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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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-STARVING-CHILDREN — The United Nations says coronavirus-linked hunger is leading to the deaths of 10,000 children a month in the first year of the global pandemic because of fears of contamination and movement restrictions. By Lori Hinnant and Sam Mednick. SENT: 2,280 words, photos, video. An abridged version of 980 words is also available.
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ATTORNEY GENERAL-CONGRESS— Attorney General William Barr defends the aggressive federal law enforcement response to civil unrest in America, saying “violent rioters and anarchists have hijacked legitimate protests” sparked by George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police. By Eric Tucker, Mary Clare Jalonick and Michael Balsamo. SENT: 999 words. UPCOMING: Developing throughout the day, 970 words by 5 p.m., photos, video. WITH: RACIAL JUSTICE-TRUMP-LAFAYETTE SQUARE — The head of U.S. Park Police denies that his officers turned their clubs and chemical agents on protesters in front of the White House last month to clear the area for a staged photo event by President Trump. SENT: 900 words. UPCOMING: Developing, 940 words by 4 p.m., photos, video.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRUMP — President Donald Trump’s attempt to project a more serious tone about the coronavirus lasted about a week. He’s back to spreading misinformation about how to fight the virus and sharing digs at Dr. Anthony Fauci, who said he’d keep his head down and do his job. Social media platforms work to remove multiple iterations of a video Trump promoted that included unproven claims, but only after more than 17 million people had seen a version of it. By Darlene Superville and Amanda Seitz. SENT: 1070 words. UPCOMING: Developing, 1000 words by 5 p.m., photos, video.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — Democrats and Republicans launch negotiations over their competing coronavirus aid packages, and the differences are vast. Democrats proposed $3 trillion and Republicans $1 trillion, and millions of Americans’ jobless benefits, school reopenings and eviction protections at stake. By Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 850 words, photos. UPCOMING: Developments possible. WITH: CONGRESS-FBI-HEADQUARTERS — Democratic leaders accuse President Donald Trump of looking after his own interests in pressing Senate Republicans to include in their coronavirus relief proposal $1.75 billion to rebuild FBI headquarters in Washington -- across from Trump International Hotel a prime real estate for a competing hotel if the FBI departed. By Matthew Daly. UPCOMING: 700 words by 4 p.m., photos.
JOHN LEWIS — Mourners braved both infection fears and brutal July heat to pay respects to the late Rep. John Lewis outside the U.S. Capitol.. The crowds were thin and waiting lines nonexistent, partially due to high temperatures. But those who came said it was important to personally honor a genuine civil rights icon who died just as America was entering another round of protests and soul searching over entrenched racial iniquities. By Ashraf Khalil. UPCOMING: 800 words by 5 p.m., photos, video.
BBO—VIRUS-NO TOUCHING IN BASEBALL — There’s no crying in baseball. But there certainly has been a lot of touching so far this season. From many teams ignoring prohibitions on handshakes, high-fives and hugs, to pitchers sitting noticeably fewer than 6 feet apart in dugouts, players around Major League Baseball have had had trouble adhering to league protocols designed to mitigate their risk of contracting COVID-19. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos by 5 p.m. WITH: BBN-MARLINS VIRUS — Four more Miami Marlins test positive for coronavirus, AP source says. SENT: 735 words, photos.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS-DEFENSE — A new $1 trillion COVID-19 response package by Senate Republicans is supposed to give the government all the weapons it needs to battle the surging coronavirus pandemic. But Republicans have more than just the “invisible enemy” of the virus in mind, proposing billions for F-35 fighters, Apache helicopters and infantry carriers sought by Washington’s powerful defense lobby. UPCOMING: 700 words by 4 p.m., photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS JOBLESS AID —The Republican proposal to slash the $600 weekly benefit for those left jobless because of the coronavirus shutdown presents a big problem for some states. Those with older computer programs running their unemployment insurance systems will have to adjust not once, but twice under the GOP plan. That could delay payments to the unemployed for weeks, if not months. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4 p.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-BUSINESS-INSURANCE -- Restaurants, bars and other merchants struggling to stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic are desperately reaching out for a lifeline from insurers who say they are being miscast as potential saviors. The conflict is pitting thousands of small businesses against deep-pocketed insurers with potentially more than $1 trillion in claimed losses at stake in a legal and political battle that could determine whether once-bustling cafes, watering holes, clubs and shops will survive. By Michael Liedtke. SENT: 1,050 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-KYRGYZSTAN -- Coronavirus cases surged in Kyrgyzstan after authorities lifted a tight lockdown in May, overwhelming the teetering health care system in the impoverished Central Asian nation of 6.5 million people. That’s when thousands of volunteers came to the rescue in the former Soviet republic. They worked as orderlies in busy hospitals, converted their cars into makeshift ambulances to transport the sick and found protective gear, drugs, supplies and equipment for medical workers. SENT: 1,095 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHINA-VACCINE — The head of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention says he has been injected with an experimental coronavirus vaccine in an attempt to persuade the public to follow suit when one is approved. SENT: 770 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-REOPENING SCHOOLS — One of the nation’s largest teachers union is authorizing its members to strike if their schools plan to reopen without proper safety measures in the middle of the global pandemic. SENT: 514 words. UPCOMING: Developing, 800 words by 4 p.m., photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CORONA QUEENS — The coronavirus pandemic has changed the lives of many in Corona, a Latino neighborhood in Queens that registered the highest overall case and death counts in New York City. SENT: 940 words, photos, video.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-AFRICA’S FIRST HOTBED — For months, the city of Cape Town was the biggest coronavirus hot spot in Africa. Now, finally, there are signs of relief. SENT: 930 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-EUROPE -- Britain’s effective ban on travel to Spain following an upswing in coronavirus cases in the country’s northeast has hammered home the lack of a comprehensive, Europe-wide approach to suppressing the virus and giving hard-hit, tourism-reliant economies a chance to rebound. SENT: 875 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VENEZUELA-MADURO — More than a year after a fresh-faced, U.S.-backed politician rose up to oust Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the socialist leader holds a stronger grip on power thanks partly to the novel coronavirus. SENT: 1,090 words, photos.
ART--VIRUS OUTBREAK-BOCELLI -- Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, who had COVID-19, says the pandemic lockdown made him feel “humiliated and offended” by depriving him of freedom. Bocelli spoke at a panel in a Senate conference room, where he was introduced by right-wing opposition leader Matteo Salvini, who has railed against the government’s stringent measures to combat the coronavirus outbreak. SENT: 400 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-OLDER CARS -- The coronavirus pandemic is causing drivers to keep their cars and trucks longer. The average age of a vehicle on U.S. roads edged up by a month this year to record 11.9 years. SENT: 275 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-AIR TRAVEL -- Air travel will take even longer than previously thought to return to pre-virus levels. That’s the gloomy prediction from the air transport’s trade association, the IATA. They are pushing their forecast back by a year to 2024. That’s when they say travel will make it back to 2019 levels. In June air travel around the world was down 86% compared to a year earlier. SENT: 340 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRAL QUESTIONS-REINFECTION — Can you get the coronavirus twice? Scientists don’t know for sure yet, but they believe it’s unlikely. SENT: 320 words, photo.
A separate wire advisory has been sent outlining our complete coronavirus coverage.
Find more coverage of the Virus Outbreak in AP Newsroom.
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RACIAL INJUSTICE-HAIR SALONS -- After repeatedly being denied service by high-end salons because her hair was seen as too difficult to style, Kanessa Alexander took an unusual step. She opened a shop of her own in a predominantly white Boston neighborhood with four Black stylists serving all hair textures. Alexander and more than a dozen other people of color in the industry trace such discrimination in mostly white salons to the sidelining of formal education on tightly curled, coiled or kinky hair. SENT: 1,250 words, photos. An abridged version of 790 words is also available.
RACIAL INJUSTICE-YOUTH AND FAITH -- In demonstrations against police brutality and systemic racism that have raged following the police killing of George Floyd, protesters often take a solemn knee. They observe mournful moments of silence. They break into call-and-response. Others build altars, paint murals and pay homage to the victims of police brutality by calling out their names in a litany. In many ways, the protests embody familiar elements of traditional faith, and are often led by young people who find a sense of purpose. SENT: 990 words, photos.
RACIAL INJUSTICE-PORTLAND — The mayors of Portland, Oregon, and five other major U.S. cities appealed to Congress to make it illegal for the federal government to deploy militarized agents to cities that don’t want their presence. SENT: 800 words, photos, video.
RACIAL INJUSTICE-CHICAGO — A Christopher Columbus statue on Chicago’s South Side that was left standing after two other Columbus statues were removed last week may yet be taken down, a City Council member says. SENT: 375 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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ODD- SKYDIVER'S PROSTHETIC LEG — A Vermont skydiver who lost his prosthetic leg during a jump has it back, thanks to a farmer who spotted it in a soybean field. SENT: 200 words, photo.
SHARK BITE — Authorities in Maine say the woman killed in a rare shark attack off the state’s coast was a 63-year-old resident of New York City. SENT: 400 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHAINSMOKERS CONCERT -- New York’s governor says he is “appalled” by videos showing crowds standing close together at a Hamptons concert featuring electronic music duo The Chainsmokers. SENT: 280 words.
RACIAL INJUSTICE-NEW YORK -- New York City police say 303 department vehicles have been vandalized since George Floyd’s May 25 death, causing nearly $1 million in damage. SENT: 220 words, photos.
DREW BREES-HEALTH CARE DONATION -- New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees and his wife have announced a $5 million donation to build community health centers throughout Louisiana. SENT: 200 words, photos.
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CONGRESS-BIG TECH — They command corporations with gold-plated brands and millions or even billions of customers. One of them is the world’s richest individual; another is the fourth-ranked billionaire. Their industry has transformed society, linked people around the globe, mined and commercialized users’ personal data. The CEOs of Amazon, Facebook, Google and Apple will answer for their companies’ practices before Congress for the first time as a group Wednesday. By Marcy Gordon. SENT: 1000 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-BIDEN — Joe Biden unveils a plan to ensure that the nation’s post-pandemic economic recovery is built around promoting racial equality, promising to dramatically spur investment in Black-owned small businesses and encourage home ownership while closing wealth gaps among minority communities. By Will Weissert and Bill Barrow. SENT: 477 words. UPCOMING: Developing from 2:30 p.m. remarks, 800 words by 5 p.m., photos.
Find more coverage of the 2020 U.S. Elections.
TRUMP-RUSSIA PROBE — Former FBI counterintelligence agent Peter Strzok, who played a key role in the Russia investigation but whose pejorative text messages about Donald Trump during the 2016 campaign made him a target of the president’s wrath, is releasing a book on his concerns the president could be compromised. SENT: 666 words, photo.
TWITTER-TRUMP JR.-TIMEOUT -- Twitter has temporarily halted President Trump’s son from tweeting on its site after he shared a video riddled with unsupported claims about the coronavirus. Many Republicans reacted with outrage, filling social media with cries of “censorship,” after Donald Trump Jr.’s account was put on a timeout for sharing the video. SENT: 325 words, photos.
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2020 CENSUS — After asking for coronavirus-related deadline extensions in April, the Trump administration now appears to be abandoning that request by asking Congress for extra funding to wrap up the 2020 census “as quickly, and safely as possible” in a move that could help ensure the number-crunching for redrawing congressional districts takes place on President Donald Trump’s watch. SENT: 798 words, photos.
RIDESHARE-WOES — After driving for Lyft for six years, Joni Bicknese decided to invest in a minivan at the beginning of 2020, reasoning that she could make more money if she could transport more riders. Then came what she calls Nashville’s quadruple-whammy: a tornado, coronavirus closures, protests that rocked downtown, then more closures. UPCOMING: 760 words, photos by 3 p.m.
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PERSIAN GULF-TENSIONS — Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard fires a missile from a helicopter targeting a replica aircraft carrier in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, state television reports, an exercise aimed at threatening the U.S. amid tensions between Tehran and Washington. SENT: 820 words, photos.
CHINA-US-GLOBAL-JITTERS — Tension between the U.S. and China is rattling governments around the world, prompting a German official to warn of “Cold War 2.0” and Kenya’s president to appeal for unity to fight the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 1,150 words, photos.
SAUDI-HAJJ -- The vast white marble floors surrounding Islam’s holiest site, the cube-shaped Kaaba in Mecca, are not packed with hundreds of thousands of pilgrims as they normally would be the day before the hajj. There were only a few officials and workers putting last minute preparations in place. A very limited number of Muslim faithful were waiting in isolation to experience an ancient pilgrimage — albeit a drastically scaled-down hajj, tailored for a modern-day global pandemic. The hajj begins on Wednesday. SENT: 775 words, photos.
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HEALTH & SCIENCE
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ALZHEIMER BLOOD TEST - An experimental blood test was highly accurate at distinguishing people with Alzheimer’s disease from those without it in several studies, boosting hopes that there soon may be a simple way to help diagnose this most common form of dementia. SENT: 735 words, photos.
FRANCE FUSION-REACTOR -- A hugely ambitious project to replicate the energy of the sun is entering a critical phase, as scientists and technicians in southern France begin assembling huge parts of a nuclear fusion device, an international experiment aimed to develop the ultimate clean energy source. World leaders involved in the project appeared virtually at a ceremony for the start of the new stage of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor, or ITER, noting that work has proceeded despite the COVID-19 pandemic in many of the 35 contributing countries. SENT: 415 words, photos.
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FINANCIAL MARKETS — Stocks are drifting lower on Wall Street following a mixed set of earnings reports from big U.S. companies. SENT: 725 words, photos, developing.
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EMMY-NOMINATIONS — “Watchmen,” cloaked in superhero mythology and grounded in real-world racism, received a leading 26 nominations for the prime-time Emmy Awards. The series, which captured America’s unease as it faces racial clashes amid a pandemic, was nominated as best limited series and received bids for cast members including Regina King and Jeremy Irons. King was part of a vanguard of actors of color who showed that TV academy voters took heed of the calls for change. By Television Writer Lynn Elber. SENT: 615 words, photos. WITH: EMMY NOMINATIONS-LIST— Partial list of Emmy nominees in top categories. SENT: 350 words, photos. WITH: EMMY NOMINATIONS-SNUBS & SURPRISES -- Nomination surprises: ‘The Mandalorian,’ Quibi get Emmy love. SENT: 850 words, photos.
BRITAIN-JOHNNY DEPP — Johnny Depp’s high-stakes libel case against a British tabloid that accused him of assaulting ex-wife Amber Heard wrapped up Tuesday in a London court, with the star’s lawyer calling Heard “a compulsive liar” and claiming that Depp was the real victim of abuse in the relationship. SENT: 1,085 words, photos.
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FBN—CAMPS RDP — Most NFL teams officially open training camps with players, coaches and executives likely thinking as much as about Major League Baseball’s coronavirus issues as they are about anything football related. By Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 8 p.m.
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HOW TO REACH US
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At the Nerve Center, Richard A. Somma can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Courtney Dittmar (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, Phil Holm (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.