchard and Justin Myers. SENT: 3,110 words, photos, video. An abridged version of 1,030 words is also available. With AWOL WEAPONS-TAKEAWAYS; AWOL WEAPONS-WEAPONS GUIDE; AWOL WEAPONS-GANG GUNS; AWOL WEAPONS-ARMORY BURGLAR; AWOL WEAPONS-BACKYARD GRENADES; and various state sidebars.
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TOP STORIES
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BIDEN-EU — President Joe Biden aims to tamp down trade tensions with European allies as he spends one last day consulting with western democracies ahead of his highly anticipated meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin By Lorne Cook, Jonathan Lemire and Aamer Madhani. SENT: 740 words, photos, video. UPCOMING: 900 words after 6 a.m. meeting.
BIDEN-PUTIN-SYRIA — Biden will seek to stave off another surge of civilian suffering in the devastating war in Syria when he meets Putin. Biden is expected to urge Putin to drop his threat to close the last aid crossing into Syria. By Ellen Knickmeyer. SENT: 540 words, photos. Also see SWITZERLAND-US-RUSSIA-SUMMIT below.
CYBERSECURITY-CHINESE HACKING — A cyberespionage campaign blamed on China was more sweeping than previously known, with suspected state-backed hackers exploiting a device meant to boost internet security to penetrate the computers of critical U.S. entities. The Associated Press has learned that the hackers targeted telecommunications giant Verizon and the country’s largest water agency. By Alan Suderman. SENT: 970 words, photo.
SWAT SHOOTING-GEORGIA — The family of a Black man fatally shot by police in Georgia wants answers in a case that resembles the highly publicized death of Breonna Taylor. Johnny Lorenzo Bolton was on a couch in his apartment near Atlanta in December when police serving a narcotics search warrant burst through the front door with no warning. A lawyer for the family says that when the 49-year-old Bolton stood up from the couch, at least one of the officers fired, hitting him with two bullets. He died of his injuries. By Kate Brumback. SENT: 1,390 words, photos, video. An abridged version of 980 words is also available.
ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-NEW-GOVERNMENT — Israel’s fragile new government has shown little interest in addressing the decades-old conflict with the Palestinians, but it may not have a choice. Jewish ultranationalists are already staging provocations aimed at splitting the coalition and bringing about a return to right-wing rule. In doing so, they risk escalating tensions with the Palestinians weeks after an 11-day Gaza war was halted by an informal cease-fire. By Joseph Krauss. SENT: 940 words, photos.
IRAN-ELECTION-ANALYSIS — Iran’s presidential election on Friday, though likely more a coronation for a hardline candidate long cultivated by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, still carries implications for a wider Middle East already roiled by years of tensions between Tehran and the West. Khamenei holds final say over Iran’s military and its nuclear program, but the presidency does control domestic matters such as the economy and serves as the public face of the Islamic Republic. By Jon Gambrell. SENT: 990 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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KASHMIR-TRANSGENDERS-PHOTO-GALLERY — Virus left transgender Kashmiris “on our own.” SENT: 310 words, photos.
DENTIST-SEX-ASSAULTS — Los Angeles dentist charged with sex assaults on patients. SENT: 200 words.
PORN-SITE-SENTENCING — California man gets prison for coercing women for sex films. SENT: 300 words.
TROPICAL WEATHER — Tropical Storm Bill forms far off coast of North Carolina. SENT: 120 words.
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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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COPA-AMERICA-BRAZIL-VIRUS — Brazil’s health ministry has documented 41 cases of COVID-19 related to the Copa America, including 31 players or staffers and 10 workers who were hired for the event. By Sports Writer Mauricio Savarese. SENT: 280 words, photo. With VIRUS-OUTBREAK-THE-LATEST.
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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DEMOCRATS-AGENDA — Progressives are losing patience as Biden and his allies in Congress are struggling to overcome intense Republican opposition to deliver big, bold policies. By National Political Writer Steve Peoples. SENT: 1,130 words, photos.
TRUMP-CONGRESS SPYING — The Justice Department will tighten its rules around obtaining records from members of Congress, and its top national security official is resigning amid revelations the department under former President Donald Trump secretly seized records from Democrats and members of the media. SENT: 1,050 words, photo.
CAPITOL BREACH-UNANSWERED QUESTIONS — A bipartisan Senate report released last week details security failures surrounding the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol and recommends how to fix them, but it has only added to the unanswered questions about the attack. By Mary Clare Jalonick. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.
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INTERNATIONAL
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AUSTRALIA-BRITAIN — Britain and Australia have agreed on a free trade deal, the first for the U.K. since it left the European Union. SENT: 350 words, photos.
SWITZERLAND-US-RUSSIA-SUMMIT — With Biden and Putin heading to town, Geneva is returning to the international spotlight as a leading hub for diplomacy and multilateralism, things that were largely shunned by the Trump administration. SENT: 860 words, photos.
CHINA-NUCLEAR-PLANT — Hong Kong’s leader says that her government is “highly concerned” about the situation at a nearby nuclear power plant in mainland China, following media reports that the plant could be experiencing a leak. SENT: 430 words, photo.
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NATIONAL
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STUDENTS-HIT-OKLAHOMA — The second-degree murder trial of an Oklahoma man accused of crashing his pickup truck into a group of high school cross country runners, killing three and injuring five, is scheduled to begin. SENT: 170 words, photo.
DEATH-PENALTY-SOUTH-CAROLINA — The two South Carolina inmates scheduled to die this month under the state’s recently reconfigured capital punishment statute are asking an appellate court to halt their deaths by electrocution. SENT: 510 words, photo.
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BUSINESS/ECONOMY
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DUBAI-EMIRATES — The Middle East’s largest airline, Emirates, announced a net loss of $5.5 billion over the past year as revenue fell by more than 66% due to global travel restrictions sparked by the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 390 words, photo.
FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Shares were mixed in Asia, with Chinese markets losing ground, after gains in several big-name tech companies including Apple helped nudge the S&P 500 to another record high. By Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach. SENT: 760 words, photos.
FRANCE-IKEA-TRIAL — A panel of judges is to rule whether officials of the French subsidiary of Ikea, the home furnishings giant with a family-friendly image, spied on union representatives, employees and some unhappy customers. SENT: 460 words. UPCOMING: Verdicts expected by 10 a.m.
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SPORTS
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TOKYO-PLAYBOOK — IOC Vice President John Coates arrived in Tokyo, the same day that organizers and the International Olympic Committee were set to roll out the third and final edition of their so-called Playbooks. By Sports Writer Stephen Wade. SENT: 530 words, photos.
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