The Associated Press

The Rundown

Taliban sweep across Afghanistan’s south, take 3 more cities

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban captured another three provincial capitals in southern Afghanistan on Friday, including in Helmand, the scene of some of the heaviest fighting in the past two decades, as the insurgents press a lightning…Read More

Climate-fueled wildfires take toll on tropical Pacific isles

WAIMEA, Hawaii (AP) — A metal roof sits atop the burned remains of a homestead on the once-lush slopes of Hawaii’s Mauna Kea — a dormant volcano and the state’s tallest peak — charred cars and motorcycles strewn about as wind-whipped sand an…Read More

Census data: US is diversifying, white population shrinking

No racial or ethnic group dominates for those under age 18, and white people declined in numbers for the first time on record in the overall U.S. population as the Hispanic and Asian populations boomed this past decade, according to the 2020…Read More

More than 9,000 anti-Asian incidents since pandemic began

The frequency of anti-Asian incidents — from taunts to outright assaults — reported in the United States so far this year seems poised to surpass last year despite months of political and social activism, according to a new report released T…Read More

Chisox, Yanks awed at Field of Dreams, MLB promises repeat

DYERSVILLE, Iowa (AP) — As the bus carried the New York Yankees through the cornfields blanketing this serene, rolling farmland of northeast Iowa, Aaron Judge noticed a difference from the usual arrival in the next city. …Read More

OTHER TOP STORIES

Extra COVID vaccine OK’d for those with weak immune systems

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. regulators say transplant recipients and others with severely weakened immune systems can get an extra dose of the Pfizer or Moderna COVID-19 vaccin…Read More

Days of hot weather grip Southern Europe, North Africa

ROME (AP) — Stifling heat kept its grip on much of Southern Europe on Thursday, driving people indoors at midday, spoiling crops, triggering drinking water restrictions, t…Read More

New Zealand loses its precious ‘Rings’ series to Britain

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand has long been associated with “The Lord of the Rings” but with the filming of a major new television series suddenly snatched aw…Read More

In Yemen’s north, Houthis face virus with outright denial

CAIRO (AP) — For three days last month, Nasser joined hundreds of others jammed into emergency rooms in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, searching for a hospital bed for his mother…Read More