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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ONLY ON AP
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FRUITS OF LABOR-WOMEN — On vast plantations across Indonesia and Malaysia, an AP investigation has found that women are burdened with some of the most dangerous duties in the production of palm oil, which is contained in almost three out of every four personal care products. Some of the women are sexually harassed and raped. They also spray toxic chemicals with little or no protective gear. Using the latest company data and U.S. Customs records, the AP was able to line the abuse to the supply chains of giant Western beauty brands that tout their commitment to sustainability and human rights. By Margie Mason and Robin McDowell. SENT: 4,050 words, photos. An abridged version of 1,370 words is also available. With FRUITS-OF-LABOR-WOMEN-KEY-FINDINGS.
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TRUMP-VOTE CERTIFICATIONS — President Donald Trump and his allies are engaged in a last-ditch effort to try to block certification of the vote in key states that sealed his election defeat to President-elect Joe Biden. The slapdash push to convince lawmakers, judges and local election officials to reverse the will of voters is part of Trump’s effort to sow doubt about the election results and strengthen him politically for whatever comes next. By Zeke Miller and Christina A. Cassidy. UPCOMING: 950 words by 5 p.m., photos.
TRUMP-ENVIRONMENTAL ROLLBACKS — The Trump administration is rushing to put into force changes that would weaken decades-old protections for migratory birds, expand Arctic drilling, and potentially hamstring future regulation of environmental and public health threats, among other rollbacks, as an industry-aligned term nears the end. By Matthew Brown and Ellen Knickmeyer. UPCOMING: 800 words by 4 p.m., photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK — Hundreds of school employees in the U.S. have died of the coronavirus. While children generally have mild cases or no symptoms at all, about 1 in 4 of their teachers have a condition that raises their risk of becoming seriously ill from the virus. Among the victims is fourth-grade Arkansas teacher Susanne Michael, who died less than three months after celebrating the adoption of a former student from a troubled home and two of the girl’s brothers. By Heather Hollingsworth. SENT: 980 words, photos. WITH: VIRUS OUTBREAK-US SURGE — Conditions inside the nation’s hospitals are deteriorating by the day as the coronavirus rages through the country at an unrelenting pace. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 3 p.m.
MED-VIRUS-OUTBREAK-PFIZER-VACCINE — Pfizer said that new test results show its coronavirus vaccine is 95% effective, is safe and also protects older people most at risk of dying — the last data needed to seek emergency use of limited shot supplies as the catastrophic outbreak worsens across the globe. By Linda A. Johnson and Frank Jordans. SENT: 625 words, photos. WITH: VIRUS-OUTBREAK-HOME-TEST — U.S. regulators allowed emergency use of the first rapid coronavirus test that can be performed entirely at home. SENT: 780 words, photo.
FAA-BOEING —After nearly two years and a pair of deadly crashes, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has cleared Boeing’s 737 Max for flight. The nation’s air safety agency announced the move, saying it was done after a “comprehensive and methodical” 20-month review process. By David Koeing and Tom Krisher. SENT: 1,168 words, photos.
BKN-NBA DRAFT — The NBA will hold its twice-delayed draft, launching the professional careers of players such as Anthony Edwards, LaMelo Ball and James Wiseman. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver will anchor the virtual festivities from ESPN’s headquarters, one of the league’s broadcast partners. By Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos. Draft begins at 8 p.m.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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BRITAIN-PRINCESS DIANA — The BBC’s board of directors has approved the appointment of a retired senior judge to lead an independent investigation into the circumstances around a 1995 televised interview with Princess Diana. SENT: 350 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-DOLLY PARTON — Dolly Parton is being celebrated in song — a rewritten version of her own “Jolene” — for her contribution to an experimental coronavirus vaccine. SENT: 285 words, photo.
POLICE SHOOTING WISCONSIN-MALL — A suburban Milwaukee police officer who has fatally shot three people in the line of duty since 2015, including a Black teenager outside a mall in February, is resigning from the department. SENT: 305 words.
HOSTAGE STANDOFF-QUEENS — Authorities say two armed men released five people who were held hostage during an apparent robbery attempt at a home in the New York City borough of Queens before they surrendered peacefully. SENT: 150 words.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-ITALY-SOUTH’S ILLS — The coronavirus pandemic has heightened the urgency of the plight of those seeking medical care in public hospitals in Italy’s economically underdeveloped south. But recent glimpsed moments of drama are nothing new to people here who depend on such care. Many in the Naples area resign themselves to what has been decried as hellish, “Dantesque” waits to receive treatment for COVID-19. SENT: 1,030 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-EUROPE — The World Health Organization says Europe made up almost half of the roughly 4 million new coronavirus cases it tallied globally last week. But the U.N. health agency also reported a nearly 10% fall in cases in Europe thanks in part to strict government measures. SENT: 625 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-GERMANY-PROTESTS — German police fired water cannons at demonstrators in downtown Berlin protesting coronavirus restrictions after saying that the crowd refused to listen to their entreaties to wear masks and keep their distance from one another in line with regulations. By David Rising. SENT: 570 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-BRITAIN — The British government spent billions without proper transparency in a scramble to secure protective equipment early in the coronavirus outbreak, the country’s public watchdog says. SENT: 520 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-AFRICA-SECOND-SURGE — As Africa is poised to surpass 2 million confirmed virus cases, it is Kenya’s turn to worry the continent with a second surge in infections well under way. SENT: 860 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ASIA — South Korea records its largest daily increase in coronavirus infections in nearly three months as it gets set to tighten social distancing rules in the greater Seoul area. SENT: 640 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-IMMIGRANT CHILDREN — A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to stop expelling immigrant children who cross the southern border alone. SENT: 570 words.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-BELGRADE DAY CARE — For years, a small house tucked away in a Belgrade residential area has been an oasis of warmth and comfort for the Serbian capital’s most vulnerable inhabitants — the street kids. The Roadhouse drop-in center has served the basic needs of hundreds of children who often have nowhere else to wash, warm up or properly eat. During the coronavirus pandemic the center’s role has become even more important. SENT: 550 words, photos.
EXPLAINING VIRUS OUTBREAK-MASKS — A look at how what we know about masks has changed, and how government officials are increasingly getting behind the idea of mandating the use of masks. SENT: 730 words, photos.
Find more coverage on the Virus Outbreak on the featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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TRUMP-REPUBLICANS — Though few Republicans are publicly discussing President Donald Trump’s defeat, many are privately acknowledging that the White House will soon have a new occupant. But the deception is not just a Washington game: it has real consequences, including slowing down the transition amid a pandemic while also fueling suspicion about the election and Democrat Joe Biden’s legitimacy. UPCOMING: 950 words by 5 p.m., photos.
ELECTION 2020-VOTE COUNT — President-elect Joe Biden is closing in on 80 million votes as Democratic-leaning areas continue to slowly count their final votes, making it likely his winning margin will be bigger than any presidential candidate this century other than Barack Obama’s in 2008. The gap between him and President Trump continues to grow -- even as Trump insists he actually won and he and his allies try to invalidate the votes of a record number of participants in the 2020 election. UPCOMING: 700 words by 5 p.m., photos.
ELECTION 2020-BELLWETHERS — Vigo County, Indiana, was the America’s more reliable presidential bellwether, voting in line with the rest of the nation since 1956. But that winning streak ended this year, as it did for nearly all the country’s bellwethers, most of them blue-collar, overwhelmingly white communities in the Rust Belt. By Claire Galofaro. UPCOMING: 2,100 words by 3 p.m., photos. An abridged version of 995 words will also be available.
CONGRESS-DEMOCRATS — House Democrats nominate Nancy Pelosi as the speaker to lead them into Joe Biden’s presidency, picking her to guide a smaller and ideologically divided majority in shepherding his agenda toward enactment. By Alan Fram. SENT: 958 words. UPCOMING: 950 words by 4 p.m., photos.
ELECTION 2020-WISCONSIN — President Trump’s campaign has paid $3 million for a recount of two heavily Democratic Wisconsin counties, saying that they were the site of the “worst irregularities.” That comes although no evidence of wrongdoing has been presented and state elections officials have said there was none. SENT: 290 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-GEORGIA — Election officials across Georgia are staring down a deadline to complete a hand tally of the presidential race in the state. The hand recount of nearly 5 million votes stemmed from an audit required by a new state law and wasn’t in response to any suspected problems with the state’s results or an official recount request. SENT: 700 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-MICHIGAN — A state Board of Canvassers’ meeting has been cancelled after canvassers in southeastern Michigan’s Wayne County unanimously certified election results showing Democrat Joe Biden defeated President Donald Trump. Secretary of State spokeswoman Tracy Wimmer said in an email that the meeting was unnecessary because “all counties have certified” the results. SENT: 300 words, photo.
UNITED STATES-IRAN — The United States hits Iran with new sanctions as Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made the case that undoing the actions of the Trump administration would be foolish and dangerous. SENT: 460 words, photo.
UNITED STATES-AFGHANISTAN — The coming period of U.S. troop withdrawals from Afghanistan and Iraq is “fraught with risk,” but the military will not hesitate to strike back if extremists attempt to undermine the transition to a smaller U.S. force in those countries, the newly installed acting secretary of defense says. SENT: 488 words, photo.
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MEXICO-GENERAL ARRESTED — U.S. prosecutors formally dropped a drug trafficking and money laundering case against a former Mexican defense secretary, a decision that came after Mexico threatened to cut off cooperation with U.S. authorities unless the general was sent home. SENT: 968 words, photos.
TROPICAL-WEATHER — Piles of wind-tossed lumber used to be homes. Concrete walls have been pounded into painted chunks. Colorful pieces of clothing hang from tree branches. The devastation caused by Hurricane Iota became clear as phone and internet service began to be restored after the second Category 4 hurricane in two weeks blasted Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast. SENT: 580 words, photos.
ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN — Armenia’s prime minister presented a 15-point “road map” aimed at “ensuring democratic stability” in what appeared to be a bid to resolve a political crisis that unfolded after he signed a truce with Azerbaijan to halt the fighting over the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh. SENT: 370 words.
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GREEN BERET ESPIONAGE — A former Army Green Beret pleaded guilty to divulging military secrets to Russia about his Special Forces unit’s activities in former Soviet republics. Peter Rafael Dzibinski Debbins, 45, of Gainesville, Virginia, pleaded guilty to a charge under the federal Espionage Act at a hearing in U.S. District Court in Alexandria. SENT: 570 words, photos.
FEDERAL-EXECUTIONS — The U.S. Department of Justice plans to execute a Black death-row inmate convicted of helping to kidnap and kill a Texas woman in 1994, which would be the eighth execution this year as part of its resumption of federal executions after a nearly two-decade pause. Orlando Hall, 49, was among five men whom prosecutors said kidnapped Lisa Rene from her Arlington, Texas, home to get revenge on her two brothers for a botched $5,000 marijuana deal. Over two days, she was taken to Arkansas, gang-raped, bludgeoned with a shovel and buried alive. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 5 p.m.
TRACKING SANTA — The North American Aerospace Defense Command has announced it will track Santa Claus on Dec. 24, just as it has done for 65 years, but not every child will be able to get through to a volunteer at NORAD’s call center to check on Santa’s whereabouts, as they have in years before. SENT: 510 words, photo.
NRA-GUN INSURANCE — New York financial regulators say the National Rifle Association is banned from marketing insurance in New York for five years and will pay $2.5 million to settle an investigation into “dangerous” policies that covered gun owners’ costs related to self-defense shootings. SENT: 465 words, photos.
GEORGE FLOYD-INVESTIGATION — Prosecutors in the upcoming trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged with killing George Floyd want to introduce evidence of a 2017 arrest in which they say the officer held his knee on the back of a 14-year-old boy and ignored his pleas that he couldn’t breathe. SENT: 365 words, photo.
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HEALTH & SCIENCE
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SCI-SPACE STATION — The International Space Station’s two Russian astronauts ventured out on a spacewalk to prepare for next year’s arrival of a long-delayed lab. SENT: 290 words, photos.
CONGO-EBOLA — Congo declares an end to its 11th Ebola outbreak, this one in western Equateur province, nearly six months after cases were reported and amid the rise of COVID-19 in the Central African nation. SENT: 520 words.
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FINANCIAL MARKETS —U.S. stock indexes were drifting close to their record highs, as hopes for a coronavirus vaccine coming in the future push some investors to look past the worsening pandemic in the present. SENT: 690 words, photo.
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HOLIDAYS-SEARCHING FOR JOY — As some holiday tree sellers fear they’ll sell out by Thanksgiving and parcel shipping companies worry about November gridlock, a growing number of people on a quest for joy have early Christmas fever. They’ve bucked tradition and gone full-on Christmas weeks earlier than they normally would.. By Leanne Italie. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.
MUSIC-GRAMMY NOMS PREVIEW — A preview of what to expect when the Recording Academy announces the nominees for the 2021 Grammy Awards next week. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 3 p.m.
MEDIA-FOX COMPETITION — The Trump-friendly network Newsmax saw its viewership explode after the election, helped by fans of the president who were apparently miffed at Fox News Channel. Whether the show emerges as a long-term threat to Fox’s iron grip on conservative viewers remains to be seen. By Media Writer David Bauder. SENT: 1,000 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.