Here are the AP’s top stories and promotable content. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan.

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NEW AND DEVELOPING

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NATIONAL

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US--CALIFORNIA-EXPLOSION

Washington man supplied chemicals used in California fertility clinic bombing, authorities say

SUMMARY: Federal authorities say a Washington man provided chemicals to make explosives that were used to bomb a California fertility clinic in May. Authorities arrested 32-year-old Daniel Park on Tuesday night in New York upon his return from Poland. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli say Park shipped 180 pounds of ammonium nitrate to Guy Edward Bartkus, who bombed the clinic. The chemical compound is an explosive precursor that can be used to make homemade bombs, Essayli said. Park also traveled to Southern California in late January to stay with Bartkus for about two weeks, Essayli said. Bartkus was killed in the explosion.

WORDS: 459 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 1:14 p.m. EDT

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US--BOULDER-ATTACK

Boulder community to come together for vigil after firebombing attack that injured 12

SUMMARY: Members of the Boulder community are reeling from a firebombing attack that injured 12 people demonstrating for the release of Israeli hostages. Residents are preparing to come together for a vigil Wednesday evening to support those impacted. Authorities say Mohamed Sabry Soliman had 18 Molotov cocktails but threw just two during Sunday’s attack in which he yelled “Free Palestine.” Officials say he had planned to kill all of the roughly 20 participants in the demonstration. Soliman is an Egyptian national who has been living in the U.S. illegally. He faces federal hate crime and state attempted murder charges. Federal officials say his wife and five children have been taken into custody and could be quickly deported.

WORDS: 834 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 1:24 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:173ac2795d12ae6b416010d45aa6fe91&mediaType=text

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US-EX-POLICE-CHIEF-PRISON-ESCAPE

Arkansas authorities release photo rendering of ‘Devil in the Ozarks’ as manhunt continues

SUMMARY: Arkansas authorities have released a photo rendering of a convicted murderer and former police chief known as the “Devil in the Ozarks” who escaped from prison. The Arkansas Department of Corrections said Tuesday the rendering shows what 56-year-old Grant Hardin may look like more than a week after his escape from the Calico Rock prison. Hardin was serving sentences for rape and murder when he escaped May 25. Authorities have said he donned an outfit designed to look like a law enforcement uniform. Police continued to search the north-central Arkansas region for Hardin.

WORDS: 392 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 6:54 p.m. EDT

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US--SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-WEINSTEIN

Weinstein retrial nears end as lawyers argue: sexual predator or #MeToo ‘poster boy’?

SUMMARY: Closing arguments are underway at Harvey Weinstein’s New York sex crimes retrial. His lawyer portrayed Weinstein Tuesday as the falsely accused “poster boy” of the #MeToo era. A prosecutor, on the other hand, said the former movie mogul preyed on less-powerful women he thought would never speak up. Closing arguments are due to conclude Wednesday. The majority-female jury is expected to start deliberations at some point in the day. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to raping a woman in 2013 and forcing oral sex on two others, separately, in 2006.

WORDS: 764 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 6:36 p.m. EDT

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US--NEW ORLEANS-JAILBREAK-FUGITIVE

New Orleans jail escapee releases videos, prompting search of home where they were made, source says

SUMMARY: A man who identifies himself as New Orleans jail escapee has released videos on social media while still on the run from authorities. A senior law enforcement official says authorities were so convinced the videos were authentic that they searched a home late Monday where they believe escapee Antoine Massey recorded them. The official said Massey wasn’t in the home, but some clothes he apparently wore during filming were found there. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the investigation into the May 16 breakout by 10 inmates. Eight have since been recaptured.

WORDS: 794 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 6:34 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:83c223cd32922f0074305a0544bf1aec&mediaType=text

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US--KAREN READ-TRIAL-THINGS TO KNOW

Things to know about the retrial of Karen Read in the killing of her police officer boyfriend

SUMMARY: Attorneys in Karen Read’s second murder trial are questioning their list of witnesses, moving to a dog bite expert brought forward by the defense. Read is accused of fatally striking her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O’Keefe, with her SUV and leaving him to die in the snow outside another officer’s home after dropping him off at a party in January 2022. Her lawyers say she was framed in a police conspiracy and that someone inside the house killed him, and that a family dog bit him. The dog bite expert said Tuesday that cuts on O’Keefe’s arms were the result of a dog attack.

WORDS: 789 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 6:08 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:98273d143dbf781a57c78fdaf64c0c32&mediaType=text

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US--BOULDER-ATTACK-THINGS TO KNOW

What we know about the man charged in the attack in Boulder, Colorado

SUMMARY: The man charged for injuring a dozen people in an attack on a group demonstrating in Boulder, Colorado for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza went disguised as a gardener and told police his initial plan was to kill them all. Mohamed Sabry Soliman faces hate crime charges in federal and attempted murder and other charges in state court. Police say Soliman had 18 Molotov cocktails but threw just two during Sunday’s attack in which he yelled “Free Palestine.” Police wrote in an affidavit that he didn’t carry out his full plan “because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before.” Soliman was being held Tuesday on a $10 million, cash-only bond.

WORDS: 1025 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 6:02 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c90a20758b3ebee597c84eb296e44e91&mediaType=text

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US--IMMIGRATION PROTEST-JUSTICE DEPARTMENT

Newark mayor sues New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor after arrest at immigration detention site

SUMMARY: Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has sued New Jersey’s top federal prosecutor over his arrest outside a federal immigration detention facility on a trespassing charge, saying the Trump-appointed attorney had pursued the case out of political spite. Baraka was denied entry to Delaney Hall and arrested on May 9. He was trying to join three Democratic members of Congress who went to conduct oversight. His trespassing charge was later dropped. Baraka is a candidate in a crowded field for the Democratic nomination for governor in the June 10 primary election. The lawsuit against interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Alina Habba was filed Tuesday, the day early in-person voting began.

WORDS: 940 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 2:36 p.m. EDT

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US--SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-DIDDY

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs paid to hide Cassie beating video because he feared career ruin, witness says

SUMMARY: A former hotel security guard has testified that Sean “Diddy” Combs feared his iconic career would be ruined if the public ever saw a video of him beating his girlfriend in 2016. The security guard testified Tuesday at Combs’ federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial. Eddy Garcia told a federal court jury that Combs repeatedly made the comment as he was trying to buy what he hoped was the only copy of the video. Prosecutors say Combs’ persistent efforts to hush up the episode fit into allegations he used threats and his fortune and fame to get what he wanted. Combs has pleaded not guilty.

WORDS: 772 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 1:48 p.m. EDT

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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US--CONGRESS-TAX CUTS-CBO

Trump tax bill will add $2.4 trillion to the deficit and leave 10.9 million more uninsured, CBO says

SUMMARY: President Donald Trump’s big bill will cut taxes by $3.75 trillion but increase deficits by $2.4 trillion and leave 10.9 million more people without health insurance over the next decade. That’s according to an analysis released Wednesday by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The analysis comes as the Republican president is pushing to have the final product on his desk by July Fourth. The CBO’s findings will be weighed by lawmakers and others seeking to understand the budgetary impacts of the sprawling bill. The White House and Republican leaders have been sowing doubt on the CBO’s work. Democrats say Republicans explode the debt when they’re in power.

WORDS: 1023 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 1:18 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:64d7de49aef62ba07b7f6f45c1ca73d1&mediaType=text

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US--CONGRESS-CBO-EXPLAINER

What is the CBO? A look at the small office inflaming debate over Trump’s tax bill

SUMMARY: A small, government office with some 275 employees has found itself caught in the political crossfire as Congress debates President Donald Trump’s “one big beautiful bill.” The Congressional Budget Office has projected that the legislation would increase federal deficits by about $2.4 trillion over 10 years. That’s a problem for a Republican Congress that has spent much of the past four years criticizing Joe Biden and Democrats for the nation’s rising debt levels. The White House and Republican leaders in Congress are taking issue with CBO’s findings. Meanwhile, Democrats are touting CBO’s findings as evidence of the bill’s failings.

WORDS: 811 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 1:00 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d432b67a965790e4a26de46ea8db1266&mediaType=text

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US--CONGRESS-TAX CUTS

Trump urges senators to get his big tax bill done by July 4th

SUMMARY: President Donald Trump wants his “big, beautiful” bill of tax breaks and spending cuts on his desk to be signed into law by Independence Day. And he’s pushing the slow-rolling Senate to make it happen sooner rather than later. Trump met with Senate Majority Leader John Thune at the White House earlier this week and has been dialing senators for one-on-one chats, using both the carrot and stick to encourage them to act. But it’s still a long road ahead for the bill. Senators want to make changes to protect Medicaid and ensure some tax breaks become permanent. Elon Musk called the whole bill a “disgusting abomination.”

WORDS: 1093 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 11:00 p.m. EDT

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US--CONGRESS-TAX CUTS-MUSK

Musk calls Trump’s big tax break bill a ‘disgusting abomination,’ testing his influence over the GOP

SUMMARY: Elon Musk has blasted President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” of tax breaks and spending cuts as a “disgusting abomination.” The tech billionaire’s comments Tuesday test his own influence over the Trump-led Republican Party. Musk targeted Trump’s top congressional priority just days after the president gave him a celebratory Oval Office sendoff marking the end of Musk’s role leading the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk’s business interests stand to lose from Trump’s bill, which would slash funding for electric vehicles and related technologies.

WORDS: 913 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 8:31 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:157b8733b60c343a5f8e551ffc887bf3&mediaType=text

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US--TRANSGENDER INMATES

Federal prisons must keep providing hormone therapy to transgender inmates, a judge says

SUMMARY: A judge says the federal Bureau of Prisons must keep providing hormone therapy to hundreds of transgender inmates following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that led to a disruption in medical treatment. U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth in Washington said Tuesday a federal law prohibits prison officials from arbitrarily depriving inmates of medications the bureau’s own medical staff deems appropriate. The judge says the transgender inmates who sued to block Trump’s order are trying to lessen the anguish caused by their gender dysphoria. The Republican president’s order required the bureau to revise its medical care policies so federal funds aren’t spent for “conforming an inmate’s appearance to that of the opposite sex.”

WORDS: 559 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 1:46 p.m. EDT

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INTERNATIONAL

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EU--RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR

Trump says Putin told him that Russia will respond to Ukrainian attack on airfields

SUMMARY: President Donald Trump said Russian President Vladimir Putin told him “very strongly” in a phone call Wednesday that he will respond to Ukraine’s weekend drone attack on Russian airfields. The president said in a social media post that “It was a good conversation, but not a conversation that will lead to immediate Peace.” The call that lasted for an hour and 15 minutes was Trump’s first known with Putin since May 19. Trump said he and Putin also discussed Iran’s nuclear program.

WORDS: 1073 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 12:56 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b211da51905cd117b913bc0fac658de3&mediaType=text

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ML--MIDEAST-WARS

US- and Israeli-backed group pauses food delivery in Gaza after deadly shootings

SUMMARY: An Israeli- and U.S.-backed group has temporarily paused food delivery at its three distribution sites in Gaza. That came after health officials said dozens of Palestinians were killed in a series of shootings near the sites this week. Separately, officials said Israeli strikes across the territory killed 26 people overnight and into Wednesday. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation said it was in discussions with the Israeli military on better guiding foot traffic near its distribution sites and enhancing military procedures. Gaza health officials, the Red Cross and the U.N. rights office said 27 people were killed Tuesday. Witnesses blamed Israeli forces. Israel’s military said it fired near people it described as suspects and that it is looking into reports of casualties.

WORDS: 909 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 12:53 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:37dff186f63d8395f204792aba27b09a&mediaType=text

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AS--CHINA-TIANANMEN

A quiet Tiananmen Square anniversary shows China’s ability to suppress history

SUMMARY: The 36th anniversary of a bloody crackdown that ended pro-democracy protests in China passed like any other weekday for most Chinese. And that’s how the ruling Communist Party wants it. Security was tight Wednesday around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square, where weeks of student-led protests shook the party in 1989. Hundreds and possibly thousands of people were killed in a June 4 crackdown. The Communist Party bans any public commemoration of the events. In recent years, that ban has been extended to Hong Kong. It is only in Taiwan that June 4 gatherings can still take place.

WORDS: 1155 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 12:44 p.m. EDT

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AS--INDIA-STADIUM-STAMPEDE

At least 11 people die in a stampede outside a cricket stadium in India after IPL win

SUMMARY: At least 11 people are dead and more than 30 injured in a stampede outside a cricket stadium in southern India. The crush on Wednesday happened as tens of thousands of cricket fans gathered outside a stadium in Bengaluru to celebrate the winners of the Indian Premier League. That’s the world’s most popular T20 cricket tournament. Karnataka state’s chief minister says the stampede took place after the crowd tried to break one of the stadium’s gates and enter to take part in celebrations. The cricket team had given away free passes to fans but urged them to follow guidelines set by authorities.

WORDS: 349 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 12:33 p.m. EDT

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EU--RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-SUPPORT

Ukraine seeks air defense systems as Western backers meet without the Pentagon chief

SUMMARY: Ukraine’s president wants his Western backers to speed up deliveries of air defense systems to counter Russian missile strikes. He also wants them to help boost weapons production. President Volodymyr Zelenskky on Wednesday emphasized U.S.-made Patriot missile systems. The Ukraine Defense Contact Group was formed to help the country repel Russia’s all-out invasion. But U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth did not attend, for the first time. His absence is the latest step that the Trump administration has taken to distance itself from Ukraine’s war efforts. The meeting was chaired by the U.K. and Germany.

WORDS: 469 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 10:56 a.m. EDT

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EU--EUROPE-US-TARIFFS

US and Europe trade negotiators say progress but no breakthroughs on tariff talks in Paris

SUMMARY: Europe and the United States say progress has been made but there were no breakthroughs during a meeting in Paris to negotiate a settlement of a tense tariff spat with global economic ramifications. European Union top trade negotiator Maroš Šefčovič met Wednesday with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the sidelines of a meeting of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. Šefčovič said in a post on X that the sides are “advancing in the right direction at pace” and staying in close contact. Brussels and Washington, though, are unlikely to reach a substantive trade agreement in Paris. The issues dividing them are too difficult to resolve quickly.

WORDS: 739 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 10:51 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:b03672b645df0d63765484391a3d2631&mediaType=text

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ML--MIDEAST WARS-GAZA AID-EXPLAINER

What we know about the shootings near Gaza aid distribution sites

SUMMARY: Shootings have erupted nearly daily since last week in the Gaza Strip in the vicinity of new hubs where desperate Palestinians are being directed to collect food. Witnesses say nearby Israeli troops have opened fire. Hospital officials say at least 80 people have been killed and hundreds wounded. The Israeli military has said it fired warning shots in several instances, and has also fired directly at a few “suspects” who ignored warnings and approached its forces. It has denied opening fire on civilians, and has not claimed Hamas fired in the area of the hubs, though it says it is still investigating.

WORDS: 1396 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 9:15 a.m. EDT

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AS--THAILAND-ELEPHANT

A hungry wild elephant raids a grocery store in Thailand for snacks

SUMMARY: A hungry wild elephant has caused havoc in a grocery store in Thailand after strolling in from the Khao Yai National Park and helping himself to the food on the shelves. Videos of Monday’s incident showed the huge male elephant, known as Plai Biang Lek, briefly stopping in front of the shop before ducking his whole body inside. The shop owner appeared amused and said the elephant ate about nine bags of sweet rice crackers, a sandwich and some dried bananas. A local park worker said the elephant is a familiar sight in the area and has been known to enter people’s houses in search of food, but this is the first time he has seen the animal going into a grocery store.

WORDS: 365 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 7:21 a.m. EDT

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EU--NETHERLANDS-POLITICS-EXPLAINER

The Dutch government has collapsed. What happens next?

SUMMARY: Dutch opposition parties are calling for fresh elections as soon as possible, a day after anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders sparked the collapse of the country’s four-party coalition government. Prime Minister Dick Schoof’s 11-month-old administration fell apart when Wilders withdrew his Party for Freedom ministers. Schoof and the ministers of three remaining parties remained in power Wednesday as a caretaker Cabinet. The government, with limited powers, has to lead the country for months before new elections and during talks to cobble together a new coalition in the fragmented Dutch political landscape after the vote.

WORDS: 594 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 6:47 a.m. EDT

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AS--SOUTH KOREA-NEW PRESIDENT

South Korea’s new President Lee vows to pursue talks with North and bolster ties with US and Japan

SUMMARY: South Korea’s new President Lee Jae-myung says he’ll pursue dialogue with North Korea while bolstering a trilateral partnership with the U.S. and Japan. He said in his inaugural address after taking office Wednesday that his government will deal with potential North Korean aggressions with “a strong deterrence” based on the solid South Korea-U.S. military alliance. But he would also leave the door open for dialogue with North Korea and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula. He said he’ll pursue pragmatic diplomacy and boost a trilateral Seoul-Washington-Tokyo cooperation based on the South Korea-U.S. alliance. Lee won a snap election Tuesday for a five-year term.

WORDS: 1125 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 6:01 a.m. EDT

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ML--IRAN-US

Iran’s supreme leader criticizes US proposal in nuclear talks but doesn’t reject the idea of a deal

SUMMARY: Iran’s supreme leader has criticized an initial proposal from the United States in negotiations over Tehran’s rapidly advancing nuclear program, though he stopped short of entirely rejecting the idea of agreement with Washington. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Wednesday described the U.S. proposal as “100% against the idea of ‘we can,’” borrowing from an Iranian government slogan. He also insisted that Tehran needed to keep its ability to enrich uranium. Reaching a deal is one of the several diplomatic priorities being juggled by U.S. President Donald Trump and his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.

WORDS: 665 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 4:06 a.m. EDT

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EU--NETHERLANDS-POLITICS

Wilders throws Dutch politics into turmoil with new elections now on the horizon

SUMMARY: Populist far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders has plunged Dutch politics into turmoil Tuesday by withdrawing his party’s ministers from the ruling coalition in a dispute over a crackdown on migration. The remaining ministers will run a caretaker administration until new elections can be organized. The decision means the Netherlands will have a caretaker government when it hosts a summit of NATO leaders in three weeks. Prime Minister Dick Schoof held an emergency Cabinet meeting Tuesday to discuss the crisis and then visited King Willem-Alexander to offer him the resignations of ministers from Wilders’ Party for Freedom.

WORDS: 832 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 3:14 a.m. EDT

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US--SOUTH SUDAN-FIGHTING

Civilian casualties mount in South Sudan as fighting between army and local militias escalates

SUMMARY: Aid groups and opposition politicians in South Sudan say that dozens of civilians have been killed or badly injured in airstrikes in recent weeks as the country’s army clashes with militia groups across the country. The government denies that any civilians have been targeted. Many of the wounded are being transported to a Red Cross hospital in Akobo near the border with Ethiopia. The fighting began in March when a militia called the White Army overran a military barracks in the northeastern town of Nasir. The government blamed the attack on the opposition party of First Vice President Riek Machar and placed him under house arrest. It has launched offensives against militias across the country.

WORDS: 1007 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 5:48 p.m. EDT

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AS--SOUTH KOREA-ELECTION-WHO IS LEE

South Korea’s new leader Lee has lived a turbulent life. Now, big challenges await him

SUMMARY: The life of South Korea’s new President Lee Jae-myung is full of ups and downs. His family’s poverty forced him to work at factories as a boy. Lee later made his way through university and became a human rights lawyer. Lee is a highly divisive politician. He survived a stabbing attack and struggles with numerous criminal charges. There are both hopes and fears about Lee’s win. Supporters think he’s an able leader who can get things done and fix the country’s deep-rooted economic inequality and corruption. But critics say Lee will likely oppress opponents and intensify a domestic division.

WORDS: 1141 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 3:18 p.m. EDT

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AS--SOUTH KOREA-ELECTION

Outspoken liberal leader Lee elected South Korea’s president, closing period of political tumult

SUMMARY: Liberal opposition candidate Lee Jae-myung has been elected president of South Korea. South Korean media outlets including Yonhap news agency and SBS television station report early Wednesday that Lee has won the election. The main conservative candidate Kim Moon Soo earlier conceded defeat. The victory caps months of political turmoil triggered by the stunning but brief imposition of martial law by now-ousted conservative leader Yoon Suk Yeol. Lee, 60, is to take office later Wednesday for a full, single five-year term.

WORDS: 1179 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 3:15 p.m. EDT

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BUSINESS

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FINANCIAL MARKETS

Wall Street drifts following some discouraging updates on the economy

SUMMARY: U.S. stocks are drifting following some potentially discouraging updates on the U.S. economy. The S&P 500 rose 0.2% Wednesday, as momentum slowed following a big rally that had brought it back within 2.8% of its all-time high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 40 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.3%. The action was stronger in the bond market. Treasury yields fell as traders upped expectations for cuts to interest rates by the Federal Reserve following weaker-than-expected reports on activity for U.S. services businesses and on the U.S .job market. Stock indexes rose across Europe and Asia.

WORDS: 851 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 1:19 p.m. EDT

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US--MCDONALD’S-SNACK WRAPS RETURN

Snack Wrap unwrapped: Here’s why McDonald’s is bringing back a fan favorite on July 10

SUMMARY: McDonald’s says it’s bringing back a menu item it discontinued nearly a decade ago. The Chicago burger giant confirmed on Tuesday that Snack Wraps will return to its U.S. menu on July 10. McDonald’s introduced Snack Wraps in 2006 but pulled them in the U.S. a decade later because they were too complicated for its kitchens to prepare. But fans have clamored for a comeback for years. The U.S. president of McDonald says some customers kept ordering the Snack Wrap at drive-thrus. In the meantime, rivals like Burger King introduced their own chicken wraps. McDonald’s expects Snack Wraps to boost its U.S. sales, which have been sluggish as consumers react to economic conditions.

WORDS: 1138 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 4:17 p.m. EDT

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HEALTH/SCIENCE

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US-MED--MEASLES-VACCINATION RATES

Measles vaccination rates drop after COVID-19 pandemic in counties across the US

SUMMARY: Childhood vaccination rates against measles fell in the years after the COVID-19 pandemic in nearly 80% of the more than 2,000 U.S. counties with available data. That includes counties in states that are battling outbreaks this year. The Johns Hopkins University study was published in JAMA this week. It illustrates where more vulnerable communities are located. The results mirror trends established at state and national levels: Routine childhood vaccination rates are dropping. Most of the measles cases in the U.S. this year — 1,088 nationally as of Friday — are in unvaccinated people. Three people have died.

WORDS: 754 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 12:54 p.m. EDT

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CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENT

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US--CANADA WILDFIRES-AIR QUALITY

Canadian wildfire smoke causes ‘very unhealthy’ conditions in American Midwest and reaches Europe

SUMMARY: Smoke from Canadian wildfires has carried another day of poor air quality south of the border to the American Midwest. Conditions in parts of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan were rated “very unhealthy” on Tuesday. The smell of smoke hung over the Minneapolis-St. Paul area on Tuesday morning. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued an alert for almost the entire state into Wednesday. Canada is having another bad wildfire season, and more than 27,000 people in three provinces have been forced to evacuate. The smoke is even reaching Europe, where it is causing hazy skies but isn’t expected to affect surface-air quality,

WORDS: 1018 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 3:04 a.m. EDT

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US--URANIUM REVIVAL

Trump fast-tracks Utah uranium mine, but industry revival may wait for higher prices

SUMMARY: The U.S. uranium mining industry is looking to a revival under President Donald Trump. Environmental reviews of mining operations would normally take months or even years. But after Trump declared a “national energy emergency,” it took just 11 days for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to approve the Velvet-Wood uranium mine’s plan for resuming operations in the red-rock desert south of Moab, Utah. More fast approvals could be coming. But U.S. uranium mining has a long way to go to offset imports. About 98% of the uranium used in U.S. power plants currently is imported.

WORDS: 1159 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 4:46 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:1d4bfe69756322c9bef5ae9c18027ff0&mediaType=text

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CB--CARIBBEAN-RECORD SARGASSUM

Scientists say a record amount of seaweed hit the Caribbean and nearby areas in May

SUMMARY: A new report says that a record 38 million metric tons of sargassum piled up across the Caribbean and nearby areas in May, with more expected this month. The brown prickly algae is suffocating shorelines from Puerto Rico to Guyana, disrupting tourism, killing wildlife and even releasing toxic gases that forced one school in the French Caribbean island of Martinique to temporarily close. It’s the biggest amount of algae spotted in the region since scientists began studying the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt in 2011, said Brian Barnes, an assistant research professor at the University of South Florida who worked on the report published Monday.

WORDS: 641 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 4:33 p.m. EDT

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RELIGION

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ML--SAUDI ARABIA-HAJJ-WHAT TO KNOW

No kids, excess heat and payment plans. What to know about Hajj 2025

SUMMARY: Muslims from around the world are in the Saudi city of Mecca for this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, one of the Five Pillars of Islam. In the coming days, people will immerse themselves in religious rituals and acts of worship that originated more than 1,400 years ago. They also have to contend with excess heat and other earthly factors, such as a ban on children younger than 12 and a crackdown on unauthorized entry. And although the desert kingdom spends billions on crowd control and cooling, the sheer number of pilgrims and climatic conditions make it difficult to guarantee people’s safety.

WORDS: 1066 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 3:50 a.m. EDT

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REL-ISLAM-HAJJ-EXPLAINER

What is the Hajj pilgrimage and what is Eid al-Adha? Why are they significant for Muslims?

SUMMARY: Large numbers of Muslims converge once a year on Saudi Arabia to unite in a series of religious rituals and acts of worship as they perform the Hajj, the pilgrimage that is one of the pillars of Islam. As they fulfill a religious obligation, they immerse themselves in what can be a profound spiritual experience of a lifetime and a chance to seek God’s forgiveness and the erasure of past sins. For the pilgrims, the Hajj is seen as an opportunity to grow closer to God and to walk in the footsteps of prophets. The Hajj unites Muslims of diverse races, ethnicities, languages and economic classes in performing rituals together.

WORDS: 760 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 3:39 p.m. EDT

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ENTERTAINMENT

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US--OBIT-EDMUND WHITE-ABRIDGED

Edmund White, a groundbreaking gay author, dies at 85

SUMMARY: Edmund White, the groundbreaking man of letters who documented and imagined the gay revolution through journalism, essays, memoirs and novels, has died. He was 85. White was among a generation of gay writers who in the 1970s became bards for a community no longer afraid to declare its existence. His novels included “A Boy’s Own Story” and “The Beautiful Room is Empty.” He was present at the Stonewall raids of 1969, and for decades was a participant and observer through the tragedy of AIDS and the advance of gay rights and culture.

WORDS: 930 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 1:04 p.m. EDT

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SPORTS

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TEN--FRENCH OPEN-KEYS-GAUFF

French Open: Coco Gauff digs deep to beat Keys and will face 361st-ranked Boisson in the semifinals

SUMMARY: Coco Gauff overcame 10 double-faults and the first set she’s dropped in the tournament to beat Madison Keys 6-7 (6), 6-4, 6-1 at the French Open and reach the semifinals for the third time. Wednesday’s contest was filled with plenty of mistakes by both Americans, who each has claimed one major championship. They combined for 101 unforced errors and just 40 winners across more than two hours under a closed roof at Court Philippe-Chatrier on a drizzly, chilly day. The No. 2-seeded Gauff won the 2023 U.S. Open and was the runner-up at the 2022 French Open.

WORDS: 777 - MOVED: 06/04/2025 10:17 a.m. EDT

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BKN--KNICKS-THIBODEAU FIRED

Knicks fire coach Tom Thibodeau after first Eastern Conference finals berth in 25 years

SUMMARY: The New York Knicks have fired coach Tom Thibodeau, just days after their first trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years. The Knicks were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers with a loss in Game 6 on Saturday night. They then decided to move on from Thibodeau, who led them to the postseason in four of his five seasons in New York. The decision was made by team president Leon Rose with approval from owner Jim Dolan, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Tuesday.

WORDS: 828 - MOVED: 06/03/2025 8:15 p.m. EDT

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