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AP News Digest 6 p.m.

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AP News Digest 6 p.m.
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AP News Digest 6 p.m.

2024-08-11 05:46 Last Updated At:05:51

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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This image released by Walt Disney Animation Studios shows a scene from "Moana 2," expected in theaters November 2024. (Walt Disney Animation Studios via AP)

This image released by Walt Disney Animation Studios shows a scene from "Moana 2," expected in theaters November 2024. (Walt Disney Animation Studios via AP)

In this photo taken during a two-day trip on Aug. 8 and Aug. 9, 2024 and provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center right, visits a flood-hit area in Uiju, North Phyongan province, North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

In this photo taken during a two-day trip on Aug. 8 and Aug. 9, 2024 and provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center right, visits a flood-hit area in Uiju, North Phyongan province, North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

Children play a chess game at 'The Soga Chess Club' of the internally displaced persons camp in Kanyaruchinya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Monday, July 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

Children play a chess game at 'The Soga Chess Club' of the internally displaced persons camp in Kanyaruchinya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Monday, July 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

FILE - Kathleen Scarpone, of Kingston, N.H., protests in front of the Arthur M. Sackler Museum at Harvard University, Friday, April 12, 2019, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

FILE - Kathleen Scarpone, of Kingston, N.H., protests in front of the Arthur M. Sackler Museum at Harvard University, Friday, April 12, 2019, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

This photo provided by Alabama Historical Commission shows artifacts from the Clotilda, the last known ship to bring enslaved people to the United States from Africa at Alabama Gulf Coast. (Daniel Fiore/Alabama Historical Commission via AP)

This photo provided by Alabama Historical Commission shows artifacts from the Clotilda, the last known ship to bring enslaved people to the United States from Africa at Alabama Gulf Coast. (Daniel Fiore/Alabama Historical Commission via AP)

FILE - In this photo provided by the Deschutes County Sherriff's Office, smoke rises from a wildfire near La Pine, Ore., Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Sgt. Kyle Kalambach/Deschutes County Sherriff's Office via AP, File)

FILE - In this photo provided by the Deschutes County Sherriff's Office, smoke rises from a wildfire near La Pine, Ore., Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Sgt. Kyle Kalambach/Deschutes County Sherriff's Office via AP, File)

FILE - Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, questions FBI Director Christopher Wray during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

FILE - Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, questions FBI Director Christopher Wray during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

Sha'carri Richardson, of the United States, crosses the finish line to win the gold medal in the women's 4 x 100 meters relay final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Sha'carri Richardson, of the United States, crosses the finish line to win the gold medal in the women's 4 x 100 meters relay final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Switzerland's Nina Brunner dives for a return in the women's beach volleyball bronze medal match between Australia and Switzerland, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Switzerland's Nina Brunner dives for a return in the women's beach volleyball bronze medal match between Australia and Switzerland, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Eric Combs, Maverick Knight and Michelle Knight paddle away as they traverse high water along Canisteo River Road in Canisteo, N.Y., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept through the area. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Eric Combs, Maverick Knight and Michelle Knight paddle away as they traverse high water along Canisteo River Road in Canisteo, N.Y., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept through the area. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

In this photo taken from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, a column of the Russian Armed Forces move to build up forces conducting active combat operations with Ukrainian formations in the Sudzhansky district of Kursk region of Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

In this photo taken from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, a column of the Russian Armed Forces move to build up forces conducting active combat operations with Ukrainian formations in the Sudzhansky district of Kursk region of Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz stand on stage with from left, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and his wife former Rep. Gabby Giffords, at a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz stand on stage with from left, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and his wife former Rep. Gabby Giffords, at a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Bozeman, Mont., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Bozeman, Mont., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

This frame grab from video shows fire coming from a plane that crashed by a home in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Felipe Magalhaes Filho via AP)

This frame grab from video shows fire coming from a plane that crashed by a home in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Felipe Magalhaes Filho via AP)

Civil Defense workers extinguish a car that hit by an Israeli strike, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Civil Defense workers extinguish a car that hit by an Israeli strike, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

NEW & DEVELOPING

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Adds: UVALDE-SCHOOL-SHOOTING-TIMELINE, ELECTION 2024-TRUMP HACKING; OLY-BOXING-CONTROVERSY; MEXICO-SINALOA-CARTEL, SERBIA-LITHIUM-PROTEST, -ELECTION-2024-WALZ-MILITARY, OLY-BRK-BREAKING-B-BOYS, RECKONING-FERGUSON-ARRESTS

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WEEKEND COVERAGE

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For weekend stories, please click here for the Weekend Lookahead digest.

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TOP STORIES

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UVALDE-SCHOOL-SHOOTING — As a gunman shot and killed 19 students and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, terrified pupils and staff members made frantic calls to 911. One told a dispatcher that there had been “a lot, a whole lot of gunshots,” before ending the call with the desperate plea: “Hurry, hurry, hurry, hurry!” The calls from the May 24, 2022, shooting at Robb Elementary School were included in a massive collection of audio and video recordings released by Uvalde city officials Saturday after a prolonged legal fight. The Associated Press and other news organizations brought a lawsuit after the officials initially refused to publicly release the information from one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history. By Jamie Stengle. SENT: 940 words, photos. With UVALDE-SCHOOL-SHOOTING-TIMELINE (sent)

ELECTION 2024-TRUMP-MASS DEPORTATIONS — “Mass Deportation Now!” declared the signs at the Republican National Convention, giving a full embrace to Donald Trump’s pledge to expel millions of migrants in the largest deportation program in American history. Some Republicans aren’t quite ready for that. By Stephen Groves. SENT: 1,150 words, photos. With ELECTION 2024-TRUMP HACKING — Former President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign says it has been hacked and is blaming Iranian actors for stealing and distributing sensitive internal documents. (sent)

ELECTION 2024-HARRIS — Vice President Kamala Harris is trying to make Nevada look like less of a political gamble in November’s election as she makes her final stop in her campaign’s opening swing with running mate Tim Walz. By Rio Yamat and Josh Boak. SENT: 750 words, photos. With ELECTION-2024-WALZ-MILITARY — The Harris presidential campaign says Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz “misspoke” in 2018 in talking about “weapons of war, that I carried in war.” SENT: 300 words, photo.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — An Israeli airstrike hit a school-turned-shelter in Gaza, killing at least 80 people and wounding nearly 50 others, Palestinian health authorities said, in one of the deadliest attacks of the 10-month war between Israel and Hamas. A witness said it struck during prayers at a mosque in the building. By Wafaa Shurafa and Samy Magdy. SENT: 960 words, photos, video.

GUANTANAMO-9/11-THE-ORIGINAL-SIN — A Defense Department disagreement over how to bring to justice the accused mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks and four others has thrown the cases into disarray and surfaced the long-running tension between the desire of some families to see a final reckoning and the significant legal obstacles that may make that that outcome impossible. By Ellen Knickmeyer, Eric Tucker and Larry Neumeister. SENT: 1,210 words, photos.

OLY-BOXING-CONTROVERSY — Boxer Lin Yu-ting of Taiwan won a gold medal in the women’s featherweight division at the Paris Olympics. By Greg Beacham. SENT: 960 words, photos. With OLY-BLIND-BOXING-ANNOUNCER — A visually impaired Para-judo athlete is captivating crowds at the Paris 2024 Olympics as a boxing announcer. (sent)

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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

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OLY-ACCESSIBLE-TECHNOLOGY — As Paris shines under the global spotlight of the Olympic Games, technological innovations are enabling people with visual impairments to take it in. A standout innovation is the Vision Pad, a tactile tablet designed to add another layer of interaction for those with visual impairments. It features a moving magnetic ball, representing the ball in play on a court or a field. The tactile feedback allows users to follow the action. SENT: 790 words, photos.

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PARIS OLYMPICS

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OLY-BKO-FRANCE — The U.S. is atop the international men’s basketball world once again, after Stephen Curry scored 24 points and led the way to a 98-87 win over France in the final at the Paris Games on Saturday night.. SENT: 420 words, photos.

OLY--SOC-BRAZIL-US — The U.S. women’s soccer team won its fifth Olympic gold medal by beating Brazil 1-0 on Mallory Swanson’s early second-half goal in the tournament final Saturday at the Paris Games. SENT: 640 words, photos.

OLY-CLOSING-CEREMONY-FLAGBEARERS —The flagbearers for the Paris Olympics closing ceremony are still being decided. One cert is Manu Bhaker who became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal in shooting. How about Canada’s Summer McIntosh? She has flown home after a stunning three golds and a silver in swimming but the teen sensation might fly back if it means carry the flag on Sunday night. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 2 p.m.

GYM-ROMANIAN-PROTEST — The International Gymnastics Federation restored Romanian gymnast Ana Barbosu to third in the Paris Olympics women’s floor exercise final Saturday, potentially forcing American gymnast Jordan Chiles to return the bronze she won in the event.. SENT: 250 words, photos, developing. SENT: 950 words, photos.

OLY-PARIS-UKRAINE-OLYMPIC-DIPLOMACY — Ukraine’s Olympic house stands out for its somber atmosphere, with fewer celebrations and parties than the other fan clubhouses that countries set up to tout their athletes and culture. It has moments of silence for war victims and screens documentaries about the destruction. SENT: 930 words, photos.

You can find Summer Olympics 2024- The Daily Rundown in your CMS or in AP Newsroom.

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

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RUSSIA-UKRAINIAN INCURSION-EXPLAINER — A swift Ukrainian incursion into Russia’s Kursk region marks the largest such cross-border raid by Kyiv’s forces in the nearly 2½-year war, exposing Russia’s vulnerabilities and dealing a painful blow to the Kremlin. The surprise foray has prompted thousands of civilians to flee the region as the Russian military struggles to repel the attack. SENT: 1,030 words, photos. WITH: RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Russia tightens security in region of Ukraine incursion, fighting persists. (sent).

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MORE NEWS

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OBIT-SUSAN-WOJCICKI-- Susan Wojcicki, a pioneering tech executive who helped shape Google and YouTube, has died, her husband said. She was 56. SENT: 450 words, photo.

OLY-PARIS-SCOTT-ARREST — Prosecutors in France say Travis Scott, the rapper, has been released from police custody a day after his arrest at a Paris hotel following an altercation with a security guard. SENT: 230 words, photos.

RECKONING-FERGUSON-ARRESTS — Police in Ferguson, Missouri, say an officer was critically injured outside the city’s police station during protests on the 10th anniversary of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, a pivotal moment in the national Black Lives Matter movement. SENT: 560 words, photo.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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FEDERAL-PRISON-WORKER-DIES — A worker at a federal prison in California has died and investigators are examining whether he was exposed to fentanyl shortly before his death, three people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. SENT: 370 words, photo.

ELECTION 2024-HAWAII — U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono and Hawaii’s incumbent congressional representatives are favored to win the primaries for the state Democratic Party on Saturday. SENT: 470 words, photos.

ELECTION 2024-WISCONSIN — The power of former President Donald Trump’s endorsement in battleground Wisconsin will be tested in a race for an open congressional seat in primary voting Tuesday, while the field for the state’s closely watched U.S. Senate race also will be set. SENT: 940 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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TROPICAL-WEATHER-DEBBY — Debby finally moved out of the U.S. on Saturday after the storm spent the better part of a week unleashing tornadoes and flooding, damaging homes and taking lives as it moved up the East Coast after first arriving in Florida as a hurricane. SENT: 1,070 words, photos, video, audio.

COAST-GUARD-ACADEMY-REFORMS — The grueling basic training for fledgling cadets at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, known as swab summer, is being revamped this year in light of a sexual abuse scandal that has rocked the prestigious Connecticut service academy. It’s one of seven “directed actions” the academy was ordered to take last year. SENT: 1,150 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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BRAZIL-PLANE-CRASH — Brazilian authorities are working to piece together what exactly caused the plane crash in Sao Paulo state the prior day that killed all 61 people aboard. Local airline Voepass had an ATR 72 twin-engine turboprop headed for Sao Paulo’s international airport with 57 passengers and 4 crew members when it went down in the city of Vinhedo. Residents say no one on the ground was hurt. The plane’s fuselage was obliterated by fire, but the black box has been recovered. SENT: 1,160 words, photos.

KOREAS-TENSIONS — South Korea’s military says North Korea is again flying balloons likely carrying trash toward the South, adding to a bizarre psychological warfare campaign amid growing tensions between the war-divided rivals. SENT: 490 words, photos.

BRITAIN-UNREST — King Charles III applauded people who took to the streets of British towns and cities earlier this week to help blunt days of unrest fueled by far-right activists and misinformation about a stabbing attack that killed three girls. SENT: 580 words, photos.

NORTH-KOREA-FLOODING — North Korea's leader says thousands of flood victims will be brought to capital for temporary care. SENT: 460 words, photos.

CONGO-CHESS-CLUB — In the midst of one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, a chess club for kids is thriving in a refugee camp in eastern Congo. SENT: 730 words, photos, video.

MEXICO-SINALOA-CARTEL — Mexican drug lord Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada has said that he was ambushed and kidnapped when he thought he was going to meet the governor of the northern state of Sinaloa. Zambada said in a two-page letter released Saturday by his lawyer that he was taken against his will to the United States. SENT: 520 words, photo.

SERBIA-LITHIUM-PROTEST — Tens of thousands of protesters have rallied in downtown Belgrade against lithium mining in Serbia. That’s despite official warnings that the demonstration on Saturday was an alleged plot to topple populist President Aleksandar Vučić and his government. SENT: 560 words, photos, video.

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HEALTH & SCIENCE

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SCI-MARS-JUPITER-ENCOUNTER – Mars and Jupiter are cozying up in the night sky for their closest rendezvous this decade. They’ll be so close Wednesday, at least from our perspective, that just a sliver of moon could fit between them. SENT: 300 words, photo.

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HOW TO REACH US

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The Nerve Center can be reached at 800-845-8450, ext. 1600. For photos, Donald E. King 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.

This image released by Walt Disney Animation Studios shows a scene from "Moana 2," expected in theaters November 2024. (Walt Disney Animation Studios via AP)

This image released by Walt Disney Animation Studios shows a scene from "Moana 2," expected in theaters November 2024. (Walt Disney Animation Studios via AP)

In this photo taken during a two-day trip on Aug. 8 and Aug. 9, 2024 and provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center right, visits a flood-hit area in Uiju, North Phyongan province, North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

In this photo taken during a two-day trip on Aug. 8 and Aug. 9, 2024 and provided by the North Korean government, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, center right, visits a flood-hit area in Uiju, North Phyongan province, North Korea. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)

Children play a chess game at 'The Soga Chess Club' of the internally displaced persons camp in Kanyaruchinya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Monday, July 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

Children play a chess game at 'The Soga Chess Club' of the internally displaced persons camp in Kanyaruchinya, Democratic Republic of Congo, Monday, July 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

FILE - Kathleen Scarpone, of Kingston, N.H., protests in front of the Arthur M. Sackler Museum at Harvard University, Friday, April 12, 2019, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

FILE - Kathleen Scarpone, of Kingston, N.H., protests in front of the Arthur M. Sackler Museum at Harvard University, Friday, April 12, 2019, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

This photo provided by Alabama Historical Commission shows artifacts from the Clotilda, the last known ship to bring enslaved people to the United States from Africa at Alabama Gulf Coast. (Daniel Fiore/Alabama Historical Commission via AP)

This photo provided by Alabama Historical Commission shows artifacts from the Clotilda, the last known ship to bring enslaved people to the United States from Africa at Alabama Gulf Coast. (Daniel Fiore/Alabama Historical Commission via AP)

FILE - In this photo provided by the Deschutes County Sherriff's Office, smoke rises from a wildfire near La Pine, Ore., Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Sgt. Kyle Kalambach/Deschutes County Sherriff's Office via AP, File)

FILE - In this photo provided by the Deschutes County Sherriff's Office, smoke rises from a wildfire near La Pine, Ore., Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (Sgt. Kyle Kalambach/Deschutes County Sherriff's Office via AP, File)

FILE - Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, questions FBI Director Christopher Wray during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

FILE - Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, questions FBI Director Christopher Wray during a Senate Judiciary Committee oversight hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, Dec. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

Sha'carri Richardson, of the United States, crosses the finish line to win the gold medal in the women's 4 x 100 meters relay final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Sha'carri Richardson, of the United States, crosses the finish line to win the gold medal in the women's 4 x 100 meters relay final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Switzerland's Nina Brunner dives for a return in the women's beach volleyball bronze medal match between Australia and Switzerland, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Switzerland's Nina Brunner dives for a return in the women's beach volleyball bronze medal match between Australia and Switzerland, at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)

Eric Combs, Maverick Knight and Michelle Knight paddle away as they traverse high water along Canisteo River Road in Canisteo, N.Y., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept through the area. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Eric Combs, Maverick Knight and Michelle Knight paddle away as they traverse high water along Canisteo River Road in Canisteo, N.Y., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, after remnants of Tropical Storm Debby swept through the area. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

In this photo taken from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, a column of the Russian Armed Forces move to build up forces conducting active combat operations with Ukrainian formations in the Sudzhansky district of Kursk region of Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

In this photo taken from video released by the Russian Defense Ministry on Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, a column of the Russian Armed Forces move to build up forces conducting active combat operations with Ukrainian formations in the Sudzhansky district of Kursk region of Russia. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz stand on stage with from left, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and his wife former Rep. Gabby Giffords, at a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz stand on stage with from left, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., and his wife former Rep. Gabby Giffords, at a campaign rally at Desert Diamond Arena, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Bozeman, Mont., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Bozeman, Mont., Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

This frame grab from video shows fire coming from a plane that crashed by a home in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Felipe Magalhaes Filho via AP)

This frame grab from video shows fire coming from a plane that crashed by a home in Vinhedo, Sao Paulo state, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (Felipe Magalhaes Filho via AP)

Civil Defense workers extinguish a car that hit by an Israeli strike, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Civil Defense workers extinguish a car that hit by an Israeli strike, in the southern port city of Sidon, Lebanon, Friday, Aug. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Mohammed Zaatari)

Next Article

The Gulf of Whatnow? Mapmakers grapple with Trump's geographic renaming plans

2025-01-23 15:31 Last Updated At:15:40

What's in a name change, after all?

The water bordered by the Southern United States, Mexico and Cuba will be critical to shipping lanes and vacationers whether it’s called the Gulf of Mexico, as it has been for four centuries, or the Gulf of America, as President Donald Trump ordered this week. North America’s highest mountain peak will still loom above Alaska whether it’s called Mt. Denali, as ordered by former President Barack Obama in 2015, or changed back to Mt. McKinley as Trump also decreed.

But Trump's territorial assertions, in line with his “America First” worldview, sparked a round of rethinking by mapmakers and teachers, snark on social media and sarcasm by at least one other world leader. And though Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis put the Trumpian “Gulf of America” on an official document and some other gulf-adjacent states were considering doing the same, it was not clear how many others would follow Trump's lead.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum joked that if Trump went ahead with the renaming, her country would rename North America “Mexican America.” On Tuesday, she toned it down: “For us and for the entire world it will continue to be called the Gulf of Mexico.”

Map lines are inherently political. After all, they're representations of the places that are important to human beings — and those priorities can be delicate and contentious, even more so in a globalized world.

There’s no agreed-upon scheme to name boundaries and features across the Earth.

“Denali” is the mountain's preferred name for Alaska Natives, while “McKinley" is a tribute to President William McKinley, designated in the late 19th century by a gold prospector. China sees Taiwan as its own territory, and the countries surrounding what the United States calls the South China Sea have multiple names for the same body of water.

The Persian Gulf has been widely known by that name since the 16th century, although usage of “Gulf” and “Arabian Gulf” is dominant in many countries in the Middle East. The government of Iran — formerly Persia — threatened to sue Google in 2012 over the company’s decision not to label the body of water at all on its maps. Many Arab countries don’t recognize Israel and instead call it Palestine. And in many official releases, Israel calls the occupied West Bank by its biblical name, “Judea and Samaria.”

Americans and Mexicans diverge on what to call another key body of water, the river that forms the border between Texas and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Leon and Tamaulipas. Americans call it the Rio Grande; Mexicans call it the Rio Bravo.

Trump's executive order — titled “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” — concludes thusly: “It is in the national interest to promote the extraordinary heritage of our Nation and ensure future generations of American citizens celebrate the legacy of our American heroes. The naming of our national treasures, including breathtaking natural wonders and historic works of art, should honor the contributions of visionary and patriotic Americans in our Nation’s rich past.”

But what to call the gulf with the 3,700-mile coastline?

“It is, I suppose, an internationally recognized sea, but (to be honest), a situation like this has never come up before so I need to confirm the appropriate convention,” said Peter Bellerby, who said he was talking over the issue with the cartographers at his London company, Bellerby & Co. Globemakers. “If, for instance, he wanted to change the Atlantic Ocean to the American Ocean, we would probably just ignore it."

As of Wednesday night, map applications for Google and Apple still called the mountain and the gulf by their old names. Spokespersons for those platforms did not immediately respond to emailed questions.

A spokesperson for National Geographic, one of the most prominent map makers in the U.S., said this week that the company does not comment on individual cases and referred questions to a statement on its web site, which reads in part that it "strives to be apolitical, to consult multiple authoritative sources, and to make independent decisions based on extensive research.” National Geographic also has a policy of including explanatory notes for place names in dispute, citing as an example a body of water between Japan and the Korean peninsula, referred to as the Sea of Japan by the Japanese and the East Sea by Koreans.

In discussion on social media, one thread noted that the Sears Tower in Chicago was renamed the Willis Tower in 2009, though it's still commonly known by its original moniker. Pennsylvania's capital, Harrisburg, renamed its Market Street to Martin Luther King Boulevard and then switched back to Market Street several years later — with loud complaints both times. In 2017, New York's Tappan Zee Bridge was renamed for the late Gov. Mario Cuomo to great controversy. The new name appears on maps, but “no one calls it that,” noted another user.

“Are we going to start teaching this as the name of the body of water?” asked one Reddit poster on Tuesday.

“I guess you can tell students that SOME PEOPLE want to rename this body of water the Gulf of America, but everyone else in the world calls it the Gulf of Mexico,” came one answer. “Cover all your bases — they know the reality-based name, but also the wannabe name as well.”

Wrote another user: “I'll call it the Gulf of America when I'm forced to call the Tappan Zee the Mario Cuomo Bridge, which is to say never.”

FILE - President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

FILE - President Donald Trump speaks in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

FILE - Peter Bellerby, the founder of Bellerby & Co. Globemakers, holds a globe at a studio in London, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

FILE - Peter Bellerby, the founder of Bellerby & Co. Globemakers, holds a globe at a studio in London, Tuesday, Feb. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

FILE - A boat is seen on the Susitna River near Talkeetna, Alaska, on Sunday, June 13, 2021, with Denali in the background. Denali, the tallest mountain on the North American continent, is located about 60 miles northwest of Talkeetna. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File)

FILE - A boat is seen on the Susitna River near Talkeetna, Alaska, on Sunday, June 13, 2021, with Denali in the background. Denali, the tallest mountain on the North American continent, is located about 60 miles northwest of Talkeetna. (AP Photo/Mark Thiessen, File)

FILE - The water in the Gulf of Mexico appears bluer than usual off of East Beach, Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Galveston, Texas. (Jill Karnicki/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)

FILE - The water in the Gulf of Mexico appears bluer than usual off of East Beach, Saturday, June 24, 2023, in Galveston, Texas. (Jill Karnicki/Houston Chronicle via AP, File)

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