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-NURSING-HOME-NUMBERS — New York’s coronavirus death toll in nursing homes, already among the highest in the nation, could actually be a significant undercount. Unlike every other state with major outbreaks, New York only counts residents who died on nursing home property and not those who died in hospitals. That statistic could add thousands to the state’s official care home death toll of just over 6,600. By Bernard Condon, Matt Sedensky and Meghan Hoyer. SENT: 1,230 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SOUTH-AFRICA-HIV — Across Africa and around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the supply of antiretroviral drugs to many of the more than 24 million people who take them, endangering their lives. By Bram Janssen and Andrew Meldrum. SENT: 1,020 words, photos, video.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-GLOBAL —It took six months for the world to reach 10 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus. It took just over six weeks for that number to double. The worldwide count of known COVID-19 infections climbed past 20 million on Monday, with more than half of them from just three countries: the U.S., India and Brazil, according to the tally kept by Johns Hopkins University. By Mark Stevenson, Nicky Forster and Michelle R. Smith. SENT: 890 words, photos. WITH: VIRUS-OUTBREAK-THE-LATEST.
ELECTION 2020-BIDEN-VP — As the world awaits Joe Biden’s decision for a running mate, his campaign is preparing a team to support whomever he picks. By Alexandra Jaffe. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 5 p.m. WITH: ELECTION 2020-TRUMP-VP — President Donald Trump criticized his Democratic rival’s vice presidential selection process, saying that some men are “insulted” by Joe Biden’s promise to select a woman as his running mate. SENT: 180 words, photos
Find more coverage on the 2020 U.S. Elections featured topic page on APNewsroom.
ELECTION-2020-MINNESOTA — Rep. Ilhan Omar is about to learn whether voters in her Minneapolis-area congressional district support the mix of confrontational, anti-Trump progressivism and celebrity that she brings to the job. By Steve Karnowsk and Mohamed Ibrahim. SENT: 700 words, photos, developing. Polls close at 8 p.m.
TRUMP-SECRET SERVICE — A man shot and wounded by a uniformed Secret Service officer, prompting President Donald Trump to be abruptly escorted out of a briefing room during a televised news conference, had been threatening to kill people near the White House, two officials familiar with the matter said. By Michael Balsamo and Colleen Long. SENT: 600 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-KIDS ON SCHOOL -- Parents have weighed in on reopening schools. Teachers have weighed in. Public health experts, too, along with cities, states and President Donald Trump. But what about the kids themselves? Kindergartners to high schoolers who are faced with a range of scenarios are expressing both fear and glee over leaving home to learn. Many say they’re most worried about fellow students breaking the rules on masks and keeping their distance, especially in areas that are hot spots for the coronavirus. Others are happily planning to return to classrooms. By Leanne Italie. SENT: 1,150 words, photos.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-RUSSIA-VACCINE — Russia became the first country to approve a coronavirus vaccine, a move that was met with international skepticism and unease because the shots have only been studied in dozens of people. Russian authorities offered no proof to back up claims of safety or effectiveness. SENT: 975 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-STATE ELECTION AID — State election officials say Congress’ failure to pass another coronavirus relief bill leaves them to deal on their own with the soaring costs of holding a presidential election amid a pandemic. Some say voting disruptions seen during the primary season could carry over to November. SENT: 650 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-GEORGIA — A Georgia school district has quarantined more than 800 students because of possible exposure to the coronavirus since it resumed in-person teaching last week, officials said. SENT: 400 words.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRTUAL TRIAL -- A Texas court has launched what the state says is the nation’s first virtual jury trial in a criminal case. The misdemeanor traffic case is being broadcast live on YouTube. It comes as the latest experiment in how to resume jury proceedings in a court system that’s been crippled by the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 260 words.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA -- New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said that authorities have found four cases of the coronavirus in one Auckland household from an unknown source. SENT: 980 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-VIRAL-QUESTIONS-PUBLIC-TRANSIT — Is it safe to ride public transit during the coronavirus pandemic? It depends on a variety of factors, but there are ways to minimize risk. SENT: 290 words, photo.
Find more all-format coverage on the Virus Outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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RACIAL INJUSTICE-MARCH ON WASHINGTON — Amid widespread protests and unrest over the police killings of Black Americans, a national commemoration of the 1963 civil rights March on Washington is being reconfigured to comply with coronavirus protocols in the District of Columbia. By Aaron Morrison and Ashraf Khalil. SENT: 905 words, photos. WITH: VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS-EXPLAINER — A glance on the state of coronavirus aid legislation. UPCOMING: 800 words by 5 p.m.
RACIAL INJUSTICE-SLAVE MARKET — Amid a renewed push to remove Confederate monuments, a rural Georgia city is confronting the fate of a rare, 18th-century pavilion where slaves were once sold. The Market House, or Slave House, in downtown Louisville is on the National Register of Historic Places and has been held up as a cultural site by county officials. The open-air, gazebo-like structure dates to the 1790s. SENT: 695 words.
RACIAL-INJUSTICE-PORTLAND — The arrest during protests in Portland, Oregon, of a Black woman who became a leading activist in the racial justice movement after she was assaulted by a white supremacist three years ago has galvanized local and national Black Lives Matter groups. SENT: 530 words, photos.
RACIAL INJUSTICE-ELIJAH MCCLAIN -- The parents of a 23-year-old Black man who died after officers in suburban Denver stopped him on the street last year and put him in a chokehold have sued police and medical officials. They said Tuesday’s lawsuit is a way of demanding justice for Elijah McClain and forcing the city of Aurora to change a “longstanding pattern of brutal and racist policing.” SENT: 200 words, developing.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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MEXICO-BUS CRASH — Mexican authorities say at least 13 people died when a bus overturned on a highway outside Mexico City. SENT: 100 words.
BOOKS-SHARON STONE -- Sharon Stone’s next role? Author. The actor has written a memoir her publisher is calling both candid and comprehensive. SENT: 200 words, photos.
POLICE CHIEF-FACEBOOK POST — Officials in a city outside of Atlanta have approved a settlement agreement resulting in the resignation of a police chief who was criticized for saying on social media that he doesn’t support the Black Lives Matter movement. SENT: 350 words.
EGGS-PRICE GOUGING LAWSUIT -- One of the country’s largest egg producers illegally inflated prices when the pandemic hit New York, taking in $4 million as it charged up to four times more per carton, state Attorney General Letitia James charged in a lawsuit. SENT: 225 words.
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ELECTION 2020-GEORGIA — A Republican criticized for promoting racist videos and adamantly supporting the far-right QAnon conspiracy theory faces a neurosurgeon who campaigned on his experience to improve the health care system in Tuesday’s GOP primary runoff for an open U.S. House seat representing northwest Georgia. The results could indicate just how far candidates can push the limits of political rhetoric in the age of President Trump before triggering a backlash from voters. SENT: 580 words, photos, developing.
ELECTION 2020-DNC — Joe Biden’s presidential nominating convention will highlight the U.S. political spectrum from the left flank of New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to the Republican old guard of former Ohio Gov. John Kasich. By Bill Barrow. SENT: 870 words, photos.
TRUMP-RUSSIA PROBE — A federal appeals court hears arguments on whether a judge can be ordered to dismiss the criminal case against former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn now that the Justice Department no longer wants to pursue it. By Eric Tucker. UPCOMING: 700 words by 3 p.m.
INTERIOR-OPEN RECORDS PROBE — The Interior Department withheld public documents related to Interior Secretary David Bernhardt ahead of his Senate confirmation, an agency watchdog office concluded in a report made public Tuesday. By Ellen Knickmeyer. SENT: 360 words, photos. UPCOMING: 700 words by 3 p.m.
UNITED STATES-SAUDI ARM SALES — The State Department’s internal watchdog has found that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not act improperly last year when he approved billions of dollars in arms sales to Saudi Arabia last year without the consent of Congress. SENT: 490 words, photos.
POMPEO — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is warning of a rise in authoritarianism led by Russia, China and Iran that threatens freedoms around the world. SENT: 500 words, photos.
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LEBANON-EXPLOSION — The shattered city of Beirut marked a week since the catastrophic explosion that killed at least 171 people, injured thousands and plunged Lebanon into a deeper political crisis. Thousands of people marched near the devastated port, remembering those who died in the worst single blast to hit the country. They observed a minute of silence at 6:08 p.m. local time, the moment on Aug. 4 that thousands of tons of ammonium nitrate exploded in the city’s port where it had been stored for more than six years, apparently with the knowledge of top political and security officials. SENT: 670 words, photos.
BELARUS-ELECTION — European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the 27-nation bloc will hold a thorough review of its ties with Belarus, and is mulling action against those involved in the massive police election crackdown, or against officials who might have interfered with the vote. SENT: 1,115 words, photos.
ISRAEL-TROUBLED MARRIAGE -- When Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his rival, Benny Gantz, agreed to form an “emergency” government in May after three bitter, and ultimately deadlocked, election campaigns, the goal was to stabilize Israeli politics in the face of a global pandemic. But their controversial power-sharing deal has been marred by squabbling from the get-go. Less than 100 days later their fractious coalition government appears to be headed toward collapse as Israel grapples with a raging coronavirus outbreak, an economic calamity and a wave of public protests. SENT: 940 words, photos.
INDIA-GANGES-PHOTO ESSAY -- For more than 1,700 miles, the Ganges flows across the plains like a timeline of India’s past, nourishing an extraordinary wealth of life. It has seen empires rise and fall. In India, the Ganges is far more than just a river. It is religion, industry, farming and politics. But all is not well with the river. Pollution has left large sections of it dangerous to drink. SENT: 675 words, photos.
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NATIONAL
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SCHOOL SAFETY REPORT — School officials nationwide should improve mental health resources, monitor student social media accounts and improve physical safety measures to prevent mass shootings and other attacks in schools, according to a Justice Department report. SENT: 580 words, photos.
SEVERE WEATHER-MIDWEST -- Hundreds of thousands across the Midwest remained without power on Tuesday after a powerful storm packing 100 mph winds battered the region a day earlier, causing widespread damage and killing a 73-year-old woman found clutching a young boy in her storm-battered mobile home. SENT: 915 words, photos.
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FINANCIAL MARKETS — Stocks are moving higher on Wall Street, edging the S&P 500 closer to the all-time high it hit in February, before the coronavirus pandemic knocked the market into a steep plunge. SENT: 525 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SUMMER-JOBS --The iconic summer job for high school and college students has been on the wane for nearly 20 years. But the pandemic is squeezing even more young people out of the workforce. Some are borrowing more money. Others have turned to pick-up jobs like Instacart, only to compete with older people who are similarly sidelined. SENT: 815 words, photos.
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MUSIC-LINDSAY ELL — Country singer Lindsay Ell addresses long buried grief and trauma in her new album “heart theory.” By Entertainment Writer Kristin M. Hall. SENT: 825 words, photos.
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HKN—PLAYOFFS-GOALIE TANDEMS - Each first-round series has one set of back-to-back games – unusual for NHL playoff time – making it more advantageous for the teams that have two starting-caliber goaltenders like Vegas, Carolina and Colorado. But for teams with workhorse goalies like Montreal with Carey Price or Arizona with Darcy Kuemper, the schedule isn’t a deterrent. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos by 7 p.m.
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HOW TO REACH US
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