AP News Digest 6:20 p.m.
Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All Times EST. 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 VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS, TRUMP, OBIT-GISCARD D’ESTAING, FEMA HARASSMENT, CHINA-FORCED LABOR, PLANNED PARENTHOOD SHOOTING, VIRUS OUTBREAK-AUSTIN MAYOR, DAYTIME METEOR, ASTEROID IMPOSTER, SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-VACCINE — Britain became the first country in the world to authorize a rigorously tested COVID-19 vaccine and could be dispensing shots within days — a historic step toward eventually ending the scourge that has killed more than 1.4 million people around the globe. In giving the go-ahead for emergency use of the vaccine developed by American drugmaker Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech, Britain vaulted past the United States by at least a week. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is not scheduled to consider the vaccine until Dec. 10. By Lauran Neergaard and Danica Kirka. SENT: 1,075 words, photos. WITH: VIRUS-OUTBREAK-BRITAIN VACCINE — Who, when and how? A look at the UK’s vaccination rollout. SENT: 955 words, photos. WITH: VIRUS OUTBREAK-GERMANY-BIONTECH --Vaccine puts spotlight on German pharma company BioNTech. SENT: 830 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-US SURGE — U.S. hospitals slammed with COVID-19 patients are trying to lure nurses and doctors out of retirement, recruiting nursing students and new graduates who have yet to earn their licenses, and offering eye-popping salaries in a desperate effort to ease dire staffing shortages. The number of U.S. patients in the hospital with the virus has more than doubled over the past month to a record high of nearly 100,000. By Grant Schulte and Amy Forliti. SENT: 800 words, photos. WITH: MED-VIRUS OUTBREAK-HOLIDAY TRAVEL — U.S. health officials say staying home for the upcoming winter holidays is the best way to stay safe and protect others. But for those who ignore that advice, COVID-19 testing before and after trips is an option. SENT: 175 words, photos.
ELECTION-MENACING AFTERMATH — The last throes of Donald Trump’s presidency have turned ugly, putting people criticized publicly by the president at risk of harm. Politically neutral public servants, Democrats and a growing number of Republicans who have been deemed insufficiently loyal to the defeated president are being caught up in a menacing postelection undertow stirred by Trump’s grievances. By Colleen Long and Calvin Woodward. UPCOMING: 990 words by 7 p.m., photos.
TRUMP — Increasingly detached from reality, President Donald Trump stood before a White House lectern and delivered a 46-minute diatribe against the election results that produced a win for Democrat Joe Biden, unspooling one misstatement after another to back his baseless claim that he really won. By Aamer Madhani and Kevin Freking. SENT: 670 words, photos. With TRUMP-FACT CHECK — A familiar list of dubious claims. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 7 p.m.
BIDEN-JUSTICE DEPARTMENT — Attorney General William Barr’s decision to appoint a special counsel to investigate the handling of the 2016 Russia probe is a sop to President Trump’s long-held claims of misconduct in the investigations that shadowed his presidency. But Barr’s parting gift will also loom over President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for attorney general. By Zeke Miller. UPCOMING: 900 words by 7 p.m., photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — Democratic leaders swing behind a bipartisan COVID-19 relief effort, cutting their demands for a $2 trillion-plus measure by more than half in hopes of breaking a monthslong logjam and delivering much-sought aid as a coda to a tempestuous congressional session. By Andrew Taylor. SENT: 720 words, photos.
CLIMATE PUSH — The head of the United Nations is calling on countries to end what he calls a war on nature and instead embrace a future without carbon pollution triggering global warming. With two dire new UN reports in hand, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is stepping up a hope-tinged push to curb climate change. By Seth Borenstein and Frank Jordans. SENT: 725 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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BRAZIL-AMAZON BANK ROBBERY — Heavily armed bank robbers have invaded another Brazilian city — this time Cameta in the Amazon — just one day after criminals struck another mid-sized city on the opposite side of the country. SENT: 500 words, photo.
PEOPLE-PEOPLE OF THE YEAR — People magazine has named George Clooney, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Selena Gomez and Regina King as the “2020 People of the Year.” SENT: 265 words, photos.
DAYTIME METEOR — A noontime boom that was heard and felt from southern Ontario to Virginia was likely caused by a disintegrating meteor, according to an organization in western New York that keeps track of such phenomena. SENT; 300 words.
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES-BURNED BOBCAT — A young bobcat that was badly burned in a California wildfire will be released back into the wild. SENT: 240 words, photos.
FBI-AGENT-SHOT SUSPECT KILLED- An FBI agent was shot and an Ohio homicide suspect was killed during a shooting in Louisiana while the agent was executing a search warrant for the suspect. SENT: 160 words.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-BAR OWNER ARREST — The New York City sheriff’s office says a bar owner who was providing indoor service in defiance of coronavirus restrictions has been arrested. Protesters shouted as deputies arrested Danny Presti, the co-owner of Mac’s Public House on Staten Island. The tavern is in an area designated by Gov. Andrew Cuomo as an orange zone because of spiking COVID-19 rates and was not supposed to be serving customers indoors. SENT: 335 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-LOS ANGELES —The city of Pasadena has kept outdoor dining open despite Los Angeles County restricting restaurants to takeout to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. SENT: 900 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-RUSSIA — Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the start of a “large-scale” COVID-19 vaccination by late next week, with doctors and teachers to be the first in line to receive the Sputnik V shots, which have yet to complete advanced studies needed to ensure its effectiveness and safety in line with established scientific protocols. SENT: 630 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA — South Korean officials are urging people to remain at home if possible and cancel gatherings large and small as around half a million students prepare for a crucial national college exam. SENT: 480 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-KOSOVO FRIENDSHIP — Kosovo ethnic divide eases as Muslim cares for elderly Serb. SENT: 620 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-AUSTIN MAYOR — Austin Mayor Steve Adler went on vacation to Mexico with family in November as he urged people to stay home amid worsening coronavirus caseloads in Texas. SENT: 500 words, photos.
Find more coverage on the Virus Outbreak on the featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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BIDEN-PENTAGON — President-elect Joe Biden faces escalating pressure from competing factions within his own party as he finalizes his choice for secretary of defense. SENT: 1,040 words, photos.
KLAIN PROFILE — Ron Klain has checked all the boxes of a classic Washington striver: Georgetown, Harvard Law, Supreme Court clerk and Capitol Hill staffer, White House adviser and, along the way, of course, lobbyist and lawyer. As President-elect Joe Biden’s chief of staff he’ll essentially be the nation’s chief operating officer. His gilded resume, deep knowledge of the levers of power in the capital have drawn praise from both sides of the ideological divide. SENT: 1540 words, photos. An abridged version of 1086 words is also available.
TRUMP-CONGRESS-DEFENSE BILL — President Trump is closing out his relationship with Congress with one more jab, threatening to veto a hugely popular defense bill unless it includes his provision attacking big tech companies over the election. A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers is saying enough. Failure to pass the legislation would be a first in more than 50 years. By Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 790 words, photos.
REPUBLICAN PARTY LEADER — Ronna McDaniel, the Republican National Committee chairwoman, launches bid for a third two-year term heading the GOP’s governing organization after the party’s stronger-than-anticipated showing in November’s election, even though President Donald Trump lost. SENT: 404 words, photos.
SUPREME COURT-NON-UNANMIMOUS JURIES — The Supreme Court struggles with whether to require new trials for potentially thousands of prisoners in Louisiana and Oregon who were convicted by non-unanimous juries before the court barred the practice last year. SENT: 450 words, photo.
LAMAR ALEXANDER-FAREWELL — Sen. Lamar Alexander, a Tennessee political legend who forged a productive path as a Senate institutionalist after tours as governor and Cabinet secretary, says goodbye to the chamber, advising his colleagues to seek broadly backed, durable solutions to the nation’s problems rather than succumb to easy partisanship. SENT: 620 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-WISCONSIN — President Trump’s attempt to overturn Wisconsin’s election results by tossing ballots only from the state’s two most heavily Democratic counties is an “assault on democracy,” attorneys for Democratic Gov. Tony Evers said in filings with the Wisconsin Supreme Court. SENT: 570 words, photo.
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POLAND-WOMEN’S-REVOLT — Poland is facing one of the biggest protest movements since the collapse of Communism three decades ago. It erupted after the country’s constitutional court, packed by loyalists of the conservative ruling party, attempted to further tighten one of the world’s most restrictive abortion laws. Some say that the women-led protest feels a revolutionary moment that signals a deeper generational change, while the opposition and protesters hope it might eventually bring the populist government down. SENT: 1,020 words, photos.
ISRAEL-POLITICS — Israel took a major step toward plunging into its fourth national election in under two years as lawmakers — supported by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s main coalition partner — passed a preliminary proposal to dissolve parliament. The 61-54 vote came just seven months after the coalition took office following three inconclusive elections in just over a year. Netanyahu’s Likud party and Defense Minister Benny Gantz’s Blue and White said they were seeking national unity to confront the coronavirus crisis. But since then, the rivals have been locked in infighting. By Ilan Ben Zion. SENT: 790 words, photos.
HONG-KONG-ACTIVISTS-SENTENCED — Three prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activists were sentenced to jail Wednesday for a protest outside police headquarters as authorities stepped up a crackdown on opposition to tighten control by Beijing over the territory. SENT: 400 words, photos.
ETHIOPIA-MILITARY CONFRONTATION — In a breakthrough a month after deadly conflict cut off Ethiopia’s Tigray region from the world, the United Nations says the world body and the Ethiopian government have signed a deal to allow “unimpeded” humanitarian access, at least for areas under federal government control after the prime minister’s declaration of victory over the weekend. SENT: 930 words, photos.
COLOMBIA-ELECTRIC WHEELCHAIR TOURS — Wilson Guzmán lost the use of his legs at age 17 when he was shot in the back while trying to recover a stolen bicycle in Medellin, Colombia. Two decades later, he glides though the city’s streets using an electric hand-bike attached to the front of his wheelchair. On a recent day, he gave a tour of the city’s parks to seven people who followed him down bike lanes and up steep hills on a fleet of similar vehicles. The wheelchair tours are the latest tourist attraction in a city that is shedding its reputation for drug violence and has become one of Colombia’s most visited destinations. SENT: 690 words, photos.
CHINA-FORCED LABOR — The U.S. will block imports from a major Chinese producer of cotton goods for its suspected use of workers detained as part of a crackdown on ethnic minorities. SENT: 430 words.
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NATIONAL CENTURY EARLY RELEASE — An Ohio woman who fled the United States for Mexico ahead of her sentencing in one of the biggest corporate fraud cases in decades is asking for early release from prison, citing poor health and fear of contracting the coronavirus behind bars. SENT: 450 words, photo.
NAVAL ACADEMY-HISTORIC STUDENT — A midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy has become the first Black woman selected for the academy’s top student leadership position. Sydney Barber will assume her role as brigade commander next semester. The 175-year-old institution first allowed women to attend the academy 44 years ago, and 15 have held the post of brigade commander. But no Black women have ever been selected for the position. The brigade commander is chosen by senior leadership and the academy commandant’s staff through an application and interview process. SENT: 635 words, photos.
UNPROVOKED ATTACKS — A series of random attacks on men in a Boston suburb has angered city leaders, frustrated police and frightened residents. Police in Waltham say there have been at least 10 attacks in the city since Nov. 10. Some were so severe that the victims required hospitalization. Police say the attacks come without warning, after dark and usually from behind. The victims are hit so hard on the head with some sort of blunt object that they are often knocked to the ground and require medical attention. SENT: 720 words, photo.
RACIAL INJUSTICE SLAVERY AMENDMENT — National lawmakers are expected to introduce a joint resolution aimed at striking language from the U.S. Constitution that enshrines a form of slavery in America’s foundational documents. SENT: 800 words, photos.
RACIAL INJUSTICE-POLICE TRAINING — A prominent law enforcement training group is promoting a lengthy research document riddled with falsehoods and conspiracies that urges local police to treat Black Lives Matter activists as terrorists plotting a violent revolution. SENT: 875 words, photos.
FEMA-HARASSMENT — More than a quarter of workers at the Federal Emergency Management Agency say they have been harassed or discriminated against based on their gender or race, according to a new survey. SENT: 470 words, photo.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD SHOOTING — Federal prosecutors said Wednesday they will not seek the death penalty against a man accused of killing three people and injuring nine others at a Planned Parenthood clinic in Colorado in 2015. SENT: 500 words, photo.
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HEALTH & SCIENCE
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CHINA-SPACE AMBITIONS — China’s landing of its third probe on the moon is part of an increasingly ambitious space program that has a robot rover en route to Mars, is developing a reusable space plane and is planning to put humans back on the lunar surface. By Joe McDonald and Victoria Milko. SENT: 870 words, photos.
ASTEROID IMPOSTER — Scientists have confirmed that a mysterious object temporarily orbiting Earth is a 54-year-old rocket, not an asteroid after all. SENT: 250 words, photo.
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AIRLINES SERVICE ANIMALS — The government has decided that when it comes to air travel, only dogs can be service animals, and companions used for emotional support don’t count. The Transportation Department issued a final rule that aims to settle years of tension between airlines and passengers who bring their pets on board for free by saying they need them for emotional support. SENT: 390 words, photos.
FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Stock indexes were mixed on Wall Street as the market eases off a fresh set of record highs reached on optimism that coronavirus vaccines could soon start driving a stronger economic recovery. SENT: 495 words, photos.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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TV-MARIAH CAREY — Mariah Carey’s iconic “All I Want for Christmas is You” song is the holiday gift that keeps giving, and now the Grammy winner is feeling generous again with a new Christmas TV extravaganza called “Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special.” SENT: 700 words, photos.
SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL Leave the snow boots, parkas and glove warmers in the closet, the 2021 Sundance Film Festival is coming down from the mountain and straight to your living room. Organizers on Wednesday said that this year they will premiere over 70 films on a custom online platform. SENT: 300 words, photos.
TIK TOK-TOP 100 — Whether its skateboarding to Fleetwood Mac and dancing to Cardi B, TikTok users got creative in 60 seconds or less. The social media app shared its list of top 100 videos, creators and trends in America in 2020. By Entertainment Writer Kristin M. Hall. SENT: 600 words, photos.
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SPORTS
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FBN-RAVENS STEELERS — The unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers (10-0) host rival Baltimore (6-4) in a game delayed three times by a COVID-19 outbreak among the Ravens. The game is the first NFL contest to be played on Wednesday in eight years. Game begins at 3:40 p.m. By Will Graves. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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At the Nerve Center, Andrew Dalton can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, (ext. 7636). Expanded AP content can be obtained from http://newsroom.ap.org. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport(at)ap.org or call 877-836-9477.