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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ONLY ON AP

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AP POLL-ELECTION 2024 — A new poll survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds Kamala Harris is going into the last stretch of the presidential campaign as the candidate who is more likely to be perceived as honest, committed to democracy and disciplined. Meanwhile, Americans are evenly split on whether Harris or Donald Trump has the right vision for the country. By Linley Sanders and Jonathan J. Cooper. SENT: 930 words, photo.

ELECTION 2024-HARRIS-MIGRATION — Vice President Kamala Harris was assigned to tackle the “root causes” of migration from three Central American nations that were responsible for a large chunk of border-crossers. She took a long-term approach, helping convince corporations to invest in the region. That, she argued, would give locals more reason to stay home. By Dan Merica, Nicholas Riccardi and Chris Megerian. SENT: 1,740 words, photos. With ELECTION 2024-HARRIS-MIGRATION-TAKEAWAYS — Harris’ approach to migration was more nuanced than critics or allies portray it — SENT.

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TOP STORIES

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ISRAEL-HAMAS-NEGOTIATIONS-EXPLAINER — International mediators are hoping to kickstart stalled cease-fire negotiations between Israel and Hamas with a new round of talks meant to finally clinch a deal between the sides. But the chances of a breakthrough appear slim. By Tia Goldenberg and Samy Magdy. SENT: 950 words, photos. With UNITED STATES-ISRAEL-MILITARY AID — US approves $20 billion in weapons sales to Israel amid threat of wider Middle East war; and MIDEAST-TENSIONS-THE-LATEST — Israeli strikes kill at least 17 in Gaza overnight, Palestinians say — SENT.

ELECTION 2024-TRUMP — Donald Trump has another opportunity to recalibrate his presidential comeback bid, with a rally and speech in North Carolina that his campaign is billing as a significant economic address. By Bill Barrow. SENT: 830 words, photos. Rally at 4 p.m.

TROPICAL WEATHER — Tropical Storm Ernesto dropped torrential rain on eastern Puerto Rico and left hundreds of thousands of people without power in the U.S. territory as it threatened to strengthen into a major hurricane en route to Bermuda. A hurricane watch remained in effect for the British Virgin Islands as Ernesto began moving over open waters. By Dánica Coto. SENT: 440 words, photos.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Russia’s Belgorod border region has declared an emergency under heavy shelling by Ukrainian forces that are pressing a major cross-border incursion into the adjacent Kursk region for a second week. Belgorod’s governor described the situation there as “extremely difficult and tense” as the attacks destroyed homes and caused civilian casualties, unnerving local people. By Illia Novikov and Emma Burrows. SENT: 700 words, photos.

AFGHANISTAN-TALIBAN — The Taliban celebrated the third anniversary of their return to power at a former U.S. air base in Afghanistan, but there was no mention of the country’s hardships or promises of hope for the struggling population. Under blue skies and blazing sunshine at Bagram, once the epicentre of America’s war to unseat the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks, members of the Taliban cabinet lauded achievements like strengthening Islamic law and establishing a military system that provides “peace and security.” By Riazat Butt. SENT: 360 words, photos. With AFGHANISTAN-TALIBAN-3-YEARS-5-THINGS-TO-KNOW and AFGHANISTAN-TALIBAN-3-YEARS-TIMELINE — SENT.

CONSUMER-PRICES — If the Federal Reserve needs any further evidence that the worst price spike in four decades is steadily easing, it’s likely to come Wednesday, when the government is expected to report that inflation cooled further last month. Consumer prices are thought to have risen just 0.2% from June to July, according to economists surveyed by FactSet, a pace only slightly above the Fed’s 2% annual inflation target. By Christopher Rugaber. SENT: 790 words, photos.

FRANCE-KHELIF-HARASSMENT-PROBE — French prosecutors say they are investigating a complaint made by Olympic boxing champion Imane Khelif for online harassment. The Algerian boxer faced a rain of criticism and false claims about her sex during the Paris Olympics. A statement from the Paris prosecutor’s office said its unit for combating online hate speech has opened a probe. SENT: 310 words, photo.

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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

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RUSSIA-FREED-DISSIDENTS-PIVOVAROV — Of all the Russian dissidents freed in the historic East-West prison swap on Aug. 1, Andrei Pivovarov spent the most time behind bars – three years. Much of that sentence was served in isolation and under constant surveillance in one of Russia’s harshest penal colonies. In an interview with The Associated Press, the 42-year-old opposition politician says the new reality of life in Germany overwhelmed him at first, but that it's getting easier and “colors get brighter by the day.” By Dasha Litvinova. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.

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ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

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ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-SOLE-SURVIVORS — A 3-month-old infant was the only member of her family to survive an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip. A few miles to the north, a man lost his wife and their twin newborns in another strike. More than 10 months into its war with Hamas, Israel’s relentless bombardment of the isolated territory has wiped out extended Palestinian families. SENT: 710 words, photos, videos, audio.

CALIFORNIA-UCLA-CAMPUS-PROTESTS — A federal judge ruled that the University of California, Los Angeles, cannot allow pro-Palestinian protesters to block Jewish students from accessing classes and other parts of campus. SENT: 430 words, photos.

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MORE NEWS

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JAPAN-MEGAQUAKE-EXPLAINER — Japanese are worried and confused after first-ever megaquake advisory. What does it mean? SENT: 930 words, photos.

NEW-ZEALAND-METH-CANDY — New Zealand food bank distributes candy made from a potentially lethal amount of methamphetamine. SENT: 480 words, photo.

FOOTBALL-PLAYER-SENTENCED-LAS-VEGAS — Ex-NFL player gets prison time in death of 5-year-old girl in Las Vegas. SENT: 230 words, photo.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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ELECTION-2024-MINNESOTA — Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, one of the progressive House members known as the “Squad” and a sharp critic of how Israel has conducted the war in Gaza, has won her primary race in Minnesota. SENT: 1,090 words, photos, audio. With ELECTION 2024-EXPLAINER-MINNESOTA — SENT. See more on Election 2024 here.

RADIATION-COMPENSATION — A top Democrat in the U.S. House says it will take a shift of power in Congress to ensure that legislation is finally passed to extend and expand a compensation program for people exposed to radiation following uranium mining and nuclear testing carried out by the federal government. SENT: 600 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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ABORTION-BALLOT-MEASURES-EXPLAINER — Voters in at least seven states will decide referendums on abortion rights this year, with potentially more to come. Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada and South Dakota will hold referendums on enshrining protection for abortion rights. SENT: 1,080 words, photos.

WYOMING-REPORTER-AI — A reporter at a small Wyoming newspaper has resigned after a competitor discovered he was using artificial intelligence to write stories and fabricate quotes, including some by the governor. SENT: 1,160 words, photo.

JOURNALIST-KILLED-LAS-VEGAS — Jurors are set to hear opening statements in the trial of a Las Vegas-area politician accused of killing an investigative reporter who wrote articles critical of him. SENT: 430 words, photos, audio.

CUSTOMS-PREGNANCY-DISCRIMINATION — The agency responsible for securing the country’s land and air border crossings is settling a case that alleged the agency discriminated against pregnant employees, lawyers for the employees said. SENT: 490 words.

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INTERNATIONAL

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BANGLADESH-STUDENTS-IN-GOVERNMENT — Within a week of unseating Bangladesh’s longest-serving prime minister, the students who drove out former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina were directing Dhaka’s traffic. Two students who led the charge are also settling into the interim government, ushered in just a few days after Hasina resigned and fled to India. The question now is what comes next in a country still reeling from the violence surrounding her removal that left hundreds dead. SENT: 1,040 words, photos.

THAILAND-POLITICS — A court in Thailand removed Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin from office over an ethical violation, further shaking up Thai politics after the court-ordered dissolution of the main opposition party a week ago. SENT: 460 words, photos.

JAPAN-KISHIDA — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, in a surprise move, announced he will not run in the upcoming party leadership vote in September, paving the way for Japan to have a new prime minister. SENT: 500 words, photos. With JAPAN-KISHIDA-EXPLAINER — UPCOMING.

GREECE-WILDFIRE — Firefighters in Greece battled scattered fires in hopes of containing the remains of a major wildfire that burned into the northern suburbs of Athens, triggering multiple evacuations and leaving at least one person dead. SENT: 790 words, photos, videos, audio.

GERMANY-PIPELINE-ATTACK — German prosecutors have issued a first arrest warrant in their investigation into the undersea explosions in 2022 that damaged the Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany, according to a media report. German authorities refused to comment. SENT: 350 words, photo.

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HEALTH & SCIENCE

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MPOX-EXPLAINER — The Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared this week that the increasing spread of mpox across the continent is a health emergency, warning the virus might ultimately spill across international borders. The World Health Organization is convening its own expert meeting to consider making a similar emergency declaration over mpox. SENT: 860 words, photo.

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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.

A Palestinian man mourns his 4-day-old twin relatives, killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip, as he holds their birth certificates, at a hospital morgue in Deir al-Balah, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

President Joe Biden talks with reporters Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024, at Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans, as Army Reserve Maj. Gen. Andreé Carter listens. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)

A charred vehicle and homes lie in ruins after a wildfire swept through the suburb of Nea Penteli in Athens, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Varaklas)

Fireworks light the sky close to the Minar-e-Pakistan or Pakistan monument during the Pakistan Independence Day celebrations, in Lahore, Pakistan, Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

People carry a giant Indian flag during a march ahead of Independence Day in Ahmedabad, India, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

Students shout slogans during a protest demanding the trial of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Rajib Dhar)

Rep. Ilhan Omar speaks after winning the primary at Nighthawks in Minneapolis, Tuesday, Aug. 13, 2024. (Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)

DOVER, Del. (AP) — Voters in Delaware are set to decide the nominees for several political contests, including a closely watched campaign for governor and a potentially historic race for U.S. House.

The contest for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination that pits Delaware’s lieutenant governor against the chief executive of the state’s most populous county is the marquee race in Tuesday's primary election.

Democrats also voted in a U.S. House race where State Sen. Sarah McBride won the primary and now has the chance to become the first openly transgender person elected to Congress. That joins another trailblazing race in November in which the lone Democratic candidate for an open U.S. Senate seat could become one of only two Black women in the Senate next year.

Meanwhile, Democratic Gov. John Carney is hoping to continue his long career in politics by winning his party's nomination for mayor of Wilmington.

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Here’s a closer look at those key races:

McBride won the Democratic primary for Delaware’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

McBride won Tuesday’s primary over businessmen Earl Cooper and Elias Weir, neither of whom reported raising any money for their campaigns. Cooper is a political newcomer, while Weir finished dead last in a 2016 congressional primary with less than 1% of the vote.

McBride, meanwhile, raised almost $3 million in contributions from around the country. McBride achieved national recognition at the 2016 Democratic National Convention as the first openly transgender person to address a major party convention in the United States.

McBride will go up against either Donyale Hall, a Dover businesswoman and a Gulf War-era veteran of the U.S. Air Force, or James Whalen IIII, a retired state police officer and construction company owner from Millsboro, who are facing off in the GOP primary. Democrats have held the seat since 2010.

The House seat is being vacated by Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, who has no primary opponent as she seeks the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democratic Sen. Tom Carper, who held the seat since 2001. With a victory in November Blunt Rochester could become one of only two Black women in the Senate next year, joining Angela Alsobrooks of neighboring Maryland if she is also victorious in her campaign.

Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, who has held public office since winning a state House seat in 2002, is hoping to overcome a campaign finance scandal and succeed Carney, who can't run for governor again due to term limits. Hall-Long has been endorsed by Carney and Delaware’s Democrat Party establishment.

But the two-term lieutenant governor is facing a tough primary challenge from New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer, who has raised substantially more money and has repeatedly drawn attention to Hall-Long's campaign finance violations. Former state Environmental Secretary Collin O’Mara also is seeking the Democratic nomination, but has been overshadowed by the other two candidates.

Hall-Long’s campaign finance scandal surfaced last September, when she abruptly postponed a campaign event with Carney, saying she needed to attend to “a personal, private matter.”

In reality, her campaign was in disarray after people hired to lead it discovered major discrepancies while reviewing years of finance reports. The scandal led to a series of resignations among top campaign staff and prompted election officials to commission a forensic audit. The audit found that Hall-Long and her husband had received payments totaling $33,000 more than what she purportedly loaned to her campaign over several years — with many of the loans never being reported in the first instance.

It also found that Hall-Long’s husband and former campaign treasurer, Dana Long, wrote 112 checks to himself or to cash. The checks totaled just under $300,000 and should have been reported as expenditures. Instead, 109 were never reported in initial finance reports, and the other four, payable to Dana Long, were reported as being made to someone else.

Despite the violations, Delaware’s attorney general and elections commissioner, both fellow Democrats, declined to seek criminal charges against Hall-Long.

Carney is prohibited by law from seeking a third term as governor, but he wants to remain in public office as a chief executive and is seeking the Democratic nomination for mayor of Wilmington, Delaware’s largest city.

His opponent is Velda Jones-Potter, a former Wilmington city treasurer who lost a bid for mayor four years ago. Potter served a two-year stint as Delaware’s state treasurer after being appointed to that post in 2008, but she lost an election for a four-year term as treasurer in 2010.

The winner of Tuesday’s primary will face no opposition in November. Carney has said as mayor he would build on the investments his gubernatorial administration has made in Wilmington, with a focus on improving public schools, expanding affordable housing and helping small businesses.

FILE - LGBT rights activist Sarah McBride speaks during the final day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia , Thursday, July 28, 2016. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

FILE - Delaware Gov. John Carney looks on during the 2024 summer meeting of the National Governors Association, Thursday, July 11, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

FILE - Delaware Lt. Gov. Bethany A. Hall-Long gives her inaugural address after being sworn in during the inauguration ceremony at Legislative Hall in Dover, Del., Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. (Jason Minto/The News Journal via AP)