peel back effect

Top Stories Digest

Posted 7/30/25

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 Digest

Posted

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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NEW AND DEVELOPING

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NATIONAL

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US--NEBRASKA EXPLOSION

Nebraska plant explosion killed 2 girls and an employee, and the fire is still burning

SUMMARY: Officials have confirmed that two girls and an adult missing since a massive explosion at a Nebraska biofuels plant are dead. The explosion happened Tuesday at Horizon Biofuels in Fremont. The two children were waiting for an employee to finish work. The blast destroyed part of the plant, and firefighters are still battling the blaze Wednesday. Officials suspect wood dust an elevator caused the explosion at the plant, which makes animal bedding and wood pellets. The structure’s instability has made it difficult for crews to gain access inside. he company did not immediately respond to phone calls seeking comment.

WORDS: 472 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 1:27 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:f6019cc7d3e35d62548dd31529cb010f&mediaType=text

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US--AIRCRAFT DOWN-INVESTIGATION

NTSB finds Army chopper in fatal midair crash with plane was above altitude limit

SUMMARY: Investigators have found that a helicopter involved in a deadly crash with a passenger plane over Washington was flying above its height limit. The helicopter’s altitude-measuring instrument was also inaccurate. These findings were revealed during the first day of National Transportation Safety Board hearings. The crash, which occurred in January, killed 67 people. The board is examining how the Federal Aviation Administration and the Army may have contributed to the incident. The hearings will continue for three days, focusing on military helicopter routes, collision avoidance technology, and air traffic controller training at Ronald Reagan National Airport.

WORDS: 1131 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 12:44 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:40f94a495e2e60b9adc5b9a49cce6437&mediaType=text

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US--TRUMP-EPSTEIN-GRAND JURY TRANSCRIPTS

Epstein and Maxwell grand juries did not hear directly from victims, prosecutors tell judges

SUMMARY: The federal grand juries that indicted Jeffrey Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell on sex trafficking charges didn’t hear directly from any of the alleged victims in the case. Only two witnesses, both law enforcement officials, testified before the panels. That’s what the Justice Department says in support of its request to unseal transcripts of the usually secret proceedings. The filing says the Epstein grand jury heard only from an FBI agent when it met in 2019, while the Maxwell grand jury heard from the same FBI agent and a New York Police Department detective in 2020 and 2021. Judges would have to approve any request to unseal records.

WORDS: 898 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 12:12 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d7b6be64eb7cf79de765d7870069e780&mediaType=text

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US--SHOOTING-NEW YORK CITY

Officials work to unravel how and why gunman carried out deadly attack on NYC office building

SUMMARY: Investigators are piecing together more details about how a former high school football player who blamed the game for his mental health problems carried out a deadly attack on an office building that is home to the NFL. Authorities say Shane Tamura killed four people on Monday before killing himself. Officials say he had a handwritten note claiming he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, known at CTE, and accused the league of hiding the dangers of brain injuries linked to contact sports. Investigators plan to question a man who supplied gun parts for the AR-15-style rifle used in the attack, including the weapon’s lower receiver.

WORDS: 829 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 11:07 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:36fe5e858062f6a6d687c466ce865763&mediaType=text

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PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING-THINGS TO KNOW

Tsunami warnings fading after one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded. Here’s what to know

SUMMARY: One of this century’s most powerful earthquakes struck off the coast of Russia and generated tsunami warnings and advisories for a broad section of the Pacific as far south as New Zealand. Now warnings are being downgraded in most areas, though advisories remain in place as more aftershocks are possible. The quake registered a magnitude of 8.8 and was centered off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s Far East. It struck early Wednesday local time, which was still Tuesday in the U.S.

WORDS: 917 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 9:34 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:4bf4cda5efc9dcc7bfdff736abf0f3af&mediaType=text

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US--SHOOTING-NEW YORK CITY-VICTIMS

Victims of New York City shooting include a police officer and an executive at investment firm

SUMMARY: A New York City police officer and an executive at an investment firm are among the four people killed by a gunman at a Manhattan office tower. Officer Didarul Islam was working a corporate security assignment at the midtown skyscraper Monday when he was killed. The building is home to the headquarters of the NFL and investment firm Blackstone. The firm has confirmed senior managing director Wesley LePatner was fatally shot. A labor union identified a security officer killed as Aland Etienne. The Rudin family, which owns the building and Rudin Management, said in a statement that one of their employees was a victim of the shootings. They did not disclose the person’s name at the request of relatives.

WORDS: 1049 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 7:40 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:2869b5bb31e6480dc2c20175d270ad88&mediaType=text

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US--COLORADO-DENTIST-WIFE-POISONED

Colorado dentist gave his wife a fatal dose of poison while she was hospitalized, prosecutor says

SUMMARY: A prosecutor says a Colorado dentist accused of killing his wife by poisoning her wanted out of their marriage but didn’t want a divorce. Prosecutor Michael Mauro made the claim Tuesday during closing arguments in James Craig’s murder trial. He disputed Craig’s claim that Angela Craig wanted to kill herself rather than get divorced, saying she had pushed through Craig’s infidelity for years. In notes found on James Craig’s phone, the dentist said Angela Craig asked him to help kill her with poison when he sought a divorce after he had affairs. Jurors began deliberations Tuesday afternoon before pausing for the night with plans to resume Wednesday.

WORDS: 807 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 7:16 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:97da1f1a7d3eeed11318aa2af50d36ca&mediaType=text

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US--AMOEBA DEATH-THINGS TO KNOW

What to know about the brain-eating amoeba that killed a child swimming in a lake

SUMMARY: A 12-year-old boy has died from a brain-eating amoeba after swimming in a South Carolina lake over the July Fourth weekend. The amoeba enters the body through the nose and causes a fatal brain infection. Fewer than 10 cases are reported annually in the U.S., but almost all are deadly. More than 160 people are known to have died from the amoeba in the U.S. in the past 60 years. The boy’s parents were unaware of the amoeba when they let their son swim in Lake Murray. The amoeba is common, even if the infections caused by it are rare. Other dangers in lakes include E.coli and harmful algae, which can cause severe health issues.

WORDS: 846 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 7:11 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8370a5140a7cbb6214cbeed18afad575&mediaType=text

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US--AMOEBA DEATH

Parents want more warnings after a brain-eating amoeba killed their son on a South Carolina lake

SUMMARY: Two weeks after spending the Fourth of July on a popular South Carolina lake, 12-year-old Jaysen Carr died from a brain-eating amoeba that was living in the warm water. The amoeba entered his brain through his nose, possibly when he jumped into Lake Murray, near Columbia. A doctor delivered the diagnosis after Jaysen’s headache and nausea worsened. He fought for a week before dying on July 18. Like many other states, South Carolina has no law requiring public reporting of such deaths. The lake remains open, with no water testing conducted. Jaysen’s parents want to raise awareness and try to prevent anyone else from losing a child.

WORDS: 991 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 7:10 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:f61a5f97384fed3c366508382be94d45&mediaType=text

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US--EXTREME WEATHER-HEAT

Record-breaking heat wave scorches Southeast US

SUMMARY: Residents in the Southeast U.S. are no strangers to hot weather in the summertime. But the sweltering heat this week set at least one record, and forecasters urged residents to limit being outside if possible and to hydrate. The all-time high temperature record at Tampa International Airport was broken on Sunday when the thermometer hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The previous record had been 99 degrees Fahrenheit set in June 2020. The National Weather Service said Tuesday that the prolonged heat wave was expected to peak in the southeast U.S. at midweek.

WORDS: 646 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 7:09 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:6fbb7465ebaeb81ad00678e046b2c93a&mediaType=text

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US--SHOOTING-NEW YORK CITY-THINGS TO KNOW

What to know about the shooting at a New York City office tower that killed 4

SUMMARY: Investigators are examining why the gunman who killed four people before taking his own life at a New York City office tower targeted the National Football League and whether he suffered from a brain disease. Authorities say the gunman entered a Manhattan skyscraper that houses offices for the NFL on Monday. Police believe he killed a police officer and three other people before killing himself. A note found on the gunman’s body suggested he had a grievance against the NFL over an unsubstantiated claim that he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The degenerative brain disease has been linked to concussions and other repeated head trauma common in contact sports such as football.

WORDS: 809 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 6:57 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:0d002f9e3a3fdab7d7ad93616d42e865&mediaType=text

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US--SEXUAL-MISCONDUCT-DIDDY

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs asks for release on a $50 million bond ahead of sentencing in October

SUMMARY: Sean “Diddy” Combs is asking a judge to release him on a $50 million bond while he awaits sentencing in October. Combs was acquitted of the most serious federal charges he faced, but convicted of lesser prostitution-related offenses. His lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, argued on Tuesday that conditions at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn are dangerous. Agnifilo noted that others convicted of similar offenses were typically released before sentencing. In July, Combs was denied bail after being acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. Judge Arun Subramanian said Combs hasn’t shown he is not a danger to the community.

WORDS: 298 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 6:32 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:603faeb7b26a3290e10b83dd28dadab3&mediaType=text

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US-ALASKA-BEAR MAULINGS

Anchorage warns hikers after 2 bear attacks in a week

SUMMARY: Officials in Alaska are warning hikers to steer clear of streams and rivers where salmon are running after bears mauled hikers on two different occasions within a week in Anchorage. Both species of bears are looking to fatten up for winter, and they are congregating at these sites. The latest mauling came Saturday when a man was walking near a river where salmon are running, and his unleashed dog surprised a brown bear sow and her cub. The sow attacked, and the man unloaded his entire can of bear spray to ward off the bear. The first mauling happened July 22 in a hillside neighborhood away from streams, but still in the backcountry. Neither hiker had life-threatening injuries.

WORDS: 720 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 5:00 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c7bfcc50aeebebb214348994770d2f23&mediaType=text

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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US--TRUMP-HEALTH DATA

Trump administration is launching a new private health tracking system with Big Tech’s help

SUMMARY: The Trump administration is pushing for Americans to upload personal health data to new apps run by private tech companies. This initiative aims to make accessing health records easier. Leaders from over 60 companies, including Google and Amazon, are meeting at the White House later Wednesday to discuss a “digital health ecosystem.” The system will focus on diabetes, weight management, and digital tools for patient check-ins. Officials promise privacy and security, but experts warn of ethical concerns. Patients must opt in to share data, digital privacy advocates are skeptical that patients will be able to count on their data being stored securely.

WORDS: 681 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 1:01 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:fa73703bd1fd557c787ef0b590e151f1&mediaType=text

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US--TRUMP-TARIFFS

Trump announces 25% tariff on India and unspecified penalties for buying Russian oil

SUMMARY: The Indian government says it’s studying the implications of President Donald Trump’s announcement he’ll impose a 25% tariff on goods from India, plus an additional import tax because of India’s purchasing of Russian oil. Trump says India is the United States’ “friend” but its “Tariffs are far too high” on U.S. goods. The Republican president adds India buys military equipment and oil from Russia, enabling Moscow’s war in Ukraine. Trump intends to charge an additional “penalty” starting Friday as part of the launch of his administration’s revised tariffs on multiple countries. India’s Trade Ministry said Wednesday it remains committed to negotiating a “fair, balanced and mutually beneficial” bilateral trade agreement.

WORDS: 865 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 12:27 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:9e388a55583e7007149819c52f0fd71b&mediaType=text

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US--CONGRESS-TRUMP BILL-IMPACT

Medicaid was signed into law 60 years ago. Trump’s big bill is chiseling it back

SUMMARY: This summer, President Donald Trump has begun to chisel back Medicaid and food stamps. On a July day in 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed legislation into law that launched Medicaid, creating a health care safety net for millions of low-income Americans in one of the crowning achievements of his legacy. A year earlier, Johnson did the same for food stamps. But the Republican Party’s recent tax and spending bill delivered not just $4.5 trillion in tax breaks but some of the most substantial changes to the landmark safety net programs in their history. Democrats say Republicans are ripping “food out of the mouths of children.” Local governments are scrambling to respond.

WORDS: 1111 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 7:53 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ed0d2c7c20b43c54265dbc9cb215b647&mediaType=text

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US-SENATE-JUDGES-BOVE

Senate confirms Trump lawyer Emil Bove for appeals court, pushing past whistleblower claims

SUMMARY: The Senate has confirmed former Trump lawyer Emil Bove for a lifetime appointment as a federal appeals court judge. The 50-49 vote comes despite Democratic attempts to stop the nomination and whistleblower complaints against Bove. The most recent whistleblower to share evidence with Congress has not come forward publicly but recently provided an audio recording of Bove that contradicts some of his testimony at his confirmation hearing last month, according to two people familiar with the recording. The people requested anonymity because the whistleblower has not made the recording public.

WORDS: 1164 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 10:08 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:71f92822cb2e8d57387748c2451fa724&mediaType=text

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US--JUSTICE DEPARTMENT-JEFFREY EPSTEIN

Trump says Epstein ‘stole’ young women from Mar-a-Lago spa, including Virginia Giuffre

SUMMARY: President Donald Trump says Jeffrey Epstein “stole” young women who worked at Mar-a-Lago, including Virginia Giuffre, one of the disgraced financier’s most well-known accusers. Trump claims he banned Epstein from Mar-a-Lago after the incidents. The White House initially said Epstein was banned for acting like a “creep.” Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend, is willing to answer more questions from Congress if granted immunity, but the House Oversight Committee said it would reject the request. Maxwell is serving a 20-year sentence in a Florida federal prison.

WORDS: 762 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 8:18 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:3ca45e130deb5f2eee8deff36d99734f&mediaType=text

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US--TRUMP-CLIMATE

Trump EPA moves to repeal landmark ‘endangerment finding’ that allows climate regulation

SUMMARY: President Donald Trump’s administration has proposed revoking a scientific finding that’s long been the central basis for U.S. action to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fight climate change. The proposed Environmental Protection Agency rule rescinds a 2009 declaration that determined carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health. The “endangerment finding” is the legal underpinning of a host of climate regulations under the Clean Air Act for motor vehicles, power plants and other pollution sources. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin announced the proposed rule change on a podcast ahead of an official announcement set for Tuesday in Indiana. Three former EPA leaders say Zeldin’s proposal would endanger the lives of millions of Americans.

WORDS: 1012 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 6:42 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:5cba0871c880e23d044ef40a398c57b2&mediaType=text

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US--CONGRESS-GAZA

Democrats implore Trump to step up role in addressing suffering and starvation in Gaza

SUMMARY: Senate Democrats are imploring President Donald Trump’s administration to step up its role in addressing suffering and starvation in Gaza. More than 40 senators are signing onto a letter Tuesday urging the resumption of ceasefire talks and criticizing an Israeli-backed American organization created to distribute food aid. The senators are sending the letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Republican president’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff. The senators say the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation has “failed to address the deepening humanitarian crisis and contributed to an unacceptable and mounting civilian death toll.” The White House says Trump “wants to alleviate suffering for the people of Gaza because he has a humanitarian heart.”

WORDS: 1125 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 5:44 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c20c442ffa6e6379df7cbc3fe75404ac&mediaType=text

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INTERNATIONAL

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EU--RUSSIA-PACIFIC-TSUNAMI-EXPLAINER

Russia’s Far East ‘land of fire and ice’ avoids major damage from earthquake and tsunami

SUMMARY: One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded hit Russia’s Far East, flooding a fishing port with waves from a tsunami, cutting power to a few areas and sending some panicked residents to flee buildings but causing only a few injuries. Regional authorities say they were well prepared for the 8.8-magnitude quake and subsequent waves. A state of emergency was declared but there was no major damage. The 1,200-kilometer (750-mile)-long peninsula nine time zones east of Moscow faces the Pacific Ocean on its east and the Sea of Okhotsk along its west coast. Called the “land of fire and ice,” Kamchatka is one of the most active volcanic regions on Earth, with about 300 volcanoes, with 29 of them active.

WORDS: 876 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 12:41 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d13f56519182de7a09bea5ae2488b3bf&mediaType=text

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AS--PACIFIC-TSUNAMI

Tsunami evacuations ordered in South America, but worst risk appears to pass for US after huge quake

SUMMARY: One of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded has hit off Russia’s sparsely populated Far East. It sent tsunami waves into Japan, Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast. Several people were injured, but none gravely, and no major damage has been reported so far. Authorities warned the risk from the 8.8 magnitude quake could last for hours, and millions of people potentially in the path of the waves were initially told to move away from the shore or seek high ground. The worst appeared to have passed for many areas, including the U.S., Japan and the affected parts of Russia. But Chile raised its tsunami warning to the highest level for most of its lengthy Pacific coast.

WORDS: 1209 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 12:00 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:a88cbe8a1e985cff54dc0ad849ea5ddb&mediaType=text

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AF--LESOTHO-TRUMP TARIFFS

As Trump’s tariff deadline looms, a clothing factory in the tiny African nation of Lesotho goes dark

SUMMARY: Officials and workers in the textile industry of the small African nation of Lesotho are holding their breath as a key deadline for U.S.-imposed tariffs approaches. The country came into the spotlight when it appeared at the top of President Donald Trump’s reciprocal tariff list in April. Textile manufacturing is Lesotho’s biggest private industry. Although Lesotho’s initial tariff rate of 50% has dropped as Trump holds trade talks with various nations, for much of Lesotho the damage is already done. The jobs of some 12,000 workers in factories exporting clothes to the U.S. are at stake. One factory that made clothes for JC Penney, Walmart and Costco is already empty; most of its 1,300 employees are gone. Officials fear this may be a sign of what’s to come.

WORDS: 1342 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 11:47 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ea9754135855675400b76c8ce13dde04&mediaType=text

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ML--MIDEAST WARS-GAZA

Dozens of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire in Gaza, officials say, as hunger crisis grinds on

SUMMARY: Health officials in the Gaza Strip say Israeli strikes and gunfire have killed at least 46 Palestinians overnight and into Wednesday, most of them among crowds seeking food. Israel has continued to carry out daily strikes as its military offensive and blockade have led to the “worst-case scenario of famine” in the territory of some 2 million Palestinians, according to an international authority on hunger crises. Ceasefire talks appeared to have stalled again last week, with no end in sight to the nearly 22-month war sparked by Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack.

WORDS: 863 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 11:36 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:9b9b516f22e61bd1dde879733fdd97aa&mediaType=text

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AS--THAILAND-CAMBODIA-EXPLAINER

What to know about the shaky truce after 5 days of combat between Thailand and Cambodia

SUMMARY: Thailand and Cambodia have implemented a ceasefire intended to end five days of armed combat over disputed territory along their border. The truce this week appeared shaky with reports of sporadic clashes continuing. The talks Monday that led to an agreement were hosted by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened the warring countries that he would not negotiate on implementing lower tariffs unless they reached an agreement to end the violence. The proximate cause of the fighting was a land mine explosion that injured five Thai soldiers, but the two countries have a history of enmity.

WORDS: 1033 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 7:04 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:0eb99510a4ea16ee769a5934e0c07383&mediaType=text

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AS--THAILAND-CAMBODIA

Thailand and Cambodia ceasefire holds despite reports of skirmishes

SUMMARY: A ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia appears to be holding as tensions linger despite a truce agreement. The Thai army accused Cambodia of launching attacks early Tuesday. But Cambodia denies any firing. Fighting stopped after military commanders from both sides met. They agreed to halt troop movements and establish joint coordination teams. But a Thai government statement late Tuesday reported another clash. The ceasefire was reached in Malaysia under U.S. pressure. It comes after fighting that killed at least 41 people and displaced more than 260,000 others. Analysts warn the ceasefire remains tenuous and politically complicated.

WORDS: 1031 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 9:16 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:36da6c2ba1a1c33a16ca6ddf1cb82bda&mediaType=text

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ML--MIDEAST WARS-GAZA-FAMINE

‘Worst-case scenario of famine’ is happening in Gaza, food crisis experts warn

SUMMARY: Gaza’s population is facing the “worst-case scenario of famine” and “widespread death” will occur without immediate action, the leading international authority on food crises has warned. Tuesday’s alert by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification — which is still short of a formal famine declaration — follows an outcry over images of emaciated children in Gaza after nearly 22 months of war. The IPC said Gaza has teetered on the brink of famine for two years, but recent developments, including “increasingly stringent blockades” by Israel, have “dramatically worsened” the situation.

WORDS: 969 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 4:56 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d14ca629a68f7bdefe9c2fcc67d62224&mediaType=text

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LT--MEXICO-DISAPPEARED-SCIENCE

Why are scientists dressing pigs in clothes and burying them in Mexico?

SUMMARY: Scientists in Mexico are testing innovative methods they hope can be employed to locate the overwhelming number of people missing due to cartel violence. They are experimenting with pigs to simulate how human bodies decompose, and researchers are using satellite, geophysical and biological mapping techniques to study changes in the porcine graves. They hope the research will enhance efforts to find the more than 130,000 reported missing across Mexico. Jalisco, a state heavily affected by disappearances, is a focal point for this research. While technology isn’t a complete solution, it complements traditional methods such as witness testimonies and digging.

WORDS: 1284 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 4:48 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:9e0fec063c7365c9b1dc4d2262313f86&mediaType=text

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US--TROPICAL-WEATHER

Hurricane Iona and Tropical Storm Keli rumble in the central Pacific off Hawaii

SUMMARY: A major hurricane is churning in the Pacific Ocean several hundred miles away from Hawaii. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says Tuesday that Hurricane Iona is one of two major weather systems in the ocean but poses no threat to the islands. Forecasters say Iona is about 735 miles south-southeast of Honolulu with maximum sustained winds at 125 mph. Tropical Storm Keli has also formed in the Pacific and is centered about 790 miles southeast of Honolulu. Its maximum sustained winds were at 40 mph. No coastal watches or warnings were in effect for the storms.

WORDS: 315 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 4:46 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:211bcbac1c1021cb60285aad2298a253&mediaType=text

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ML--GAZA-HUNGER-EXPLAINER

Why there hasn’t been a formal declaration of famine in Gaza

SUMMARY: The leading international authority on food crises says the “worst-case scenario of famine is currently playing out in Gaza” and it predicts “widespread death” without immediate action. Yet this authority — the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification, or IPC — stopped short Tuesday of formally declaring a famine. Even though Israel eased a 2 1/2-month blockade on the territory in May, aid groups say only a trickle of assistance is getting into the enclave and that Palestinians face catastrophic levels of hunger. Still, the IPC has not yet obtained data that would meet its threshold for declaring a famine in Gaza.

WORDS: 1132 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 3:06 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:ce9053afd13df29c8579d01e1b488871&mediaType=text

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US--POLL-ISRAEL-GAZA

What Americans think about Israel’s military action in Gaza, according to a new Gallup poll

SUMMARY: A new poll shows support for Israel’s military action in Gaza has dropped among U.S. adults, with only about one-third approving. This marks a decline from the beginning of the war with Hamas, when about half of Americans approved of Israel’s action. The Gallup poll shows about half of U.S. adults now have an unfavorable view of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The rising disapproval is driven by Democrats, independents and younger Americans, who are much less likely to approve of Israel’s actions than they were in November 2023, just after Israel expanded its ground offensive in Gaza. Republicans remain largely supportive of both Israel’s military actions and Netanyahu.

WORDS: 924 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 2:11 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:dc79937460ed55e9a020acba652eba4b&mediaType=text

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EU--RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR

Russia kills 27 civilians in Ukraine as the Kremlin remains defiant over Trump threats

SUMMARY: Officials say Russian glide bombs and ballistic missiles have struck a Ukrainian prison and a medical facility as Russia’s relentless strikes on civilian areas killed at least 27 people across the country. The attacks came despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to soon punish Russia with sanctions and tariffs unless it stops the barrages. Authorities said four powerful Russian glide bombs hit a prison in Ukraine’s southeast, killing at least 16 inmates and wounding more than 90 others. In the Dnipro region of central Ukraine, authorities said Russian missiles partially destroyed a three-story building and damaged a maternity hospital and a city hospital ward. Regional authorities said at least five people were killed, including a 23-year-old pregnant woman.

WORDS: 985 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 2:07 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:feb6039758a0ee9bb21e1dab986c20b7&mediaType=text

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BUSINESS

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FINANCIAL-MARKETS

US stock market holds steady ahead of a Federal Reserve decision on interest rates

SUMMARY: U.S. stock indexes are drifting as Wall Street waits to hear from the Federal Reserve later in the afternoon about what it will do with interest rates. The S&P 500 edged up by 0.2% Wednesday, coming off its first loss after setting all-time highs for six successive days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 30 points, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.4%. Treasury yields rose in the bond market after a report suggested the U.S. economy’s growth was much stronger during the spring than economists expected. Wall Street’s expectation is for the Federal Reserve to stand pat again on interest rates.

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US--FEDERAL RESERVE

Dissent emerges at Federal Reserve among Trump appointees, but a rate change remains unlikely

SUMMARY: Two top Federal Reserve officials could dissent from the central bank’s likely decision Wednesday to hold its key interest rate steady, a sign of division reflecting the economy’s muddy outlook as well as the jockeying to replace Chair Jerome Powell when his term ends next year. The division could be a preview of what might happen if President Donald Trump appoints a replacement who pushes for the much lower interest rates the White House desires. Other Fed officials could push back if a future chair sought to cut rates by more than economic conditions support.

WORDS: 823 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 11:56 a.m. EDT

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ECONOMY-GDP

Along with a strong second quarter rebound for the US economy, some red flags

SUMMARY: The U.S. economy expanded at a surprising 3% annual pace from April through June, bouncing back at least temporarily from a first-quarter drop that reflected disruptions arising from President Donald Trump’s trade wars. The Commerce Department reported Wednesday that America gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — rebounded after falling at a 0.5% clip from January through March. The first-quarter drop was mainly caused by a surge in imports — which are subtracted from GDP — as businesses scrambled to bring in foreign goods ahead of Trump’s tariffs. Economists had expected 2% second-quarter growth.

WORDS: 575 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 10:52 a.m. EDT

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US--TRUMP-TRADE DEALS

Trump’s latest tariff deadline is approaching. Here are the trade deals the US has announced so far

SUMMARY: The clock is ticking closer to U.S. President Donald Trump’s latest tariff deadline of Aug 1. And while several more deals — or at least frameworks for deals — have been reached since his last tariff deadline of July 9 came and went, trade talks with many countries are still in flux. Trump unveiled sweeping import taxes on goods coming into the U.S. from nearly every country back in April. That included heightened so-called reciprocal rates for certain countries, the bulk of which have since been postponed twice. And by early July, Trump began sending warning letters that higher tariff rates would be imposed against dozens of countries on Aug. 1.

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CHINA-ECONOMY

China promises to help companies slammed by tariffs, as talks with the US left in limbo

SUMMARY: China’s top leaders have pledged to help companies slammed by higher U.S. tariffs but held back on major moves after trade talks with the U.S. this week left businesses in limbo. At their summer economic planning meeting, the powerful Politburo pledged to stabilize foreign trade and investment. But the inconclusive outcome of two days of trade talks in Stockholm, Sweden, left open the question of higher tariffs on Chinese exports to the United States. Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng said the two sides had agreed to work on extending a deadline for higher tariffs. The U.S. side said the extension was discussed, but not decided and tariffs could boomerang back to a higher level.

WORDS: 661 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 6:01 a.m. EDT

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US--MILLIONAIRE BOOM

Millionaires multiply across the US, but most find it’s not all mansions and champagne

SUMMARY: The number of millionaires in the United States is soaring. A report from Swiss bank UBS finds about 1 in 10 American adults now has a net worth of at least $1 million, with 1,000 new millionaires added every day last year. That milestone, once reserved for celebrities and CEOs, is increasingly being reached by everyday Americans, thanks to rising home values, stock market gains and decades of retirement savings. With inflation, a million bucks no longer stretches as far as it once did, and many millionaires’ wealth is tied up in houses and 401(k)s. But seven-figure status still holds symbolic weight. As one man who hit the mark put it, “It’s not a golden ticket like it was in the past” but it buys “peace of mind.”

WORDS: 1133 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 2:40 p.m. EDT

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HEALTH/SCIENCE

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SCI--EARTH-MAPPER LAUNCH

Radar satellite launched by India and NASA will track miniscule changes to Earth’s land and ice

SUMMARY: NASA and India have paired up to launch an Earth-mapping satellite capable of tracking the slightest changes in land and ice. The satellite blasted off from India on Wednesday. Scientists say the $1.3 billion mission will help forecasters and first responders stay one step ahead of floods, landslides and other disasters. The satellite, known as NISAR, will survey virtually all of Earth’s terrain multiple times with its two radars. It’s the biggest space collaboration between the two countries. It will join dozens of Earth observation missions already in operation by the U.S. and India.

WORDS: 512 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 12:08 p.m. EDT

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SCI--DEEP SEA LIFE

A submersible finds sea creatures thriving in the deepest parts of the ocean

SUMMARY: An underwater voyage has revealed a network of creatures thriving at the bottom of deep-sea ocean trenches. Researchers traveling in a submersible along two trenches in the Pacific Ocean found tubeworms and mollusks flourishing at deep depths. The finding shows just how extensive these communities are in extreme environments. The tubeworms and mollusks get their energy from chemical reactions instead of photosynthesis, eating tiny microbes or snacking on the products of their labor. The new research was published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

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US-MED--KRATOM DRUGS

US health officials crack down on kratom-related products after complaints from supplement industry

SUMMARY: U.S. health officials are cracking down on an opioid-related ingredient being added to drinks, supplements and other products. The FDA said Tuesday it will recommend that the ingredient be banned under federal law. The substance is a component of kratom, a plant native to Southeast Asia that has gained popularity in the U.S. as an unapproved treatment for pain, anxiety and drug dependence. For months, dietary supplement companies that sell kratom have been urging a crackdown on products containing the ingredient. The companies say it is a dangerous, concentrated form of the chemical found in original kratom.

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RELIGION

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EU-REL--VATICAN-CATHOLIC INFLUENCERS

Pope Leo XIV surprises Catholic youth festival with unexpected popemobile salute

SUMMARY: Pope Leo XIV has surprised tens of thousands of young Catholics by showing up unexpectedly at a Holy Year welcome ceremony. Leo emerged in St. Peter’s Square in his popemobile on Tuesday at the end of an evening Mass that kicked off the Jubilee of Youth. The event is a weeklong celebration for young Catholics. The estimated 120,000 young pilgrims who had packed the square erupted in shocked cheers and chants. Leo beamed for 20 minutes. He waved and clearly seemed to enjoy the outpouring of enthusiasm from his perch on the popemobile in the first mass event of his pontificate.

WORDS: 722 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 7:04 p.m. EDT

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EDUCATION

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US--EDUCATION-TRUMP-HARVARD

Trump administration wants Harvard to pay far more than Columbia as part of settlement

SUMMARY: The Trump administration is pressing for a deal with Harvard University that would require the Ivy League school pay far more than the $200 million fine agreed to by Columbia University, according to two people familiar with the matter. Harvard would be expected to pay hundreds of millions of dollars as part of any settlement to end investigations into antisemitism, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Harvard leaders have been negotiating with the White House as they battle in court to regain access to billions of dollars in funding terminated by the Trump administration.

WORDS: 562 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 2:40 p.m. EDT

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ENTERTAINMENT

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EU-ENT--BRITAIN-OZZY OSBOURNE

Birmingham gives an emotional farewell to Ozzy Osbourne as tearful family lead tributes

SUMMARY: Thousands of emotional Black Sabbath fans have paid their respects to band founder and singer Ozzy Osbourne as his hearse makes its way through the streets of Birmingham. The rock legend died on July 22 after performing his final show weeks earlier. As the funeral procession made its way through the city’s streets on Wednesday, his family stopped to inspect the array of tributes, with his wife of 43 years, Sharon, visibly moved and wiping away tears. Since his death was announced, fans have made pilgrimages to sites around Birmingham, the city in central England where he grew uo and where his band was formed in 1968.

WORDS: 637 - MOVED: 07/30/2025 12:27 p.m. EDT

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SPORTS

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FBN--SHOOTING-NEW YORK CITY-NFL-CTE-EXPLAINER

Here’s what to know about CTE, the brain disease the NYC shooter blamed for his mental health issues

SUMMARY: The man who killed four people in the New York City skyscraper that is home to NFL headquarters carried a note blaming the league for his mental health problems. Shane Tamura played football in high school. He said in the three-page note found in his wallet that he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease that can’t be diagnosed until death, and implored those who found him to study his brain. CTE has been linked to concussions in contact sports. The disease has been diagnosed in more than 100 former NFL players and arisen as an existential threat to the United States’ most powerful pro sports league.

WORDS: 596 - MOVED: 07/29/2025 7:22 p.m. EDT

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