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AP News Digest 2:15 p.m.

| August 31, 2020 11:27 AM

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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ONLY ON AP

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CHINA-XINJIANG - The government in China’s Xinjiang region is imposing draconian measures to combat the coronavirus, including physically locking people in homes and arresting those who do not comply with strict quarantines of more than 40 days. Some residents are forced to swallow traditional Chinese medicine, according to government notices, social media posts and interviews with three people in quarantine, and at least one herbal remedy contains ingredients banned in other countries. By Dake Kang. SENT: 1,840 words, photos. An abridged version of 1,000 words is available.

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TOP STORIES

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ELECTION 2020-BIDEN-TRUMP -- Joe Biden is forcefully condemning the violence at recent protests while also blaming President Donald Trump for fomenting the divide that’s sparking it. He’s dismissing his presidential opponent as incapable of tackling the violence himself. “He doesn’t want to shed light, he wants to generate heat, and he’s stoking violence in our cities,” Biden said during remarks in Pittsburgh. “He can’t stop the violence because for years he’s fomented it.” By Alexandra Jaffe and Will Weissert. SENT: 720 words, photos. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos, video by 5 p.m.

POLICE SHOOTING-WISCONSIN — Some residents in Kenosha fear a planned visit by President Donald Trump after unrest over the police shooting of Jacob Blake may stir more emotions and cause more violence and destruction in the divided southeastern Wisconsin city after several days of peace. SENT: 760 words, photos. With POLICE SHOOTING-WISCONSIN-LEGISLATURE — Wisconsin Republicans take no action on policing bills. SENT: 710 words, photos.

PORTLAND-PROTESTS — Oregon state police will patrol Portland’s nightly protests with help from officers from surrounding cities and counties, seeking to tamp down on vandalism and violence following the fatal shooting of a right-wing Trump supporter as the city approaches 100 consecutive nights of Black Lives Matter demonstrations. By Gillian Flaccus. SENT: 640 words, photos. With PORTLAND PROTESTS-PATRIOT PRAYER - The man killed in Portland, Oregon, Saturday was a supporter of the founder of right-wing group Patriot Prayer SENT: 690 words, photos.

RACIAL-INJUSTICE-GUN-DIVIDE — In this era of the protest, there’s been a scene that has become almost common place: armed citizens taking to the streets and openly brandishing their firearms. In each case, Americans’ views are starkly different, underscoring the ever-widening divide over gun rights. Some call these gun-toting civilians patriots seeking to bring law and order in these turbulent times while others view them as radical vigilantes. By Lisa Marie Pane. SENT: 850 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK — As the Summer of COVID draws to a close, many experts fear an even bleaker fall and suggest that American families should start planning for Thanksgiving by Zoom. Because of the many uncertainties, public health scientists say it’s easier to forecast the weather on Thanksgiving Day than to predict how the U.S. coronavirus crisis will play out this autumn. But school reopenings, holiday travel and more indoor activity because of colder weather could all separately increase transmission of the virus and combine in ways that could multiply the threat, they say. By Carla K. Johnson. SENT: 990 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST (sent)

BKC-OBIT-JOHN-THOMPSON — John Thompson, the imposing Hall of Famer who turned Georgetown into a “Hoya Paranoia” powerhouse and became the first Black coach to lead a team to the NCAA men’s basketball championship, has died. He was 78. Thompson said what he thought, shielded his players from the media and took positions that weren’t always popular. He never shied away from sensitive topics -- particularly the role of race in both sports and society. By Joseph White. SENT: 1,680 words, photos.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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EUROPE-BACK-TO-SCHOOL — School bells will ring in a new year across much of Europe starting Tuesday but there are fears that many school are not ready to handle in-class operations safely enough. SENT: 770 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-DETROIT MEMORIAL — The city of Detroit has turned an island park into an extraordinary memorial garden for victims of COVID-19. Cars packed with families Monday passed hundreds of photos of Detroit residents who died from the virus. SENT: 480 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-LATIN AMERICA-REMITTANCES — As the COVID-19 pandemic froze the United States economy, not all Latin American immigrants living there were affected equally, a look at the money they sent back to their birthplaces reveals. SENT: 440 words, photo.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-BRAND-LOYALTY — A slew of once-beloved brands from Lord & Taylor to Ann Taylor have filed for Chapter 11 since the pandemic. Many shoppers will see these iconic labels vanish or become mere shadows of themselves as they drastically shrink their businesses or get acquired. But while loyal customers bemoan their loss, the brands themselves have been clearly losing favor for years. Even before the pandemic, shoppers faced an abundance of choices online and were becoming less loyal to clothing labels. SENT: 770 words, photos.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-LIVES-LOST-SENECA-NATION-WOMEN — The Seneca Nation in New York state is mourning three beloved tribal citizens. Ninety-one-year-old Norma Kennedy and her two daughters, 71-year-old Diane Kennedy and 65-year-old Cindy Mohr, died of COVID-19 within weeks of each other. SENT: 540 words, photos.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ONE-GOOD-THING-HERO-CARDS — Siblings Prabhleen and Mantej Lamba say they were inspired by the Sikh core principle of “seva,” or selfless service. They were also inspired by the daily sacrifices of health care workers across the world. The two teenagers in the San Francisco Bay Area launched “Cards 4 Covid Heroes.” The project shows gratitude to healthcare workers who are on the frontlines of the coronavirus crisis. In two months, they’ve collected more than 250 ‘thank you’ cards from their local community that they’ve sent to workers in four hospitals along with $10 gift cards. SENT: 480 words, photos.

Find more all-format coverage of the Virus Outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.

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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

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RWANDA-HOTEL-RWANDA-ARREST — “Hotel Rwanda” hero, a critic of Rwandan President Paul Kagame, has been arrested on terror charges. SENT: 400 words, photo.

FRANCE-TRAPPED-ON-TRAINS — Thousands trapped on French trains after electrical trouble. SENT: 230 words.

NORWAY-RAVE-POISONINGS — 27 poisoned by carbon monoxide at bunker rave party in Oslo. SENT: 340 words.

GERMANY-PANDAS — Berlin zoo’s twin panda cubs celebrate 1st birthday. SENT: 130 words, photo.

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WASHINGTON

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ELECTION 2020-POSTAL SERVICE — A House panel says it plans to subpoena Postmaster general Louis DeJoy for records pertaining to mail delays. UPCOMING: 300 words, photo by 3 p.m.

TRUMP-RUSSIA PROBE — A federal appeals court declines to order dismissal of the Michael Flynn prosecution, permitting a judge to scrutinize the Justice Department’s request to dismiss its case against the former Trump national security adviser. Federal prosecutors had moved to dismiss the prosecution even though Flynn himself had pleaded guilty and admitted lying to the FBI during the Russia investigation about his contacts with a Moscow diplomat. By Eric Tucker. SENT: 400 words, photos. UPCOMING: Developing, 800 words by 4 p.m.

TRUMP-HEROES GARDEN — The nominations of statues for President Donald Trump’s planned National Garden of American Heroes are in. And the suggestions from around the country look more activist and less whitel than the president’s nominees. By Ellen Knickmeyer, Alan Suderman and Jim Anderson. SENT: 1032 words, photos.

UNITED STATES-VOA — A group of journalists at Voice of America is protesting moves made by the U.S.-funded outlet’s new chief that they say are endangering their colleagues and the international broadcaster’s credibility as a news source. SENT: 500 words, photos.

MELANIA TRUMP-BOOK — A former close friend and unpaid adviser to Melania Trump portrays the first lady in an unflattering light in the newest tell-all about a member of the president’s family, saying a “Trump is a Trump is a Trump.” The first lady’s office pans the book as being based on “mistruths” and “revenge.” By Darlene Superville. UPCOMING: 500 words, photo by 5:30 p.m.

Find more coverage of the conventions and Election 2020 on the 2020 U.S. Elections featured topic page in AP Newsroom.

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NATIONAL

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TROPICAL WEATHER - Louisiana residents forced to evacuate because of Hurricane Laura are returning home to survey the damage to their homes and businesses, and some worry they won’t get enough help from state and federal officials. SENT: 1,030 words, photos.

AQUACULTURE EXPANSION — President Donald Trump wants to dramatically expand aquaculture production in the United States, but a coalition of environmentalists believes his plan would be bad for the oceans, unnecessary for food security and difficult to implement. SENT: 820 words, photos.

CONFEDERATE-SCHOOL-NAMES — A renewed push has emerged to rename schools named for Confederate figures amid ongoing nationwide protests over police misconduct and racial injustice. School systems in Alabama, Texas and Virginia have voted in recent months to change school names. But doing so is not always easy because of local resistance or state laws. SENT: 830 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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ISRAEL-EMIRATES-PEACE PLANE — From the Israeli captain’s emotional greeting in Arabic upon takeoff in Tel Aviv, to the warm Emirati reception on the ground in scorching Abu Dhabi, it was obvious this was no typical flight. El Al flight LY971 marked the first-ever direct flight from Israel to the United Arab Emirates, placing a significant stamp on this month’s historic U.S.-brokered deal to normalize relations between the two nations. SENT: 930 words, photo.

BELARUS PROTESTS — Belarus’ authorities handed a jail sentence to a factory strike organizer and detained a leading opposition activist, part of a methodical effort to stifle weeks of protests against the country’s authoritarian leader after an election the opposition says was rigged. SENT: 970 words, photos.

LEBANON-TURNING 100 — Lebanon is marking its centennial this week, with many Lebanese feeling that their experiment as a nation has failed and questioning their willingness to stay in the crises-riddled country. In its most recent history, Lebanon has seen a series of catastrophes, including a financial crash and this month’s massive explosion that decimated Beirut’s port, killing at least 190 people and injuring thousands. SENT: 1,190 words, photos. With LEBANON — Lebanon’s prime minister-designate called for a new government to be formed “in record time,” pledging to speed up the investigation into the massive Beirut explosion and implement reforms after winning the backing of major parties in the crisis-hit country. SENT: 850 words, photos; LEBANON-BLAST — World Bank: Lebanon blast caused damage up to $4.6 billion. SENT: 380 words, photo.

POLAND-SOLIDARITY ANNIVERSARY — Poland is celebrating 40 years since it took a crucial step toward democracy with the creation of the Soviet bloc’s first free trade union, Solidarity, which changed the course of the nation’s history. At the same time, Poland is closely watching protests in neighboring Belarus against the re-election of a pro-Moscow president, events that resemble the mass actions that led to the formation of Solidarity. SENT: 670 words, photos.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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TV-COMPOSING FOR FLAMINGOS — Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer animates such stunning nature sequences as bottlenose dolphins surfing for joy and lions hunting in the Namib desert for “Planet Earth: A Celebration.” By AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy. SENT: 660 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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BBO-TRADE ROUNDUP — Pitchers Lance Lynn and Dylan Bundy are among the top players on the market ahead of baseball's trade deadline. There is a month left in the pandemic-shortened season, and it remains to be seen how this year’s expanded playoffs affects the market. By Jay Cohen. UPCOMING 700 words, photos by 6 p.m.

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HOW TO REACH US

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