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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1. WITH: REL--TRUMP-PUTIN-ORTHODOX DISPUTE

2. DESCRIPTION: An Orthodox archbishop of Alaska met with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the summit with President Donald Trump, exchanging warm greetings and gifts of holy icons. But the meeting was denounced by Ukrainian Orthodox bishops in the U.S. as a “betrayal of Christian witness.”

3. UPCOMING: By 08/18/2025 6:00 p.m. EDT

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UNITED STATES

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US--ELECTION-2026-REDISTRICTING

Texas Democrats end walkout over redistricting as California prepares to retaliate

SUMMARY: Texas Democrats have ended a two-week walkout that stalled efforts to redraw congressional districts as part of a national partisan brawl over President Donald Trump’s desire to reshape U.S. House maps to his advantage. Their return Monday to the Texas Capitol will allow the Republican-run Legislature to proceed as California Democrats’ advance a countereffort to redraw their congressional boundaries in retaliation. The tit-for-tat puts the nation’s two most populous states at the center of an expanding fight over control of Congress ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. Texas and California have been at the forefront of a national fight to reshape the congressional landscape.

WORDS: 903 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 4:32 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:dc42d64df69e6d8e922a0aa72fb0a2d8&mediaType=text

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US--UTAH SHOOTING

2 officers killed and a 3rd is wounded in a Utah shooting, authorities say

SUMMARY: Authorities say two police officers were shot and killed in Utah and a man was taken into custody after bystanders persuaded him to drop the gun. The officers were responding to a domestic disturbance call Sunday in a neighborhood in Tremonton. Police say Monday a sheriff’s deputy and a police dog who also responded were wounded. The deputy has been released from the hospital and the dog was hospitalized in fair condition. The man was arrested on aggravated murder charges. His name and the officers’ names have not been released. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called what happened “a terrible and tragic night” and joined the state in mourning the loss of the two officers.

WORDS: 465 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 4:20 p.m. EDT

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US--ELECTION 2026-REDISTRICTING-WHAT TO KNOW

What to know about redistricting fights as Texas Democrats return and California starts work

SUMMARY: Republicans can move ahead with redrawing Texas’ congressional districts now that Democratic lawmakers have returned to the state. After their return Monday, efforts to thwart President Donald Trump’s push to tilt the political map for next year’s midterm elections in his favor have shifted to California. Democrats in Texas staged a two-week walkout over a plan for giving the GOP five more seats to make it easier for Republicans to keep their House majority next year. Republicans already have a new plan that would redraw the lines in much the same way. Texas Democrats relented after Democrats in California made plans to redraw California’s districts.

WORDS: 558 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 3:38 p.m. EDT

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US--FLORIDA IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTER

Judge weighs detainees’ legal rights at ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ in Florida Everglades

SUMMARY: A federal judge considered whether detainees have been denied their legal rights at a temporary immigrant detention center in the Florida Everglades. This is the second lawsuit challenging practices at the facility known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” On Monday, civil rights attorneys in Miami asked a judge to ensure detainees have confidential access to their lawyers. They also want the judge to identify an immigration court with jurisdiction over the center. Florida officials dispute claims that attorneys have been unable to meet with clients. Government attorneys said at the start of the hearing that they would designate a Miami-area immigration court for the Everglades detainees.

WORDS: 776 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 1:57 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:2edf0cd03409b3526f34d4d7b33074be&mediaType=text

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US--NEW YORK CLUB SHOOTING

2 gunmen among 3 killed in New York City bar shooting, police say; 2 other shooters still at large

SUMMARY: Two of the three people killed in a bar shooting in the New York City borough of Brooklyn were among the four shooters who opened fire inside the building. City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said Monday that the two men were seen on surveillance video arguing in the Taste of the City Lounge in Crown Heights shortly before 3:30 a.m. Sunday. About 10 minutes later, one man approached the other and opened fire, and the second man and two others fired back. Fourteen people were shot overall in the incident, but none of the survivors injuries are believed to be life-threatening.

WORDS: 427 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 1:45 p.m. EDT

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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US--RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR

Trump urges direct talks between Putin and Zelenskyy, says war can reach endgame within weeks

SUMMARY: President Donald Trump said during talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders that a potential ceasefire and who gets Ukrainian territory seized by Russia should be hashed out during a face-to-face meeting between the warring countries’ two leaders. The talks came days after Trump hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin for a summit at a U.S. military base in Alaska in which he tilted toward Putin’s demands that Ukraine make concessions over land seized by Russia, which now controls roughly one-fifth of Ukrainian territory. Trump said he would back European security guarantees for Ukraine, though he stopped short of committing U.S. troops to the effort.

WORDS: 1260 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 5:27 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:d0ad768453210db23fe4b108f7b87135&mediaType=text

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US--TRUMP-THE LATEST

The Latest: Zelenskyy signals openness to three-way meeting with Trump and Putin

SUMMARY: President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and President Donald Trump expressed hope that Monday’s critical talks with Ukrainian and European leaders at the White House could lead to trilateral talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to bring an end to Russia’s war on Ukraine. Monday’s hastily assembled meeting comes after Trump met with Putin and has said that the onus is now on Zelenskyy to agree to concessions that he said could end the war. A group of European political heavy-hitters will also meet with the U.S. president after they were left out of Friday’s summit, and they are looking to safeguard Ukraine and the continent from any widening aggression from Moscow.

WORDS: 3847 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 4:52 p.m. EDT

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US--TRUMP-ELECTIONS

Trump vows to change how elections are run. The US Constitution doesn’t give him that power

SUMMARY: President Donald Trump is vowing more changes to the way elections are conducted in the U.S., but based on the Constitution there is little to nothing he can do on his own. He pledged on his social media site that he would do away with mail voting, which remains popular and is used by about one-third of all voters. He also wants to eliminate voting machines, some form of which are used in almost all of the country’s thousands of election jurisdictions. The Constitution makes the states the entities that determine the “time, place and manner” of elections while allowing Congress to “make” or “alter” rules for federal elections.

WORDS: 1192 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 4:24 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8be6dba80091fd7e6d8570814b34a7fe&mediaType=text

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US--JUSTICE DEPARTMENT-JEFFREY EPSTEIN

Justice Department to begin giving Congress files from Jeffrey Epstein investigation, lawmaker says

SUMMARY: The Justice Department has agreed to provide to Congress documents from the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking investigation. That’s according to Rep, James Comer, the chair of the House Oversight Committee, which earlier this month issued a broad subpoena about a criminal case that has long captivated public attention, recently roiled the top rungs of the Trump administration and been a consistent magnet for conspiracy theories. It was not clear exactly which or how many documents might be produced or whether the cooperation with Congress reflected a broader change in posture since last month, when the FBI and Justice Department abruptly announced that they would not be releasing any additional records from the Epstein investigation.

WORDS: 512 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 4:06 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:44676b1a76dd5753bf0e7704ba88f8ee&mediaType=text

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US--DC-FEDERAL INTERVENTION

Mississippi becomes fourth state to send National Guard troops to DC in expanding federal crackdown

SUMMARY: The Mississippi National Guard will deploy 200 troops to Washington as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing federal policing and immigration efforts in the nation’s capital. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said in a statement Monday that he has approved the deployment of approximately 200 troops to Washington, D.C. Reeves said that crime is out of control and “something must be done.” Mississippi joins three other GOP-led states that have pledged to deploy hundreds of National Guard members to the nation’s capital to bolster the Republican administration’s operation to overhaul policing in the Democratic-led city through a federal crackdown on crime and homelessness.

WORDS: 780 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 3:01 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:fb91f9884c928b98036754885a7c0180&mediaType=text

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US--SPACE-THE NEXT BATTLEFIELD

Hijacked satellites and orbiting space weapons: In the 21st century, space is the new battlefield

SUMMARY: Outer space has emerged as the world’s next battlefield, demonstrated by recent cyberattacks on satellites blamed on Russia. National security officials have said the Kremlin also is seeking to develop a space-based weapon that could knock out American satellites, potentially devastating the U.S. economy while leaving the country vulnerable to military attack. Officials in Washington are taking notice, investing in greater efforts to defend U.S. satellites while countering threats from China and Russia. One example is the U.S. Space Force, created in 2019 and tasked with protecting American interests in space.

WORDS: 1263 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 2:02 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:0fdd31a1e3d350a54823e8a3d228fc17&mediaType=text

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US--DOMINION-NEWSMAX DEFAMATION CASE

Conservative network Newsmax agrees to pay $67M in defamation case over bogus 2020 election claims

SUMMARY: The conservative network Newsmax has agreed to pay $67 million to settle a lawsuit accusing it of defaming a voting equipment company by spreading lies about President Donald Trump’s 2020 election loss. The settlement announced Monday comes after Fox News Channel paid $787.5 million to settle a similar lawsuit in 2023 and Newsmax paid what court papers describe as $40 million to settle a libel lawsuit from a different voting machine manufacturer, Smartmatic, which also was a target of pro-Trump conspiracy theories on the network. Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis ruled earlier Newsmax defamed Denver-based Dominion Voting Systems by airing false information about the company and its equipment. Dominion says it’s pleased to have settled.

WORDS: 800 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 1:58 p.m. EDT

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INTERNATIONAL

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TROPICAL WEATHER

Hurricane Erin forces evacuations on North Carolina’s Outer Banks but expected to stay offshore

SUMMARY: Hurricane Erin is forcing evacuations on North Carolina’s Outer Banks as it churns in the Atlantic where high winds and heavy rain are pelting the Turks and Caicos Islands and parts of the Bahamas. Forecasters are confident that Erin will away from the eastern U.S. and won’t make landfall. But they do predict the hurricane will churn up dangerous rip currents along North Carolina’s barrier islands and could swamp roads with waves of 15 feet. Tropical storm and surge watches were issued Monday for much of the state’s coastline. The storm intensified again to a Category 4 storm on Monday with 140 mph winds.

WORDS: 795 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 5:27 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:f1c426e963cd8e5433d420df23fbc88e&mediaType=text

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US TROPICAL WEATHER-WHAT TO KNOW

What to know about powerful Hurricane Erin as it heads toward the US East Coast

SUMMARY: Island communities off the coast of North Carolina are bracing for flooding ahead of Hurricane Erin, the year’s first Atlantic hurricane. The storm intensified to a Category 4 with 140 mph winds early Monday, lashing the Turks and Caicos Islands and the southeast Bahamas. The U.S. National Hurricane Center says the storm is unlikely to make direct landfall in the United States. However, authorities on some islands along North Carolina’s Outer Banks have issued evacuation orders. They warn that roads could be swamped by 15-foot waves. Coastal flooding is expected to begin Tuesday and continue through Thursday.

WORDS: 791 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 4:08 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:c248ff527e0603f6e6d0c85c2a8db400&mediaType=text

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ML--MIDEAST WARS-GAZA

Hamas accepts an Arab ceasefire proposal on Gaza as Palestinian death toll passes 62,000

SUMMARY: Hamas says it has accepted a new proposal from Arab mediators for a ceasefire in Gaza that would still need Israel’s approval. Israel indicates its positions haven’t changed. Gaza’s Health Ministry meanwhile says the Palestinian death toll has passed 62,000 from 22 months of war. Israel announced plans to reoccupy Gaza City and other heavily populated areas after ceasefire talks appeared to break down last month. Those plans have sparked international outrage and infuriated many Israelis who fear for the remaining hostages taken in the 2023 attack that sparked the war. A widened military offensive will worsen the humanitarian crisis.

WORDS: 1055 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 3:42 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:f875326f9845f09a3b01bf676254222f&mediaType=text

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BUSINESS

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FINANCIAL MARKETS

Wall Street holds at a standstill near its record heights

SUMMARY: Wall Street held near its records. The S&P 500 barely budged Monday and fell by less than 0.1%, coming off its first loss after setting an all-time high in three consecutive days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dipped 33 points, and the Nasdaq composite edged up by less than 0.1%. Later this week will come profit reports from Walmart and other big U.S. retailers, which could show how households are navigating a slowing job market and worries about tariffs. The week’s highlight will likely arrive Friday, when the Federal Reserve’s chair will give a speech that could hint at coming cuts to interest rates.

WORDS: 751 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 5:00 p.m. EDT

https://newsroom.ap.org/home/search?query=itemid:8ce2c10890cf8df125a0a81c4c5e03e1&mediaType=text

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US--MEDIA-MSNBC-NAME CHANGE

Cable’s MSNBC will change its name later this year as part of corporate divorce from NBC

SUMMARY: The television network MSNBC will change its name later this year as part of its corporate divorce from NBC. The new name will by My Source News Opinion World, or MS NOW for short. MSNBC, which will also removed NBC’s peacock corporate logo from its insignia, has been building a separate news division from NBC News by hiring new reporters and executives in recent months. It has been known as MSNBC since its formation in 1996, as a partnership then between Microsoft and NBC. It runs second in cable news ratings to Fox News Channel with personalities like Rachel Maddow, Nicole Wallace and Ari Melber.

WORDS: 563 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 2:19 p.m. EDT

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HEALTH/SCIENCE

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US-MED--MEASLES OUTBREAK

Texas declares measles outbreak over

SUMMARY: Health officials in Texas have declared the state’s measles outbreak over. The virus sickened 762 people since late January. Nearly 100 were hospitalized and two children died. State health data shows that the last outbreak-related measles case in Texas was on July 1. The cases were linked to outbreaks in Canada and Mexico and jumped to other states in the U.S. Measles is prevented by vaccine. State officials say they will keep monitoring for new cases. They credit testing, vaccination, monitoring and education with helping to end the outbreak.

WORDS: 421 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 2:12 p.m. EDT

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ENTERTAINMENT

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ENT--MATTHEW PERRY

‘Ketamine Queen’ accused of selling fatal dose to Matthew Perry agrees to plead guilty

SUMMARY: A woman charged with selling Matthew Perry the ketamine that killed him has agreed to plead guilty. Jasveen Sangha becomes the fifth and final defendant charged in the overdose death of the “Friends” star to strike a plea agreement with federal prosecutors. The deal means the 42-year-old will avoid a trial that had been planned for September. Prosecutors cast Sangha as a prolific drug dealer who was known to her customers as the “Ketamine Queen.” According to court documents she sold Perry 25 vials of ketamine four days before his death from an overdose of the drug.

WORDS: 751 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 5:23 p.m. EDT

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SPORTS

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FBC--AP PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM

No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Penn St each place 3 players on Associated Press preseason All-America first team

SUMMARY: No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Penn State each had three players selected for the preseason AP All-America team. The Southeastern Conference had 12 players on the 27-man first team determined by media members on the AP Top 25 voting panel. Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Ohio State and Pittsburgh each had two players on the first team. Ohio State safety Caleb Downs and Florida center Jake Slaughter are returning first-team AP All-Americans. Clemson’s Cade Klubnik was the overwhelming preseason choice for first-team quarterback after throwing for 3,639 yards with 39 touchdowns and just six interceptions.

WORDS: 729 - MOVED: 08/18/2025 5:20 p.m. EDT

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