Story timelines

An Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo has become the fastest-growing in history, with the death toll surpassing 1,700 people and total confirmed cases exceeding 3,200. The outbreak has been difficult to contain due to active conflict in the region and the fact that most transmission chains are unknown, hampering tracking efforts. Health workers have been among those killed, further straining the response. The outbreak has already been declared a public health emergency, and the death toll continues to rise.

Arizona Cardinals offensive lineman Isaiah Adams was arrested in Canada on four weapons charges. The Cardinals organization has not yet made a public statement on the matter. Adams, an offensive lineman for the NFL franchise, now faces legal proceedings in Canada. The case is ongoing, with no resolution reported as of the most recent coverage.

Major League Soccer is undergoing a leadership change as Los Angeles FC co-owner Larry Berg prepares to succeed longtime commissioner Don Garber. On the international stage, Mauricio Pochettino has signed a new four-year contract to continue coaching the US men's national team through the 2030 World Cup. Meanwhile, European soccer's governing body UEFA has declared a loss of confidence in FIFA president Gianni Infantino, vowing a full review following the collapse of his plan to sell private equity stakes in the World Cup. The situation leaves FIFA's leadership under significant scrutiny as global soccer prepares for a busy tournament cycle.

Two 10-year-old children entered a rain-swollen river in New Jersey, resulting in one boy drowning while his sister survived. A second child who entered the water remains missing, prompting an ongoing search operation. Authorities have been working to locate the missing child in difficult conditions caused by elevated water levels. The incident has drawn attention to the dangers posed by swollen waterways following heavy rainfall.

Michigan Democrats are heading to the polls in a competitive U.S. Senate primary between progressive candidate Abdul El-Sayed and establishment-backed U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens. The race is seen as a test of the party's direction, pitting a grassroots left-wing vision against a candidate with government experience and mainstream Democratic support. The outcome carries significant implications for control of the Senate, with the winner set to advance to the general election for a seat that could shift the chamber's balance. As of the final hours before voting, both candidates are closing their campaigns in ways that reflect their contrasting political identities and coalitions.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino proposed selling stakes in future World Cup revenues to private equity investors, a plan intended to raise funds for global football development. The proposal triggered widespread opposition, including threatened boycotts from UEFA member federations, rejection by North American and Asian football bodies, the resignation of a senior FIFA adviser, and open dissent from FIFA's own senior staff, who said they had been deceived. Infantino has now abandoned the plan, saying he will not proceed with it. In the aftermath, two top FIFA executives, Arsène Wenger and Mattias Grafström, have publicly distanced themselves from the initiative.

A series of court rulings has extended eligibility for college basketball players, with a Colorado judge and a Nashville chancellor granting fifth seasons to roughly 30 athletes and ordering the transfer portal reopened. The NCAA's new '5 for 5' rule, which aimed to give an extra year of eligibility to athletes who used a COVID year, has been complicated by a judge's clarifying order that limits the ruling's scope, particularly excluding football players. In Congress, a bipartisan Senate bill seeking to regulate college athletics gained significant momentum after the Big Ten and SEC dropped their opposition and agreed to support the legislation. On the recruiting side, Kansas men's basketball has signed a five-year deal to compete in the Players Era Festival, reflecting how the shifting eligibility and legislative landscape is reshaping college sports scheduling and recruitment.

Seattle's police chief has resigned following public criticism over the department's response to a shooting at a food festival in the city. Mayor Bruce Harrell announced the resignation amid scrutiny of how police handled the incident. The departure raises questions about leadership and public safety policy in Seattle. The city now faces the task of finding new police leadership while managing ongoing concerns about its approach to gun violence.

WestJet, Canada's second-largest airline, faced a strike by its flight attendants that disrupted travel across the country. The two sides have since reached a tentative agreement, bringing the work stoppage to an end. The deal still requires ratification by union members before it becomes final. Negotiations centred on wages, working conditions, and other contract terms between the airline and its cabin crew.

Vincent Pastore, the veteran actor best known for playing Salvatore 'Big Pussy' Bonpensiero on the acclaimed HBO series The Sopranos, has died at the age of 80. Pastore built a long career portraying mobsters and tough-guy characters across television and film. He is remembered as one of the defining supporting cast members of The Sopranos, a show widely regarded as one of the greatest in television history. No further details about the circumstances of his death have been reported.

Massive blooms of sargassum seaweed are washing ashore across the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, smothering coastlines and harming marine ecosystems. The influx is threatening tourism-dependent economies in the region, as visitors are deterred by the thick, foul-smelling mats of algae blanketing beaches. Scientists and local governments are grappling with how to manage and remove the seaweed at scale. The crisis has become a recurring seasonal problem, with this year's bloom among the most severe on record.

This collection of stories spans several unrelated entertainment and technology news items. Highlights include the Spider-Man: Brand New Day film breaking North American opening weekend box office records with around $355–360 million, controversy over AI-assisted staging drawing boos at the 150th anniversary Richard Wagner Festival in Bayreuth, Germany, and Singapore banning the two core members of British band Massive Attack from re-entering the country following a pro-Palestinian display at a concert. Other stories touch on AI recreating the late Val Kilmer for a film role, social media companies facing lawsuits over teen deaths, and Cambodia's efforts to shut down online scam centres.

McDonald's has reported a strong second-quarter profit despite ongoing softness in US sales, which have been affected by cautious consumer spending. The company has also announced a new chief of US operations as part of its response to the domestic sales challenges. The leadership change signals an effort to address the gap between overall corporate performance and weaker results in the American market. The situation reflects a broader trend of budget-conscious behaviour among US consumers impacting major fast-food chains.

The Trump administration is facing a wave of legal challenges from states over its tariff policies, with 25 states suing to block the latest round of import taxes, which they argue are a pretext for replacing levies previously struck down by the Supreme Court. Separately, more than 20 states are suing to prevent the federal government from accessing personal data of millions of social services recipients. On the economic front, mortgage rates have climbed to a one-year high of 6.66%, and while jobless claims remain historically low, some Trump supporters are expressing concern over rising costs tied to tariffs. Other developments include Capital One's disclosure that it closed Trump's accounts over money laundering concerns, the clearing of Todd Blanche's path to attorney general confirmation, and a House Ethics Committee recommendation to censure Republican Rep. Chuck Edwards.

Oprah Winfrey has announced she will close the Leadership Academy for Girls, a school she founded in South Africa nearly two decades ago for underprivileged young women, at the end of next year. The school, which Winfrey established in 2007, was intended to provide quality education and opportunities to girls from disadvantaged backgrounds in South Africa. No detailed reasoning for the closure has been given beyond the announcement itself. The decision marks the end of one of Winfrey's most high-profile philanthropic projects.

The Los Angeles Sparks have traded All-Star guard Kelsey Plum to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for a 2026 first-round draft pick, forward Monique Akoa Makani, and a 2028 second-round pick. Plum is one of the WNBA's most prominent offensive players, making the deal a significant roster move for both franchises. The trade reshapes the Sparks' rebuild while giving the Mercury a high-profile star to build around. No further developments beyond the trade announcement have been reported.

A suicide bomber targeted an antimilitant protest rally in northwestern Pakistan, killing at least 14 people, including police officers, and wounding more than two dozen others. The attack struck demonstrators who had gathered to oppose militant activity in the region. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombing. Authorities are investigating the incident as security forces respond to the scene.

The Republican leader of the Indiana Senate is stepping down from his leadership post after six GOP incumbents who opposed President Donald Trump's congressional redistricting push lost their primary races. The ousting reflects the broader pressure within the Republican Party for elected officials to align with Trump's agenda, with redistricting serving as a key loyalty test. The episode underscores the ongoing reshaping of the GOP at the state level, where defiance of Trump's priorities has carried significant political consequences. As of the most recent reporting, the Indiana Senate leader's departure marks a concrete example of that pressure playing out in state politics.

Wildfires burning in and around Spokane, Washington have destroyed at least 600 structures and forced the evacuation of roughly 60,000 residents, including patients at a Veterans Affairs hospital. The fires broke out amid a broader heat wave that brought record temperatures and elevated wildfire risk across parts of the Western United States. Authorities have since arrested a 37-year-old man suspected of intentionally starting one of the blazes. The arson arrest marks the latest development in an ongoing disaster response affecting the Spokane region.

A powerful earthquake struck Japan's southwestern Kumamoto Prefecture, killing at least 34 people and forcing thousands to take shelter in crowded facilities or sleep in cars amid shortages of water and fuel. The death toll has continued to rise, with at least one additional victim dying from heat stroke while sheltering in a vehicle during intense summer temperatures. Survivors are now beginning to clear debris from their homes as cleanup efforts get underway. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi visited the affected region on Monday to survey the damage and oversee the recovery response.

Major League Baseball's trade deadline produced a flurry of significant roster moves, with the Boston Red Sox acquiring All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman from the Baltimore Orioles, the Philadelphia Phillies making big additions, and the San Diego Padres picking up pitchers Robbie Ray and Casey Mize. The New York Yankees fell short of their top targets, Tarik Skubal and Rutschman, before settling for other acquisitions, while the Chicago Cubs restocked their pitching staff by landing Clay Holmes from the Mets. In the aftermath, the St. Louis Cardinals' Alec Burleson — who stayed put at the deadline — hit three home runs in a 13-7 win over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium, one of the standout individual performances since the deadline passed. The moves reflect a competitive mid-season scramble among contenders and rebuilding teams alike, reshaping rosters ahead of the playoff stretch run.

This is a recurring digest of the top U.S. news stories compiled and distributed by the Associated Press at various points throughout the day and night. The digest aggregates the most significant domestic news developments across politics, crime, weather, courts, and other major topics affecting the United States. It is updated multiple times daily to reflect the latest reporting from AP journalists across the country. The digest serves as a broad snapshot of the current state of major ongoing and breaking news stories in the U.S.

Andy Burnham has left his role as Greater Manchester mayor to become Britain's prime minister, shifting some political power from London to Manchester through an initiative called 'No. 10 North'. Labour's Bev Craig has been elected to succeed him as Greater Manchester mayor. Meanwhile, a range of other political and public interest stories are unfolding, including a federal settlement involving former Congressman George Santos, proposed changes to US banking regulation under the Trump administration, and the marriage of Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce. SpaceX is also preparing for its first earnings call as a public company, with Elon Musk set to face investor questions.

A Trump family company has begun selling subscribers fast access to President Trump's social media posts ahead of their public release, allowing investors to act on White House announcements before the wider market. Critics have raised concerns about the potential for profit from non-public policy signals, given that presidential posts can move financial markets. The launch coincided with notable market turbulence, including a sharp drop in the US dollar against the Japanese yen after the US and Japan confirmed joint currency market intervention, and a rally in US stocks as falling oil prices eased inflation fears. Asian markets remained cautious in the aftermath of those currency interventions.

Russia has continued a sustained campaign of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine, including a recent ballistic missile and drone barrage on Kyiv that killed at least nine people, as well as glide bomb attacks on the southern city of Zaporizhzhia. Ukraine has responded with its own drone strikes inside Russian territory, killing several people and hitting industrial targets including warehouses belonging to major retailer Wildberries. A key point of contention is Ukraine's request for permission to use Elon Musk's Starlink satellite network to guide strikes deeper into Russia, with President Zelenskyy appealing directly to Donald Trump to intervene. The conflict shows no sign of de-escalation, with both sides sustaining casualties and targeting each other's infrastructure.

A U.S. Marine Corps F-35B stealth fighter jet crashed near a Southern California air station, prompting the pilot to eject from the aircraft. The pilot survived the ejection and was transported to a medical facility, where they are expected to live. The Marine Corps has confirmed the incident and is investigating the cause of the crash. No details have yet been released about damage on the ground or the jet's mission at the time of the accident.

A commuter plane crashed off the coast of Alaska, killing all 10 people on board. Federal investigators have now released their findings, citing a history of overweight flights by the operator and inadequate regulatory oversight as factors in the disaster. The probe raises questions about safety standards and enforcement within small commercial aviation operations in the region. The investigation represents the latest development in efforts to understand what caused the crash and how similar accidents might be prevented.

Cracker Barrel's CEO has stepped down nearly a year after an attempted rebranding of the chain, including a logo redesign, sparked significant customer backlash. The departure marks a leadership shake-up at the long-established American restaurant and retail chain, which faced public criticism over changes to its traditional identity. The exit raises questions about the company's strategic direction and how it will approach its brand going forward. No permanent replacement has been announced as of the most recent reporting.

Shiho Kuwaki of Japan won the Women's British Open, defeating Germany's Esther Henseleit on the second hole of a playoff. The tournament saw American Yealimi Noh hold a three-shot lead heading into the final round after benefiting from a late collapse by fellow competitor Ryu, but she was unable to hold on. Kuwaki's victory adds her name to a growing list of Japanese players to have won LPGA major titles. Attention in women's golf now turns to the Solheim Cup, where Europe captain Anna Nordqvist has completed her team by selecting veteran Leona Maguire alongside three rookies.

NFL teams are deep into training camp as the 2025 season approaches, with storylines ranging from player returns and new contracts to coaching philosophies and safety protocols. Notable developments include Malik Nabers practicing in a limited capacity for the Giants, Travis Hunter returning from injury for Jacksonville, and Tony Romo being placed on leave from CBS Sports following a DUI arrest. On the college side, Indiana coach Curt Cignetti is focused on avoiding a championship hangover as the Hoosiers begin defending their title. The Los Angeles Rams also made news earlier in the offseason by unveiling throwback alternate uniforms honoring their 1951 championship team and the 1960s Fearsome Foursome era.