AP News Digest 2 p.m.
Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. 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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AP POLL-ELECTION 2020-ENTHUSIASM — A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds that Joe Biden’s supporters are less enthusiastic than President Donald Trump’s, both about the campaign itself and about their candidate. But the poll also finds that the Democrat’s coalition may be equally motivated by anxiety. By Steve Peoples and Hannah Fingerhut. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK — The biggest test yet of an experimental COVID-19 vaccine got underway with the first of some 30,000 Americans rolling up their sleeves to receive shots created by the U.S. government as part of the all-out global race to stop the outbreak. Final-stage testing of the vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna Inc., began with volunteers at various U.S. sites given either a real shot or a dummy without being told which. It will be months before results trickle in, and there is no guarantee the vaccine will ultimately work against the scourge that has killed about 650,000 people around the world, including almost 150,000 in the U.S. By Lauran Neergaard, Michael Hill and Jocelyn Noveck. SENT: 700 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST (sent)
TRUMP-VACCINE POLITICS — President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic put his political fate in grave jeopardy; now he’s hoping to get credit for his administration’s aggressive push for a vaccine – and crossing his fingers one gets approved before Election Day. Trump and Vice President Mike Pence both visit vaccine development sites to highlight the administration’s efforts. By Zeke Miller and Kevin Freking. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos, video by 4 p.m.
RACIAL INJUSTICE-PORTLAND-BOTH SIDES OF THE FENCE — The fence protecting the federal courthouse in Portland, Oregon from nightly assault by protesters is a stark dividing line between two radically different world views. The thousands of demonstrators outside the black, wrought-iron fence and the dozens of federal agents hunkered down inside the besieged courthouse traverse the same endless hours of mayhem just feet apart from each other, but their experiences could not be more different. By Mike Balsamo and Gillian Flaccus. SENT: 2,780 words, photos, video. An abridged version of 770 words is available. With RACIAL INJUSTICE-PORTLAND — A night that started with a reported shooting and a bag found with loaded rifle magazines and Molotov cocktails amid a peaceful protest morphed into an intense confrontation between demonstrators and law enforcement in Oregon’s largest city. SENT: 510 words, photos, video.
TRUMP’S ATTORNEY GENERAL — Attorney General William Barr hasn’t changed to fit President Donald Trump’s idea of politics and the law. He, instead, is in lock-step with his boss. This attorney general, decades before his current stint on the job, made no secret of his professed commitment to law-and-order and his support for expansive presidential power. By Michael Balsamo, Colleen Long and Eric Tucker. By Michael Balsamo, Colleen Long and Eric Tucker. SENT: 2,560 words, photos. An abridged version of 960 words is also available.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-STARVING CHILDREN — Since Haboue Solange Boue was born in Burkina Faso about a month ago, she has lost half her former body weight due to malnutrition. “My child,” her mother whispers, choking back tears as she unwraps a blanket to reveal her baby’s protruding ribs. All around the world, the coronavirus and its restrictions are pushing already hungry communities over the edge. About 10,000 more children are dying for lack of food every month, according to an urgent call to action from the United Nations shared with The Associated Press ahead of publication in the Lancet medical journal. By Lori Hinnant and Sam Mednick. UPCOMING: 2,260 words, photos by 6:30 p.m.
MARLINS-VIRUS — Two major league games set for are postponed because of the coronavirus. The Marlins, facing a COVID-19 outbreak, call off their home opener against Baltimore. Yankees-Phillies is scratched because New York would have been in the same clubhouse Miami used in Philadelphia. By Steven Wine. SENT: 500 words, photos. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 5 p.m.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-GLOBAL — Europe’s tourism revival is running into turbulence only weeks after countries reopened their borders, with rising infections in Spain and other nations causing increasing concern among health authorities over people bringing the coronavirus home from their summer vacations. SENT: 770 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ISRAEL-YOUNG PROTESTERS: A wave of demonstrations is sweeping Israel against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his perceived failure to handle the country’s deepening economic crisis. SENT: 1070 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-ISRAEL-YOUNG PROTESTERS-PHOTO GALLERY.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-GUATEMALA TEACHER — When the novel coronavirus closed Guatemala’s schools in mid-March, teacher Gerardo Ixcoy invested his savings in a secondhand tricycle that he and his brother converted into a mobile classroom. Each day the 27-year-old sets out pedaling among the cornfields of Santa Cruz del Quiché to give individual instruction to his sixth-grade students. SENT: 560 words, photos.
VIRUS-DIARY-THOSE-OLD-TUNES — In January, one writer-musician’s longtime collaborator suggested he curate and upload his decades-rich audio archive to an online music site. Under normal circumstances he would’ve said no. He’d considered those recordings unfinished, meant for private enjoyment and reflection. But within the context of a pandemic, as sirens blared outside his New York window, he pushed aside insecurity and instead saw opportunity. SENT: 700 words, photo.
Find more coverage of the Virus Outbreak in AP Newsroom.
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MORE ON RACIAL INJUSTICE
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RACIAL INJUSTICE-BLACK SOLDIERS MONUMENT — Amid the national reckoning on racism, an unlikely monument is facing scrutiny: a Boston memorial to a famed Civil War unit made up of Black soldiers. Considered one of the nation’s greatest sculptures, the Robert Gould Shaw and Massachusetts 54th Regiment Memorial was popularized in the movie “Glory.” SENT: 950 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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O MAGAZINE-PRINT — Oprah’s O Mag to end regular print editions after 20 years. SENT: 270 words, photo.
NSCI-MARS-NASA — NASA’s next Mars rover is brawniest and brainiest one yet. SENT: 740 words, photos.
MELANIA TRUMP — The Rose Garden at the White House is getting a facelift. First lady Melania Trump says the makeover of one of the world’s most famous outdoor spaces will bring it more in line with the original design from the Kennedy years. SENT: 290 words, photos. UPCOMING: 500 words by 4 p.m.
JAPAN-OBIT-KANSAI YAMAMOTO — Japanese fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto, known for his avant-garde and colorful work that included flamboyant costumes of the late rock icon David Bowie, has died of leukemia, his company said Monday. He was 76. SENT:230 words, photos.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — Senate Republicans are poised to unveil their coronavirus relief plan after last week’s effort came to an abrupt halt amid infighting with the White House. It’s a long-awaited GOP counter-offer to Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s $3 trillion effort passed in May. Democrats urged Republicans to come quickly to the negotiating table to prevent unemployment assistance and an eviction moratorium from expiring for millions of Americans. SENT: 780 words, photos. UPCOMING: Developing, 800 words by 5:30 p.m.
ECONOMY-MORE-STIMULUS — As Congress and the White House resume their efforts to agree on a new economic aid package, evidence is growing that the U.S. economy is faltering. And so is concern that the government may not take the steps needed to support hiring and growth. SENT: 1,100 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER — President Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser Robert O’Brien has tested positive for the coronavirus — making him the highest-ranking official to known test positive so far. SENT: 460 words, photos. UPCOMING: Developing, 550 words by 3 p.m.
JOHN LEWIS — Rep. John Lewis’ casket lies in state at the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers pay tribute to the long-time Georgia lawmaker and civil rights icon. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and others attend a private ceremony in the Rotunda before Lewis’s body is moved to the east steps for a public viewing, an unusual sequence required because of the pandemic. SENT: 760 words, photos. UPCOMING: Developing from 1:30 p.m. ceremony, 800 words by 5 p.m., with updates from Biden visit, 6 p.m. public viewing.
RACIAL INJUSTICE-LAFAYETTE SQUARE — U.S. Park Police began the violent clearing of protesters from Lafayette Square last month without apparent provocation or adequate warning to demonstrators, immediately after Attorney General William Barr spoke with Park Police leaders, according to an Army National Guard officer whose account challenges key aspects of the Trump administration’s explanation for the clearing of the protest in front of the White House. SENT: 660 words, photos.
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TROPICAL WEATHER — A downgraded Hanna continued weakening but its remnants still threatened to bring rainfall and flash flooding to waterlogged parts of South Texas and Northern Mexico that have been dealing with a surge in coronavirus cases. SENT: 670 words, photos, video. With HAWAII-HURRICANE — Hawaii avoided a direct hit from Hurricane Douglas and the Category 1 storm was swirling just north of the island chain. SENT: 670 words, photos.
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CHINA-US-THE RISKS — They have the largest economies in the world. They spend more than anyone else on their militaries. From high-tech chips to control of the high seas, their interests are closely intertwined. The ongoing sharp deterioration in U.S.-China ties poses risks to both countries and the rest of the world. In the latest escalation, a U.S. consulate in Chengdu in southwestern China shuttered Monday, ordered by China to close in retaliation for the U.S. shutting down its consulate in Houston last week. SENT; 730 words, photos.
SAUDI HAJJ — Muslim pilgrims have started arriving in Mecca for a drastically scaled-down hajj, as Saudi authorities balance the kingdom’s oversight of one of Islam’s key pillars and the safety of visitors in the face of a global pandemic. SENT: 690 words.
PHILIPPINES DUTERTE — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte warned would-be criminals that “bodies will pile up” if they turn to robberies and other crimes during the coronavirus pandemic and urged that the death penalty be restored for illegal drugs.. SENT: 520 words, photos.
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FINANCIAL MARKETS — Stocks are rising on Wall Street, while gold rushes to a record at the start of a week packed with potentially market-moving events. SENT: 820 words, photos.
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SPORTS
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FBC--CONFERENCES-SCHEDULING —Plans for the college football season — if it is played — likely take shape this week. They will trickle down from the top, and all that talk from the spring about collaboration among the conferences seems out the window. By College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo. SENT: 850 words, photos.
BKN--NBA RESTART-DEPTH FACTOR — Bench strength will likely be more of a factor than usual during the NBA’s pandemic-delayed title chase. A positive coronavirus test could sideline an elite player at any moment. By Steve Megargee. SENT: 800 words, photos.
HKN--VIRUS OUTBREAK-NHL — Now that life in the NHL bubble has begun, the league tries to manage a delicate balance -- the protocols aimed at keeping the virus in check vs. the business of hockey with the Stanley Cup on the line. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos, video by 7 p.m.
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HOW TO REACH US
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