AP News Digest 2 p.m.
Columbia Basin Herald | UPDATED 5 years, 11 months AGO
EDS: Re-sending to delete GEORGE FLOYD-MINNEAPOLIS-CHIEF. Story will not move this cycle.
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AMERICA PROTESTS-TROOPS DEPART -- Active-duty troops brought in to help if needed with the civil unrest in the nation’s capitol are beginning to return to their home base, after two days of more peaceful demonstrations in Washington, D.C., senior defense officials told The Associated Press. By Lolita C. Baldor. SENT: 355 words, photos, developing.
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AMERICA PROTESTS-TRUMP — President Donald Trump steps back from his threat to send federal troops to crack down on nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd as Defense Secretary Mark Esper says he opposes using military forces for law enforcement in containing current street protests. By Zeke Miller and Robert Burns. SENT: 990 words. UPCOMING: Developing, 970 words by 4 p.m., photos, video, audio. WITH: ESPER — Mark Esper is facing the most politically charged crisis of his tenure as defense secretary, criticized for calling protester-filled streets a military “battlespace” and accused of failing to keep the military out of politics. The storm over protests triggered by the police killing of George Floyd has tested Esper’s relationship with President Trump. UPCOMING: 900 words by 4:30 p.m., photos, video.
AMERICA PROTESTS — Protesters marched in peaceful pleas to end police brutality, after a calmer night in cities across America void of the violence of recent days, as demonstrators heightened calls for justice in the killing of George Floyd. Curfews and efforts by protesters to contain earlier flare-ups of lawlessness were credited with preventing more widespread damage to businesses in New York and other cities overnight. By Tim Sullivan and Matt Sedensky. SENT: 800 words, photos. With AMERICA PROTESTS-THE LATEST.
AMERICA PROTESTS-COORDINATED THEFTS -- Many of the frenzied smash-and-grab thefts that have accompanied days of protests are well-coordinated crimes orchestrated by caravans of thieves capitalizing on the chaos and using social media to communicate and throw police off their trail, authorities say. The wave of crime that has followed largely peaceful demonstrations over the death of George Floyd is something law enforcement officials said they’ve never seen on this scale and it’s angered protesters who say it’s undercutting their message. By Daisy Nguyen and Michael Tarm. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 5 p.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK — As the coronavirus raced across America, this quaint seaside town did what would normally be unthinkable for a tourist destination. Spooked by a deluge of visitors, the tiny Oregon community shooed people from its expansive beaches and shut down hundreds of hotels and vacation rentals overnight. Signs went up announcing that the vacation getaway 80 miles from Portland known for towering coastal rock formations was closed to tourists — no exceptions. BY Gillian Flaccas. SENT: 910 words, photos.
Find more coverage of America Protests in AP Newsroom.
ELECTION 2020-OBAMA — Former President Barack Obama is emerging from political hibernation and drawing sharp contrasts with the current commander in chief on the U.S. response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the police brutality that has sparked unrest across the country. By Julie Pace. UPCOMING: 700 words by 4 p.m., with updates from Obama’s 5 p.m. remarks, 890 words by 5:30 p.m., photos
Find more coverage of the 2020 U.S. Elections in AP Newsroom.
TRUMP-RUSSIA PROBE-CONGRESS — Former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein tells lawmakers he would not have approved an FBI surveillance application on a former Trump campaign aide during the Russia investigation had he known the problems with the request that have since been exposed. It amounted to a striking concession that law enforcement officials made mistakes as they scrutinized ties between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign. By Eric Tucker. SENT: 615 words. UPCOMING: 790 words by 4 p.m., photos.
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POLICE DEATHS-USE-OF-FORCE -- A wave of police killings of young black men in 2014 prompted 24 states to quickly pass some type of law enforcement reform, but many declined to address the most glaring issue: police use of force. Six years later, only about a third of states have passed laws on the question. The issue is at the heart of nationwide protests set off by the death of George Floyd, a black man who died after a white police officer in Minneapolis pressed a knee into his neck for several minutes. Now, some lawmakers are hoping to harness the anger to push through changes on the use of force they couldn’t manage after 2014. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
THE AMERICAN STORY — The hard times that have befallen this nation in 2020 have revealed an increasingly evident truth: The storylines that have long held the nation together are coming apart. From the pandemic to unemployment to the upheaval after George Floyd’s death, American narratives have fractured into many little pieces. Scholars say people long silenced are demanding their stories be heard. They say the question is this: In a land where many people tell different versions of the American story, how does the country figure out which ones define it? By National Writer Ted Anthony. SENT: 1,260 words, photos.
AMERICA PROTESTS-WORLDWIDE CHOKEHOLDS — Three days after George Floyd died with a Minneapolis police officer choking off his air, another black man writhed on the tarmac of a street in Paris as a police officer pressed a knee to his neck during an arrest. Immobilization techniques where officers apply pressure with their knees on prone suspects are used in policing around the world and have long drawn criticism. One reason why Floyd’s death is sparking anger and touching nerves globally is that such techniques have been blamed for asphyxiations and other deaths in police custody beyond American shores, often involving non-white suspects. SENT: 910 words, photos.
GEORGE FLOYD-DEATH-INVESTIGATION - George Floyd’s family demands the arrest of all four police officers involved in his death, as they visited a makeshift shrine at the Minneapolis street corner where the black man died after a white officer pressed a knee on his neck as he pleaded for air. SENT: 500 words, photos.
AMERICA PROTESTS-FACE IN THE CROWD -- Protests have engulfed cities nationwide, with much of the focus on burning buildings and violence. But 30-year-old Kelly Bundy of Louisville says most protesters are like her, peaceful people called to duty by experiences of racism and police aggression. Bundy will never forget family friend Michael Newby, who was killed by an officer in 2004. That young black man’s death scarred Louisville and still motivates her as she and friends protest more recent cases. SENT: 940 words, photos.
AMERICA PROTESTS-WORLD REACTION — Thousands of protesters gathered in London’s Hyde Park to demonstrate against police violence and racial injustice following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which has set off days of unrest in the United States. SENT: 800 words, photos.
AMERICA PROTESTS-THE PEACEKEEPERS -- When Berto Aguayo, the co-founder of Increase the Peace — a community organizing group in Chicago — heard that protests in the city were getting out of hand over the weekend, he called a few dozen people to meet in front of a mural in one south side neighborhood to discuss de-escalation tactics. Aguayo said they were able to help maintain peace on a street filled with mom-and-pop businesses. UPCOMING: 975 words, photos.
AMERICA PROTESTS-KIDS AND RACE -- As an African American parent, Cassandre Dunbar in Charlotte, North Carolina, always knew she and her husband would have “the talk” with their son, the one preparing him for interactions with law enforcement. But she never dreamed it would be necessary at 5 years old. How to talk to kids about racism. SENT: 1,150 words, photos.
RELIGION-FAITHS AGAINST RACISM — As a devastated nation reels from days of protests that have exposed the pain of racial injustice, religious leaders in multiple faiths are venturing more directly into the challenging politics of healing systemic discrimination – declaring racism a problem for congregants of all racial backgrounds, not just African Americans. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 4 p.m.
AMERICA PROTESTS-NYC -- New York City’s second night under curfew was calmer than the first, with mostly peaceful demonstrators marching to protest the death of George Floyd and sporadic reports of vandalism. SENT: 565 words, photos.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-WUHAN TESTING — The Chinese city of Wuhan, where the coronavirus was first detected late last year, has tested nearly 10 million people in an unprecedented 19-day campaign to check an entire city. SENT: 390 words, photo.
Find more coverage of the Virus Outbreak in AP Newsroom.
A separate wire advisory has moved detailing the AP's complete coronavirus coverage.
VIRUS OUTBREAK–ONE GOOD THING–ART DEALER --If it hadn’t been for the pandemic, the Rijksmuseum would likely always have to do without a classic Dutch 16th century painting it so badly craved. But the sale of a painting was cancelled early in the corovavirus crisis and art dealer Bob Haboldt chose to donate it instead to the famed Dutch museum. The gift was not only a solemn tribute to the victims of the pandemic but also a show that more must be done to safeguard the survival of museums and culture across the globe. SENT: 600 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-OBITUARIES -- The passage of a grim milestone — 100,000 lives lost due to the coronavirus in the United States — has brought attention to how news organizations are trying to tell the stories behind the numbers. Organizations like The New York Times, NPR and The Associated Press have ongoing features to tell readers about the lives of people who have died from COVID-19, applying the same attention to detail as is usually given to those who are famous or accomplished. SENT: 940 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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PEOPLE-LEA-MICHELE -- Former “Glee” star Lea Michele apologizes for being “unnecessarily difficult” on the set of the musical TV show after a co-star accused Michele of making her time there “a living hell.” SENT: 325 words, photos.
PEOPLE-AMY GRANT- Singer Amy Grant has open heart surgery to fix heart condition. SENT: 100 words, photo.
TROPICAL-WEATHER — Tropical Storm Cristobal makes landfall on Mexico’s Gulf coast state of Campeche, dumping heavy rain on the already soaked region. SENT: 315 words, photos.
FERGUSON-FIRST BLACK MAYOR - Ferguson voters have elected Ella Jones as the city’s first black mayor as protests over the death of George Floyd and police treatment of black communities roil the nation. SENT: 250 words.
EX-MAYOR STATUE-REMOVED -- Workers have removed the statue of divisive former Philadelphia Mayor and Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo. SENT: 200 words, photos.
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REPUBLICANS-DEFENDING TRUMP — Republicans’ mumbling and dodging over President Trump’s Bible photo op—prefaced by police violently clearing the streets of protesters—come straight from the GOP playbook that has long helped the party endure his many cringe-inducing behaviors. But now, with an election looming and the nation struggling with economic, health and racial crises, the agony of Republicans has never been more acute or on display. UPCOMING: 900 words by 6 p.m., photos.
ELECTION 2020-KING — The longer Steve King served in Congress, establishing layer upon layer of racist rhetoric, the more he became an unwittingly unifying figure in American politics. Republicans and Democrats alike were glad to see him go, defeated in Tuesday’s Iowa primary. In some important ways, King laid the groundwork for Donald Trump’s rise: Apologize rarely for provocative statements, and court the very national media you cite as persecutor. UPCOMING: 890 words by 5 p.m., photos.
CHINESE-AIRLINES — The Trump administration moved to block Chinese airlines from flying to the U.S. in an escalation of trade and travel tensions between the two countries. SENT: 500 words, photos.
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SUDAN-RAPES — Dozens of Sudanese women activists were raped a year ago, when security forces smashed apart a protest camp in the heart of Khartoum. Since then, they have been struggling with the trauma while steadily losing hope they will ever see justice, given the military’s continuing grip on power. SENT: 1,980 words, photos. An abridged version of 1,000 words is available.
MEXICO-MAYAN TRAIN -- Several decades ago, residents of the Yucatan peninsula rode trains to visit relatives or sell their produce. So the nostalgic pitch made by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to build a Mayan Train initially found a receptive audience among the primarily indigenous communities that dot the peninsula. Two years later, as the president kicks off the project’s construction, that initial enthusiasm has dissipated. SENT: 995 words, photos.
INDIA-CYCLONE — The first cyclone in more than a century to hit India’s financial capital of Mumbai appeared to have largely spared the metropolis. No deaths or major damages were reported as workers began clearing fallen trees and other debris from affected areas along India’s western coastline. SENT: 760 words, photos.
MALTA-MIGRANTS-STRANDED AT SEA -- More than 400 migrants are living in limbo aboard four pleasure cruise boats chartered by Malta’s government. Malta is insisting the rescued passengers stay at sea until other European Union countries offer to take in some of them. The migrants were rescued from human traffickers’ boats during multiple operations starting in late April, so some have been stuck on the chartered vessels for weeks. SENT: 620 words, photos.
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HEALTH & SCIENCE
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SCI-SNOT-PALACES — Scientists are learning about one of the weirder things in the oceans: “snot palaces.” A study in the journal Nature details these complex structures made of mucus that could be three feet wide. They are made by critters that look like tadpoles and are only 4 inches long. The mucus comes out of the critter’s head, then blows up like a balloon into a full structure. And they do this every day. It’s like building a new five-story house for a person. SENT: 680 words, photos.
DEAD ZONE-GULF OF MEXICO -- — High rivers and high levels of nitrogen and phosphorus from farm and urban runoff mean a larger than average oxygen-starved “dead zone” is likely this year in the Gulf of Mexico, researchers said. But the predicted area for an area with too little oxygen for marine life is nowhere near a record, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said in a news release. SENT: 360 words.
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FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Stocks are rising again on optimism that the economy can climb out of its current hole more quickly than earlier feared. SENT: 850 words, photos, developing.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-JOB MARKET — The epic damage to America’s job market from the viral outbreak will come into tighter focus Friday when the government releases the May employment report: Eight million more jobs are estimated to have been lost in May, on top of 20 million in April. The unemployment rate could reach top 20%. UPCOMING: 900 words by 4 p.m.
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FILM-CANNES FILM FESTIVAL-LINEUP — The Cannes Film Festival was canceled due to the pandemic but on Wednesday it will announce the films that would have played at the French Riviera festival. Those films, festival organizers say, will be able to promote themselves with the Cannes “stamp of approval” By Film Writer Jake Coyle. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 4 p.m.
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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-NBA - The NBA has told the National Basketball Players Association that it will present a 22-team plan for restarting the season to the league’s board of governors on Thursday, said a person familiar with the situation. The person says all 22 of the teams coming to the ESPN Wide World Of Sports complex on the Disney campus near Orlando, Florida would play eight games to determine playoff seeding before the postseason begins. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the league has not released its proposal publicly. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. Sent: 650 words, photos, developing.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-STADIUMS-PRIVACY — What would you be willing to give up to see your favorite team in person? Would you be willing to hand over your medical information, provide background details and allow your every move to be tracked inside a stadium? As teams prepare to welcome back fans, there are serious legal and ethical questions that must be answered. By Dave Campbell. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 3 p.m.
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