AP News Digest 2:20 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 - Texas leaders who grappled with coronavirus testing shortages for much of the pandemic are now facing the opposite problem: not enough takers. The number of coronavirus tests being done each day in Texas has dropped by the thousands in August, mirroring nationwide trends. The drop comes even as deaths are continuing to climb and just as students are returning to class and football teams charge ahead with plans to play. The trend worries health experts who fear that states are flying blind into fall unless enough testing is done to keep the virus in check. By Paul J. Weber. SENT: 855 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-GRANDPARENTS AT HOME — Millions of seniors live in a home with at least one child, and the new school year could bring new worries for one of the groups most vulnerable to the coronavirus. Multigenerational households or grandparents who are guardians are reconsidering interactions from family dinner to a bedtime hug. Experts say a grandchild going to school and bringing the virus home is more likely to occur among older people of color. Grandparents who are primary caregivers potentially face a more dire situation. By Terry Tang. SENT: 1,000 words, photos. Eds: This story has moved as the Sunday Spotlight.
ELECTION 2020-BIDEN PROFILE -- Joe Biden’s journey to accepting the Democratic presidential nomination is grounded in cycles of loss and the practice of recovery. He lost his wife and daughter in a car accident in 1972, survived a pair of brain aneurysms and in 2015, lost his son Beau to brain cancer. A senator from Delaware for 36 years, Biden also lost two presidential campaigns. But he also became known for making connections at difficult times - and for getting up. Biden’s life story, his allies believe, fit this moment of crisis in America as he runs against President Donald Trump. By Laurie Kellman. SENT: 2,600 words, photo. A 990-word version also in available.
ELECTION 2020-HARRIS PROFILE -- Kamala Harris’ path toward the second-highest office in the United States has tracked the nation’s struggle for racial equality. The start-and-stop progress and sometimes messy debate have shaped her life, from an upbringing by immigrant parents, a childhood among civil rights activists, a career at the helm of a flawed criminal justice system and her rapid ascent to the top of Democratic politics. She knows the power of tough questioning and a viral moment, and the weight of her role as a voice for women of color. By Kathleen Ronayne and Maryclaire Dale. SENT: 2,310 words, photos. A 980-word version also is available.
Find more coverage on the 2020 U.S. Elections featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
BELARUS-POLICE-BRUTALITY — Hundreds of people released from custody after a violent crackdown on protests in Belarus are sharing their accounts of harsh treatment at the hands of police. As they reunited with loved ones, they displayed the bruises on their bodies, saying police had beaten them mercilessly with truncheons. Some also spoke about being threatened with gang rape. By Yuras Karmanau. SENT: 1,270 words, photos. WITH: BELARUS-VICTIM’S WIFE -- The partner of a man who died in the protests engulfing Belarus says she does not believe the official account that Alexander Taraikovsky was killed when an explosive device that he intended to throw at police blew up in his hand. SENT: 400 words, photos. WITH: BELARUS-PROTESTS — President Alexander Lukashenko says Russian leader Vladimir Putin has agreed to provide protest-engulfed Belarus with security assistance. SENT: 790 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-BALLOT HARVESTING -- More than half the states allow a third party to collect and return election ballots from groups of voters. Political groups and campaigns from both parties have run ballot-collection programs aimed at boosting turnout and ensuring voters who are older, homebound, have a disability or live far from U.S. postal services can return their ballot. President Donald Trump and the GOP contend “ballot harvesting” opens the door for fraud and they are fighting to restrict the effort in states during the pandemic. By Michelle L. Price. SENT: 920 words, photos.
19TH AMENDMENT-TENNESSEE’S ROLE -- One hundred years ago this month, women throughout the United States were guaranteed the right to vote with ratification of the 19th Amendment — secured by a 24-year-old Tennessee legislator’s decisive vote, cast at the bidding of his mother. Harry T. Burn’s surprise move set the stage for decades of slow but steady advances for American women in electoral politics. Two years ago, a record number of women were elected to Congress. On Tuesday, Democratic former Vice President Joe Biden selected Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate. Tennessee was the decisive 36th state to ratify the 19th amendment in 1920. By David Crary. SENT: 985 words, photos.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONTACT TRACING-IMMIGRANTS — Only a handful of contact tracers working to slow COVID-19 in 125 communities near Chicago speak Spanish, despite significant Hispanic populations. Churches and advocacy groups in the Houston area are trying to convince immigrants to cooperate when health officials call. And in California, immigrants are being trained as contact tracers to ease mistrust. SENT: 995 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA — South Korea announces stronger social distancing restrictions for its greater capital area where a surge in COVID-19 cases has threatened to erase the hard-won gains against the virus. SENT: 760 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-BRITAIN-LIVE MUSIC — More than 400 grassroots music venues in Britain are at imminent risk of closure because of the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 710 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRITAIN — Thousands of British tourists beat a hasty retreat from France, packing out planes, trains and ferries to return to the U.K. by the early hours today to avoid a mandatory 14-day quarantine at home. SENT: 580 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-GREECE-ASSUMPTION -- Fewer people but deep faith on Greece’s Assumption holiday. SENT: 860 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VENEZUELA FISHING — Venezuelans desperate to feed their families amid the coronavirus pandemic are heading out to the open sea on inner tubes armed with a hook and line. It’s a risk they’re forced to take as the nationwide lockdown paralyzes an already miserable economy and eliminates their jobs in construction and restaurants. SENT: 500 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SOUTH-KOREA-PROTESTS — Thousands of anti-government protesters, armed with umbrellas and raincoats, marched through the soggy streets of South Korea’s capital, ignoring official pleas to stay home amid a surge in coronavirus infections. SENT: 360 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-PERU CLOWNS — Circuses in Peru are built around clowns, providing work for more than 500 of the characters. But the shows have been struggling in recent years, their patrons lured away by the internet, video games and other live entertainment. And then the pandemic hit. SENT: 270 words, photos.
MEXICO-TOURISM — Mexico’s Pacific coast resort of Acapulco is putting its hopes on a return of tourists as the number of coronavirus cases drops and the violence that drove travelers away slowly declines. SENT: 650 words, photos.
Find more all-format coverage on the Virus Outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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AUSTRALIA-SHARK ATTACK --A woman survives a great white shark attack on Australia’s east coast after her surfing companion repeatedly punched it until it let her go. SENT: 200 words.
GIRL SLAIN- An 8-year-old girl was shot and killed during a gathering of teenagers at an Ohio home, authorities said. SENT: 100 words.
MAURITIUS-OIL SPILL - Officials say the grounded Japanese ship that leaked tons of oil near protected areas off the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius has split apart. SENT: 290 words, photos.
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ELECTION 2020-BIDEN-DELAWARE -- Delaware isn’t a swing state in the presidential race. It only has three electoral votes. But Delaware is playing an unexpected starring role in the White House campaign as the pandemic keeps Democrat Joe Biden away from traditional campaigning and close to home in Wilmington. SENT: 930 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-POST OFFICE-Q&A -- The U.S. Postal Service is warning states it cannot guarantee that all ballots cast by mail for the Nov. 3 election will arrive in time to be counted, even if ballots are mailed by state deadlines. That’s raising the possibility that millions of voters could be disenfranchised. SENT: 830 words, photos.
UNITED STATES-POMPEO — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has sealed a defense cooperation deal with Polish officials that will pave the way to deploy more American troops to Poland. SENT: 800 words, photos.
FACT CHECK-WEEK -- President Trump greeted the Democratic presidential ticket of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris this past week with a litany of distortion and falsehoods, raging against cases of voting fraud where they didn’t exist and declining to quash conspiracy theories about Harris’ eligibility for office. SENT: 2,400 words, photos. Find AP Fact Checks at https://apnews.com/APFactCheck
ELECTION-2020-ALASKA-PRIMARY -- Voting in Alaska will look a bit different amid the coronavirus pandemic, with sanitizing and masking stations expected at polling sites and markings to promote social distancing during Tuesday’s primary. A large number of requested mail-in ballots also could mean some races won’t be settled on election night. SENT: 820 words, photos.
OBIT-JAMES THOMPSON — Former Illinois Gov. James R. Thompson, known as “Big Jim” during a long career that eventually made him the state’s longest-serving chief executive, has died. He was 84. Thompson, a Republican from Chicago, was first elected in 1976 and eventually served four terms before leaving office in 1991. A moderate, he managed the state through recession years in the 1980s. SENT: 760 words, photos.
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RACIAL INJUSTICE-DUTY TO INTERVENE -- Despite policies on the books for years that require officers across the United States to stop colleagues from using excessive force, there has been little or no effort to teach officers how to intervene, law enforcement officials and experts say. That’s changing following the killing of George Floyd, and police departments nationwide are showing new interest in training officers how they should stop, or try to stop, abuse in their own ranks. By David Collins. SENT: 930 words, photos.
GEORGE FLOYD-INVESTIGATION — Newly released video shows a former Minneapolis police officer involved in George Floyd’s death telling investigators that he was focused on crowd control, minimizing his role in the actions that led to Floyd’s death. SENT: 480 words.
SCHOOL SHOOTING-FLORIDA SHERIFF — A Florida county sheriff election is being shadowed by two shootings decades apart. Broward County Sheriff Gregory Tony is being challenged in Tuesday’s Democratic primary by his predecessor, Scott Israel. Tony replaced Israel in 2019 after Gov. Ron DeSantis fired Israel over his handling of the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that left 17 dead. Tony’s campaign is plagued by his failure to disclose that in 1993 he fatally shot another teenager when he was 14 in Philadelphia. A judge found Tony acted in self-defense, but Tony never told his previous police employer, DeSantis or investigators vetting him about the shooting. SENT: 795 words, photos.
SEVERE WEATHER-MIDWEST — The derecho that caused massive damage in Iowa this past week could offer lessons for forecasters and the public. The unusual storm packed the power of a category 3 hurricane but lacked the days of warning a typical hurricane offers. At least three people in Iowa and one in Indiana were killed. Forecasters had predicted thunderstorms and in some communities tornado sirens sounded before the winds began. But many people were caught off guard. SENT: 820 words, photos.
TROPICAL WEATHER — Tropical Storm Kyle was moving away from the mid-Atlantic coast of the United States as Tropical Storm Josephine continued its crawl toward islands in the Caribbean. SENT: 295 words.
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES — Firefighters struggling to contain three wildfires near Los Angeles faced another challenging day as forecasters warned that the risk of new fires was high with temperatures expected to spike and humidity levels to drop across California. SENT: 430 words, photos.
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PACIFIC WAR-75-JAPAN ANNIVERSARY — Japan marks the 75th anniversary of its surrender in World War II, with Emperor Naruhito expressing “deep remorse” over his country’s wartime actions at a somber annual ceremony curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave thanks for the sacrifices of the Japanese war dead but had nothing to say about the suffering of Japan’s neighbors. By Mari Yamaguchi. SENT: 820 words, photos. With PACIFIC WAR-75-SOUTH-KOREA — Moon extends olive branch to Tokyo over wartime history; PACIFIC WAR-75-PAST-AS-PROLOGUE — 75 years later, can Asia shake off shackles of the past?; PACIFIC WAR-75-KEY EVENTS (all sent).
LEBANON — A U.S. official says there can be no financial bailout for Lebanon, calling on the country’s political leaders to heed popular calls for change, real reform and an end to endemic corruption. SENT: 990 words, photos.
NILE TALKS-POPE — Pope Francis urged Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan to continue talks to resolve their years-long dispute over a massive dam Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile that has led to sharp regional tensions and fears of military conflict. SENT: 555 words, photos.
EMIRATES-ISRAEL — Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard vowed Saturday there would be dangerous consequences for the United Arab Emirates after it announced a historic deal with Israel to open up diplomatic relations. SENT: 310 words, photos.
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ELECTION-2020-CONVENTION-TV-COVERAGE —The Democratic and Republican conventions will lack for crowds but not television coverage. The coronavirus has upended the standard political gatherings that were planned for the Democratic Party in Wisconsin and for the GOP in North Carolina. That won’t stop TV scrutiny of the speeches and other activities. While broadcast networks ABC, CBS and NBC will air one prime-time hour a day, cable networks CNN and MSNBC are devoting their evening lineups to both conventions. By Lynn Elber. SENT: 415 words, photos.
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BKN--GRIZZLIES-TRAIL BLAZERS — Portland plays Memphis in the NBA’s Western Conference play-in series. The Trail Blazers can reach the playoffs by beating the Grizzlies. Otherwise, Sunday is winner-take-all. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Game starts 2:30 p.m.
HKN--BRUINS-RASK OUT — Bruins star goalie Tuukka Rask opts out of the team’s playoff run, saying being with his family is more important now than hockey. Rask, who led the league in goals-against average, has struggled since Boston restarted play in its Toronto hub. SENT: 450 words, photos.
BBN--CARDINALS RETURN — The Cardinals, who have played all of five games, return for a doubleheader against the Chicago White Sox. St. Louis faces a busy finish to the pandemic-shortened season after a coronavirus outbreak that sidelined the club for 16 days. SENT: 300 words, photos, UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Updates throughout day.
FBC—SOUTH PLAYS ON — The South isn’t giving up on its beloved college football just yet. While the Big Ten and Pac-12 have scrapped plans for the fall, the SEC and ACC are going ahead with a shortened season. SENT: 850 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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