AP News Digest 6:15 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-AFRICA-1 MILLION CASES, LEBANON-WHAT NEXT-ANALYSIS, ELECTION 2020-BIDEN-DIVERSITY, ELECTION 2020-DEBATES, ELECTION 2020-KANYE WEST, VIRUS OUTBREAK-ECUADOR-GUAYAQUIL, MILWAUKEE POLICE CHIEF, RACIAL-JUSTICE-PROTEST-CHARGES, RACIAL INJUSTICE-GEORGE FLOYD HOLOGRAM, BOOKS-GEORGE W BUSH
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ONLY ON AP
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RACIAL INJUSTICE-TEAR GAS — During the nationwide Black Lives Matter protests, law enforcement agencies have increasingly been using tear gas — traditionally used as a measure of last resort — offensively. Law enforcement officials say the gases are effective tools for crowd control and are safe. But despite its widespread use, there are few studies on the health effects of tear gas. The AP also found that there is no oversight of the use and manufacture of tear gas. By Andrew Selsky. SENT: 2,400 words, photos, video. An abridged version of 1,050 words is available.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MIGRANT CHILDREN — More than 2,000 unaccompanied children have been expelled from the United States since March under an emergency declaration enacted by the Trump administration, which has cited the coronavirus in refusing to provide them protections under federal anti-trafficking and asylum laws. By Nomaan Merchant. SENT: 1,240 words, photos, video.
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NRA TURMOIL — New York’s attorney general has sued the National Rifle Association, seeking to put the powerful gun advocacy organization out of business over claims that top executives illegally diverted tens of millions of dollars for lavish personal trips, no-show contracts for associates and other questionable expenditures. By Michael R. Sisak, Larry Neumeister and Lisa Marie Pane. SENT: 900 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK — An unemployed makeup artist with two toddlers and a disabled husband needs help with food and rent. A hotel manager says his unemployment has deepened his anxiety and kept him awake at night. A dental hygienist, pregnant with her second child, is struggling to afford diapers and formula. Around the country, across industries and occupations, millions of Americans thrown out of work because of the coronavirus are straining to afford the basics now that an extra $600 a week in federal unemployment benefits has expired. By Sarah Skidmore Sell and Paul Wiseman. SENT: 940 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST (sent)
VIRUS OUTBREAK-AFRICA-1 MILLION CASES — Africa’s confirmed coronavirus cases have surpassed 1 million, but global health experts say the true toll is likely several times higher, reflecting the gaping lack of testing for the continent’s 1.3 billion people. While experts say infection tolls in richer nations can be significant undercounts, large numbers of undetected cases are a greater danger for Africa, with many of the world’s weakest health systems. By Cara Anna. SENT: 990 words photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — Hopes are fading on Capitol Hill for reaching agreement this week on a coronavirus relief bill. President Trump and the Senate’s top Republican huddle amid increasing worry that the bipartisan negotiations might collapse. By Andrew Taylor. SENT: 890 words, photos, video.
LEBANON — Residents of Beirut vented their fury at Lebanon’s leaders during a visit by French President Emmanuel Macron, blaming them for the deadly explosion that ravaged the capital. A military judge leading the investigation into Tuesday’s blast said 16 employees of Beirut’s port, where the explosion took place, had been detained. By Bassem Mroue and Sarah El Deeb. SENT: 1,270 words, photos. With LEBANON-WHAT NEXT-ANALYSIS — AP Analysis: Will Beirut’s blast be a catalyst for change? SENT: 940 words, photos; LEBANON-MACRON'S HUG — In devastated Beirut, French leader offers comfort and a hug. SENT: 220 words, photos.
GEORGE FLOYD-MINNEAPOLIS POLICE -- Minneapolis won’t be blowing up its police department in the wake of George Floyd’s death -- at least not this year. A day after a city commission sidetracked plans for a November vote on dismantling the force, any change in a department often criticized for brutality is likely to be slower and less radical and to depend on the mayor and police chief imposing several policy changes. By Amy Forliti. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 7 p.m.
SCI-HURRICANE SEASON-BUSIER -- Already smashing records, this year’s hyperactive Atlantic hurricane season is about to get even nastier, forecasters predict. In the coming months, they expect to run out of traditional hurricane names and see about twice as much storm activity as in a normal year. By Seth Borenstein. SENT: 790 words, photos.
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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-OHIO-GOVERNOR -- Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, an early advocate among Republicans of wearing masks and other pandemic precautions, tested positive for the coronavirus just ahead of a planned meeting with President Donald Trump. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRAVEL — The Trump administration has rescinded its warnings to Americans against all international travel because of the coronavirus pandemic, saying conditions no longer warrant a blanket worldwide alerts. SENT: 330 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ECUADOR-GUAYAQUIL — Ecuador’s biggest city, Guayaquil, was a pandemic hellscape of makeshift morgues, hundreds dying at home, bodies left in the street. That was in March and April. Guayaquil later stabilized. Local officials partly attribute the turnaround to a strict lockdown and the adaptability of a population that, through history, endured epidemics of malaria, yellow fever, dengue and bubonic plague. SENT: 630 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRITAIN -- The British government says it won’t be using 50 million face masks it bought during a scramble to secure protective equipment for medics during the coronavirus outbreak because of concerns they might not be safe. SENT: 500 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NYC COVID CHECKPOINTS — New York City has opened new traveler checkpoints to register visitors and residents returning from nearly three dozen states who are required to quarantine for 14 days — an initiative that drew swift criticism from privacy advocates. SENT: 580 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING- POEMS FOR PORTSMOUTH — A newsletter that updates residents of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, about the coronavirus pandemic is moving some readers to tears, thanks to weekly contributions from the city’s poet laureate. Tammi Truax has been writing a poem every week since early April for inclusion in the city manager’s newsletters, which typically convey public health information and community resources. SENT: 660 words, photos.
VIRAL QUESTIONS-SCHOOLS - Is it safe for schools to reopen during the pandemic? It depends on how widespread COVID-19 infections are in the community and the safety measures the school takes. SENT: 415 words, illustration.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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RACIAL INJUSTICE-GEORGE FLOYD HOLOGRAM — George Floyd’s family gathers in Virginia to unveil hologram. SENT: 190 words, photos.
BOOKS-GEORGE W BUSH — Former President Bush pays tribute to immigrants in new book. SENT: 420 words, photos.
BOY SAVES DAD — A 9-year-old Florida boy is being hailed a hero for pulling his father from the water after the man fractured his neck in a diving accident. SENT: 310 words, photos.
BRITAIN TV HOST-DEATH — A British coroner has ruled that reality TV host Caroline Flack killed herself while facing an assault trial she feared would end her career and bring unbearable media scrutiny. SENT: 240 words, photos.
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ELECTION 2020-TRUMP — President Donald Trump unleashes a deeply personal attack on Joe Biden, even questioning without foundation the former vice president’s faith in God. Even for a president known for his blunt criticism, the remarks signal how contentious the campaign may get. By Jonathan Lemire. SENT: 980 words, photos, video.
ELECTION 2020-BIDEN-DIVERSITY — Joe Biden again wades into controversy over how he discusses race and ethnicity, as he tries to compare the relative diversity of the Black and Hispanic populations in the United States. By Bill Barrow. SENT: 960 words, photo. With ELECTION 2020-BIDEN AD — Biden’s campaign launches a new national ad focused on Black Americans, urging them to stand up to President Trump the way their ancestors stood up to “violent racists of a generation ago.” SENT: 710 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-DEBATES — The nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates rejects a request from the Trump campaign to either add an additional general election debate or move up the calendar for the contests. SENT: 380 words, photo.
ELECTION 2020-KANYE WEST — Kanye West’s unlikely White House bid is getting help qualifying for presidential ballots in key states from Republicans around the country, fueling suspicions he’s being pushed to run by allies of President Trump hoping to siphon support away from Joe Biden. By Will Weissert. SENT: 740 words, photo.
ACLU VS TRUMP — The American Civil Liberties Union has filed nearly 400 lawsuits and other legal actions against the Trump administration, some meeting with setbacks but many resulting in important victories. By David Crary. SENT: 940 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-POSTAL SERVICE — Democratic congressional leaders call on the U.S. Postal Service to immediately reverse operational changes that are delaying deliveries across the country just as big volume increases are expected for mail-in voting. By Matthew Daly. SENT: 770 words, photo.
Find more AP coverage of the 2020 U.S. Elections.
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RACIAL-JUSTICE-PROTEST-CHARGES — Some Black Lives Matter protesters in Salt Lake City could face up to life in prison if they’re convicted of splashing red paint and smashing windows during a protest, a potential punishment that stands out among demonstrators arrested around the country and one that critics say doesn’t fit the alleged crime. The felony criminal mischief charges are more serious because they carry a gang enhancement. Prosecutors say that’s justified because the protesters worked together to cause thousands of dollars in damage. SENT: 640 words, photos.
MILWAUKEE POLICE CHIEF — An oversight board is considering firing Milwaukee Police Chief Alfonso Morales after he ordered officers to use tear gas to break up protests over George Floyd’s death, the last straw for members upset with how the chief has handled incidents since the arrest of Milwaukee Bucks player Sterling Brown in 2018. SENT: 780 words, photo.
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JAPAN-HIROSHIMA ANNIVERSARY — Survivors of the world’s first atomic bombing gather in diminished numbers near an iconic, blasted dome to mark the attack’s 75th anniversary, many of them urging the world, and their own government, to do more to ban nuclear weapons. By Mari Yamaguchi. SENT: 920 words, photos.
POLAND-LGBT-EMIGRATION — Some lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are leaving Poland following the anti-LGBT campaign rhetoric the country’s president used during his successful reelection campaign and other leaders promoted before that. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS -- Nearly 1.2 million laid-off Americans applied for state unemployment benefits last week, evidence that the coronavirus keeps forcing companies to slash jobs just as a critical $600 weekly federal jobless payment has expired. SENT: 850 words, photos. With FINANCIAL MARKETS — Stocks perked higher on Wall Street after a report showed the pace of layoffs across the country is slowing, though it remains incredibly high. SENT: 840 words, photos.
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SEXUAL-MISCONDUCT-PLACIDO-DOMINGO -- Placido Domingo returned to Europe to receive a lifetime achievement award after a bout with the coronavirus, vowing in an interview with a top Italian daily newspaper to clear his name from allegations of sexual misconduct. SENT: 600 words, photos.
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GLF--PGA CHAMPIONSHIP —Brooks Koepka and Tiger Woods chase their own piece of history as the PGA Championship begins at TPC Harding Park without spectators at a major for the first time. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos by 8 p.m.
TV-OLYMPIANS-DEPRESSION — Olympians including Michael Phelps, Apolo Anton Ohno, Jeremy Bloom, Shaun White, Lolo Jones and Sasha Cohen are opening up about their mental health struggles in a new sobering documentary about suicide and depression among the world’s greatest athletes. SENT: 900 words, photos.
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