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AP News Digest 3 am

Via AP news wire
Friday 19 August 2022 03:02 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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ONLY ON AP

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THE AP INTERVIEW-FILIPPO GRANDI – U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi says Europe’s embrace of millions of Ukrainians who fled Russia’s invasion has shown that it’s possible to welcome large numbers of asylum-seekers, and the approach should be replicated to receive those fleeing other nations. By Renata Brito. SENT: 920 words, photos, video.

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TOP STORIES

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TRUMP-FBI -– A federal judge has ordered the Justice Department to put forward proposed redactions as he committed to making public at least part of the affidavit supporting the search warrant for former President Donald Trump’s estate in Florida. By Terry Spencer and Michael Balsamo. SENT: 750 words, photos.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Ukraine’s health care system already was struggling due to corruption, mismanagement and the COVID-19 pandemic. But the war with Russia has only made things worse, with facilities damaged or destroyed, medical staff relocating to safer places and many drugs unavailable or in short supply. Care is being provided in the hardest-hit areas by doctors who have refused to evacuate or have rushed in as volunteers, putting themselves at great risk. By Mstyslav Chernov and Derek Gatopoulos. SENT: 690 words, photos.

CHINA-TAIWAN-LESSONS — China’s response to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan was anything but subtle — dispatching warships and military aircraft to all sides of the self-governing island democracy, and firing ballistic missiles into the waters nearby. By David Rising. SENT: 1,370 words, photos.

UNITED STATES-IRAN — Last week’s attack on author Salman Rushdie and the indictment of an Iranian national for plotting to murder former national security adviser John Bolton have given the Biden administration new headaches as it attempts to negotiate a return to the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. By Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee. SENT: 1,130 words, photo.

WESTERN-DROUGHT-COLORADO-RIVER — Dire consequences could result if states, cities and farms across the American West cannot agree on how to cut the amount of water they draw from the Colorado River. Hydroelectric turbines may stop turning. Las Vegas and Phoenix may be forced to restrict water usage or growth. Farmers may have to stop planting some crops. Yet for years, seven states that depend on the river have allowed more water to be taken from it than nature can replenish. Despite widespread recognition of the crisis, the states missed a deadline this week to propose cuts. By Sam Metz and Kathleen Ronayne. SENT: 1,180 words, photos.

SACRED-RIVERS-NIGERIA-OSUN — The Osun River flows through a forest designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is revered by the Yoruba-speaking people of southwestern Nigeria. But it’s under constant threat of pollution from waste disposal and other human activity. That includes dozens of illegal gold mines whose runoff fills the river with toxic metals. The servants of Osun are women mostly between the ages of 30 and 60. They leave behind everything from their secular lives to serve both the goddess and the king. By Chinedu Asadu. SENT: 1,040 words, photos, video.

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TRENDING

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R-KELLY — R. Kelly’s legal team will get its chance to question the government’s star witness after she gave what jurors could see as damning testimony against Kelly at his federal trial in Chicago on charges that include the production of child pornography. By Michael Tarm. SENT: 940 words, photos.

EUROPE-WEATHER — Authorities in Austria say five people, including two children, have died in heavy storms that hit the Alpine country. Two girls, ages 4 and 8, were killed when sudden strong winds toppled trees late Thursday at a lake in Lavant Valley near the southern city of Graz. Officials said 13 people were injured, two of them seriously. SENT: 140 words.

FACEBOOK-COVID-19-MISINFORMATION – Instagram and Facebook have suspended Children’s Health Defense for repeated violations of policies on COVID-19 misinformation. The nonprofit led by Robert Kennedy Jr. is regularly criticized by public health advocates for its misleading claims about vaccines and the COVID-19 pandemic. SENT: 310 words, photos.

CALIFORNIA-ARREST DEATH-AWARD — A federal judge has thrown out an $85 million lawsuit award over the death of a Southern California man who was beaten, hogtied and shocked with a stun gun by sheriff’s deputies in 2015. SENT: 380 words.

DEADLY-SHOOTINGS-CALIFORNIA — A Los Angeles man who opened fire on people at random in 2014, killing five people and wounding seven others, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. SENT: 310 words.

FILM REVIEW-BEAST – How do you make a lion a diabolical hunter? “Beast,” written by Ryan Engle, opens with poachers mowing down a pride of lions. But one — a big one — escapes, and has a preternatural taste for avenging the killings and protecting its territory. That’s, at least, the nature of “Beast,” a surprisingly agile and nifty B-movie graced by Idris Elba’s formidable presence, fluid camerawork and tolerable levels of implausibility. By Jake Coyle. SENT: 550 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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ELECTION 2022-CONGRESS-NEW YORK — Sean Patrick Maloney, a Democrat who became New York’s first openly gay congressman when elected a decade ago, has been tasked by his party with getting as many Democrats elected to the U.S. House this year as possible. But that quest has become personal as he faces a tough political fight of his own. By Michelle L. Price. SENT: 1,220 words, photos.

HEALTH CARE SUBSIDIES — Millions of people in the United States will be spared from big increases in health care costs next year after President Joe Biden signed legislation extending generous subsidies for those who buy plans through federal and state marketplaces. By Amanda Seitz. SENT: 620 words, photo.

VACCINE MISINFORMATION-ITALY — An anti-vaccine group that has harassed doctors and public officials in Italy and France is still active on platforms like Facebook despite efforts to rein in their abuse and misinformation. By David Klepper. SENT: 860 words, photos.

ELECTION 2022-HOUSE-PALADINO — A Republican candidate for Congress in western New York said in a radio interview that U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland “should be executed” for authorizing a search former President Donald Trump’s home, before clarifying later in the show that he wasn’t being serious. SENT: 590 words, photo.

GEORGIA ELECTION INVESTIGATION — Prosecutors investigating whether Donald Trump committed crimes as he sought to overturn his 2020 election defeat in Georgia are running into increasing resistance as they seek to call witnesses to testify before a special grand jury. SENT: 890 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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MISQUITO-MISERIES — It’s an increasingly familiar sight in U.S. cities and suburbs: workers in gloves and masks, spraying yards for mosquitoes. As climate change widens the insect’s range and lengthens its prime season, more Americans are resorting to the booming industry of professional extermination. But the chemical bombardment worries scientists who fear over-use of pesticides is harming pollinators and worsening a growing threat to birds that eat insects. By John Flesher. SENT: 980 words, photos, video.

WHITEY BULGER — Three men, including a Mafia hitman, have been charged in the 2018 prison killing of notorious Boston crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger, the Justice Department says. By Alanna Durkin Richer SENT: 890 words, photo.

SMALL PLANES COLLIDE-CALIFORNIA — Two small planes collided in Northern California while trying to land at a local airport and at least two of the three occupants were killed, officials say. SENT: 500 words, photos.

WRONGFUL LIFE CASE — The Washington Supreme Court says that under state law, it’s OK for judges to award extraordinary damages in so-called “wrongful life” cases where a child has birth defects or disabilities that require extensive care. SENT: 590 words, photo.

BODY-PARTS-THEFT — A Pennsylvania man was charged with abuse of a corpse, receiving stolen property and other charges after police say he allegedly tried to buy stolen human remains from an Arkansas woman for possible resale on Facebook. SENT: 530 words, photo.

PLEDGE 0F ALLEGIANCE-NORTH DAKOTA — The school board in North Dakota’s most populous city reversed course on its decision to stop reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at its monthly meetings, following complaints from conservative lawmakers along with widespread bashing from citizens around the country. SENT: 570 words, photo.

VOTING VIOLATIONS-FLORIDA – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced criminal charges against 20 people for illegally voting in 2020, the first major public move from the Republican’s new election police unit. SENT: 520 words, photos.

BRAIN-EATING AMOEBA DEATHS – A child likely died from a rare infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba after swimming in an eastern Nebraska river, health officials said, making it the second such probable death in the Midwest this summer and raising the question of whether climate change is playing a role. By Margery A. Beck and Josh Funk. SENT: 560 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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KOREAS-TENSION — The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un says her country will never accept South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s “foolish” offer of economic benefits in exchange for denuclearization steps, accusing Seoul of recycling proposals Pyongyang already rejected. SENT: 840 words, photos.

AUSTRALIA-INDONESIA-BALI-BOMBER — Australia’s leader said Friday that it’s upsetting Indonesia has further reduced the prison sentence of the bombmaker in the Bali terror attack that killed 202 people — which could free him within days if he’s granted parole. SENT: 450 words, photos.

MOLDOVA-BOMB-THREATS — For tiny Moldova, an impoverished, landlocked nation that borders war-torn Ukraine but isn’t in the European Union or NATO, it’s been another week plagued by bomb threats. SENT: 820 words, photos.

UNITED NATION-MYANMAR-SPECIAL ENVOY – The United Nations says the head of Myanmar’s military-installed government “expressed openness to arranging a meeting at the right time” between U.N. special envoy Noeleen Heyzer and the country’s imprisoned former leader Aung San Suu Kyi. By Edith M. Lederer. SENT: 590 words, photo.

CLIMATE-BRAZIL-AMAZON – The administration of far-right President Jair Bolsonaro has removed a top environmental official in a potential act of retribution, just days after he appeared in a report on illegal gold mining in the Amazon rainforest for the Brazilian television station Globo. SENT: 550 words, photos.

MEXICO-RESORT-SQUATTERS — Unchecked development has hit the once laid back beach town of Tulum on Mexico’s Caribbean coast. It’s so intense that developers are now eager to build condominiums and hotels even in a shantytown. Police are trying to evict squatters, but residents are fighting back. SENT: 1,410 words, photos.

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BUSINESS/ECONOMY

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FINANCIAL MARKETS — Asian stock markets were mixed after Wall Street rose as investors analyzed conflicting economic signals ahead of a Federal Reserve conference next week. Shanghai, Tokyo and Seoul declined while Hong Kong advanced. Oil prices edged lower but stayed above $90 per barrel. SENT: 450 words, photo.

BED-BATH-BEYOND-INVESTOR — The newest meme stock on Wall Street, Bed Bath & Beyond, tumbled even further in after-hours trading Thursday after a high-profile activist investor confirmed that he’s bailed out of the stock. SENT: 440 words, photo.

STARBUCKS-UNIONS – A federal judge is ordering Starbucks to reinstate seven employees in Memphis, Tennessee, who were fired earlier this year after leading an effort to unionize their store. SENT: 560 words, photo.

AIRLINES-STOCK-BUYBACKS – Labor unions are pushing U.S. airlines not to buy back their own stock. The unions want the airlines to spend money instead on hiring more workers and fixing problems that are causing widespread flight delays and cancellations. By David Koenig. SENT: 700 words, photos.

APPLE-SECURITY FLAW — Apple disclosed serious security vulnerabilities for iPhones, iPads and Macs that could potentially allow attackers to take complete control of these devices. Apple released two security reports about the issue, although they didn’t receive wide attention outside of tech publications. SENT: 270 words.

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SPORTS

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FBN--BROWNS-WATSON SETTLEMENT — Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson will serve an 11-game unpaid suspension, pay a $5 million fine and undergo professional evaluation and treatment as part of a settlement with the NFL following accusations of sexual misconduct by two dozen women. The league had sought to ban Watson for at least one year for violating its personal conduct policy. By Tom Withers. SENT: 1,150 words, photos. With: FBN--Browns-Without Watson (sent).

FBN--BEARS-SEAHAWKS — Geno Smith did little to distinguish himself in his battle with Drew Lock for Seattle’s starting quarterback job as the sloppy Seahawks fell 27-11 to the Chicago Bears in the second preseason game for both teams. By Tim Booth. SENT: 700 words, photos.

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ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT

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TV-HOUSE-OF-THE-DRAGON — The prequel to “Game of Thrones’’ is set to forge its own storytelling path, with a new set of characters and a more diverse team behind the scenes. SENT: 671 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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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@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.

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