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AP Top Stories Digest

Posted 5/23/26

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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AP Top Stories Digest

Posted

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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NATIONAL

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AP-US-Southern-California-Chemical-Tank, 9th Ld-Writethru

40,000 people under evacuation orders for a chemical tank leak in Southern California

SUMMARY: About 40,000 people are under evacuation orders and schools have shut down in Southern California due to a hazardous chemical leak. Officials say a storage tank began leaking methyl methacrylate, a chemical used in making plastic parts. The tank overheated Thursday at an aerospace plastics facility in Garden Grove, where evacuations were initially ordered. Officials expanded evacuation orders Friday to include parts of Cypress, Stanton, Anaheim, Buena Park and Westminster after failing to stop the leak overnight. The tank was holding between 6,000 and 7,000 gallons of the chemical at the GKN Aerospace facility, which makes parts for commercial and military aircraft.

WORDS: 782 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 10:47 PM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSSouthernCaliforniaChemicalTankthLdWritethru/e0da10097b68b7f48ed512225eb487fa/text

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AP-US-Shipyard-Explosion, 8th Ld-Writethru

1 person has died after blast at New York City shipyard that also injured 36 people, officials say.

SUMMARY: One person has died after blast Friday at a New York City shipyard, officials say. Officials said 36 people were injured, most of them firefighters and other first responders, and one civilian died. A firefighter and a fire marshal were inside the structure when a second explosion happened, and both were seriously injured by the shock wave from the blast. “This was a complex, fast-developing emergency situation,” New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani said during a news conference Friday evening.

WORDS: 450 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 9:46 PM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSShipyardExplosionthLdWritethru/90e97ade84e47b493191169eeda1a3f2/text

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AP-US-Overdose-Deaths-New-Mexico, 4th Ld-Writethru

Fentanyl, meth found at house where New Mexico responders got sick after answering overdose call

SUMMARY: Authorities say fentanyl and methamphetamine were found at a home where first responders became sick after answering a call about suspected overdoses in a rural New Mexico county. Three people who were found inside the house died. A fourth person who was in the house and one of the first responders who became sick were still being treated at a hospital Friday. A doctor who saw the first responders exhibiting symptoms — including vomiting and dizziness — said their symptoms most closely resembled fentanyl exposure. However, the investigation into how the exposure happened and what caused it was ongoing.

WORDS: 657 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 10:47 PM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSOverdoseDeathsNewMexicothLdWritethru/c80dcca785cc62d09a23b732243ed500/text

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AP-US-Islamic-Center-Shooting, 1st Ld-Writethru

Behavior of teen in mosque shooting led police to seize family guns a year before attack

SUMMARY: Court records reveal new details about one of two teenagers who killed three people at a San Diego mosque. The records show that Caleb Vazquez was flagged to police for idolizing Nazis and mass shooters last year, and that his parents locked away their collection of 26 guns as a precaution under a protective order. Court records and a family statement say Vazquez had a history of mental health issues and was involuntarily hospitalized. His family said they tried to help him, but experts say online radicalization is difficult to combat. Authorities say Vazquez and Cain Clark met online, and that Clark's mother reported guns missing hours before the shooting.

WORDS: 868 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 9:36 PM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSIslamicCenterShootingstLdWritethru/32306e02616e46a3d20b281a1d7473b0/text

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AP-US-Election-2026-Redistricting-What-to-Know

Republicans are rushing to redraw districts before midterms. Here's where things stand

SUMMARY: Republicans are rushing to redraw congressional districts to their advantage after a U.S. Supreme Court decision weakened minority protections under the Voting Rights Act. New U.S. House districts have already been enacted in Tennessee and Alabama and are progressing in Louisiana and South Carolina. However, legal and legislative hurdles remain before these maps can be used in the November elections. President Donald Trump has urged Republican-led states to redistrict to try to maintain the GOP's narrow House majority. The redistricting effort is unusual, because House maps typically are redrawn only after a census.

WORDS: 843 - MOVED: 05/23/2026 4:02 AM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSElectionRedistrictingWhattoKnow/220bb5e925f8db779a59d42d4e428aa3/text

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AP-US-Deportation-Error-Abrego-Garcia, 7th Ld-Writethru

Judge dismisses criminal charges against Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported

SUMMARY: A human smuggling case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia in Tennessee has been dismissed without a trial. Abrego Garcia's mistaken deportation to El Salvador last year became an embarrassment for President Donald Trump’s administration when it was ordered to return him to the U.S. Abrego Garcia claimed the timing of the criminal charges and inflammatory statements about him by top Trump officials demonstrated the prosecution was vindictive. A federal judge in Tennessee on Friday agreed to dismiss the charges. Abrego Garcia is a Salvadoran citizen with an American wife and child who has lived in Maryland for years, although he immigrated to the U.S. illegally as a teenager.

WORDS: 730 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 7:23 PM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSDeportationErrorAbregoGarciathLdWritethru/035a2b2ded3ede65e77566cdf12b107f/text

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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AP-US-Justice-Department-Jan.-6

Trump's Justice Department scrubs its website of news releases about Jan. 6 defendants

SUMMARY: The Department of Justice is acknowledging it's removed from its website news releases about criminal cases related to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot. The department says the information about the prosecutions is “partisan propaganda.” The purge of news releases documenting criminal charges, convictions and sentencings is the latest step by the Trump administration to dramatically rewrite the history of the Capitol assault. On that day more than five years ago, hundreds of supporters of Republican President Donald Trump stormed the building in an effort to halt the congressional certification of his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.

WORDS: 372 - MOVED: 05/23/2026 12:55 PM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSJusticeDepartmentJan/29c580044a9ed27b643c99feac9e2964/text

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AP-US-Congress-Immigration

This congressman's family was swept up in WWII Japanese detention. He sees a repeat in today's raids

SUMMARY: Mark Takano can't help but see the parallels in U.S. history. The Democratic congressman's American-born parents were both incarcerated as young children with their families during the forced relocation of Japanese Americans during World War II. As President Donald Trump pursues his campaign promise of the largest mass deportation operation in American history, Takano sees the echoes from that earlier era. The White House has changed the leadership at the Department of Homeland Security as it reframes its approach. But Trump is under mounting pressure from conservative groups not to let up on the goal of deporting 1 million people a year.

WORDS: 797 - MOVED: 05/23/2026 12:33 PM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSCongressImmigration/efb38637a24fe6c8d20647d660900b06/text

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AP-US-Election-2026-Democrats-Progressives

Progressives land a big win in a Philadelphia House primary and hope it means more are on the way

SUMMARY: Democrat Chris Rabb seemed to be a long shot running for a congressional seat in Philadelphia. The Democratic Party establishment backed his rivals, but the state representative had support from progressive groups. Rabb finished well ahead of his closest competitor Tuesday and is likely on his way to Washington because no Republican sought the GOP nomination. Rabb charted a path to victory partly by assailing his own party as listening more to donors than voters. He credits a grassroots movement that was inspired by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, is alarmed by Republican President Donald Trump and hungers for a government responsive to their needs.

WORDS: 1168 - MOVED: 05/23/2026 11:59 AM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSElectionDemocratsProgressives/8c4edc5c7eaeda3de4f44592c763b874/text

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AP-US-Trump-Blanche-Settlement-Fund, 4th Ld-Writethru

Blanche at center of Republican firestorm over $1.8B fund as he seeks to prove his loyalty to Trump

SUMMARY: In pushing to prove his loyalty to President Donald Trump, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche has agitated the same Republican lawmakers whose votes he may need to secure the permanent job. Blanche insists he’s not auditioning for the job of attorney general. But a succession of splashy, eyebrow-raising moves since he took the position on an acting basis last month has left no doubt about the impression he’s hoping to make on the president who appointed him. When he signed off on a nearly $1.8 billion fund meant to compensate Trump’s allies for alleged political prosecution, Blanche put himself at the center of a Republican firestorm.

WORDS: 1289 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 3:38 PM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTrumpBlancheSettlementFundthLdWritethru/89a2334ef3ca9ac1398975d6a3528bff/text

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AP-ML-Iran-US, 7th Ld-Writethru

Rubio reports 'slight progress' in Iran talks as Pakistan renews efforts to mediate a peace deal

SUMMARY: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio says “slight progress” has been made during talks with Iran. Rubio made the comment Friday as Pakistan’s army chief traveled to Tehran in a renewed effort to mediate a peace deal and uncertainty loomed over whether war will resume. The secretary of state's remark comes days after U.S. President Donald Trump said he was holding off on a military strike against the Islamic Republic because negotiations were underway. Trump has been threatening for weeks that the ceasefire reached in mid-April could end if Iran does not make a deal.

WORDS: 1074 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 11:16 AM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APMLIranUSthLdWritethru/c4be639e938fa57533f28f9fd62fb43b/text

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AP-US-Trump-New-York, 4th Ld-Writethru

Trump veers off-topic during speech in New York that was supposed to be on the economy

SUMMARY: President Donald Trump has begun testing his midterm message, focusing on the economy. But in New York, he quickly veered off-topic, discussing voter ID, crime and transgender women in sports. He eventually highlighted his tax cuts, claiming Democrats opposed them. Trump appeared with Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, praising him for supporting the tax law that expanded state and local tax deductions. Lawler, up for reelection, said he will embrace Trump to energize Republican voters. The White House aims to spotlight Trump's economic achievements amid declining approval ratings.

WORDS: 973 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 4:01 AM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTrumpNewYorkthLdWritethru/1615fc3c322dc58e000f205f1686f60c/text

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AP-US-Trump-Gabbard, 6th Ld-Writethru

Tulsi Gabbard resigns as director of national intelligence, citing her husband's health

SUMMARY: Tulsi Gabbard has resigned as President Donald Trump’s director of national intelligence, saying she needed to leave office as her husband battles cancer. She is the fourth Cabinet member to depart during Trump’s second term, all of them women. In her resignation letter, which she posted on social media, Gabbard said she told Trump she would leave her job on June 30. She said her husband had recently been diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer and “faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months.” Trump posted that her principal deputy, Aaron Lukas, will serve as acting director of national intelligence.

WORDS: 1188 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 5:37 PM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTrumpGabbardthLdWritethru/788f1f14259d72bd7936fa2e83149efa/text

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AP-US-Trump-Cuba-Venezuela, 1st Ld-Writethru

Trump's Cuba strategy echoes his Venezuela playbook. But there are key differences

SUMMARY: The Trump administration’s strategy against Cuba is looking a lot like the playbook for Venezuela. There's an oil blockade, a growing U.S. military presence, federal indictments and repeated threats of intervention. But experts say that similar pressure points do not equal similar results. For example, there's no obvious successor who would work with the Trump administration if the U.S. were to depose Cuba's leadership. When the U.S. military captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez stepped in with U.S. approval and remains in power.

WORDS: 1223 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 6:54 PM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTrumpCubaVenezuelastLdWritethru/a7555abe7f38de0e94129ca6abc3afcf/text

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AP-US-NATO-Rubio, 2nd Ld-Writethru

Rubio embarks on another mission to ease tensions with allies during NATO meeting

SUMMARY: Secretary of State Marco Rubio is on his latest mission to assuage nervous U.S. allies in Europe about the Trump administration’s intentions with NATO. Rubio will attend a NATO foreign ministers meeting in Sweden on Friday amid whipsawing changes and uncertainty about American troop reductions in Europe. The meeting also comes amid great uncertainty over the Iran war and whether stalled U.S. efforts to broker an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict will restart. Resentment also still simmers on the continent over President Donald Trump’s criticism of allies and his interest in taking over Greenland, a territory of NATO ally Denmark.

WORDS: 911 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 4:00 AM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSNATORubiondLdWritethru/4ad6e39e0c31d14b89b419906acbb6dc/text

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AP-US-Congress-Ukraine

Senators from both parties push Hegseth for action on Ukraine aid

SUMMARY: A bipartisan group of senators is pushing back on delays by the Department of Defense in sending roughly $600 million in security aid to Ukraine and other allies in eastern Europe. They sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday that calls for the funding to be disbursed. Friction has grown between Congress and the Trump administration in recent weeks as lawmakers push for updates on what has happened with $400 million in Ukraine aid and $200 million more for defense programs in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania that was allocated by Congress last year. Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin and Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley led the letter. Republican Sens. Kevin Cramer and Thom Tillis, as well as Democratic Sens. Michael Bennet and Catherine Cortez Masto also signed it.

WORDS: 481 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 6:32 PM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSCongressUkraine/4878ba306aeee9acf29b54143a944637/text

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AP-US-Trump-Federal-Reserve, 1st Ld-Writethru

Warsh is sworn in as the Fed chair after Trump's bid for greater control over the independent bank

SUMMARY: President Donald Trump has overseen the White House swearing-in of the new Federal Reserve chair. Trump said Friday that he'd like Kevin Warsh’s help in stimulating the economy even as the president tried to emphasize that the nation’s central bank would remain independent. Trump has spent months criticizing Warsh’s predecessor, Jerome Powell, for being reluctant to cut interests rates. Warsh noted the Fed’s mandate “is to promote price stability and maximum employment" and he pledged that the central bank would pursue those aims with “independence and resolve.” It was unusual that the ceremony didn't take place at the Fed's headquarters.

WORDS: 758 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 5:22 PM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTrumpFederalReservestLdWritethru/d87285399582840f585bc4e24dd4f10f/text

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INTERNATIONAL

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AP-AS-China-Coal-Mine-Explosion, 13th Ld-Writethru

Deadliest coal mine explosion in China in years kills at least 82 people, local officials say

SUMMARY: Chinese local officials say that a gas explosion at a coal mine in northern Shanxi province has killed at least 82 people. It's the country's deadliest mining accident in recent years. The official Xinhua News Agency reported on Saturday that the accident at Changzhi city's Liushenyu coal mine happened the previous evening. More than 120 people were hospitalized. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. State broadcaster CCTV said many of the injured were affected by toxic gas. Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for a full rescue effort and investigation to hold those responsible accountable.

WORDS: 533 - MOVED: 05/23/2026 2:23 AM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APASChinaCoalMineExplosionthLdWritethru/6816642e300ae6a8aded7c8dcc3eba61/text

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AP-LT-Honduras-Attacks, 5th Ld-Writethru

Gunmen open fire in 2 separate attacks in Honduras, killing at least 25 people

SUMMARY: Gunmen have opened fire in two separate attacks on the Honduran coast, killing at least 25 people, including six police officers. Police say the first incident took place Thursday at a plantation in Trujillo. The Public Prosecutor's Office said 19 people were killed there. The region has been the site of a decades-long agrarian conflict. In the second attack, assailants opened fire on police in Omoa near the Guatemalan border, killing six officers, including a senior officer.

WORDS: 420 - MOVED: 05/21/2026 8:07 PM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APLTHondurasAttacksthLdWritethru/3ac457d649e2fb3cc46988c8bc1d6481/text

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AP-EU-Russia-Ukraine-War, 3rd Ld-Writethru

Ukrainian drone attack triggers fire at a Russian oil terminal

SUMMARY: A Ukrainian drone attack has caused a fire at a Russian oil terminal, according to officials in Russia’s Krasnodar region. The incident occurred overnight in Novorossiysk, where falling drone debris sparked the fire, injuring two people. Russia’s Astra news outlet reported that Ukrainian drones struck the Sheskharis oil terminal, a key site for Russian state-controlled pipelines. Ukraine's General Staff said Saturday afternoon that Ukrainian forces struck the oil facility overnight. Meanwhile, the death toll from a Ukrainian drone strike on a college dormitory in Starobilsk has risen to 18. Russian President Vladimir Putin condemned the attack and called for military retaliation.

WORDS: 377 - MOVED: 05/23/2026 10:18 AM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEURussiaUkraineWarrdLdWritethru/9e5b15b9cf8cf80882da6f7a23b88848/text

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AP-AF-South-Africa-Hantavirus, 1st Ld-Writethru

How South African scientists identified hantavirus on a cruise ship thousands of miles away

SUMMARY: South African infectious disease expert Lucille Blumberg was part of a team that identified a hantavirus outbreak on a Dutch cruise ship. On May 1, Blumberg received an urgent email about a passenger evacuated to a Johannesburg hospital with suspected pneumonia. The ship, MV Hondius, had other sick passengers. Within 24 hours, Blumberg and her team confirmed the illness was hantavirus, a rare, rodent-borne virus. The World Health Organization then informed the ship. The British man who was the first confirmed case is improving. Three others have died. The ship has been disinfected in Rotterdam. Blumberg emphasized the importance of a quick response.

WORDS: 869 - MOVED: 05/23/2026 8:04 AM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APAFSouthAfricaHantavirusstLdWritethru/42d1ec3a330e6647856f74b25594e856/text

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AP-AS-India-US, 4th Ld-Writethru

Rubio arrives in India ahead of Quad talks as US tries to reset strained ties

SUMMARY: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in India ahead of a meeting next week with his counterparts from India, Australia, and Japan, members of the Indo-Pacific strategic alliance known as the Quad. The visit comes as Washington is seeking to stabilize relations with India after ties soured over President Donald Trump’s tariff policies, which raised duties on several Indian exports. Much of Rubio’s four-day visit, however, will focus on a multicity tour, along with a gala reception in New Delhi marking the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence.

WORDS: 443 - MOVED: 05/23/2026 2:29 AM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APASIndiaUSthLdWritethru/86a3a6df1194edc0b133bde23e37bf71/text

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AP-EU-Italy-Pope-Toxic-Lands, 1st Ld-Writethru

Pope Leo meets families of youth lost to illegal toxic waste dumping in Italy's 'Land of Fires'

SUMMARY: Pope Leo XIV has visited families near Naples affected by illegal toxic dumping linked to the mafia. On Saturday, he met with those who lost loved ones to cancer and other illnesses tied to pollution. His visit to the "Land of Fires" reflects his commitment to continuing Pope Francis' environmental agenda. The European Court of Human Rights found that Italian authorities knew about the pollution since 1988 but failed to act. Bishop Antonio Di Donna emphasized the ongoing issue, urging the pope to condemn polluters. Families of victims appealed to the pope for help in healing the land.

WORDS: 692 - MOVED: 05/23/2026 6:46 AM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUItalyPopeToxicLandsstLdWritethru/a30bbb47bd83944946c0a7c119a295ce/text

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AP-Congo-Ebola, 10th Ld-Writethru

Congo curtails funeral wakes in Ebola outbreak as WHO upgrades risk assessment

SUMMARY: Authorities in northeastern Congo have banned funeral wakes and gatherings of more than 50 people to curb a rapidly spreading Ebola outbreak. The World Health Organization says the outbreak poses a “very high" risk for Congo, with 82 cases and seven deaths confirmed. The outbreak is believed to be larger, with 750 suspected cases. Supplies are being rushed to Ituri Province, where nearly a million people have been displaced by conflicts. Efforts to contain the virus face challenges, including misinformation and clashes with local customs. The United Nations has released $60 million to aid the response.

WORDS: 1153 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 12:35 PM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APCongoEbolathLdWritethru/4e08d8df6d9c34039a9e0b8bad7a8954/text

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AP-EU-NATO-US-Trump-Troops, 8th Ld-Writethru

NATO allies bewildered by Trump's about-face on US troop moves in Europe

SUMMARY: NATO allies and defense officials have expressed bewilderment at U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland. That came just weeks after he ordered the same number of forces pulled out of Europe. The apparent change of mind came after weeks of statements from Trump and his administration about reducing the American military footprint in Europe. Trump’s initial order set off a flurry of action among military commanders and left allies already doubtful about America’s commitment to Europe’s security to ponder what forces they might have to backfill on NATO’s eastern flank with Russia and Ukraine.

WORDS: 831 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 7:48 AM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUNATOUSTrumpTroopsthLdWritethru/5ee39c29238cdee76c1780233cb6fddc/text

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BUSINESS

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AP-Financial-Markets, 12th Ld-Writethru

Wall Street keeps rising, even as U.S. households keep getting more discouraged

SUMMARY: The split between Wall Street and most U.S. households keeps growing wider. The S&P 500 added 0.4% Friday and pulled closer to its all-time high to finish its eighth straight winning week, its longest such streak since 2023. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite gained 0.2%. Ross Stores, Workday and Zoom Communications helped drive the market higher after reporting stronger profits than analysts expected. The gains came even as a survey showed sentiment among U.S. households fell to a record low on worries about inflation and high oil prices caused by the war with Iran.

WORDS: 819 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 5:18 AM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APFinancialMarketsthLdWritethru/20c93cae93453da1e1994e676c05e895/text

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HEALTH/SCIENCE

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AP-AF-Uganda-Ebola-Bundibugyo, 1st Ld-Writethru

Ugandans rue link to Bundibugyo, the Ebola virus type named after a district of cocoa farmers

SUMMARY: Bundibugyo is the somewhat easy-to-mispronounce name of a species of Ebola. But firstly it's a mountainous district in western Uganda that even some locals would struggle to pinpoint on a map. The district is home to roughly 200,000 people. Many are cocoa farmers who search for whatever cultivable land they can find in the impossibly steep landscape of hills and valleys marking Uganda’s border with Congo. Bundibugyo is a beautiful place. Yet it now trends for an unpleasant reason. That has caused some Ugandans to rue Bundibugyo’s association with the rare type of Ebola virus that has infected hundreds of people in eastern Congo.

WORDS: 882 - MOVED: 05/23/2026 3:04 AM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APAFUgandaEbolaBundibugyostLdWritethru/ed1d6b595f3c91800b5614d6bec5831d/text

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AP-US-SCI-SpaceX-Starship-Launch, 6th Ld-Writethru

SpaceX launches its biggest, most beefed-up Starship yet on a test flight

SUMMARY: SpaceX has launched its biggest, most powerful Starship yet. The rocket blasted off from the southern tip of Texas on Friday, carrying 20 mock Starlink satellites on a test flight extending halfway around the world. Nothing was recovered as planned. It’s the 12th test flight of the rocket that Elon Musk is building to get people to Mars one day. But first comes the moon and NASA’s Artemis astronaut program. SpaceX’s newest Starship model made its debut two days after Musk announced he’s taking his company public.

WORDS: 821 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 10:31 PM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSSCISpaceXStarshipLaunchthLdWritethru/53eb1c43f870561788839b08c401bf8f/text

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AP-US-MED-Vaping-Change-FDA, 1st Ld-Writethru

FDA staff blindsided by move allowing more e-cigarettes and nicotine pouches onto US market

SUMMARY: The Associated Press has learned that officials at the Food and Drug Administration were blindsided by a recent policy change allowing more electronic cigarettes and nicotine pouches to hit the U.S. market. Two FDA staffers who spoke under condition of anonymity say some agency officials only learned of the change the night before it was published. The new guideline breaks with longstanding FDA policy requiring nicotine products to undergo scientific review before launching. The staffers say there is confusion within the FDA about how the guidelines were developed. The policy was published days before former FDA Commissioner Marty Makary resigned under pressure from vaping lobbyists.

WORDS: 1274 - MOVED: 05/22/2026 4:01 PM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSMEDVapingChangeFDAstLdWritethru/fe31c6e2dcda2f077134faa25e7012ad/text

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SPORTS

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AP-CAR-NASCAR-Kyle-Busch, 3rd Ld-Writethru

Kyle Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, his family says

SUMMARY: Kyle Busch died after severe pneumonia progressed into sepsis, resulting in rapid and overwhelming associated complications, according to a statement released by his family. Dakota Hunter, vice president of Kyle Busch Companies, said the family received the medical evaluation on Saturday. Busch, a two-time NASCAR champion, died at 41 on Thursday, a day after passing out in a Chevrolet simulator. Sepsis is considered a life-threatening medical emergency that occurs when the body has an extreme, overactive response to an infection, causing the immune system to damage its own tissues and organs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

WORDS: 555 - MOVED: 05/23/2026 3:27 PM PST

https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APCARNASCARKyleBuschrdLdWritethru/d198c16d4cb7e383b7c7e16f6ba471aa/text

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