AP News Digest 6 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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NEW/DEVELOPING
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Adds BIDEN-INTELLIGENCE, BIDEN-POPE, ELECTION 2020-TRUMP TWEET-FACT CHECK, ELECTION-2020-WISCONSIN, ELECTION-2020-HOUSE-2-IOWA, VIRUS OUTBREAK-MASSACHUSETTS, AIRLINES-OUTLOOK, OBIT-WHITE SUPREMACIST, BIGFOOT-STATUE-FOUND, ROCKEFELLER-CENTER-TREE
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TRUMP-REPUBLICANS — The most powerful Republicans in Washington are still standing firmly behind President Donald Trump and his unsupported claims of voter fraud. But new cracks are emerging among GOP leaders from Utah to Ohio to New Hampshire who believe it’s time for the administration to treat Democrat Joe Biden like the president-elect he is. By Steve Peoples, Lisa Mascaro and Kathy McCormack. SENT: 1,070 words, photos, video. With BIDEN-INTELLIGENCE — More Trump allies call for Biden to receive intelligence briefings. SENT: 880 words, photos; BIDEN-POPE — It’s not exactly divine intervention, but even the pope considers the U.S. presidential race over.. SENT: 500 words, photo. ELECTION 2020-TRUMP TWEET-FACT CHECK — Trump’s Twitter claim that an election technology firm “deleted” or “switched” large numbers of votes from him to Biden is not grounded in real data or evidence. SENT: 640 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRUMP — President Trump has publicly disengaged from the battle against the coronavirus at a time when the disease is tearing across the United States at an alarming pace. Trump remains angry that an announcement about progress on developing a COVID-19 vaccine came after Election Day. By Aamer Madhani and Zeke Miller. SENT: 990 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-US SURGE — School systems in Detroit, Indianapolis, Philadelphia and suburban Minneapolis are giving up on in-person classes, and some governors are reimposing restrictions on bars and restaurants or getting more serious about masks, as the coast-to-coast resurgence of the coronavirus sends deaths, hospitalizations and new infections soaring.. By Michelle R. Smith. SENT: 820 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK — With a COVID-19 vaccine drawing closer, public health officials across the country are gearing up for the biggest vaccination effort in U.S. history. It will be a monumental undertaking to distribute hundreds of millions of doses, prioritize who’s first in line and ensure that people who get the initial shot return for the necessary second one. The push could begin as early as next month. By Candice Choi and Michelle R. Smith. SENT: 1,160 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-GLOBAL VACCINES — European governments and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation have pledged to provide hundreds of millions of dollars in emergency funds for a global effort aimed at ensuring eventual virus vaccines are quickly available to poor countries. SENT: 610 words, photos; VIRUS OUTBREAK-VACCINE-PHARMACIES — Federal health officials reach an agreement with pharmacies across the U.S. to distribute free coronavirus vaccines after they are approved and become available to the public. SENT: 460 words, photo.
WHITE HOUSE-PRESS SECRETARY — Kayleigh McEnany is wearing two hats these days, serving as both the White House press secretary and a Trump 2020 campaign adviser. The dual roles have raised questions about the appropriateness of fulfilling both tasks while drawing a taxpayer-financed salary of $183,000 a year. By Kevin Freking. SENT: 640 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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ROCKEFELLER-CENTER-TREE — 75-foot spruce to be NYC’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. SENT: 130 words, photos.
SUPER BOWL-THE WEEKND — The Weeknd will bring his popular falsetto vocals to the 2021 Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show. SENT: 390 words, photos.
OBIT-WHITE SUPREMACIST — Tom Metzger, the notorious former Ku Klux Klan leader who rose to prominence in the 1980s while promoting white separatism and stoking racial violence, has died at age 82. SENT: 800 words, photos.
RUSSIA RAZE THE ROBOT — A hulking, never-occupied building sardonically likened to a robot’s head that has loomed over the Russian city of Kaliningrad for decades is to be demolished next year, the region’s governor says. SENT: 170 words, photos.
BIGFOOT-STATUE-FOUND — Stolen Bigfoot statue found along road in Santa Cruz County. SENT: 110 words, photos.
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MORE ON ELECTION 2020
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ELECTION-2020-WISCONSIN — There remained no evidence of any wrongdoing, fraud or irregularity in Wisconsin’s presidential election on Thursday, as counties worked to wrap up the certification of their votes and their estimates of how much it would cost to recount them, the state’s top elections official said. SENT: 520 words.
ELECTION 2020-GEORGIA — As Georgia counties prepare for a hand tally of the presidential race, the state’s top elections official plans to quarantine after his wife tested positive for the coronavirus, his office says. SENT: 980 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — Joe Biden’s top allies on Capitol Hill adopt a combative posture on COVID-19 relief, accusing Republicans of dragging their feet in acknowledging Biden’s victory while doubling down on a $2 trillion-plus relief bill that’s a nonstarter with congressional Republicans. By Andrew Taylor. SENT: 600 words, photos, video.
BIDEN-TRANSITION STAFFERS — Black policy leaders will play a pivotal role in President-elect Joe Biden’s transition team, marking one of the most diverse presidential agency review teams in the nation’s history. By Kat Stafford. SENT: 570 words, photos.
SENATE-CALIFORNIA-HARRIS-REPLACEMENT — Sen. Kamala Harris’ ascendancy to the vice presidency next year has left California with a tantalizing question: Who will replace her in the Senate? The pick falls to Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is widely expected to make a choice that highlights the state’s diversity. SENT: 1.070 words, photos.
ELECTION-2020 HOUSE-1-IOWA - A Republican congresswoman-elect who flipped an Iowa seat in last week’s election says she has tested positive for the coronavirus. SENT: 300 words, photos. With ELECTION-2020-HOUSE-2-IOWA — A Democrat trailing by 47 votes in the nation’s tightest congressional race announced that her campaign would request a full recount in the southeastern Iowa district. SENT: 640 words, photos,
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-EUROPE — The surge of new coronavirus cases appears to be slowing in Germany and France, generating hopes that the two European heavyweights are beginning to regain control over the pandemic. But authorities say that hospitals are crowded and are likely to face further strain in the coming weeks. SENT: 880 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ITALY-HOSPITALS — During Italy’s autumn resurgence of the pandemic, concern is falling less on intensive care wards and more on regular medical wards. SENT: 1,030 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-GREECE — Dozens of hospital workers have held protests at hospitals in Greece, demanding more medical staff be hired as the country struggles to contain a resurgence of the coronavirus that has led to a new lockdown being imposed. SENT: 530 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CALIFORNIA-1 MILLION CASES — California is reaching an unwelcome coronavirus milestone: its 1 millionth confirmed infection. The state’s early action to order people to stay at home was successful in curtailing the spread, but each time it has relaxed restrictions, cases have risen. With cases increasing quickly in the state and nationwide, health officials are warning people to limit travel during the holidays and rethink their annual gatherings. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MASSACHUSETTS — Once a coronavirus hot spot, Massachusetts was seen as a model for infection control this summer as coronavirus cases and deaths dwindled. Now, experts are warning the state could be headed for a bleak winter as its cases climb once again and confirmed deaths surpass 10,000. SENT: 900 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CARIBBEAN — One of the first cruise ships to ply through Caribbean waters since the pandemic began ended its trip early after at least five passengers tested positive for COVID-19, officials say. SENT: 450 words.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-LIVES LOST-SMILING TEEN — A smiling teenager from Louisiana was ready to meet the future until he succumbed to the coronavirus. SENT: 830 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ONE-GOOD-THING-SOUP-KITCHEN -- An award-winning South Bronx Mexican restaurant also became a soup kitchen during the pandemic. SENT: 615 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-VIRAL-QUESTIONS-FLYING — Anyone thinking about flying for the holidays should know that flights are getting more crowded and that more airlines plan to stop blocking seats. SENT: 300 words, graphic.
Find more coverage on the Virus Outbreak on the featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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JEFFREY EPSTEIN — A Justice Department report finds former Labor Secretary Alex Acosta exercised “poor judgment” in handling an investigation into wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein when Acosta was a top federal prosecutor in Florida. By Michael Balsamo and Eric Tucker. SENT: 700 words, photos.
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SYRIA-50-YEARS-OF-ASSAD — On Nov. 13, 1970, a young air force officer from the coastal hills of Syria launched a bloodless coup. It was the latest in a succession of military takeovers since independence from France in 1946, and there was no reason to think it would be the last. Yet 50 years later, Hafez Assad’s family still rules Syria. SENT: 1,040 words, photos.
VATICAN-MCCARRICK-NOW-WHAT? — The Vatican’s report into ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick has raised uncomfortable questions the Holy See will have to confront going forward, chief among them what it’s going to do about current and future clergy who abuse their power to sexually abuse adults. SENT: 1,280 words, photos.
ETHIOPIA-MILITARY CONFRONTATION — The first witness accounts are emerging from the thousands of Ethiopian refugees who are streaming over the border into Sudan by the thousands, while the deadly fighting in Ethiopia’s northern Tigray region shows no sign of easing. SENT: 910 words, photos.
GHANA-OBIT RAWLINGS — Ghana’s former president Jerry Rawlings, who staged two coups and later helped transition Ghana to a stable democracy, has died, according to the state’s Radio Ghana and the president. Rawlings was 73. SENT: 300 words, photos.
LIBYA-MIGRANTS — At least 74 migrants drowned after their Europe-bound ship capsized off the coast of Libya, the U.N.’s migration agency said, in the latest in a series of at least eight shipwrecks in the Central Mediterranean since last month. SENT: 330 words, photos.
AP INTERVIEW-IRAN-US ENVOY — The U.S. special representative for Iran insisted that a pressure campaign of sanctions targeting Iran would persist into the administration of Joe Biden, even as the president-elect has pledged to potentially return America to Tehran’s nuclear deal with world powers. SENT: 810 words, photos.
BRITAIN-STONEHENGE — The British government went against the recommendations of planning officials when it approved controversial plans for a road tunnel to be built near the prehistoric monument of Stonehenge in southern England. SENT: 640 words, photos.
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TROPICAL WEATHER — Tropical Storm Eta dumped blustery rain across north Florida after landfall north of the heavily populated Tampa Bay area, and then sped out into the Atlantic off of the neighboring coasts of Georgia and the Carolinas.. SENT: 810 words, photos.
HARVARD ADMISSIONS LAWSUIT — Harvard does not discriminate against Asian American applicants, a federal appeals court ruled in a decision that offers relief to other colleges that consider race in admissions, but also sets the stage for a potential review by an increasingly conservative U.S. Supreme Court.. SENT: 950 words, photos.
DIVERSITY-INITIATIVES-SCRUTINY — Three civil rights groups filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order that prohibits federal agencies, contractors and grant recipients from offering certain diversity training that the president deems “anti-American.” SENT: 790 words, photo.
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HEALTH & SCIENCE
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GLOBAL MEASLES — The number of children sickened by measles in 2019 was the highest in 23 years, according to new data from the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. SENT: 290 words, photo.
MED-CORONAVIRUS MINKS — The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control has issued new guidance to curb the spread of the coronavirus between minks and humans, warning that the transmission of COVID-19 among animals could speed up the number of mutations in the virus before it potentially jumps back to people. SENT: 450 words, photo.
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AIRLINES-OUTLOOK — A new report from Southwest Airlines indicates that the rise in COVID-19 cases around the country is cutting into travel bookings. That’s bad news for the airlines just before the important Thanksgiving holiday, normally a busy travel period. SENT: 600 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS — The number of people seeking U.S. unemployment benefits fell last week to 709,000, a still-high level but the lowest figure since March and a further sign that the job market might be slowly healing. By Christopher Rugaber. SENT: 770 words, photo. WITH: CONSUMER-PRICES — U.S. consumer prices were unchanged in October, the lowest reading in five months. SENT: 380 words, photos.
TEC-SOUNDBEAMING — Imagine a world where you move around in your own personal sound bubble. You listen to your favorite tunes, play loud computer games, watch a movie or get navigation directions in your car — all without disturbing those around you. SENT: 670 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-HOLIDAY SHIPPING CRUNCH — Retailers and carriers are preparing for an online holiday shopping surge that could tax shipping networks and lead to delivery delays. SENT: 900 words, photos, video.
FINANCIAL-MARKETS — U.S. stocks pulled back amid increasing worries about worsening coronavirus counts across the country. SENT: 760 words, photos.
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MUSIC-AC/DC — Through decades, deaths and disasters, AC/DC keeps thundering on. After 47 years, the band is releasing its 17th studio album, “Power Up,” their first in six years and first since the death of founding member Malcolm Young.. By Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton. SENT: 680 words, photos.
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FBN-COLTS TITANS — Taking a big step toward winning the AFC South for the first time since 2008 means the Tennessee Titans must beat the Indianapolis Colts starting Thursday night in the first of two games between the divisional rivals. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos. Game kicks off at 8:20 p.m.
BBO-MVP —The AL and NL MVP award winners are announced. José Abreu of the Chicago White Sox and Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves are considered the favorites. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos from 6:17 p.m. announcement of AL winner.
GLF-MASTERS —Tiger Woods is the defending champion and beef-up Bryson DeChambeau is talk of the Masters as the April major begins in its pandemic-delayed November date. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos by 6 p.m.
FBC-VIRUS OUTBREAK-SHRINKING SEASON — As virus disruptions mount and the end of college football’s regular season draws closer, the possibility grows that conference championships, major awards and even College Football Playoff participants will be determined in very large part by COVID-19. SENT: 980 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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At the Nerve Center, Dave Clark can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Donald E. King (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.