AP News Digest 6:15 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: ELECTION 2020-NEW HAMPSHIRE, ELECTION 2020-DNC CHANGES, KOBE BRYANT HELICOPTER CRASH, NORTHWEST STORMS, COLLEGE ADMISSIONS-BRIBERY.
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ELECTION 2020 — The Democratic Party's seven strongest presidential contenders are preparing for what could be the fiercest debate of the 2020 primary season. Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg enter as the top targets after emerging from the chaotic Iowa caucuses essentially tied for the lead. By National Political Writer Steve Peoples. SENT: 1,050 words, photos. UPCOMING: Debate begins at 8 p.m.; 1,200 words by 10 p.m. WITH: ELECTION 2020-DEBATE-TAKEAWAYS, ELECTION 2020-DEBATE-FACT CHECK — Highlights and stumbles. UPCOMING: 700 words each, photos by 11 p.m.
Find more coverage on the 2020 U.S. Elections featured topic page on APNewsroom.
TRUMP-IMPEACHMENT-DEMOCRATS — Donald Trump’s impeachment ended with a reminder of why House Speaker Nancy Pelosi resisted the idea for so long — an acquittal everyone saw coming, followed by a bombastic presidential victory lap and a bump in his poll numbers just as the 2020 campaign officially began. Now Democrats have to decide how to navigate the legislative and political landscape that they've helped reshape. By Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor. SENT: 1,030 words, photos.
Find full coverage of the impeachment inquiry in AP Newsroom.
CHINA-OUTBREAK —China's ruling Communist Party faced public anger and recrimination over the death of a doctor who was threatened by police after trying to sound the alarm about the new coronavirus back in December. By Ken Moritsugu and Mari Yamaguchi. SENT: 1,110 words, photos. WITH: CHINA OUTBREAK-US EVACUEES — Another plane carrying people evacuated from the virus zone in China landed Friday at a Marine Corps base just outside San Diego. SENT: 125 words.
VINDMAN — Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the decorated soldier and national security aide who played a central role in the Democrats' impeachment case against President Trump, is escorted out of the White House. His lawyer says Vindman was asked to leave for “telling the truth.” By Deb Riechmann. SENT: 560 words, photos.
SYRIA — Turkey sent more troops and tanks to bolster its military presence in northwestern Syria, where President Bashar Assad's forces have been advancing in a devastating, Russian-backed offensive that has sparked a massive wave of people fleeing in wet and blustery winter weather. By Sarah El Deeb and Susan Fraser. SENT: 915 words, photos. With RUSSIA-SYRIA — Russia’s Defense Ministry says Israeli air forces nearly shot down a passenger jetliner in Syria during a missile strike on the suburbs of Damascus. SENT: 560 words, photo.
ECONOMY-JOBS-REPORT — Hiring jumped last month as U.S. employers added a robust 225,000 jobs, bolstering an economy that faces threats from China’s viral outbreak, an ongoing trade war and struggles at Boeing. The Labor Department also said that a half-million people streamed into the job market in January, though not all of them found jobs. By Christopher Rugaber. SENT: 645 words, photo. WITH: FEDERAL RESERVE-MONETARY REPORT — Federal Reserve signals steady interest rates as downside risks to US economy have lessened. SENT: 500 words, photo.
ELECTION 2020—DACA RECIPIENTS — Many immigrants brought to the U.S. illegally as young children say they have become political activists because they consider themselves Americans. They're assuming a prominent role in the presidential campaign and working to get others to vote though they can't themselves. It comes as a Supreme Court decision looms over whether to lift protections from deportation provided by an Obama-era program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival. By Anita Snow. SENT: 1,165 words, photos.
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ALZHEIMER'S PATIENT-PHOTO — Posting a patient's photo on social media is not illegal, a Minnesota court rules. SENT: 510 words.
TRUMP ART-PULLED — A Delaware university removed from an online showcase a piece of student artwork depicting President Donald Trump being decapitated. SENT: 195 words.
GROOMING-DOG DEATH — A woman whose dog died during a grooming at a PetSmart store in New Jersey is now apologizing for blaming the store for the death. SENT: 250 words.
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MORE ON CHINA OUTBREAK
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CHINA OUTBREAK-DOCTOR DANGERS — The death of a Chinese doctor underscores a grim reality: The physicians first to recognize outbreaks are often among the earliest victims. Dr. Li Wenliang's death showed the dangers health workers have faced in similar epidemics, including SARS and Ebola. SENT: 700 words, photo.
CHINA OUTBREAK-THE DOCTOR — The death of a doctor who was reprimanded for warning about China’s new virus triggered an outpouring of praise for him and fury that communist authorities put politics above public safety. Ophthalmologist Li Wenliang died at the hospital where he worked and likely contracted the virus while treating patients. A prominent Chinese disease researcher called him a hero and said, “Dr. Li Wenliang is immortal.” SENT: 870 words, photos.
HONG KONG-PANIC BUYING — Barren supermarket shelves and signs reading “out of stock.” Widespread panic-buying of essentials such as toilet rolls and rice has hit in Hong Kong. The rush on essentials is a knock-on effect of the deadly virus outbreak in neighboring mainland China. SENT: 300 words, photos.
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ELECTION 2020-NEW HAMPSHIRE — The major Democratic contenders in the New Hampshire presidential primary are expected to shift into overdrive Saturday, starting with a major state party dinner. By Kathleen Ronayne and Hunter Woodall. SENT: 1,080 words, photos. WITH: ELECTION 2020-BIDEN — Joe Biden reorganizes his top presidential campaign leadership. SENT: 870 words, photos. ELECTION 2020-BLOOMBERG — The former Navy secretary who was fired after criticizing President Trump endorses Democrat Michael Bloomberg for president. SENT: 400 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-DNC CHANGES — A top Democrat in Congress says the party's future under Tom Perez is under scrutiny amid fallout from the Iowa caucuses and the winnowing of candidates of color from the presidential primary field. SENT: 460 words, photo. WITH: ELECTION 2020-IOWA CAUCUSES — The Iowa Democratic Party extends until Monday a deadline for presidential candidates to request a review of the results of this week's caucuses. SENT: 440 words, photo.
TRUMP — President Trump goes to North Carolina to showcase a new economic revitalization program, but quickly takes a verbal detour to reprise complaints about his impeachment, saying Democrats should have to list a “failed impeachment hoax” on their resumes. By Darlene Superville. SENT: 590 words, photos, video. WITH: TRUMP-PELOSI-FACT CHECK — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi caused quite a stir when she tore up her copy of Trump's State of the Union speech, but she didn’t break the law. SENT: 360 words, photos.
SECRET SERVICE-TREASURY — The White House throws its support behind a plan to transfer the U.S. Secret Service back to the Treasury Department to better focus on the growing threat of online financial crimes. SENT: 940 words, photo.
TRUMP-HOTEL-LAWSUIT — A federal appeals court in Washington dismisses one of several lawsuits charging that President Trump has illegally profited off the presidency. SENT: 460 words, photos.
CONGRESS-PUERTO RICO AID — The Democratic-controlled House passes a $20 billion-plus aid package for Puerto Rico. The White House has promised a veto. SENT: 440 words, photos.
AP EXPLAINS-ONLINE MISINFORMATION — Americans will see lots of political misinformation in the months leading up to the 2020 race. Here's a rundown of the key terms and concepts they'll need to know to tell their bots from their trolls. SENT: 1,235 words, photos.
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KOBE BRYANT HELICOPTER CRASH — Wreckage from the helicopter that crashed and killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others did not show any sign of engine failure, the National Transportation Safety Board says. SENT: 700 words, photos. WITH: KOBE BRYANT-MEMORIAL — Kobe Bryant's widow says there will be a “celebration of life” memorial on Feb. 24 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles to honor her late husband and 13-year-old daughter Gianna. SENT: 300 words, photos.
WINTER WEATHER — Extreme wind gusts, blowing snow and widespread flooding made traveling treacherous on Friday as a storm system moved into the northeastern United States, leaving rising water and at least five deaths in its wake across the South. SENT: 900 words, photos, video. WITH: NORTHWEST STORMS — Severe flooding in eastern Oregon closes a major freeway, forcing evacuations and stranding at least one family on their roof as other parts of the Pacific Northwest also brace for more flooding and landslides from relentless rain and rapid snowmelt. SENT: 710 words, photos. UPCOMING: Developing.
VIRGINIA GUN LAWS — Democratic lawmakers in Virginia are advancing legislation to ban the sale of assault weapons and the possession of high-capacity magazines despite fierce opposition from gun owners. SENT: 585 words.
COLLEGE ADMISSIONS-BRIBERY — Douglas Hodge, the former CEO of a top investment company, received the harshest sentence Friday of any of the parents caught up in the college admissions bribery scandal. SENT: 390 words, photos.
LEGISLATIVE CONTINUANCES— For a year and a half, a Virginia mother of seven young girls has been frustrated by repeated delays in the domestic violence case against her estranged husband because his defense lawyer exercised a privilege that most other attorneys don’t have. Nine separate times, court records show, the appeals trial for her former NASCAR driver husband has been delayed because his attorney, Republican state lawmaker Jeff Campbell, signaled he was too busy with legislative business to go to court. SENT: 1,015 words, photos.
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ISRAEL-US PLAN-ARAB CITIZENS — It might have seemed to be one of the more innocuous elements in Trump's deeply divisive Middle East peace initiative: the suggestion that a densely populated Arab region of Israel be added to a future Palestinian state, if both sides agree. Instead, the proposal has infuriated many of Israel's Arab citizens, who view it as a form of forced transfer. SENT: 1,140 words, photos. With ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — Palestinians deny U.S. charges of incitement, blame Trump plan. SENT: 840 words, photos.
ITALY-OBIT-PEPPER — Beverly Pepper, a fixture of the Roman “Dolce Vita” and renowned American sculptor who made Italy her home and backdrop to many of her monumental steel creations, has died. She was 97. SENT: 525 words, photos.
SERBIA SHRINKING COUNTRY — Near-empty villages and abandoned, crumbling houses can be seen all over Serbia, a Balkan country whose population is shrinking so fast that the issue has been pinned as a national emergency and the United Nations has stepped in to help. Other countries in the region are facing similar problem where population decline is undermining the economic growth and development. SENT: 870 words, photos.
INDIA-NEW DELHI-ELECTIONS — Campaigning for a crucial state election in India's capital has reached a fever pitch as members of the Hindu nationalist-led government call for violence against minority Muslims and invoke the specter of arch-nemesis Pakistan to reverse course after a pair of losses in recent state polls. SENT: 820 words, photos.
IRELAND-ELECTION — Ireland's elections are usually two-horse races. But this time there's a third contender, as a party with historic links to the Irish Republican Army soars in the polls. SENT: 1,150 words, photos.
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HEALTH/ SCIENCE
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OVERFLOWING GREAT LAKES — High water levels are wreaking havoc in the Great Lakes. The five inland seas are bursting at the seams during the region's wettest period in more than a century, which scientists say is likely connected to the warming climate. And no relief is in sight. SENT: 1,210 words, photos, video.
SCI--BOEING-CREW CAPSULE — Defective software could have doomed Boeing's crew capsule during its first test flight that ended up being cut short late last year, NASA said. SENT: 450 words, photo.
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FORD MANAGEMENT SHAKE-UP — Ford is shaking up its management after a poor fourth-quarter financial performance and the botched launch of the Explorer SUV. Automotive President Joe Hinrichs will retire from the company. Jim Farley, president of new business and strategy, will become chief operating officer. By Tom Krisher. SENT: 600 words, photo.
HYUNDAI RECALL — Hyundai is recalling nearly 430,000 small cars because water can get into the antilock brake computer. SENT: 440 words, photo.
FINANCIAL MARKETS — U.S. stocks slipped a bit, following other markets around the world lower, amid concern that the best week for the S&P 500 in eight months may have been overdone. SENT: 900 words, photo.
ITALY-BENETTON-TOSCANI — Benetton has severed decades-old ties with creative director Olivier Toscani over insensitive remarks regarding the fatal 2018 Genoa bridge collapse. SENT: 480 words, photo.
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OBIT-ROGER KAHN — Roger Kahn, the writer who wove memoir and baseball and touched millions of readers through his romantic account of the Brooklyn Dodgers in "The Boys of Summer," has died. He was 92. SENT: 875 words.
BBO--SPRING TRAINING — Talk of cheating and electronic sign stealing, along with hitting and pitching, will dominate spring training camps when pitchers and catchers report next week. By Baseball Writer Ronald Blum. SENT: 800 words, photos.
HKN--OVECHKIN 700 — Alex Ovechkin is this generation's greatest goal scorer. He has done it with a mix of size, physicality, a deceptive release and a shot goalies liken to a knuckleball. The Washington Capitals captain is on the verge of becoming the eighth player with 700 goals. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. SENT: 800 words, photos.
TYSON-DOUGLAS-30TH ANNIVERSARY — Thirty years after his startling victory against boxing titan Mike Tyson, Buster Douglas is feeling healthy and basking in the glory he says he was denied at the time. “Right now, everything is looking up,” Douglas said in a recent Associated Press interview, noting he struggles with diabetes. “Feeling good and the numbers are good. It's a good thing.” SENT: 790 words, photos.
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