AP News Digest 6:45 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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NEW/DEVELOPING
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Adds TRUMP-PAYROLL TAX, ELECTION 2020-TRUMP-BIDEN-MASKS, YALE-DISCRIMINATION, VIRUS-OUTBREAK-FAUCI-PARENTS-FORUM, TRUMP-METHANE-EMISSIONS, UNITED NATIONS-US-IRAN-ARMS EMBARGO, APPLE-FORTNITE, TIKTOK-VS-TRUMP, VIRUS OUTBREAK-ATLANTA MASK LAWSUIT, SEVERE-WEATHER-MIDWEST, VIRUS OUTBREAK-DEFENSE-SCHOOLS, SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-CUBA GOODING JR, MUSIC-LADY-GAGA
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EMIRATES-ISRAEL — Israel and the United Arab Emirates announced they are establishing full diplomatic relations in a U.S.-brokered deal that required Israel to halt its contentious plan to annex occupied West Bank land sought by the Palestinians. The historic deal delivered a key foreign policy victory to President Donald Trump as he seeks re-election and reflected a changing Middle East in which shared concerns about archenemy Iran have largely overtaken traditional Arab support for the Palestinians. A spokesman for Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the deal amounts to “treason,” and should be reversed. By Josef Federman, Matthew Lee and Jon Gambrell. SENT: 1,280 words, photos.
TRUMP-MAIL-IN VOTING — President Donald Trump frankly acknowledges that he’s starving the U.S. Postal Service of money in order to make it harder to process an expected surge of mail-in ballots, which he worries could cost him the election. By Deb Riechmann and Anthony Izaguirre. SENT: 990 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-TRUMP-BIDEN-MASKS — Joe Biden is calling for a nationwide protective mask mandate, citing health experts’ predictions that it could save 40,000 lives from coronavirus over the next three months. President Trump says Biden is “putting left-wing politics before facts and evidence.” By Alexandra Jaffe and Will Weissert. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos, video by 7 p.m.
ELECTION 2020-BIDEN-HARRIS — In her first two days as Joe Biden’s running mate, Kamala Harris has offered the campaign’s sharpest critique of President Donald Trump’s shortcomings. Harris lends starpower to a ticket that had otherwise been running a quiet campaign in hopes of riding opposition to the president rather than enthusiasm for an alternative to a win in November. SENT: 320 words, photos. UPCOMING: 930 words by 7 p.m.
Find more coverage on the 2020 U.S. Elections featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
VIRUS OUTBREAK - The number of Americans applying for unemployment dropped below 1 million last week for the first time since the coronavirus outbreak took hold in the U.S. five months ago, but layoffs are still running extraordinarily high. The figures show that the crisis continues to throw people out of work just as the expiration of an extra $600 a week in federal jobless benefits has deepened the hardship for many - and posed another threat to the U.S. economy. By Christopher Rugaber. SENT: 820 words, photos. With FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Another afternoon fade for stocks left Wall Street just shy of a record after the S&P 500 briefly crossed above its all-time closing high for the second straight day. SENT: 710 words, photos.
TRUMP-PAYROLL TAX — President Trump says he could eliminate the payroll tax if he is reelected without undercutting retirement benefits or greatly adding to the deficit, arguing that economic growth would offset the revenue losses. But aides to the president are trying to walk back Trump’s comments. By Aamer Madhani, Josh Boak and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar. UPCOMING: 860 words, photos by 7 p.m. With TRUMP-FACT CHECK-ECONOMY — Trump’s proposed payroll tax cut is a threat to Social Security no matter how he casts it. SENT: 600 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHURCHES LAWSUIT — Churches in California and Minnesota, backed by a conservative legal group, filed lawsuits this week against the governors of their states challenging restrictions imposed due to the coronavirus outbreak that they contend are violations of religious liberty. By David Crary. SENT: 870 words, photo.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-FAUCI-PARENTS-FORUM — School districts developing their plans for reopening for the new academic year should find ways to offer as many outdoor activities as possible, from classes to recess and lunchtime, the nation’s top infectious disease expert recommended in an online discussion. SENT: 370 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ATLANTA MASK LAWSUIT — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said he’s dropping a lawsuit against the city of Atlanta in a dispute over the city’s requirement to wear masks in public and other restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 590 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SCHOOL BOARD DILEMMA — School boards nationwide are facing what one South Carolina leader calls an impossible decision. It’s a simple question: Do we return to school amid the coronavirus pandemic? But officials say there are no right or easy answers. SENT: 1,480 words, photos, video. An abridged version of 990 words is also available.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-LATINOS-MISINFORMATION -- False claims and conspiracy theories, ranging from bogus cures to the idea that the coronavirus is a hoax, have dogged efforts to control the pandemic from the beginning. While bad information is a problem for everyone, it can pose a particular threat to communities of people of color who already face worse outcomes from the virus. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — With talks on emergency coronavirus aid all but ended, both sides play the blame game rather than make any serious moves to try to break their stalemate. SENT: 810 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPAIN’S SECOND WAVE — Spain is facing another surge in coronavirus infections not even two months after beating back the first wave. SENT: 1,140 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-DISRUPTED FAITH — AP PHOTOS: The coronavirus is challenging people of all faiths to find ways to worship and observe religious occasions. SENT: 750 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-DIARY EPICENTER VACATION — The CDC recommends staying at home as much as possible to avoid spreading coronavirus, “especially if your trip is not essential.” But as the pandemic stretches beyond the horizon, one writer needed to provide his family with a change of scenery from their home in Georgia. SENT: 860 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-FROZEN POPS -- It was a cool moment on a hot summer day. When 6-year-old Amiyah Dantzler-Clay and her 5-year-old brother Jayden saw a police officer parked in front of their Baltimore home on a hot summer day, they surprised him with a refreshing grape-flavor ice pop. Police Maj. Richard Gibson was so moved by the gesture that a couple of days later he knocked on their door with a gift: a box full of their favorite frozen treats. SENT: 410 words, photo.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-VIRAL-QUESTIONS-FOUNTAINS — Is it safe to drink from a water fountain during the pandemic? Experts say to avoid fountains if you can or to limit any direct contact when using them. SENT: 310 words, graphic.
Find more all-format coverage on the Virus Outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
A separate wire advisory has moved outlining our complete coronavirus coverage.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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APPLE-FORTNITE — Apple drops Fortnite from App Store over direct payment plan. SENT: 260 words.
TROPICAL WEATHER — Tropical Storm Josephine has formed in the Atlantic Ocean, making it the earliest “J-named” storm in a record-setting hurricane season. SENT: 200 words, photos.
SEVERE-WEATHER-MIDWEST — 2 more Iowans die from storm incidents; 250K without power. SENT: 290 words, photos.
PRINCE-HARRY-MARKLE-HOME — Prince Harry, Meghan Markle move into new California home. SENT: 370 words, photos.
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-CUBA GOODING JR — Cuba Gooding Jr wears ‘Black Lives Matter’ mask to court. SENT: 230 words, photos.
MUSIC-LADY-GAGA — Lady Gaga to perform at 2020 MTV Video Music Awards. SENT: 160 words, photo.
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ELECTION 2020-HARRIS-MISINFORMATION — Minutes after Joe Biden named Kamala Harris as his Democratic presidential running mate, an online misinformation campaign that had been months in the making was unleashed. The misinformation echoes the conspiracy theories that Donald Trump once used to gain notoriety in politics and galvanize conservatives against President Barack Obama. By Sara Burnett and Amanda Seitz. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 7 p.m.
TRUMP-METHANE-EMISSIONS — President Donald Trump’s administration is undoing Obama-era rules designed to limit greenhouse gas emissions from oil and gas fields and pipelines, formalizing the changes in the heart of the nation’s most prolific natural gas reservoir and in the premier presidential battleground state of Pennsylvania. SENT: 1,000 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-DEFENSE-SCHOOLS — Half of the Defense Department schools in the United States will not open for in-person schooling this fall as vast regions of the country struggle with growing cases of COVID-19. By Lolita C. Baldor. UPCOMING: 730 words, photo by 7 p.m.
YALE-DISCRIMINATION — A Justice Department investigation finds that Yale University is illegally discriminating against Asian American and white applicants, in violation of federal civil rights law. By Michael Balsamo. SENT: 730 words, photo.
CRYPTOCURRENCY SEIZURE-MILITANT GROUPS — The Justice Department seizes millions of dollars from cryptocurrency accounts used by militant organizations based abroad, including the Islamic State group and al-Qaida. SENT: 650 words, photo.
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CHICAGO VIOLENCE-MAGNIFICENT MILE — Store owners in and around Chicago’s Michigan Avenue are asking themselves if the economics and reputation of one America’s most prestigious shopping districts can rebound from the damage caused by looting this week. Similar attacks in June by some who took advantage of protests against excessive police force in the wake of George Floyd’s killing caused similar damage. The damage this week that is sure to run into millions of dollars comes as a double blow. Businesses had been slowly reopening after pandemic-related shutdowns. SENT: 850 words, photos.
AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES-DEDICATED LANES — The state of Michigan and some private partners are taking steps toward building or assigning dedicated lanes for automated vehicles on a 40-mile stretch of highway between Detroit and Ann Arbor. SENT: 750 words,
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UNITED NATIONS-US-IRAN-ARMS EMBARGO — The United States has called for a vote on a resolution that would indefinitely extend the U.S. arms embargo on Iran. It faces opposition from Russia and China and likely will not even get the nine “yes” votes in the 15 member Security Council for Moscow and Beijing to use their vetoes. The results of the email voting are expected to be announced on Friday evening. UPCOMING: 800 words, photo, by 7 p.m. With PERSIAN GULF-TENSIONS — The Iranian navy boarded and briefly seized a Liberian-flagged oil tanker near the strategic Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions between Tehran and the U.S., the American military says. SENT: 520 words, photos.
LEBANON - The FBI will join Lebanese and other international investigators in the probe of the massive explosion at Beirut’s port that killed more than 170 people, injured thousands and caused widespread destruction, a U.S. diplomat said. SENT: 470 words, photos. With LEBANON-HELPING THEMSELVES — Abandoned by state after explosion, Lebanese help each other. SENT: 1,020 words, photo; LEBANON-HISTORIC BUILDINGS — UNESCO warns historic Beirut buildings at risk of collapse. SENT: 460 words, photos.
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BUSINESS
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TIKTOK-VS-TRUMP — TikTok and its U.S. employees are planning to take President Donald Trump’s administration to court over his sweeping order to ban the popular video app, according to a lawyer preparing one of the lawsuits. SENT: 850 words, photo.
GERMANY-DAIMLER-EMISSIONS SCANDAL — The maker of Mercedes-Benz cars says it has reached an agreement in principle to settle U.S. claims over emissions from its diesel vehicles for over $2.2 billion. SENT: 450 words, photos.
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MUSIC MICKEY GUYTON — Mickey Guyton is turning a mirror on country music by speaking her truth and reclaiming both her career and identity. She’s delivering a one-two punch of important songs this year leading up to her first new EP in five years. By AP Entertainment Writer Kristin M. Hall. SENT: 900 words, photos.
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FBN--NFL FACILITIES-VIRUS PROOFING -- Like a defense stiffening at the goal line late in the game, the NFL has implemented a wide array of health protocols designed to keep the coronavirus from wrecking the 2020 season scheduled to begin four weeks from now. SENT: 960 words, photos.
FBN-ON FOOTBALL-COLLEGE IMPACT — The cancellation of college football games will have a far more significant impact on the NFL beyond giving the league an opportunity to play games this fall. Evaluating players who didn’t play a season will be among the biggest challenges. SENT: 800 words, photo.
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