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AP News Digest 2 p.m.

| February 22, 2020 11:05 AM

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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TOP STORIES

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ELECTION 2020 — The Democratic presidential candidates test their strength with large numbers of black and Latino voters for the first time in 2020 as Nevada voters have their say in the nominating race after the opening contests in overwhelmingly white Iowa and New Hampshire. Questions linger about Nevada Democrats' ability to report election results quickly as new concerns surface about foreign interference in the U.S. election. Bernie Sanders looks for more front-running momentum. By Steve Peoples and Alexandra Jaffe. SENT: 1,070 words, photos. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4 p.m. Caucuses get underway at 3 p.m. WITH: ELECTION 2020-TAKEAWAYS — Key takeaways from the caucuses. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos, by 11 p.m. WITH: ELECTION 2020-ANALYSIS — AP News Analysis of the caucuses. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos, by 11 p.m. WITH: ELECTION 2020-QUESTIONS — How well will Sanders do? How will labor flex its muscle? How high is the turnout? Will Nevada winnow the field? What will minority voters do? Did the debate happen in time for Warren? Some important questions the Nevada caucuses may answer. SENT: 920 words, photos.

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

VIRUS-OUTBREAK — South Korea reported an eight-fold jump in viral infections with more than 400 cases mostly linked to a church and a hospital, while the death toll in Iran climbed to six and a dozen towns in Italy effectively went into lockdowns as health officials around the world battle a new virus that has spread from China. By Kim Tong-Hyung. SENT: 1,365 words, photos.

UNITED STATES-AFGHANISTAN-TRUCE — Hopes for ending America's longest war hinge on maintaining a weeklong fragile truce in Afghanistan that U.S. officials and experts agree will be difficult to assess and has many potential pitfalls. What if one militant with a suicide vest kills dozens in a Kabul market or a U.S. airstrike targeting Islamic State insurgents takes out Taliban members instead? Determining whether the agreement has been violated will be a tough task. And there are groups and elements in Afghanistan that would love to see the truce unravel. By Lolita C. Baldor. SENT: 930 words, photos.

FRANCE-CHARITY-SEXUAL ABUSE — A respected Catholic figure who helped improve conditions for the developmentally disabled in multiple countries over half a century sexually abused at least six women, a report produced for his French-based charity has found. SENT: 700 words, photo.

GERMANY-FAR RIGHT — A rampage in the German town of Hanau when a gunman who espoused racial genocide killed 9 people with foreign background was the third deadly far-right attack in a matter of months. German leaders openly acknowledge there is a problem, but so far identifying a solution has been elusive. Many see the far-right Alternative for Germany party as a significant part of the problem, espousing ideas that are seized upon by people prone to violence. But with national elections coming next year, politicians have yet to figure out how to confront the party while also curbing its appeal to disgruntled voters. By David Rising. SENT: 1,100 words, photos. Eds: This story has moved as the Sunday Spotlight.

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WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

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MILAN FASHION WEEK-WATCH — Runway shows are continuing on the fourth day of Milan Fashion Week as the itinerant fashion crowd took an analytical attitude toward the cases of the new virus from China clustered not far away in northern Italy. SENT: 690 words, photos.

BRITAIN-ASSANGE — Hundreds of supporters of Julian Assange marched through London on Saturday to pressure the U.K. government into refusing to extradite the WikiLeaks founder to the United States to face spying charges. SENT: 535 words, photos.

HISTORY CLASS-TRUMP — Republican lawmakers in Maryland are criticizing a history lesson at a public high school near Baltimore that compared President Trump with Nazis and communists. SENT: 285 words.

NAACP IMAGE AWARDS — Hollywood's awards season isn't over quite yet, with the NAACP Image Awards putting the spotlight on the achievements of actors and musicians of color. SENT: 285 words, photos.

MISSISSIPPI-SHOOTINGS — A deputy sheriff responding to a domestic dispute was killed by a shot to the left side of his head, a forensic pathologist testified in the death-penalty trial of a man charged with killing the deputy and seven other people in Mississippi. SENT: 465 words, photos.

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CHINA-OUTBREAK

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MED--VIRUS OUTBREAK-CLUSTERS —In the coronavirus outbreak, it’s not the rising numbers that are worrying experts: It's that they can't trace where some disease clusters started. When new clusters emerge, health officials try to find the first patient, the person who sparked it. But when they can't, it's a signal the disease might be spreading too widely for tried-and-true public health steps to stamp it out. The World Health Organization insists the worst-case isn't here yet. But it also points to spikes in cases in Iran and South Korea to warn that time may be running out to contain the virus. SENT: 1,092 words, photos.

CHINA OUTBREAK EUROPE — A dozen towns in northern Italy are effectively locked down after the deaths of two people infected with the new virus from China and a growing cluster of cases with no direct links to the origin of the outbreak abroad. The secondary contagions prompted local authorities in the Lombardy and Veneto regions to order schools, businesses, and restaurants closed, and to cancel sporting events and Masses. SENT: 900 words, photos.

JAPAN-OUTBREAK-QUARANTINE —A passenger who got off the Diamond Princess after completing the cruise ship's quarantine this past week tested positive for the new virus Saturday, becoming the first known case of infection among those released at the end of the ship's containment period, Japanese officials said. SENT: 540 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON/ POLITICS

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FACT CHECK-WEEK —In their boisterous presidential debate, several Democrats sold short the health care plans of rivals or glossed over aspects of their own record. In an audacious league of his own, President Donald Trump celebrated the elimination of a tax that still exists and went deep and wide in distorting what he's done in office. A sampling from the past week. By Calvin Woodward, Hope Yen and Josh Boak. SENT: 2,110 words, photos. Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd

UNITED STATES-INDIA-PROTECTIONISM — American dairy farmers, distillers and drugmakers have been eager to break into India, the world’s seventh-biggest economy but a tough-to-penetrate colossus of 1.3 billion people. Looks like they’ll have to wait. Talks between the Trump administration and New Delhi, intended to forge at least a modest deal in time for President Donald Trump’s visit that begins Monday, appear to have fizzled for now. It's important to remember that Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi are fierce nationalists who favor protecting their own producers over opening their markets to foreign competition. By Economics Writer Paul Wiseman. SENT: 960 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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INDIA-NAMASTE TRUMP — A festive mood has enveloped Ahmedabad in India’s northwestern state of Gujarat ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting there on Monday with President Donald Trump, whom he's promised millions of adoring fans. SENT: 1,035 words, photos.

BRAZIL-POLICE STRIKE — A violent police strike in northeastern Brazil that led to a senator being injured by gunfire has shed light on dissatisfaction among cops elsewhere in the country who have threatened to protest as rowdy Carnival celebrations start. SENT: 730 words.

SOUTH SUDAN-SWEARING IN — South Sudan opened a new chapter in its fragile emergence from civil war as rival leaders formed a coalition government that many observers prayed would last this time around. A day after President Salva Kiir dissolved the previous government, opposition leader Riek Machar was sworn in as his deputy, an arrangement that twice collapsed in fighting during the conflict that killed nearly 400,000 people. SENT: 915 werds, photos.

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NATIONAL

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OPIOID CRISIS-LAWSUITS — State attorneys general are finding a national settlement over the toll of opioids to be elusive, as some lawyers for state and local governments are renewing public criticism of the proposed deal with a group of companies led by the nation's largest drug distributors. SENT: 515 words, photos.

SUPREME COURT-ATLANTIC COAST — The U.S. Supreme Court is set to hear arguments on a critical permit needed by developers of the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. Backed by the Trump administration, project developers Dominion Energy and Duke Energy will ask the high court to overturn a lower court ruling throwing out a permit needed for the pipeline to cross two national forests, including parts of the Appalachian Trail. SENT: 939 words.

SCHOOL ABUSE-INVESTIGATION — An investigation has revealed multiple credible allegations of sexual and physical abuse by former faculty and staff spanning decades at a school for deaf children in Connecticut. SENT: 400 words.

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BUSINESS/ TECHNOLOGY

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BUFFETT LETTER — Taking advice from Wall Street on deals is a bit like asking “the barber whether you need a haircut,” according to billionaire Warren Buffett. Buffett said in his annual letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders that the current system of reviewing deals doesn't always work well for investors because it almost always favors the deal that corporate CEOs propose. SENT: 750 words, photo.

BOEING-FUEL TANK DEBRIS — Debris has been found in the fuel tanks of 70% of grounded Boeing 737 Max jets that have been inspected by the company, Boeing confirmed. Inspectors found the debris in 35 out of about 50 jets that were inspected. They are among 400 built in the past year that Boeing hasn't been able to deliver to airline customers. SENT: 385 words.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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TV-WHO KILLED MALCOLM X? — A new Netflix series is tackling questions around the 1965 assassination of civil rights icon Malcolm X. “Who Killed Malcolm X?” dives into questions surrounding his accused killers and allegations of a botched investigation. The show available now on the streaming service comes as Friday marked the 55th anniversary of Malcolm X's death. By Russell Contreras. SENT: 435 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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BOX--WILDER-FURY- Deontay Wilder takes on Tyson Fury in perhaps the biggest heavyweight fight in nearly 20 years. The unbeaten boxers fought to a draw 14 months ago when Wilder knocked down Fury twice. Wilder is defending his heavyweight crown for the 11th time. By Boxing Writer Tim Dahlberg. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos. Fight starts about midnight.

BBO--NATIONALS-ASTROS- It will be a World Series rematch when the champion Washington Nationals face the scandalized Astros in an exhibition opener. Houston is playing for the first time since its sign-stealing scam was uncovered. Few Astros regulars are expected to play. By Kristie Rieken. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game starts 6:05 p.m.

BKC--T25-KANSAS-BAYLOR - In what might be college basketball’s top game so far this season, No. 1 Baylor faces No. 3 Kansas. Baylor has won a Big 12-record 23 games in a row. The Jayhawks have an 11-game winning streak since a home loss to the Bears. By Stephen Hawkins. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Game started noon.

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HOW TO REACH US

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At the Nerve Center, Richard Somma 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.