AP News Digest 2 p.m.

| November 19, 2020 11:06 AM

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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VIRUS OUTBREAK-NURSING HOME NEGLECT — As more than 90,000 of America’s long-term care residents have died in the coronavirus pandemic, advocates for the elderly say a tandem wave of death separate from the virus has quietly claimed tens of thousands more, often because overburdened workers haven’t been able to give them the care they need. An expert who conducted an analysis of nursing home deaths for the AP believes that non-COVID excess deaths, beyond what is normal, could total 40,000 this year. By Matt Sedensky and Bernard Condon. SENT: 2,400 words, photos, video. An abridged version of 890 words is available.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ISLAND ISOLATION — Most of the world has been living with the coronavirus for months, but a small group of environmental workers is only now adjusting to the pandemic. Just as the virus began to take hold, in February, these four people set sail for one of the most remote places on Earth — a small camp on Kure Atoll, at the edge of the uninhabited Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. More than 1,400 miles from Honolulu, they lived and worked in isolation, with no television or internet. Their only information came from satellite text messages and occasional emails. Now they are emerging into a changed society. By Caleb Jones. SENT: 1,345 words, photo.

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TOP STORIES

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TRUMP-LEGAL CHALLENGES — President Donald Trump and his allies take their maneuvers to block President-elect Joe Biden to a frantic new level as their options dwindle, personally calling local election officials who are trying to rescind their certification votes, suggesting in a legal challenge that a judge should order Pennsylvania to set aside the popular vote and pressuring Arizona county officials to delay certifying their vote tallies. By Colleen Long and Zeke Miller. UPCOMING: 920 words by 5 p.m., photos, video. WITH: TRUMP LEGAL CHALLENGES-LAWYERS — When President Trump sends lawyers to court, it seems he’s not sending his best. His attorneys have repeatedly made elementary errors in those high-profile cases: misspelling “ballot” as “ballet,” forgetting the name of the presiding judge during a hearing, filing a Michigan lawsuit before an obscure court in Washington by accident, and having to refile complaints after erasing entire arguments. UPCOMING: 800 words by 3 p.m., photos.

BIDEN - Joe Biden’s meets with a group of Democratic and Republican governors, his latest attempt to fight through President Donald Trump’s unprecedented attempt to block the president-elect’s transition to power. By Steve Peoples. SENT: 524 words. UPCOMING: Developing from afternoon meeting, 890 words by 5 p.m., photos. With BIDEN-THE LATEST, developing.

ELECTION 2020-ARIZONA-NATIVE VOTE — Voting rights advocates had long argued that if Native Americans and other minority groups were mobilized, they could be decisive in a tight race. This year proved that. Turnout on swaths of tribal land in Arizona surged compared to the last presidential election, helping push Joe Biden to victory. By Felicia Fonseca and Angeliki Kastanis. UPCOMING: 990 words by 5 p.m., photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK — More people are waiting for hours in long lines to get tested for the coronavirus, as cases surge nationwide and families hope to gather safely for the holidays. Meanwhile, laboratories warn chronic shortages of key supplies will likely create more bottlenecks and delays in delivering results. The U.S. has already doubled its daily testing numbers since summer, but it’s not enough to keep up with the pace of the outbreak, which has already swelled beyond 11 million cases and 250,000 deaths. By Matthew Perrone and Marion Renault. SENT: 1,080 words, photos.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SYRIA-IDLIB-ON-THE-BRINK — The staff at a hospital in the city of Idlib in northwestern Syria is overwhelmed with coronavirus patients. Although a shaky cease-fire in the civil war has temporarily halted fighting, the wards are still filled — this time with elderly patients gasping for air. Health authorities worry that the territory, which is home to 4 million people who are mostly displaced from elsewhere in the war-torn country, is on the brink of an emergency. By Ghaith Alsayed and Sarah El Deeb. SENT: 1,170 words, photos.

GENERAL MOTORS-ELECTRIC VEHICLES — General Motors says a pending breakthrough in battery chemistry will cut the price of its electric vehicles so they equal those powered by gasoline within five years. The technology also will increase the range per charge to as much as 450 miles. By Tom Krisher. SENT: 800 words, photos.

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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

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OBIT BOBBY BROWN JR. — The son of singer Bobby Brown was found dead at a Los Angeles home. He was 28 years old. SENT: 280 words, photo.

WALKING STICK DEFENSE — An 81-year-old former Marine from suburban Chicago used his grandfather’s antique Irish walking stick to chase off three burglars and deliver one a thump in the head for his trouble. SENT: 285 words, photo upcoming.

ROLLS-ROYCE SETTLEMENT — Rolls-Royce has agreed to pay $135,000 to 26 women who were not selected for machine operating roles at its factory in Virginia. SENT: 210 words.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-AFRICA — The African continent surpasses 2 million confirmed cases as health officials warn of infections starting to creep up again into a second surge. SENT: 635 words, photos.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-MIDEAST — As winter nears and coronavirus cases surge across the Middle East, the regional director for the World Health Organization says the only way to avoid mass deaths is for countries to quickly tighten restrictions and enforce preventative measures. SENT: 390 words, photo.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-TYSON — Lawyers for the estates of dead workers allege that the top official at Tyson Foods’ largest pork plant created a pool for managers to bet on how many workers would get infected during a coronavirus outbreak. SENT: 660 words.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-JAPAN — Japan reported a record number of daily coronavirus infections, amid a worrying spike in a country that has been spared the worst of the pandemic and hopes to host the Olympics next year. SENT: 750 words, photos.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ASIA — The leader of the small Pacific nation of Samoa appeals for calm after the country reported its first positive test for the coronavirus. A second test on the same patient returned a negative result. SENT: 580 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPEEDSKATING RACE — A near-mythical Dutch speedskating race could fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic — even if the looming winter is cold enough to stage it for the first time in more than 20 years. SENT: 435 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-EMIRATES — At a highway-side restaurant in the industrial outskirts of Dubai, workers methodically assemble packaged takeout meals of biryani rice, dal and brightly colored chicken curry for people in poverty and desperate to eat. SENT: 720 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRAL QUESTIONS-IMMUNITY — Will social distancing weaken my immune system? In short, no. SENT: 200 words, graphic.

Find more coverage on the Virus Outbreak on the featured topic page in AP Newsroom.

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INTERNATIONAL

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ISRAEL-POMPEO — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo became the first top American diplomat to visit an Israeli settlement in the occupied West Bank as the State Department announced that products from the settlements can be labeled “Made in Israel” in a major policy shift. SENT: 990 words, photos.

BREXIT — The Brexit trade negotiations have been suspended at a crucial stage because an EU negotiator has tested positive for the coronavirus, adding new uncertainty to the talks as a deadline looms. SENT: 400 words, photos.

MEXICO-GENERAL ARRESTED — Mexico said it will no longer allow officials accused of corruption to be tried in the United States, a move that could end a decades-old tradition in which most of Mexico’s high-profile drug-trafficking and corruption cases have been tried north of the border. SENT: 865 words, photos.

FRANCE TRAIN ATTACK — Passengers who wrestled and disarmed a gunman aboard a high-speed Amsterdam-to-Paris train are recounting how their split-second decisions helped prevent what could have become a mass slaughter on behalf of the Islamic State group. French-American citizen Mark Moogalian said before testifying at the accused gunman’s trial that he was motivated by a fierce desire to protect his wife and does not view himself as a hero. His wife disagreed. SENT: 895 words, photos.

IRAN-ELECTION-AP-INTERVIEW — An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader who is a possible 2021 presidential candidate is warning that any American attack on the Islamic Republic could set off a “full-fledged war” in the Mideast in the waning days of the Trump administration. Hossein Dehghan struck a hardline tone familiar to those in Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, a force he long served in before becoming a defense minister under President Hassan Rouhani. SENT: 1,020 words, photos.

ETHIOPIA-CRISIS UPON CRISIS — Ethiopia could hardly bear another emergency even before deadly conflict exploded in its northern Tigray region this month. Now, tens of thousands of refugees are fleeing into Sudan, and food and fuel are running desperately low in the sealed-off Tigray region along with medical supplies and resources to combat a major locust outbreak. The United Nations warns of a “full-scale humanitarian crisis.” SENT: 360 words, photos.

AFGHANISTAN-AUSTRALIA-WAR CRIMES — A leading international human rights group and an Afghan envoy are urging nations whose militaries have served as part of the U.S.-led coalition in Afghanistan, including America and Britain, to follow Australia’s example and probe their own soldiers’ conduct in the 19-year war. The call came after Australia’s public release earlier in the day of a shocking report alleging unlawful killings by elite Australian troops in Afghanistan. SENT: 720 words, photo.

EU-BUDGET BATTLE — The European Union still hasn’t completely sorted out its messy post-divorce relationship with Britain, yet has already been plunged into another major crisis. This time the bloc’s unity is being tested as Poland and Hungary block passage of the 27-member union’s next seven-year budget and an ambitious recovery package aimed at rescuing economies ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

GERMANY-NAZI-TRIAL-ANNIVERSARY — Seventy-five years ago, the dock of Courtroom 600 of the Nuremberg Palace of Justice was packed with some of the most nefarious figures of the 20th Century: Hermann Goering, Rudolf Hess, Joachim von Ribbentrop and 18 other high-ranking Nazis. They weren’t yet known as war criminals. It was a charge that didn’t exist until the Nuremberg trials that began on Nov. 20, 1945. SENT: 590 words, photos.

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HEALTH & SCIENCE

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PUERTO RICO-TROUBLED TELESCOPE — The National Science Foundation says it will close the telescope at the renowned Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico in a blow to scientists worldwide who depend on it to search for planets, asteroids and extraterrestrial life. The independent, federally funded agency said that it’s too dangerous to keep operating one of the world’s largest single dish radio telescopes given the significant damage it recently sustained. SENT: 820 words, photos.

EU-CLIMATE — The U.N.’s climate chief says deadlines set by some of the world’s top polluters to end greenhouse gas emissions, along with U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s pledge to take Washington back into the Paris accord, have boosted hopes of meeting the pact’s ambitious goals. SENT: 730 words, photos.

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BUSINESS/ECONOMY

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS — The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid rose last week to 742,000, the first increase in five weeks and a sign that the resurgent viral outbreak is likely slowing the economy and forcing more companies to cut jobs. SENT: 920 words, photos.

FINANCIAL-MARKETS — U.S. stocks were drifting in mixed trading, as Wall Street’s tug of war continues between worries about the worsening pandemic in the present and optimism that a vaccine will come in the future. SENT: 705 words, photos.

CONSUMER REPORTS-AUTO RELIABILITY — Mazda beat traditional winners Lexus and Toyota to win top honors as the most dependable auto brand in Consumer Reports’ annual reliability survey. Ford and its Lincoln luxury brand fell in the survey with Lincoln finishing last among 26 brands after introducing new SUVs. Electric car maker Tesla was second from the bottom with reliability troubles on three of its four models. SENT: 435 words, photo.

MICROSOFT-AFFORDABLE HOUSING — Microsoft says its affordable-housing initiative has hit upon a model for quickly converting market-rate apartments to ones middle-income workers such as teachers and nurses can afford. SENT: 700 words, photos.

BUZZFEED-BUYS-HUFFPOST — BuzzFeed is buying HuffPost from Verizon as part of a bigger deal that has the wireless giant investing in the digital-media company. SENT: 260 words.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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TV CAROL-BURNETT — Since its original run from 1967 to 1978, most viewers have only seen heavily chopped versions of “The Carol Burnett Show,” and many fans had no idea that singing and dancing were an essential part of a series that was actually more classic variety show than modern comedy sketch show. The episodes have been revived and expanded, most to their original hour length, and can be seen streaming for the first time on services including Tubi and The Roku Channel. SENT: 570 words, photos.

TARAJI HENSON-NEW JACK SWING PODCAST — Taraji P. Henson says a new podcast series delving into the New Jack Swing backstory is a much-needed piece of work. The Oscar-nominated actor is the host of “Jacked: Rise of the New Jack Sound,” which premiered this week on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and the Wondery app. SENT: 650 words, photo.

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SPORTS

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FBN-CARDINALS-SEAHAWKS — First place in the NFC West is at stake when the Seattle Seahawks host the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday night. Seattle hasn’t lost three straight games since 2011, while Arizona is seeking its first sweep of the Seahawks since 2009. By Tim Booth. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos. Game at 8:20 p.m.

FBC-UNEXPECTED UNBEATENS — An unusual college football season has produced some unexpected unbeaten teams dotting the AP Top 25 with about a month left. Led by No. 7 Cincinnati and No. 8 BYU, five teams from outside the Group of Five have yet to lose. What are their chances of staying undefeated and will the College Football Playoff rankings give them as much credit as AP? By College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo. UPCOMING: 750 words, with photos, by 4 p.m.

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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.