AP News Digest 6:10 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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SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-WEINSTEIN, ELECTION 2020-BLOOMBERG, ROGUE DEA AGENT, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-DOCTOR INVESTIGATION, ICE AGENT SHOOTING, WELLS FARGO-FAKE ACCOUNTS-SETTLEMENTS
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ONLY ON AP
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ROGUE DEA AGENT — A once-standout U.S. federal narcotics agent known for spending lavishly on luxury cars and Tiffany jewelry has been arrested on charges he conspired to launder money with the same Colombian drug cartel he was tasked with fighting. Authorities say Jose Irizarry and his wife were taken into custody Friday in Puerto Rico. SENT: 720 words, photo.
AP POLL-DEMOCRATIC NOMINATION — Democratic voters feel generally positive about all of their top candidates running for president, but they have only moderate confidence that their party’s nomination process is fair, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. By Emily Swanson and Aamer Madhani. SENT: 995 words, photos.
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TOP STORIES
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ELECTION 2020-TRUMP-RUSSIA — President Donald Trump minimizes new warnings from the intelligence community that Russia is interfering in the 2020 election campaign and revives old grievances that Democratic opponents are determined to undermine the legitimacy of his presidency. By Aamer Madhani, Deb Riechmann and Mary Clare Jalonick. SENT: 1,340 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020 — The Democratic primary moves to Nevada on Saturday, where the party is hoping to avoid an embarrassing repeat of the Iowa caucuses. By Steve People and Michelle L. Price. SENT: 1.060 words, photos. WITH: ELECTION 2020-NEVADA-6 QUESTIONS — Six key questions ahead of Saturday’s Nevada Democratic Presidential caucuses. UPCOMING: 780 words, photos. WITH: ELECTION 2020-NEVADA-Q&A —Nevada Democrats are hoping to avoid a repeat of the chaos that ensnared the Iowa caucuses, but they will still be relying on technology to assist in counting and reporting results. SENT: 1,050 words, photos. See more on 2020 election below.
Find more coverage on the 2020 U.S. Elections featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
AFGHANISTAN-PEACE TALKS — A temporary truce between the United States and the Taliban has taken effect, setting the stage for the two sides to sign a peace deal next week. If successfully implemented, the weeklong "reduction in violence” agreement will be followed by the signing of the peace accord aimed at ending 18 years of war in Afghanistan and bringing U.S. troops home. By Matthew Lee and Kathy Gannon. SENT: 1,350 words, photos.
GERMANY-SHOOTING-SURVIVORS — Piter Minnemann says he and his friends were eating when they heard shots fired outside the door of the snack bar in Hanau where they had gathered. The 18-year-old Minnemann recalled the moment when the first shots were heard at the Arena Bar. It was the second site targeted in Wednesday night's racist shooting. Minnemann said the gunman shot two people before coming into the bar, where “he aimed right at us." He said the gunman “came, fired, emptied his magazine, then everything was quiet, then he walked out normally." Hanau native Minnemann said he lost four or five “friends I have known for years.” By Christoph Noelting. SENT: 600 words, photos. WITH: GERMANY SHOOTING — Hundreds of grieving people are flocking to prayers in the mosques of the German town of Hanau. SENT: 790 words, photos.
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-WEINSTEIN —The jury deliberating in Harvey Weinstein's rape trial has indicated that it is deadlocked on the most serious charges. Jurors asked Friday if they could be hung on two counts of predatory sexual assault while reaching a unanimous verdict on other charges. SENT: words, photos, video.
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-DOCTOR INVESTIGATION — Documents released by prosecutors show a former University of Michigan student who reported in 2018 that a late doctor at the school had molested him in the 1970s says he complained at the time to his wrestling coach and the school's athletic director. SENT: 900 word, photos, video.
ELECTION 2020-BLOOMBERG — Democratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg says he's willing to release at least three women from nondisclosure agreements that prevented them from speaking publicly about sexual harassment or discrimination suits filed against him over the last three decades. SENT: 430 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK — South Korea is now the newest front in a widening global outbreak centered in China and now reverberating elsewhere. South Korea said Friday that 204 people are confirmed infected and two have died. The multiplying caseload in South Korea shows the ease with which the illness can spread. By Hyung-Jin Kim and Matt Sedensky. SENT: 1,150 words, photos. Also see CHINA-OUTBREAK below.
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CHINA-OUTBREAK
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CHINA-OUTBREAK — China's leadership sounded a cautious note Friday about the country's progress in halting the spread of the new virus that has now killed more than 2,200 people, after several days of upbeat messages. SENT: 570 words, photos.
IRAN VIRUS-OUTBREAK — Iran has reported two more deaths from the new virus that emerged in China and says the fatalities were from among 13 new confirmed cases of the virus in Iran. Friday's report came as Iranians voted in nationwide parliamentary elections.SENT: 920 words, photos.
CHINA-OUTBREAK-EUROPE — Italian authorities say the number of people infected with the new virus from China has more than quadrupled due to an emerging cluster of cases in the country's north. SENT: 690 words, photos.
JAPAN-VIRUS CRISIS — Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe should be basking in the limelight this year in the run-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Instead, the economy is reeling and criticism is mounting over his government's handling of a new virus that began in China and has spread alarmingly in Japan.. SENT: 980 words, photos.
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WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
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ODD--CELLPHONE DISPUTE-911 CALL — Authorities say an Ohio woman, 36, was arrested for repeatedly calling 911 when her parents cut off her cellphone service. SENT: 115 words.
SUBURBAN BEAR — A bear wandered a Los Angeles foothill suburb, drawing curious onlookers and news media. SENT: 180 words, photo, video.
OVERTURNED TANKER TRUCK-RESCUE — An Indiana woman who had given birth just a few days earlier said her instincts kicked in when she stopped along a highway to help save a driver who was on fire after his tanker truck loaded with jet fuel burst into flames. SENT: 500 words, photo, video.
ITALY-ROMULUS-SHRINE — Italian archaeologists unveiled an exciting new find from the Roman Forum, which they say could be the lost shrine dedicated some 2,600 years ago to Romulus, Rome's legendary founder and first king. SENT: 530 words, photos.
AIR FORCE BASE-CONTAMINATION — More than 50 personnel at McConnell Air Force Base in Kansas may have been exposed to dangerous levels of a compound linked to cancer that was found inside an aircraft hangar last year, according to internal memos. SENT: 350 words.
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ELECTION 2020
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ELECTION 2020-MONEY — Many Democratic presidential candidates launched their campaigns last year with bold pledges to reject help from super PACs and dark money groups. But as the realities of the primary fight sink in, those promises have faded. Elizabeth Warren, a critic of big money in politics, was the latest White House hopeful to accept help from a big money organization that can raise and spend unlimited amounts. SENT: 1,190 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-CHANGING NEVADA: Nevada's first-in-the West presidential caucus puts the spotlight Saturday on a state that has swung increasingly blue over the last two decades. Historically a Republican stronghold, the GOP hasn't carried the Silver State in a presidential election since 2004. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-PEREZ — The Nevada caucuses pose a new test for Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez, as the Democratic party leader tries to keep a messy primary season from devolving into chaos. Perez predicts a smoother process Saturday than the Feb. 3 debacle in the Iowa caucuses, where results have yet to be certified. SENT: 1,0900 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-IMMIGRATION — The Democratic presidential contest has moved to immigrant-heavy Nevada, but the issues of immigration are seldom getting a thorough airing on the campaign trail. Candidates usually throw in a quick condemnation of President Donald Trump's hard-line policies but have shied away from outlining their own immigration positions. By Nicholas Riccardi. SENT: 1,120 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-BIDEN — If it’s possible for Joe Biden to have a campaign comfort zone after dismal finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire, the onetime Democratic presidential front-runner has found it in Nevada. But that may not be enough. By Bill Barrow and Michelle L. Price. UPCOMING: 800 words by 5 p.m., photos.
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WASHINGTON/ POLITICS
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ELECTION 2020-SANDERS – Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders says he was briefed by U.S. officials “about a month ago” that Russia has been trying to help his campaign as part of Moscow's efforts to interfere in the 2020 presidential election. By Steve Peoples. SENT: 425 words, photos.
TRUMP — President Donald Trump rallied supporters in the battleground state of Nevada on the eve of the state's caucuses, looking to exploit Democratic divisions as he focuses on his reelection fight. Speaking to thousands of fans Friday at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Trump also rejected a fresh intelligence community assessment that Russia was seeking to interfere in the 2020 race just as it did in 2016 on Trump's behalf. SENT: 400 words, photos.
TRUMP-FARMERS — President Donald Trump is signaling that he’s prepared to tap federal coffers again to help farmers suffering from the tariff fights that he initiated. The Trump administration so far has committed to providing farmers with $27 billion in assistance. SENT: 440 words, photo.
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NATIONAL
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ICE AGENT SHOOTING — The mother of a Mexican municipal worker who was shot in the face by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in New York says she wants justice and the federal agent to be held accountable for what he did. Carmen Cruz was joined by activists on Friday for a news conference to denounce the treatment of her son, Erick Díaz Cruz. SENT: 650 words, photos.
MISSING KIDS-MOM ARRESTED — The mother of an Idaho boy and his teenage sister who have been missing since September has been arrested in Hawaii on felony child abandonment charges and authorities said she was expected to appear in court. SENT: 990 words, photos.
PLANNED PARENTHOOD-STATE FUNDING — Several states have begun picking up the tab for family planning services at clinics run by Planned Parenthood, which last year quit a $260 million federal funding program over a Trump administration rule prohibiting clinics from referring women for abortions. SENT: 960 words, photos.
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BUSINESS
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WELLS FARGO-FAKE ACCOUNTS-SETTLEMENT — Wells Fargo has agreed to pay $3 billion to settle criminal and civil investigations into a long-running practice whereby company employees opened millions of unauthorized bank accounts in order to meet unrealistic sales goals. SENT: 660 words, photos.
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INTERNATIONAL
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IRAN-ELECTIONS — Iranians voted for a new parliament, with turnout seen as a key measure of support for Iran's leadership as sanctions weigh on the economy and U.S. pressure isolates the country diplomatically. SENT: 1,260 words, photos.
SYRIA — Turkey's president spoke with two European leaders by phone and called for an end to a Syrian government offensive on the last rebel stronghold in the country that has displaced hundreds of thousands of people. SENT: 715 words, photos. WITH: SYRIA-FOREIGN ACTORS — Syrian war pulls in major foreign actors, increasing tension. SENT: 910 words.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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THEATER-TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD – Actor Kyle Scatliffe has gone to Madison Square Garden plenty of times — for a Rangers game, a Muse concert and a WWE event. Next week, he's going back again, but this time he won't be in the seats. Scatliffe on Wednesday will be starring in the hit Broadway play “To Kill a Mockingbird” when it relocates to the Garden for an exclusive, one-time-only performance in front of 18,000 public school children. By AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy. SENT: 640 words, photos.
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SPORTS
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FBN--NFL LABOR — NFL player representatives have decided to not vote on a labor deal team owners approved a day earlier. Instead, the NFL Players Association wants more negotiations with the league next week. SENT: 790 words, photos.
BBO-CHAMPS VS. CHEATERS — It will be champs vs. cheaters in a World Series rematch when the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros play their exhibition opener on Saturday night. The last time these teams met, the Nationals were celebrating their first World Series title in Houston after winning Game 7 at Minute Maid Park. SENT: 930 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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