AP News Digest 7 a.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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MANHATTAN-FEDERAL PROSECUTOR — The Justice Department moved abruptly Friday to oust Geoffrey S. Berman, the U.S. attorney in Manhattan overseeing key prosecutions of President Donald Trump’s allies and an investigation of his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. But Berman said he was refusing to leave his post and his ongoing investigations would continue. The standoff set off an extraordinary clash between the Justice Department and one of the nation’s top districts, which has tried major mob and terror cases over the years. By Michael Balsamo and Colleen Long. SENT: 1,125 words, photos.
TRUMP RALLY — A gathering of supporters and detractors of President Donald Trump is growing larger with occasional verbal clashes ahead of Trump’s rally in Tulsa. The Oklahoma Supreme Court on Friday rejected a request to require everyone attending Trump’s weekend rally this weekend to wear a face mask and maintain social distancing inside the arena to guard against the spread of the coronavirus. By Ellen Knickmeyer and Sean Murphy. SENT: 1,170 words, photos, video.
AMERICA-PROTESTS — Protesters marched over the Brooklyn Bridge, chanted “We want justice now!” near St. Louis’ Gateway Arch, prayed in Atlanta and paused for a moment of silence at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial in Washington, as Americans marked Juneteenth with new urgency amid protests to demand racial justice. By Mike Householder, Jonathan Mattise, and Michelle R. Smith. SENT: 1,005 words, photos, video. With AMERICA PROTESTS-THE LATEST. Also see MORE ON AMERICA PROTESTS below.
See full coverage of Racial Injustice on AP News.
TRUMP-CULTURE WARS — President Donald Trump says he will win the November election in part because of a “silent majority” of voters who are worried about sweeping cultural changes. It’s the same strategy Trump used in his 2016 victory over Hillary Clinton. However, Trump’s efforts to harness the culture wars may be more difficult than four years ago. Polls show that some of the cultural shifts that took hold during Obama’s presidency have continued during Trump’s tenure, signaling that his election alone couldn’t hold back the evolving views of an increasingly diverse nation. By Julie Pace. SENT: 1,035 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-IMMIGRATION — The Supreme Court’s rejection of one of President Donald Trump’s key immigration measures injects another hot-button issue into a presidential campaign already upended by a pandemic, economic collapse and protests. That has risks for both Trump and his Democratic rival, Joe Biden. By Will Weissert and Zeke Miller. SENT: 975 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-GLOBAL — China’s capital has recorded a further drop in coronavirus cases amid tightened containment measures while Brazil surpassed more than 1 million confirmed infections, second only to the United States. The head of the World Health Organization says the pandemic is accelerating and that more than 150,000 cases were reported the day before. European countries continue to emerge from lockdown, however. By Ken Moritsugu and Jill Lawless. SENT: 775 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST.
Find more all-format coverage on the Virus Outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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AMERICA PROTESTS-WASHINGTON — Protesters have toppled the only statue of a Confederate general in the nation’s capital and set it on fire. It happened on Juneteenth, the day marking the end of slavery in the United States, and amid continuing anti-racism demonstrations following the killing of George Floyd. Cheering demonstrators watched as the statue of Albert Pike — wrapped with chains — wobbled on its high granite pedestal before falling backward, landing in a pile of dust. SENT: 490 words, photo.
AMERICA PROTESTS-KENTUCKY — Louisville’s mayor says one of three police officers involved in the fatal shooting of Breonna Taylor will be fired. Two other officers remain on administrative reassignment while the shooting is investigated. SENT: 700 words, photos.
AMERICA PROTESTS-JUNETEENTH-CHICAGO — Hundreds of Chicagoans marked Juneteenth with upbeat and celebratory marches commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Lt. Gov. Juliana Stratton and U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth participated in another march that wound through Grant Park. SENT: 320 words.
AMERICA PROTESTS-JUNETEENTH-NEW YORK — New York City’s mayor says Juneteenth will be become an official holiday for city workers and schoolchildren next year, and the city will form a new commission to examine its history of racial discrimination. SENT: 300 words.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK — As the coronavirus spreads deeper across America, it is ravaging through Latino communities from the mid-Atlantic to the Southwest, infecting them at alarmingly high rates and amplifying the inequalities they live with. Latinos are especially vulnerable to infection because they tend to live in tight quarters with multiple family members and have jobs that expose them to others. By Regina Garcia Cano, Anita Snow and Bryan Anderson. SENT: 1,310 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ONE-GOOD-THING-PERU BARBER — A barber in Peru’s capital is giving free haircuts once a week in the poor neighborhoods suffering most from the recession caused by the coronavirus lockdown. Josué Yacahuanca says some clients at first don’t believe that there is no fee. The 21-year-old barber says he wants them to have a bit of hope looking in the mirror after a clean cut. SENT: 525 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA — South Korea has reported 67 additional cases of the coronavirus, the largest daily jump in about three weeks amid an upward trend in new infections. SENT: 405 words, photos.
AFGHANISTAN-US — The US State Department says COVID-19 infections have been reported at its embassy in the Afghan capital and the staff who are affected include diplomats, contractors and locally employed staff. SENT: 325 words.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-AIRCRAFT CARRIER — In a stunning reversal, the Navy has upheld the firing of the aircraft carrier captain who urged faster action to protect his crew from a coronavirus outbreak, the Navy’s top officer said. Adm. Mike Gilday, the chief of naval operations, also extended the blame for the ship’s pandemic crisis, delaying the promotion of the one-star admiral who was also onboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt — concluding that both men made serious errors in judgment. By Lolita C. Baldor and Robert Burns. SENT: 1,050 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHILE — The “COVID” is a coffin that eliminates precious woods, detailed carvings and glass viewing panes in favor of a plain box of cheaper wood that is fast to produce in quantity. It’s the perfect product for Chile, a country that has become a hot spot for the coronavirus despite aggressive government measures to control its spread. SENT: 660 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRAZIL — Brazil’s government has confirmed that the country has risen above 1 million confirmed coronavirus cases. That is second only to the United States. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro still downplays the risks of the virus after nearly 50,000 fatalities in three months. He says the impact of social isolation on Brazil’s economy can be more deadly. SENT: 785 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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BLACK ARTISTS FOR FREEDOM — John Legend, Gabrielle Union and Ava DuVernay are some of the many black cultural leaders who have signed a letter to fight against racism, promote equal pay and ask industries to disassociate from police. SENT: 225 worlds.
AP STYLE-CAPITALIZE BLACK — The Associated Press has changed its influential style guide to capitalize the “b” in the term Black when referring to people, weighing in on a hotly debated issue. SENT: 715 words, photos.
SAN FRANCISCO-MOUNTAIN-LION — A mountain lion that was captured roaming the streets of San Francisco this week may have killed three animals at the city zoo. SENT: 155 words.
HONG KONG-MARTIN LEE INTERVIEW — The man nicknamed Hong Kong’s “Father of Democracy” says that Beijing is trying to take control of the semi-autonomous city with an impending national security law, but that violent protest is not the answer. SENT: 560 words, photos.
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ELECTION 2020-TRUMP-VIRUS POLITICS — President Donald Trump’s defiant push to resume big rallies this weekend despite concern that he is putting public health at risk is part of a larger campaign effort to turn the national conversation about the coronavirus into a battle of “US vs. THEM.” By Aamer Madhani. SENT: 960 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-VP — Joe Biden is facing growing calls to select a Black woman as his running mate as an acknowledgement of their critical role in the Democratic Party and a response to the nationwide protests against racism and inequality. SENT: 1,040 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-TRUMP-VOTING — President Donald Trump says that mail-in voting presents the greatest threat to his reelection hopes and he suggested that legal efforts in several states launched by his allies might decide November’s election. SENT: 1,040 words, photos.
BOLTON BOOK-LEGAL CHALLENGE — A federal judge on Friday criticized former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton for moving to publish his book without formal clearance from the White House, but the judge suggested he was probably powerless to stop its release given that copies of the manuscript have already been widely distributed. By Eric Tucker. SENT: 975 words, photos.
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CLIMATE-GRETA THUNBERG — Teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg says world leaders queued up to have their picture taken with her last year even as they shied away from acknowledging the scientific facts about global warming. The 17-year-old told Swedish public radio that her trip by train, boat and electric car brought home the impact that climate change is already having, particularly on the most vulnerable. SENT: 690 words, photos.
ETHIOPIA-DAM DISPUTE — It’s a clash over water usage that Egypt calls an existential threat and Ethiopia calls a lifeline for millions out of poverty. Just weeks remain before the filling of Africa’s most powerful hydroelectric dam might begin, and tense talks between the countries on its operation have yet to reach a deal. In an interview with The Associated Press, Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedu Andargachew declared that his country will go ahead and start filling the $4.6 billion Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam next month, even without an agreement. By Elias Meseret. SENT: 995 words, photos.
CHINA-HONG KONG-POLITICS — The body that handles most lawmaking for China’s top legislative body has closed its latest meeting with no word on whether it passed a highly controversial national security law for Hong Kong. Hong Kong’s sole delegate on the Standing Committee says that the law was reviewed but no vote had been taken, and that it wasn’t clear when it would be further vetted. SENT: 670 words, photos.
KENYA-LGBT REFUGEES — Members of the LGBT community in East Africa face discrimination that has forced many to flee their home countries for Kenya, which has become a haven for them. It is the only East African nation where someone can seek asylum and be registered as a refugee based on their LGBT status. Yet once they get to Kenya, they can face harassment, discrimination and even become victims of violence. By Tom Odula. SENT: 930 words, photos.
INDIA-CHINA-HIMALAYAN STANDOFF — China says the disputed border region where Chinese and Indian troops engaged in a deadly brawl this week falls entirely within China. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement Friday that the Galwan Valley is located on the Chinese side of the 2,100-mile border that was established following a war between the Asian giants in 1962 that resulted in an uneasy truce. By Emily Schmall. SENT: 460 words, photos.
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GEORGE FLOYD-MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE — A special session of the Minnesota Legislature appears in a stalemate with both parties deeply divided on how far lawmakers should go toward remaking policing in the state where George Floyd was killed. The Democratic-controlled House early Friday passed an extensive package of police accountability measures wrapped into one bill, but would make bigger changes than what Senate Republicans have said they’ll accept. SENT: 740 words, photos.
POLICE KILLING-ATLANTA — A judge has denied bond for the former Atlanta police officer who fatally shot Rayshard Brooks. Court records show that Judge Jeffrey Frazier found probable cause to detain Garrett Rolfe. Rolfe has been charged with felony murder and other crimes in the death of the 27-year-old Black man last Friday. By Kate Brumback. SENT: 1,220 words, photos, videos.
NEVADA-SENATOR-STATUE — Democratic members of Nevada’s congressional delegation are renewing a proposal to remove a statute of a former Nevada Sen. Patrick McCarran from the U.S. Capitol’s Statuary Hall, saying that he left a “legacy of racism, anti-Semitism, and xenophobia.” SENT: 325 words, photo.
MUMBAI ATTACKS ARREST — A former Chicago businessman imprisoned for aiding terrorist groups has been arrested in Los Angeles to face murder charges in India for the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks that killed more than 160 people. SENT: 540 words, photos.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-LOAN TRANSPARENCY — The Trump administration has abruptly dropped its insistence on secrecy for a $600 billion-plus coronavirus aid program for small businesses. It announced it will publicly disclose the names of recipients of the taxpayer-funded loans, the amounts they received in ranges and demographic data on the businesses. SENT: 745 words, photo.
CALIFORNIA-WILDFIRES-UTILITY — A federal judge has approved a $58 billion plan by the nation’s largest utility to end a contentious bankruptcy saga that began after Pacific Gas & Electric’s outdated equipment ignited wildfires in California that killed more than 100 people, wiped out entire towns and led the company to confess to crimes driven by its greed and neglect. SENT: 1,035 words, photos.
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MUSIC-BEYONCE — Beyoncé did not let Juneteenth pass without dropping one of her signature surprises in the form a new single called “Black Parade.” The singer’s website says the song released late Friday will benefit Black-owned small businesses. It arrived on Juneteenth, an annual celebration of African Americans’ liberation from slavery. SENT: 515 words, photo.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-MLB-CAMPS CLOSED — A person familiar with the decision says Major League Baseball is closing all of its spring training sites over concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. Earlier Friday, the Philadelphia Phillies said five players tested positive for COVID-19 this week at the team’s spring complex. SENT: 745 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NHL — Canadian health officials’ approval of the NHL’s return-to-play proposal has led the league to consider designating one or more cities north of the border to serve as hubs for its 24-team playoff format. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly wrote in an email to The Associated Press that the approval followed productive discussions with government health officials. By Rob Gillies and John Wawrow. SENT: 620 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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