AP News Digest 2 p.m.
Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan at https://newsroom.ap.org.
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ONLY ON AP
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-LOANS — Companies with thousands of employees, past regulatory run-ins and risks of financial failure even before the coronavirus walloped the economy were among those receiving millions from a relief fund that Congress created to help U.S. small businesses through the crisis, an Associated Press investigation finds. By Reese Dunklin, Justin D. Pritchard, Justin Myers and Krysta Fauria. SENT: 2,080 words, photos. An abridged version of 990 words has also been sent.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — Congress reaches agreement with President Donald Trump on a $500 billion coronavirus relief bill – the fourth massive virus measure – that would replenish a small business rescue program, provide additional billions to hospitals, and implements a nationwide testing program to facilitate reopening the economy. A Senate vote could come as early as Tuesday. By Andrew Taylor and Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 810 words. UPCOMING: Developing from 4 p.m. Senate session, 890 words by 5 p.m., photos. WITH: VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS-GLANCE — A look at the legislation. UPCOMING: 450 words by 5 p.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRUMP IMMIGRATION — Returning to a divisive issue at a time of national crisis, President Trump promises an executive order “to temporarily suspend immigration into the United States” because of the coronavirus, though he offers no details. Trump often pivots to his signature issue of immigration in times of crisis to animate his base supporters. By Jill Colvin and Ben Fox. SENT: 880 words, photo. UPCOMING: Developing, 890 words by 5 p.m., photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-US-POLITICAL DIVIDE-ANALYSIS — America’s deep political divide is now playing out over matters of life and death. Republican governors, urged on by President Trump, are taking the first steps to begin reopening their state economies in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, while Democratic-led states are largely shut down. The stakes go far beyond election year politics and will determine the health and well-being of millions of Americans. By Julie Pace. UPCOMING: 800 words by 5 p.m., photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK — Spain canceled the Running of the Bulls in July, the U.S. scrapped the national spelling bee in June and Germany even called off Oktoberfest, making it clear that the effort to beat back the coronavirus and return to normal could be a long and dispiriting process. Amid growing impatience over the shutdowns that have thrown millions out of work, European countries continued to reopen in stages, while in the U.S., one state after another — mostly ones led by Republican governors — outlined plans to gradually get back to business in the coming days. By Colleen Long, Cara Anna and Jan M. Solsen. SENT: 1,030 words, photos. WITH: VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST and VIRUS OUTBREAK-WHAT’S HAPPENING.
Find more all-format coverage on the Virus Outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
ISRAEL-POLITICS — Israel’s embattled prime minister has notched two critical victories in a power-sharing agreement with his chief rival: He can remain in office throughout his upcoming corruption trial, and he can press forward with a potentially explosive plan to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank. By Josef Federman. SENT: 913 words, photos.
NORTH KOREA-KIM — South Korean officials reported no unusual activity in North Korea on following unconfirmed media reports that leader Kim Jong Un was in fragile health after surgery. But the possibly of high-level instability raised troubling questions about the future of a nuclear-armed state that has been steadily building an arsenal meant to threaten the U.S. mainland amid stalled talks between Kim and U.S. President Trump. By Kim Tong-Hyung. SENT: 1,127 words, photos.
CANADA SHOOTING — A young man says his grandparents are missing after their two-story log cabin was set ablaze during the rampage by a gunman that left at least 18 dead and homes in smoldering ruins in rural communities across Nova Scotia over the weekend. Justin Zahl said he finally heard from police after frantic calls for information and seeing images of his grandparent’s home in the rural town of Portapique burned to the ground, with their cars in the driveway. By Rob Gillies. SENT: 582 words, photos.
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MORE ON VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-CORONAVIRUS UNKNOWNS -- Important questions about the coronavirus remain unanswered, and are complicating efforts to return to normal: who is contagious, who is most at risk, and whether people who have recovered are protected from getting it again. SENT: 848 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-FELONS — The federal government’s latest aid package was supposed to be a lifeline for small business owners reeling from the economic blow of the coronavirus. But it’s not available to those who’ve been convicted of felonies in the last five year or who are out on parole. Rejected applicants and advocates say the restrictions are a slap in the face for those who have paid their debt to society, especially from an administration that has trumpeted second chances. By Jill Colvin. SENT: 940 words photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-BURYING THE DEAD — As the pandemic’s death toll charges past 10,000 in New York City, funeral directors, gravediggers and others who tend to a body’s final chapter are sprinting to keep up. SENT: 950 words, photos, video.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-DIARY-THE PARENTS -- One writer’s parents are still in the home they bought in 1959. But both have endured knives that cut out cancer. His mother uses a walker. His father has a replaced heart valve and lung issues that would be far worse had he not tossed the cigarettes circa 1964 and started jogging before anyone knew what “aerobic” exercise was. In other words: If the coronavirus caught them, they would not wrench free. SENT: 689 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-5G-CONSPIRACY-THEORIES — Conspiracy theories linking new 5G mobile networks and the coronavirus pandemic are fueling arson attacks on cell towers in Europe. SENT: 900 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SKIPPING HOME SCHOOL - The frustration of parents is mounting as more families across the U.S. enter their second or even third week of total distance learning. And some say it will be their last. Amid the barrage of learning apps, video meet-ups and e-mailed assignments that make up pandemic home school, some frustrated and exhausted parents are choosing to disconnect entirely for the rest of the academic year. SENT: 1,126 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-PROTESTS-MISINFORMATION —Pro-gun and far-right advocacy groups are fueling a new crop of Facebook groups aimed at organizing rallies against the stay-at-home orders imposed by governors across the U.S. As they’ve gained steam, the groups have turned into hotbeds of misinformation, conspiracy theories and skepticism around the coronavirus pandemic. UPCOMING: 850 words, photos by 5 p.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-RIDDLE ME THIS -- What kind of tree can you carry in your hand? Which letter of the alphabet has the most water? Fifteen-year-old Sarah Schneider’s grandmother is full of riddles. And in the coronavirus pandemic, she’s sharing them in emails to sick children forced into isolation as they undergo treatment for cancer, blood disorders and other dire illnesses. SENT: 611 words, photos, video.
A separate wire advisory has also been sent detailing AP’s complete coronavirus coverage.
GROUND GAME — AP’s coronavirus podcast, “Ground Game: Inside the Outbreak,” today looks at how the World Health Organization has been responding to the COVID-19 pandemic and the U.N. agency’s rift with President Donald Trump. Listen to the podcast after 3 p.m. at https://appodcasts.com/category/ground-game/. Embed code is available on AP Coverage Plan.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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SHED ARSON-STIMULUS CHECK — Fire Marshals in Louisiana say a man set his mother’s shed on fire out of anger that he didn’t get a federal stimulus check amid the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 150 words.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPELLING BEE -- This year’s Scripps National Spelling Bee canceled after organizers conclude there was “no clear path to safely set a new date in 2020” because of the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 250 words, photo.
MAR-A-LAGO-LAYOFFS -- President Trump’s private Mar-a-Lago club in Florida is temporarily laying off 153 workers because of the new coronavirus. SENT: 215 words, photo.
BRITAIN-QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY — Britain marks Queen Elizabeth II’s 94th birthday with silence, as the nation in lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic forgoes the usual gun salutes and ringing of bells. SENT: 125 words, photos.
COLLEGE ADMISSIONS-BRIBERY -- Federal prosecutors say the former University of California at Los Angeles men’s soccer coach will plead guilty to taking $200,000 in bribes as part of the college admissions cheating scheme. SENT: 330 words.
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UNITED STATES-CHINA POLL — Americans are increasingly hostile to China as the coronavirus pandemic wreaks havoc on the U.S. and global economies and after three years of Trump administration antagonism toward the country, according to a nationwide poll. SENT: 650 words, photo.
RUSSIA PROBE-CONGRESS — A bipartisan Senate report confirms the U.S. intelligence community’s conclusions that Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election to sow chaos. Senators warned that it could happen again this presidential election year. SENT: 510 words, photo.
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NETHERLANDS-EUTHANASIA — The Netherlands’ highest court ruled that doctors can carry out euthanasia in patients with advanced dementia if the patient has earlier made a written directive. The Supreme Court ruling solidifies in law a practice that already was being carried out on rare occasions in the Netherlands. SENT: 360 words, photos.
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NATIONAL
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-CENSUS SURVEY — Just how badly has the new coronavirus impacted life in the U.S.? The U.S. Census Bureau, along with five other federal agencies, will try to answer that question with a new experimental, weekly survey that just got approved earlier this week. UPCOMING: 600 words by 5 p.m.
COCAINE COWBOYS EARLY RELEASE — One of three Colombian brothers who authorities say once were key operators of the notorious Medellin cartel’s multibillion-dollar cocaine smuggling enterprise in Florida is seeking early release from U.S. prison because of changes in federal sentencing guidelines. SENT: 540 words.
EARTH DAY MISSED OPPORTUNITIES — Fifty years after the first Earth Day helped spur activism over air and water pollution and disappearing plants and animals, significant improvements are undeniable. But monumental challenges remain. SENT: 1,220 words, photos.
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HEALTH & SCIENCE
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MED--VIRUS OUTBREAK-MALARIA DRUG -- A malaria drug widely touted by President Trump for treating the new coronavirus showed no benefit in a large analysis of its use in U.S. veterans hospitals. There were more deaths among those given hydroxychloroquine versus standard care, researchers reported. SENT: 425 words, photos.
MED--VIRUS OUTBREAK-HOME TEST -- U.S. health regulators approved the first coronavirus test that allows people to collect their own sample at home, a new approach that could help expand testing options in most states. SENT: 330 words.
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FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Oil’s chaotic collapse deepened, and stocks around the world dropped on as the economic carnage caused by the coronavirus pandemic turns markets upside down. SENT: 845 words, photos, developing.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-KIDS’ NEWSCASTS — NBC’s Lester Holt is launching a twice-weekly digital newscast for children aimed at calming fears and answering questions about the coronavirus. By Media Writer David Bauder. UPCOMING by 4 p.m. 700 words, with photos.
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BBM--MINOR MATTER — Prospects look increasingly bleak for anything resembling a minor baseball league season, and all those cheap hot dogs, mascot hugs and assorted theme nights. It’s a small slice of a depressing picture. By Jay Cohen. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 3 p.m.
FBN--NFL DRAFT-WHAT IS IT? —Evaluating and projecting quarterbacks at any level might be the biggest challenge in building a football team. What makes a quarterback successful is almost impossible to quantify -- the mysterious “It Factor.” By College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo. SENT: 1,100 words, photos.
FBN—NFL DRAFT-FAITH & FOOTBALL — Davion Taylor didn’t play high school football for religious reasons. But at the University of Colorado he blossomed into a star safety and linebacker. He has NFL scouts salivating. By Pro Football Writer Arnie Stapleton. SENT: 800 words, photos.
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