AP News Digest 6 p.m.
Columbia Basin Herald | UPDATED 6 years, 8 months AGO
Here are the AP's latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EST. For up-to-the minute information on AP's coverage, visit Coverage Plan at https://newsroom.ap.org.
———————-
NEW/DEVELOPING
———————-
Adds
IRAN-SOLEIMANI-IRAN ON EDGE, IRAQ-US TROOPS, MEDIA-TUCKER CARLSON, JEFFREY EPSTEIN, SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-WEINSTEIN, HANUKKAH STABBINGS, ELECTION SECURITY-VENDORS, CALIFORNIA-GENERIC DRUG LABEL, MEXICO-SEA TURTLE DEATHS, HBCU-DONATION-CHARLES BARKLEY
---------------——-
---------------——-
IRAN-PLANE CRASH — Evidence indicates it is “highly likely” that an Iranian anti-aircraft missile downed a Ukrainian jetliner near Tehran late Tuesday, U.S., Canadian and British officials said. They said the strike, which killed all 176 people on board, could well have been a mistake amid missile launches and high tensions throughout the region. By Lolita C. Baldor and Zeke Miller. SENT: 1,170 words, photos.
Complete Iran coverage in AP Newsroom.
TRUMP-WAR POWERS — Reigniting a constitutional debate over war powers, the Democratic-controlled House approves a resolution asserting that President Trump must seek approval from Congress before engaging in further military action against Iran. By Matthew Daly. SENT: 1,060 words, photos, video. UPCOMING: Voting underway.
TRUMP-ON SECOND THOUGHT —As tensions fester with Iran, President Donald Trump finds himself turning to the very people and entities he’s spent three years dismissing or alienating: NATO, Western allies and U.S. intelligence agencies. By Deb Riechmann. SENT: 1,030 words, photos.
ROYAL RIFT — The relationship between Britain’s royals and the media is awkward, mistrustful — and seemingly inescapable. But now Meghan and Harry want out. The couple — who have complained of intrusive media coverage and accused some British media of racism — slammed the country's long-standing arrangements for royal press coverage, saying they prefer to communicate directly with the public through social media. By Jill Lawless and Danica Kirka. SENT: 1,360 words, photos. WITH: BRITAIN-ROYALS-Q&A - Questions, questions: What's next for Prince Harry & Meghan? SENT: 590 words, photos.
TRUMP-IMPEACHMENT — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she will "soon'' transmit the articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, signaling a potential thaw to the standoff with Senate Republicans as she warned against rushing to acquittal without a fair trial. By Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick. SENT: 1040 words, photos.
Full coverage of the impeachment inquiry in AP Newsroom.
FACEBOOK-POLITICAL ADS — Despite escalating pressure ahead of the 2020 presidential election, Facebook reaffirmed its freewheeling policy on political ads Thursday, saying it won’t ban them, won’t fact-check them and won’t limit how they can be targeted to specific groups of people.. By Barbara Ortutay. SENT: 840 words, photo.
------------------------------------—————-
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
------------------------------------—————-
HBCU-DONATION-CHARLES BARKLEY — NBA great Charles Barkley donates $1M to a historically black college in Alabama. SENT: 190 words, photo.
MEXICO-SEA TURTLE DEATHS — About 300 sea turtles die in Mexico from red tide. SENT: 120 words.
OLD FAITHFUL-TRESPASSING DEATHS — Two men banned from park for five years for walking on Old Faithful. SENT: 170 words.
TRUMP-FLORIDA THREAT — Florida security guard is in jail after authorities say he threatened to kill President Trump as retaliation for the U.S. military killing an Iranian general. SENT: 330 words, photo.
MUSIC PRINCE TRIBUTE SHOW — John Legend, Foo Fighters, Alicia Keys, Chris Martin, H.E.R. and Earth, Wind & Fire are set to perform at a Prince tribute concert. SENT: 140 words.
BILL COSBY — Comedian Bill Cosby filed an appeal Thursday of a court decision last month that upheld his conviction for drugging and sexually assaulting a woman at his home. SENT: 430 words, photo.
R KELLY — Chicago police say a fight between two of R. Kelly's girlfriends inside the embattled singer’s Trump Tower condominium has led to a domestic battery charge against one of the women and sent the other to the hospital. SENT: 525 words, photo.
-------------------———
-------------------———
IRAN-SOLEIMANI-IRAN ON EDGE — Iranian newspapers proclaimed the country's attack on U.S. forces in Iraq to be "a dark night for Americans," and Washington's "first admission of failure in history." On the bustling streets of Tehran, however, there was relief that neither side appeared primed for war. By Mehdi Fattahi and Aya Battrawy. SENT: 940 words, photos.
IRAQ-US TROOPS — For months, Iraqis have watched with deepening anxiety as tensions between Iran-backed militias and U.S. forces soared, fearing their long-beleaguered country would turn into a battleground for direct and open conflict between America and Iran. Those fears were realized in the past week. By Samya Kullab and Qassem Abdul-Zahra. SENT: 720 words, photo.
BREXIT — Britain passed a long-elusive milestone on the road to Brexit when the House of Commons approved a bill authorizing the country’s departure from the European Union at the end of the month. SENT: 910 words, photos.
AUSTRALIA-WILDFIRES-FIREFIGHTER — An army of 72,000 people from across Australia's New South Wales state make up the world’s largest volunteer fire service. They have been at the forefront of fighting Australia’s devastating wildfires, which have killed at least 26 people. SENT: 900 words, photos. With AUSTRALIA-WILDFIRES — Residents in the path of wildfires razing southeast Australia have been urged to evacuate if they don’t intend to defend their homes as hot and windy conditions are forecast to escalate the danger over the next two days. SENT: 900 words, photos.
HONG KONG-PROTESTS-UNITY AND DIVISION — Trump signs, Pepe the Frog graffiti and British, American and Hong Kong colonial-era flags have become common sights at Hong Kong protests, as the anti-government movement enters its eighth month. SENT: 970 words, photos.
FRANCE-STRIKES — Rail workers, teachers, doctors, lawyers and others join a fourth nationwide day of protests and strikes to denounce French President Emmanuel Macron's plans to overhaul the pension system. SENT: 390 words, photos.
SWEDEN-RUNIC STONE — The writing on a famous Viking-era runestone may reflect fears of an approaching climate disaster in 9th century Scandinavia, according to new research by a team of Swedish academics. SENT: 380 words, photos.
————————————————-
—————————————————
ELECTION 2020-TRUMP — President Trump holds his first campaign rally of the reelection year in Toledo, Ohio. Candidate Trump enters 2020 flush with cash but facing economic headwinds in parts of the industrial Midwest. SENT: 900 words, photos, video. UPCOMING: Developing from 7 p.m. rally.
TRUMP-ENVIRONMENT — President Trump proposes rolling back enforcement of a landmark environmental law, reducing federal oversight of many major projects, from pipelines to commercial development, to speed the approval process. SENT: 315 words. UPCOMING: 850 words by 3:30 p.m., photos.
ELECTION 2020-DEMOCRATS FUNDRAISING — Democrats' online fundraising behemoth ActBlue routed more than $1 billion in campaign contributions to the party's candidates and causes in 2019, a groundswell that dwarfs what it helped raise during the same period of any past election cycle. By Brian Slodysko. SENT: 610 words, photo.
ELECTION SECURITY-VENDORS — Lawmakers express concern about foreign components in the nation’s election equipment as the top executives of the three major voting machine manufacturers appear before Congress. SENT: 590 words, photo.
Find more coverage on the 2020 U.S. Elections featured topic page on APNewsroom.
———————
———————
HANUKKAH STABBINGS — A federal grand jury handed up hate crime charges against the man accused of stabbing five people with a machete during a Hanukkah celebration north of New York City. SENT: 250 words, photo.
WILDFIRES-UNHEALTHY SMOKE — Increasingly intense wildfires that have been scorching arid regions from California to Australia are raising concerns about long-term health impacts from smoke exposure in affected cities and towns. SENT: 1,500 words, photos.
PUERTO RICO-EARTHQUAKE — More than 2,000 people in shelters. Nearly one million without power. Hundreds of thousands without water. The aftermath of a 6.4-magnitude earthquake that killed one person, injured nine others and severely damaged infrastructure in Puerto Rico’s southwest coast is deepening as the island’s government says it is overwhelmed. SENT: 630 words, photos.
CALIFORNIA-GENERIC DRUG LABEL — California could become the first state with its own prescription drug label under a proposal that Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled in a bid to lower prices by increasing competition in the generic market. SENT: 440 words, photo.
CHICAGO-COYOTE ATTACKS — Authorities were on the hunt for coyotes in downtown Chicago after two reported attacks, including one where passersby said they had to pull a wild canine off of a 6-year-old boy who was bitten in the head. By Don Babwin. SENT: 620 words, photos, video.
JEFFREY EPSTEIN — Video footage of the area around Jeffrey Epstein's jail cell on a day he survived an apparent suicide attempt “no longer exists,” federal prosecutors told a judge. SENT: 840 words, photo.
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-WEINSTEIN — The judge in Harvey Weinstein's rape trial declined the defense's request that he step aside as jury selection dipped into a third day. SENT: 300 words, photos.
IDAHO AVALANCHE — Buried under about 10 feet (3 meters) of snow after an avalanche this week at an Idaho ski resort, Bill Fuzak made peace with his predicament and prepared for death. But his prayers were answered and he became one of four survivors extricated from an avalanche Tuesday. Two other skiers were killed and one is still missing. SENT: 640 words, photos.
SOUTHERN STORMS — A storm system expected to strike a handful of Southern states this weekend is looking more and more menacing. SENT: 340 words.
VILLAGE VS. FACEBOOK — A battle playing out in Oregon is pitting residents of a tiny coastal town with no stoplights or cellphone service against one of the world's biggest tech companies. Locals in Tierra del Mar are trying to stop Facebook from using property in their quiet community to build a landing spot for an undersea cable connecting America with Asia. SENT: 940 words, photos.
———————
———————
FINANCIAL MARKETS — Stocks around the world climbed and U.S. indexes hit records as markets continued a rally sparked after the United States and Iran appeared to step away from the edge of war. SENT: 670 words, photos.
———————
HEALTH
———————
CHINA-PNEUMONIA-AP EXPLAINS — Scientists have a preliminary suspect in a mysterious viral pneumonia infecting people in the central Chinese city of Wuhan: coronavirus. SENT: 520 words, photo.
-----------------------
----------------------—
MEDIA-TUCKER CARLSON — Here's a point to ponder: To what extent is Fox News Channel's Tucker Carlson responsible for President Donald Trump stepping away from a potential war with Iran? From his prime-time perch on the top-rated cable network, Carlson has advocated restraint in dealing with Iran, and resisted cheerleading the Trump-ordered drone killing of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani. By David Bauder. SENT: 700 words, photo.
OBIT-BUCK HENRY — Buck Henry, “The Graduate” co-writer who as screenwriter, character actor, “Saturday Night Live” host and cherished talk-show and party guest became an all-around cultural superstar of the 1960s and 70s, has died. He was 89. SENT: 950 words, photos.
—————
—————
OLY--IOC-ATHLETE PROTESTS — No taking a knee at the Olympics. No hand gestures with political meaning. No disrespect at medal ceremonies. The International Olympic Committee published guidelines specifying which types of athlete protests will not be allowed at the 2020 Tokyo Games. SENT: 560 words, photos.
OLDEST OLYMPIC CHAMPION — The oldest living Olympic champion has turned 99 years old. Agnes Keleti won 10 Olympic medals as a gymnast at the 1952 Helsinki Games and the 1956 Melbourne Games and is also a Holocaust survivor. SENT: 775 words, photos.
-----------------------——-
HOW TO REACH US
-----------------------———
At the Nerve Center, Dave Clark can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Courtney 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.