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-VIRUS OUTBREAK-ECONOMY — Americans’ outlook on the national economy has improved somewhat from its lowest points during the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic, but a new poll suggests Democrats and Republicans are living in alternate economic realities amid the sharpest recession in the nation’s history. By Josh Boak and Emily Swanson. SENT: 980 words, photos, graphics, video.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SOUTH SUDAN'S STRUGGLE — South Sudan was never going to be ready for COVID-19. Five years of civil war and corruption stripped away much of its health system. Now some workers at the country’s only lab testing for the virus have been infected, along with more than 50 health workers. Some people have died waiting for rapid-response teams to arrive. SENT: 960 words, photos, video.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-GLOBAL — Coronavirus cases in Florida surpassed 100,000, part of an alarming surge across the South and West as states reopen for business and many Americans resist wearing masks or keeping their distance from others. The disturbing signs in the Sunshine State as well as places like Arizona, Alabama, Texas and South Carolina — along with countries such as Brazil, India and Pakistan — are raising fears that the progress won after months of lockdowns is slipping away.. By Tamara Lush, Nathan Ellgren and Tammy Webber. SENT: 800 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST (sent)
GEORGE FLOYD-MINNEAPOLIS POLICE -- Talk of changing the Minneapolis Police Department is everywhere in the wake of George Floyd’s death after an encounter with four officers. But real change may depend on confronting a powerful union that has resisted similar attempts for years. Local politicians and police leaders have long blamed an entrenched culture in the department and the union. But the union itself now faces powerful forces, including police leadership that is reexamining the union contract as well as public sentiment that is swinging against them. A small number of officers are also publicly speaking out to say they’re ready to embrace change. By Amy Forliti. SENT: 1,100 words, photos. This is the Tuesday spotlight.
CHARLOTTE SHOOTING — Two people were killed and seven others were wounded when multiple people fired into a crowd at an impromptu celebration in North Carolina, police said. Five others were hit by vehicles. The shooting happened at an impromptu block party in Charlotte that was a continuation of Juneteenth celebrations, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Deputy Chief Gerald Smith said. By Sarah Blake Morgan and Jonathan Drew, SENT: 470 words, photos.
For coverage of Racial Injustice on AP News.
ELECTION 2020-VIRUS POLITICS — President Donald Trump’s relatively ho-hum crowd for his weekend campaign rally in Tulsa raises new questions about politics in the age of coronavirus: Maybe pandemic-scarred Americans aren’t ready yet to risk exposure for close-up engagement in the 2020 presidential election. By Aamer Madhani and Jonathan Lemire. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 5:30 p.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW YORK — From Macy’s “Miracle on 34th Street” store to the World Trade Center’s office towers, New York City hit a key point in trying to rebound from the nation’s deadliest coronavirus outbreak. For the first time in three months, New Yorkers are able to dine out, though only at outdoor tables. Shoppers can once again browse in the city’s destination stores. Shaggy heads can get haircuts. Cooped-up kids can finally climb playground monkey bars instead of apartment walls. Office workers can return to their desks, though many haven’t yet. By Jennifer Peltz. SENT: 880 words, photos.
Find more all-format coverage on the Virus Outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-PAKISTAN — The coronavirus is spreading in Pakistan at one of the fastest rates in the world, and its overwhelmed hospitals are turning away patients. But the government is pushing ahead with opening up the country, trying to salvage a near-collapsed economy where millions have already slid into poverty from pandemic restrictions. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-POACHING — The coronavirus pandemic has led to a spike in poaching in India and other parts of the world. As livelihoods are lost due to borders closing and economies shutting down, wildlife advocates fear that poor families are turning to hunting animals such as gazelles for food or chopping down trees to eke out a living. The global shutdown, however, has offered a brief reprieve for more high-value targets such as rhinos and pangolins, since traders have for several weeks been unable to transport them to buyers in China and other parts of Asia. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ICU — Medical workers at a Maryland intensive care center say they’re not ready to let down their guard against the coronavirus and the public shouldn’t be either. The workers at the Fort Washington Medical Center in Prince George’s County spoke as states are gradually reopening after months of shutdown because of the global pandemic. SENT: 760 words, photos, video.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SUMMER-BEACH-TIPS — Americans have never been more ready to get out of the house and bask in the sun. But the craving for a beach getaway coincides with recent spikes in coronavirus cases in beach havens like Florida, Texas and the Carolinas. Experts say a beach trip is low-risk as long as you follow some basic precautions. SENT: 770 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-DIARY-TOGETHER AND SAFE — Fifteen months away from family, friends and home were taking their toll. But a promotion and a pandemic later, one writer was back home. For more than a year, she lived in someone else’s house and only saw her husband on weekends. Now, they’re together all the time. She cooks, he cleans, they share a walk every evening. There’s a rhythm. There’s no more need to jam family visits, restaurant outings and friends’ parties into one weekend. In fact, nowadays, no one can do that. They’re together and they’re safe. SENT: 650 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-JAPAN BASEBALL — Japanese high school baseball players who had their heart set on going to the annual tournament won’t be able to go, with the event canceled over the coronavirus pandemic. But they still get something special to commemorate the honor — dirt from Koshien Stadium. SENT: 570 words, photos.
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AMERICA-PROTESTS-RACIAL-REFORMS — The racial reckoning sweeping the country after the killing of George Floyd in police custody has generated momentum at state capitols for widespread reforms addressing a range of inequities. Lawmakers have floated proposals to address affirmative action, racial disparities in school funding and health care, criminal justice reforms and even study reparations for slavery. SENT: 960 words, photos.
AMERICA PROTESTS-SEATTLE — Police say one person has been wounded in the second shooting in Seattle’s protest zone in less than 48 hours. The shooting happened late Sunday night in the area near Seattle’s downtown known as CHOP, for “Capitol Hill Occupied Protest.” Police tweeted that one person was at a hospital with a gunshot wound. SENT: 340 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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CARIBBEAN-SAHARA DUST — A vast cloud of Sahara dust is blanketing the Caribbean as it heads to the U.S. with a size and concentration that experts say hasn’t been seen in half a century. SENT: 340 words, photo.
BRITAIN-STONEHENGE-DISCOVERY — Scientists find huge ring of ancient shafts near Stonehenge. SENT: 320 words, photo.
CHINA-CHILDREN DROWN — Chinese state media say 8 children drowned after one fell into a river and others jumped in to help. SENT: 90 words, photos.
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ELECTION 2020-VOTING PROBLEMS — It could be a question of hurry up and wait as Democrats race to choose an opponent for Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, with Louisville state Rep. Charles Booker mounting a late challenge to former Marine fighter pilot Amy McGrath. Results may not be official until the end of the month. By Bruce Shreiner. UPCOMING: 550 words, photos by 4 p.m..
TRUMP-VOTE BY MAIL — President Donald Trump opens a new front in his fight against mail-in voting, making unsubstantiated claims that foreign countries will print up millions of bogus ballots. But election experts say safeguards are in effect to prevent to prevent that kind of fraud and the real threat would be adversaries creating chaos by sowing doubts about the electoral process — the very kind of doubts created by Trump’s message. By Eric Tucker. UPCOMING: 850 words, photos by 4:30 p.m.
VENZUELA-US CONGRESSMAN — Venezuela’s socialist government tried to recruit then-Congressman Pete Sessions to broker a meeting with the CEO of Exxon Mobil at the same time it was secretly paying a close former House colleague $50 million to keep U.S. sanctions at bay, The Associated Press has learned. SENT: 1,560 words, photos.
SUPREME COURT-SECURITIES FRAUD — The Supreme Court preserves an important tool used by securities regulators to recoup ill-gotten gains in fraud cases. SENT: 160 words, photo.
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BRITAIN STABBINGS — The English town of Reading mourned for three people stabbed to death as they sat in a park in what is being treated as a terror attack, gathering for a moment of silence as police questioned the alleged lone attacker.he U.S. ambassador to Britain has confirmed that an American was among the three victims killed in a summer-evening attack in the English town of Reading that is being treated as a terror attack. SENT: 740 words, photos.
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FINANCIAL MARKETS — Stock indexes are higher on Wall Street in choppy trading as investors weigh the risks that rising coronavirus cases could pose to hopes for an economic recovery.. SENT: 720 words, photos.
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HEALTH/SCIENCE
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MED--RECREATIONAL POT-TRAFFIC DEATHS — Laws legalizing recreational marijuana may lead to more traffic deaths, two new studies suggest, although questions remain about how they might influence driving habits. SENT: 430 words, photos.
BEE-HEALTH — U.S. beekeepers saw some of their smallest losses this past winter, bouncing back from a bad year. UPCOMING: 360 words, photos.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-LIVE CONCERTS — Tour promoter Live Nation has announced its first-ever drive-in concerts series for July, months after the live music industry has been on lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic. The entertainment company on Monday announced “Live from the Drive-In” — a set of nine shows to take place July 10-12. By Music Writer Mesfin Fekadu. SENT: 750 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-LIVE CONCERTS-BRAD PAISLEY — Brad Paisley on drive-in concerts: ‘It’s a return to life.’ By Music Writer Mesfin Fekadu. SENT: 950 words, photos.
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NASCAR-TALLADEGA-NOOSE — Federal authorities confirmed they are investigating the discovery of a noose found in the Talladega Superspeedway garage stall of Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s only Black full-time driver who successfully pushed the stock car series to ban the Confederate flag at its venues earlier this month. SENT: 1,140 words, photos.
TEN--DJOKOVIC EVENT-VIRUS CASES — Novak Djokovic’s charity tennis exhibition series, combined with an overall softening of coronavirus restrictions in Serbia and Croatia, has been followed by an increase in the number of positive cases among professional athletes. SENT: 860 words, photos.
US—SPORTS-WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN—Most of the games played between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals have been in the World Series. If not for the coronavirus pandemic, they would have been playing a regular-season series next weekend at Fenway Park. There also would have been a World Series title won in Omaha, Nebraska. A look at some of the sporting events that had been scheduled this week. By Stephen Hawkins. SENT: 475 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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