AP News Digest 4:10 a.m.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.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
—————————
TOP STORIES
—————————
BIDEN-SHADOW OF VIRUS — President Joe Biden took a huge step this week toward a hallmark legislative accomplishment when the Senate voted to begin work on his bipartisan infrastructure bill. But the triumph was shadowed by the surging coronavirus that has forced the restoration of mask guidelines and imperiled the nation’s economic recovery. By Jonathan Lemire. SENT: 1,020 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-AFRICA — A resurgence of coronavirus cases in West Africa is hitting the region hard, inundating cemeteries where funeral numbers are rising and hospitals where beds are becoming scarce. By Carley Petesch. SENT: 940 words, photos.
CONGRESS-EVICTION MORATORIUM — A national eviction moratorium has expired after President Biden and Congress failed to extend it. It was a long-shot effort to prevent millions of Americans from being forced from their homes during a COVID-19 surge. By Lisa Mascaro, Michael Casey and Josh Boak. SENT: 1,110 words, photos, video.
CONGRESS-INFRASTRUCTURE — Senators are returning to the Capitol for a rare Saturday session as they try to make further progress on a roughly $1 trillion infrastructure plan. By Kevin Freking and Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 760 words, photos, video. UPCOMING: 850 words after Senate resumes at 11 a.m.
———————————————————
MORE ON THE OLYMPICS
———————————————————-
OLY-SWM-SWIMMING — Caeleb Dressel is pretty much invincible when he has a lane to himself. But give him a deficit of more than 8 seconds? Well, that’s too much for even the world’s greatest swimmer to overcome with two laps of the pool. On a morning of mixed emotions and chaotic racing at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, Dressel set a world record in the 100-meter butterfly, but was basically doomed before he even dove into the pool on the new mixed relay Saturday. By Sports Writer Paul Newberry. SENT: 1,090 words, photos. With MIXED-RELAY-MADNESS — Britain wins wild Olympic debut of race with both men, women.
OLY-GYM-TALES-OF-THE-GYMTERNET — Many in the world of gymnastics have a love-hate relationship with their noisy, often noxious corner of the internet that they call the gymternet. Thousands of passionate fans band together online to celebrate the sport that most only pay attention to in Olympic years. But some within the club acknowledge its hostile approach to outsiders and some athletes is self-defeating: they want people to love the sport as much as they do, but they mock those who don’t as “four-year-fans” and are quick to attack athletes they don’t like or uneducated fans who wander into their universe. By National Writer Claire Galofaro. SENT: 1,360 words, photos. With OLY-GYM-BILES-OUT — Simone Biles is opting not to defend her Olympic vault title, pulling out of Sunday’s event finals for both vault and uneven bars while she focuses on her mental health.
OLY-CAN-NBC-PIVOT? — The willingness of athletes, led by Simone Biles, to talk about the pressures they face as elite athletes on the Olympics stage, has forced a look at how NBC presents the Games to the public. Some athletes thrive in an intense, winner-take-all atmosphere, but others don’t. Experts say they hope NBC concentrates on more than just a medals count, but also the experience of athletes in a pandemic-delayed, isolated environment. By Media Writer David Bauder. SENT: 810 words, photo.
OLY-NAVIGATING-BABEL — The Tokyo Olympics are using about 100 interpreters to render joy and heartbreak into 11 languages. The head of the interpretation service himself speaks almost a dozen languages. The languages being interpreted in Tokyo are the following: Japanese, English, French, Spanish, German, Russian, Italian, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, and Portuguese. By Sports Writer Stephen Wade. SENT: 920 words, photos.
OLY-CHINA'S-MULTIPLE-TEAMS — At the Olympic Games, China gets multiple paths to podiums, because it fields multiple teams. It has one from mainland China, and another from Hong Kong. China’s double-teaming is the equivalent of other countries fielding both national teams and others of athletes solely from one city. Hong Kong’s special status hasn’t been much of an issue at the Olympics. But two things are happening that could weigh on the equation. SENT: 1,300 words, photos.
———————————————————————
WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
——————————————————————
IMMIGRATION-TEXAS — US sues Texas to block state troopers from stopping migrants. SENT: 380 words, photos.
OLY-HONG-KONG-ANTHEM-ARREST — Hong Kong police arrest man for booing national anthem. SENT: 190 words.
PEOPLE-BOB-ODENKIRK — Bob Odenkirk says he had a small heart attack, will be back. SENT: 320 words, photos.
MOON-LANDER-APPEAL — Bezos loses appeal of NASA’s plans to use Musk moon lander. SENT: 480 words, photos.
————————————————————————
MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
————————————————————————
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ESTONIA-YOUTH-VACCINATION — Estonia’s second-largest city of Tartu is making rapid progress in vaccinating children aged 12 to 17 ahead of the school year that begins Sept. 1. Around half of the town’s teenagers have already received their first vaccine jab and local health officials are confident they will hit 70% in the coming 30 days. SENT: 740 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MILITARY VACCINES — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is vowing he “won’t let grass grow under our feet” as the department begins to implement new vaccine and testing directives. But Pentagon officials are scrambling to figure out how to implement the changes. By Lolita C. Baldor. SENT: 720 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-PREGNANCY-VACCINATION — Two leading obstetricians’ groups on Friday recommended COVID-19 shots for all pregnant women, citing concerns over rising cases and low vaccination rates. SENT: 240 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-INCENTIVES — Millions of people in the U.S. who haven’t gotten the COVID-19 vaccine could soon have a new reason to roll up their sleeves: money in their pockets. SENT: 650 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-RACIAL SLUR — Civil rights advocates, religious leaders and others on Friday said they were outraged by St. Louis County Health Director Faisal Khan’s claims that he was assaulted and bombarded with racial slurs after defending a new mask mandate. But a county councilman questioned whether Khan was telling the truth. SENT: 530 words, photos.
——————————————————
WASHINGTON/POLITICS
——————————————————
CYBERSECURITY-SOLARWINDS — The Russian hackers behind the massive SolarWinds cyberespionage campaign broke into the email accounts of some of the most prominent federal prosecutors’ offices around the country last year, the Justice Department says. By Alan Suderman and Eric Tucker. SENT: 470 words, photo.
GEOGIA-VOTING: — Republican lawmakers in Georgia have started a process that could lead to a takeover of elections in the state’s most populous county. Many in the GOP continue to claim wrongdoing in reliably Democratic Fulton County had stolen the 2020 election from Donald Trump, even though an independent monitor found no evidence of fraud or impropriety. SENT: 940 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS-FACT CHECK — A member of the House Republican leadership is spreading a false accusation that Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants people arrested if they refuse to wear a mask inside the premises. SENT: 480 words, photo.
——————————
NATIONAL
——————————
AMODEI-CANCER — U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei of Nevada had three surgeries and an outpatient procedure over the past 10 months for cancerous tumors on his kidneys and a cancerous spot in his esophagus, the Republican congressman disclosed. SENT: 660 words, photos.
WESTERN-WILDFIRES — California’s largest wildfire so far this year was flaring up Friday but it was because the flames were chewing through unburned islands of vegetation within a perimeter that firefighters have built, authorities say. SENT: 430 words, photos.
IMMIGRATION-ASYLUM — Two organizations tapped by the Biden administration to recommend which migrants should be allowed into the United States to seek humanitarian protection said Friday that they are halting their work with the government and demanding an end to the Trump-era ban on asylum imposed during the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 780 words, photos.
————————————-
INTERNATIONAL
————————————-
PERSIAN-GULF-TENSIONS — U.S. Navy explosive experts believe a “drone strike” targeted an oil tanker that came under attack off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea, killing two on board, the American military says. SENT: 690 words, photos.
MIGRATION-SERBIAN-BORDER — At first, this remote village in Serbia seems sleepy and almost abandoned like many other in the Balkan country. But a closer look reveals a parallel reality lived by it temporary migrant residents who are struggling to cross heavily guarded borders with European Union nations Romania and Hungary. The village of Majdan is one of the hubs along the Balkan country’s EU borders where migrants have been stranded, often for months. SENT: 820 words.
UNITED-NATIONS-HUNGER-HOTSPOTS — Hunger is expected to rise in 23 global hotspots in the next three months with the highest alerts for “catastrophic” situations in Ethiopia’s embattled Tigray region, southern Madagascar, Yemen, South Sudan and northern Nigeria, two U.N. agencies warn. SENT: 650 words.
BRITAIN-HOLIDAY-VILLAGE-PHOTO-GALLERY — Visiting the fishing village of Shaldon in Devon, a small cluster of mainly Georgian houses and shops at the mouth of the River Teign, is like stepping back into a bygone era. SENT: 410 words, photos.
IRAQ-ATTACK — An attack on a funeral procession in northern Iraq has claimed a number of victims, Iraq’s military said in a statement. SENT: 230 words.
——————
SPORTS
—————-
BBO--TRADE DEADLINE RDP — Now this truly was an All-Star trade deadline day. Max Scherzer, Trea Turner, Kris Bryant, Javier Báez and José Berríos were among the big names on the move before Friday’s cutoff for Major League Baseball teams to make deals. Craig Kimbrel, Kyle Gibson and Jon Lester also changed uniforms. SENT: 580 words, photos. With separates on trades.
FBN--GETTING VACCINATED — The NFL’s most discussed stat has been COVID-19 vaccination percentages. As the first week of training camp kicked off, numbers continue to increase while debate persists. By Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi. SENT: 1,100 words, photos. For weekend use.
——————————————
HOW TO REACH US
——————————————
At the Nerve Center, Vincent K. Willis can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, (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(at)ap.org or call 844-777-2006.