AP News Digest 6:05 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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The story slugged MED-HOSPITAL CYBERATTACK on the 2 p.m. digest will not move this cycle.
Adds TRUMP FACT CHECK, ELECTION-2020-WISCONSIN-RECOUNT, ELECTION-2020-GEORGIA, VIRUS-OUTBREAK-AIRLINES, VIRUS OUTBREAK-THINGS TO KNOW, LEBANON, CALIFORNIA-UNEMPLOYMENT-FRAUD, GANG VIOLENCE-LONG ISLAND, QUESTIONED-FOR-SPEAKING-SPANISH, MEDIA-DEBATES, NIELSENS, ODD-MYSTERIOUS-MONOLITH, OBIT-BRUCE BOYNTON, MUSIC-GRAMMY NOMINATIONS-REACTIONS, MUSIC-GRAMMY-NOMINATIONS-FACTOIDS
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ONLY ON AP
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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SPAIN’S-BODY-COLLECTORS — With the resurgence of the coronavirus in Spain, mortuary workers have returned to making the rounds of hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities. Like doctors and nurses, they are part of a group of essential workers who see and touch the daily march of death amid the worst public health crisis in over a century. By Emilio Morenatti. SENT: 880 words, photos.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK — Don’t even think of throwing away the mask anytime soon. Despite the expected arrival of COVID-19 vaccines in just a few weeks, it could take several months — probably well into 2021 — before things get back to something close to normal in the United States. Many challenges lie ahead — not just the logistical hurdles involved in the biggest vaccination campaign in U.S. history, but public fear and misinformation that could hinder the effort and kick the end of the pandemic further down the road. By Candice Choi. SENT: 1,060 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-THINGS TO KNOW, VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST (both sent)
VIRUS OUTBREAK-TROUBLE HEARING — Hearing specialists across the U.S. are seeing an uptick in visits from people who only realized how much they relied on lip reading and facial expressions when people started wearing masks. Texas nurse Teri Wheat went for a test earlier this year after realizing that her hearing loss was becoming “more noticeable the more barriers that we had.” She now wears hearing aids. Specialists say that since hearing loss often comes on gradually, people usually wait around seven years before getting tested. But this year they’ve seen people coming in sooner. By Jaime Stengle. SENT: 550 words, photos.
BIDEN —Declaring “America is back,” President-elect Joe Biden introduced his national security team on Tuesday, his first substantive offering of how he’ll shift from Trump-era “America First” policies by relying on experts from the Democratic establishment to be some of his most important advisers. By Alexandra Jaffe, Aamer Madhani and Matthew Lee. SENT: 1,150 words, photos. With BIDEN-THE LATEST (sent)
TRUMP-TRANSITION — President Donald Trump insists he’s not giving up his fight to overturn the election results, but across the federal government, preparations are beginning in earnest to support President-elect Joe Biden’s incoming administration. By Zeke Miller. SENT: 780 words, photos. With TRUMP FACT CHECK — President Trump is still pushing false accusations of a rigged election, even though his administration is making room for President-elect Joe Biden to take over. SENT: 550 words., photos.
2020 CENSUS FAKE-ANSWERS — The Associated Press has obtained text messages that a U.S. Census Bureau supervisor in Alabama sent to workers telling them how to fake counts of households by entering misleading data. The texts from October say the effort’s goal was to close the census count in cases where they couldn’t tell who lived in a household after two visits. Census workers were told to close cases after two failed visits at the home, plus two more with neighbors or landlords. By Mike Schneider. SENT: 1,170 words, photos.
OPIOID CRISIS-PURDUE — Purdue Pharma pleaded guilty to three criminal charges, formally taking responsibility for its part in an opioid epidemic that has contributed to hundreds of thousands of deaths but also angering critics who want to see individuals held accountable, in addition to the company. In a virtual hearing with a federal judge in Newark, New Jersey, the OxyContin maker admitted impeding the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s efforts to combat the addiction crisis. By Geoff Mulvihill. SENT: 790 words, photos.
FINANCIAL MARKETS — The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed above 30,000 points for the first time as progress in the development of coronavirus vaccines and news that the transition of power in the U.S. to President-elect Joe Biden will finally begin kept investors in a buying mood. By Alex Veiga and Damian J. Troise. SENT: 710 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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ODD-MYSTERIOUS-MONOLITH — Mysterious shiny monolith found in otherworldly Utah desert. SENT: 240 words, photos.
TRUMP-TURKEY PARDON — Trump skips turkey jokes, gives thanks for COVID-19 vaccines at the traditional Thanksgiving turkey pardon ceremony at the White House. SENT: 390 words, photos.
OBIT-BRUCE BOYNTON — Bruce Boynton, who inspired 1961 Freedom Rides, dies at 83. SENT: 560 words, photo.
MCCORMICK-CHOLULA — McCormick & Co., the spice maker that dominates U.S. grocery shelves, said that it was buying the hot sauce brand Cholula for $800 million from L Catteron, a private equity firm. SENT: 360 words, photos.
RADIOSHACK-REVIVAL — Left for dead, twice, RadioShack gets another shot online. SENT: 840 words, photos.
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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-AIRLINES — With coronavirus cases spiking in the U.S. and Europe, the financial outlook of the world’s airlines is getting worse. The International Air Transport Association said Tuesday that around the world, airlines will lose more than $157 billion this year and next. That’s worse than the group was predicting back in June. SENT: 330 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-US SURGE — Waiters and bartenders are losing their jobs – again – as governors and local officials shut down indoor dining and drinking establishments to combat a nationwide surge in coronavirus infections that is overwhelming hospitals and dashing hopes for a quick economic recovery. The timing, just before the holidays, couldn’t be worse. SENT: 800 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-HOLIDAY RESTRICTIONS — Governors and mayors are ratcheting up mask mandates and imposing restrictions on small indoor gatherings, which have been blamed for accelerating the spread of the coronavirus. Experts say that if people disregard the new state and local restrictions and socialize anyway, that could put greater stress on overburdened hospitals and lead to an even bigger spike in sickness and death over the holidays. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-THE-SELF-CARE-SURGE — The pandemic has forced people to spend more time with themselves than ever. Along the way, it has reshaped and broadened the way many think about how they treat themselves — what has come to be called self-care. For many, it has put the purpose and meaning of life front and center, reconfiguring priorities and needs. This new way of thinking has many impacts, including producing new trends in the beauty and clothing industries. SENT: 1,230 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-BRITAIN — British authorities gave the green light to holiday reunions, relaxing restrictions on social mixing over Christmas and offering arriving international travelers a way to cut short quarantine if they test negative for COVID-19. SENT: 760 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-FRANCE — People in France will be able to go back to their favorite shops and attend religious services again next week after a month of partial virus lockdown — but they’ll have to wait until at least Jan. 20 to savor a meal in a restaurant or enjoy a gym workout. SENT: 410 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-ROMEO REMADE — High school students in a Boston suburb are making an animated film version of “Romeo & Juliet” after their plans to stage a traditional performance were scuttled this fall by the ongoing pandemic. The cast at Westwood High School has been making voice recordings of the scenes, which will then be set to images from a graphic novel version of the timeless Shakespeare play. SENT: 625 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-VIRAL-QUESTIONS-DINING-TENTS — Outdoor dining tents are popping up outside restaurants during the pandemic, but experts say not all setups are equal. SENT: 310 words, graphic.
Find more coverage on the Virus Outbreak on the featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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BIDEN NOMINEES-SENATE — As President-elect Joe Biden starts to roll out his Cabinet nominees, one voice has been notably silent: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. If they retain their majority, Senate Republicans will be able to confirm or deny Biden’s Cabinet picks, but key senators are keeping quiet, for now, as they choose their battles ahead. SENT: 870 words, photo.
ELECTION-2020-WISCONSIN-RECOUNT — Republicans filed a lawsuit asking the Wisconsin Supreme Court to block certification of the presidential election results even as a recount over President-elect Joe Biden’s win over President Donald Trump is ongoing. SENT: 720 words, photos. With ELECTION-2020-GEORGIA — Presidential race official recount gets underway in Georgia. SENT: 420 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-PENNSYLVANIA — Pennsylvania officials say Democrat Joe Biden has been certified as the winner of the presidential vote in the state. Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf tweeted that the Pennsylvania State Department “certified the results of the November 3 election in Pennsylvania for president and vice president of the United States.” SENT: 255 words, photos. With ELECTION 2020-NEVADA — The Nevada Supreme Court has made Joe Biden’s win in the state official, approving the final canvass of the Nov. 3 election. SENT: 360 words, photos.
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CENTRAL AMERICA-STORM MIGRANTS - Flooded out Honduran and Guatemalan families stranded on rooftops in the most marginalized neighborhoods after the passage of hurricanes Eta and Iota this month have raised fears of a new wave of migration, observers across the region say. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.
LEBANON — A Lebanese prosecutor filed charges against current and former customs officials over the massive blast at Beirut’s port in August, including a former customs chief who was reportedly the point man for the militant Hezbollah group at the facility. SENT: 350 words, photo.
SUDAN-ETHIOPIA-REFUGEES AT RISK — More than 40,000 people have fled the Ethiopian government’s offensive in the defiant Tigray region. They have hurried into Sudan, often under gunfire, sometimes so quickly they had to leave family behind. There is not enough to feed them in this remote area, and very little shelter. SENT: 860 words, photos.
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GANG VIOLENCE-LONG ISLAND — An appeals court affirmed a 55-year prison term for a member of the MS-13 gang who organized the killings of four teenagers in a Long Island park when he was 15 — but it also expressed regret that the end of parole for federal prisoners means he won’t have incentive to reform. SENT: 600 words, photos.
CALIFORNIA-UNEMPLOYMENT-FRAUD — California’s system for paying unemployment benefits is so dysfunctional that the state approved more than $140 million for at least 35,000 prisoners, prosecutors say, detailing a scheme that resulted in payouts in the names of well-known convicted murderers like Scott Peterson and Cary Stayner. SENT: 570 words, photo.
QUESTIONED-FOR-SPEAKING-SPANISH — Two women who were detained in northern Montana by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents for speaking Spanish while shopping at a convenience store have reached an undisclosed monetary settlement in their lawsuit against the agency, the ACLU of Montana says. SENT: 650 words, photo.
OBIT-DAVID-DINKINS — David Dinkins, who broke barriers as New York City’s first African-American mayor, but was doomed to a single term by a soaring murder rate, stubborn unemployment and his mishandling of a riot in Brooklyn, has died. He was 93. SENT: 1,360 words, photos.
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HEALTH & SCIENCE
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CHINA-SPACE GOALS — China’s latest trip to the moon is another milestone in the Asian powerhouse’s slow but steady ascent to the stars. SENT: 700 words, photos, video.
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MEDIA-DEBATES — Nearly two months later, Chris Wallace can’t bring himself to watch a rerun of the disastrous first presidential debate between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. By David Bauder. SENT: 590 words, photos. With NIELSENS — Fox News viewership slips post-election, prodded by Trump. SENT: 460 words.
MUSIC-GRAMMY NOMINATIONS — Beyoncé is bringing her black parade to the Grammys: The pop star’s anthem about Black pride scored multiple nominations, making her the leading contender with nine. Beyoncé picked up song and record of the year bids with “Black Parade,” which she released on Juneteenth, the holiday that commemorates when the last enslaved African Americans learned they were free. The song, which reached the Top 40 on the pop charts, is also nominated for best R&B song and best R&B performance. By Music Writer Mesfin Fekadu. SENT: 1,300 words, photos. With MUSIC-GRAMMYS-HOST-TREVOR NOAH — “The Daily Show” host and comedian Trevor Noah has been tapped to host the 2021 Grammy Awards. SENT: 200 words, photO; GRAMMY-NOMINATIONS-LIST, MUSIC-GRAMMY NOMINATIONS-REACTIONS, MUSIC-GRAMMY-NOMINATIONS-FACTOIDS (all sent)
FILM-KURT RUSSELL-GOLDIE HAWN — Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn have never felt the pressure to use their unmatched chemistry for the big screen time and time again. Since 1987′s “Overboard,” they’ve turned down hundreds of opportunities to co-star with one another until now. The two have reunited for “The Christmas Chronicles: Part Two,” playing another famous couple: Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Russell is reprising the superhero Santa meets Elvis character he played in the first film from 2018. “Home Alone” director Chris Columbus, who produced the first,” signed on to direct. He says this is his “love letter” to Christmas. The film hits Netflix on Wednesday. SENT: 800 words, photos.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK RELOCATED TEAMS — The major college sports programs in New Mexico are trying to make the most of being temporarily relocated this season due to coronavirus restrictions in their home state. The University of New Mexico’s football team moved to Las Vegas for this season, while the men’s and women’s basketball teams have set up in two Texas towns. Meanwhile, New Mexico State’s men’s basketball team has a temporary home at a resort in Phoenix. SENT: 750 words, photos.
FBC-PLAYOFF RANKINGS — The first College Football Playoff rankings of the season will be released Tuesday night. In six seasons of the playoff, the first top four has never included all the eventual playoff teams.Still, the first rankings are important to powerhouse teams like Alabama, Notre Dame and Clemson. Where the committee places Cincinnati and BYU is also worth watching closely. By College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo. SENT: 790 words, photos. UPCOMING: Will be updated after 9 p.m.
HKN-NEW SEASON HURDLES — Time is running short for the NHL to start its season Jan. 1. A one-time realignment featuring an all-Canadian division is likely because of cross-border travel concerns amid the pandemic. A major holdup involves the NHL seeking further payroll relief from players to make up for projected losses in revenue. By Hockey Writers John Wawrow and Stephen Whyno. UPCOMING: 760 words, file photos by 7 p.m.
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HOW TO REACH US
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