AP News Digest 3 a.m.
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TOP STORIES
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TROPICAL WEATHER — Tropical Depression Claudette is regaining strength and expected to return to tropical storm status as it nears the coasts of North and South Carolina. The system had maximum sustained winds of 35 mph early Monday, less than two days after Claudette was blamed for 13 deaths in Alabama. A multi-vehicle crash killed eight children who were riding in a van for a youth home for abused or neglected kids. The wreck also claimed the lives of a Tennessee man and his infant daughter. Separately, a tree fell on a home killing an adult and a toddler, and a woman whose car ran off the road into a swollen creek died in north Alabama. By Jeff and Amy Forliti . SENT: 700 words, photos, video.
BIDEN-CONGRESS -- Until recently, the act of governing seemed to happen at the speed of presidential tweets. But now President Joe Biden is settling in for what appears will be a long, summer slog of legislating. By Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 910 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-INDIA-VACCINE HESISTANCY — India’s vaccination efforts are being undermined by widespread hesitancy and fear of the jabs, fueled by misinformation and mistrust. That’s especially true in rural India, where two-thirds of the country’s nearly 1.4 billion people live. Health workers are facing stiff resistance in villages, where some flee their homes until the workers are gone. By Rajesh Kumar Singh. SENT: 980 words, photos.
IRAN NUCLEAR-POWER PLANT — Iran’s state TV says the country’s sole nuclear power plant has undergone a temporary emergency shutdown. An official from the state electric energy company said on a talk show that the Bushehr plant shutdown began on Saturday and would last “for three to four days.” He said that outages could result. He did not elaborate but this is the first time Iran has reported an emergency shutdown of the plant, located in the sport city of Bushehr. It went online in 2011 with help from Russia. In March, Iran said the plant could stop working since it couldn’t buy needed equipment from Russia because of sanctions. SENT: 485 words, photos.
ETHIOPIA ELECTION — Polls have opened as Ethiopia is voting in the greatest electoral test yet for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as war and logistical issues mean ballots won’t be cast in more than 100 constituencies of the 547 across the country. The election is the centerpiece of a reform drive by Abiy, whose rise to power in 2018 seemed to signal a break with decades of authoritarian rule and led to his Nobel Peace Prize. But opposition groups have accused authorities of harassment and threats of violence that echo past abuses. Abiy’s Prosperity Party is widely expected to cement its hold on power in the legislative elections. SENT: 540 words, photos.
CYBERSECURITY-RANSOMWARE-BANNING PAYMENTS -- If your business falls victim to ransomware and you want simple advice on whether to pay the criminals, don’t expect much help from the U.S. government. The answer is apt to be: It depends. By Frank Bajak. SENT: 1,190 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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STONEWALL-BEER BAN — The Stonewall Inn’s owners say they won’t serve certain beers at the famous LGBT bar during Pride weekend to protest manufacturer Anheuser-Busch’s political contributions to some politicians who have supported anti-LGBT legislation. SENT: 260 words, photos.
RUSSIA-US AMBASSADOR — Russia’s ambassador has returned to the United States three months after being recalled as tensions rose between Moscow and Washington. SENT: 120 words.
MISSISSIPPI-FORMER LAWMAKER KILLED — A man has been arrested for arson in a December fire that killed the sister-in-law of a former Mississippi lawmaker. SENT: 280 words, photo.
BOOKS-WILL SMITH — Will Smith is ready to open up about his life story. Penguin Press announced Sunday that Smith will release his memoir called “Will” on Nov. 9. SENT: 210 words, photos.
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MORE ON VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-JAPAN COMPANIES — Thousands of Japanese companies began distributing COVID-19 vaccines to workers and their families Monday in an employer-led drive that aims to rev up the nation’s slow vaccine rollout. Beverage maker Suntory plans to inoculate 51,500 people, including part-time workers and employees’ families. Toyota, Fast Retailing and Rakuten are among 3,500 companies that have signed up for the drive. SENT: 390 words, photos.
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NATIONAL
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RANKED CHOICE VOTING-EXPLAINER — Ranked choice voting makes its debut in New York City’s mayoral primary Tuesday. Rather than pick just one candidate, voters get to rank several in order of preference. Even if a voter’s top choice doesn’t have enough support to win, their rankings of other candidates still play a role in determining the victor. One downside of the system is it makes it tough to forecast a winner before the vote count is complete. SENT: 800 words, photos.
BICYCLISTS-STRUCK-DRIVER-SHOT — Authorities were trying to determine why a 35-year-old man driving a pickup truck plowed into bicyclists during a community road race in Arizona, critically injuring six riders. SENT: 410 words, photos. Developing.
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INTERNATIONAL
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MEXICO-VIOLENCE — Fear has invaded the Mexican border city of Reynosa after gunmen in vehicles killed 14 people, including taxis drivers, workers and a nursing student, and security forces responded with operations that left four suspects dead. SENT: 650 words, photo.
KOREA-US — President Joe Biden’s special envoy for North Korea says he hopes to see a positive reaction from the North soon on U.S. offers for talks after the North Korean leader ordered officials to prepare for both dialogue and confrontation. SENT: 360 words, photos.
ARMENIA ELECTION — Election results show that the party of Armenia’s acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has won snap parliamentary elections which he called to ease anger over a peace deal he signed with Azerbaijan. The election commission said Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party won 53.9% of the vote. Former President Robert Kocharyan’s bloc was a distant second with about 21%. SENT: 520 words, photos.
DUBAI-MISSING PRINCESS — A Dubai princess who has been the subject of concern from a United Nations panel after being seized trying to flee the sheikhdom in 2018 has appeared in a social media post that described her as being in Spain on a “European holiday.” SENT: 400 words, photos.
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WASHINGTON
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CYBERSECURITY-RANSOMWARE-BANNING PAYMENTS -- If your business falls victim to ransomware and you want simple advice on whether to pay the criminals, don’t expect much help from the U.S. government. The answer is apt to be: It depends. By Technology Writer Frank Bajak. SENT: 1,190 words, photos.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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FILM-BOX-OFFICE — “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” struck the top box office target. The Lionsgate’s film starring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek brought in $11.6 million domestically to claim the No. 1 spot in its debut. SENT: 460 words, photo.
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SPORTS
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GLF-US OPEN — Two career-changing putts for Jon Rahm brought two trophies Sunday. The first was his 3-month-old son that he cradled in his arms on Father’s Day. Then he collected the silver U.S. Open trophy after a performance filled with passion and absent of blunders that wiped out everyone else. SENT: 1,230 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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