AP News Digest 7 a.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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TOP STORIES

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ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-DEATH-WITHOUT-DIGNITY — With the death toll in Gaza surpassing 40,000 after 10 months of war, the small, densely packed territory is crammed with bodies. Families are often on the run and must bury their dead wherever possible. Witness accounts and video footage show that bodies are buried in backyards and parking lots, beneath staircases and along roadsides. Others lie under rubble, their families unsure they will ever be counted. A steady drumbeat of death since the Israel-Hamas war began in October has claimed nearly 2% of Gaza’s prewar population. The count by Health Ministry in Hamas-run Gaza does not distinguish civilians from militants. Health officials and civil defense workers say the true toll could be thousands more. By Julia Frankel and Wafaa Shurafa. SENT: 1,200 words, photos. With ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-DEATH-TOLL — More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, the territory’s Health Ministry says; ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-GAZA-IN-MOURNING-PHOTO-GALLERY; ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — Mediators are set to hold new Gaza cease-fire talks, hoping to head off an even wider war; HAMAS-OFFICIAL — A top Hamas official says the group is losing faith in the US as a mediator in Gaza cease-fire talks; and MIDEAST-TENSIONS-THE-LATEST — SENT. For more on AP's coverage plan, please see the advisory here.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-ZELENSKYY’S-GAMBLE — Ukraine’s stunning incursion into Russia’s Kursk border region was a bold gamble for the country’s military commanders, who committed their limited resources to a risky assault on a nuclear-armed enemy with no assurance of success. But a week after it began, the overall aim of the daring operation is still unclear: Will Ukraine dig in and keep the conquered territory, advance further into Russian territory or pull back? By Samya Kullab. SENT: 1,040 words, photos. With RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Ukrainian drone attack damages 2 hangars, satellite images show, as fighting in Russia grinds on — SENT.

ELECTION 2024-TRUMP — Donald Trump invites reporters to his New Jersey golf club for his second news conference in as many weeks as he adjusts to a newly energized Democratic ticket ahead of next week’s Democratic National Convention. SENT: 360 words, photo. Event at 4:30 p.m.

IRAN-PROTESTS-SHOOTING — On a darkened road beside the Caspian Sea, Iranian police officers opened fire last month on a 31-year-old woman who had tried to speed away likely knowing they wanted to seize her vehicle. Police had been ordered to impound her car, activists say, because of an earlier violation of Iran’s headscarf law for showing her hair in public while driving. Her shooting occurred nearly two years after 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died while in police custody over an alleged headscarf violation, sparking nationwide protests. By Jon Gambrell. SENT: 850 words, photo.

TROPICAL-WEATHER — Hurricane Ernesto dropped torrential rain on Puerto Rico and knocked out power for nearly half of all customers in the U.S. territory as it threatened to grow into a major hurricane en route to Bermuda. A hurricane watch was issued for Bermuda. By Dánica Coto. SENT: 770 words, photos, video, audio.

VENEZUELA-ELECTION-MIGRATION — President Nicolás Maduro’s contested claim of victory in last month’s election has spread anxiety from neighboring Colombia to faraway Chile as the region braced for a new migration surge. Over the past decade, the UN estimates that a staggering 7.7 million Venezuelans have fled as the economy collapsed, sneaking across porous borders and crowding into nearby countries. Now, as the crisis over Maduro’s widely disputed reelection raises the specter of deeper global isolation in Caracas, pollsters, politicians and members of the diaspora warn that more Venezuelans are packing their bags. By Franklin Briceño, Astrid Suárez And Nayara Batschke. SENT: 1,110 words, photos, video.

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ONLY ON AP

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ELECTION 2024-DNC-CLIMATE POLL — A recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that Democrats have slightly higher trust in Vice President Kamala Harris’ ability to address the issue of climate change than they had with President Joe Biden. By Linley Sanders. SENT: 950 words, photo.

EDUCATION-CHRONIC-ABSENTEEISM — Years after COVID, nearly every state is still struggling with school attendance. Roughly one in four students remained chronically absent in the 2022-23 school year, according to an analysis by The Associated Press and Stanford University economist Thomas Dee. Schools are working to identify students with slipping attendance, then providing help. They’re also communicating with parents, who often aren’t aware their child is missing so much school or why it’s problematic. By Jocelyn Gecker, Bianca Vázquez Toness and Sharon Lurye. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.

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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

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AFGHANISTAN TALIBAN — The Taliban have deliberately deprived 1.4 million Afghan girls of schooling through bans, a U.N. agency said. Afghanistan is the only country in the world with bans on female secondary and higher education. The Taliban, who took power in 2021, barred education for girls above sixth grade because they said it didn’t comply with their interpretation of Sharia, or Islamic law. They didn’t stop it for boys and show no sign of taking the steps needed to reopen classrooms and campuses for girls and women. By Riazat Butt. SENT: 360 words, photo.

SCHOOL-SHOOTING-FLORIDA-CAMP — The mom of a teacher murdered during the 2018 high school massacre in Parkland, Florida, is finishing another summer of sending kids to camp in her son’s honor. Scott Beigel was fatally shot at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School after herding 31 students to safety in his classroom. He was 35. He had gone to camp every summer since he was 7, first as a camper, then as a counselor and then as an administrator. His mother says it was his happy place. By Terry Spencer. SENT: 1,070 words, photos, video.

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ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

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TURKEY-PALESTINIANS — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas for talks that focused on the conflict in Gaza, Erdogan’s office said, ahead of a planned address to parliament. SENT: 480 words, photo.

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

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RUSSIA-AMERICAN-TREASON — A Russian court has sentenced U.S.-Russian dual national Ksenia Khavana to 12 years in prison on a treason conviction for allegedly raising money for the Ukrainian military. SENT: 260 words.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-NATURAL-GAS — EXPLAINER: Why is natural gas still flowing from Russia to Europe across Ukraine? SENT: 770 words, photo.

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MORE NEWS

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OBIT-GENA-ROWLANDS — Gena Rowlands, acting powerhouse and star of movies by her director-husband, John Cassavetes, dies. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.

OBIT-WALLY-AMOS — Wally Amos, 88, of cookie fame, died at home in Hawaii. He lost Famous Amos but found other success. SENT: 900 words, photos.

MYANMAR-SUU-KYI’S-HOME — With asking price of $142 million, no bidders for home of ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi. SENT: 450 words, photos.

FOOD ALLERGY DEATH LAWSUIT-DISNEY — Disney argues wrongful death suit should be tossed because plaintiff signed up for a Disney+ trial. SENT: 670 words, photo.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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BIDEN-DRUG-PRICES — The Biden administration is taking a victory lap after federal officials inked deals with drug companies to lower the price for 10 of Medicare’s most popular and costliest drugs, but shared few immediate details about the new price older Americans will pay when they fill those prescriptions. SENT: 510 words, photo.

ILLINOIS-RACE-RIOT-MONUMENT — President Joe Biden is set to sign a proclamation to designate a national monument at the Springfield, Illinois, site of the 1908 race riot, which later fueled the formation of the NAACP. SENT: 830 words, photos.

ELECTION 2024-HOUSE-RACES TO WATCH — House Democrats need to flip just four seats to take back control, while Republicans hope to expand their majority. The most hotly contested 2024 races tend to involve newer incumbents still building up their name recognition in narrowly divided swing districts. By Kevin Freking. SENT: 1,180 words, photos.

See more on Election 2024 here.

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NATIONAL

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COLUMBIA-UNIVERSITY-PRESIDENT-RESIGNS — Columbia University President Minouche Shafik resigned after a brief, tumultuous tenure that saw the head of the prestigious New York university face heavy scrutiny for her handling of protests and campus divisions over the Israel-Hamas war. SENT: 970 words, photo, audio.

TEXAS-STATE-FAIR-GUN — The State Fair of Texas is laying down a new rule before millions of visitors flock through the gates for corn dogs, deep-fried delights and a friendly wave from a five-story cowboy named Big Tex: No guns allowed. SENT: 680 words, photos, audio.

FORMER-LAWMAKER-LAWSUIT — An Alabama lawyer and former state senator has been accused of groping and sexually assaulting an incarcerated woman and trying to coerce her into being his “sex slave,” according to a lawsuit. People detained in Alabama jails cannot legally consent to sexual contact while incarcerated. SENT: 480 words.

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INTERNATIONAL

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INDIA-INDEPENDENCE-DAY — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed concern over the unrest that led to a change of government in neighboring Bangladesh and the attacks on Hindus and other minorities there. SENT: 600 words, photos.

SUDAN-SWITZERLAND — The first day of U.S.-led peace talks aimed at finding a solution to Sudan’s brutal conflict concluded in Geneva with the country’s military absent and the other warring party’s participation unclear. SENT: 570 words, photo.

JAPAN-WWII ANNIVERSARY — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida vowed to step up his country’s effort to defend a rules-based international order in a peace pledge made on the 79th anniversary of Japan’s defeat in World War II. SENT: 360 words, photos.

FRANCE-AFRICA-WORLD-WAR-II — France commemorated the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion of the French Riviera in World War II to push back the Nazis, with events that especially honored the many soldiers from Africa, sent from then-French colonies, who took part. SENT: 270 words, photos.

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CLIMATE

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CLIMATE-FARMWORKERS-WILDFIRE-SMOKE — As climate change fuels the intensity and frequency of wildfires, it’s also driving up the health risks for farmworkers who often have no choice but to continue working amid dangerous levels of smoke. SENT: 960 words, photos.

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BUSINESS

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BOEING-JUSTICE-DEPARTMENT — The Justice Department is defending a plea deal it struck with Boeing over planes that crashed and killed 346 people, saying in a court filing that it lacks evidence to prosecute the company for more serious crimes. SENT: 520 words, photo.

GOOGLE-ANDROID-APP-ATTACK — A federal judge has indicated he will order major changes in Google’s Android app store. It’s to punish the company for engineering a system that a jury declared an illegal monopoly that has hurt millions of consumers and app developers. SENT: 600 words, photo, audio.

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SPORTS

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UEFA-SUPER-CUP — Kylian Mbappé has pulled on Real Madrid’s famous white jersey for the first time in a competitive match and marked the occasion with the second goal in a 2-0 win over Atalanta in the UEFA Super Cup. SENT: 650 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, 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.

FILE - Palestinians mourn their relatives killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, in the hospital in Khan Younis, Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023. ( AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

FILE - The bodies of a father and his child killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, lie in front of the morgue at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, Sunday, Oct. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair, File)

FILE - A Palestinian man holds the body of his young relative who was killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, during his funeral in Khan Younis, Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair, File)

FILE - Palestinians mourn their relatives killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, in the hospital in Khan Younis, Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2023. ( AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)

Members of the Abu Draz family mourn their relatives killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, at their house in Rafah, southern Gaza, Thursday, April 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair, File)

Real Madrid's Luka Modric lifts the trophy after winning the UEFA Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atalanta at the Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. Real Madrid won 2-0. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the UEFA Super Cup Final soccer match between Real Madrid and Atalanta at the Narodowy stadium in Warsaw, Poland, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump gestures after speaking at a campaign rally in Asheville, N.C., Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - A Palestinian family, consisting of five children aged 2 to 11 and their parents, lies in the morgue at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, after an Israeli strike hit their home in the Nuseirat refugee camp, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

A Ukrainian tank passes by a burning car near the Russian-Ukrainian border, Sumy region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

An elderly woman walks along the road near the Russian-Ukrainian border, Sumy region, Ukraine, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has fired several White House National Security Council officials after he was urged by far-right activist Laura Loomer to purge staffers she deemed insufficiently loyal to his “Make America Great Again” agenda, several people familiar with the matter said Thursday.

Loomer made her case for the firings to Trump in an Oval Office meeting on Wednesday, the people said, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive personnel matters. Vice President JD Vance, chief of staff Susie Wiles, national security adviser Mike Waltz and Sergio Gor, director of the Presidential Personnel Office, took part in the meeting, the people said.

The move by Trump to push out staff comes at a tumultuous moment for Waltz, as he fights calls for his ouster after using the publicly available encrypted Signal app to discuss planning for the sensitive March 15 military operation targeting Houthi militants in Yemen. Trump has said he stands by Waltz, who traveled to Florida with Trump on Thursday for a dinner event ahead of the LIV Golf tournament in Miami.

The Presidential Personnel Office has fired at least three senior NSC officials and multiple lower-ranking aides since Wednesday’s meeting with Loomer, according to the people familiar with the situation. NSC spokesman Brian Hughes declined to comment on the meeting or the firings, saying the White House does not discuss personnel matters.

Loomer, who has promoted 9/11 conspiracy theories, was a frequent presence on the campaign trail during Trump’s 2024 successful White House run. More recently, she’s been speaking out on social media about members of Trump’s national security team that she insists can’t be trusted.

“It was an honor to meet with President Trump and present him with my research findings,” Loomer said in a Thursday posting on X. “I will continue working hard to support his agenda, and I will continue reiterating the importance of, and the necessity of STRONG VETTING, for the sake of protecting the President of the United States of America, and our national security.”

Trump has a long history of elevating and associating with people who trade in falsehoods and conspiracy theories, and he regularly amplifies posts on his social media site shared by those like Loomer, who promotes QAnon, an apocalyptic and convoluted conspiracy theory centered on the belief that Trump is fighting the “deep state.”

Trump's national security team has been through a difficult stretch as officials struggle to answer questions about why they were using the Signal app to discuss planning for an operation targeting Houthi militants instead of using far more secure communication means.

The use of Signal for operation planning came to light because a journalist, The Atlantic magazine’s Jeffrey Goldberg, was mistakenly added to the chain and revealed that Trump’s team used it to discuss precise timing of the operation, aircraft used to carry out the strikes and more.

Waltz has taken responsibility for building the text chain but has said he does not know how Goldberg ended up being included.

The Pentagon’s acting inspector general announced Thursday that he would review Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s use of Signal to convey plans on the Houthi operations. The review will also look at other defense officials’ use of the publicly available encrypted app.

Loomer, in the leadup to Wednesday's meeting with Trump, had complained to sympathetic administration officials that she had been excluded from the NSC vetting process as Waltz built his staff, according to one person familiar with the matter. She believes Waltz was too reliant in the process on “neocons” — shorthand for the more hawkish neoconservatives within the Republican Party — as well as what she perceived as “not-MAGA-enough” types, the person said.

Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican who sits on Senate committees overseeing the military and national intelligence, said it “raises eyebrows” when “there is a firing of people on the National Security Council or their staff, particularly people that we have respect for, who were part of the Intel community to begin with here in the Senate.”

Waltz, in the first days of Trump's return to Washington, sent about 160 nonpolitical detailees assigned to the NSC back to their home agencies to ensure those at the White House were committed to implementing Trump’s America First agenda.

The move sidelined nonpolitical experts on topics that range from counterterrorism to global climate policy at a time when the United States is dealing with a disparate set of complicated foreign policy matters, including conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Last week, Adam Schleifer, an assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles, was fired without explanation in a terse email from the White House personnel office shortly after Loomer posted about him on social media, according to a person familiar with the matter.

This story has been corrected to show the surname of The Atlantic journalist is Goldberg, not Rosenberg.

Lee reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Stephen Groves contributed reporting.

President Donald Trump speaks during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden at the White House, Wednesday, April 2, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)