AP News Digest 3:20 a.m.
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TOP STORIES
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HAITI-PRESIDENT-KILLED — Seventeen suspects have been detained so far in the stunning assassination of Haiti’s president, and Haitian authorities say two are believed to hold dual U.S.-Haitian citizenship and Colombia’s government says at least six are former members of its army. Léon Charles, chief of Haiti’s National Police, says that 15 of the detainees were from Colombia By Evens Sanon, Dánica Coto and Joshua Goodman. SENT: 1,040 words, photos, videos.
TROPICAL WEATHER-ATLANTIC — Severe weather from Tropical Storm Elsa spurred tornado warnings in southern Delaware as the system moved over the mid-Atlantic states and into the northeastern United States. Forecasters say that Elsa had maximum sustained winds of 50 mph and was located about 100 miles southwest of Atlantic City, New Jersey. By Russ Bynum and Curt Anderson. SENT: 530 words, photos, videos.
IRAQ-MILITIAS — Iraqi Shiite militias are showing a degree of defiance of their patron Iran by escalating rocket and drone attacks on the U.S. presence in the country, militia and Shiite political leaders say. Iran has been pushing the factions to keep calm in Iraq while it holds nuclear negotiations with the United States. But at a meeting last month with a top Iranian general, a militia commander pushed back, saying they could not remain silent after the U.S. killing last year of Iran’s Qassem Soleimani. By Qassim Abdul-Zahra and Samya Kullab. SENT: 880 words, photos.
SOCIAL-MEDIA-THE-QANON-CHALLENGE — On the face of it, you might think that the QAnon conspiracy has largely disappeared from big social media sites. But that’s not quite the case. True, you’re much less likely to find popular QAnon catchphrases like “great awakening,” “the storm” or “trust the plan” on Facebook these days than just a few months ago. But QAnon is far from winding down. It has grown up. By Technology Writer Barbara Ortutay. SENT: 1,010 words, photo.
BUILDING COLLAPSE-DESANTIS — The tragedy in Surfside is exposing voters to a different side of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. He’s still the conservative populist who rarely parts with Donald Trump, but DeSantis is showing that he can tone down some of his most extreme partisan rhetoric during a disaster. By Bobby Caina Calvan and Steven Sloan. SENT: 1,100 words, photos. Also see BUILDING-COLLAPSE-MIAMI below.
Find more on the building collapse in the AP Newsroom hub.
SPELLING-BEE — Zaila Avant-garde of Louisiana spells “murraya” correctly to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee, becoming the first African American champion. By Ben Nuckols. SENT: 980 words, photos.
FATAL GRIZZLY ATTACK — A tiny western Montana town where a grizzly bear pulled a woman from her tent and killed her this week welcomes visitors year-round to the mountain valley community along the banks of a river made famous by the movie “A River Runs Through It.” They come to Ovando to fish, hike, camp and float the river in the summer and to snowmobile, cross country ski or snow shoe in the winter. By Amy Beth Hanson and Matthew Brown. SENT: 1,100 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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FRANCE-US-ARRESTS — Paris police detain rapper Lil Baby, frisk NBA star Harden. SENT: 100 words, photo.
SWEDEN-ACCIDENT — Nine killed when skydiving plane crashes in Sweden. SENT: 90 words, photos.
NEW ZEALAND-HOT AIR BALLOON CRASH — New Zealand hot air balloon crashes, injuring all 11 aboard. SENT: 270 words, photos.
CALIFORNIA-NEVADA-QUAKE — Aftershocks expected for days after California, Nevada quake. SENT: 450 words.
FATAL RESTAURANT SHOOTING-HOUSTON — Two men dead, woman wounded in suspected Texas murder-suicide. SENT: 160 words.
COUNTRY-CLUB-SHOOTINGS — Police: Arrest in slaying of three men found at Georgia golf course. SENT: 280 words.
CHICKEN-PRODUCT-RECALL — Tyson Foods recalls almost 4,500 tons of chicken products. SENT: 200 words, photo.
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THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-US — Pfizer is about to seek U.S. authorization for a third dose of its COVID-19 vaccine, saying that another shot within 12 months could dramatically boost immunity and maybe help ward off the latest worrisome coronavirus mutant. By Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard. SENT: 960 words, photos. With VIRUS-OUTBREAK-THE-LATEST.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-4 MILLION-PHOTO GALLERY — With 4 million COVID dead, many kids left behind. SENT: 1,020 words, photos.
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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Q&A-GEORGIA GOVERNOR — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp says voters “know what the truth is” when it comes to the job he’s performed as governor and he tells The Associated Press he plans to run “scared and hard” in order to win. By Bill Barrow and Jeff Amy. SENT: 1,350 words, photos.
BIDEN-AFGHANISTAN — Biden says the U.S. military operation in Afghanistan will end Aug. 31, delivering an impassioned argument for exiting the nearly 20-year war without sacrificing more American lives even as he bluntly acknowledges there will be no “mission accomplished” moment to celebrate.” SENT: 1,130 words, photos, video.
BIDEN-VOTING RIGHTS — The Biden administration unveils new efforts to help protect voting rights as complaints have grown louder from civil rights activists and other Democrats that the White House has not done enough to fight attempts by several Republican-led state legislatures to restrict access to the ballot. SENT: 940 words, photos.
LATINO OUTREACH — Instead of sitting back, Democrats plan to intensify outreach to Latino communities as Republicans look to capitalize on their 2020 gains. SENT: 1,270 words, photos. An abridged version of 970 words is also available.
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NATIONAL
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BUILDING-COLLAPSE-MIAMI — Rescue workers now focused on finding remains instead of survivors in the rubble of a Florida condominium collapse vow to keep up their search for victims until they cleared all the debris at the site. SENT: 800 words, photos, videos.
PILGRIM-EXCAVATION — Archaeologists combing a hill near Plymouth Rock where a park will be built in tribute to the Pilgrims and their Native American predecessors have made a poignant discovery: It’s not the first time the site has been used as a memorial. SENT: 510 words, photos.
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INTERNATIONAL
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UNITED-NATIONS-NILE-RIVER-DAM — Egypt and Sudan urged the U.N. Security Council to undertake “preventive diplomacy” and call for a legally binding agreement to resolve a dispute with Ethiopia over the availability of water from its dam on the Nile River, but Ethiopia insisted the matter can be solved by the African Union and many council members agreed. SENT: 890 words, photo.
MOLDOVA-ELECTION — Moldovan voters go to the polls this weekend in a snap parliamentary election that could decide whether the former Soviet republic fully embraces pro-Western reforms or prolongs a political impasse under strong Russian influence. SENT: 770 words, photos.
BULGARIA-ELECTION — Voters will go to the polls in Bulgaria for the second time in three months this weekend after no party secured enough support in an April parliamentary election to form a government. SENT: 480 words, photos.
GLOBAL HUNGER-OXFAM — The anti-poverty organization Oxfam says 11 people die of hunger each minute and that the number facing famine-like conditions around the globe has increased six times over the last year. SENT: 370 words, photo.
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BUSINESS/ECONOMY
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FINANCIAL MARKETS — Shares were mostly lower in Asia after stocks pulled back from their recent record highs on Wall Street as bond yields fell and investors turned cautious. By Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach. SENT: 660 words, photos.
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SPORTS
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ON BASKETABALL-NBA FINALS — Phoenix coach Monty Williams keeps pushing all the right buttons, and his motivational tactics were on full display as the Suns took a 2-0 series lead over the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Finals. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. SENT: 790 words, photos.
PANDEMIC CHAMPIONS-ANALYSIS — The Tampa Bay Lightning pulled off arguably the hardest title defense in NHL history by winning the Stanley Cup back to back in a pandemic. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. SENT: 790 words, photos.
EURO-2020-A-NEW-ENGLAND? — Many British people of color have long had an ambivalent relationship with symbols of Englishness and England’s national soccer team, which has reached the final of a major tournament for the first time since it won the World Cup in 1966. SENT: 1,050 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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