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.

——————————

TOP STORIES

——————————

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.

—————————-

ONLY ON AP

—————————

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.

——————————————————

SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

——————————————————

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.

————————————————

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

————————————————

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.

————————————————————

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

————————————————————

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.

——————————

MORE NEWS

——————————

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.

——————————————————

WASHINGTON/POLITICS

——————————————————

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.

————————

NATIONAL

————————

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.

––––––––––———––––

INTERNATIONAL

––––––––––———––––

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.

————————

CLIMATE

————————

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.

———————————

BUSINESS

——————————-

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.

———————

SPORTS

———————

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.

—————————————

HOW TO REACH US

——————————————

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)

MONACO (AP) — Tadej Pogačar produced an explosive finish to win the first stage of the Spanish Vuelta by edging British rider Ethan Hayter by 0.09 seconds in the opening time trial on Saturday.

Pogačar, who’s bidding to become just the ninth rider to win all three Grand Tours, put himself in position from the offset by completing the highly technical 9.5-kilometer (5.9 mile) course through the streets of Monaco – where he resides – in 10 minutes, 57 seconds.

Hayter, who had gone earlier, must have thought he was going to win as he watched Pogačar on course to finish some seconds slower than he had. But the Slovenian accelerated as he approached the finish and just pipped Hayter to the win.

Hayter finished four seconds faster than compatriot Josh Tarling, who was racing just over a week after his younger brother Finlay Tarling was killed after being struck by a vehicle during the Volta a Portugal.

Pogačar is competing at the Vuelta for the first time since making his Grand Tour debut as a 20-year-old in the 2019 race. He won three stages and finished third at the time – his worst overall result in the three-week events.

This year is going much better.

Pogačar won the Tour de France for the third time straight time and fifth overall in July – equaling the record ¬– while he also won races at the Tour de Suisse and Tour de Romandie, and celebrated victories in one-day classics.

Pogačar won the Giro d’Italia in 2024 so the Vuelta is the only Grand Tour race he is yet to conquer. The only other men to have won all three are Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil, Alberto Contador, Chris Froome, Felice Gimondi, Vincenzo Nibali and Jonas Vingegaard.

Saturday's win was Pogačar's first in the opening stage of a Grand Tour, and it's also the first time he took the red jersey as the Vuelta leader. It's his 36th Grand Tour stage win altogether.

Pogačar’s main rival Vingegaard is not racing at the 81st edition of the Vuelta as he recovers from a broken collarbone sustained in a crash the day after he was woken at 2 a.m. for a doping test at the Tour de France.

Remco Evenepoel, who finished second behind Pogačar at the Tour, is also not competing. The Belgian rider has opted for rest and specific training for the Road World Championships in Montréal next month.

Monaco became the first city to host the start of all three Grand Tours. The Giro d’Italia started in the principality in 1966 and it staged the start of the Tour de France in 2009.

Much of the time trial route on Saturday covered the same course as the yearly Formula 1 Grand Prix.

The second stage will also start in Monaco before a 214.3-kilometer (133.1 mile) hilly trek through Provence to Manosque. It will be the longest stage of the race, which finishes in the southern Spanish city of Granada on Sept. 13.

See full AP coverage of European sports here

Spain's Ivan Romeo Abad rides during the first stage of the La Vuelta cycling race, a time trial with start and finish in Monaco, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar, wearing the overall leader's red jersey celebrates on the podium after winning the first stage of the La Vuelta cycling race, a time trial with start and finish in Monaco, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar rides to win the first stage of the La Vuelta cycling race, a time trial with start and finish in Monaco, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar rides to win the first stage of the La Vuelta cycling race, a time trial with start and finish in Monaco, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)

Slovenia's Tadej Pogacar rides to win the first stage of the La Vuelta cycling race, a time trial with start and finish in Monaco, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Philippe Magoni)