AP News Digest 3 a.m.

California Recall 5 Questions (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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CALIFORNIA RECALL — In a blitz of TV ads and a last-minute rally, California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom urged voters to defeat a looming recall that could remove him from office. Meanwhile, leading Republican Larry Elder broadly criticized the media for what he described as double standards that insulated Newsom from scrutiny throughout the contest. SENT: words, photos. WITH: CALIFORNIA RECALL-5 QUESTIONS -- California’s recall on Tuesday will be the biggest election since Joe Biden became president, and its results may hint at the political trajectory of the country. In a state where Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-to-1, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom is seen as having the upper hand in his bid to fend off the GOP-fueled recall. Republican talk show host Larry Elder is the leading Republican replacement. SENT: 1,000 words, photos. CALIFORNIA RECALL — RACE CALLS (sent)

BIDEN-WESTERN STATES -- President Joe Biden is determined to drum up support for his massive $3.5 trillion spending plan by linking it to beating back wildfires and upgrading social programs during visits to three Western states that also coincide with California’s recall election. By Aamer Madhani. SENT: 750 words, photos.

KOREAS-TENSION — North Korea says it successfully test fired newly developed long-range cruise missiles. The tests over the weekend would be the country’s first known testing activity in months and would underscore how it continues to expand its military capabilities amid a stalemate in nuclear negotiations with the United States. SENT: 900 words, photos.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — Israeli aircraft have struck targets in the Gaza Strip in response to a series of rocket launches out of the Hamas-ruled territory. It’s the third consecutive night of fighting between the enemies. SENT: 300 words, photos.

CHANGING ECONOMY-DOWNTOWN BLUES — Businesses in downtowns across the country that relied on office workers as their main customers before the pandemic have had to adapt as offices remain closed and workers do their jobs remotely. Some have had to shutter, while others are relying more on residential traffic and dinner crowds and making other changes. The hope for many was a return toward normalcy after Labor Day as companies reopened. But now that many offices have scrapped plans to return in September, downtown small businesses are reckoning with the fact that their adjustments may become permanent. By Mae Anderson and Tom Krisher. SENT: 900 words, photos. This is the Tuesday Spotlight

TEN--US OPEN — Novak Djokovic’s bid for the first calendar-year Grand Slam in men’s tennis since 1969 ended with a loss to Daniil Medvedev in the U.S. Open final. Medvedev’s 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory Sunday gave him his first major championship and prevented Djokovic from collecting what would have been the record 21st of his career. By Howard Fendrich.. SENT: 1,33O words, photos. WITH US OPEN-MEDVEDEV (sent.)

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TRENDING NEWS

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US--MTV MUSIC VIDEO AWARDS — Lil Nas X won video of the year at Sundays MTV VMAs on a night that Justin Bieber triumphantly returned to the stage as a performer and as winner of the artist of the year. SENT: 940 words, photos.

PEOPLE-BRITNEY SPEARS — Britney Spears has announced her engagement to her boyfriend Sam Asghari with an exuberant post displaying a diamond ring engraved with the word lioness. SENT: 230 words, photos.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW YORK — Classroom doors are swinging open for about a million New York City public school students in the nation’s largest experiment of in-person learning during the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 760 words, photo.

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WASHINGTON

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CAPITOL BREACH-RALLY -- Allies of former President Donald Trump are calling those charged in the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol “political prisoners” ahead of a rally planned for Saturday at the Capitol, the latest attempt to explain away the insurrection that sought to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s election. By Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 1,080 words, photos.

CONGRESS-BUDGET -- As congressional Democrats speed ahead this week in pursuit of President Joe Biden’s $3.5 trillion plan for social and environmental spending, a Democratic senator vital to the bill’s fate says the cost will need to be slashed to $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion to win his support. By Hope Yen. SENT: 680 words, photos.

AMY CONEY BARRETT — Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett is expressing concerns that the public may increasingly see the court as a partisan institution. SENT: 720 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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TROPICAL WEATHER -- Tropical Storm Nicholas is expected to strengthen as it heads for the Gulf Coast. Forecasters at the National Hurricane Center in Miami say coastal areas of Texas, Mexico and Louisiana could see heavy rain and floods. SENT: 690 words, photo.

MINNESOTA MOSQUE BOMBINGS — The leader of an Illinois anti-government militia group who authorities say was the mastermind behind the 2017 bombing of a Minnesota mosque is scheduled to be sentenced Monday on several civil rights and hate crimes for an attack that left a community terrified. SENT: 920 words, photos.

APARTMENT EXPLOSION — An explosion rocked an apartment building in suburban Atlanta, causing the three-story complex to partially collapse and leaving four people with minor injuries. SENT: 380 words, photo. UPCOMING: Developing.

WESTERN WILDFIRES — Authorities have reopened nearly all lanes of a major Southern California highway as firefighters made progress on a wildfire that jumped across the road. SENT: 480 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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DUBAI DELIVERY DEATHS — Advocates and workers say that casualties among food delivery riders are mounting in Dubai as the pandemic accelerates a boom in customer demand. The trend has transformed the city’s streets and drawn thousands of desperate riders, predominantly Pakistanis, into the high-risk, lightly regulated and sometimes-fatal work. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.

AUSTRALIA-ISRAELI PRINCIPAL — A former school principal extradited from Israel after a six-year legal battle has appeared in an Australian court to hear evidence behind child sex abuse charges against her. SENT: 450 words, photos.

MALAYSIA POLITICS — Barely a month in office, Malaysia’s new leader has won opposition support to shore up his fragile government in exchange for a slew of reforms as Parliament reopens. SENT: 440 words, photo.

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ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT

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MET GALA -- The first of this year’s two-part Met Gala kicks off Monday night with a more intimate affair. Organizers haven’t said exactly how intimate but promise no less the star power after the celebrity-splashed party was canceled last year due to the pandemic. SENT: 470 words, photos.

FASHION-TOM FORD — The Champagne was cold and the front row star studded Sunday night as Tom Ford closed New York Fashion Week at Lincoln Center with a spring-summer collection of sporty glam. SENT: 510 words, photos.

TV EMMYS-CREATIVE ARTS — Claire Foy, Courtney B. Vance, Maya Rudolph and Dave Chappelle won guest actor Emmys at Sunday’s creative arts awards ceremony. SENT: 410 words, photos.

VENICE FILM FESTIVAL-PHOTO GALLERY — All across the Lido, you could see it on the stars’ faces: sheer joy. Whether it was Timothée Chalamet’s beaming face greeting fans or those looks exchanged between Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, the 78th Venice International Film Festival mixed elegance and fun in a way rarely seen since early 2020. SENT: 340 words, photos.

FILM-BOX OFFICE — “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” stayed on top at the box office, collecting $35.8 million in ticket sales in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. SENT: 560 words, photo.

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BUSINESS

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APPLE-APP-STORE-ON-TRIAL — Epic Games filed notice that is appealing a federal judge’s decision in a lawsuit alleging that Apple has been running an illegal monopoly that stifles competition. SENT: 480 words, photo.

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SPORTS

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DODGERS-SCHERZER-3000 — Max Scherzer of the Los Angeles Dodgers became the 19th player in major league history with 3,000 strikeouts and nearly completed a perfect game. SENT: 460 words, photos.

FBN-NFL-FANS RETURN — Tailgating, face-painted fans returned in full force at stadiums around the country as the NFL opened its doors to capacity for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic. Some wore masks, some didn’t. Some are vaccinated, some aren’t. By Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi. SENT: 1,020 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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