AP News Digest 7 a.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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VIRUS-OUTBREAK — Many more likely sought U.S. jobless aid as layoffs persist. SENT: 140 words, photo. UPCOMING: Report at 8:30 a.m.
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ONLY ON AP
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FRUITS OF LABOR — An Associated Press investigation into the invisible workforce of millions of laborers toiling in the palm oil industry in Malaysia and Indonesia found many of them suffering from various forms of exploitation — the most serious including child labor, outright slavery and allegations of rape. The workers from some of the poorest corners of Asia tend the heavy reddish-orange palm oil fruit that makes its way into the supply chains of many iconic food and cosmetics companies like Unilever, L’Oreal, Nestle and Procter & Gamble. Together, the two countries produce about 85 percent of the world’s estimated $65 billion palm oil supply. By Margie Mason and Robin McDowell. SENT: 5,330 words, photos, videos, graphic. An abridged version of 1,220 words is also available.
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RACIAL-INJUSTICE-BREONNA-TAYLOR — Anger, frustration and sadness over the decision not to charge Kentucky police officers for Breonna Taylor’s death poured into America’s streets as protesters lashed out at a criminal justice system they say is stacked against Black people. Violence seized the demonstrations in her hometown of Louisville as gunfire rang out and wounded two police officers. By Dylan Lovan, Piper Hudspeth Blackburn and John Minchillo. SENT: 1,050 words, photos. With BREONNA TAYLOR-ATTORNEY GENERAL — Black attorney general chokes up during Taylor announcement; RACIAL-INJUSTICE-BREONNA-TAYLOR-THE-LATEST.
For complete coverage of the Breonna Taylor protests in AP Newsroom.
ELECTION 2020-TRUMP-BALLOTS — President Donald Trump again declines to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses the Nov. 3 presidential election, telling reporters, “We’re going to have to see what happens.” By Aamer Madhani and Kevin Freking. SENT: 580 words, photos, videos.
ELECTION 2020-BIDEN-PROGRESSIVES — Some leading activists on the left are pressing Joe Biden to endorse expanding the number of Supreme Court justices should he win the White House and Democrats take control of the Senate. But Biden hasn’t embraced those calls, worried they may intensify the nation’s partisan split. By Will Weissert and Cheyanne Mumphrey. SENT: 880 words, photos.
UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY-VACCINE PLEAS — Many world leaders at this week’s virtual U.N. summit hope a vaccine will be made available and affordable to all countries, rich and poor. But with the U.S., China and Russia opting out of a collaborative effort to develop and distribute a vaccine, and some rich nations striking deals with pharmaceutical companies to secure millions of potential doses, the U.N. pleas are plentiful but likely in vain. By Cara Anna. SENT: 910 words, photos.
EGYPT-GANG RAPE — An announcement last month that Egypt’s top prosecutor would investigate an alleged 2014 gang rape of a 17-year-old girl at a luxury Cairo hotel marked a rare moment of triumph for human rights activists. Those hopes were quickly dispelled after authorities detained possible witnesses and some of their acquaintances, who could face separate charges under the country’s vague morality laws. By Samy Magdy. SENT: 1,110 words, photo.
WESTERN-WILDFIRES-WINE-CRISIS — Smoke from the West Coast wildfires has tainted grapes in some of the nation’s most celebrated wine regions with an ashy flavor that could spell disaster for the 2020 vintage. Wineries in California, Oregon and Washington have survived severe wildfires before, but the smoke from this year’s blazes has been especially bad — thick enough to obscure vineyards drooping with clusters of grapes almost ready for harvest. By Andrew Selsky. SENT: 900 words, photos, video.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-MISSOURI GOVERNOR — Missouri governor, opponent of mandatory masks, has COVID-19. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
JAPAN-RUBIK’S-CUBE — Tiny Rubik’s Cube goes on sale in Japan for anniversary. SENT: 270 words, photos.
HONG KONG-POLITICS — Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong arrested over unauthorized assembly. SENT: 180 words, photo.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-BRITAIN-VACCINE — Two firms developing COVID-19 vaccines say pharmaceutical companies are trying to give the public as much information as possible about their testing regimes as drugmakers and public health officials seek to boost confidence that any approved vaccine will be safe. SENT: 630 words.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SWITZERLAND-UNIVERSITY — Swiss health authorities have ordered a quarantine for a staggering 2,500 students at a prestigious hospitality management school in the city of Lausanne after “significant outbreaks” of the coronavirus that are a suspected byproduct of off-campus partying. SENT: 460 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ISRAEL — Israel moves to further tighten its second countrywide lockdown as coronavirus cases continued to soar, ordering all nonessential businesses to close and requiring people to stay within 1,000 yards of their homes. SENT: 610 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ASIA — Foreigners holding certain types of visas and residence permits will be permitted to return to China starting next week as the threat of coronavirus continues to recede. SENT: 610 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRAL QUESTIONS-FLU — The flu and COVID-19 have such similar symptoms, you may need to get tested to know which type of virus is making you miserable. SENT: 450 words, graphic.
A separate wire advisory has moved detailing our complete coronavirus coverage.
Find more coverage on the Virus Outbreak on the featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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ELECTION 2020-POMPEO — Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is ignoring criticism and forging ahead with events that have overtly political overtones ahead of the presidential election. By Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee. SENT: 810 words, photos.
SUPREME COURT-VACANCY — Despite Democratic cries of hypocrisy, Republicans hope the battle over replacing Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will help them keep their Senate majority as well as Trump’s job in the White House. SENT: 980 words, photos, video. With ELECTION 2020-SUPREME COURT-FACT CHECK.
ELECTION 2020-NAKED BALLOTS — Democrats are launching a digital ad targeting Pennsylvanians voting by mail to explain how to correctly fill out and return the ballots, hoping to avert worried predictions that 100,000 votes or more could be invalidated because the ballots aren’t put in the proper envelope. SENT: 370 words, photo.
FLORIDA CONGRESSWOMAN-FEDERAL PROBE — The U.S. Justice Department is investigating a former Florida congresswoman accused of spending at least $50,000 of campaign money on vacations and restaurant and luxury hotel bills. SENT: 480 words, photo.
Find more coverage on the 2020 U.S. Elections featured topic page on APNewsroom.
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FEDERAL EXECUTIONS — The lawyer for the first Black inmate scheduled to die this year as part of the Trump administration’s resumption of federal executions says race played a central role in landing her client on death row for slaying a young white Iowa couple and burning them in the trunk of their car. By Legal Affairs Writer Michael Tarm. SENT: 1,100 words, photos.
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EUROPE-BELARUS — The European Union says that the swearing in of Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko to a sixth term during a secretive ceremony lacks democratic legitimacy, defies the will of the Belarusian people and will only deepen the country’s political crisis. SENT: 350 words, photos.
KOREAS-MISSING-OFFICIAL — South Korea says North Korean troops fatally shot a South Korean government official who may have attempted to defect and set his body on fire, after they found him on a floating object in waters near the rivals’ disputed sea boundary. SENT: 990 words, photos.
LIBYA-MIGRANTS — Amnesty International says that thousands of Europe-bound migrants who were intercepted and returned to Libyan shores this year were forcefully disappeared after being taken out of unofficial detention centers run by militias allied with the U.N.-supported government in the capital, Tripoli. SENT: 460 words, photo.
AUSTRALIA-STRANDED WHALES — Authorities have rescued 88 pilot whales and are attempting to free 20 others that survived Australia’s worst mass stranding, as crews prepare to remove 380 decomposing carcasses from the shallows of Tasmania state. SENT: 250 words, photos.
POLAND-POLITICS — A top member of Poland’s conservative ruling party says party leader Jarosław Kaczyński is likely to formally join the coalition government in order to end a power struggle among its members. SENT: 270 words, photo.
JAPAN-SOUTH KOREA — Japan’s new Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga holds his first telephone call with his South Korean counterpart since taking office, telling President Moon Jae-in that the neighbors should work to resolve their strained relations. SENT: 360 words, photo.
SOUTH-AFRICA-BAD-BABOON — Kataza the baboon already had a lengthy rap sheet with Cape Town authorities, so when he organized a band of others to raid a series of suburban homes, he was captured. SENT: 490 words, photos.
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CHINA-AUTO-SHOW — Auto executives have flown in early to wait out a coronavirus quarantine ahead of the Beijing auto show, the year’s biggest sales event for a global industry that is struggling with tumbling sales and layoffs. By Business Writer Joe McDonald. SENT: 880 words, photos.
FINANCIAL MARKETS — Global shares were lower as caution set in after a retreat on Wall Street driven by a decline in technology shares. By Business Writer By Yuri Kageyama. SENT: 490 words, photos.
CHINA-US-TIKTOK — TikTok’s owner says it has applied for a Chinese technology export license as it tries to complete a deal with Oracle and Walmart to keep the popular video app operating in the United States. SENT: 250 words, photo.
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OBIT-HAROLD-EVANS — Sir Harold Evans, the charismatic publisher, author and muckraker who was a bold-faced name for decades for exposing wrongdoing in 1960s London to publishing such 1990s best-sellers as “Primary Colors,” has died, his wife says. He was 92. By National Writer Hillel Italie. SENT: 1,150 words, photos.
ART-BOTTICELLI-AUCTION — An enigmatic painting from Renaissance master Sandro Botticelli will go on auction next year and art watchers will be seeing if it fetches more than its eye-watering $80 million estimate, despite the pandemic. By Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy. SENT: 460 words, photos.
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TOKYO-VACCINE — IOC President Thomas Bach delivers a pep talk to Japanese government officials and local organizers that included suggestions that “hundreds of millions” of doses COVID-19 vaccines would be available before the postponed Olympics open in July. By Sports Writer Stephen Wade. SENT: 600 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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