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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NEW/DEVELOPING

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Adds: FAKE ELECTORS-ARIZONA-TRUMP; BOEING-ASTRONAUT LAUNCH; MILWAUKEE-HOTEL-DEATHS THINGS TO KNOW; EGYPT-IRAN-AIRSPACE; MED-INFANT-FORMULA-LAWSUIT; OLY-BOXING-CONTROVERSY; OLY-BREAKING-JUDGING; ALASKA-FLOODING-GLACIAL DAM; YEMEN-DEADLY-FLOODING; TROPICAL WEATHER-DEBBY-FLOODED AGAIN; AUSTRIA-EXTREMISM-ARRESTS; ELECTION 2024-BESHEAR-DEMOCRATS.

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ONLY ON AP

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AP POLL-EXTREME HEAT — About 7 in 10 Americans say extreme heat has had a major or minor impact on their electricity bills in the past year, and a majority has seen a similar impact on their outdoor activities. A smaller share reports a major or minor impact on their sleep, pets, or exercise routine. By Isabella O’Malley and Linley Sanders. SENT: 1,100 words, photos.

DAM REMOVALS-INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING — An infusion of hundreds of millions of dollars from the federal infrastructure law is helping expedite efforts to remove dams around the country. Advocates expect the law will provide more than $2 billion for the repair and removal of dams and other barriers. By Michael Casey and Erik Verduzco. SENT: 1,250 words, photos, video.

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TOP STORIES

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ELECTION 2024 —Vice President Kamala Harris declared herself and her new running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, “joyful warriors” against Donald Trump on Wednesday as they spent their first full day campaigning together across the Midwest. They got an unusual glimpse of how hotly contested the region will be when they overlapped on a Wisconsin tarmac with Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance. By Darlene Superville, Joey Cappelletti and Meg Kinnard. SENT: 1,050 words, photos, video. Detroit rally at 7 p.m. With ELECTION 2024-TRUMP-HARRIS-RACE — Ohio Sen. JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, is defending a false claim the former president made about Vice President Kamala Harris’ racial identity.; LECTION 2024-VANCE-PLANE — Vance said he had a bit of fun Wednesday trying to catch up with Harris on an airport tarma; ELECTION-2024-HARRIS-GETTING-TO-WALZ — Kamala Harris’ whirlwind process to select Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate can be summed up in a word: weird; ELECTION 2024-BESHEAR-DEMOCRATS — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says he’s ready to campaign for the national Democratic ticket. (all sent)

ABORTION — Abortion was slightly more common across the U.S. in the first three months of this year than it was before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade and cleared the way for states to implement bans, a report found. A major reason for the increase is that some Democratic-controlled states enacted laws to protect doctors who use telemedicine to see patients in places that have abortion bans. By Geoff Mulvihill and Kimberlee Kruesi. SENT: 1,010 words, photos, graphic.

UNITED-STATES-GUANTANAMO-9/11 — Military-run hearings for accused Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, were in upheaval following Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision to throw out a plea agreement. By Ellen Knickmeyer. SENT: 890 words, photos.

BANGLADESH-PROTESTS — Bangladesh’s incoming interim leader Muhammad Yunus has appealed for calm and urged all parties to help the country rebuild after weeks of violence that killed hundreds and prompted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India. By Julhas Alam. SENT: 1,080 words, photos.

OLY-SIMONE-IN-THE-SPOTLIGHT — Every single thing Simone Biles did at the Paris Olympics, where she won four medals, was studied and scrutinized. Her online feud with a former teammate made headlines, as did her social media post that appeared to take a swipe at presidential candidate Donald Trump. By AP National Writer Jenna Fryer. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.

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ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

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ISRAEL-MILITARY DETENTION — The Israeli Supreme Court has considered a petition to shutter a desert military prison where soldiers have been accused of abusing Palestinians, as a new video emerged purporting to show the sexual assault of a Palestinian detainee. SENT: 1,010 words, photos.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-HAMAS-LEADER — Yahya Sinwar’s appointment as the top leader of Hamas formalizes a role he assumed in the early hours of Oct. 7, when the surprise attack into Israel that he helped mastermind ushered in the bloodiest chapter of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. SENT: 880 words, photos. With UNITED-STATES-MIDEAST-TENSIONS; PALESTINIANS-SINWAR-THINGS-TO-KNOW; TURKEY-ISRAEL-INTERNATIONAL-COURT – Turkey files a request with a U.N. court to join South Africa’s lawsuit accusing Israel of genocide in Gaza (all sent).

EGYPT-IRAN-AIRSPACE — Iran warns airlines to avoid its airspace for 3 hours on Thursday over military drills, Egypt says. SENT: 200 words, photo.

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Russian President Vladimir Putin has described a Ukrainian incursion into the country’s southwestern Kursk region as a “large-scale provocation” as his officials asserted that they were fighting off cross-border raids for a second day. Ukrainian officials remained silent about the scope of the operation. SENT: 810 words, photos, audio.

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PARIS OLYMPICS

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OLY-BOXING-ALGERIA — Olympic boxer Imane Khelif has become a hometown hero in Algeria, a conservative, Muslim-majority country where attacks on her gender have been interpreted as attacks on the nation. In the town where she grew up and learned to box, Khelif’s relatives and neighbors erupted in cheers on Tuesday when she won her Olympic semifinal match. SENT: 830 words, photos. With OLY-PARIS-SEX ELIGIBILITY RULES-EXPLAINER — Sex eligibility rules for female athletes are complex and legally difficult. Here’s how they work; OLY-BOXING-CONTROVERSY — Lin Yu-ting advances to gold-medal Olympic bout, excelling amid misconceptions about her gender (both sent).

OLY-BREAKING-JUDGING — A new sport calls for new rules at the Olympic level. And while breaking — commonly referred to as breakdancing — has been around for decades, it’s still new to the world of Olympic judging. SENT: 670 words, photos.

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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TITANIC-TOURIST-SUB-LAWSUIT — Crew of Titan sub knew they were going to die before implosion, according to more than $50M lawsuit. SENT: 810 words, photos.

MILWAUKEE-HOTEL-DEATHS THINGS TO KNOW — Former Milwaukee hotel workers charged with murder after video shows them holding down Black man. SENT: 1,100 words.

AUSTRIA-EXTREMISM-ARRESTS — Organizers cancel Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna over fears of an attack. SENT: 520 words, photos.

BOEING-ASTRONAUT LAUNCH — NASA says chances are growing that two test pilots who flew a new Boeing capsule to the International Space Station in June may have to switch to SpaceX for a ride home. SENT: 560 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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FAKE ELECTORS-ARIZONA-TRUMP — Court documents show that the Arizona grand jury that indicted 18 Republican supporters of Donald Trump who falsely claimed he won the state in the 2020 election wanted to consider also charging the former president, but prosecutors urged them not to. SENT: 610 words, photo.

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NATIONAL

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TROPICAL-WEATHER-DEBBY — Tropical Storm Debby has pushed bad weather up the East Coast, colliding with other systems and bringing no respite to residents as far away as the Great Lakes and New Jersey, where heavy rain flooded highways and streets and stranded motorists. Officials in New York told people in basement apartments to prepare to flee. SENT: 890 words, photos, videos, audio. With DEBBY-FLOODING-SAFETY-EXPLAINER; TROPICAL WEATHER-DEBBY-FLOODED AGAIN — Tropical rains flood homes in an inland Georgia neighborhood for the second time since 2016 (both sent).

TEXAS-EXECUTION — A Texas man described as intellectually disabled by his lawyers faces execution for strangling and trying to rape a woman who went jogging near her Houston home more than 27 years ago. Arthur Lee Burton is facing a planned lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. SENT: 630 words, photos. Eds: Execution scheduled to start after 7 p.m.

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INTERNATIONAL

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BRITAIN-UNREST-POLITICAL-FALLOUT — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is just a month into his job and facing a crisis as widespread rioting spreads across the U.K. Starmer, who once was the chief prosecutor for England and Wales, is having to tap that expertise as he tries to restore order and hold violent protesters accountable. SENT: 1,160 words, photos. WITH: BRITAIN-UNREST — UK police prepare for more unrest amid fears that anti-immigration groups have a list of targets (sent).

YEMEN-DEADLY-FLOODING — A Yemeni official says that 30 people have been killed and hundreds displaced in flooding in the southern city of Hodeidah following several days of heavy rains. SENT: 750 words, photos.

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HEALTH & SCIENCE

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MED-INFANT-FORMULA-LAWSUIT — The parents of a Kentucky baby who died last fall after drinking bacteria-tainted infant formula are the latest to sue Abbott Nutrition, the manufacturer at the heart of a 2022 crisis that left millions of Americans scrambling to feed their children. SENT: 1,240 words, photos.

MED-WHO-MPOX-EMERGENCY-MEETING — The head of the World Health Organization says he will convene an expert group to determine if the increasing spread of the mpox virus in Africa warrants being declared a global emergency. SENT: 390 words, photo.

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BUSINESS

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NTSB-BOEING — A federal safety board plans to probe the Federal Aviation Administration’s oversight of Boeing and how it has changed since a door plug blew off a Boeing 737 Max in midflight. SENT: 350 words, photos.

SPORTS

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FBN-18-GAME-SEASON — The debate about whether the NFL will expand the regular season once again seems to have been resolved and now it’s a matter of how soon the league adds an 18th game. SENT: 930 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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At the Nerve Center, Jerome Minerva can be reached at 800-845-8450, ext. 1600. For photos, 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.

Quincy Hall, of the United States, celebrates after winning the men's 200-meter semifinal at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

China's Guo Qing competes withTurkey's Merve Dincel Kavurat in a women's 49kg Taekwondo quarterfinal match during the 2024 Summer Olympics, at the Grand Palais, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Former NBA player Pau Gasol watches as Spain played Belgium in a women's quarterfinal game at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

A firefighter walks through haze as the Park Fire burns near the Mineral community of Tehama County, Calif. on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024 (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Protesters demanding work opportunities gather in Plaza de Mayo after marching from San Cayetano church to downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, on the feast day of St. Cajetan, known as the patron of the unemployed. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrive on Air Force Two at Chippewa Valley Regional Airport, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Eau Claire, Wis. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Winfred Yavi, of Bahrain, right, and Peruth Chemutai, of Uganda, compete in the women's 3000-meters steeplechase final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Gabrielle Thomas, of the United States, reacts after winning the women's 200-meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Algeria's Imane Khelif gestures after defeating Thailand's Janjaem Suwannapheng in their women's 66 kg semifinal boxing match at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

A student attends a peace rally to mark the anniversary of the World War II atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Mumbai, India, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade)

Volunteers manage road traffic in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajib Dhar)

Mourners carry the bodies of five Palestinians during their funeral, draped in flags of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad militant groups, killed by an Israeli strike on a vehicle in the West Bank city of Jenin, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Firefighters pass smoke from a backfire as crews work to protect the Milll Creek community in Tehama County, Calif., Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Savannah Fire Advanced Firefighters Ron Strauss, top, and Andrew Stevenson, below, carry food to residents in the Tremont Park neighborhood that where stranded in stormwater from Tropical Storm Debby, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, in Savannah, Ga. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris aposes for a photo with supporters at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Democratic vice presidential nominee Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz greets second gentleman Doug Emhoff at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and her running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speak at a campaign rally in Philadelphia, Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles Rams are off to their first 0-2 start to a season since before Les Snead became their general manager 12 years ago.

They're coming off their worst loss under coach Sean McVay, a 41-10 thrashing from an Arizona Cardinals team the Rams had thoroughly dominated in McVay's eight-year career.

The Rams' extensive injury problems already encompass their top two receivers, their entire offensive line and two key members of their secondary.

And now they're about to play their biggest rivals and toughest opponents in McVay's career: The powerhouse San Francisco 49ers visit SoFi Stadium on Sunday.

Outside of an injury to Matthew Stafford, who's fully healthy, it's tough to imagine a way in which the first two weeks could have gone a whole lot worse for McVay or the team he led to six winning records in his first seven seasons.

“This league, nobody cares,” McVay said. “I feel terrible for those (injured) guys, and we certainly care, but the outside world doesn’t, and the games are going to go on.”

The Rams have fallen apart just two weeks into a season that began with hopes of playoff contention, even without retired star Aaron Donald.

Instead, the Rams are struggling to field a competitive team after just two games. The whole scenario has strong echoes of the 2022 season, when McVay's team went 5-12 amid major injury woes in the worst season by a defending Super Bowl champion in NFL history.

Several of the Rams' most important players will watch Sunday's game in street clothes. The injured list now includes receivers Puka Nacua (knee) and Cooper Kupp (ankle); starting offensive linemen Steve Avila (knee), Jonah Jackson (shoulder) and Joseph Noteboom (ankle); and starting defensive backs Darious Williams (hamstring) and John Johnson (shoulder). Several other key contributors will be playing hurt, including starting offensive linemen Kevin Dotson and Rob Havenstein.

“We’ve had some unfortunate breaks,” McVay said drily. “It’s nothing like I’ve been exposed to. This is unique, but this is an opportunity for us to be what we say we want to be.”

The Rams addressed their defense in last spring's draft, and the earliest returns are promising. Snead used his top two picks on Florida State's Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, and both have been key contributors in the front seven. Verse is already a problem on the edge, with four tackles for loss, a sack and a forced fumble in his first two NFL games. Third-round safety Kam Kinchens could be up for more playing time in Johnson's absence as well.

The Rams rebuilt their offensive line in the offseason to be tough up the middle, protecting Stafford and keying their running game. With two of those interior O-line starters out and a third playing injured, that plan will have to be set aside indefinitely. No team can have a backup plan for as many injuries as the Rams are facing on the line, but their backup tackles have not been sharp. They'll count on rookie Beaux Limmer, who played every snap at center last weekend, to step up again in Jackson's absence.

Safety Quentin Lake has led the Rams in tackles in each of the first two games, although that's also a criticism of Los Angeles' poor play at the line of scrimmage, as McVay noted. The Rams have allowed 394 yards rushing already this season.

The Rams' decision to dump linebacker Ernest Jones right before the regular season for a minuscule 2026 late-round draft pick upgrade looks even weirder now that Troy Reeder and Christian Rozeboom are struggling to fill his shoes with much less ability and talent. McVay and Snead have yet to provide an explanation for why the Rams didn't just allow their leading tackler to play out his rookie contract for 2024, and Los Angeles' linebacker play has been noticeably bad.

On top of the new injuries for Kupp, Jackson and Johnson, Rams rookie kicker Joshua Karty injured his groin. McVay said that injury isn't thought to be serious.

32 — The Rams' NFL rank in total defense after allowing 426.0 yards per game this season. Everyone suspected the defense would need a complete reset after losing Donald and coordinator Raheem Morris, but rookie coordinator Chris Shula's group has been bad, even with marginally better injury luck than the offense.

The Rams will be significant underdogs against the Niners, who have won 10 of McVay's past 13 regular-season meetings with Kyle Shanahan. If they can avoid losing several more starters to injury, they'll have a chance to regroup against less daunting opponents in the following few weeks.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tyler Johnson (18) runs against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws in the pocket against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tutu Atwell (5) makes a catch against Arizona Cardinals safety Jalen Thompson (34) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) runs out of the pocket against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams (23) scores a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)