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.
—————————-
ONLY ON AP
——————————
ELECTION 2020-QANON FUNDRAISER — Vice President Mike Pence and top officials from President Donald Trump’s campaign are slated to attend a Montana fundraiser next week hosted by a couple who have expressed support for the QAnon conspiracy theory, according to an event invitation obtained by The Associated Press and a review of social media postings. By Brian Slodysko and Michael Kunzelman. SENT: 640 words, photos.
————-----------
-------------------
VIRUS OUTBREAK —AstraZeneca’s suspension of final testing of its potential COVID-19 vaccine while it investigates a volunteer’s illness shows there will be “no compromises” on safety in developing the shots, the chief of the National Institutes of Health told Congress. “This ought to be reassuring,” NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins said before a Senate committee. “When we say we are going to focus first on safety and make no compromises, here is Exhibit A of how that is happening in practice.” By Lauran Neergaard. SENT: 565 words, photos.
Find more coverage on the Virus Outbreak on the featured topic page in AP Newsroom and below.
TRUMP-WOODWARD BOOK — President Trump seemed to understand the severity of the coronavirus threat even as he was telling the nation that the virus was no worse than the seasonal flu and insisting that the U.S. government had it totally under control, according to a new book by journalist Bob Woodward. SENT: 230 words. By Kevin Freking and Zeke Miller. UPCOMING: Developing.
TRUMP-POLITICS AS UNUSUAL-ANALYSIS — Americans are confronting questions they’re not used to asking: Can they count on an election every fourth November? Might the armed forces get involved? Will the approval of a vaccine for the coronavirus be guided by science and public health — or by the fact that President Trump wants one out before the election? As Trump repeatedly warns of a “rigged” election coming up, is America still an example to the world in managing a peaceful transfer of power? AP News Analysis. By Calvin Woodward. SENT: 900 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-BIDEN — Joe Biden is hoping to win back Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin -- the three states traditionally make up what Democrats considered a “blue wall” protecting their electoral hopes. But Donald Trump’s surprise wins in all three in 2016 helped him win the White House. Biden’s Michigan trip, his first since the eve of his March primary win, will highlight American manufacturing. By Alexandra Jaffe and David Eggert. SENT: 950 words. UPCOMING: Developing from Biden events starting at 1:15 p.m., 900 words, photos by 5 p.m.
Find more coverage on the 2020 U.S. Elections featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
UNITED STATES-IRAQ — The United States will pull thousands of troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan by November, the top American commander for the Middle East says, as President Donald Trump tries to make good on his campaign promise to get America out of “endless wars.” By National Security Writer Robert Burns. SENT: 797 words, photo.
CLIMATE DISASTERS — A record amount of California is burning. The Atlantic’s 16th and 17th named storms are swirling, record early. Climate-connected disasters seem to be everywhere in the crazy year of 2020. But scientists say we’ll look back and say those were the days when disasters weren’t so wild. By Seth Borenstein. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4:30 p.m.
-----------------------------------------------—
-----------------------------------------------—
VIRUS OUTBREAK-TEACHERS — Teachers in Mississippi and Missouri have died after bouts with the coronavirus since the dawn of the new school year, and the head of one of the nation’s largest teachers’ unions worries that the return to in-person classes will have a deadly impact across the U.S. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 5 p.m.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-INDONESIAN-HEALTHCARE-WORKERS — While Indonesia has recorded more deaths from the coronavirus than any other Southeast Asian country, it also has seen by far the most fatalities among medical workers in the region, leading to concerns about the long-term impact on the nation’s fragile healthcare system. SENT: 910 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-BRITAIN — The British government seeks to tighten its grip on the coronavirus in England, banning gatherings of more than six people and launching a new public information campaign. SENT: 660 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-POPE — Pope Francis wears a face mask and uses hand sanitizer as he appealed for the faithful to look out for the health of others as well as themselves during the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 290 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ASIA — India adds another 89,706 coronavirus cases to the second-highest tally in the world, and the government says schools would reopen later this month for senior students after more than five months closed. SENT: 340 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-LIVES-LOST-AUNTIE-LYDIA — Lives Lost: Beloved aunt would ask: “Where’s the party at?” SENT: 990 words, photos.
A separate wire advisory has also been sent outlining our complete coronavirus coverage.
--------------------------------------------
WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
--------------------------------------------
KEVIN HART-MDA TELETHON -- Kevin Hart will host the return of a popular telethon once spearheaded by the late Jerry Lewis to fight muscular dystrophy. SENT: 300 words, photos.
NINA SIMONE-CHILDHOOD HOME — The childhood home of iconic musician and civil rights activist Nina Simone will be indefinitely preserved in North Carolina. SENT: 185 words, photos.
GERMANY RESCUED LION CUB — A reptile zoo in Germany says a white lion cub that was discovered in the trailer of a van following a highway crash is doing just fine. SENT: 175 words, photos.
VAPING VETO-FLORIDA — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill to raise the age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21 because it would have also banned the sale of flavored liquid nicotine products used in vaping. SENT: 150 words.
————————————————
----------------------------------
TRUMP-COLUMNIST LAWSUIT — Attorney General William Barr defends the Justice Department’s bid to intervene in a defamation lawsuit against President Trump, but experts say the maneuver rests on legally dubious arguments and places federal government lawyers in a role better suited to private attorneys. By Eric Tucker. UPCOMING: 800 words by 4 p.m., photos, video.
ELECTION 2020-CALIFORNIA REPUBLICANS -- Republicans across California are hoping to gain ground in November elections by targeting the state’s dominant Democratic leadership. From President Trump on down, GOP candidates are pointing to the strongly Democratic state as an example of America gone wrong. They’re highlighting steep taxes, efforts to defund police departments, long-running coronavirus orders and unrest in the streets. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
REL--ELECTION 2020-HARRIS’ FAITH MESSAGE -- As Joe Biden’s campaign launched its Catholic voter outreach effort last week, the Trump campaign sought to portray running mate Kamala Harris as “anti-Catholic” and said the Democrats’ stance on abortion “clashes strongly” with the church’s pro-life beliefs. It used similar language to refer to Harris alongside an online ad it rolled out last month. The attacks are a sign that Republicans see Biden’s leftward shift on abortion as a vulnerability with some devout swing voters who might otherwise be lukewarm on Trump. It also plays upon the fact that Harris’ approach to religious outreach is less fully formed than Biden’s. SENT: 900 words, photos.
NORWAY TRUMP-NOBEL — A far-right Norwegian lawmaker says he has nominated U.S. President Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in the Middle East. Norwegian Parliament member Christian Tybring-Gjedde said Trump should be considered because of his work for a peace agreement between the United Arab Emirates and Israel. SENT: 245 words, photo.
----------------
----------------
WILDFIRES-SMOKY SKIES — A dark pall hung over much of Northern California as wildfires raged in all directions, leaving the skies dark and orange. It’s the second time in recent weeks that the region has grappled with smoky air and skies that left people trapped inside in an already bleak year. It’s playing out across the American West as fires in California, the Pacific Northwest and other areas shroud the sky in several states. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 5 p.m.
2020 COLLEGE-CENSUS -TOWNS — Officials in college towns all over the U.S. are fretting that off-campus students are being counted in places other than the communities where their schools are located. That is leading to an expected major undercount for the 2020 census in college towns where students can make up as much as three-quarters of the population. SENT: 935 words, photos.
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-DOCTOR CHARGED — A former New York gynecologist accused of sexually abusing more than two dozen patients, including the wife of former presidential candidate Andrew Yang, now faces federal charges. The doctor, Robert A. Hadden, who had avoided prison time but surrendered his medical license in an earlier plea deal with state prosecutors, now faces six counts of inducing others to travel to engage in illegal sex acts in a federal indictment unsealed Wednesday. SENT: 645 words.
RACIAL INJUSTICE HARVARD-REPORT — Black and Latino defendants in Massachusetts are more likely than white defendants to be locked up for drug and weapons offenses and get longer sentences than white people sent to prison for similar crimes, researchers at Harvard Law School said in a report. SENT: 500 words.
----------------------------------
----------------------------------
GREECE-MIGRANT-CAMP-BLAZE — A major fire swept through a notoriously overcrowded refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, causing no injuries but leaving thousands in need of emergency shelter and sparking renewed criticism of Europe’s migration policy. SENT: 790 words, photos.
AFGHANISTAN — A bombing in the Afghan capital targeted the convoy of the country’s first vice president, who suffered minor injuries in the attack that killed 10 people and wounded at least 31, including several of the vice president’s bodyguards, the Interior Ministry said. SENT: 700 words, photos.
ISRAEL-MILITARY-JUSTICE — A plea deal offering three months of community service to an Israeli soldier who shot and killed an unarmed Palestinian man is drawing renewed attention to what critics say has created a system of impunity. By Josef Federman. SENT: 990 words, photos.
————————————-
HEALTH/SCIENCE
—————————————-
MED-YOUTH VAPING — Vaping rates among U.S. teenagers fell dramatically this year, according to a federal report released Wednesday. The drop comes in the wake of last year’s outbreak of vaping-related illnesses and deaths. Just under 20% of high school students and 5% of middle school students said they were recent users of electronic cigarettes and other vaping products, the national survey shows. SENT: 395 words, photo.
UN-CLIMATE — The world is getting closer to passing a temperature limit set by global leaders five years ago and may exceed it in the next decade or so, according to a new United Nations report. By Science Writer Seth Borenstein. SENT: 730 words, photos.
--------------————————————
---------------————————————
FINANCIAL MARKETS - Wall Street is steadying itself following its first three-day losing streak in nearly three months, as the bloodletting for big technology stocks comes to at least a temporary halt. SENT: 715 words, photos, developing.
LVMH-TIFFANY — — Luxury goods giant LVMH is ending its takeover deal of jewelry retailer Tiffany & Co., saying the French government had requested a delay to assess the threat of proposed U.S. tariffs and amid wider industry troubles caused by the pandemic. SENT: 865 words, photos.
AMAZON-HIRING — In the latest sign of how it’s prospering while others are faltering during the pandemic, Amazon said it is seeking to bring aboard 33,000 people for corporate and tech roles in the next few months. SENT: 450 words, photo.
————————————-
————————————-
TV-THE KOALA WHISPERER — Like a lot of young people, 11-year-old Izzy Bee has a special bond with animals. Unlike a lot of young people, she shares it with one of the planet’s most cuddly — koalas. She and the marsupials are the subject of a new Netflix series. By AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy. SENT: 600 words, photos
TOY HALL OF FAME — Breyer Horses and My Little Pony are neck-and-neck in the race to the National Toy Hall of Fame, making the list of 12 finalists for the Class of 2020. Baby Nancy, an ethnically correct Black doll unlike those produced before her debut in 1968, is also up for the honor. The games Risk, Sorry, Yahtzee, bingo and Jenga also made the list, which is rounded out by Lite-Brite, Masters of the Universe, sidewalk chalk and the 1990s virtual pet, Tamagotchi. SENT: 465 words, photos.
------------
------------
BKN—CELTICS-RAPTORS - The reigning NBA champion Toronto Raptors look to extend their season when they face the Boston Celtics in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Game starts 6:30 p.m.
TEN-US OPEN — Serena Williams tries to move closer to a record-tying 24th Grand Slam title when she plays Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria in the U.S. Open quarterfinals. Later on the Arthur Ashe Court, No. 3-seeded Daniil Medvedev takes on No. 3 Andrey Rublev in an all-Russian quarterfinal. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos.
FBN-VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPORTS BETTING — There’s a new factor in play for gamblers looking to bet on football this fall: In addition to point spreads, home-field advantage (or this year, the lack thereof) and the weather, bettors are taking the coronavirus into account before plunking down their cash. In a year in which the pandemic has upended every major sport, the arrival of NFL and college football brings unique challenges. SENT: 855 words, photos.
--------------------------
HOW TO REACH US
--------------------------
At the Nerve Center, Richard A. Somma can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Cortney 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.