AP News Digest 2 p.m.
Columbia Basin Herald | UPDATED 5 years, 9 months AGO
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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RACING FOR A REMEDY-SAVING LIVES IN THE DARK — Amid the chaos of the pandemic’s early days, doctors who faced the first coronavirus onslaught reached across oceans and language barriers in an unprecedented effort to advise colleagues trying to save lives in the dark. With no playbook to follow and no time to wait for research, YouTube videos describing autopsy findings and X-rays swapped on Twitter and WhatsApp spontaneously filled the gap. By Lauran Neergaard and Nicole Winfield. SENT: 2,100 words, photos, video. An abridged version of 1,010 words is also available.
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RACIAL INJUSTICE-PORTLAND -- Federal agents who have clashed with protesters in Portland, Oregon, will begin a “phased withdrawal” from Oregon’s largest city, Gov. Kate Brown said. The announcement was an abrupt about-face from just two days earlier, when the U.S. government said it might send more federal agents to Portland instead. By Gillian Flaccus, Andrew Selsky and Jonathan Lemire. SENT: 1,040 words, photos.
CONGRESS-BIG TECH-CEOS — Four Big Tech CEOs — Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai of Google and Tim Cook of Apple — defend their companies’ practices before Congress as a House panel caps its yearlong investigation of market dominance in the industry. By Marcy Gordon. SENT: 1,015 words. UPCOMING: Developing from 1 p.m. hearing, 990 words by 5 p.m., photos, video.
VIRUS OUTBREAK — As the world races to find a vaccine and a treatment for COVID-19, there is seemingly no antidote in sight to the burgeoning outbreak of coronavirus conspiracy theories, hoaxes, anti-mask myths and sham cures. By David Klepper. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — President Donald Trump dismisses Democratic demands to include aid for cash-strapped cities in a new coronavirus relief package and lashes out at Republicans, saying they should “go back to school” if they reject money for a new FBI building in downtown Washington, D.C. across from Trump International Hotel. By Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 822 words. UPCOMING: Developing, 850 words by 5 p.m., photos, video. WITH: VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESSMAN — Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, tests positive for the coronavirus, forcing him to abruptly cancel his plan to travel to his home state with President Trump aboard Air Force One. By SENT: 162 words. UPCOMING: Developing, 230 words by 4 p.m., photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NURSING HOME LOVE STORY -- When her husband’s Jacksonville nursing home went on lockdown in March, Mary Daniel didn’t think it would last long. The 57-year-old promised her husband Steve she wouldn’t leave his side after his early onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis seven years ago. But as the days stretched into nearly four months, Daniel grew desperate. Steve communicates nonverbally, so video chat doesn’t work and he cried during two window visits, confused that he couldn’t hug her. Daniel owns a medical billing company but took a part-time job washing dishes at the nursing home a few weeks ago just so she could visit her husband. By Kelli Kennedy. SENT: 580 words, photos.
BBO--STRAY BASEBALLS -- Without fans clamoring to claim every ball that ends up in the seats, baseballs have been left scattered everywhere during this coronavirus-shortened 60-game season. Some clubs have been more frugal than others when it comes to collecting them. Dodgers star Mookie Betts took it upon himself to grab an abandoned ball after making a nifty grab on opening day, helping out with cleanup duty despite his new $365 million deal. Others, like Twins senior director of communications Dustin Morse, have taken up ball-hawking as a new pastime. By Janie McCauley. SENT: 850 words, photos.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-VETERANS AFFAIRS — Big gaps in federal oversight of long-term care facilities for aging veterans may have contributed to rampant coronavirus infections and more than 200 deaths at state-run homes, according to a congressional watchdog agency. SENT: 800 words. UPCOMING: Developing, 850 words by 5 p.m., photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-HAWAII SCHOOLS — While Hawaii has one of the lowest coronavirus infection rates in the nation and many schools have open-air campuses, the challenges of returning kids to classrooms may still be insurmountable. SENT: 800 words, photos.
REL--VIRUS OUTBREAK-A MOURNFUL EID -- The upcoming Islamic holiday of Eid al-Adha comes as many Muslim families around the globe are mourning loved ones lost to the coronavirus. The wounds of the bereaved are still raw and for many, holidays may amplify the pain. People are wrestling with how to honor the dead and navigate its rituals without familiar faces. SENT: 998 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-DIARY-NO ADVENTURES -- Some kids are being asked to sacrifice more than their parents during the coronavirus pandemic. One Associated Press sports writer says his sons’ lives have become the opposite of a “Choose Your Own Adventure” book. Their options have dwindled. The boys wanted to go to school in the fall, and their school district was one of the first to offer two days of classroom instruction. But then it changed course and will begin the year with fully virtual school. Their favorite sports and other activities have been delayed or canceled. Pushing a button on a remote control is the only adventure they can choose. By Ben Nuchols. SENT: 670 words, photos.
A separate wire advisory has been sent outlining our complete coronavirus coverage.
Find more coverage of the Virus Outbreak in AP Newsroom.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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TRAIN DERAILMENT-ARIZONA -- A freight train traveling on a bridge that spans a lake in a Phoenix suburb derailed, setting the bridge ablaze and partially collapsing the structure, officials said. SENT: 150 words, photos.
TODDLER FOUND ALONE — Three sisters drove from Alabama to South Florida to reunite with their 2-year-old nephew, who was found days earlier wandering alone in the parking lot of an apartment complex. SENT: 300 words.
INMATES SAVE DEPUTY — A Georgia sheriff’s office is thanking a group of inmates credited with rescuing a deputy who collapsed and suffered a head injury while supervising a jail unit. SENT: 200 words.
UNIVERSITY-DONATION -- A university in Louisiana has received a $20 million donation from an anonymous donor. Xavier University of Louisiana announced the gift, which is the largest private contribution in the school’s history. SENT: 150 words.
BUFFALO SOLDIERS MUSEUM-VANDALIZED -- A museum in Houston honoring the nation’s Black Buffalo Soldiers has been vandalized with graffiti, including with a symbol that appears to be a swastika. SENT: 200 words.
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UNITED STATES-GERMANY-TROOPS — Spurred on by President Donald Trump’s demand to pull troops out of Germany, the U.S. will bring about 6,400 forces home and shift about 5,600 to other countries in Europe, according to Pentagon plan that will cost billions of dollars and take years to complete. By Lolita C. Baldor. SENT: 979 words, photos.
TRUMP-TEXAS — President Donald Trump’s visit to a U.S. fracking hub on the West Texas plains comes during the state’s fierce coronavirus outbreak and a global oil and gas glut that is putting the squeeze on his loyal donors in the petroleum industry. By Ellen Knickmeyer and Jonathan Lemire. SENT: 900 words. UPCOMING: Developing from events starting early afternoon, 950 words by 5 p.m., photos, video.
Find more coverage here of the 2020 U.S. Elections.
RUSSIAN DISINFORMATION -- U.S. officials say Russian intelligence officers are spreading disinformation about the coronavirus pandemic through English-language websites, trying to exploit a crisis that America is struggling to contain before the presidential election in November. SENT: 925 words, photos.
JOHN LEWIS — John Lewis will lie in repose at the Georgia capitol in his hometown of Atlanta in one of the last memorial services for the late Democratic congressman before he is buried. Members of the public will be able to pay their respects to Lewis at the state capitol rotunda following a ceremony in his honor. A private burial service in Atlanta is scheduled for Thursday. SENT: 240 words, photos.
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2020 CENSUS — President Trump’s order seeking to exclude people in the U.S. illegally from the process of redrawing congressional districts isn’t changing the U.S. Census Bureau’s goal of counting every person in the country, the agency’s chief said in prepared remarks for a congressional hearing. SENT: 640 words, photos.
TROPICAL-WEATHER — Heavy rains pummeled the eastern Caribbean due to a weather system headed to Puerto Rico and other islands that was expected to develop into a tropical storm and unleash flooding and landslides. SENT: 465 words.
OLIGARCH ART SCHEME-SANCTIONS -- Russian oligarchs have skirted U.S. sanctions through murky high-end art deals, according to a congressional report that urged lawmakers to rein in an unregulated industry favored by money launderers. SENT: 545 words, photo.
OBIT-JOE KERNAN — Former Indiana Gov. Joe Kernan, a Vietnam prisoner of war who entered politics and was thrust into the state’s top office when his predecessor suffered a deadly stroke, died at age 74. SENT: 845 words, photos.
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CHINA HONG KONG -- Hong Kong police have made their first major arrests under a new national security law, detaining four young people on suspicion of inciting secession. Police say they arrested three males and one female, aged 16 to 21, at three locations. All are believed to be students. Police say the group made comments on social media that urged independence for Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese territory. SENT: 600 words, photos.
ISRAEL-NETANYAHU-STATUE — Residents in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv have woken up to a jarring sight: a massive installation depicting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu enjoying a lavish meal all by himself at a sprawling 10-meter table in a mock re-enactment of the Last Supper. SENT: 570 words, photos.
SAUDI-HAJJ — Muslim pilgrims, donning face masks and moving in small groups after days in isolation, began arriving to Islam’s holiest site in Mecca for the start of a historically unique and scaled-down hajj experience reshaped by the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 895 words, photos.
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FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Stocks are rising on Wall Street ahead of a Federal Reserve announcement where investors expect the central bank to keep the accelerator floored on its aid for the economy. SENT: 750 words, photos, developing.
ECONOMY-GDP — Having endured what was surely a record-shattering slump last quarter, the U.S. economy faces a dim outlook as a resurgent coronavirus intensifies doubts about any sustained recovery the rest of the year. A huge plunge in consumer spending as people stayed home and avoided shopping, traveling or gathering in crowds as the virus raged is estimated to have sent the economy sinking at a roughly 32% annual rate in the April-June quarter. By Martin Crutsinger. SENT: 895 words, photos.
FACEBOOK-HOLOCAUST DENIAL --Holocaust survivors are lending their voices to a campaign targeting Facebook head Mark Zuckerberg, urging him to take action to remove denial of the Nazi genocide from the social media site. SENT: 970 words, photos.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-BROADWAY-SIDE HUSTLES — While Broadway stages remain dark, many workers are finding ways to keep the lights on at home with side hustles. Some teach dance. Some offer music lessons or acting tips via Zoom. Some make jewelry or stitch plush toys. Some sell skincare products or handmade journals. Most are worried about the future. By AP Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy. SENT: 1,160 words, photos. An abridged version of 880 words, is also available.
FRANCE-VAN GOGH -- The exact location where Dutch master Vincent van Gogh painted his last work has been pinpointed after being hidden in plain view for years among a tangle of roots next to a rural lane near Paris. Experts say the discovery sheds new light on the anguished painter’s mental state on the day he is widely believed to have fatally shot himself. SENT: 760 words, photos.
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HKN--PLAYOFFS-FIVE GAME SERIES --The NHL hasn’t had best-of-five playoff series since 1986. That’s changing for this year with the league expanding to 24 playoff teams as part of its restart. The qualifying round will feature 16 teams facing off in best-of-five series to determine who moves on. By Stephen Whyno. SENT: 900 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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