AP News Digest 6 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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NEW & DEVELOPING
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Adds: MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-DEATH BY RACISM, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-DEATH-ATLANTA MAYOR, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEATH-TALLAHASSEE, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-DEATH-MEDIA, TRUMP, MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-NATIONWIDE PROTESTS-PHOTO GALLERY, CONGRESS-INSPECTORS GENERAL.
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MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-DEATH-NATIONWIDE PROTESTS — Protesters set police cars ablaze, smashed businesses’ windows and skirmished with baton-wielding officers in street fights from Atlanta to Los Angeles, as anger over George Floyd’s death spread across the country. Authorities were bracing for more violence, with some cities calling in the National Guard to beef up overwhelmed forces. By Sudhin Thanawala. SENT: 1,115 words, photos, developing. WITH: MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-DEATH BY RACISM — Black people don’t need to see the video of George Floyd’s death to know that they are three times more likely to be killed by police than are white people. By Jerry Schwartz. SENT: 910 words, photos.
MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-MAYOR — Several nights of violent protest in Minneapolis have prompted questions about whether city leaders have bungled their response. Much of the criticism has focused on Mayor Jacob Frey, who said he made the call to abandon a police precinct that protesters later burned. The lack of confrontation with looters and arsonists came despite the activation of the National Guard, and has frustrated many. Gov. Tim Walz initially joined the criticism but changed his stance, saying the city and state just don’t have enough people to cope with the volume of protests. Frey is a first-term mayor who was presiding over a thriving city before the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man, sparked the violence. By Tammy Webber and Steve Karnowski. SENT: 835 words, photos.
POLICE PROTESTS-TACTICS — On two straight nights of unruly protests, police officers retreated from their posts in some cities and deployed batons, flash-bang grenades and tear gas to quell the unrest in others. The wide range of responses exacerbated tensions with the protesters in several locations and brought global attention to the tactics that American police use during riots. SENT: 1,100 words, photos.
MINNESOTA DEATH-DC PROTESTS - President Donald Trump claims many Secret Service agents were “just waiting for action” and ready to unleash “the most vicious dogs, and the most ominous weapons, I have ever seen” if protesters angered by his response to George Floyd’s death had crossed the White House’s security fence. Washington’s mayor says the president’s words are an attack on black America and revive bitter memories of the brutal tactics used by authorities during the civil rights era. By Michael Balsamo, Kevin Freking and Ashraf Khalil. SENT: 740 words, photos. SENT: 960 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK — The European Union urged President Trump to rethink his decision to terminate the U.S. relationship with the World Health Organization as spiking infection rates in India and elsewhere reinforced that the pandemic is far from contained. Trump on Friday charged that the WHO didn’t respond adequately to the pandemic and accused the U.N. agency of being under China’s “total control.” By David Rising and Martin Crutsinger. SENT: 920 words, photos. WITH: VIRUS-OUTBREAK-THE LATEST.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-FOOD PRICES -- As if trips to the grocery store weren’t nerve-wracking enough, U.S. shoppers lately have seen the costs of meat, eggs and even potatoes soar as the coronavirus has disrupted processing plants and distribution networks. Overall, the cost of food bought to eat at home skyrocketed by the most in 46 years, and analysts caution that meat prices in particular could remain high as slaughterhouses struggle to so keep workers healthy. By David Pitt. SENT: 950 words, photos. Eds: This story has moved as the Sunday Spotlight.
Find more all-format coverage on the Virus Outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
SCI--HOME LAUNCH — A rocket ship built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company has thundered away from Earth with two Americans aboard, ushering in a new era in commercial space travel and putting the United States back in the business of launching astronauts into orbit from U.S. soil for the first time in nearly a decade. By Marcia Dunn. SENT: 1,360 words, photos. UPCOMING: Developing. WITH: HOME LAUNCH-CREW — Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken join NASA’s exclusive inner circle by catching a ride on a SpaceX rocket and capsule. SENT: 460 words, photos; TRUMP — TRUMP — President Trump was on hand to witness the first launch of American astronauts from U.S. soil in nearly a decade. SENT: 600 words, photos.
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MORE ON MINNEAPOLIS PROTESTS
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MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-DEATH-ACTIVISTS — Activists say years of dialogue about criminal justice reforms in Minneapolis had improved the relationship between the African American community and law enforcement — before George Floyd’s death this week. Floyd, a black man, died after a white officer pressed a knee into his neck as the handcuffed Floyd pleaded for air. His death has unleashed protests and violent clashes with law enforcement. Advocates and leaders say it’s exposed simmering frustration and the fact that there’s much work still ahead. SENT: 1,025 words, photos. WITH: MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEATH-TALLAHASSEE — SENT: 480 words, photos. MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-NATIONWIDE PROTESTS-PHOTO GALLERY (sent).
MINNEAPOLIS-MILITARY POLICE — As unrest spread across dozens of American cities on Friday, the Pentagon took the rare step of ordering the Army to put several active-duty U.S. military police units on the ready to deploy to Minneapolis, where the police killing of George Floyd sparked the widespread protests. By James Laporta. SENT: 840 words, photos.
POLICE DEATH-PROTESTER KILLED - One person was killed in downtown Detroit after someone fired shots into a vehicle during a protest over the death of George Floyd. SENT: 450 words, photos.
MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-DEATH-ATLANTA MAYOR — Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is being widely praised for her response to protests that flared following the death of a black man, George Floyd, after a white officer in Minneapolis pressed a knee into his neck. SENT: 810 words, photo.
MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-DEATH-MEDIA — A Fox News reporter was attacked and chased away by protesters outside of the White House, as News organizations covering demonstrations stemming from the death of George Floyd occasionally became targets themselves. SENT: 640 words, photos.
Find more AP coverage of Minneapolis Police Custody Death at AP Newsroom:
Minneapolis Police Custody Death (stories with linked content)
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-SCHOOL BUDGETS -- More than 13,000 public school districts face the possibility of sharp budget cuts as state tax revenues decline because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The budget trouble is spoiling dreams of expanded funding and teacher pay raises across the country. SENT: 850 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-RELIGION-MENNONITES — Mennonites in Pennsylvania’s Lancaster County followed the state’s stay at home orders and guidelines against gathering in houses of worship during the coronavirus pandemic. Some modern Mennonite orders have adapted to the limitations by using video conferencing for their Sunday services. Others used conference calls. But the conservative Old Order Stauffer Mennonites shun technology and they were unable to meet as a group for nearly two months. This was the first time that their service was interrupted in more than 100 years. SENT: 990 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-BENDING THE RULES -- Restaurants remain closed for table and bar service in New York City. But some are bending rules meant to curb cononavirus infections by encouraging customers to linger outside for an extra round or two of takeout cocktails. Elsewhere around the city, clothing stores and a tanning salon have sought to reopen early — signs that some New Yorkers are itching to catch up with other parts of the country already freeing up their economies. SENT: 725 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-A FATHER’S DETERMINATION -- When Ted Foxworthy was diagnosed with cancer, he set two goals: Celebrating his youngest child’s 18th birthday and seeing him graduate from Speedway High School near Indianapolis. When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools around the nation, Foxworthy worried graduation would be canceled. Instead, on Saturday, the Foxworthy family will celebrate their victory by watching Jacob Foxworthy cross the finish line at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. By Michael Marot. UPCOMING: 800 words with photos by 7 p.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-WUHAN NURSE -- Zhang Dan was among the first to respond when the coronavirus epicenter of Wuhan needed help. Shipped out in early February, the 36-year-old nurse worked grueling days in heavy layers of protective gear, ministering to patients who needed assistance from breathing to eating as the coronavirus raged. Amid the emotional and physical trauma, a little street dog helped her through. Zhang was among the 42,600 medical workers brought from all around China to bolster Wuhan’s overwhelmed medical system. SENT: 550 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW YORK — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has signed a bill granting death benefits to the families of police officers, public health workers and other front-line workers who have died of the coronavirus. SENT: 245 words, photos.
FATAL POLICE SHOOTING-KENTUCKY -- Kentucky’s governor calls in the National Guard to “help keep the peace” in Louisville after a second night of protests sparked by the police shooting of a black woman led to widespread damage. SENT: 565 words, photos.
FEDERAL-OFFICER KILLED — A federal law enforcement officer in California was killed and another critically injured after being shot while providing security at the U.S. courthouse in Oakland near one of the increasingly violent protests unfolding around the country. The officials say targeting any officer is an act of terrorism. SENT: 360 words, photos.
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CONGRESS-INSPECTORS GENERAL — House and Senate Democrats will interview former State Department Inspector General Steve Linick as part of their investigation into his abrupt firing by President Trump. SENT: 900 words, photos.
AP EXPLAINS-UNITED STATES-HONG KONG -- President Donald Trump has announced what he says are “significant actions” regarding U.S. relations with Hong Kong. But the measures are still just a warning, at least for now, following China’s new security law that eliminates some of the limited political freedoms people of Hong Kong had enjoyed. By Ben Fox. SENT: 680 words, photos.
FACT CHECK-WEEK -President Donald Trump and Twitter are tangling over truth and consequences. This past week, Twitter appended its own fact checks to a pair of Trump tweets about mail-in voting. Then it hid a Trump tweet about Minneapolis protests behind a special notice warning that the president’s words could have the consequence of inciting violence. An AP Fact Check finds his allegations of rampant voting fraud are indeed baseless. On and off social media, Trump stretched the facts. SENT: 2,200 words, photos. Find AP Fact Checks at https://apnews.com/APFactCheck
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ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — Israeli police shot dead an unarmed autistic Palestinian man in Jerusalem’s Old City on Saturday after mistakenly suspecting he was carrying a weapon and chasing him into a dead-end alley. The shooting drew angry condemnations from Arab residents and leaders and further raised tensions in the region as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presses ahead with plans to annex large parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank.SENT: 370 words, photos. SENT: 750 words, photos.
CHINA-HONG KONG-US — The mouthpiece of China’s ruling Communist Party said U.S. moves to end some trading privileges for Hong Kong “grossly interfere” in China’s internal affairs and are “doomed to fail.” Saturday’s editorial in the newspaper People’s Daily was responding to an announcement from President Donald Trump, after China’s ceremonial parliament bypassed Hong Kong’s local legislature to advance legislation that could severely curtail free speech and opposition political activities in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. SENT: 640 words, photos.
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VIRGINIA BEACH-FORGOTTEN SHOOTING -- Last year’s rampage at a Virginia Beach city government building was the latest in a string of high-profile mass shootings. As the tragedy nears its one-year anniversary Sunday, some victims’ family members say it has effectively been forgotten after the national spotlight moved on to other mass killings, and more recently has been all but eclipsed by the coronavirus pandemic. That leaves less pressure on authorities to provide definitive answers about why their loved ones died, they say. The shooter’s motive officially is still a mystery a year after he shot dead 12 people before being killed by police. SENT: 895 words, photos.
MIDWEST FLOODING-MIDCENTURY ARCHITECTURE -- The central Michigan city of Midland has more than 400 midcentury modern homes and other buildings, making it a mecca for enthusiasts of the architectural style that favors clean lines, repeating patterns and spaces connected to the outdoors. Now, though, many are worried about the damage to the city’s distinctive buildings caused by flooding after dams were breached. SENT: 895 words, photos.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-CUTTING COLLEGE SPORTS — Four-year colleges facing budget crunches from the pandemic are approaching a milestone. In coming days, the number of eliminated sports programs will almost surely pass 100, the AP finds. By Eric Olson. SENT: 800 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MISSING MASCOTS — Major League Baseball wants to ban mascots should the sport resume this season. There is a blueprint MLB could follow that explains why mascots belong in barren ballparks. Look to Taiwan, South Korea and China. SENT: 850 words, photos.
SPORTS-BRITAIN-RESTART — Sports events may resume in England starting Monday, without spectators and providing coronavirus protocols from the government are observed. This paves the way for the June 17 return of the Premier League. SENT: 400 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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