AP News Digest 6:20 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: VIRUS OUTBREAK-DEADLY SHORTAGES-VACCINE, VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRUMP-TEST, GOVERNORS SECURITY, EDUCATION-CHINA INFLUENCE.
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ELECTION 2020-TRUMP — President Donald Trump is looking to get his campaign back on track, a week after he was sidelined with the coronavirus. As questions linger about his health, he will hold an event at the White House on Saturday and what he calls a “BIG RALLY” in Sanford, Florida on Monday. By Zeke Miller, Jonathan Lemire and Jill Colvin. SENT: 840 words, photos, video. VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRUMP-TEST — It is a basic, crucial question and one the White House refuses to answer: When did President Trump last test negative to the coronavirus? By Jill Colvin. SENT: 750 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRUMP — Trump says he might not have recovered from COVID-19 had he not been treated with experimental drugs. SENT: 550 words, photos.
NOBEL-PEACE — The United Nations’ World Food Program wins the 2020 Nobel Peace Prize for its efforts to combat hunger and food insecurity around the globe. The organization provided assistance to almost 100 million people in 88 countries around the world last year. By Dalatou Mamane, Frank Jordans and Vanessa Gera. SENT: 940 words, photos. WITH: NOBEL-PEACE-WFP-WHERE-IT-HELPS --WFP fights hunger in food-deprived places, crises, war zones. SENT: 740 words, photos; NOBEL-PEACE-A-CALL-TO-UNITY— Nobel win reflects ‘hunger for international cooperation.’ SENT: 685 words, photos.
TROPICAL-WEATHER — Residents in south Louisiana braced to relive a nightmare as rain bands from an approaching Hurricane Delta began soaking the same area that was badly battered by a deadly Hurricane Laura six weeks ago. The city of Lake Charles was already a landscape of towering debris piles still uncollected after Laura. Officials feared Delta could turn the small mountains of trash lining the streets into deadly projectiles. By Rebecca Santana and Stacey Plaisance. SENT: 860 words, photos. WITH: TROPICAL-WEATHER-THE-LATEST.
ELECTION 2020-MCCONNELL-SUPREME COURT — Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spent a year prepping his Republican colleagues for this moment, telling them the confirmation a Supreme Court justice is the chance to make “seismic change” that will stay with the nation for generations to come. Now, three weeks before Election Day, the GOP leader needs this moment more than ever. By Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 1,020 words, photos.
Find more coverage on the 2020 U.S. Elections featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
MICHIGAN GOVERNOR-KIDNAPPING PLOT-EXTREMISTS — The charges against 13 people linked to a plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor is a jarring example of how the anti-government movement in the U.S. has become an internet-driven hodgepodge of conspiracy theorists who have redirected their rage from Washington toward state Capitols. By Michael Kunzelman and John Flesher. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 7 p.m. MICHIGAN GOVERNOR-KIDNAPPING PLOT — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her family were at times moved around by authorities as law enforcement tracked the men who allegedly plotted for months to kidnap her, Michigan’s attorney general said. SENT: 600 words, photos; GOVERNORS SECURITY — A plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor has put a focus on the security of governors who have faced protests and threats over their handling of the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 850 words, photos.
BBO-OBIT-WHITEY FORD — Whitey Ford, the street-smart New Yorker who had the best winning percentage of any pitcher in the 20th century and helped the Yankees become baseball’s perennial champions in the 1950s and ’60s, has died at 91. By Baseball Writer Ronald Blum. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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JOHN OLIVER-SEWAGE PLANT — It’s official. It’s now the John Oliver Memorial Sewer Plant in Danbury, Connecticut. SENT: 430 words, photos.
TROPICAL WEATHER-WEDDING — Hurricane Delta sped up one Louisiana couple’s wedding by a few days but judging by the smiles on the bride and groom it certainly didn’t dampen the affair. SENT: 365 words, photos.
TIGER KING-CRUELTY CHARGES — A wild animal trainer featured in the popular Netflix series “Tiger King” has been indicted in Virginia on animal cruelty and wildlife trafficking charges. SENT: 295 words.
BROADWAY REOPEN — Fans of Broadway will have to wait a little longer for shows to resume — until at least late May. An exact date for various performances to resume has yet to be determined. SENT: 320 words, photo.
BOOKS-EMILY-RATAJKOWSKI —British model and activist Emily Ratajkowski has a book deal. “EmRata,” as her millions of online followers know her, is working on an essay collection called “My Body.” Metropolitan Books will publish it in 2022. SENT: 165 words, photo.
ELECTION 2020-CAMPAIGN SIGNS-RAZOR BLADES —Authorities were trying to determine who taped razor blades to the bottom of a Trump 2020 campaign sign, slicing the fingers of a worker tasked with removing signs that were too close to a roadway in southeast Michigan. SENT: 175 words.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — The White House boosts its offer in up-and-down COVID-19 aid talks in hopes of an agreement before Election Day, but President Trump’s most powerful GOP ally in the Senate says Congress is unlikely to deliver relief by then. By Andrew Taylor and Bruce Schreiner. SENT: 700 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK — Parents around the United States are deciding whether to keep their children in public schools as the pandemic extends into a new academic year. Their choices could exacerbate the financial problems of school systems that receive state funding for every student they enroll. With preliminary attendance figures showing unexpected enrollment declines, school officials have appealed to parents to register their youngsters before their state’s official student census. SENT: 980 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-DEADLY SHORTAGES-VACCINE — A Trump administration official leading the response to the coronavirus pandemic says the U.S. can expect delivery of a vaccine starting in January 2021, despite statements from the president that inoculations could begin this month. By Martha Mendoza and Juliet Linderman. SENT: 930 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-FRENCH HOSPITALS — Intensive care wards across France are filling up again with COVID-19 patients. Doctors are scrambling to create new ICU beds elsewhere to accommodate the sick, and asking what went wrong. National health agency figures and doctors at multiple hospitals say France hasn’t added significant ICU capacity or the staff needed to manage them since the pandemic’s first wave. SENT: 960 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ORTHODOX JEWS — After months of grappling with a pandemic that has walloped New York’s Orthodox Jewish communities, prompting changes to holidays, mourning and prayers, new limits on worship and other activity in some areas are raising tensions in some neighborhoods. SENT: 970 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-BELGIUM-BARS — New coronavirus restrictions put the spotlight on two Belgian classics this week: Beer and surrealism. Since bars in Brussels were forced to close, as of Thursday, for at least a month while restaurants were allowed to remain open, the big question on the streets is: when is a bar a bar, when is a bar a restaurant, what’s a brasserie really, and when is a “café” a coffee house? And more importantly, does the distinction really help contain the pandemic? SENT: 720 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-EMIRATES-BEAR-GRYLLS — The northern-most sheikhdom in the United Arab Emirates hopes a new adventure camp showcasing its wide-open spaces, fresh air and socially distanced mountain peaks can aid in reviving its tourist industry amid the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 670 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA — Sri Lankan health authorities were working to contain a growing cluster of new coronavirus infections, ordering the closure of bars, restaurants, casinos, nightclubs and spas. SENT: 400 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SPAIN —Spain’s government declared a state of emergency in Madrid, wresting control of efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19 from local authorities in a region that is experiencing one of Europe’s most significant coronavirus outbreaks. SENT: 520 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-CHINA-VACCINE-ALLIANCE — China, which has four coronavirus vaccine candidates in stage 3 clinical trials, says it is joining the COVID-19 vaccine alliance known as COVAX. SENT: 690 words, photos.
Find more coverage on the Virus Outbreak on the featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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ELECTION 2020-BIDEN-COURT EXPANSION — Democratic presidential challenger Joe Biden isn’t taking a position, at least publicly, on the idea of expanding the Supreme Court if his party takes power in January. But the issue isn’t going away as Republicans grasp for any cudgel that could help President Trump dent Biden’s lead. By Bill Barrow. SENT: 1,050 words, photo.
PELOSI-25th AMENDMENT — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi unveils legislation that would allow Congress to intervene under the 25th Amendment to the Constitution to remove the president, insisting it’s not about Donald Trump but the need for greater congressional oversight of his White House. Republicans quickly denounce the measure, which has no chance of becoming law, as an election-year stunt. By Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 670 words, photos, video. With PRESIDENTIAL POWER-AP EXPLAINS — The 25th Amendment provides some answers about how presidential power could be transferred. SENT: 760 words, photos.
EDUCATION-CHINA INFLUENCE — The Trump administration encourages U.S. schools and colleges to rethink their ties to the Confucius Institute, a program that brings Chinese language classes to America but that officials say also invites a “malign influence” from China. By Collin Binkley. SENT: 700 words, photo.
ELECTION 2020-OHIO — Nearly 50,000 voters received incorrect absentee ballots in the county that is home to Ohio’s capital, elections officials said Friday as they promised corrected ballots would be mailed within 72 hours. SENT: 290 words, photos.
DIVERSITY INITIATIVES-SCRUTINY -- President Trump’s Labor Department is using a 55-year-old presidential order spurred by the civil rights movement to scrutinize companies like Microsoft and Wells Fargo over their public commitments to boost Black employment and leadership roles. SENT: 1,050 words, photos.
2020 ELECTION-TWITTER-STRONGER MEASURES — Twitter is imposing tough new rules that restrict candidates from declaring premature victory and tighten its measures against spreading misinformation, calling for political violence and spreading thoughtless commentary in the days leading up to and following the Nov. 3 U.S. election. SENT: 480 words, photo.
ELECTION 2020-SENATE-SOUTH CAROLINA — Lindsey Graham's challenger, Jaime Harrison, demands that the senator get a COVID-19 test before debate. SENT: 600 words, photos.
UNITED STATES-RUSSIA — U.S. and Russian negotiators agree in principle to continue freezing their nuclear warhead stockpiles in a bid to salvage their last remaining arms control pact before it expires next year. By Matthew Lee. SENT: 520 words, photo.
SINGAPORE SPY-CHINA — A Singapore man has been sentenced to 14 months in prison for spying for China by passing to the Chinese government valuable but unclassified military and political information he had duped Americans into giving him. By Eric Tucker. SENT: 650 words, photos.
ELECTION-2020-VIRGINIA REDISTRICTING REFERENDUM -- An effort to end centuries of partisan gerrymandering in Virginia is up for consideration by the state’s voters. A referendum on the November ballot asks whether to amend the state Constitution to create a bipartisan panel that would take on the once-every-10-year task of redrawing the legislative boundaries for General Assembly and congressional districts. SENT: 830 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-FLORIDA VOTERS — A federal judge has denied a motion to extend voter registration after a computer meltdown on the final day of registration might have prevented thousands of potential voters from taking part in November’s presidential election. SENT: 490 words, photos.
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MARIJUANA MAINE — Mainers are getting their first opportunity to legally buy marijuana for adult recreational use, but the supply could be thin. Retailers blame a limited number of licensed manufacturers for reducing the variety of products available on Friday in Maine. SENT: 530 words, photo.
GEORGE FLOYD-INVESTIGATION — Citing safety concerns, a Minnesota judge has issued new conditions of release for an ex-Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd that would let him live in a neighboring state while he awaits trial. SENT: 330 words, photos.
POLICE SHOOTING-WISCONSIN-MALL — The mother and sisters of a Black teen who was killed by a suburban Milwaukee police officer have been arrested by police who were cracking down on protesters out after a curfew following a decision not to charge the officer. SENT: 910 words, photos.
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KYRGYZSTAN-PROTESTS -- The embattled president of Kyrgyzstan ordered a nearly two-week state of emergency Friday in the capital, in a bid to end political turmoil sparked by a disputed parliamentary election. SENT: 500 words, photos.
ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN — Russia is moving to stop the worst escalation of fighting in the separatist region of Nagorno-Karabakh in more than a quarter-century by hosting cease-fire talks. SENT: 720 words, photos.
LEBANON-ARMENIA — The fighting between Armenia and Azerbaijan is echoing around the Mideast. Syrian activists say Turkey has also sent hundreds of Syrian fighters to the conflict to back its ally, Azerbaijan, and several dozen have been killed. A small number of Lebanese Armenians have traveled on their own to fight in defense of their ancestral land, according to members of the community in Beirut. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
MALI-HOSTAGES FREED — A 75-year-old French aid worker held hostage for four years by Islamic extremists in Mali arrived Friday in France — and says she wants to return to her aid work with malnourished children despite the ordeal. SENT: 700 words, photos.
BRAZIL-RISING POVERTY — Brazil’s government is winding down its monthly pandemic cash transfer program through year-end, with unemployment still high, and millions of people who benefited will slip back into poverty. SENT: 580 words, photo.
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FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Stocks were rising on Wall Street as talks appear to be continuing in the start-and-stop drive on Capitol Hill to deliver more aid to the ailing economy. SENT: 690 words, photos.
EBAY EMPLOYEES-CYBERSTALKING — Two former eBay Inc. employees have pleaded guilty to their roles in a campaign to terrorize a publisher and editor of an online newsletter critical of the company with a scheme that included live spiders and other disturbing deliveries sent to their home. SENT: 240 words, photo.
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MUSIC-Q&A-SEAN-ONO-LENNON -- Sean Ono Lennon’s first experience re-working his father’s catalog was terrifying and intimidating, but he had two main goals in mind to keep him on track: Preserve his father’s message in the songs and help the late icon’s music reach a younger audience. SENT: 1,365 words, photos.
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BKN-NBA FINALS —The Los Angeles Lakers, powered by LeBron James and Anthony Davis, can win the NBA title when they face the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 7 p.m. Game starts 9:10 p.m.
ALDS-YANKEES-RAYS — The New York Yankees turn to ace Gerrit Cole, pitching on short rest for the first time in his big league career, in the decisive Game 5 of their AL Division Series against the rival Tampa Bay Rays. Tyler Glasnow will start for the Rays on two days’ rest. The winner moves on to face the Houston Astros in the AL Championship Series. By Bernie Wilson. UPCOMIING: 750 words, photos. Game starts 7:10 p.m.
FBN-VIRUS OUTBREAK-NFL — New York Jets players and coaches have been sent home from their training facility after a presumptive positive coronavirus test, a person with direct knowledge of the test tells The Associated Press. By Teresa M. Walker and Barry Wilner. SENT: 650 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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