BC-AP News Digest 2 pm

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

The world at 2 p.m. Times EDT.

At the Nerve Center, news producers Caleb Jones, Emily Fredrix and Peter Prengaman can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Aaron Jackson (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, Bernadette Tuazon (ext. 7636). Expanded AP content can be obtained from http://www.apexchange.com. For access to AP Exchange and other technical issues, contact customersupport@ap.org or call 877-836-9477.

A selection of top photos can be found at: http://bit.ly/APTopPhotos

DEVELOPING

— OLYMPICS-OPENING CEREMONY — Begins at 4 p.m.

TOP STORIES

ECONOMY-GDP

WASHINGTON — High unemployment isn’t going away — not as long as the economy grows as slowly as it did in the April-June quarter. Weak consumer spending held growth to an annual rate of just 1.5 per cent, even less than the 2 per cent rate in the first quarter. Few expect the economy to accelerate in the second half of the year as Europe’s financial crisis and a U.S. budget crisis restrain businesses and consumers. By Martin Crutsinger.

AP photos.

— ECONOMY-GDP-REVISIONS — US recession still worst on record but revisions show little less contraction; weaker recovery.

OPENING CEREMONY

LONDON — Athletes, check. Stadium and venues, check. Everything’s ready. London’s seven-year Olympic countdown ends and the action begins with what promises to be an imaginative, whimsical and dramatic celebration of Britain. Oscar-winning movie director Danny Boyle presides over the three-hour extravaganza. Greece, spiritual home of the games, leads the parade of nations. Host Britain goes last, accompanied by a certain roaring ovation. By John Leicester.

AP photos, video, multimedia.

ROMNEY-OLYMPICS

LONDON — Mitt Romney struggles to stem political fallout at home after unintentionally insulting Britain over the London Games, even as his overseas trip limits his ablity to capitalize on more troubling U.S. economic news. Back home, Barack Obama seeks to take advantage of the Republican’s missteps abroad by praising America’s strongest ally for its Olympics preparations and sending aid to Israel — one day before Romney is to visit. By Steve Peoples and Kasie Hunt. Editors: This serves as the campaign roundup.

— PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN-JEWISH VOTE — Mitt Romney is trying to win over a tiny sliver of a small — but powerful — section of the American electorate on a trip to Israel. Obama is doing the same at home. Yet, those who say Israel’s fate drives their vote make up only a tiny fraction of a reliably Democratic bloc.

AIDS CONFERENCE

WASHINGTON — Anti-AIDS drugs don’t just save lives, they’re a good financial investment even in poor countries, researchers say as the world’s largest AIDS meeting closes with a goal of curbing the epidemic’s spread by getting more people treated. But new U.S. data show that few people fare well even in developed countries, dramatizing the hurdle. By Lauran Neergaard.

AP photos.

JORDAN-SYRIA

RAMTHA, Jordan — The family was making a desperate run across the border when Syrian troops opened fire. Bullets whizzed around them. The 6-year-old boy, holding his mother’s hand, broke away and ran ahead. He was nearly at the border when he fell dead — the first Syrian killed by Syrian guards while trying to escape into Jordan. The tragic death raises fears that surrounding countries will be dragged into the conflict as Syria’s civil war intensifies. By Jamal Halaby.

AP photos, video.

ATLANTA GRIDLOCK-TAX

ATLANTA — For decades, Atlanta has been the economic engine of the South, a city on the move. But if you’ve ever tried to drive in the metropolitan area, it doesn’t feel that way. Atlanta has some of the worst traffic in America. To try to ease the gridlock, the mayor and business leaders are proposing a one-cent sales tax increase to pay for billions of dollars in transportation projects. The voters will decide on Tuesday. Civic leaders say Atlanta’s economic future hangs in the balance. By Errin Haines.

GAY MARRIAGE-CORPORATIONS

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos wades into a corporate culture war over gay marriage, donating $2.5 million to back a law legalizing same-sex unions in Washington state. Amazon is the latest high-profile company to enter the gay marriage debate: Fast-food chain Chick fil-A and General Mills have publicly opposed gay marriage. Other national brands like Nabisco and Target have stuck with gay-themed advertising, brushing off fears that the support could hurt their bottom line. By Rachel La Corte and Patrick Condon.

AP photos, multimedia.

MORE ON SYRIA

SYRIA

BEIRUT — International concern mounts over a possible massacre as Syrian troops bombard the besieged city of Aleppo and strafe it with aircraft in the latest onslaught after a week of violence in the country’s largest city. The battle for the commercial hub — a key pillar of regime support — is one of the most important of the 17-month-old uprising, and the outgunned rebels are facing massed government reinforcements preparing to retake the city. By Paul Schemm.

AP photos.

— SYRIA-PHOTOGRAPHERS CAPTURED — Two Western photojournalists in Syria were held captive for a week by Islamic militants before being rescued by Syrian rebels.

MORE ON POLITICS

OBAMA-LAST CAMPAIGN

WASHINGTON — Barack Obama reminisces about taking a wrong turn and getting lost. Fumbling to fold up a map. Dashing to Kinko’s to copy campaign fliers. The president’s re-election campaign is increasingly sounding like a nostalgia tour. His speeches stroll through elections past, serving up fond memories of his days running as a political unknown, identifying early political inspirations and reminding voters that, win or lose, this will be his last campaign after 13 appearances on the ballot since 1996. By Nancy Benac.

MORE ON OLYMPICS

EYES ON LONDON

LONDON — A continuing stream of text content, captures the London Olympics through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across the 2012 Olympic city and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.

OLY-CULTURE CLASHES

LONDON — Even before the flame was lit there were Olympic-sized political gaffes and cultural goofs. And that proves one thing on a globalized planet of the early 21st century: Organizing an offence-free Olympics is nearly impossible. By Nicole Winfield.

— OLY-ATHLETES ASYLUM — Sudan Embassy in London denies Olympic runner claims asylum in UK.

— OLY-ROMNEY-BRITS — Mitt Romney does the impossible: Gets Brits to stop moaning and start cheering about Olympics.

INTERNATIONAL

NIGERIA-FLOATING SLUM

LAGOS, Nigeria — The Makoko slum floats on a murky lagoon, a permanent haze of smoke rising from homes built on timber stilts. A recent demolition attempt has spread fear that authorities may try to wipe out Makoko — a place some see as a refuge and others shun as an eyesore. By Yinka Ibukun.

AP photos by Sunday Alamba.

GERMANY-CASH CULTURE

BERLIN — Head to the checkout at an Ikea in Stockholm to pay for your new leather sofa and with the swipe of a Visa card it’s yours. Don’t try that in Berlin — that’ll be $2,000 up front please. It’s that financial culture — a deep-seated aversion to debt and an emphasis on responsibility — that makes Chancellor Angela Merkel’s hardline approach to solving the European financial crisis so popular in Germany. The attitude shows up in all walks of life, from the daily trip to the grocer to putting a roof over your head. By David Rising.

AP file photo.

FRANCE-GALLIC RUDENESS

PARIS — It’s a July evening on the terrace of the legendary Cafe Flore. A coiffed woman sips chilled wine, another savors a chocolate eclair. The one thing to complete a perfect picture of Parisian life? A dash of French rudeness from the waiter, who snootily turns away tourists even though tables are empty. Such rudeness has long been accepted by visitors. But it seems the French themselves are fed up with their own incivility, and some PR campaigns are encouraging change. By Thomas Adamson.

AP photos.

NATIONAL

PENN STATE-ABUSE

Penn State’s aggressive fundraising has left its mark everywhere on the university’s main campus, but the Jerry Sandusky child molestation scandal is upsetting some alumni and threatening their planned donations. By Michael Rubinkam and Mark Scolforo.

AP photos.

DROUGHT-PAINTED LAWNS

INDIANAPOLIS — When this summer’s drought turned her prized lawn brown, Terri LoPrimo fought back. The Staten Island, N.Y., resident hired a local entrepreneur to spruce up their yard by spraying it with a deep-green organic dye. With two-thirds of the nation covered by a drought that stretches from coast to coast, residents and businesses in normally well-watered areas are catching on to the lawn-painting practice employed for years in the West and Southwest. By Rick Callahan.

AP Photos, Video.

— HEPATITIS C OUTBREAK — Police say a medical technician accused of causing a hepatitis C outbreak in New Hampshire was found in a hotel room along with a suicide note the week before his arrest.

ENTERTAINMENT

KILLER JOE-NC-17

LOS ANGELES — Matthew McConaughey is the latest A-lister to go NC-17. He plays the title role in “Killer Joe,” which carries the MPAA’s maximum restriction because of its “graphic disturbing content involving violence and sexuality.” Directed by Oscar-winner William Friedkin, “Killer Joe” is only the second NC-17 film to be released in the U.S. this year, because limited audiences mean limited revenues. Still, more and more of Hollywood’s top talent are embracing edgy projects that require the stiff rating. By Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen.

AP photos.

TV-CNN-WALTON

NEW YORK — CNN chief Jim Walton said Friday he is quitting, saying the company needs new leadership at a time its flagship U.S. network is suffering through some of its poorest ratings ever. By Television Writer David Bauder.

AP photos

BUSINESS

WALL STREET WEEK AHEAD

No one wants Wall Street to go back to 2009, but by one measure, it’s there right now. Profits at big U.S. companies are on pace to decline in the second quarter for the first time since the third quarter of 2009. Corporate America is also getting more pessimistic about the rest of the year. UPS, Starbucks and online game maker Zynga were among companies cutting their profit forecasts. By Business Writer Joshua Freed.

FACEBOOK STOCK

NEW YORK — Facebook’s investors are dumping the stock, spooked by slowing revenue growth, the lack of a financial outlook for the rest of the year and the company’s plans to increase investments in the coming months. Are they right? By Barbara Ortutay.

GETTING ATTENTION

— COLORADO SHOOTHING-AMBULANCES — As police at Colo. shooting pleaded for ambulances, one crew idled just a few miles away.

— MARYLAND SHOOTING PLOT — Official: Md. man who called himself ’a joker’ suspected of plotting to ’shoot up’ workplace.

— ANAHEIM POLICE SHOOTING — Anaheim, Calif., police fire at suspect, days after deadly shootings spark violent protests.

— BRITAIN-GOOGLE — Regulators voice anger as Google admits it didn’t delete Street View data in Europe, Australia.

———

Online:

http://apexchange.ap.org

14:08ET 27-07-12