TRUMP-WOODWARD BOOK

‘Deadly stuff’: Trump’s own words bring focus back to virus

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is acknowledging he played down the projected impact of the deadly coronavrius early this year and says he meant to avoid creating a panic. A new book by journalist Bob Woodward reveals that Trump told Woodward he had been warned in January that the virus had the potential to kill millions. Yet Trump reassured Americans publicly that the virus was “very well under control.” Today, around 190,000 have died in the U.S. so far and millions have been infected. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden says Trump “lied to the American people” and failed to do his job.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST-WILDFIRES

High alert: Deadly Northwest fires burn hundreds of homes

ESTACADA, Ore. (AP) — Deadly windblown wildfires raging across the Pacific Northwest destroyed hundreds of homes in Oregon, prompting the governor to say it could be the greatest loss of life and property from wildfire in state history. Firefighters struggled to contain and douse the blazes fanned by 50 mph (80 kph) wind gusts and officials in some western Oregon communities gave residents “go now” orders to evacuate, meaning they had minutes to flee their homes. Destructive blazes were burning in a large swath of Washington state and Oregon that rarely experiences such intense fire activity because of the Pacific Northwest’s cool and wet climate.

CHINA-RUSSIA-MILITARY EXERCISES

China, others to be part of joint military drills in Russia

BEIJING (AP) — Chinese and Russian forces will take part in joint military exercises in southern Russia later this month along with troops from Armenia, Belarus, Iran, Myanmar, Pakistan and others. China’s defense ministry says the country’s latest transport aircraft will be used to fly wheeled vehicles and light weaponry to the drill location. The exercises running Sept. 21-26 will focus on defensive tactics, encirclement and battlefield control and command. It says the exercises have special meaning for China-Russia ties while the world is fighting the coronavirus pandemic. China has seen no new domestic coronavirus cases in weeks, while Russia is continuing to see new cases and has reported more than 1 million people infected.

UNITED STATES-IRAQ

US withdrawing thousands of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan

WASHINGTON (AP) — The top U.S. general for the Middle East says the Trump administration will pull thousands of troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan by November. Gen. Frank McKenzie says the number of troops in Iraq will drop this month from about 5,200 to 3,000. And he says troop levels in Afghanistan will shrink to 4,500 by November. The general made the comments during a visit to Iraq on Wednesday. This development comes during the later stages of President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign as he tries to make the case that he’s fulfilled promises of four years ago to bring U.S. combat troops home.

GEORGIA DEPUTY SHOT

Fugitive wanted in sheriff’s deputy shooting captured

DALTON, Ga. (AP) — Authorities say a man wanted in the recent shooting of a Georgia sheriff’s deputy has been captured. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation tweeted late Wednesday that Texas fugitive Dalton Potter was in custody. Investigators have said Potter fired multiple shots at Whitfield County Sheriff’s Deputy Darrell Hackney around midnight Monday morning during a traffic stop in Dalton. Hackney was struck, but his ballistic vest saved him. Authorities say a man was shot in northwest Georgia after encountering Potter. Noah Cloer identified his father, Eddie Cloer, as the victim of the Wednesday evening shooting. Whitfield County Sheriff Scott Chitwood had told reporters that Cloer who was hospitalized in stable condition.

DEADLY FIRE-LAWSUITS

Judge: US park hasn’t shown enough done to inform of fire

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A judge has ruled that U.S. park officials have failed to show enough was done to keep the public updated as a deadly wildfire spread from Great Smoky Mountains National Park in 2016. The ruling Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Ronnie Greer in Knoxville keeps lawsuits over the blaze on track for a potential trial, though the U.S. Justice Department can still appeal. Greer denied the government’s motion to dismiss the case, writing that officials didn’t provide sufficient evidence to show they met obligations to notify park neighbors, visitors and local residents of fire management activities. The fire killed 14 people and caused an estimated $2 billion in losses.

AP-US-TROPICAL-WEATHER-LOUISIANA-ENERGY

Hurricane hit oil storage site, but no shortages expected

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette says Hurricane Laura did significant damage at a site holding about 30% of the nation’s store of emergency crude oil. But Brouillette said Wednesday that the three other sites were not damaged and have plenty of oil in case of an emergency. The damaged site is in West Hackberry, Louisiana, where Strategic Petroleum Reserve caverns hold nearly 8.2 billion gallons of crude oil in 21 huge caverns deep underground. Brouillette also says that although refineries in Lake Charles are still shut down, there’s no shortage of gasoline, jet fuel and other products. He spoke at a livestreamed news conference with Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards.

AP-US-UM-DEARBORN-ONLINE-SEGREGATION

University apologizes for setting up segregated online sites

DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — The University of Michigan-Dearborn is apologizing for creating segregated online student “cafes” for white people and those of color. Wednesday’s apology came after two virtual “cafe” events were held Tuesday that were advertised, with one saying it was for non-people of color to “gather and discuss their experience as students on campus and as non-POC in the world.” The other was for Black, Indigenous and People of Color. Abed Ayoub, legal and policy director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said he understood the intention but “it could have been done better” In its apology, the university located near Detroit said terms used to describe these virtual events “were not clear and not reflective of the university’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.”

AP-LT-MEXICO-JOURNALIST-KILLED

A Mexican newspaper says a reporter slain, decapitated

MEXICO CITY (AP) — A newspaper in Mexico’s Gulf coast state of Veracruz says one of its reporters has been murdered and decapitated, his paper reported. Reporter Julio Valdivia worked for the newspaper El Mundo in the city of Cordoba, Veracruz. The newspaper El Mundo in the city of Cordoba said Wednesday that the body of reporter Julio Valdivia was found near his motorcycle on railroad tracks in the town of Motzorongo. Valdivia was at least the sixth journalist to be killed in Mexico this year. He covered a rural zone near the border with Oaxaca state, an area that has long been plagued by gang violence.

CHIEFS FANS-NATIVE IMAGERY

Chiefs nix headdresses, face paint to start NFL season

MISSION, Kan. (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs fans who file into Arrowhead stadium for a masked and socially distanced start to the NFL season won’t be wearing headdresses or face paint amid a nationwide push for racial justice following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The move by the reigning Super Bowl champions has pleased Native Americans as a good first step. But it frustrated some of the 17,000 fans who will be in the stands Thursday. The team will bes the first to take the field in front of a crowd amid the coronavirus pandemic. The team also announced last month that it’s discussing the future of its tomahawk chop celebration.