AP News Digest 3:30 am
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NEW/DEVELOPING
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SWEDEN NOBEL LITERATURE — The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announces the winner of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Chemistry UPCOMING: Announcement at 7 a.m., photos, video.
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ONLY ON AP
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AFGHANISTAN-DRUGS — The Taliban have begun going after drug addicts, beating them, rounding them up and forcing them to undergo 45 days of mandatory hospital detox. But as the country slips into an economic crisis, questions remain over the future of the opium trade which previously helped finance the Taliban insurgency. By Samya Kullab and Mstyslav Chernov. SENT: 1,290 words, photos.
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TOP STORIES
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ABORTION-TEXAS — A federal judge ordered Texas to suspend the most restrictive abortion law in the U.S., calling it an “offensive deprivation” of a constitutional right by banning most abortions in the nation’s second-most populous state since September. The order is the first legal blow to the Texas law known as Senate Bill 8, which until now had withstood a wave of early challenges. In the weeks since the restrictions took effect, Texas abortion providers say the impact has been “exactly what we feared.” By Paul J. Weber. SENT: 970 words, photo. With TEXAS-ABORTION LAW-EXPLAINER — The Texas abortion law’s swift impact, and future.
CALIFORNIA-OIL-SPILL — A massive cargo ship made a series of unusual movements while anchored in the closest spot to a Southern California oil pipeline that ruptured and sent crude washing up on beaches, according to data collected by a marine navigation service. The Coast Guard is investigating whether a ship anchor might have snagged and bent the pipeline owned by Amplify Energy, a Houston-based company that operates three offshore oil platforms south of Los Angeles. By Michael Biesecker, Stefanie Dazio and Michael Balsamo. SENT: 1,090 words, photos, videos.
CONGRESS-DEBT — Senators edge back from a perilous standoff over lifting the nation’s borrowing cap, with Democrats signaling they are receptive to an offer from Republican leader Mitch McConnell that would allow for an emergency debt limit extension into December. By Lisa Mascaro, Josh Boak and Kevin Freking. SENT: 940 words, photos, videos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-BIDEN — President Joe Biden visits a construction site outside Chicago to champion COVID-19 vaccination requirements across the country, hoping to compel the roughly 67 million unvaccinated American adults to roll up their sleeves. By Zeke Miller. UPCOMING: 880 words, photo by 5:30 a.m.; event at 3:10 p.m.
PAKISTAN-EARTHQUAKE — A powerful earthquake collapsed at least one coal mine and dozens of mud houses in southwest Pakistan, killing at least 20 people and injuring more than 200, an official says. By Kathy Gannon and Abdul Sattar. SENT: 500 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-COVID ORPHANS — A new study suggests the number of “COVID orphans" in the United States is greater than previously estimated, and finds the toll has been far worse in certain states and racial groups. During just 15 months of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 120,000 U.S. children lost a parent or grandparent who were their primary providers of financial support and care, according to the study. By Medical Writer Mike Stobbe. SENT: 590 words, photo.
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TRENDING NEWS
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ESPN-STEELE — ESPN’s Sage Steele on hiatus following controversial comments. SENT: 260 words, photo.
GERMANY-NAZI-TRIAL — Germany: 100-year-old former Nazi camp guard to go on trial. SENT: 250 words, photos.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-NORTH-KOREA — The World Health Organization is working to ship COVID-19 medical supplies into North Korea, a possible sign that the North is easing one of the world’s strictest pandemic border closures to receive outside help. SENT: 460 words, photo. With VIRUS-OUTBREAK-THE LATEST.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW ZEALAND — Every week, tens of thousands of New Zealanders play a lottery in their desperation to come home. Their prize is one of the coveted beds in mandatory quarantine hotels. SENT: 970 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRAL QUESTIONS-FLU SHOTS — Health officials say it’s OK to get your COVID-19 vaccine and flu vaccine at the same time. SENT: 350 words, graphic.
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WASHINGTON
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CONGRESS-FACEBOOK-WHISTLEBLOWER — The former Facebook product manager who has accused the social network giant of threatening children’s safety — and the integrity of democracy — is urging Congress to take action to rein in a largely unregulated company. Will real change come this time? Might be best not to hold your breath. By Business Writer Marcy Gordon. SENT: 750 words, photo.
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NATIONAL
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AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN-ROCKFORD — Rockford, Illinois, is using money from the American Rescue Plan to try a new approach to addressing violent crime in a city that has struggled with violence for years, especially during the pandemic. SENT: 1,520 words, photos.
MISSING-NATIVE-HAWAIIAN-WOMEN — Hawaii is forming a task force to study the issue of missing and murdered Native Hawaiian women and girls. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.
CLIMATE CHANGE-IMPERILED SUBWAYS — Transit officials and experts say this summer’s storms were the latest reminders that more needs to be done to prepare the East Coast’s vital transit systems in the face of more extreme and unpredictable weather caused by climate change. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.
FLASH-FLOODING-SOUTHEAST — As much as 6 inches of rain fell in Alabama in about a day, unleashing flash floods that required some people to be rescued. SENT: 320 words.
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INTERNATIONAL
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AUSTRALIA-FRENCH SUBMARINES — Prime Minister Scott Morrison welcomes France’s decision to return its ambassador to Australia and says the bilateral relationship was bigger than the canceled submarine contract. SENT: 490 words, photo.
TAIWAN-FRANCE — A group of French senators visiting Taiwan as part of a regular parliamentary exchange met with President Tsai Ing-wen during a trip that comes in a particularly tense moment between China and the self-ruled island. SENT: 510 words, photos.
PHILIPPINES-POLITICS — Philippine Vice President Leni Robredo announced she would run for president in next year’s elections in a long-anticipated decision that would bring the liberal lawyer to a potentially bruising faceoff with the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. SENT: 570 words, photos.
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BUSINESS/ECONOMY
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ECONOMY-JOBS REPORT — When the U.S. government issues the September jobs report on Friday, the spotlight will fall not only on how many people were hired last month. A second question will command attention, too: Are more people finally starting to look for work? By Economics Writer Christopher Rugaber. UPCOMING: 900 words, photo by noon.
FINANCIAL MARKETS — Asian shares rose, tracking a rally on Wall Street after signs of progress on resolving the standoff in Congress over the debt ceiling. By Business Writer Yuri Kageyama. SENT: 790 words, photos.
UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS — The Labor Department reports on the number of people who applied for unemployment benefits last week. By Economics Writer Paul Wiseman. UPCOMING: 130 words after release of report at 8:30 a.m., photo.
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SPORTS
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CARDINALS-DODGERS — Chris Taylor hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Los Angeles Dodgers over the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 in a thrilling NL wild-card game. By Sports Writer Beth Harris. SENT: 1,140 words, photos.
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