AP News Digest 3:35 am

APTOPIX California Oil Spill

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.

—————————————-

NEW/DEVELOPING

—————————————

NOBEL-MEDICINE — Medicine award kicks off week of Nobel Prize announcements. SENT: 170 words. UPCOMING: Developing from 5:30 a.m. announcement.

—————————————

TOP STORIES

—————————————

PANDORA-PAPERS — Hundreds of world leaders, powerful politicians, billionaires, celebrities, religious leaders and drug dealers have been hiding their investments in mansions, exclusive beachfront property, yachts and other assets for the past quarter-century, according to a review of nearly 12 million files obtained from 14 firms located around the world. By Michael Liedtke and Jonathan Mattise. SENT: 1,180 words, photos.

CALIFORNIA-OIL-SPILL — Some residents, business owners and environmentalists questioned whether authorities reacted quickly enough to contain one of the largest oil spills in recent California history, caused by a suspected leak in an underwater pipeline that fouled the sands of famed Huntington Beach and could keep the beaches there closed for weeks or longer. By Amy Taxin and Christopher Weber. SENT: 1,120 words, photos, video. UPCOMING: News conference at 1 p.m. With CALIFORNIA OIL SPILL-SURF CITY — Oil spill laps at “heartbeat” of California beach community.

CONGRESS-BUDGET — It’s one of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s favorite sayings, a guidepost for Democrats in trying times: “Our diversity is our strength. Our unity is our power.” But as Democrats try to usher President Joe Biden’s expansive federal government overhaul into law, it’s the party’s diversity of progressive and conservative views that’s pulling them apart. By Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.

SUPREME COURT-FIRST DAY — Abortion, guns and religion all are on the agenda as the Supreme Court begins a momentous new term with a return to familiar surroundings, the mahogany and marble courtroom that the justices abandoned more than 18 months ago because of the coronavirus pandemic. By Mark Sherman and Jessica Gresko. SENT: 480 words, photos. UPCOMING: Arguments scheduled for 10 a.m. EDT. With SUPREME COURT-NEW TERM-GLANCE — A look at the high court’s top cases.

SEPT 11-MUSLIM DETENTIONS — Twenty years since the Sept. 11 attacks brings a different kind of anniversary for hundreds of Muslim men and their families. In the weeks after the attacks in 2001, more than 1,000 South Asian and Arab men were arrested in sweeps across the New York City metropolitan area and nationwide. Most were charged only with overstaying visas and deported back to their home countries. But before that happened, many were held in detention for months, with little outside contact, especially with their families. Others would live with a different anxiety, forced to sign what was effectively a Muslim registry with no idea what might follow. By Gary Fields and Noreen Nasir. UPCOMING: 2,330 words, photos, video by 6 a.m. An abridged version of 1,190 words will also be available.

AFGHANISTAN-SECURITY — It wasn’t 7 a.m. yet and already the line outside the police station’s gates was long, with men bringing their complaints and demands for justice to Afghanistan’s new Taliban rulers. Something new they immediately found: The Taliban fighters who are now the policemen don’t demand bribes like police officers did under the U.S-backed government of the past 20 years. By Kathy Gannon. SENT: 1,000 words, photos. With AFGHANISTAN — Taliban raid suspected Islamic State group hideout after bombing in capital; AFGHANISTAN SECURITY-PHOTO GALLERY.

————————————-

TRENDING NEWS

————————————-

NASCAR-TOWNLEY-KILLED — Former NASCAR driver Townley killed in Georgia shooting. SENT: 150 words, photos.

HOSPITAL SHOOTING-PHILADELPHIA — Police: Hospital shooting suspect captured; two officers shot. SENT: 130 words.

———————————————————————-

MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

———————————————————————

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NYC SCHOOLS — New York City’s public schools were set to hold their first day under a new mandate requiring all teachers and staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19. SENT: 680 words, photos, video.

NEW ZEALAND-VIRUS OUTBREAK — New Zealand's government acknowledges what most other countries around the world did long ago: that it can no longer completely get rid of the coronavirus. SENT: 510 words, photos.

————————————

INTERNATIONAL

————————————

JAPAN PRIME MINISTER — Fumio Kishida was elected Japan’s prime minister in a parliamentary vote and will be tasked with quickly tackling the pandemic and other domestic and global challenges and leading a national election within weeks. SENT: 720 words, photos.

KOREAS-TENSIONS — North Korea restored dormant communication hotlines with South Korea in a small, fragile reconciliation step in an apparent hard push to win outside concessions with a mix of conciliatory gestures and missile tests. SENT: 660 words, photos.

DUBAI-EXPO-2020-PROBLEMATIC-PAVILIONS — Dubai has gambled billions to make the gleaming, built-from-scratch Expo village a triumphant tourist attraction and symbol of the United Arab Emirates itself. SENT: 920 words, photos.

GERMANY-CLEAN-KEROSENE — German officials are unveiling what they say will be the world’s first commercial plant for making synthetic kerosene as part of an effort to reduce the climate impact of flying. SENT: 210 words.

PHILIPPINES-POLITICS — The popular mayor of the Philippine capital registered his candidacy for the presidency in next year’s elections, promising to ease coronavirus outbreaks, fix the country’s battered economy and heal deep political divisions. SENT: 450 words, photos.

VATICAN-SCANDAL — Defense lawyers are questioning the very legitimacy of the Vatican tribunal where 10 people are on trial on finance-related charges. SENT: 980 words, photo.

VATICAN-CLIMATE — Pope Francis and dozens of religious leaders are making a joint appeal to governments to commit to ambitious targets at the upcoming U.N. climate conference, while promising to do their own part to lead their faithful into more sustainable behavior. SENT: 400 words.

OMAN-CYCLONE — The death toll from Cyclone Shaheen rises to five with other fishermen from Iran missing as the storm moved further inland into Oman and weakened. SENT: 300 words.

——————-

NATIONAL

——————-

OBIT-EX-MISSOURI-REP-TODD-AKIN — Former U.S. Rep. Todd Akin, a conservative Missouri Republican whose comment that women’s bodies have a way of avoiding pregnancies in cases of “legitimate rape” sunk his bid for the U.S. Senate and became a cautionary tale for other GOP candidates, has died. He was 74. SENT: 750 words, photos.

——————————————

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

——————————————

FACEBOOK-WHISTLEBLOWER — A data scientist who was revealed as the Facebook whistleblower says that whenever there was a conflict between the public good and what benefited the company, the social media giant would choose its own interests. SENT: 880 words, photos.

CHINA-EVERGRANDE — Shares in troubled real estate developer China Evergrande Group and its property management unit Evergrande Property Services were suspended from trading in Hong Kong as investors awaited the next steps in the saga of its debt crisis. SENT: 620 words, photos.

FINANCIAL MARKETS — Asian markets were mixed, with Shanghai closed for the National Day holiday. By Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach. SENT: 610 words, photos.

————————————

SPORTS

————————————

BUCCANEERS-PATRIOTS — Tom Brady rallied the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a 19-17 victory over the Patriots on a rainy night in his return to New England, with Ryan Succop hitting the go-ahead 48-yard field goal late in the fourth quarter. By Sports Writer Kyle Hightower. SENT: 890 words, photos.

BACK TO SCHOOL — Despite being selected first overall in by Buffalo, Michigan defenseman Owen Power and a majority of his NHL first-round draft class members have elected to spend one more season developing before making the jump to the pros. By Hockey Writers Larry Lage and John Wawrow. SENT: 960 words, photos, video.

------------------------------

HOW TO REACH US

----------------------------—

At the Nerve Center, Jerome Minerva can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Wally Santana (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from http://newsroom.ap.org. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.