AP News Digest 2 p.m.
Here are the AP's latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EST. For up-to-the minute information on AP's coverage, visit Coverage Plan at https://newsroom.ap.org.
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ELECTION 2020 — Millions of voters from Maine to California head to the polls on Super Tuesday, the delegate-rich prize in the fight for the Democratic presidential nomination that's shaping up as a contest between two starkly different visions for the party's future as it hurtles toward a November rematch with President Donald Trump. By Jonathan Lemire, Steve Peoples and Bill Barrow. SENT: 1280 words. UPCOMING: Developing throughout the day, and after polls close, 1300 words by 8 p.m., photos, video, with updates. WITH: ELECTION 2020-The Latest, developing. WITH: ELECTION 2020-WHAT TO WATCH — While Super Tuesday won't necessarily determine who wins the nomination, it has historically been difficult for a candidate who performs poorly on the day to recover. A look at Tuesday's contests. SENT: 655 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-CONGRESS— Super Tuesday primaries for Senate and House nominations will gauge whether voters prefer establishment-backed centrists to liberal firebrands, and test former Attorney General Jeff Sessions' quest for political redemption after being vilified by President Donald Trump. Nominations for Senate seats from North Carolina, Alabama and Texas will be at stake, as will dozens of House districts from those states and California. By Alan Fram. UPCOMING: 730 words by 3 p.m., photos.
Find more coverage on the 2020 U.S. Elections featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ECONOMY — In a surprise move, the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by a sizable half-percentage point in an effort to support the economy in the face of the spreading coronavirus. Chairman Jerome Powell said at a news conference that the virus “will surely weigh on economic activity both here and abroad for some time.” By Martin Crutsinger and Christopher Rugaber. SENT: 1,085 words, photos. WITH: VIRUS OUTBREAK — The coronavirus crisis is shifting increasingly westward toward Europe and the U.S. SENT: 800 words, photos.
Find more all-format coverage on the coronavirus outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRUMP — Whom to believe on the coronavirus threat — the president saying one thing or the public health officials standing beside him at briefings, saying something a little different? President Donald Trump’s talk of a quick vaccine and even a cure illustrates a disconnect with the far more cautious federal scientists as Americans look to the government both for reassurance and realism. By Calvin Woodward and Darlene Superville. UPCOMING: 850 words by 5 p.m., photos, video. WITH: VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — Lawmakers are finalizing a $7.5 billion emergency bill to fund the government's response to the coronavirus outbreak in a burst of bipartisan cooperation that's atypical of today's Washington. SENT: 775 words, photos.
SEVERE WEATHER-TENNESSEE - Tornadoes ripped across Tennessee as people slept, shredding at least 140 buildings and killing at least 22 people. Authorities described painstaking efforts to find survivors in piles of rubble and wrecked basements as the death toll climbed. One twister caused severe damage across a 10-mile stretch of downtown Nashville, wrecking businesses and homes and destroying the tower and stained glass of a historic church. Another erased homes from their foundations along a two-mile path in Putnam County. By Travis Loller and Kimberlee Kruesi. SENT: 1,050 words, photos, video.
MED--SENIORS-MEDICATION FOG - As the number of people with Alzheimer's disease rises, doctors increasingly are looking at improper medication use that can mimic dementia or make symptoms worse. More than 40% of older Americans take five or more medicines and the risk of side effects or drug interactions rises as the number does. Medicines that may have been OK when someone was younger can pose problems when used later in life. By Marilynn Marchione. SENT: 1,035 words, photo.
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MORE ON 2020 ELECTION
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ELECTION 2020-RACE — Super Tuesday is the biggest opportunity for minority voters across the country to weigh in on the direction of the Democratic primary. SENT: 1,020 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-EARLY VOTING — The abrupt departures of Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar from the Democratic presidential race just before the crush of Super Tuesday primary contests could be frustrating for the millions of people who have already voted in those 14 states - and might have cast their votes for them. A look at what happens to those ballots. SENT: 880 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-VOTECAST: What AP Votecast, a survey of voters and nonvoters, says about the decisions made by Americans as they decided whether to vote, for whom to vote, and why. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos, by 6 p.m.
ELECTION 2020-VOTING CONCERNS: Tuesday’s presidential primaries across 14 states mark the first major security test since the 2018 midterms. SENT: 730 words, photos.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-MIDEAST — Iran put its armed forces on alert to assist health officials in battling the new coronavirus that's killed at least 77 people, an outbreak that has sickened top officials and pushed even its supreme leader into wearing disposable gloves while trying to reassure the nation. SENT: 1,100 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-EUROPE — France requisitioned protective masks and sent tens of thousands of students home from school, Norway blocked 1,200 passengers on a cruise ship and Spain isolated dozens of health workers as the new coronavirus spread further Tuesday into Europe. SENT: 685 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-FORTRESS NORTH KOREA? — As a new and frightening virus closes in around it, North Korea presents itself as a fortress, tightening its borders as cadres of health officials stage a monumental disinfection and monitoring program. SENT: 1,130 words, photos.
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WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
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BKN--KNICKS-SPIKE LEE —Spike Lee still has his courtside seat, though the New York Knicks had to tell their superfan to find another way to get there. Lee said he won't be sitting there the rest of this season, anyway. SENT: 500 words, photos.
BOOKS-JOHN BOLTON — The publisher of John Bolton’s memoir has pushed back the release date from March 17 to May 12. SENT: 175 words.
WORLD CHEESE CONTEST — The largest technical cheese, butter and yogurt competition in the world starts Tuesday in Wisconsin, with a record 3,667 entries from 26 nations. SENT: 180 words.
FATAL CRASH-FRISBEE PLAYERS — Authorities say three professional Frisbee players have died after they were involved in car crash en route to a team practice in Detroit. SENT: 210 words.
FALLING ICE-DEATH — A woman was fatally struck in the back of her head by a piece of ice that fell off her roof. SENT: 125 words.
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KLOBUCHAR-JUVENILE-LIFER — As a teenager, Myon Burrell lost his identity, his voice and his name. For much of the past 17 years, he's been trying to understand how it happened. Burrell was sentenced to life after a girl was killed by a stray bullet. Sen. Amy Klobuchar cites his story as an example of her tough-on-crime record as a Minneapolis prosecutor. But a yearlong Associated Press investigation discovered major flaws in the case, raising questions about whether the 16-year-old shooting suspect was wrongly convicted. By Robin McDowell and Margie Mason. SENT: 2,100 words, photos. An Abridged version of 1,035 words is also available.
SUPREME COURT-CONSUMER AGENCY — The Supreme Court hears arguments on whether a president can fire the heads of independent agencies for any reason. SENT: 400 words. UPCOMING: 700 words by 4 p.m., photo.
LACOSTE-XINJIANG — A U.S.-based labor rights group says gloves made last fall for chic French clothing company Lacoste appear to have been sewn by ethnic minorities locked inside a factory at a Chinese internment camp. The worker abuse in Lacoste's supply chain is alleged by Washington, D.C.-based Worker Rights Consortium. SENT: 566 words.
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ISRAEL-ELECTION — Israel's embattled Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faced an uncertain path to staying in office, even as preliminary results showed his Likud party pulling ahead of its opponents in the country's third election in less than a year. Exit polls on Israeli TV stations showed Likud and its allies capturing 59 seats out of the 120 in parliament. That would still put Likud and its ultra-religious and nationalist bloc two seats short of the parliamentary majority required to form a government. SENT: 985 words, photos.
NKOREA-KIM'S SISTER — In her first known official statement, the younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un on leveled diatribes and insults on South Korea for protesting over her country's latest live-fire exercises. SENT: 675 words.
AFGHANISTAN-PEACE DEAL-IMPACT — Now that the U.S. has signed a deal with the Taliban to eventually leave Afghanistan, it will soon be up to Afghans on both sides of the conflict to decide what peace will look like. The stakes are high. By Kathy Gannon. SENT: 1,040 words, photos.
SYRIA - Turkey shot down a Syrian fighter jet in Syria's Idlib province Tuesday, marking the third such incident in as many days, as steady clashes between the two national armies continued over a Russia-backed Syrian government offensive near the Turkish border. SENT: 775 words, photos.
ASYLUM-STRANDED AFRICANS - President Trump isn't the only world leader making it virtually impossible for many Africans to get asylum in the United States. He's getting plenty of help from allies in the Americas. Ecuador is closing its doors as one of the few countries in North and South America to welcome African visitors, depriving them of a starting point for their dangerous journeys north by land. If asylum-seekers make it to Mexico, they face a virtual barricade near its southern border with Guatemala. SENT: 1,177 words, photos.
AUSTRALIA-NEWS AGENCY — The national news agency Australian Associated Press said Tuesday it will close in late June, its 85 years in business vanquished by a decline in subscribers and free distribution of news content on digital platforms. SENT: 875 words, photos.
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UNIVERSITY SEXUAL ABUSE-PLAYBOOK - As mass sexual assault scandals, some dating back decades, roil universities across the country, the schools are seemingly drawing from the same playbook in their responses. Whether a large state school like the University of Michigan, or a private one like Baylor University in Texas, the typical moves include hiring an outside law firm to investigate, usually with a promise of some level of transparency; a hotline for victims to relate their stories; and an offer of free survivor counseling. SENT: 1,125 words, photo.
ABORTION-MISSISSIPPI — Mississippi's Republican-led Legislature is trying to restrict the reasons women may seek abortion, after federal courts blocked time limitations that the state tried to put on the procedure the past two years. SENT: 620 words, photo.
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MEDIA-SEAN SPICER — While Sean Spicer says he expects his old boss, President Donald Trump, to be re-elected, he doesn't view his new television talk show as a vehicle for helping accomplish that end. Trump's first presidential press secretary launches “Spicer & Co.” on the conservative cable network Newsmax TV. The show will air at 6 p.m. Eastern each weekday and his “company” includes co-host Lyndsay Keith. SENT: 525 words, photos.
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OLY--TOKYO-POSSIBLE POSTPONEMENT — Japan's Olympic minister said the contract to hold the Tokyo Games only specifies the event has to be held during 2020. Seiko Hashimoto's response to a question in the upper house of parliament implies the Olympics could be held later in the year and would not have to start on July 24 as planned. The Paralympics open on Aug. 25. SENT: 700 words, photos.
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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.