AP News Digest 6:30 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 ELECTION SECURITY-RUSSIA, which replaces ELECTION SECURITY-SPOOFED EMAILS. Adds BOOGALOO MARTYR, ELECTION 2020-KANSAS-SENATE, ELECTION 2020-SENATE-SOUTH CAROLINA, DANCING THROUGH QUARANTINE, WESTERN WILDFIRES-COLORADO, MICHAEL JACKSON ACCUSER LAWSUIT, HIJAB-HIGH SCHOOL PROTEST, RUSSIA-SNOWDEN, MEXICO-US-WATER DEBT.
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ONLY ON AP
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LOOKING FOR AMERICA-VOTING WHILE BLACK — With America roiling over questions of racial justice and a divisive election just days away, the AP Road Trip team made its way to Mississippi, and the scene of an infamous 1964 triple murder of civil rights workers fighting for Black voting rights. Almost no Black people could vote in Mississippi until well into the 1960s, with a white power structure that feared their empowerment. That changed with the 1965 Voting Rights Act, but it hasn’t ended. There are no poll taxes anymore, no tests on the state constitution. But voters face obstacles such as state-mandated ID laws that mostly affect poor and minority communities and the disenfranchisement of tens of thousands of former prisoners. By Tim Sullivan. SENT: 2,315 words, photos. Eds: An abridged version of 995 words is available.
RACIAL INEQUALITY-CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION — Career and technical education is viewed as a gateway to good jobs. But a new Hechinger/AP analysis on enrollment data from 40 states finds a deep racial divide in who benefits. The analysis shows Black and Latino students were often less likely than their white peers to enroll in science, technology, engineering and math and information technology classes. They were also more likely to enroll in courses in hospitality and, in the case of Black students in particular, human services. By Sarah Butrymowicz of The Hechinger Report and Jeff Amy and Larry Fenn of The Associated Press. SENT: 1,500 words, photos. An abridged version of 900 words is also available.
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ELECTION 2020-DEBATE — It’s debate night for President Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Joe Biden. Some Trump advisers are urging him to trade his aggressive demeanor for a lower-key style, but it’s hardly clear that the president will listen. By Jonathan Lemire, Bill Barrow and Steve Peoples. SENT: 1,090 words, photos, video. UPCOMING: Developing from 9 p.m. debate, 1,200 words by 10:30 p.m. With ELECTION 2020-DEBATE-SCENE — Inside the debate hall. SENT: 470 words, photos. UPCOMING: 700 words by 11 p.m.; ELECTION 2020-DEBATE-TAKEAWAYS — Highlights. UPCOMING: 900 words by 10:30 p.m.; ELECTION 2020-DEBATE-FACT CHECK — Sorting fact from fiction. UPCOMING: 900 words by 10:30 p.m.
TRUMP-60 MINUTES — President Trump posts the full, unedited interview he did with “60 Minutes,” footage that shows Trump growing increasingly agitated as Lesley Stahl presses him on a host of topics. By David Bauder and Jill Colvin. SENT: 620 words, photos.
Find more coverage on the 2020 U.S. Elections featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
SUPREME COURT-BARRETT — Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans power past a Democratic boycott to advance Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination to the full Senate, keeping President Trump’s pick on track for confirmation before Election Day. By Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick. SENT: 880 words, photos, video. With SUPREME COURT-BARRETT-AP EXPLAINS — What’s next for Barrett’s nomination. SENT: 900 words, photo.
REL—VATICAN CIVIL UNIONS — Question are swirling about the origins of Pope Francis’ bombshell comments endorsing same-sex civil unions. All evidence suggests he made them in a 2019 interview that was never broadcast in its entirety. The Vatican refused to comment on whether it cut the remarks from its own broadcast or pressured the Mexican broadcaster that conducted the interview to follow suit. And it didn’t respond to questions about why it allowed the comments to be aired now in the documentary “Francesco,” which premiered Wednesday. By Nicole Winfield. SENT: 850 words, photos.
ELECTION SECURITY-RUSSIA — Russian hackers have targeted the networks of dozens of state and local governments in the United States in recent days, and have stolen data from at least two servers, according to an advisory issued less than two weeks before the presidential election. By Eric Tucker. SENT: 260 words, photos. UPCOMING: 880 words by 7 p.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 787,000, a sign that job losses may have eased slightly but are still running at historically high levels. With confirmed infections having neared 60,000 in the past week, the highest level since July, many consumers have been unable or reluctant to shop, travel, dine out or congregate in crowds — a trend that has led some employers to keep cutting jobs. By Christopher Rugaber. SENT: 955 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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MACY'S NO SANTA CLAUS — Macy’s said Santa Claus won’t be greeting kids at its flagship New York store this year due to the coronavirus, interrupting a holiday tradition started nearly 160 years ago. SENT: 395 words, photos.
TESLA-FULL SELF-DRIVING — A small group of Tesla owners is testing the company’s “full self-driving” system on public roads. But in fine print the company says the $8,000 system doesn’t make the vehicles autonomous and they still have to be supervised by humans. SENT: 910 words, photo.
HIJAB-HIGH SCHOOL PROTEST — Students at a Kansas high school staged a peaceful demonstration after a student was told to remove her Islamic head scarf. SENT: 320 words.
GEORGIA-BANK ROBBER — Police in the ex-Soviet republic of Georgia are looking for a man who held over 40 people hostage at a bank for hours before releasing them and escaping with the money given to him by authorities. SENT: 125 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-DRIVE-THRU-FAIR — Organizers say thousands of people turned out for a drive-thru fair in South Carolina. SENT: 180 words, photo.
TROPICAL WEATHER — Hurricane Epsilon’s maximum sustained winds dropped slightly as it moved northwest over the Atlantic Ocean on a path that should sideswipe Bermuda. SENT: 250 words.
PEOPLE-KEVIN HART — Kevin Hart says hosting a reimagined online fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association is “a major level-up for me.” SENT: 300 words, photos.
STOLEN REPTILES-HOMICIDE — A Wisconsin man accused of killing a young man in a dispute over stolen reptiles has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide. SENT: 300 words.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK — With vaccines against COVID-19 inching closer, U.S. regulators took an unusual step in asking outside scientists if their standards are high enough when it’s time to decide the shots’ fate. SENT: 1,100 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-DISTANCE LEARNING — The shift from in-person to remote learning is giving some teachers unprecedented video access into their students’ homes. SENT: 1,390 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-WHO AFRICA — Health officials in Africa say the rollout of rapid diagnostic tests for COVID-19 could be a “game changer” for their fight against the coronavirus but also warned Thursday that increased testing could drive up confirmed cases on a continent that has seen them decline or plateauing as case numbers soar in the West. SENT: 530 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-EUROPE — Italy’s three largest cities face new curfews as regional authorities try to slow the spread of COVID-19 where it first struck hard in Europe, most of whose countries are now imposing, or mulling, new restrictions to cope with rapidly rising caseloads. SENT: 725 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-CZECH — Amid a record surge of coronavirus infections that’s threatening the entire health system with collapse, the Czech Republic is adopting exactly the same massive restrictions as in the spring, a situation its prime minister kept saying would never happen again. SENT: 530 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-FRANCE — French PM says 2nd virus wave is here, vastly extends curfew. SENT: 400 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ANTIVAX REBRANDING — Vaccine opponents have long been undergoing a rebranding effort to shift their messaging toward the promotion of civil liberties. SENT: 925 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-GERMANY — The head of Germany’s disease control center urges people to be vigilant about following coronavirus precautions as the country posted a record number of new cases, saying a rapid increase in infections could be reversed but only if everyone works together. SENT: 580 words, photos.
DANCING THROUGH QUARANTINE — A group including 15 dancers, a choreographer, the artistic director and a production team has taken up residence at a cultural center in New York’s Hudson Valley, about 100 miles north of New York City. They’re in a bubble until the end of the month — a coronavirus quarantine bubble. SENT: 430 words, photos, video.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ONE-GOOD-THING-DUBAI-GOODBYE-PHOTOS — A freelance photographer in Dubai is providing free photo shoots to laid-off expats forced to leave the skyscraper-studded Persian Gulf city because of the pandemic. SENT: 610 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRAL QUESTIONS-MASK-6 FEET — Experts recommend wearing masks in public and staying at least 6 feet away from others to reduce the risk of a coronavirus infection, but whether you should do both could depend on the situation. SENT: 310 words, graphic.
Find more coverage on the Virus Outbreak on the featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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CONGRESS-SOCIAL MEDIA — Republican senators threaten the CEOs of Facebook and Twitter with subpoenas to force them to address accusations of censorship in the closing weeks of the presidential campaign. SENT: 650 words, photo.
2020 CENSUS-TRUMP ORDER — For the second time in two months, a panel of federal judges has blocked President Donald Trump’s effort to exclude people in the U.S. illegally from being counted during the process of divvying up congressional seats by state. SENT: 400 words, photo.
ELECTION 2020-VOTING ARENAS — Early voting in much of the country has meant hours-long waits at many polling places, but sports venues are emerging as bright spots. Arenas and stadiums repurposed into early voting centers feature plenty of voting machines, ample space for social distancing and employees accustomed to handling large crowds. Voters casting ballots in these mega voting sites say they’re providing a safe and efficient way to vote amid the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-KANSAS-SENATE — Many Republicans who were desperate to have Congressman Roger Marshall as their candidate for an open Senate seat in Kansas are finding the race to be much tougher and more expensive than they had expected. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-SENATE-SOUTH CAROLINA — Jaime Harrison raised a record-shattering $57 million last quarter in his bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, but the South Carolina Democrat says the cash is already spent. SENT: 890 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-NORTH CAROLINA VOTING — Republican officials have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to move up North Carolina’s recently extended deadline for accepting absentee ballots that are postmarked by Election Day. SENT: 660 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-OKLAHOMA — Democratic U.S. Rep. Kendra Horn pulled off one of the biggest political upsets in 2018 when she ousted a two-term Republican incumbent. But Horn won’t have the element of surprise in this year’s contest against Republican state Sen. Stephanie Bice. Although Oklahoma has a reputation as a deep-red state, the 5th Congressional District includes the state’s capital of Oklahoma City, which has become younger and more diverse in recent decades. SENT: 900 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-SENATE MAINE— The Democrat who’s polling neck-and-neck with Republican Sen. Susan Collins in Maine was serving on her local town council less than a decade ago. Sara Gideon was elected to the state Legislature eight years ago and is now House speaker. With the Democratic establishment behind her, Gideon has amassed more money than any other political candidate in state history in her bid to unseat the four-term senator. Gideon has raised more than $63 million for her campaign, compared to Collins’ $25 million. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-ANXIOUS LEADERS — While the world will be closely watching the U.S. election, some countries will be watching more closely than others. A number of prominent world leaders have a personal stake in the outcome of the race, with their fortunes depending heavily on the success — or failure — of Trump. Perhaps none has so much riding on a Trump victory as Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. SENT: 1,160 words, photos.
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UAE-GUANTANAMO-DETAINEES — The Guantanamo detainees were promised they were being sent to a Muslim country for rehabilitation that would help integrate them into society, opening the way to jobs, money, and marriage, according to their lawyers and families. It was a lie. SENT: 1,640 words, photos. An abridged version of 1,080 words is also available.
MEXICO-US-WATER DEBT — Mexico has reached a deal with the United States to pay the shortfall in its annual contribution of water from border-area rivers. SENT: 550 words, photos.
LEBANON —Lebanon’s president tasked former Prime Minister Saad Hariri with forming a new government, bringing back the veteran politician a year after he was toppled amid nationwide protests against widespread corruption and a flunking economy. SENT: 890 words, photos. WITH: LEBANON PORT BLAST — A leading international human rights group says a Lebanon-led probe into the devastating port explosion in Beirut this summer has been marred by political meddling and lack of judicial independence. SENT: 470 words, photos.
POLAND-ABORTION — Poland’s top court has ruled that a law allowing abortion of fetuses with congenital defects is unconstitutional. The decision by the country’s Constitutional Court effectively bans terminating pregnancies in cases where birth defects are found and will further limit access to abortions in Poland. SENT: 720 words, photos.
DUBAI-COAL-POWERED-SHEIKHDOM — In the oil-rich nation of the United Arab Emirates, an unusual sight is rising in Dubai: a coal-fired power plant, a first for the region. SENT: 970 words, photos.
NIGERIA POLICE PROTESTS — Plumes of smoke rose from a prison in Nigeria’s largest city and gunfire could be heard as people ran through streets in the area on Thursday, signs of continued unrest in the West African nation that has been gripped by protests against police brutality. SENT: 425 words, photos.
RUSSIA-SNOWDEN — Former U.S. security contractor Edward Snowden has been granted permanent residency in Russia, his lawyer said Thursday. SENT: 180 words.
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GEORGE FLOYD-INVESTIGATION — A Minnesota judge has dismissed a third-degree murder charge filed against the former Minneapolis police officer who pressed his knee against George Floyd’s neck, but the more serious second-degree murder charge remains. SENT: 960 words, photos.
BOOGALOO MARTYR — Strangers on the internet hailed Duncan Socrates Lemp as a martyr for their anti-government movement after a police officer shot and killed the 21-year-old man during a pre-dawn raid on his family’s Maryland home. His parents told The Associated Press that it has made them uneasy to see his death galvanize a loose network of gun-toting supporters of the “boogaloo,” the nascent movement’s slang for a second civil war. SENT: 1,040 words, photos.
WESTERN WILDFIRES-COLORADO — Orange skies, winds gusting up to 70 mph, smoke tornadoes and hazardous air. While it could be an apocalyptic scene out of a movie, it’s become the reality of Colorado’s wildfire season. SENT: 980 words, photos, video.
JEFFREY EPSTEIN-ASSOCIATE — Jeffrey Epstein’s ex-girlfriend denied introducing Britain’s Prince Andrew to underage sex partners in a defensive and combative deposition made public Thursday, calling the prince’s accuser an “awful fantasist.” “Are we tallying all the lies?” Ghislaine Maxwell asked during the 2016 deposition, saying she could not recall taking Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre out for a night of clubbing with Andrew in London. “Her tissue of lies is extremely hard to pick apart what is true and what isn’t.” SENT: 530 words, photo.
POLICE SHOOTING-ILLINOIS — The mother of a Black woman who was injured in a police shooting in suburban Chicago that left a Black man dead said the two did nothing to provoke the officer. SENT: 570 words.
BREONNA TAYLOR-POLICE MAJOR INVESTIGATED — A Louisville Police major who oversaw the unit that sent officers to Breonna Taylor’s home the night she was fatally shot is the subject of an internal police investigation. SENT: 320 words, photos.
OPIOID CRISIS-PURDUE PHARMA-NYU — New York University’s Langone Medical Center will strip the Sackler name from its biomedical institute following the Justice Department’s announcement that Purdue Pharma will plead guilty to federal criminal charges over the company’s role in the opioid epidemic. SENT: 290 words.
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MALAYSIA-CORRUPTION-GOLDMAN SACHS — A subsidiary of Goldman Sachs has pleaded guilty to federal charges in the U.S. and agreed to pay more than $2 billion in a foreign corruption probe tied to a Malaysian sovereign wealth fund that was looted of billions of dollars. SENT: 570 words.
FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Stocks shook off a wobbly start and ended higher on Wall Street. SENT: 990 words, photos.
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MUSIC-CMT AWARDS — Carrie Underwood already had the most CMT Music Awards of any artist, but she’ll need to make more room on her shelf. The superstar picked up two more trophies for video of the year and female video of the year in a remotely shot awards show. SENT: 650 words, photos.
FILM-Q&A-SANDRA OH — Sandra Oh’s role in the new animated feature “Over the Moon” may not be her largest, but it has deep meaning. SENT: 750 words, photos, video.
MICHAEL JACKSON ACCUSER LAWSUIT — A Los Angeles judge has dismissed the lawsuit of one of two men who alleged that Michael Jackson abused them as boys in the documentary “Leaving Neverland.” SENT: 230 words.
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FBN-GIANTS EAGLES — Carson Wentz leads the depleted Eagles (1-4-1) against the New York Giants (1-5) with a chance to get closer to Dallas (2-4) in the weak NFC East. By Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi. Game starts 8:20 p.m.
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HOW TO REACH US
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