AP News Digest 3 a.m.

| September 21, 2020 12:27 AM

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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ONLY ON AP

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SUPREME COURT-GINSBURG-FINAL DAYS — She was seeing family. She was exercising. She was listening to opera. She was doing the work of the court. She even officiated at a wedding. That’s how Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg spent the weeks before her death Friday at 87. Those who had been in touch with Ginsburg or her staff recently said she seemed to be coping with treatment for cancer and also making plans for events months away. So the announcement of her death came as something of a surprise, even to some close friends. By Jessica Gresko. SENT: 840 words, photos.

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TOP STORIES

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SUPREME COURT-VACANCY -- Joe Biden hammered President Donald Trump and leading Senate Republicans for trying to rush a replacement for the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, as pressure mounted on senators to support or oppose a quick vote to fill the seat. By Laurie Kellman, Lisa Mascaro and Alexandra Jaffe. SENT: 830 words, photos. WITH: SUPREME COURT-VACANCY-AP EXPLAINS -- A look at the confirmation process and what we know and don’t know about what’s to come. SENT: 1,260 words, photos.

ELECTION 2020-GINSBURG-THE RAGE -- With a court seat open, yet another fiery fight is lit between partisans clashing over matters of racism, policing, masks, lockdowns, how to vote and for whom to vote, as one crisis after another pummels the country, bringing no unity and no common heroes, just another flashpoint. How many more of them can America take? By Calvin Woodward. SENT: 990 words, photos.

Find more coverage on the 2020 U.S. Elections featured topic page in AP Newsroom.

RICIN-WHITE HOUSE -- A woman suspected of sending an envelope containing the poison ricin, which was addressed to White House, has been arrested at the New York-Canada border, three law enforcement officials told The Associated Press on Sunday. By Michael Balsamo, Eric Tucker and Colleen Long. SENT: 230 words, photos. Court appearance expected Monday; timing uncertain.

UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY-UN AT 75 — The United Nations was born out of the devastation of World War II to save succeeding generations from war. The 193-member global body officially commemorates its 75th anniversary on Monday at an inflection point in history. By Edith M. Lederer. SENT: 1,240 words, photos. DEVELOPING: Commemoration begins at 9 a.m. EDT.

SUPREME COURT-GINSBURG-WOMEN — Sure, there were the RBG bobbleheads, the Halloween getups, the lace collars, the refrigerator magnets. But the pop culture status that Ruth Bader Ginsburg found -- or rather, that found her -- in recent years was just a side show, albeit one that amused her, to the unique and profound impact she had on women’s lives, first as a tenacious litigator and then as a judge. Women of different ages and backgrounds reflected over the weekend on her significance to them. By National Writer Jocelyn Noveck. AP Photos. SENT: 1,150 words, photos.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-INDIA STREET SCHOOL — An Indian couple are conducting free classes for underprivileged children on a sidewalk in New Delhi. As most schools in India remain shut since late March when the country imposed a nationwide lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19, many switched to digital learning and taking classes online. But children from low-income families who attend public schools don’t have access to internet or means to afford digital learning tools. SENT: 600 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NYC SCHOOLS — For most schoolchildren in New York City, Monday will mean back to school, but not back to the classroom. Only pre-kindergarteners and some special education students are scheduled to end a six-month absence from school buildings because of the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 730 words, photos.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ASIA — All remaining virus restrictions will be lifted across much of New Zealand from late Monday with the exception of the largest city, Auckland, which will continue to have some restrictions for at least another 16 days. SENT: 270 words, photos.

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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INDIA-BUILDING COLLAPSE — A residential building that was due for repairs has collapsed in central India, killing at least eight people. SENT: 170 words.

AUSTRALIA-LOST WHALE — A humpback whale has found its way back to sea weeks after it apparently got lost in a murky, crocodile-infested river in northern Australia. SENT: 290 words, photo.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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ELECTION 2020-INDUSTRIAL NORTH -- Republicans worry that if President Donald Trump is losing badly in suburban areas in Ohio, it is a signal that his hold on other states in the industrial heartland that delivered him the presidency may be in peril. By Thomas Beaumont and Julie Carr Smyth. SENT: 1,160 words, photos.

FACT CHECK-WEEK -- Seeking to justify a possible confirmation vote before the Nov. 3 election, President Donald Trump asserted over the weekend that many high court nominations were made in an election year and “in all cases, they went forward.” That’s clearly not true. By Hope Yen, Calvin Woodward and Tom Krisher. SENT: 2,920 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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NEBRASKA-PROTEST SHOOTING — An attorney for a white business owner who was charged in the fatal shooting of a Black man during civil unrest in Nebraska says the man has died by suicide. SENT: 370 words.

INDIANA ACTIVIST-RACE — An Indiana activist known for racial and social justice advocacy has apologized for lying about being Black. Satchuel Cole, who uses they and them pronouns, worked with Black Lives Matter and other groups. SENT: 350 words, photos.

RACIAL INJUSTICE-CHARLOTTE RALLY — Members of Jacob Blake’s family attended a rally in Charlotte on Sunday and called for an end to a “vicious cycle of hate.” SENT: 290 words.

TROPICAL WEATHER — Tropical Storm Beta was expected this week to bring heavy rainfall to parts of the upper Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana, adding to the stress and worry residents and officials have already dealt with during a busy hurricane season. SENT: 960 words, photos.

WESTERN WILDFIRES — The destruction wrought by a wind-driven wildfire in the mountains northeast of Los Angeles is approaching 156 square miles, burning structures, homes and a nature center in a famed Southern California wildlife sanctuary in foothill desert communities SENT: 630 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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MIDEAST-US SPACE FORCE — Members of the newly formed U.S. Space Force are deploying troops to a vast new frontier: the Arabian Peninsula. Space Force now has some 20 airmen stationed at Qatar’s Al-Udeid Air Base in its first foreign deployment. The new military branch, pushed by President Donald Trump, has provoked skepticism in Congress, satire on Netflix, and, with its uncannily similar logo, “Star Trek” jokes about future intergalactic battles. SENT: 1,010 words, photos.

AUSTRALIA-CHINA CORRESPONDENT — A former Australian correspondent in Beijing said Monday that he and his 14-year-old daughter were threatened with detention before they left China two years ago. Matthew Carney said he had not revealed the 2018 incident until now because he had wanted to avoid “negative consequences“ for Australian Broadcasting Corp.’s operations in China. SENT: 670 words.

JAPAN-US — Japan’s Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga held his first talks with U.S. President Donald Trump since he took office, a diplomatic phone call that was one of his first as the country’s leader and one that highlights the close tie between the two allies. SENT: 300 words, photos.

THAILAND PROTESTS — A plaque honoring struggles for democracy in Thailand has been removed less than 24 hours after it was installed by anti-government protesters at a historic royal field in the capital. . SENT: 470 words, photos.

BAHRAIN — Bahrain says it broke up a plot by militants backed by Iran earlier this year to launch attacks on diplomats and foreigners in the island nation home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet. The announcement Monday came hours after Saudi state television and a Bahraini local newspaper implied the plot was new in their reporting. SENT: 780 words.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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EMMY-AWARDS — “Schitt’s Creek” has capped a huge night at the Emmy Awards — completing a historic sweep of the show’s comedy categories. The show won best comedy series and acting trophies for stars Catherine O’Hara, Eugene Levy, Daniel Levy and Annie Murphy. It’s a feat that couldn’t quite be matched by drama series winner “Succession,” which won four trophies. By Television Writer Lynn Elber. SENT: 1,250 words, photos, video. WITH: EMMYS-LIST; EMMYS-SOCIAL JUSTICE; EMMYS-ZENDAYA (all sent)

FILM-BOX OFFICE — About three quarters of the country’s movie theaters are open, but Americans are not going back to the movies in significant numbers in the COVID-19 era, even with new movies coming into the marketplace. SENT: 720 words, photo.

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SPORTS

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CYC-TOUR DE FRANCE — In a stunning performance for the ages, Tour de France rookie Tadej Pogacar won cycling’s showpiece race Sunday on the eve of his 22nd birthday. Pogacar became the second-youngest winner of the 117-year-old event that this year braved, and overcame, France’s worsening coronavirus epidemic. Turning him from promising prodigy into cycling superstar, Pogacar became the youngest winner since World War II and the first from Slovenia. SENT: 1,030 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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At the Nerve Center, Shameka Dudley-Lowe can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, (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.