AP News Digest 7 a.m.

Tropical Weather Alabama

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TOP STORIES

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TROPICAL WEATHER — Claudette has returned to tropical storm strength Monday morning as it nears the coast of the Carolinas. The system had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph Monday morning, less than two days after Claudette was blamed for 13 deaths in Alabama. A multi-vehicle crash killed eight children who were riding in a van for a youth home for abused or neglected kids. The wreck also claimed the lives of a Tennessee man and his infant daughter. Separately, a tree fell on a home killing an adult and a toddler, and a woman whose car ran off the road into a swollen creek died in north Alabama. By Jeff and Amy Forliti . SENT: 660 words, photos, video.

IRAN-ELECTIONS — Iran’s president-elect said Monday he wouldn’t meet with President Joe Biden nor negotiate over Tehran’s ballistic missile program and its support of regional militias, sticking to a hard-line position following his landslide victory in last week’s election. Judiciary chief Ebrahim Raisi also described himself as a “defender of human rights” when asked about his involvement in the 1988 mass execution of some 5,000 people.. SENT: 250 Words, photos. DEVELOPING. WITH IRAN NUCLEAR-POWER PLANT — Iran’s state TV says the country’s sole nuclear power plant has undergone a temporary emergency shutdown. SENT: 485 words, photos.

BIDEN-CONGRESS -- Until recently, the act of governing seemed to happen at the speed of presidential tweets. But now President Joe Biden is settling in for what appears will be a long, summer slog of legislating. By Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 910 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-INDIA-VACCINE HESISTANCY — India’s vaccination efforts are being undermined by widespread hesitancy and fear of the jabs, fueled by misinformation and mistrust. That’s especially true in rural India, where two-thirds of the country’s nearly 1.4 billion people live. Health workers are facing stiff resistance in villages, where some flee their homes until the workers are gone. By Rajesh Kumar Singh. SENT: 980 words, photos.

ETHIOPIA ELECTION — Polls have opened as Ethiopia is voting in the greatest electoral test yet for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed as war and logistical issues mean ballots won’t be cast in more than 100 constituencies of the 547 across the country. The election is the centerpiece of a reform drive by Abiy, whose rise to power in 2018 seemed to signal a break with decades of authoritarian rule and led to his Nobel Peace Prize. But opposition groups have accused authorities of harassment and threats of violence that echo past abuses. Abiy’s Prosperity Party is widely expected to cement its hold on power in the legislative elections. SENT: 540 words, photos.

CYBERSECURITY-RANSOMWARE-BANNING PAYMENTS -- If your business falls victim to ransomware and you want simple advice on whether to pay the criminals, don’t expect much help from the U.S. government. The answer is apt to be: It depends. By Frank Bajak. SENT: 1,190 words, photos.

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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

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GERMANY-RUSSIA-SPYING —- German prosecutors say a Russian man who worked at a German university has been arrested on suspicion of espionage for allegedly passing information to Russian intelligence. SENT: 210 word.

SWEDEN-POLITICS — Stefan Lofven, Sweden’s Social Democratic prime minister since 2014, lost a no-confidence vote Monday, making him the first Swedish government leader ever to lose such a motion. SENT: 290 words.

ISRAEL-EMIRIATES — Israel’s new foreign minister will head to the United Arab Emirates next week for the first-ever known visit by a top Israeli diplomat to the Gulf Arab country. SENT: 500 words, photo.

STONEWALL-BEER BAN — The Stonewall Inn’s owners say they won’t serve certain beers at the famous LGBT bar during Pride weekend to protest manufacturer Anheuser-Busch’s political contributions to some politicians who have supported anti-LGBT legislation. SENT: 260 words, photos.

BOOKS-WILL SMITH — Will Smith is ready to open up about his life story. Penguin Press announced Sunday that Smith will release his memoir called “Will” on Nov. 9. SENT: 210 words, photos.

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MORE ON VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-JAPAN COMPANIES — Thousands of Japanese companies began distributing COVID-19 vaccines to workers and their families Monday in an employer-led drive that aims to rev up the nation’s slow vaccine rollout. Beverage maker Suntory plans to inoculate 51,500 people, including part-time workers and employees’ families. Toyota, Fast Retailing and Rakuten are among 3,500 companies that have signed up for the drive. SENT: 390 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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RANKED CHOICE VOTING-EXPLAINER — Ranked choice voting makes its debut in New York City’s mayoral primary Tuesday. Rather than pick just one candidate, voters get to rank several in order of preference. Even if a voter’s top choice doesn’t have enough support to win, their rankings of other candidates still play a role in determining the victor. One downside of the system is it makes it tough to forecast a winner before the vote count is complete. SENT: 800 words, photos.

BICYCLISTS-STRUCK-DRIVER-SHOT — Authorities were trying to determine why a 35-year-old man driving a pickup truck plowed into bicyclists during a community road race in Arizona, critically injuring six riders. SENT: 410 words, photos. Developing.

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INTERNATIONAL

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MEXICO-VIOLENCE — Fear has invaded the Mexican border city of Reynosa after gunmen in vehicles killed 14 people, including taxis drivers, workers and a nursing student, and security forces responded with operations that left four suspects dead. SENT: 650 words, photo.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — Palestinian officials say Israel has eased some restrictions on the Gaza Strip that had threatened a fragile cease-fire. An announcement on Monday says 11 truckloads of clothes were exported into Gaza through Kerem Shalom crossing for the first time in 40 days. On Sunday, Israel said it will allow limited agricultural exports from Gaza. The easing also included the resumption of mail service in and out of Gaza. SENT: 330 words.

ARMENIA ELECTION — Election results show that the party of Armenia’s acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has won snap parliamentary elections which he called to ease anger over a peace deal he signed with Azerbaijan. The election commission said Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party won 53.9% of the vote. Former President Robert Kocharyan’s bloc was a distant second with about 21%. SENT: 520 words, photos.

EUROPE-BELARUS — The European Union’s top diplomat says the bloc’s foreign ministers are set to approve a fresh set of sanctions against scores of officials in Belarus and prepare a series of new measures aimed at hurting the country’s economy. SENT: 510 words, photos.

AUSTRALIA POLITICS — Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison will soon announce changes to his Cabinet after a scandal-tarnished colleague was elevated to deputy prime minister. Lawmakers in the junior coalition partner, the Nationals party, elected Barnaby Joyce as their new leader, dumping Michael McCormack. SENT: 310 words.

KOREA-US — President Joe Biden’s special envoy for North Korea says he hopes to see a positive reaction from the North soon on U.S. offers for talks after the North Korean leader ordered officials to prepare for both dialogue and confrontation. SENT: 670 words, photos.

DUBAI-MISSING PRINCESS — A Dubai princess who has been the subject of concern from a United Nations panel after being seized trying to flee the sheikhdom in 2018 has appeared in a social media post that described her as being in Spain on a “European holiday.” SENT: 400 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON

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CYBERSECURITY-RANSOMWARE-BANNING PAYMENTS -- If your business falls victim to ransomware and you want simple advice on whether to pay the criminals, don’t expect much help from the U.S. government. The answer is apt to be: It depends. By Technology Writer Frank Bajak. SENT: 1,190 words, photos.

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BUSINESS

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INSIDER Q&A-FURMAN INFLATION — Two months of sharply rising prices have raised concerns that record-high government financial aid and the Federal Reserve’s ultra-low interest rate policies — when the economy is already surging — have elevated the risk of accelerating inflation. In May, consumer prices rose 5% from a year earlier, the largest such year-over-year jump since 2008. Many economists see the recent spike as temporary. Others say they worry that higher consumer prices will persist. Jason Furman, a Harvard professor who was President Barack Obama’s top economic adviser, thinks the reality is more complicated. By AP Economics Writer Christopher Rugbaker. SENT: 930 words, photos.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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BOOKS-COURIC TOUR — For her tour this fall to promote her memoir “Going There,” Katie Couric is anticipating not only the interest of her fans but a return to something like a pre-pandemic world — a nationwide book tour. SENT: 410 words, photo.

FILM-BOX-OFFICE — “The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard” struck the top box office target. The Lionsgate’s film starring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek brought in $11.6 million domestically to claim the No. 1 spot in its debut. SENT: 460 words, photo.

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SPORTS

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GLF-US OPEN — Two career-changing putts for Jon Rahm brought two trophies Sunday. The first was his 3-month-old son that he cradled in his arms on Father’s Day. Then he collected the silver U.S. Open trophy after a performance filled with passion and absent of blunders that wiped out everyone else. SENT: 1,230 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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