AP News Digest 6:25 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, IMMIGRATION DETENTION-GEORGIA, UBER-AUTONOMOUS-VEHICLE, MED-VIRUS-OUTBREAK-KIDS-DEATHS, VIRUS-OUTBREAK-JPMORGAN, ELECTION-2020-PENNSYLVANIA-MAIL-IN-VOTING, ELECTION-2020-WISCONSIN-GREEN-PARTY, TRUMP-BOLTON BOOK, FEDERAL COURTHOUSE SHOOTING, SOUTH DAKOTA-ATTORNEY GENERAL-FATAL CRASH, RACIAL-INJUSTICE-HAIR-DISCRIMINATION, APPLE-EVENT, MEXICO-MAYAN-SLAVE-SHIP, OBIT-MURF THE SURF, FILM-MADONNA
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UNITED STATES-MIDEAST — Israel signs historic diplomatic pacts with two Gulf Arab states at a White House ceremony that President Donald Trump declares will mark the “dawn of a new Middle East,” and cast him as a peacemaker at the height of his reelection campaign. By Deb Riechmann, Matthew Lee and Jonathan Lemire. SENT: 1,070 words, photos, video.
WESTERN WILDFIRES-SMOKY SKIES — Putrid, dangerous air spewing from massive wildfires on the West Coast is seeping into homes and businesses, sneaking into cars through air conditioning vents and keeping people already shut away by the coronavirus pandemic from enjoying even a walk outside or trip to the park. People in Oregon, Washington state and California have been struggling for a week or longer under some of the most unhealthy air on the planet. Relief from the acrid yellowish-green smog may not come for days or weeks, scientists and forecasters said. By Sara Cline and Gillian Flaccus. SENT: 840 words, photos.
TROPICAL WEATHER — Hurricane Sally drifted in a slow crawl toward the northern Gulf Coast, threatening dangerous storm surge and relentless rainfall that forecasters warned could trigger historic flooding as the storm was expected to hover in the area long after coming ashore. By Jay Reeves and Angie Wang. SENT: 1,100 words, photos, video.
VIRUS OUTBREAK — State and local officials around the U.S. are rolling back social-distancing rules again after an abortive effort over the summer, allowing bars, restaurants and gyms to open. Fans are gathering mask-free at football games. President Donald Trump is holding crowded indoor rallies. While some Americans may see such things as a welcome step closer to normal, public health experts warn the U.S. is setting itself up for failure — again. By Michelle R. Smith, Bobby Caina Calvan and Wilson Ring. SENT: 760 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will remain in session until lawmakers deliver another round of COVID-19 relief, as Democrats from swing districts signal discontent with a standoff that could force them to face voters without delivering more aid. By Andrew Taylor. SENT: 920 words, photos. With ELECTION 2020-CONGRESS — House Minority leader Kevin McCarthy rolls out Republican priorities: tax breaks and police funding. SENT: 420 words, photo.
ELECTION 2020-BIDEN — Joe Biden makes his first trip to Florida as the Democratic presidential nominee with an urgent mission to boost support among Latinos who could decide the election in one of the nation’s fiercest battleground states. By Alexandra Jaffe and Will Weissert. SENT: 880 words, photos, video. UPCOMING: Developing from 6:30 p.m. event, 900 words by 8 p.m. With ELECTION 2020-HARRIS — Touring wildfire damage in her home state, California Sen. Kamala Harris says “ideology should not kick in” when responding to the climate crisis. SENT: 480 words, photos.
Find more coverage on the 2020 U.S. Election s featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
RACIAL INJUSTICE-BREONNA TAYLOR LAWSUIT — The city of Louisville will pay $12 million to the family of Breonna Taylor and reform police practices as part of a lawsuit settlement months after Taylor’s slaying by police thrust the Black woman’s name to the forefront of a national reckoning on race, Mayor Greg Fischer has announced. Taylor’s death sparked months of protests in Louisville and calls nationwide for the officers to be criminally charged. The state’s attorney general, Daniel Cameron, is investigating police actions in the March 13 fatal shooting. By Dylan Lovan. SENT: 840 words, photos.
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MED-VIRUS-OUTBREAK-KIDS-DEATHS — A detailed look at COVID-19 deaths in U.S. kids and young adults shows the toll mirrors what’s been seen in older patients. Like older adults, many of them had one or more medical condition. Deaths among children were also more common among Blacks and Hispanics. The number of deaths are small though. They represent less than 1% of the total U.S. deaths reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. SENT: 400 words.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-JPMORGAN — A number of JPMorgan Chase traders have been sent home after employees tested positive for COVID-19, less than a week into the bank’s push to start bringing its workers physically back into the office. SENT: 230 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-TOILET PAPER — Toilet paper is back on store shelves. But you may not recognize some of the brands. Demand for toilet paper has been so high during the pandemic that in order to keep their shelves stocked, retailers are buying up foreign toilet paper brands, mostly from Mexico. SENT: 750 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MAINE WEDDING -- At least seven people have died in connection to a coronavirus outbreak that continues to sicken people in Maine following a wedding reception held over the summer that violated state virus guidelines, public health authorities said. SENT: 560 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-FRANCE-FRONTLINE HELPERS — France will reward foreign health care-workers and other front-line personnel who distinguished themselves in the fight against COVID-19 by fast-tracking citizenship applications for those who want to become French. SENT: 340 words.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-DIARY-GRATEFUL-FOR-TIME -- The changing seasons have reminded one journalist that time keeps passing despite the coronavirus pandemic. She has found solace in decorating her studio apartment for autumn. It has been six months, and it can sometimes feel like humanity is nowhere near the end of this health crisis. Who could have predicted that “after the pandemic” would still seemingly be just as far away as before? She is reminded that time will continue and we should be grateful for every minute. SENT: 580 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRAL QUESTIONS-TESTS -- What are the different types of coronavirus tests? There are three broad categories of coronavirus tests in the U.S. Two diagnose whether you have an active infection, and a third indicates if you previously had the virus. SENT: 330 words, photo.
Find more coverage on the Virus Outbreak on the featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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FILM-MADONNA — Madonna to direct, co-write biopic about herself. SENT: 250 words, photo.
APPLE-EVENT — Apple debuts discount watch, but no new iPhones. SENT: 430 words, photo.
MEXICO-MAYAN-SLAVE-SHIP — Mexico identifies submerged wreck of Mayan slave ship. SENT: 460 words, photo.
OBIT-MURF THE SURF — Jack “Murf the Surf” Murphy, who was behind one of the biggest jewel heists in U.S. history, gained membership in a surfing hall of fame and served time for murder, has died in Florida. He was 83. SENT: 670 words, photos.
POLICE FLAGS-PLAYERS SUSPENDED — An Ohio high school reversed the suspension of two football players who defied administrators by carrying flags that signal support for law enforcement at the start of a game. SENT: 300 words.
BEAR CUB-KILLED — New Hampshire authorities say one of three black bear cubs orphaned by the recent death of their famous mother was hit and killed by a bus. SENT: 370 words, photo.
ODD-SUSPECT-WINNING LOTTERY -- Sheriff: Fleeing suspect abandons winning lottery ticket. SENT: 150 words.
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WASHINGTON/ POLITICS/ 2020 ELECTION
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ELECTION 2020-TRUMP — President Trump participates in a televised “town hall” with uncommitted voters, a warmup of sorts for upcoming presidential debates. By Kevin Freking and Zeke Miller. SENT: 330 words, photos. UPCOMING: 700 words after event airs at 9 p.m. With ELECTION 2020-TRUMP SPENDING — Trump campaign ramps up ad spending in battleground states. SENT: 520 words, photo; ELECTION 2020-MEDIA-FOX AND TRUMP — Trump says he’s coming back as a regular guest on “Fox & Friends”; Fox says, not so fast. SENT: 220 words, photos
VIRUS OUTBREAK-POLITICAL MEDDLING — A Trump health appointee who is accused of trying to muzzle an important scientific report in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic has apologized for a separate video in which he reportedly says scientists battling the virus are conspiring against President Trump and warns of shootings in America if Trump loses the election. By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Richard Lardner. SENT: 920 words, photo.
ELECTION 2020-WISCONSIN ABSENTEES — Election clerks across the presidential battleground of Wisconsin rushed to mail absentee ballots, less than 24 hours after the state Supreme Court lifted a temporary freeze on sending them while it considered a legal challenge. SENT: 460 words, photos. With ELECTION-2020-WISCONSIN-GREEN-PARTY — A Republican member of the Wisconsin Elections Commission advised a Green Party representative about who to hire as an attorney after its presidential nominee was denied ballot access in the key battleground state, records obtained by The Associated Press show. SENT: 790 words.
ELECTION-2020-PENNSYLVANIA-MAIL-IN-VOTING — With concerns rising in Pennsylvania that tens of thousands of mail-in ballots will be discarded in the presidential election over technicalities, officials in the presidential battleground told counties they aren’t allowed to reject a ballot solely because an election official believes a signature doesn’t match the one in the voter’s file. SENT: 730 words, photos.
Find more coverage on the 2020 U.S. Elections featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
TRUMP-BOLTON BOOK — A lawyer for former Trump administration national security adviser John Bolton says Bolton will cooperate with any investigation related to the recent publication of his tell-all book. SENT: 360 words, photo.
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IMMIGRATION DETENTION-GEORGIA — Leading congressional Democrats reacted furiously to lightly-substantiated claims that immigrants held at a detention center in Georgia are undergoing questionable hysterectomies. In a complaint filed Monday, a nurse alleges that the Irwin County Detention Center performed questionable hysterectomies, refused to test detainees for COVID-19 and shredded medical records. SENT: 720 words, photos.
UBER-AUTONOMOUS-VEHICLE — The backup Uber driver involved in the first self-driving vehicle fatality has been charged with negligent homicide for being distracted in the moments before fatally striking a woman in suburban Phoenix. SENT: 470 words
FEDERAL COURTHOUSE SHOOTING — A drive-by shooting wounded a federal security officer outside the U.S. courthouse in downtown Phoenix on Tuesday, and a person has been taken into custody, authorities said. SENT: 380 words, photos.
SOUTH DAKOTA-ATTORNEY GENERAL-FATAL CRASH — South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg, swept up this week in an investigation of a fatal traffic accident in which he first reported hitting a deer, is a military veteran who didn’t have a long track record in politics before he was elected two years ago to the state’s top law enforcement job. He had earned a reputation for being tough-on-crime and crisscrossing the state to make inroads in the state’s Republican Party. SENT: 800 words, photos.
RACIAL-INJUSTICE-HAIR-DISCRIMINATION — A growing number of states are facing pressure to ban race-based discrimination against hair texture and hairstyles in schools and the workplace. SENT: 460 words, photo.
UNITED STATES-INTERNATIONAL REPUTATION — The international reputation of the United States has declined further in the wake of its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to new research Tuesday from the Pew Research Center. SENT: 600 words, photos.
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CHINA-TARIFFS — A World Trade Organization panel has ruled that Trump administration tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods are illegal, vindicating Beijing even if the United States has all but incapacitated the WTO’s ability to hand down a final, binding verdict.. SENT: 570 words, photo.
GERMANY-RUSSIA-NAVALNY — Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny on Tuesday posted a picture of himself from his hospital bed in Germany where he’s recuperating from being poisoned with a nerve agent, wryly joking about being able to breathe on his own. SENT: 950 words, photo.
ZIMBABWE-RIGHTS ABUSES — Human rights groups warn that critics of President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s government are finding themselves thrown in jail and denied bail. They charge that some government opponents have been abducted and tortured. Zimbabwe’s deteriorating economy and reports of alleged corruption involving the procurement of COVID-19 protective equipment and drugs have stoked peoples’ anger at a government that promised reform and prosperity when it took power in 2017. SENT: 950 words, photos.
OBIT-MALI-TRAORE — Mali’s former president Moussa Traore, who ruled the West Africa nation for more than 22 years, has died at age 83. SENT: 260 words, photos.
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HEALTH & SCIENCE
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SCI--UN-BIODIVERSITY -- A decade-long global effort to save Earth’s disappearing species and declining ecosystems has mostly stumbled, with fragile habitats like coral reefs and tropical forests in more trouble than ever, researchers said in a report. In 2010, more than 150 countries agreed to goals to protect nature, but the new United Nations scorecard found that the world has largely failed to meet 20 different targets to safeguard species and ecosystems. SENT: 730 words, photos.
RESCUED TURTLES-RELEASED -- Three sea turtles that were near death when they were plucked from the surf at the Jersey shore with illnesses or injuries are back in the ocean. The volunteer group Sea Turtle Recovery is based at Turtle Back Zoo in New Jersey. The group brought the trio to Point Pleasant Beach and released them into the surf. Among them were Silver Belle, a critically endangered Kemp’s ridley turtle; Melbourne, a green turtle, and loggerhead turtle Tabitha, the most severely ill whose survival after her June 2019 stranding in Cape May looked doubtful. SENT: 530 words, photos.
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FINANCIAL MARKETS — Stocks gave up part of their gains from earlier in the day but still closed higher on Wall Street. Gains for big technology companies outweighed losses in banks and elsewhere in the market. SENT: 780 words, photo.
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TV-CHALLENGER — Last year brought us the powerful TV miniseries “Chernobyl.” Now from Netflix comes a look at another disaster from 1986 — the Challenger space shuttle disaster. Many schoolkids tuned in to see Christa McAuliffe become the first teacher in space. The series approaches the disaster less like a post-mortem and more like a drama. It explores NASA history and the lives of the seven lost astronauts, why the accident occurred and the inquest that followed. By Mark Kennedy. SENT: 840 words, photo.
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BKN-NUGGETS-CLIPPERS — The Denver Nuggets have stormed back from a 3-1 deficit against the Los Angeles Clippers to force a Game 7. They’re trying to overcome that sort of hole for a second straight series. At stake for the Clippers is their first conference finals appearance in team history. UPCOMING: 650 words, photos. Game time is 9 p.m.
HKN—ISLANDERS-LIGHTNING — The Tampa Bay Lightning, who are one win from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in team history, play the New York Islanders in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference finals series. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Game starts 8 p.m.
BBO--STRUGGLING BALLPARK BUSINESSES — While the major league baseball season presses on amid the coronavirus pandemic, the ban on fans at games has created a perilous situation for businesses who rely on fans for survival. The situation is particularly dire in places like New York, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Boston. The stadiums in those cities are located in neighborhoods filled with small businesses such as bars and restaurants that need the influx of fans to help make ends meet. While many establishments have already closed, some are holding out hope that things will return to normal in 2021. SENT: 1,800 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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