Here are the AP’s top stories and promotable content. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan.

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UPCOMING

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US SMALL TOWN PONZI SCHEME

DESCRIPTION: For decades, Burt Marshall was the man you went to see in Hamilton, New York, if you had a little money to invest but wanted to keep it local. College professors, laborers, office workers, retirees and others in the town of 6,500 people all invested with Marshall, who gave away gift bags with maple syrup, pickles and local honey in jars labeled with cute sayings like, “Don’t be a sap.” Prosecutors now say the whole thing was a Ponzi scheme and Marshall owes almost 1,000 investors – many of whom lived in the village or close by -- more than $90 million.

UPCOMING: By 08/17/2025 6:00 a.m. EDT, Photo, Text

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US DOG MOUNTAIN VERMONT

DESCRIPTION: Dog Mountain, a nonprofit dog-friendly art park set on 150 acres, welcomes dogs and their owners to explore the grounds or visit the Dog Chapel to pay tribute to a furry friend. The park and chapel were created by Vermont folk artist Stephen Huneck, who first welcomed visitors in 2000.

UPCOMING: By 08/17/2025 7:00 a.m. EDT, Photo, Alternate Headlines, Video, Text

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UNITED STATES-CHINA-SHIPBUILDING

DESCRIPTION: Members of Congress are using a trip to South Korea and Japan to explore how the United States can tap those allies’ shipbuilding expertise and help boost American capabilities that are dwarfed by China’s. By Albee Zhang.

UPCOMING: By 08/17/2025 8:00 a.m. EDT, Photo, Text

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BOLIVIA-ELECTION

DESCRIPTION: Bolivia goes to a presidential election that may spell the end of its long-ruling left, and against a backdrop of an economic crisis and political turbulences. If no one gets enough votes, there will be a runoff in October.

UPCOMING: By 08/17/2025 8:00 a.m. EDT, Photo, Video, LiveVideo, Text

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US-TRUMP DC TAKEOVER-BLACK MAYORS

DESCRIPTION: This week, President Donald Trump declared Washington, D.C. a crime-ridden wasteland in need of federal intervention. As he took over the DC Metropolitan Police Department in a city run by a Black female mayor, he also warned that he could order interventions in other Black-run U.S. cities. Muriel Bowser and her counterparts in Chicago, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Atlanta and Oakland, Calif. say they’ve struggled to get much attention on their recent successes bringing crime rates down. Trump’s tough on crime rhetoric has presented them with a new opportunity to champion their efforts.

UPCOMING: By 08/17/2025 9:00 a.m. EDT, Photo, Text

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LEBANON SYRIA TENSE RELATIONS

DESCRIPTION: Relations between Lebanon and Syria have been tense for decades, and since former Syrian President Bashar Assad was removed from power nine months ago, attempts to reset political relations have been slow to take hold

UPCOMING: By 08/17/2025 9:00 a.m. EDT, Photo, Video, Text

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US--MASCOTS-STANDING THE HEAT

DESCRIPTION: Mascots like the Phillie Phanatic have a boozy little trick for staying fresh during hot summer games. They use a mix of vodka and water to combat odors inside their costumes. Staying hydrated and taking frequent breaks are also key for performer safety. By Dan Gelston. UPCOMING: 1,050 words, photos.

UPCOMING: By 08/17/2025 9:00 a.m. EDT, Photo, Alternate Headlines, Text

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US ELECTRIC VEHICLES-POSTAL SERVICE

DESCRIPTION: A year after being honored for its plan to replace thousands of aging, gas-powered mail trucks with a mostly electric fleet, the U.S. Postal Service is facing congressional attempts to strip billions in federal EV funding.

UPCOMING: By 08/17/2025 10:00 a.m. EDT, Photo, Text

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US ELECTION 2026-REDISTRICTING

DESCRIPTION: AP will follow developments over whether Texas Democrats will return home or continue their holdout.

ON MERITS: By 08/17/2025 11:00 a.m. EDT, Photo, Video, Text

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US TROPICAL WEATHER

DESCRIPTION: The latest on Erin as it makes its way west, including position, any damage, injuries, forecast etc.

UPCOMING: By 08/17/2025 12:00 p.m. EDT, Photo, Video, Text

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INTERNATIONAL

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CB--TROPICAL WEATHER

Category 4 Hurricane Erin buffets northern Caribbean islands but not forecast to hit land

SUMMARY: Forecasters say Erin has exploded into a major hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean just north of the Caribbean. The National Hurricane Center says Erin reached Category 5 strength before weakening somewhat and becoming a Category 4 with maximum sustained winds of 140 mph. The hurricane center said that while Erin was “undergoing structural changes,” it remained “formidable.” The storm’s center was north-northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Saturday night. And its rains and winds were buffeting Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Forecasters warned that flooding and slides were possible. Powerful rip currents could affect the U.S. East Coast next week.

WORDS: 848 - MOVED: 08/17/2025 12:44 a.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:9801bea558cc1fb9005f1c5235354a67&mediaType=text

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AS--PAKISTAN-FLOODS

Pakistan’s monsoon flooding death toll rises to 220 as forecasters warn of more rain to come

SUMMARY: Pakistan officials said rain-related incidents have killed at least 220 people in a northwest district. Rescuers recovered 63 bodies overnight from homes in Buner devastated by flash floods and landslides, officials said Saturday. Pakistan has experienced higher-than-normal monsoon rainfall, likely linked to climate change, which has triggered floods and mudslides. Hundreds of rescue workers were still searching for survivors in Buner. One eyewitness described seeing floodwaters carrying hundreds of boulders and tons of rocks crashing down. Authorities have supplied tents and food to affected people in the area.

WORDS: 811 - MOVED: 08/16/2025 9:57 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d385bc06a9455218581eec84e492c65b&mediaType=text

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ML--MIDEAST WARS-GAZA

Israel prepares to move Palestinians to southern Gaza as Israelis urge mass protest over war

SUMMARY: Israel says it is preparing to move Palestinians from combat zones to southern Gaza as plans move ahead for a military offensive in some of the territory’s most populated areas. Anxious families of hostages have called for a “nationwide day of stoppage” in Israel on Sunday to express growing frustration over 22 months of war. They fear the coming offensive further endangers the 50 hostages remaining in Gaza. Just 20 are thought to still be alive. Meanwhile, Gaza’s Health Ministry says another 11 people have died of malnutrition-related causes as the U.N. says the level of starvation is at its highest yet.

WORDS: 923 - MOVED: 08/16/2025 8:22 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:878bdc43a5c5fdaecdb1cb4cff92d2fd&mediaType=text

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CN--CANADA-AIR-CANADA-FLIGHT-ATTENDANTS

Government forces Air Canada and flight attendants back to work and into arbitration

SUMMARY: Canada’s government has forced Air Canada and the union representing flight attendants into arbitration after a work stoppage stranded more than 100,000 travelers around the world during the peak summer travel season. Federal Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu said Saturday that now is not the time to take risks with the economy while announcing the intervention. It means the 10,000 flight attendants will return to work soon. The shutdown of Canada’s largest airline early Saturday is impacting about 130,000 people a day, and some 25,000 Canadians may be stranded. Air Canada operates around 700 flights per day.

WORDS: 1302 - MOVED: 08/16/2025 5:32 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:1d4fc4f5ce33d03a22de616a86563506&mediaType=text

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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US--DC-FEDERAL INTERVENTION

Three Republican-led states to send hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington

SUMMARY: Three Republican-led states are deploying hundreds of members of their National Guard to Washington to assist in the Trump administration’s takeover of the city’s police department. West Virginia said it was deploying 300 to 400 Guard troops, while South Carolina pledged 200 and Ohio says it will send 150 in the coming days. Hundreds of District of Columbia National Guard were activated this week to aid local law enforcement in what the Republican administration calls an effort to crack down on crime and homelessness in the nation’s capital. Protesters have pushed back on the federal intervention in the heavily Democratic city following President Donald Trump’s order federalizing local police forces.

WORDS: 970 - MOVED: 08/16/2025 10:37 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:3aa338b80442e12559273ff5e526edc3&mediaType=text

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US--ELECTION 2026-REDISTRICTING-DEMOCRATS

In Trump’s redistricting push, Democrats find an aggressive identity and progressives are on board

SUMMARY: Democrats have struggled to find effective ways to oppose President Donald Trump, and even some Democratic voters describe the party as weak. But Trump’s push for states to redraw political maps and create more GOP-friendly House seats in time for the 2026 election has raised the stakes. Democrats are showing they’re willing to go beyond words of outrage and use whatever power they have to win. They’ve staged a legislative walkout in Republican-run Texas and answered in Democratic-dominated California with a retaliatory redistricting effort. The reaction has drawn cheers from progressives and forged, at least for now, a more united opposition to Trump’s second administration.

WORDS: 1266 - MOVED: 08/16/2025 10:05 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:9422a8300f5bcc2aa587bcb3811a1479&mediaType=text

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