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-DAY AT THE MORGUE -- One of the nation’s busiest morgues is facing an unprecedented surge in deaths because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office in Chicago has seen its caseloads triple some days, forcing staff to work 12-hour days, seven days a week. On a recent weekday, pathologists had to do record reviews or autopsies in 62 new cases. Forty were COVID-19 cases. On an average day last year, they handled about 20 new deaths per day. By Michael Tarm. UPCOMING: 1,000 words, photos by 4 p.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-IRAN-DOCTORS — They are regarded as heroes, their fallen colleagues as martyrs. But for doctors and nurses still dealing with Iran’s growing number of coronavirus infections, such praise rings hollow. While crippling sanctions imposed by the U.S. government left the country ill-equipped to deal with the fast-moving virus, some medical professionals say government and religious leaders bear the brunt of the blame for allowing the virus to spread — and for hiding how much it had spread. By Maggie Michael. SENT: 1,930 words, photos. An abridged version of 995 words is also available.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK — The nation’s top infectious disease doctor says reopening areas of the country too soon in the coronavirus pandemic could “turn the clock back,” leading to suffering and death that could have been avoided and stalling movement toward an economy recovery. By Lauran Neergaard and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar. SENT: 890 words. UPCOMING: Developing, 1000 words by 4 p.m., photos, video. WITH: VIRUS-OUTBREAK-THE-LATEST.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveils a more than $3 trillion coronavirus aid package with nearly $1 trillion for states, cities and tribal governments to avert layoffs and another $200 billion in “hazard pay” for essential workers. It would offer $1,200 direct cash aid to individuals, up to $6,000 per household. SENT: 800 words. UPCOMING: 980 words by 5 p.m., photos, video.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-COUNTERFEIT MASKS — Counterfeit face masks that provide inadequate COVID-19 protection have been distributed to front-line providers across the country. An Associated Press investigation tracked the masks to a U.S.-certified factory in China where legitimate medical masks are made. The story of how one brand of counterfeits has infiltrated America’s supply chains illustrates how the lack of coordination amid massive shortages has plunged the country’s medical system into chaos. By Juliet Linderman and Martha Mendoza. UPCOMING: 1,840 words by 2:30 p.m., photos. An abridged version will also be available.
MED--VIRUS OUTBREAK-HOSPITAL MATCHMAKING -- As the COVID-19 pandemic stretches on, a new type of internet matchmaking is helping hospitals get scarce supplies. Numerous online platforms and charity projects have popped up to match hospitals in need with exchanges, loans or donations of personal protective equipment, ventilators and even doctors. They’re helping hard-hit hospitals and other medical facilities fill gaps until shipments from regular distributors arrive. These collaborations also help hospitals financially. By Linda A. Johnson. SENT: 785 words, photos.
Find more all-format coverage on the Virus Outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
SUPREME COURT-TRUMP TAXES —The Supreme Court appears likely to reject President Donald Trump’s claim that he is immune from criminal investigation while in office. But the court seemed less clear about exactly how to handle subpoenas from Congress and the Manhattan district attorney for Trump’s financial records for his tax, bank and financial records. With: SUPREME COURT-AP COURTSIDE — Observations, trivia and analysis from AP Supreme Court reporters. SENT: 990 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-HOUSE-CALIFORNIA SPECIAL ELECTION — The fight for a vacant U.S. House seat north of Los Angeles ends after a campaign that focused on President Trump’s leadership and the ongoing coronavirus crisis. Republican Mike Garcia is facing Democrat Christy Smith in a special election to fill out the remainder of the term of former Rep. Katie Hill, who resigned last year. The swing-district contest is being watched nationally as a possible barometer of the political mood heading toward the November elections. By Michael Blood. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 5 p.m.
GEORGIA SHOOTING-RACE RELATIONS __ People who call the Georgia community home where a white father and son pursued and fatally shot a black man say it isn’t the hotbed of hatred that many may assume it is. But the killing and how the investigation was initially handled have put the national spotlight on race relations in the coastal working-class city. By Russ Bynum and Aaron Morrision. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 5 p.m. WITH: GEORGIA CHASE-DEADLY SHOOTING -- Local law enforcers are now being investigated in the shooting of a black man who was chased down by two white men in Georgia. SENT: 755 words, photos.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-RUSSIA - Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has been hospitalized with the coronavirus, the latest in a series of setbacks for President Vladimir Putin as Russia struggles to contain the growing outbreak. By Daria Litvinova. SENT: 850 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-DEVELOPMENTS -The coronavirus has struck inside some of the world’s superpowers, with a top aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin diagnosed just days after U.S. Vice President Mike Pence’s press secretary also tested positive for the virus. UPCOMING: 850 words, photos by 2:30 p.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE NEWLY INFECTED — Even as President Trump urges getting people back to work and reopening the economy, thousands of new coronavirus infections are being reported daily, many of them job-related. By National Writer David Crary. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-FUTURE OF THE OFFICE -- Office jobs are never going to be the same. When workers around the world return to their desks, they’ll find many changes spurred by the pandemic. For a start, there will be fewer people as working from home becomes a more accepted practice. Workers who do go to the office will arrive in staggered shifts to avoid rush hour crowds. Staff might take turns working alternate days to reduce crowding. SENT: 990 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-LOST PARISHIONERS — In hard-hit New York City, the coronavirus outbreak has taken a particularly heavy toll on Hispanic communities. That’s dramatically clear at two churches — one Lutheran and one Catholic — that serve Hispanic worshippers. Between them, they have lost more than 100 members of their congregations. SENT: 785 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-FRAUD — A 39-year-old former investment manager in Georgia was already facing federal charges that he robbed hundreds of retirees of their savings through a Ponzi scheme when the rapid spread of COVID-19 presented an opportunity. SENT: 1030 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-AP CAPTURES LIVES LOST -- Across the world, the devastation caused by the coronavirus is told in the voices of those left behind. In England, the brother of Amged El-Hawrani, a Sudanese immigrant who became a successful doctor, says a rock of the family has been lost. “We would all lean on him very heavily.” In the United States, the son of Isaiah Kuperstein says although his dad studied one of humanity’s darkest chapters, the Holocaust, he was a light to those around him. “Every picture that I see now makes me sad, but I see this twinkle in his eyes.” SENT: 915 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRITAIN-BREXIT FARMERS -- Britain’s fruit and vegetable farmers have long worried that the exit from the European Union would keep out the tens of thousands of Eastern European workers who come every year to pick the country’s produce. Now, the coronavirus pandemic has brought that feared future to the present. With most flights grounded, British farms are in desperate need of workers just as the harvest season for lettuces and berries begins in earnest. Without the necessary workforce, crops could be left to rot in the fields, and large growers may eventually decide to move some operations overseas. SENT: 950 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-DIARY-THE LUCK FACTOR -- Luck has allowed one writer an unexpected gift: a quarantine with her new husband in a peaceful environment that she never expected to arrive so soon. Now, she’s not dodging potholes and swearing at all the incompetent drivers complicating her 10-mile commute to the office. Instead, she’s spending the minutes leading up to her work shift watching the steam from her coffee curl in the air and the leaves of a tall pin oak sway. For her — through good times and bad — understanding luck has been an important notion. SENT: 635 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MICRO WEDDINGS — Couples trying to salvage weddings that were put on hold by the coronavirus are feeding a fresh trend in the bridal industry: Call it the “minimony.” Rather than wait, they’re getting hitched alone or with a few local loved ones looking on at a safe social distance. SENT: 835 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRAL QUESTIONS-CURRENCY — Can the coronavirus live on paper currency? Yes, but experts say the risk of getting the virus from cash is low compared with person-to-person spread, which is the main way people get infected. UPCOMING: 150 words.
GROUND GAME — AP’s coronavirus podcast, “Ground Game: Inside the Outbreak,” today looks at how the Trump administration shelved a document created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that contained step-by-step advice for local authorities on how and when to reopen public places during the COVID-19 pandemic. Listen to the podcast after 3 p.m. at https://appodcasts.com/category/ground-game/. Embed code is available on AP Coverage Plan.
A separate advisory has been sent outlining AP’s complete coronavirus coverage.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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ODD--T-REX WALKING CLUB -- Detroit-area residents lift spirits with costumed parades. SENT: 400 words, photos.
BULLSEYE TARGET-NAACP -- Police in Tennessee have charged a man accused of placing a bullseye-like target in the front yard of Nashville’s NAACP president. SENT: 230 words.
FLOODED CANYON-DEATH -- A 7-year-old girl died and her 3-year-old sister is missing after flash flooding sent torrents of water into a narrow canyon in the Utah desert. SENT: 250 words.
CHILD IN SHED-DALLAS -- Police have arrested two people after finding a 6-year-old boy locked in a shed in Dallas. SENT: 100 words.
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ELECTION 2020-BIDEN — Joe Biden has no foreseeable plans to resume in-person campaigning as coronavirus continues its spread, and he says that won’t stop him from toppling President Donald Trump in November. Yet Biden’s virtual campaign is increasingly fodder for Trump’s mockery as the president begins emerging from his White House lockdown, and even some Democrats are wondering whether Biden’s virtual campaign is doing enough to reach voters in this scrambled campaign. UPCOMING: 800 words by 6 p.m., photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-WAGE GARNISHMENT — The U.S. Education Department says it’s ramping up efforts to contact more than 37,000 employers who have improperly continued to garnish wages from workers who have fallen behind on their student loans. By Collin Binkley. SENT: 540 words, photo.
ELECTION 2020-NEBRASKA — Nebraska is forging ahead as planned with its May 12 primary despite concerns about the new coronavirus and demands from Democrats that the state use an all-mail voting system to encourage more people to vote without going to the polls. UPCOMING: 500 words, photos.
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AFGHANISTAN — Militants stormed a maternity hospital in the western part of Kabul, setting off an hours-long shootout with the police and killing 14 people, including two newborn babies, their mothers and an unspecified number of nurses, Afghan officials said. SENT: 885 words, photos.
ITALY-MAFIA BUSINESS -- Italian police arrest 91 suspected mobsters in a money-laundering and extortion probe in a bid to thwart Sicily’s Cosa Nostra from exploiting economic woes triggered by the pandemic. SENT: 345 words.
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HEALTH & SCIENCE
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHOIR SUPERSPREADER -- Disease trackers are calling a choir practice in Washington state a “superspreader event” that illustrates how easily the coronavirus can spread. UPCOMING: 500 words by 4 p.m.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-DATA DYSFUNCTION — The U.S. created the internet, but you’d never know it given the chaotic way it collects vital pandemic data such as virus cases and testing progress. Public health officials nationwide have been forced to rely on faxes, email and spreadsheets -- sluggish and inefficient 20th-century tools. This data anarchy is hamstringing the nation’s coronavirus response by, among other things, slowing the tracing of people potentially exposed to the virus. UPCOMING: 750 words by 4 p.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-TESLA — Tesla CEO Elon Musk is restarting its California factory in defiance of local government efforts to contain the coronavirus. Musk has practically dared authorities to arrest him, writing that he would be on the assembly line and if anyone is taken into custody, it should be him. SENT: 900 words, photos. UPCOMING: Will be updated.
FINANCIAL-MARKETS —Stocks were mixed in tentative trading on Wall Street. SENT: 725 words, photos, developing. WITH: CONSUMER PRICES — U.S. consumer prices fell 0.8% in April, the biggest drop since the 2008 financial crisis. SENT: 400 words, photo.
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TOYS FOR LOST FILMS — Movie-related products are still hitting the market despite delays for new and upcoming films. Toy production and gaming companies are staying on schedule, releasing a variety of products in hopes of weathering through the nationwide lock down from the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 750 words, photos.
TV--THE GOLDBERGS-FASHION -- The character Beverly Goldberg on ABC’s hit comedy series “The Goldbergs” can elicit laughter before she even speaks. That’s thanks to the over-the-top outfits that are a love letter to the show creator’s mother and to 1980s fashion. Costume designer Keri Smith creates the signature looks for the fictional Beverly, who is inspired by creator Adam Goldberg’s real-life mother, also named Beverly. SENT: 500 words, photos.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-MINOR LEAGUE UNCERTAINTY -- Unlike the NFL, NBA or Major League Baseball that can run on television revenue, it’s impossible for some minor sports leagues in North America to go on in empty stadiums and arenas in light of the coronavirus pandemic. These attendance-driven leagues might not play again at all in 2020, putting some teams in danger of surviving at all and potentially changing the landscape of minor league sports in the future. By Stephen Whyno. UPCOMING: 750 words, file photos by 6 p.m.
BBO—THOSE NL DHS — The designated hitter debate has raged since 1973, the first time it was used by Major League Baseball in a regular-season game. A lot of National League fans can’t stand the rule. Many American League fans take the opposite view. Both leagues could be playing by the same rules this year under a proposal by MLB owners in the virus-delayed season to have the National League used the DH on a full-time basis. By Baseball Writer Ben Walker. SENT: 850 words, photos.
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