AP News Digest 6 p.m.

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 in AP Newsroom.

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WEEKEND COVERAGE

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For weekend stories, please click here for the Weekend Lookahead digest.

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TOP STORIES

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ELECTION 2024-TRUMP — Donald Trump is taking his campaign back to Minnesota, a state that has favored Democrats but that the former president thinks could be in his reach this year. He also plans to speak at a bitcoin conference in Tennessee. By Michelle L. Price, Kimberlee Kruesi and Ali Swenson. SENT: 690 words, photos. Trump expected to speak in Tennessee after 3 p.m. and Minnesota after 8 p.m.

ELECTION-2024-HARRIS-ECONOMY — Now it’s Kamala Harris’ economy. And that presents a major opportunity and possible risk for the likely Democratic presidential nominee. By Josh Boak. SENT: 960 words, photos. WITH: ELECTION-2024-HARRIS — Vice President Kamala Harris is holding her first fundraiser since becoming the Democrats’ likely White House nominee. (sent).

ELECTION 2024-YOUNG VOTERS — Youth-led progressive organizations warned for months that President Joe Biden had a problem with young voters. Many of these young leaders are now hoping Kamala Harris can make a difference and harness a new burst of energy. By Christine Fernando. SENT: 840 words, photos.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — Israeli airstrikes have hit a school being used by displaced Palestinians in central Gaza and killed at least 30 people including seven children. The attack occurred as negotiators prepare to meet international mediators on Sunday to discuss a proposed cease-fire. By Wafaa Shurafa and Sam Metz. SENT: 840 words, photos, video, audio.

LEBANON-ISRAEL — A rocket strike at a soccer field in the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights killed at least 11 children and teens. It was the deadliest strike on an Israeli target along the country’s northern border since the fighting between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah began. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says he warns that Hezbollah “will pay a heavy price for this attack, one that it has not paid so far.” By Tia Goldenberg and Bassem Mroue. SENT 880 words, photos.

WILDFIRES — Thousands of firefighters battling a wildfire in northern California received some help from the weather, just hours after the blaze exploded in size, sending massive, swirling plumes skyward and scorching an area about the size of Los Angeles. The blaze was one of several tearing through the western United States and Canada, fueled by wind and heat. By Rebecca Boone and John Antczak. SENT: 1,090 words, photos, video, audio.

OLY-GYM-OLDER-ELITES — Olympic gymnastics is no longer exclusively the realm of teenagers. American star Simone Biles leads an experienced field at the Paris Games. The 27-year-old Biles headlines the oldest gymnastics team the U.S. has ever sent to the Olympics. Improved training methods, experience and the ability for athletes to stay sharp at the NCAA level are redefining the idea of when a female gymnast peaks. By Will Graves. SENT: 1,320 words, photos.

GLOBAL-TECH-OUTAGE-FUTURE-SHOCK — “Move fast and break things,” a high-tech mantra popularized 20 years ago by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, was supposed to be a rallying cry for game-changing innovation. It now seems more like an elegy for a society perched on a digital foundation too fragile to withstand a defective software program that was supposed to help protect computers — not crash them. By Michael Liedtke. SENT: 940 words, photos. Eds: This story has moved as the Sunday Spotlight.

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PARIS OLYMPICS

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OLY-OPENING-CEREMONY-DRAG-QUEENS — In an unprecedented display of inclusivity, drag queens took center stage at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, showcasing the vibrant and influential role of the French LGBTQ+ community. But it also attracted criticism over a tableau reminiscent of “The Last Supper.” Among their bold performances was a scene seemed to evoke Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper,” featuring the drag queens in the roles of Jesus Christ and his apostles. SENT: 770 words, photo.

OLY-BKO-ROUNDUP — Jock Landale had 20 points and nine rebounds, and Australia beat Spain 92-80 to open the group stage of the Olympic basketball tournament in Lille. Patty Mills added 19 points and Josh Giddey contributed 17 to lift Australia to the victory in Group A, which also includes Greece and Canada. Australia next meets Canada on Tuesday while Spain will face Greece. SENT: 660 words, photos.

OLY-TENNIS — Iga Swiatek and Carlos Alcaraz got the Paris Olympics tennis competition started with first-round victories under closed roofs at Roland Garros, the site of their French Open titles less than two months ago. SENT: 530 words, photos.

OLY-GYM-MEN'S-QUALIFYING — Britain surged to an early lead during men’s gymnastics qualifying. The five-man team posted a total of 256.561 to finish ahead of the United States in the first of three subdivisions. The Americans, who finished third at the 2023 world championships ahead of Britain, dealt with issues on high bar and pommel horse to finish second at 253.229. SENT: 730 words, photos.

OLY-SOUTH-KOREA-NAME-MISTAKE — Olympic organizers said they “deeply apologize” for introducing South Korea’s athletes as North Korea during the opening ceremony of the games in Paris. SENT: 480 words, photo.

OLY-PARIS-SEINE-WATER-QUALITY — Days before they’re set to plunge into the Seine River during the Paris Olympics, triathletes are holding out hope that the famous waterway’s bacteria levels would be safe enough for swimming. SENT: 650 words, photo.

OLY-PARIS-JILL BIDEN— First lady Jill Biden praised Paris’ “spectacular” Olympics opening ceremony and looked ahead Saturday to how the U.S. can similarly dazzle audiences when the Games are held in Los Angeles in four years. One word: Hollywood. SENT: 585 words.

You can find Summer Olympics 2024-The Daily Rundown in your CMS or in AP Newsroom.

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MORE NEWS

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APPLE-UNION-CONTRACT — Apple has reached a tentative collective bargaining contract with the first unionized company store in the country. SENT: 270 words, photo.

WYOMING-PLANE-CRASH — Three members of the Gospel Music Association Hall of Fame quartet the Nelons and the chairman of the Georgia Board of Corrections are among seven people killed in a plane crash in Wyoming. SENT: 500 words, audio.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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ELECTION 2024-TRUMP-LEGAL SPENDING — As Donald Trump faces a supercharged Democratic fundraising effort, a persistent drag on his campaign’s coffers may be easing: legal expenses. SENT: 980 words, photos.

US-CHINA-BLINKEN — The United States and China renew their mutual grievances as their top diplomats meet in Laos at a time of political uncertainty in Washington and growing concerns about China’s increasing assertiveness in Asia and elsewhere. SENT: 890 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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REL-NEW-MEXICO-APACHE-CHRIST — The congregation at St. Joseph Apache Mission in the Mescalero Reservation in New Mexico, is struggling to deal with the hurt caused by their priest removing a cherished painting called the Apache Christ, which portrays Jesus as an Indigenous holy man. Parishioners say that for years, they have successfully blended their Indigenous culture with their Catholic faith. While the paintings and other objects that were taken have been returned and a new priest has been assigned to the parish, the community is demanding a public apology from the Diocese of Las Cruces, which oversees the church. SENT: 1,380 words, photos, video.

CALIFORNIA-DATE PALM RANCH WEDDINGS — Small date palm ranch owners in Southern California’s Coachella Valley have been petitioning for permission to host special events ranging from quinceañeras to weddings on their properties. The move aims to authorize a long-standing tradition in the region’s predominantly Latino community of holding outdoor events on largely agricultural properties. SENT: 970 words, photos.

DEATH-ROW-INMATE-UTAH — Utah officials denied clemency to a man who is set to be executed for the stabbing death of his girlfriend’s mother in 1998. The decision regarding the fate of Taberon Dave Honie, who is scheduled to die by lethal injection Aug. 8, was announced in a one-paragraph notice from Scott Stephenson, chair of the Utah Board of Pardons and Parole. SENT: 840 words.

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INTERNATIONAL

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MEXICO-US-SINALOA-CARTEL —A new era is coming for Mexico’s powerful Sinaloa cartel in the wake of the capture by U.S. authorities of Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, the last of the grand old Mexican drug traffickers. SENT: 880 words, photos.

CUBA-RUSSIA-WARSHIPS — Three Russian warships have arrived in Cuban waters, Moscow’s second such maritime voyage in as many months in a reflection of deepening ties between Russia and Cuba. SENT: 360 words, photos.

ROMANIA-HUNGARY-ORBAN— Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that the European Union was sliding toward oblivion in a rambling anti-Western speech in which he warned of a new, Asia-oriented “world order” while throwing his support for Donald Trump’s U.S. presidential bid. SENT: 740 words, photos.

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HEALTH & SCIENCE

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CLIMATE-HEAT RECORDS — As the warming Earth sizzled through a week with four of the hottest days ever measured, the world focused on cold, hard numbers that showed the average daily temperature for the entire planet. The 62.8 degrees Fahrenheit highest measured global average recorded Monday isn’t about how oppressively sticky any one particular place got in the peak of the sun and humidity. What really matters is how people live with and at times die in the heat. SENT: 1,080 words, photos, video.

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BUSINESS

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TIKTOK-LAWSUIT — In a fresh broadside against one of the world’s most popular technology companies, the Justice Department accused TikTok of harnessing the capability to gather bulk information on users based on views on divisive social issues like gun control, abortion and religion. SENT: 850 words, photo.

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HEALTH & SCIENCE

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BE-WELL-STRETCHING — Should you stretch before exercising or after? And what’s the best way to do it? Stretching guidance has changed over the years. SENT: 590 words, photos.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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COMIC-CON-MARVEL-PANEL — Marvel Studios is returning to the famed Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con for its iconic Saturday night panel, which is expected to feature big announcements and surprise guests. SENT: 310 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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At the Nerve Center, Richard A. Somma can be reached at 800-845-8450, ext. 1600. For photos, Donald E. King ext. 1900. For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from AP Newsroom. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.

Grant Douglas pauses while evacuating as the Park Fire jumps Highway 36 near Paynes Creek in Tehama County, Calif., on Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Date palm ranch owner Carlos Ulloa sits for a photo at Rancho El Refugio in Twentynine Palms, Calif., Tuesday, June 11, 2024. Ulloa's vision was to create a place where he could keep his horses and have a working ranch with sheep and peacocks while hosting events where families could have ample space to invite their relatives to a celebration without going broke. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)

Lukas Maertens, of Germany, competes in the men's 400-meter freestyle final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Nanterre, France. Maertens won gold. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

France's Joan Duru rides in a barrel in the 2nd heat, during round one of the surfing competition, during the 2024 Summer Olympics, in Teahupo'o, French Polynesia, Saturday, July 27, 2024. (Ben Thouard/Pool Photo via AP)

Vice President Kamala Harris delivers remarks at a campaign event in Pittsfield, Mass., Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Wataru Tanigawa, of Japan, during a men's artistic gymnastics qualification round at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

France's Auriane Mallo Breton, right, and Ukraine's Vlada Kharkova compete in the women's individual Epee quarterfinal match during the 2024 Summer Olympics at the Grand Palais, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

New York Jets wide receiver Malik Taylor (86) catches a pass during the team's NFL football training camp, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Florham Park, N.J. (AP Photo/Rich Schultz)

The women's 49erFX skiff class fleet races during practice during the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Marseille, France. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Bulgaria's Radoslav Rosenov lands a right to Tajikistan's Bakhodur Usmonov in their men's 63.5 kg preliminary boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Sarah Michelle Gellar moderates a panel for "Dexter: Original Sin" during Comic-Con International on Friday, July 26, 2024, in San Diego. (Photo by Christy Radecic/Invision/AP)

FILE - The icon for the video sharing TikTok app is seen on a smartphone, Feb. 28, 2023, in Marple Township, Pa. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

FILE - In this image provided by Armed Forces of the Philippines, a Chinese Coast Guard holds an axe as they approach Philippine troops on a resupply mission in the Second Thomas Shoal at the disputed South China Sea on June 17, 2024. (Armed Forces of the Philippines via AP, File)

In this photo released by the Taiwan Ministry of National Defense, Taiwanese soldiers clear debris in the aftermath of Typhoon Gaemi in Kaohsiung county in southwestern Taiwan, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Taiwan Ministry of National Defense via AP)

Gun detection machines are tested at the Fulton Street transit station before a news conference with New York Mayor Eric Adams, Friday, July 26, 2024, in New York. New York City is turning to AI-powered scanners in a new bid to keep guns out of its subway system. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, right, walks with British Foreign Secretary David Lammy during ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting (AMM) in Vientiane, Laos, Saturday, July 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Achmad Ibrahim, Pool)

Protesters wave Palestinian flags during a rally in Jakarta, Indonesia, Saturday, July 27, 2024, in support of the Palestinians in Gaza. (AP Photo/Tatan Syuflana)

A fully furnished doll house sits abandoned next to a homeless encampment next to the CA-110 freeway in Los Angeles Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

A man dressed as an Independence fighter attends a campaign event with opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, June 13, 2024. Venezuela is set to hold its presidential election on July 28. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

This combo of images provided by the U.S. Department of State show Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada, a historic leader of Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel, left, and Joaquín Guzmán López, a son of another infamous cartel leader, after they were arrested by U.S. authorities in Texas, the U.S. Justice Department said Thursday, July 25, 2024. (U.S. Department of State via AP)

Team France cruise on the Seine River during the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, July 26, 2024 in Paris, France. (Richard Heathcote/Pool Photo via AP)

Team Mexico attends the opening ceremony for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France, Friday, July 26, 2024. (Steph Chambers/Pool Photo via AP)

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump gestures as he finishes speaking at The Believers' Summit 2024 at a Turning Point Action event in West Palm Beach, Fla., Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Vice President Kamala Harris, walking left, waves as she arrives to speak during the American Federation of Teachers' 88th national convention, Thursday, July 25, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

Grant Douglas pauses to drink water while evacuating as the Park Fire jumps Highway 36 near Paynes Creek in Tehama County, Calif., Friday, July 26, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

BERLIN (AP) — Germany's opposition center-right Christian Democratic Union announced Tuesday that it has chosen its leader, Friedrich Merz, to be its candidate for chancellor in next year's national election.

The decision sets the stage for a possible challenge of left-wing Chancellor Olaf Scholz in the federal election scheduled for September 2025.

Germans are looking ahead to next year's vote at a critical time, as the country's struggles to integrate large numbers of refugees and migrants and as the major European economy weakens. Recent extremist attacks have fueled a backlash against migration that is leading to a surge in support for the far right.

The choice was announced at a news conference in Berlin with Merz and Markus Soeder, the leader of the CDU's smaller Bavarian counterpart, the Christian Social Union, who had also been a contender for the role.

Soeder, who is the governor of Bavaria, announced the decision, saying that the chancellor question “is decided. Friedrich Merz is doing it.” He stressed that he fully supported Merz, and that they were united by a common goal to unseat the current government “and get Germany back on track.”

Merz thanked Soeder for his support and said his party, led for many years by former Chancellor Angela Merkel, has the “firm intention of taking over leadership responsibility in this country again.”

An unpopular three-party coalition led by Scholz has governed since 2021.

The coalition, which is made up of Scholz’s Social Democrats, the Greens and the pro-business Free Democrats, suffered losses in elections to the European Parliament earlier this year and in recent German state elections in Thuringia and Saxony.

The 68-year-old Merz was considered the favorite after Soeder failed to get the backing for his candidacy, according to German media reports, and after another contender, North Rhine Westphalia’s state Premier Hendrik Wuest, announced he wouldn’t run.

Currently polls show the Christian Democrats as the strongest party in the country. But Merz himself is not personally very popular. Scholz said during a visit to Kazakhstan that he would welcome a Merz candidacy, the German news agency dpa reported.

Scholz has said he would like to run for chancellor again but his candidacy hasn’t been confirmed by his party.

German opposition leader and Christian Democratic Union party chairman Friedrich Merz, left, and Markus Soeder, Christian Social Union party leader and state governor of Bavaria, shake hands at a joint news conference in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German opposition leader and Christian Democratic Union party chairman Friedrich Merz talks to the media at a joint news conference with Markus Soeder, Christian Social Union party leader and state governor of Bavaria, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German opposition leader and Christian Democratic Union party chairman Friedrich Merz, left, talks to the media beside Markus Soeder, Christian Social Union party leader and state governor of Bavaria, right, at a joint news conference in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Markus Soeder, Christian Social Union party leader and state governor of Bavaria is pictured at a joint news conference with German opposition leader and Christian Democratic Union party chairman Friedrich Merz, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German opposition leader and Christian Democratic Union party chairman Friedrich Merz talks to the media at a joint news conference with Markus Soeder, Christian Social Union party leader and state governor of Bavaria, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German opposition leader and Christian Democratic Union party chairman Friedrich Merz, left, and Markus Soeder, Christian Social Union party leader and state governor of Bavaria, leave a joint news conference in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German opposition leader and Christian Democratic Union party chairman Friedrich Merz talks to the media at a joint news conference with Markus Soeder, Christian Social Union party leader and state governor of Bavaria, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

German opposition leader and Christian Democratic Union party chairman Friedrich Merz watches the media at a joint news conference with Markus Soeder, Christian Social Union party leader and state governor of Bavaria, in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)