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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VIRUS OUTBREAK-ITALY-WHAT-WENT-WRONG — As Italy prepares to emerge from the West’s first and most extensive coronavirus lockdown, it is increasingly clear that something went terribly wrong in Lombardy, the hardest-hit region in Europe’s hardest-hit country. Italy had the bad luck of being the first Western country to be slammed by the outbreak, but there also is evidence that demographics and health care deficiencies combined with political and business pressure to expose Lombardy’s 10 million people to the virus in ways unseen elsewhere. By Nicole Winfield. SENT: 2,280 words, photos. An abridged version is also available. This is the Monday Spotlight.
VIRUS OUTBREAK — Shrieks of joy rang out in the streets of Spain as children were allowed to go outside and play for first time in six weeks, while people in Italy and France were eager to hear their leaders’ plans for easing some of the world’s strictest coronavirus lockdowns. By Joseph Wilson and Geir Moulson. SENT: 990 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST; VIRUS OUTBREAK-WHAT'S HAPPENING (both sent).
VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRUMP — After two months of frantic response to the coronavirus pandemic, the White House is planning to shift President Trump’s public focus to the burgeoning efforts aimed at easing the economic devastation. Aides intend to put him in more controlled settings than his daily briefings, where his ability to grab headlines with freewheeling performances has become a liability. New Republican polling shows his path to reelection depends on how the public assesses the pace of the economic rebound. By Zeke Miller. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 3:30 p.m.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-FRANCE-INEQUALITY — France’s coronavirus lockdown is raising tensions in housing projects and poor suburbs where many immigrants live. Open-air markets in these areas are closed, supermarket prices are skyrocketing and people are out of work. By Elaine Ganley and Nicolas Garriga. SENT: 890 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SMALL-BUSINESS-BANKRUPTCIES — The billions of dollars in coronavirus relief targeted at small businesses may not prevent many of them from ending up in bankruptcy court. Business filings under Chapter 11 of the federal bankruptcy law rose sharply in March, and attorneys who work with struggling companies are seeing signs that more owners are contemplating the possibility of bankruptcy. By Joyce M. Rosenberg. SENT: 790 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MILITARY TESTING — With coronavirus tests in limited supply, the Pentagon has devised a phased approach that focuses first on testing an elite slice of the military that includes counterterrorism and strategic nuclear forces. The aim is to allocate testing materials in a way that preserves what the military deems its most vital missions and takes into account the test requirements for high-risk civilians. This approach belies President Trump’s assertions that national testing capacity is not an issue. By National Security Writer Robert Burns. SENT: 920 words, photos.
Find more all-format coverage on the Virus Outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
NKOREA-KIM — A train likely belonging to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has been parked at his compound on the country’s east coast since last week, satellite imagery showed, amid speculation about his health that has been caused, in part, by a long period out of the public eye. The satellite photos released by 38 North, a website specializing in North Korea studies, don’t say anything about Kim’s potential health problems, and they echo South Korean government intelligence that Kim is staying outside of the capital, Pyongyang. By Hyung-Jin Kim SENT: 840 words, photos.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-HOME HEALTH CARE — Home health care is becoming a new front in in the national fight against the COVID-19 virus as some patients come back from hospitals and others strive to keep from going there. Coronavirus care at home has expanded rapidly in the last few weeks, and at least some agencies in most states have told the National Association for Home Care and Hospice they are now taking COVID-19 patients referred after hospitalization or instead of it. SENT: 1,030 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-DETROIT GRIEVES — Jamon Jordan could not mourn his mother in the traditional way. At Jacquelynne Jordan’s memorial in early April, there were just seven people. No hugs. No traditional dinner where family members could gather to honor the 66-year-old matriarch’s memory. That stripped-down scenario has played out hundreds of times in Detroit — 912 to be exact, the number of city residents who have died of COVID-19. SENT: 940 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-FIREFIGHTER’S FAMILY — His mother first fell sick a month ago with an illness she believes she caught at the Iowa egg factory where she works. His younger sister, 22, was next — a new mother who was soon on a ventilator fighting for her life. Then the coronavirus came for his father, Jose Gabriel Martinez, 58, who died Tuesday. After a month of caring for his virus-stricken family, Iowa firefighter Omar Martinez is now planning a funeral for his father and hoping for the recovery of his sister. SENT: 980 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-WITHERING VEGAS — Nevada’s governor shuttered the glitzy casinos and nightlife attractions of Las Vegas in mid-March, leaving much of the famous gambling mecca empty, barricaded and abandoned. Throngs of visitors who made it tough to maneuver on sidewalks have been replaced by the occasional jogger or skateboarder. Many locals who typically shy away competing with crowds of tourists on the Las Vegas Strip now bike and drive down the miles-long boulevard, photographing what was once America’s most flamboyant party, now reduced to a vacant, muted spectacle. SENT: 1,180 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-LOW-TECH-JAPAN — When the Japanese government declared an emergency to curb the spread of the coronavirus earlier this month and asked people to work from home, crowds rushed to electronics stores. So much for social distancing. Contrary to the ultramodern image of Japan Inc. with its robots, design finesse and gadgetry galore, in many respects the country is technologically challenged. Many Japanese lack the basic tools needed to work from home. By Business Writer Yuri Kageyama. SENT: 700 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRITAIN — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is returning to work after recovering from a coronavirus infection that put him in intensive care, with his government facing growing criticism over the deaths and disruption the virus has caused. SENT: 660 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-RECOVERY HOMES — Some states are setting aside entire nursing homes for residents who are recovering from COVID-19 but still might be contagious or not have immunity. SENT: 1,080 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ONE-GOOD-THING-BORED-HAWAII-MAYOR — When a curfew goes into effect each night for a county in Hawaii, the mayor gets bored. Just like other residents stuck at home obeying the curfew he put into effect to curb the spread of coronavirus, Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami turns to social media for entertainment. He’s been posting videos on social media doing things like dancing and dyeing Easter eggs. SENT: 530 words, photo, video.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-LET ME DANCE — The itch to dance, to break out of coronavirus lockdown and bust a few moves in the fresh air, out on the street, has proved too strong for some to resist in Paris after weeks of staying home. Video of Parisians dancing in the street this weekend, some wearing face masks, triggered buzz and criticism on social networks and an apology from the out-of-work theater technician who blasted the music from his balcony. SENT: 380 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has cautioned the country’s 1.3 billion people against any complacency in the fight against the coronavirus. SENT: 950 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MIDEAST — Israel’s embattled health minister said he would step down following a public uproar over his handling of the coronavirus crisis and his own COVID-19 infection. SENT: 810 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-LONG WAY HOME — Greeted by relieved parents, pet dogs, flares and a cloud of orange smoke, a group of 25 Dutch high school students with very little sailing experience ended a trans-Atlantic voyage that was forced on them by coronavirus restrictions. SENT: 450 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MOMENT IN TIME-PHOTO GALLERY — Associated Press photographers captured images from different parts of Europe and Africa at 6 p.m. Friday, and found that even the most quintessentially public spaces were as still as a Sunday morning. SENT: 260 words, photos.
COVID DIARIES-COLORADO-GROCERY CASHIER — A grocery cashier in Colorado tries to stay positive with her customers amid the ever-changing rules aimed at keeping people safe during the coronavirus outbreak. SENT: 530 words, photos. One of dozens of profiles written by news organizations across Colorado; the entire project can be seen at http://colabnews.co/
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-TV-SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — Brad Pitt portrays Dr. Anthony Fauci in SNL’s 2nd at-home edition. SENT: 380 words.
ODD-SOCIAL MEDIA SQUIRREL — 1-eyed squirrel with Instagram account is returned to nature. SENT: 350 words.
INDIA-LIGHTNING DEATHS — Lightning kills at least 10 in India amid heavy rain. SENT: 90 words.
GAS PRICES — The average U.S. price of regular-grade gasoline fell 9 cents over the past two weeks, to $1.93 per gallon. SENT: 110 words.
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ISRAEL-POLITICS — Israel’s Labor party is voting on proposal to join a government headed by arch-rival Benjamin Netanyahu despite repeated campaign promises to never sit with a prime minister facing criminal indictments. SENT: 460 words, photos. With ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — Netanyahu ‘confident’ US will support West Bank annexation. SENT: 370 words, photo.
SAUDI ARABIA-RIGHTS — Saudi Arabia’s King Salman has ordered an end to the death penalty for crimes committed by minors, according to a statement Sunday by a top official. The decision comes on the heels of another ordering judges to end the practice of flogging. SENT: 770 words, photos.
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2020-CENSUS-REDISTRICTING — The U.S. Census Bureau needs more time to wrap up the once-a-decade count because of the coronavirus, opening the possibility of delays in drawing new legislative districts that could help determine what political party is in power, what laws pass or fail and whether communities of color get a voice in their states. SENT: 810 words, photo.
OBIT-JAMES BEGGS — Former NASA administrator James M. Beggs, who led the agency during the early years of the space shuttle program and resigned after the Challenger disaster killed seven astronauts in 1986, dies at 94. SENT: 490 words.
GAS
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SPORTS-DESERTED ICONS-SPEEDWAY — The lack of auto racing is hitting home in Speedway, a town of 12,000 people near Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Indy 500 has been postponed from Memorial Day to August and there are no events planned until early July because of the coronavirus pandemic. Local businesses in Speedway say revenue is down. They are eager for the return of racing in a community that was literally built for it. By Michael Marot. SENT: 890 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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At the Nerve Center, Dave Clark can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, (ext. 7636). Expanded AP content can be obtained from http://newsroom.ap.org. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport(at)ap.org or call 877-836-9477.