Skip to Content Facebook Feature Image

AP News Digest 6 p.m.

News

AP News Digest 6 p.m.
News

News

AP News Digest 6 p.m.

2024-08-24 06:02 Last Updated At:06:12

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. Find the AP’s top photos of the day in Today’s Photo Collection. For up-to-the-minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan in AP Newsroom.

————————————————-

More Images
The Dalai Lama arrives at a hotel in Opfikon, outside Zurich, Switzerland, Friday Aug. 23, 2024. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. Find the AP’s top photos of the day in Today’s Photo Collection. For up-to-the-minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan in AP Newsroom.

People carry their belongings and wade through flooded water to reach a temporary shelter in Feni, a coastal district in southeast Bangladesh, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Tuj Johora)

People carry their belongings and wade through flooded water to reach a temporary shelter in Feni, a coastal district in southeast Bangladesh, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Tuj Johora)

A father hugs his daughter, his other children nearby, as they wait for evacuation in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A father hugs his daughter, his other children nearby, as they wait for evacuation in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Displaced Palestinians gather for food distribution in Deir al Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Displaced Palestinians gather for food distribution in Deir al Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces he is suspending his presidential campaign at a news conference Friday, Aug 23, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces he is suspending his presidential campaign at a news conference Friday, Aug 23, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at ll Toro E La Capra, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at ll Toro E La Capra, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, from left, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff walk from Marine Two to board Air Force Two, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, at Chicago O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, en route to Washington. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool via AP)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, from left, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff walk from Marine Two to board Air Force Two, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, at Chicago O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, en route to Washington. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool via AP)

People walk past a sign which reads "I'm in Beijing" during a sudden rain storm in Beijing, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

People walk past a sign which reads "I'm in Beijing" during a sudden rain storm in Beijing, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

People sit at the Don Bosco refugee camp as Red Cross officials create awareness around mpox in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

People sit at the Don Bosco refugee camp as Red Cross officials create awareness around mpox in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

People displaced by floods rest at a relief shelter in Mohipal, Feni, a coastal district in southeast Bangladesh, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Tuj Johora)

People displaced by floods rest at a relief shelter in Mohipal, Feni, a coastal district in southeast Bangladesh, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Tuj Johora)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, shows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, greeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, shows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, greeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Carla Wicks the Rho Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority, Inc., wears an embroidered "Kamala for the people" sweater during a watch party for fellow AKA member Vice President Kamala Harris' speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Pleasanton, Calif. (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada)

Carla Wicks the Rho Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority, Inc., wears an embroidered "Kamala for the people" sweater during a watch party for fellow AKA member Vice President Kamala Harris' speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Pleasanton, Calif. (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada)

Protesters march during a demonstration outside the Democratic National Convention Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Protesters march during a demonstration outside the Democratic National Convention Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Wildlife rescue workers attempt to release a humpback whale tangled in ropes in Sydney Harbour Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP Image via AP)

Wildlife rescue workers attempt to release a humpback whale tangled in ropes in Sydney Harbour Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP Image via AP)

This photo released by the Zoo Berlin shows employee measuring newborn giant panda twins at the Zoo in Berlin on Thursday, Aug. 22, 20024. (© 2024 Zoo Berlin via AP)

This photo released by the Zoo Berlin shows employee measuring newborn giant panda twins at the Zoo in Berlin on Thursday, Aug. 22, 20024. (© 2024 Zoo Berlin via AP)

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters comments during an interview with The Associated Press in his parliamentary office in the capital, Wellington, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Tantrum)

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters comments during an interview with The Associated Press in his parliamentary office in the capital, Wellington, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Tantrum)

Gunmen fire their weapons during the funeral of three Palestinians killed by an Israeli airstrike in the occupied West Bank refugee camp of Tulkarem, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. The Palestinian Health Ministry says three people have been killed in an Israeli strike in the occupied West Bank. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Gunmen fire their weapons during the funeral of three Palestinians killed by an Israeli airstrike in the occupied West Bank refugee camp of Tulkarem, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. The Palestinian Health Ministry says three people have been killed in an Israeli strike in the occupied West Bank. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

FILE - Venezuela's Daniela Larreal Chirinos, right, and Angie Gonzalez, celebrate their victory at the end of the women's team sprint final at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, July 24, 2010. Larreal Chirinos, a five-time Olympic cyclist who competed for Venezuela over the course of a decade, died on Aug. 15, 2024. She was 51. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton, File)

FILE - Venezuela's Daniela Larreal Chirinos, right, and Angie Gonzalez, celebrate their victory at the end of the women's team sprint final at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, July 24, 2010. Larreal Chirinos, a five-time Olympic cyclist who competed for Venezuela over the course of a decade, died on Aug. 15, 2024. She was 51. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton, File)

FILE - George Clooney, left, and Amal Alamuddin arrive in Venice, Italy, on Sept. 26, 2014, for their upcoming wedding. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)

FILE - George Clooney, left, and Amal Alamuddin arrive in Venice, Italy, on Sept. 26, 2014, for their upcoming wedding. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)

Billie Jean King, left, and Coco Gauff speak during the US Open Fan Week at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Billie Jean King, left, and Coco Gauff speak during the US Open Fan Week at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

FILE - U.S. Postal Service delivery vehicles are parked outside a post office in Boys Town, Neb., Aug. 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

FILE - U.S. Postal Service delivery vehicles are parked outside a post office in Boys Town, Neb., Aug. 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

FILE - Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell participates in a conversation with Economic Club of Washington, DC, July 15, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

FILE - Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell participates in a conversation with Economic Club of Washington, DC, July 15, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Train cars are seen on the tracks in an aerial view at Canadian National Rail's Thornton Yard as the Port Mann Bridge spans the Fraser River and trucks transport cargo containers on the highway in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Train cars are seen on the tracks in an aerial view at Canadian National Rail's Thornton Yard as the Port Mann Bridge spans the Fraser River and trucks transport cargo containers on the highway in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with his his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk, not in picture, delivers statements to the media following talks in Warsaw, Poland, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with his his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk, not in picture, delivers statements to the media following talks in Warsaw, Poland, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Tourists and visitors try to get a view of the eruption from a distance from the intersection between Reykjanesbraut, Iceland, and the road to Grindavik, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

Tourists and visitors try to get a view of the eruption from a distance from the intersection between Reykjanesbraut, Iceland, and the road to Grindavik, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event in front of the US-Mexico border, Thursday, Aug 22, 2024, in Sierra Vista, Arizona. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event in front of the US-Mexico border, Thursday, Aug 22, 2024, in Sierra Vista, Arizona. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Democrats show their support during the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Jose F. Moreno/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Democrats show their support during the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Jose F. Moreno/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris waves during the Democratic National Convention Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago.(Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris waves during the Democratic National Convention Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago.(Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

WEEKEND COVERAGE

————————————————-

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

——————————————

NEW/DEVELOPING

—————————————--

Adds: BREONNA-TAYLOR-OFFICER’S-TRIAL; TEXAS-STATE-POLICE; ITALY-MISSING-BOATERS; BOTSWANA-DIAMOND; ELECTION-2024-TRUMP SHOOTING; MORMONS-TRANSGENDER-POLICY; PAKISTAN-IRAN-BUS-CRASH; ELECTION 2024-WHAT’S NEXT; WIFI HOTSPOTS; UNITED-STATES-ISRAEL; GERMANY-ATTACK; MALL-DEATH-MICHIGAN

——————————

ONLY ON AP

——————————-

MED-BIRD FLU-LAB — At first glance, it looks like an unassuming Iowa farm. But the people who work there are not farmers, and the buildings look more like what you’d find at a modern university than in a cow pasture. The National Animal Disease Center in Ames is the place where scientists are pushing to solve the bird flu outbreak currently spreading through U.S. animals — and develop ways to stop it. SENT: 1,020 words, photos, video.

——————————

TOP STORIES

——————————

ELECTION-2024-DEMOCRATS — Over and over, from the massive stage in the electric convention hall, the Democrats this week predicted Kamala Harris would defeat Donald Trump. They described her as a historic figure, the embodiment of hope, “the president of joy.” But amid the extraordinary optimism, former first lady Michelle Obama offered a sober warning: “No matter how good we feel tonight or tomorrow or the next day, this is going to be an uphill battle.” By Steve Peoples and Zeke Miller. SENT: 1,670 words, photos. Eds: An abridged version is also available. With ELECTION-2024-THE-LATEST; ELECTION 2024-WHAT'S NEXT — Ready or not, election season in the US starts soon. The first ballots will go out in just two weeks; ELECTION-2024-MEDIA-CONVENTION-VIEWERS — Are convention viewing numbers a hint about who will win the election? Don’t bet on it; ELECTION-2024-HARRIS-GAZA — Harris confronts Democratic divisions over Gaza war in convention speech (all sent).

ELECTION-2024-TRUMP — Donald Trump holds a rally in Arizona, hours after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced in the same state that he was backing the former president. UPCOMING: Video, photos, 600 words by 6:30 p.m. Eds: Note this may appear as Election 2024-Trump-Kennedy if Kennedy appears alongside Trump to endorse him. With ELECTION-2024-KENNEDY-TRUMP — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says he’s suspending his presidential bid and backing Donald Trump; ELECTION-2024-TRUMP SHOOTING — At least 5 Secret Service agents have been placed on modified duty after Trump assassination attempt (sent).

ELECTION 2024-VOICES OF WOMEN — The kinetic energy powering Kamala Harris’ whirlwind presidential campaign carries the hopeful aspirations of history for many female voters. After Hillary Clinton’s defeat in 2016, many women express an urgent, defiant and determined refusal to accept the alternative again. Harris’ backers describe the mood as “electric,” “joyful,” “serious” and “overdue.” By Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 2,390 words, photos.

BABY EVACUATED FROM GAZA — When Mostafa Qadoura was a week old, an Israeli strike on his home in Gaza launched his crib into the air, sent shrapnel into his right eye that damaged it beyond repair, and killed one of his brothers. Evacuated to Egypt weeks later when the hospital treating him came under siege by the Israeli army, Mostafa has since grown into a smiling and active 10-month-old with chubby cheeks. But he still faces huge challenges. By Fatma Khaled. SENT: 1,090 words, photos, video. With UNITED-STATES-ISRAEL — White House insists it is making progress on Gaza cease-fire as talks continue over the weekend; MIDEAST-TENSIONS — Fires break out on abandoned Greek-flagged oil tanker Sounion that Yemen rebels attacked in Red Sea; MIDEAST-TENSIONS-THE-LATEST (sent).

RECKONING-DONATIONS — A Missouri nonprofit founded in 2015 to help address the issues that contributed to the police shooting death of Michael Brown Jr. and the riots that followed has faced the same bumpy path many philanthropies face. Nonprofits like Forward Through Ferguson see a surge in giving while their cause is in the spotlight, only to see donations quickly dry up. The racial reckoning sparked in Ferguson, Missouri, was supposed to be different. But it didn’t turn out that way. By Glenn Gamboa and Thalia Beaty. SENT: 1,660 words, photos. Eds: an abridged version is also available. With RECKONING-AAPI — For many Asian Americans, Ferguson unrest set them on a path of resistance and reflection; RECKONING-BEHIND-THE-STORY — From Ferguson to Minneapolis, AP reporters recall flashpoints of the Black Lives Matter movement (both sent). To follow AP coverage click here.

FEDERAL-RESERVE-POWELL-JACKSON-HOLE — With inflation nearly defeated and the job market cooling, the Federal Reserve is prepared to start cutting its key interest rate from its current 23-year high, Chair Jerome Powell says. Powell did not say when rate cuts would begin or how large they might be, but the Fed is widely expected to announce a modest quarter-point cut in its benchmark rate when it meets in mid-September. By Economics Writer Christopher Rugaber. SENT: 1,090 words, photos, audio.

—————————————————

SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

—————————————————

WILLIAMSBURG-COLONIAL GARDEN — Archaeologists in Virginia are uncovering one of colonial America’s most lavish displays of opulence: An ornamental garden where a wealthy politician and enslaved gardeners grew exotic plants from around the world. By Ben Finley. SENT: 950 words, photos.

—————————————————

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

—————————————————

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Ukraine’s military says it used high-precision U.S. glide bombs to strike Russia’s Kursk region, and that is has recaptured some territory in the eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv that has been under a Russian offensive since spring. SENT: 900 words, photos, video. With RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-MODI — Indian Prime Minister Modi offers to bring peace to Ukraine ‘as a friend’; UNITED-STATES-RUSSIA-SANCTIONS — US sanctions hundreds of firms accused of supplying Russia’s war machine (both sent).

——————————

MORE NEWS

——————————

GERMANY-ATTACK — People were killed and injured in an attack at a festival in the city of Solingen in western Germany, the news agency dpa reported. It wasn’t immediately clear how many casualties there were. SENT: 150 words, photos developing. Live video is available.

CANADA-RAILROADS-UNIONS — A Canadian workers union issued a 72-hour strike notice to one of Canada’s two major freight railroads Friday, only hours after the company’s trains had begun rolling again following a potentially devastating stoppage. Trains were expected to keep moving at least through Monday morning. SENT: 1,070 words, photos, audio.

BREONNA-TAYLOR-OFFICER'S-TRIAL — A federal judge has thrown out major felony charges against two former Louisville officers accused of falsifying a warrant that led police to Breonna Taylor’s door before they fatally shot her. U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson’s ruling declared that the actions of Taylor’s boyfriend, who fired a shot at police the night of the raid, were the legal cause of her death, not a bad warrant. SENT: 610 words, photos.

TEXAS-STATE-POLICE — Texas’ state police chief who came under scrutiny over the hesitant response to the Robb Elementary school shooting in 2022 and has overseen Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s aggressive efforts to stop migrant crossings on the U.S.-Mexico border says he will retire at the end of the year. SENT: 550 words, photo.

ITALY-MISSING-BOATERS — Italian rescuers have brought ashore the last of seven bodies from a superyacht that sunk off the coast of Sicily, the Coast Guard said. It is believed to be that of the daughter of British tech magnate Mike Lynch, who also perished when the boat sank earlier this week. SENT: 300 words, photos, video.

TROPICAL-WEATHER-PACIFIC — Tropical Storm Hone is expected to deliver strong winds and heavy rain to Hawaii this weekend, particularly to the Big Island and Maui, as it passes south of the island chain. Forecasters believe it will strengthen to a Category 1 hurricane for part of the time it skirts past the state. SENT: 650 words, photos.

——————————————————-

WASHINGTON/POLITICS

——————————————————

BIDEN-ENVIRONMENT-JUSTICE-RECORD — Just a week after taking office, President Joe Biden signed an executive order prioritizing environmental justice. He committed the administration to helping neighborhoods burdened by a history of pollution and racism. Since then, the Biden administration has solicited the advice of advocates, written stricter environmental rules and steered clean energy funding towards disadvantaged communities. To review the administration’s performance, The Associated Press spoke with roughly 30 groups advocating for environmental justice. SENT: 1,380 words, photos. Eds: An abridged version is also available.

WIFI HOTSPOTS — The Biden administration is moving to blunt the loss of an expired broadband subsidy program by using money from an existing program that helps libraries and schools provide WiFi hotspots. SENT: 910 words, photo.

————————

NATIONAL

————————

POLICE-SHOOTING-AIRMAN — A Florida Panhandle sheriff’s deputy was charged with manslaughter with a firearm in connection with the fatal shooting an airman who opened his apartment door while holding a gun, prosecutors say. SENT: 1,150 words, photos, audio. With RACIAL INJUSTICE-CRUMP CASES — Prominent civil rights lawyer represents slain US airman’s family. A look at Ben Crump’s past cases; TYRE-NICHOLS — A 2nd ex-Memphis officer pleads guilty in Tyre Nichols’ death. He could serve 40 years in prison (sent).

ABORTION-NEBRASKA — Nebraska voters will choose between two competing abortion measures to either expand abortion rights or limit them to the current 12-week ban — a development likely to drive more voters to the polls in a state that could see one of its five electoral votes up for grabs in the hotly contested presidential race. SENT: 630 words. With ABORTION-BALLOT-MEASURES-EXPLAINER.

IMMIGRATION-SPOUSES — Sixteen Republican-led states are suing to end a federal program that could potentially give nearly half a million immigrants without legal status who are married to U.S. citizens a path to citizenship. SENT: 720 words, photos, audio.

OFFICER-KILLED-GIRLFRIEND — A judge has ruled that Karen Read can be retried for murder and leaving the crime scene in the death of her Boston police officer boyfriend, dismissing arguments that jurors told lawyers after the mistrial that they had unanimously agreed she wasn’t guilty on the two charges. SENT: 640 words, photos, video.

MORMONS-TRANSGENDER-POLICY — The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has disheartened LGBTQ+ activists after issuing a slew of new policies this week that would significantly restrict the role of its transgender members. SENT: 790 words, photo.

MALL-DEATH-MICHIGAN — Three security guards who held a man to the floor at a Detroit-area mall in 2014 were acquitted Friday of involuntary manslaughter in his death in a case that was reopened years later by state prosecutors. SENT: 600 words, photos, audio.

––––––––––———––––

INTERNATIONAL

–––––––––———––––

NEW-ZEALAND-FOREIGN-MINISTER — New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Western nations, including the United States and New Zealand, failed to understand swiftly enough the geopolitical importance of island nations in the South Pacific, leaving a power vacuum that allowed other countries to increase their diplomatic influence. Peters made the comment Thursday in an interview with The Associated Press in Wellington. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

PAKISTAN-IRAN-BUS-CRASH — Pakistan has brought home the bodies of 28 Shiite pilgrims killed in a bus crash in Iran this week while heading to Iraq for a pilgrimage. A Pakistani military aircraft also flew back 23 pilgrims injured in the accident, officials say. SENT: 360 words, photo.

————————————-

ENTERTAINMENT

—————————————

VENICE-FILM-FESTIVAL-GEORGE-CLOONEY — No Hollywood star seems as intrinsically tied to Venice as George Clooney. Though he’s never all that far away from Venice, or the city’s namesake film festival, it might come as a surprise that Clooney hasn’t had a film debut there in seven years. But that clock resets next week as he returns with “Wolfs,” the Jon Watts-directed heist thriller that reunites him with Brad Pitt. SENT: 980 words, photos, video.

–––––––––—

SPORTS

–––––––––—

OLY-PARALYMPICS-TRANSGENDER-SPRINTER — Valentina Petrillo fell in love with athletics as a 7-year-old while watching Italian sprinter Pietro Mennea win gold in the 200 meters at the 1980 Moscow Olympics. She wanted to be like him. Four decades later Petrillo is about to finally realize her dream, but not at the Olympics. In two weeks, she is set to become the first transgender woman to compete at the Paralympics when she runs the 200 and 400 meters in the T12 classification for visually impaired athletes in Paris. SENT: 1,150 words, photos.

——————————————

HOW TO REACH US

——————————————

The Nerve Center 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.

The Dalai Lama arrives at a hotel in Opfikon, outside Zurich, Switzerland, Friday Aug. 23, 2024. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)

The Dalai Lama arrives at a hotel in Opfikon, outside Zurich, Switzerland, Friday Aug. 23, 2024. (Michael Buholzer/Keystone via AP)

People carry their belongings and wade through flooded water to reach a temporary shelter in Feni, a coastal district in southeast Bangladesh, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Tuj Johora)

People carry their belongings and wade through flooded water to reach a temporary shelter in Feni, a coastal district in southeast Bangladesh, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Tuj Johora)

A father hugs his daughter, his other children nearby, as they wait for evacuation in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

A father hugs his daughter, his other children nearby, as they wait for evacuation in Pokrovsk, Donetsk region, Ukraine, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Evgeniy Maloletka)

Displaced Palestinians gather for food distribution in Deir al Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Displaced Palestinians gather for food distribution in Deir al Balah, central Gaza Strip, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces he is suspending his presidential campaign at a news conference Friday, Aug 23, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces he is suspending his presidential campaign at a news conference Friday, Aug 23, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at ll Toro E La Capra, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at ll Toro E La Capra, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, from left, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff walk from Marine Two to board Air Force Two, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, at Chicago O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, en route to Washington. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool via AP)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, from left, and second gentleman Doug Emhoff walk from Marine Two to board Air Force Two, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024, at Chicago O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, en route to Washington. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool via AP)

People walk past a sign which reads "I'm in Beijing" during a sudden rain storm in Beijing, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

People walk past a sign which reads "I'm in Beijing" during a sudden rain storm in Beijing, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

People sit at the Don Bosco refugee camp as Red Cross officials create awareness around mpox in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

People sit at the Don Bosco refugee camp as Red Cross officials create awareness around mpox in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Moses Sawasawa)

People displaced by floods rest at a relief shelter in Mohipal, Feni, a coastal district in southeast Bangladesh, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Tuj Johora)

People displaced by floods rest at a relief shelter in Mohipal, Feni, a coastal district in southeast Bangladesh, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Fatima Tuj Johora)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, shows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, greeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, shows Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, greeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)

Carla Wicks the Rho Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority, Inc., wears an embroidered "Kamala for the people" sweater during a watch party for fellow AKA member Vice President Kamala Harris' speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Pleasanton, Calif. (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada)

Carla Wicks the Rho Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha (AKA) Sorority, Inc., wears an embroidered "Kamala for the people" sweater during a watch party for fellow AKA member Vice President Kamala Harris' speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Pleasanton, Calif. (AP Photo/Juliana Yamada)

Protesters march during a demonstration outside the Democratic National Convention Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Protesters march during a demonstration outside the Democratic National Convention Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)

Wildlife rescue workers attempt to release a humpback whale tangled in ropes in Sydney Harbour Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP Image via AP)

Wildlife rescue workers attempt to release a humpback whale tangled in ropes in Sydney Harbour Friday, Aug. 23, 2024. (Dan Himbrechts/AAP Image via AP)

This photo released by the Zoo Berlin shows employee measuring newborn giant panda twins at the Zoo in Berlin on Thursday, Aug. 22, 20024. (© 2024 Zoo Berlin via AP)

This photo released by the Zoo Berlin shows employee measuring newborn giant panda twins at the Zoo in Berlin on Thursday, Aug. 22, 20024. (© 2024 Zoo Berlin via AP)

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters comments during an interview with The Associated Press in his parliamentary office in the capital, Wellington, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Tantrum)

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters comments during an interview with The Associated Press in his parliamentary office in the capital, Wellington, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Mark Tantrum)

Gunmen fire their weapons during the funeral of three Palestinians killed by an Israeli airstrike in the occupied West Bank refugee camp of Tulkarem, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. The Palestinian Health Ministry says three people have been killed in an Israeli strike in the occupied West Bank. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Gunmen fire their weapons during the funeral of three Palestinians killed by an Israeli airstrike in the occupied West Bank refugee camp of Tulkarem, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. The Palestinian Health Ministry says three people have been killed in an Israeli strike in the occupied West Bank. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

FILE - Venezuela's Daniela Larreal Chirinos, right, and Angie Gonzalez, celebrate their victory at the end of the women's team sprint final at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, July 24, 2010. Larreal Chirinos, a five-time Olympic cyclist who competed for Venezuela over the course of a decade, died on Aug. 15, 2024. She was 51. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton, File)

FILE - Venezuela's Daniela Larreal Chirinos, right, and Angie Gonzalez, celebrate their victory at the end of the women's team sprint final at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, July 24, 2010. Larreal Chirinos, a five-time Olympic cyclist who competed for Venezuela over the course of a decade, died on Aug. 15, 2024. She was 51. (AP Photo/Andres Leighton, File)

FILE - George Clooney, left, and Amal Alamuddin arrive in Venice, Italy, on Sept. 26, 2014, for their upcoming wedding. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)

FILE - George Clooney, left, and Amal Alamuddin arrive in Venice, Italy, on Sept. 26, 2014, for their upcoming wedding. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)

Billie Jean King, left, and Coco Gauff speak during the US Open Fan Week at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

Billie Jean King, left, and Coco Gauff speak during the US Open Fan Week at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)

FILE - U.S. Postal Service delivery vehicles are parked outside a post office in Boys Town, Neb., Aug. 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

FILE - U.S. Postal Service delivery vehicles are parked outside a post office in Boys Town, Neb., Aug. 18, 2020. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

FILE - Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell participates in a conversation with Economic Club of Washington, DC, July 15, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

FILE - Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell participates in a conversation with Economic Club of Washington, DC, July 15, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Train cars are seen on the tracks in an aerial view at Canadian National Rail's Thornton Yard as the Port Mann Bridge spans the Fraser River and trucks transport cargo containers on the highway in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Train cars are seen on the tracks in an aerial view at Canadian National Rail's Thornton Yard as the Port Mann Bridge spans the Fraser River and trucks transport cargo containers on the highway in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with his his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk, not in picture, delivers statements to the media following talks in Warsaw, Poland, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with his his Polish counterpart, Donald Tusk, not in picture, delivers statements to the media following talks in Warsaw, Poland, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)

Tourists and visitors try to get a view of the eruption from a distance from the intersection between Reykjanesbraut, Iceland, and the road to Grindavik, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

Tourists and visitors try to get a view of the eruption from a distance from the intersection between Reykjanesbraut, Iceland, and the road to Grindavik, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Marco di Marco)

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event in front of the US-Mexico border, Thursday, Aug 22, 2024, in Sierra Vista, Arizona. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Former President Donald Trump speaks during a campaign event in front of the US-Mexico border, Thursday, Aug 22, 2024, in Sierra Vista, Arizona. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Democrats show their support during the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Jose F. Moreno/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Democrats show their support during the Democratic National Convention at the United Center in Chicago Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Jose F. Moreno/The Philadelphia Inquirer via AP)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris waves during the Democratic National Convention Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago.(Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris waves during the Democratic National Convention Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024, in Chicago.(Gabrielle Lurie/San Francisco Chronicle via AP)

BOSTON (AP) — A study that explores the feasibility of using pigeons to guide missiles and one that looks at the swimming abilities of dead fish were among the winners Thursday of this year’s Ig Nobels, the prize for comical scientific achievement.

Held less than a month before the actual Nobel Prizes are announced, the 34th annual Ig Nobel prize ceremony at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was organized by the Annals of Improbable Research magazine’s website to make people laugh and think. Winners received a transparent box containing historic items related to Murphy’s Law — the theme of the night — and a nearly worthless Zimbabwean $10 trillion bill. Actual Nobel laureates handed the winners their prizes.

“While some politicians were trying to make sensible things sound crazy, scientists discovered some crazy-sounding things that make a lot of sense,” Marc Abrahams, master of ceremonies and editor of the magazine, said in an e-mail interview.

The ceremony started with Kees Moliker, winner of 2003 Ig Noble for biology, giving out safety instructions. His prize was for a study that documented the existence of homosexual necrophilia in mallard ducks.

“This is the duck,” he said, holding up a duck. “This is the dead one.”

After that, someone came on stage wearing a yellow target on their chest and a plastic face mask. Soon, they were inundated with people in the audience throwing paper airplanes at them.

Then, the awards began — several dry presentations which were interrupted by a girl coming on stage and repeatedly yelling “Please stop. I'm bored.” The awards ceremony was also was broken up by an international song competition inspired by Murphy's Law, including one about coleslaw and another about the legal system.

The winners were honored in 10 categories, including for peace and anatomy. Among them were scientists who showed a vine from Chile imitates the shapes of artificial plants nearby and another study that examined whether the hair on people's heads in the Northern Hemisphere swirled in the same direction as someone's hair in the Southern Hemisphere.

Other winners include a group of scientists who showed that fake medicine that causes side effects can be more effective than fake medicine that doesn't cause side effects and one showing that some mammals are cable of breathing through their anus — winners who came on stage wearing a fish-inspired hats.

Julie Skinner Vargas accepted the peace prize on behalf of her late father B.F. Skinner, who wrote the pigeon-missile study. Skinner Vargas is also the head of the B.F. Skinner Foundation.

“I want to thank you for finally acknowledging his most important contribution,” she said. “Thank you for putting the record straight.”

James Liao, a biology professor at the University of Florida, accepted the physics prize for his study demonstrating and explaining the swimming abilities of a dead trout.

“I discovered that a live fish moved more than a dead fish but not by much,” Liao said, holding up a fake fish. “A dead trout towed behind a stick also flaps its tail to the beat of the current like a live fish surfing on swirling eddies, recapturing the energy in its environment. A dead fish does live fish things.”

Professor James Liao displays a stuffed fish while accepting a prize for physics for demonstrating and explaining the swimming abilities of a dead trout during a performance at the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

Professor James Liao displays a stuffed fish while accepting a prize for physics for demonstrating and explaining the swimming abilities of a dead trout during a performance at the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

A team of researchers perform a demonstration during a performance showing that many mammals are capable of breathing through their anus while accepting the 2024 Ig Nobel prize in physiology at the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Mass., Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

A team of researchers perform a demonstration during a performance showing that many mammals are capable of breathing through their anus while accepting the 2024 Ig Nobel prize in physiology at the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Mass., Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

People in the audience throw paper airplanes toward the stage during a performance at the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

People in the audience throw paper airplanes toward the stage during a performance at the Ig Nobel Prize ceremony at Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass., Thursday, Sept. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

FILE - Students walk past the "Great Dome" atop Building 10 on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus in Cambridge, Mass, April 3, 2017. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

FILE - Students walk past the "Great Dome" atop Building 10 on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus in Cambridge, Mass, April 3, 2017. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

Recommended Articles