AP News Digest 2 p.m.

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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AFGHANISTAN-AMERICANS LEFT BEHIND —Veteran-led rescue groups say the Biden administration's estimate that no more than 200 U.S. citizens were left behind in Afghanistan is too low and overlooks hundreds of other people they consider to be equally American: permanent legal residents with green cards. The administration has no estimate on the number of permanent residents who are in Afghanistan and desperately trying to escape Taliban rule. By Julie Watson and Bernard Condon. SENT: 1,250 words, photos.

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TOP STORIES

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AFGHANISTAN-24 HOURS — The Afghanistan war ended with an odd unity between sworn enemies — the Taliban and the Americans. They both had the goal of getting the United States out. And they both had a stake in the evacuation operation after a deadly attack last week by a common foe — an offshoot of the Islamic State group. As witnessed by Associated Press reporters in Kabul, and as told by people AP interviewed from all sides, the war ended with episodes of brutality, enduring trauma, a massive if fraught humanitarian effort and moments of grace. By Tameem Akhgar, Matthew Lee, Lolita C. Baldor, Rahim Faiez and Calvin Woodward. SENT: 2,000 words, photos, 1,000-word abridged version.

AFGHANISTAN — Taliban special forces in camouflage fired their weapons into the air, bringing an abrupt and frightening end to the latest protest march in the capital by Afghan women demanding equal rights from the new rulers. By Kathy Gannon. SENT: 780 words, photos. With AFGHANISTAN-THE LATEST.

HURRICANE IDA — Full restoration of electricity to some of the hardest-hit areas of Louisiana battered by Hurricane Ida could take until the end of the month, the head of Entergy Louisiana warns. Ida damaged or destroyed more than 22,000 power poles, more than hurricanes Katrina, Zeta and Delta combined. By Rebecca Santana, Melinda Deslatte and Kevin McGill. SENT: 700 words, photos. With HURRICANE IDA-POWER GRID — Critics question the enormity of the outage from Hurricane Ida and why it is still so widespread nearly a week after the storm slammed into the state with 150 mph winds. SENT: 1,020 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-FLORIDA DEATHS — Florida is in the grip of its deadliest wave of COVID-19 since the pandemic began, a disaster driven by the highly contagious delta variant. While Florida’s vaccination rate is slightly higher than the national average, the Sunshine State has an outsize population of elderly people, who are especially vulnerable to the virus. It also has a vibrant party scene. And it has a Republican governor who has taken a hard line against mask requirements, vaccine passports and business shutdowns. By Adriana Gomez Licon and Kelli Kennedy. SENT: 880 words, photos.

SUPREME COURT SHADOW DOCKET — Traditionally, the process of getting an opinion from the U.S. Supreme Court takes months and those rulings are often narrowly tailored. But that pattern is changing with more decisions coming outside the court’s normal procedures. That has been especially true in the past two weeks with the truncated process known as the shadow docket moving at astronomical speed, producing decisions related to immigration, COVID-19 and evictions and abortion. By Gary Fields. SENT: 800 words, photos.

ABORTION LAW-ORIGINS — Texas’ abortion law follows a model first used in of Waskom, a town of about 1,600 on the state’s border with Louisiana. The novel legal approach was envisioned by Jonathan F. Mitchell, a former top lawyer for the state. By Jessica Gresko and Paul J. Weber. SENT: 850 words, photos.

TEXAS-HANDGUNS — Law enforcement officials and gun control groups say they worry that Texas’ new law that allows people to carry a handgun without a license or background check and training is going to lead to more violence and more confrontations where deadly force is unjustifiably used. But gun rights groups say the new “permitless" carry law will make Texas safer. By Juan A. Lozano. SENT: 850 words, photos. This story is the Sunday Spotlight

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WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

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NAVY-HELICOPTER CRASH — The Navy has declared five missing sailors dead nearly a week after a helicopter crashed in the ocean off San Diego. The Navy has shifted the search for them to a recovery operation. SENT: 230 words.

VENICE FILM FESTIVAL-LED ZEPPELIN — Guitarist Jimmy Page says he turned down a lot of “pretty miserable” pitches over the years to make a documentary about Led Zeppelin. But he says he finally bit when he received a deeply-researched proposal focusing almost exclusively on the music and chronicling the band’s birth in 1968 and its meteoric early rise. SENT: 500 words, photos.

ITALY-WIN AND RUN — Italian police were hunting for a tobacco shop owner in Naples who allegedly ran off on a motor scooter with a customer’s “scratch and win” ticket, which had won the top prize of 500,000 euros ($580,000). SENT: 200 words.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-FRENCH POLYNESIA — France’s worst virus outbreak so far is unfolding 12 times zones away from Paris, devastating Tahiti and the idyllic atolls of French Polynesia. The South Pacific archipelago lacks enough oxygen, ICU beds and morgue space – and the vaccination rate is barely half the national average. SENT: 760 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRAZIL BOOSTER — Some cities in Brazil are providing booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine, even though most people have yet to receive their second jabs, in a sign of the concern in the country over the highly contagious delta variant. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.

BRITAIN-FLU-VACCINES — One of the U.K.’s largest suppliers of seasonal influenza vaccines warns there could be delivery delays of up to two weeks as a result of a shortage of truck drivers. SENT: 350 words.

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MORE ON IDA

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TROPICAL WEATHER-ALERTS — Cellphones across New York and New Jersey pulsed with urgent warnings of catastrophic flooding as the storm’s fury approached upper New Jersey and New York City with torrential rains. A barrage of other alerts from a litany of apps lit up phone screens throughout the night — prompting some to wonder if people were just too inundated with warnings to take the threat seriously. SENT: 940 words, photos.

TROPICAL WEATHER-ATLANTIC — Flood-stricken families and business owners across the Northeast are hauling waterlogged belongings to the curb and scraping away noxious mud as cleanup from Ida moves into high gear. The White House says President Joe Biden will survey damage in New Jersey and New York City on Tuesday. SENT: 540 words, photos.

HURRICANE IDA-LEAVING TOWN — As the power outages from Hurricane Ida have dragged on, many people have decided to get out of town until the lights come back on. SENT: 700 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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UNITED STATES-AFGHANISTAN-SCREENING — A U.S. official says the United States plans to send Afghan evacuees who require more screening to a site in Kosovo. It’s the first U.S. word on its intentions for handling evacuees who fail to clear initial security screening or otherwise require more processing. SENT: 460 words, photo.

REDISTRICTING COMMISSION-DEMOCRATS — This year, independent commissions will draw 95 congressional seats that otherwise would have been drawn solely by Democrats, and only 13 that would have been drawn by Republicans. That difference could cost Democrats control of the House. SENT: 1,240 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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SEPT 11-VOICES OF SURVIVORS — Nearly 3,000 people were killed when hijackers in Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terror network rammed four commercial jets into the trade center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field on Sept. 11, 2001. Yet an estimated 33,000 or more people survived — navigating mountains of smoky stairs in the trade center's twin towers, streaming out of a flaming Pentagon, fleeing an otherworldly cloud of dust and debris as the towers collapsed, willing their way out of pitch-dark rubble. Some bear scars and the weight of unanswerable questions. Some feel survivors get footnoted in the story of 9/11 or are perceived as dwelling on it. But they also say they have gained resilience, purpose, appreciation and resolve. SENT: 1,980 words, photos, 1,300-word abridged version.

SEPT 11-CATHOLIC CHAPLAIN — Among all those killed in the Sept. 11 terror attacks, Mychal Judge, a Catholic chaplain with New York’s fire department, left a uniquely complex legacy that continues to evolve. Some of his admirers argue passionately that Judge should be considered for sainthood, and a new initiative is taking shape. Some depict him -- a gay man who ministered to the vulnerable -- as a reason why the U.S. Catholic church should be more welcoming to LGBTQ people. SENT: 1,300 words, photos, 1,000-word abridged version.

OPIOID CRISIS-PURDUE BANKRUPTCY — The end of the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy case has left a bitter taste for those who wanted to see more accountability for the Sackler family. They will pay more than $4 billion under the settlement but also will escape any future liability over the nation’s opioid crisis. Those fighting the settlement question whether it’s appropriate for a wealthy family that did not itself file for bankruptcy to get such broad protection. SENT: 900 words, photos.

R KELLY — The third week of the R. Kelly sex-trafficking trial in New York City saw more accusers, including a man for the first time, making more disturbing allegations. There also was a former assistant who provided a glimpse into how the singer lorded over his inner circle. SENT: 750 words, photos.

ABORTION-TEXAS — A judge has temporarily shielded some Texas abortion clinics from being sued by the state's largest anti-abortion group under a new law banning most abortions. SENT: 520 words, photo.

WESTERN WILDFIRES — Tens of thousands of South Lake Tahoe residents are watching hopefully this weekend for a chance to return home as firefighters make progress against a threatening California blaze. SENT: 600 words, photos.

AP WAS THERE: BATTLE FOR BLAIR MOUNTAIN — When a mine industry conflict a hundred years ago sparked the largest armed uprising in the United States since the Civil War, The Associated Press was there, sending multiple bulletins each day to update the nation’s newspapers on each development. SENT: 740 words, photo.

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INTERNATIONAL

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NEW ZEALAND-SUPERMARKET TERROR ATTACK — New Zealand authorities imprisoned a man inspired by the Islamic State group for three years after catching him with a hunting knife and extremist videos — but at a certain point, despite grave fears he would attack others, they say they could do nothing more to keep him behind bars. Ahamed Aathil Mohamed Samsudeen stabbed five people Friday before police gunned him down; the prime minister has vowed to change the country's anti-terror laws by the end of the month. SENT: 920 words, photos.

THAILAND POLITICS — Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has won votes of confidence in Parliament, helping to steady his government after it had come under intense criticism for bungling its response to the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 480 words, photos.

MONTENEGRO-CHURCH-TENSIONS — Protesters clashed with hundreds of riot police in the old capital of Montenegro ahead of the inauguration of the new head of the Serbian Orthodox Church in the small Balkan nation. The ceremony has angered opponents of the Serbian church in Montenegro, which declared independence from Serbia in 2006. SENT: 390 words.

FRANCE-ENDANGERED SPECIES — Sharks and rays have seen declines in their populations since 2014 and more and more are now threatened with extinction. That’s according to a new red list released Saturday at a global conference aimed at protecting dwindling species. SENT: 430 words, photos.

SWITZERLAND-SAME-SEX MARRIAGE — Tens of thousands have protested in Switzerland for the legalization of same-sex marriage ahead of a national referendum on Sept. 26. SENT: 190 words, photos.

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BUSINESS/ECONOMY

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BEEF CHECKOFF-PETITION — Cattle producers for 35 years have been bankrolling one of the nation's most iconic marketing campaigns, but now many want to end the program that created the “Beef. It's What's for Dinner” slogan. They say the mandatory fee of $1 per head of cattle sold is not specifically promoting American beef at a time when imports are flooding the market and plant-based, “fake meat” products are proliferating in grocery stores. By Roxana Hegeman. SENT: 1,020 words, photo.

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SPORTS

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FBC--ALABAMA-MIAMI (FL) — With a largely new cast, No. 1 Alabama looks to get started on another national championship when it opens the season in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game against No. 14 Miami, a team trying to reestablish its presence among the nation's top programs. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos. Game starts at 3:30 p.m. EDT. UPCOMING, By 3:30 p.m. EDT.

FBC--T25-GEORGIA-CLEMSON — D.J. Uiagalelei and No. 3 Clemson take on JT Daniels and No. 5 Georgia in an early season clash of college football titans at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. No team has lost its opening game and reached the Bowl Championship Series title game or the College Football Playoff. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Game starts 7:30 p.m. With FBC--T25-AP TOP 25 TAKEAWAYS — UPCOMING: 900 words, with photos, by 10 p.m. and to be updated with late games.

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