Top Stories Digest

| June 20, 2020 12:27 AM

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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TOP STORIES

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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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. By Ken Moritsugu. SENT: 570 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST.

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.

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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.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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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.

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INTERNATIONAL

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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.

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.

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NATIONAL

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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.

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BUSINESS

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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.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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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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SPORTS

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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.