AP News Digest 3:40 am

Thursday 26 May 2022 02:28 EDT

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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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TEXAS SCHOOL-SHOOTING — Frustrated onlookers urged police officers to charge into the Texas elementary school where a gunman’s rampage killed 19 children and two teachers, witnesses said, as investigators worked to track the massacre that lasted upward of 40 minutes and ended when the 18-year-old shooter was killed by a Border Patrol team. By Jake Bleiberg, Jim Vertuno and Elliot Spagat. SENT: 1,440 words, photos, videos.

TEXAS SCHOOL SHOOTING-STATES — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee was quick to react to this week’s carnage at a Texas elementary school, firing off a Twitter message listing the gun control measures the Democratic-controlled state has taken. He finished with: “Your turn Congress.” But gun control measures are going nowhere in Congress, and they’re also becoming increasingly scarce in the states. Aside from a handful of Democratic-controlled states, most states have taken no action on gun control in recent years or have moved aggressively to expand gun rights. By Rachel La Corte and Andrew DeMillo. SENT: 1,280 words, photos. For full coverage.

PACIFIC ISLANDS-CHINA — China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and a 20-strong delegation arrived in the Solomon Islands at the start of an eight-nation tour that comes amid growing concerns about Beijing’s military and financial ambitions in the South Pacific region. By Nick Perry. SENT: 390 words, photos. With CHINA-PACIFIC ISLANDS-EXPLAINER — What’s at stake for China on South Pacific visit?

MOSQUE DISPUTE — For nearly three centuries, Muslims and Hindus in India’s Varanasi city have prayed to their gods in a mosque and a temple that are separated by one wall. But that religious coexistence is under threat. Hindus say the Gyanvapi mosque sits on top of the ruins of a medieval-era temple and that the complex still houses Hindu idols and motifs. Muslims contest this claim. The dispute has now turned into a legal battle, the latest in many court cases where Hindu groups have claimed sites of mosques as their rightful property. By Sheikh Saaliq and Krutika Pathi. SENT: 1,180 words, photos.

LEBANON-PARLIAMENT NEWCOMERS — Dentist Rami Franj, a regular at anti-government protests during the past two years, is among 13 independent newcomers who won seats in parliament in last week’s election. The strong showing by civil society activists has restored some hope among Lebanese that change is possible. But the reform movement is fragmented and the challenges it faces in fighting an entrenched ruling clique are enormous. By Zeina Karam and Lujain Jo. SENT: 1,080 words, photos.

ELECTION 2022-MONTANA-HOUSE — When Republican Ryan Zinke first ran for Congress, the former Navy SEAL faced false accusations his military career had ended in disgrace. After winning and later serving as President Donald Trump’s Interior Secretary, Zinke is seeking a return to Congress and facing a near-identical smear campaign — this time from the right wing of his own party. By Matthew Brown. SENT: 880 words, photos.

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AP News Digest 3:40 am