AP News Digest 2 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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ELECTION 2020 — The coronavirus has reached into the heart of the White House once more, less than a week before Election Day, as it scorches the nation and the president’s top aide says “we’re not going to control the pandemic.” Officials scoff at the notion of dialing back in-person campaigning despite positive tests from several aides to Vice President Mike Pence, who leads the White House coronavirus task force. By Aamer Madhani, Jonathan Lemire and Alexandra Jaffe. SENT: 940 words, photos. UPCOMING: 950 words, photos by 4 p.m.
MED-VIRUS OUTBREAK-PENCE-ESSENTIAL WORKERS — Health policy specialists are questioning Vice President Mike Pence’s claim that federal rules on essential workers allow him to continue to campaign and not quarantine himself after exposure to multiple close staffers with COVID-19. They say campaigning is not an official duty that might fall under the guidelines. By Chief Medical Writer Marilynn Marchione. SENT: 580 words, photo.
SUPREME COURT-BARRETT -- Senate Republicans vote overwhelmingly to advance Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett toward final confirmation despite Democratic objections, just over a week before the presidential election. Republicans are excited by the chance to install a third Trump justice on the court, locking in a conservative majority for years to come. By Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 630 words, photos. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos by 4 p.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK — The coronavirus pandemic is surging across Europe with renewed force and, with winter coming, its restaurant industry is struggling. Spring lockdowns already devastated many eateries, and now a new set of restrictions is dealing a second blow. More than just jobs and revenue are at stake — restaurants lie at the heart of European life. By Raf Casert. SENT: 1,150 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SURGE OF SUFFERING — Preslie Paur breaks down in tears when she thinks of her state’s refusal to mandate face masks. The South Salt Lake City, Utah, woman can’t work at her special education job due to an autoimmune disease. Her husband, also a special ed teacher, recently quit because his school district would not allow him to work remotely to protect her and their 5-year-old son, who has asthma. “I feel forgotten,” Paur said. As President Donald J. Trump barnstorms the swing states, mocking mask wearing and continued media coverage of the coronavirus pandemic at campaign stop after campaign stop, the nation continues to lurch toward what health experts warn will be a bleak winter. UPCOMING: 1,000 words by 3 p.m., photos.
RELIGION-CATHOLIC-CARDINAL-GREGORY — Washington D.C. Archbishop Wilton Gregory is set to become the first Black U.S. prelate to assume the rank of cardinal in the Catholic Church, a historic appointment that comes months after nationwide demonstrations against racial injustice. By Elana Schor. SENT: 670 words, photos. With VATICAN-CARDINALS — Pope Francis names 13 new cardinals. In a surprise announcement from his studio window to faithful standing below in St. Peter’s Square, Francis says the churchmen would be elevated in a ceremony on Nov. 28.. By Frances D’Emilio. SENT: 790 words, photos.
TRUMP-IMPACT-ON-IMMIGRATION-FOREIGN-STUDENTS — America has been considered the premier destination for international students, with the promise of an education at top-notch universities leading to job opportunities. But 2016 marked the start of a steep decline of new enrollees, something expected to continue with fresh rules limiting student visas, competition from other countries and a haphazard coronavirus response. While colleges fear dwindling tuition dollars and companies worry about future talent, the broader impact is harder to quantify: America seemingly losing its luster on a global stage. By Sophia Tareen. SENT: 1,200 words, photos. This is the Monday Spotlight.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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FINLAND-PSYCHOTHERAPY HACKING — Finland shocked by therapy center hacking, client blackmail. SENT: 540 words, photo.
BRITAIN-SHIP — British police are investigating an incident aboard an oil tanker in the English Channel south of the Isle of Wight. SENT: 150 words. Developing.
OBIT-WILLIAM BLINN — An award-winning screenwriter for the landmark TV projects “Brian’s Song” and “Roots” has died. William Blinn was 83. SENT: 320 words, photo.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SPAIN — Buckling under the resurgence of the coronavirus in Europe, the Spanish government has declared a national state of emergency that includes an overnight curfew in hopes of not repeating the near collapse of the country’s hospitals. SENT: 670 words, photos.
ITALY-VIRUS-OUTBREAK — Italy’s leader imposed at least a month of new restrictions across the country to fight rising coronavirus infections, shutting down gyms, pools and movie theaters, putting an early curfew on cafes and restaurants and mandating that people keep wearing masks outdoors. SENT: 570 words, photos. With ITALY-MILAN CURFEW-PHOTO GALLERY — New virus curfew brings silence to Milan streets. SENT: 230 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-BRITAIN-POVERTY — Pediatricians are urging the British government to reverse course and provide free meals for poor children during school holidays as the COVID-19 pandemic pushes more families into poverty. SENT: 490 words, photos.
MALAYSIA-POLITICS — Malaysia’s king rejected a proposal by embattled Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin to declare a state of emergency to fight a new outbreak of the coronavirus. SENT: 540 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-INDIA FESTIVALS — Weeks after India fully opened up from a harsh lockdown and began to modestly turn a corner by cutting new infections by near half, a Hindu festival season is raising fears that a fresh surge could spoil the hard-won gains. Health experts worry the festivals can set off a whole new cascade of infections, further testing and straining India’s battered health care system. SENT: 690 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA — A COVID-19 outbreak in the north of Melbourne has led health authorities in Australia’s Victoria state to hold off on any further easing of restrictions in the beleaguered city. SENT: 710 words, photos.
Find more coverage on the Virus Outbreak on the featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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ELECTION 2020-TRANSGENDER RIGHTS — Among transgender-rights activists, there’s a powerful mix of hope and fear heading toward the Nov. 3 election. They’re yearning for President Donald Trump’s defeat but dreading the possibility that his administration might win four more years and continue targeting them with hostile policies. SENT: 1,030 words photos.
ELECTION-2020-PENNSYLVANIA-FRACKING — In a late gambit to win the battleground state of Pennsylvania, President Donald Trump and his GOP allies have intensified attacks on Joe Biden over fracking, hoping to drive a wedge between the former vice president and the white, working-class voters tied to the state’s booming natural gas industry. SENT: 1,110 words, photos.
ELECTION-2020-MARIJUANA-LEGALIZATION — Voters in four states from different regions of the country could embrace broad legal marijuana sales on Election Day, and a sweep would highlight how public acceptance of cannabis is cutting across geography, demographics and the nation’s deep political divide. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.
TRUMP-ENVIRONMENTAL-JUSTICE — The Trump administration is drawing criticism for an election-year push to portray itself as a champion of a cleaner environment in disadvantaged communities. Environmental Protection Agency officials have paid numerous visits to battleground states in the presidential campaign, where they’ve announced grants for programs targeting low-income and minority neighborhoods. One $200,000 grant was for a section of Detroit known for polluted air. A local activist describes the sum as “a joke” in view of what’s needed. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.
UNITED STATES-ASIA —Just a week before the U.S. election, two of President Donald Trump’s top national security aides will visit India for meetings focused largely on countering China’s growing global influence. The talks will aim to reinforce Trump’s anti-Beijing campaign message as the president seeks to portray challenger Joe Biden as weak on China. SENT: 740 words, photos.
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AFGHANISTAN — Afghanistan claims it killed a top al-Qaida propagandist on an FBI most-wanted list during an operation in the country’s east, showing the militant group’s continued presence there as U.S. forces work to withdraw from America’s longest-running war amid continued bloodshed. SENT: 950 words, photos.
POLAND-ABORTION — Women’s rights activists furious over a tightening of Poland’s already restrictive abortion law staged protests outside and inside churches, disrupting Masses and finding themselves confronted with accusations of “barbaric” behavior. SENT: 640 words, photos.
IRAQ-PROTESTS — Thousands of people took to Iraq’s streets to mark one year since mass anti-government demonstrations swept the country, with police firing tear gas in central Baghdad to stop protesters from crossing strategic bridges and both sides reporting injuries. SENT: 650 words, photos.
ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN — Fighting over the separatist Nagorno-Karabakh region continues, as Armenia and Azerbaijan reiterated their commitment to a peaceful resolution of their decades-old conflict and blamed each other for hindering one after four weeks of military engagement. SENT: 510 words, photo.
THAILAND-PROTESTS — Thousands of pro-democracy protesters gathered in Thailand’s capital, seeking to keep up pressure on the government a day before a special session of Parliament that was called to try to ease political tensions. SENT: 500 words, photos.
CHILE-CONSTITUTION — Amid a year of contagion and turmoil, Chileans were voting Sunday on whether to draft a new constitution for their nation to replace guiding principles imposed four decades ago under a military dictatorship. SENT: 660 words, photos.
BELARUS-PROTESTS — Tens of thousands of protesters in Belarus have pressed for the resignation of the country’s authoritarian leader in what human rights activists described as the largest anti-government rally since late August.. SENT: 500 words, photos.
LITHUANIA-ELECTION — Lithuanians were voting in a parliamentary runoff where the winner will have to tackle a growing health crisis and high unemployment due to the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 560 words, photos.
UKRAINE ELECTION — Ukrainians are voting in local elections that are considered a test for President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. The former comedian who took office last year vowing to bring peace, uproot endemic corruption and shore up a worsening economy. SENT: 700 words, photos.
SEYCHELLES-ELECTION — The Seychelles presidential election has seen an upset, with the electoral commission declaring longtime opposition contender Wavel Ramkalawan the winner over incumbent Danny Faure. SENT: 310 words, photo.
TANZANIA ELECTION-PREVIEW — Tanzania’s opposition faces a new obstacle in its quest to unseat President John Magufuli in Wednesday’s election: It says the government has made it difficult to accredit thousands of opposition electoral observers who want to ensure the vote is fair. SENT: 990 words, photos.
SKOREA-OBIT-SAMSUNG CHIEF — Lee Kun-Hee, the ailing Samsung Electronics chairman who transformed the small television maker into a global giant of consumer electronics but whose leadership was also marred by corruption convictions, has died. He was 78. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.
VENEZUELA — After more than six years in confinement, Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo López is a free man and has been reunited with his family in Madrid. López arrived in the Spanish capital following what aides described as a whirlwind escape from the Spanish ambassador’s residence in Caracas where he had been holed up since leading a failed U.S.-backed military putsch against Nicolas Maduro in April 2019. SENT: 740 words, photo.
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TROPICAL WEATHER — Newly formed Tropical Storm Zeta stalled in the western Caribbean, but forecasters said it posed the risk of a rain-heavy hurricane for Mexico’s resort-dotted Yucatan Peninsula and the U.S. Gulf Coast. Zeta was the earliest named 27th Atlantic storm recorded in an already historic hurricane season. SENT: 640 words.
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BBO--WORLD SERIES — Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw will be on the mound in Game 5 of the World Series, with L.A. trying to take a 3-2 lead instead of clinch after Tampa Bay’s improbable ninth-inning win in Game 4 to even the series. Tyler Glasnow pitches for the Rays. By Baseball Writer Ronald Blum. 800 words, photos. Game starts 8 p.m. ET.
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