AP News Digest 2 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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ONLY ON AP
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SOUTH AFRICA-CHILD KILLINGS — Official crime figures show around 1,000 children are murdered every year in South Africa, nearly three a day. But that horrific statistic may be an undercount. Child welfare experts say many more children are victims of homicides that are not investigated properly, not prosecuted or are completely missed by authorities. Nationwide child death reviews are common in developed countries but not in South Africa. So, one researcher carried out her own child death reviews. As she feared, the findings of those first such studies were grim. By Gerald Imray and Bram Janssen. SENT: 950 words, photos.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK —Over 2,800 stranded truck drivers hoped to get the green light to leave Britain and get back home for Christmas as the country found itself increasingly isolated and its trade bottled up, cut off by neighbors afraid of a new strain of the coronavirus circulating in England. More than 630 trucks snaked along a major highway in southeast England near the English Channel ports, while almost 2,200 others crowded into an unused airport on Day 2 of an ordeal that began when dozens of nations banned flights from the U.K. and France barred entry to its trucks. By Pan Pylas. SENT: 830 words, photos.
MED-VIRUS OUTBREAK-DEADLIEST YEAR — This is the deadliest year in U.S. history, with deaths expected to top 3 million for the first time — due mainly to the coronavirus pandemic. Final mortality data for this year will not be available for months. But preliminary numbers suggest that the United States is on track to see more than 3.2 million deaths this year, or at least 400,000 more than in 2019. By Mike Stobbe. SENT: 725 words, photos.
PANDEMIC-GLOBAL SUPPLY CHAINS — The coronavirus pandemic has crushed global supply chains and wreaked havoc for millions of workers at both ends. The U.S. is one of the world’s top importers of clothing. At the beginning of the pandemic in March, U.S. retailers canceled or failed to pay for existing orders worth billions of dollars, the effects quickly rippled down the supply chain. Thousands of garment factories around the world closed leading to widespread lay-offs and suspensions of employees, most of them women. From January to June of this year, imports of garments in the U.S. dropped by 26%, a loss of $17 billion for factories around the world. By LOUISE DONOVAN/The Fuller Project. SENT: 2,065 words, photos. Eds: An abridged version of 875 words is available.
WALMART-OPIOID LAWSUIT — The Justice Department is suing Walmart, alleging the company unlawfully dispensed controlled substances through its pharmacies, helping to fuel the opioid crisis in America. By Michael Balsamo. SENT: 250 words, photos. Developing.
BIDEN-CONGRESS — For President-elect Joe Biden, Washington’s year-end burst of deal-making brought renewed hope for action during his first 100 days in office. The city’s fever broke as longtime combatants finally forged a COVID-19 deal that carried with it dozens of smaller bills, offering proof that robust legislating is still possible. But the torturous path to an agreement also showed the obstacles ahead as Biden tries to find common ground with Republicans in the Senate. By Andrew Taylor. UPCOMING: 800 words by 5 p.m., photos.
CONGRESS-BUSINESS MEALS — Stuffed into the new emergency relief package is a morsel that President Donald Trump has long had on the buffet of his economic wish list: restoring full tax breaks for business meals in restaurants or delivered. But experts say it’s scant immediate help for an industry reeling from the pandemic as new virus cases surge, while critics deride it as an insensitive “three-Martini lunch” giveaway to business. By Marcy Gordon. UPCOMING: 700 words by 5 p.m., photos. WITH: CONGRESS-HORSE-RACING — A bill to ban race-day doping of horses and set national medication and track-safety standards for the horse-racing industry is nearing the finish line. Lawmakers gave final approval to the bill late Monday as part of the massive legislation on spending and pandemic relief. SENT: 600 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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PASSENGERS JUMP FLIGHT — A Delta spokesperson says a New York City flight was halted after a man and a woman carrying a service dog exited the aircraft using an emergency slide. SENT: 250 words.
HIGHWAY GUNFIRE — Authorities say a 7-year-old girl has been hospitalized for a gunshot wound she suffered during a shooting that closed off the northbound lanes of a highway in the Washington, D.C., area. SENT: 110 words.
LEATHER YOGA MAT-HINDU COMPLAINT — A Hindu activist is calling on luxury goods maker Louis Vuitton to pull a yoga mat made partly from cowhide leather, calling it “hugely insensitive.” SENT: 265 words.
FLINT WATER — The Flint City Council in Michigan has signed off on its portion of a $641 million settlement with residents who were exposed to lead-tainted water. SENT: 300 words, photo.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-ICU CHRISTMAS — Doctors and nurses caring for the sickest COVID-19 patients are doing what they can to get through the holidays. At one Alabama hospital, the intensive care unit is decorated with Christmas trees, snowman stickers and lights. Staff members at East Alabama Medical Center say Christmas just doesn’t feel right this year, but decorations lighten the mental load a little. SENT: 795 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-US SURGE — California is desperately searching for nurses, doctors and other medical staff, perhaps from as far away as Australia, as the coronavirus surge pushes hospitals to the breaking point. With many of the state’s hospitals running out of capacity to treat the severest cases, the state has brought in and deployed more than 500 temporary medical staff members, but it needs a total of 3,000. SENT: 1,020 words, photos. WITH: VIRUS-OUTBREAK-THINGS TO KNOW — Deaths to set record, consumer confidence down. SENT: 430 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-BIRX — Dr. Deborah Birx, coordinator of the White House coronavirus response, says she plans to retire, but is willing to first help President-elect Joe Biden’s team with its coronavirus response as needed. SENT: 475 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SOUTH CAROLINA — South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster has tested positive for the coronavirus and was slated to receive outpatient antibody treatment for “mild symptoms.” His office said that the 73-year-old McMaster learned he’d tested positive late Monday following a test “due to coming into close contact with the COVID-19 virus.” SENT: 415 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-PUBLIC SCHOOL ENROLLMENT — Data from 33 U.S. states shows that K-12 public school enrollment has dropped across those states by more than 500,000 students, or 2%, since the same time last year. That is a significant shift considering that enrollment overall in those states has typically gone up by about half a percent in recent years. The data obtained by Chalkbeat and The Associated Press offers the clearest picture yet of the pandemic’s devastating toll on public school enrollment. The decline could eventually have dire consequences for already stressed school budgets that are based on headcounts. Even more alarming, educators say, is that some of the students who left may not be in school at all. By Kalyn Belsha and Gabrielle LaMarr Lemee of Chalkbeat, and Leah Willingham and Larry Fenn of The Associated Press. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA — South Korea will prohibit private social gatherings of five or more people and shut down ski resorts and major tourist spots nationwide starting from Christmas Eve as it contends with surging coronavirus infections. The restrictions widen similar plans announced by authorities in the Seoul metropolitan area to a national level. SENT: 510 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK CALIFORNIA - California has recorded a half-million coronavirus cases in the last two weeks, overwhelming hospitals in urban centers and rural areas. A medical center in Imperial County along the Mexican border warned Monday that it is fast running out of patient beds. SENT: 880 words, photos.
ONE GOOD THING-CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS TREES — A Virginia man has found a way to use Charlie Brown-style Christmas trees to benefit a middle school that provides scholarships for students from an impoverished area. Frank Pichel sold scrawny wild pine trees from land he owns to raise money for the Anna Julia Cooper Episcopal School in Richmond’s East End. The school was started in 2009 by parishioners and priests who wanted to help children from low-income families change their lives. Pichel has sold 180 trees and raised more than $5,000 for the school. Pichel’s customers say the imperfect trees seem appropriate in a year that saw the world struggle with the devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 715 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRAL-QUESTIONS-VACCINE EMPLOYERS — Can employers make COVID-19 vaccination mandatory? Yes, with some exceptions. Experts say employers can require employees to take safety measures, including vaccination. That doesn’t necessarily mean you would get fired if you refuse, but you might need to sign a waiver or agree to work under specific conditions to limit any risk you might pose to yourself or others. SENT: 230 words, photos.
Find more coverage on the Virus Outbreak on the featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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BIDEN — President-elect Joe Biden to speak on the $900 billion coronavirus aid bill as the nation deals with a COVID-19 surge that’s casting a shadow over the Christmas holiday. By Alexandra Jaffe. SENT: 400 words, photos. Developing.
BIDEN-EDUCATION-CARDONA — President-elect Joe Biden has chosen Miguel Cardona, the education commissioner for Connecticut and a former public school teacher, to serve as education secretary. SENT: 960 words, photo.
CALIFORNIA SENATE-APPOINTMENT — California Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Secretary of State Alex Padilla as the state’s next U.S. senator to fill the seat being vacated by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. SENT: 635 words, photos.
ELECTION-2020-GEORGIA PERDUE — Republican U.S. Sen. David Perdue is hoping years spent as one of Donald Trump’s biggest defenders pays off in Georgia, a state the president lost in last month’s election. Perdue and Georgia’s other senator, Republican Kelly Loeffler, are both campaigning for Jan. 5 runoff elections that will decide control of the Senate. Perdue was first elected in 2014 after promising a pragmatic mindset informed by years as the CEO of Reebok and Dollar General. His profile rose in 2016 when he became an early Trump supporter. Whether the president returns the favor remains to be seen. Trump and many of his supporters refuse to accept his loss to Democrat Joe Biden. Some worry that could dampen Republican turnout. SENT: 1,065 words, photos.
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BREXIT — The European Union and the United Kingdom kicked efforts into higher gear to settle a fight over fishing quotas in British waters, the main dispute standing in the way of a trade deal that would avoid a chaotic New Year’s Day economic divorce between the two. SENT: 660 words, photos.
ARMENIA-ZERBAIJAN — Opposition supporters in Armenia ramped up the pressure on the prime minister to resign over his handling of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Azerbaijan, setting up a protest tent camp on the capital’s main square. SENT: 430 words, photos.
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ISLAMIC STATE-DIGITAL PRESENCE —A man supported the Islamic State group for years from a Portland, Oregon, suburb by helping the extremists maintain an online presence that encouraged attacks and sought recruits, federal agents and prosecutors said. SENT: 680 words, photos.
POLICE NAKED MAN — A 71-year-old Black man in South Carolina was embarrassed and feared for his life when a police officer looking for teens who might have been breaking in cars held him outside naked and at gunpoint after he peeked out his door to check on the disturbance, the man said in a lawsuit. SENT: 695 words.
IMMIGRATION-DEFERRED ACTION — A federal judge hears arguments on whether he should invalidate an Obama-era program preventing the deportations of roughly 650,000 people brought to the United States as children. The case in Houston targets the original provisions of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that were restored by another federal judge in December. UPCOMING: 600 words by 4 p.m.
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HEALTH & SCIENCE
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-ANTIBODY PROTECTION, HFR — People who have antibodies from infection with the coronavirus seem less likely to get a second infection for several months and maybe longer, two new studies suggest. It’s good news that bodes well for protection from vaccines. Eds: This story is embargoed until 5:00 p.m.
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SMALL BUSINESS-MORE RELIEF MONEY — Congress is ready to provide nearly $300 billion in additional loans for small businesses pummeled by the virus pandemic as part of a broader package of relief measures. Hard-hit companies that already took a loan from the government could apply for a second one, but the question is whether the money will be enough for businesses such as restaurants and gyms to survive the severe restrictions on their operations. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 3 p.m.
ECONOMY-GDP — The U.S. economy expanded at a record 33.4% annual pace from July through September, the Commerce Department said, delivering the last of three estimates on the economy’s third-quarter performance. But it’s likely that a resurgence in coronavirus cases slowed growth sharply during the last three months of 2020. SENT: 270 words, photos.
FINANCIAL MARKETS —- Stocks are drifting in mixed trading on Wall Street after Congress finally approved a $900 billion rescue package. SENT: 795 words, photos. WITH: CONSUMER-CONFIDENCE — A closely-watched gauge for U.S. consumer confidence tumbled to a reading of 88.6 in December as rising coronavirus cases tamped down American optimism to its lowest level since summer. SENT: 165 words, photo.
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YE-PERFORMING IN THE PANDEMIC — In 2020, the pandemic upended the entertainment world, driving thousands out of work, reshaping industries of culture and accelerating digital transformations. Perhaps no loss was felt as acutely as the near total absence of live performance. Broadway theaters were empty, comedy clubs silent, music halls quiet. The spark between performer and audience was nearly snuffed out, and with it a lifeblood of human connection. By Film Writer Jake Coyle. UPCOMING: 1,300 words by 3 p.m., photos.
Find more year-end coverage on the featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
FILM-WONDER WOMAN-PEDRO PASCAL — Pedro Pascal talks about his huckster Wonder Woman character, who, he says, isn’t entirely dissimilar to The Mandalorian. By Film Writer Lindsey Bahr. SENT: 645 words, photos.
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BKN-WARRIORS-NETS — Kevin Durant returns from an injury that sidelined him 18 months and faces his former team when the Brooklyn Nets host the Golden State Warriors in the NBA’s season opener. Durant won two titles in three seasons with Golden State. By Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Game starts 7 p.m.
BKN-CLIPPERS-LAKERS — LeBron James and the NBA champion Lakers will receive their rings before opening the new season against Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers. The Staples Center rivals both look like two of the NBA’s best teams again this season. By Greg Beacham. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos. Starts 10 p.m.
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