AP News Digest 2 p.m.
Columbia Basin Herald | UPDATED 6 years, 3 months AGO
Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, 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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AMERICA PROTESTS-ORIGINS - President Donald Trump has characterized protesters as radical-left thugs engaging in domestic terrorism. Some Democrats, including Minnesota’s governor and the Minneapolis mayor, tried at first to blame out-of-state far-right infiltrators for the unrest. But there’s scant evidence either is true. According to an Associated Press analysis of court records, employment histories, social media posts and other public sources of information for 218 people arrested last weekend in Minneapolis and Washington, D.C., two cities at the epicenter of the protests. By Michael Biesecker, Michael Kunzelman, Jake Bleiberg and Alanna Durkin Richer. SENT: 1,950 words, photos. A 950-word version also is available.
ELECTION 2020-BIDEN-HOW HE DID IT - It seemed easy to write off Joe Biden. The former vice president came across as easily blindsided at debates. The crowds at his presidential campaign speeches were far from stadium size. Other Democratic candidates had moments of radiating a kinetic energy, while Biden appeared to be conserving his resources. How did he win the nomination? AP VoteCast surveys provide some answers. By Economics Writer Josh Boak. SENT: 1,150 words, photos.
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AMERICA PROTESTS — Mourners held a private memorial service in George Floyd’s North Carolina hometown, and the nation’s capital prepared for what was expected to be the city’s largest demonstration against police brutality yet. Military vehicles and officers in fatigues closed off much of downtown Washington to traffic ahead of the planned march, which was expected to attract up to 200,000 people outraged by Floyd’s death 12 days ago at the hands of police in Minneapolis. By Tom Foreman Jr., David Crary and John Leicester. SENT: 795 words, photos. WITH: AMERICA PROTESTS-THE LATEST.
AMERICA PROTESTS-POLITICS — There are new signs among battleground state voters that President Trump’s unsteady leadership over the course of dual national crises has alienated supporters and energized adversaries — and forced his usual defenders to go silent. The Republican president has time to recover, but there is a growing consensus among the political class in both parties that, at least for now, Trump is losing. By Steve Peoples and Scott Bauer. SENT: 1,450 words, photos. An abridged version of 980 words is also available.
AMERICA PROTESTS-MILITARY-ANALYSIS --Tensions between the White House and Pentagon have stretched to near a breaking point over President Donald Trump’s threat to use military force against street protests triggered by George Floyd’s death. Friction in this relationship, historically, is not unusual. But in recent days, and for the second time in Trump’s term, it has raised a prospect of high-level resignations and the risk of lasting damage to the military’s reputation. A News Analysis by National Security Writer Robert Burns. UPCOMING: 930 words, photos by 2:30 p.m.
Find more coverage of America Protests in AP Newsroom.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MEXICAN DEATHS-REPATRIATIONS -- Many Mexican families are struggling to send home the bodies of loved ones who have died of COVID-19 in the U.S. Returning a body to another country is never easy, but now the challenges include overwhelmed funeral homes, closed government offices and limited flights. More than a thousand Mexican immigrants have died of the virus in the U.S. By Claudia Torrens, Gisela Salomon and Peter Prengaman. SENT: 945 words, photos.
Find more coverage of the Virus Outbreak in AP Newsroom.
HOME LAUNCH-COMMERCIAL FUTURE — SpaceX’s debut astronaut launch is the biggest, most visible opening shot yet in NASA’s grand plan for commercializing Earth’s backyard. Amateur astronauts, private space stations, out-of-this-world movie sets — this is the future NASA is striving to shape as it eases out of low-Earth orbit and aims for the moon and Mars. By Marcia Dunn. UPCOMING: 1,100 words, photos. Eds: This story has moved as the Sunday Spotlight.
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GEORGE FLOYD-DEATH-INVESTIGATION-Q&A -- As damning as video evidence in the George Floyd case appears to be, prosecutors know they must bring the right charges underpinned by sound legal logic if they hope to convict a Minnesota officer for killing Floyd. Exhibit No. 1 at trial is likely to be video showing Officer Derek Chauvin pressing his knee into the back of the Floyd’s neck on May 25 as a handcuffed Floyd says he can’t breathe. By Michael Tarm. SENT: 955 words, photos.
AMERICA PROTESTS-GLOBAL — Thousands of people rallied across Australia to honor George Floyd and voice their support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Further protests are planned over the weekend in European cities, some defying restrictions imposed by authorities because of the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 825 words, photos.
AMERICA PROTESTS-KENTUCKY — The shooting of a popular Kentucky barbecue cook by law enforcement is raising new questions about use of force practices by Louisville police. SENT: 650 words, photos.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-COLLEGE ENROLLMENT -- As students across the U.S. make college plans for this fall, some universities are seeing surging interest from students in their states looking to stay close to home amid the coronavirus pandemic. At Ohio State University, commitments from state residents are up 20% over last fall. SENT: 950 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-GOVERNMENT JOBS -- Federal, state and local governments have shed more than 1.5 million jobs since March as they begin to deal with the financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. It could get worse in a sector that’s usually a stable part of the U.S. economy. By Geoff Mulvihill. SENT: 980 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SISTAS VAN -- In normal times the powder-blue vehicle called Sistas Van serves survivors of sexual trauma and domestic violence. In times of coronavirus, it’s delivering donated essential goods in New York to individuals and communities in need. SENT: 575 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA — South Korea reports 51 new cases of COVID-19, mostly in the densely populated capital region, as authorities scramble to stem transmissions among low-income workers who can’t afford to stay home. SENT: 700 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-RUSSIA-PRIEST — The Rev. Vasily Gelevan bends over a COVID-19 patient at her apartment to administer Holy Communion and say words of comfort while clad in a hazmat suit.The bedside ministry is one of many such visits the 45-year old Russian Orthodox priest makes daily as he shuttles across Moscow in a minivan to tend to people fighting the coronavirus at their homes or in hospital rooms. SENT: 560 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-D-DAY FLOWERS -- With the coronavirus pandemic preventing people traveling, this year’s D-Day commemoration is a very different event. For families anguished that they can’t be in Normandy themselves, an Englishman who lives there is laying wreaths on their behalf. Steven Oldrid says it is an honor to do it. SENT: 520 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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BRITAIN-PRINCE WILLIAM — Prince William reveals he’s been a helpline volunteer. SENT: 160 words, photo.
ANNIE GLENN — Annie Glenn, whose fame as an astronaut’s wife led to a life advocating for those with speech disorders, will be remembered Saturday at a virtual memorial service. SENT: 320 words, photos.
AMERICA PROTESTS-CYCLIST ASSAULT — A Maryland man charged with assaulting three teenagers after a video showed him grabbing a protest flyer from one of teens is apologizing. SENT: 220 words, photo.
PHOTO GALLERY-TOM JONES-BIRTHDAY — AP Photos: Ahead of Tom Jones’ 80th birthday, a look back. SENT: 125 words.
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TRUMP-BY THE NUMBERS — Over the years, Donald Trump has proved adept at taking even the grimmest numbers and giving himself a pat on the back or relying on a creative use of data to make himself look good. But the president’s declaration that an unexpected dip in the unemployment rate marked probably “the greatest comeback in American history” was a remarkable level of hyperbole even for him. SENT: 960 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS - A stronger than expected jobs report could further scramble an already uncertain picture for passing a fifth and possibly final coronavirus aid bill, feeding the wait-and-see approach of the White House and its GOP allies in Congress. SENT: 750 words, photos.
FACT CHECK-WEEK -- “Vicious dogs.” “Ominous weapons.” Injured police. Gagging protesters. Shattered storefronts. Armed personnel at centers of power and landmarks. Anguish and arson. Taking the measure of these days in the nation’s capital, President Donald Trump exclaimed: “Washington, D.C., was the safest place on earth last night!” Such alternate realities pervaded the world described by Trump and his team over the past week. SENT: 1,360 words, photos. Find AP Fact Checks at https://apnews.com/APFactCheck
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AMERICA PROTESTS-BUFFALO POLICE — Two Buffalo police officers were charged with assault, prosecutors said, after a video showed them shoving a 75-year-old protester in recent demonstrations over the death of George Floyd in Minnesota. SENT: 260 words, photos.
TROPICAL WEATHER — A re-energized Tropical Storm Cristobal advanced toward the U.S. Gulf Coast, bringing with it the heavy rains that already caused flooding and mudslides in Mexico and Central America. SENT: 400 words, photos.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-D-DAY -- At daybreak on Saturday, Charles Shay stood lonesome without any fellow veteran on the very same beach where he waded ashore 76 years ago, part of one of the most epic battles in military historic that came to be known as D-Day and turned the tide of World War II. Compared to last year, when many tens of thousands came to the northern French beaches of Normandy to cheer the dwindling number of veterans and celebrate three-quarters of a century of liberation from Nazi oppression, the coronavirus lockdown turned this year’s remembrance into one of the eeriest ever. SENT: 500 words, photos.
INDIA-CHINA-HIMALAYAN STANDOFF -- Indian and Chinese military commanders have met to try to resolve a bitter standoff along their disputed frontier high in the Himalayas where thousands of troops on both sides are facing off. SENT: 600 words, photos.
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HEALTH & SCIENCE
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SCI-VIRUS OUTBREAK — The coronavirus pandemic is hampering the ability of scientists to protect threatened species and habitats, from South American rainforests to African savannahs. In Brazil, scientists monitoring the devastating impacts of yellow fever on endangered golden lion tamarins are unable to work in closed forest reserves. In Guatemala, indigenous communities that monitor rainforests are struggling with one of the worst fire seasons in three decades — fires deliberately set to clear land for illegal cattle ranching — as government resources are diverted to pandemic relief efforts. And in Madagascar, a three-decade-old program to protect lemurs, supported largely by tourism, is expecting no revenue through the end of the year. SENT: 825 words, photos.
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JOBS REPORT-EDUCATION GAP -- For an American workforce under continuing threat from the coronavirus, the best protection might just be a college degree. SENT: 945 words, photos.
AMERICA PROTESTS-TECHNOLOGY -- Protesters are using a variety of technology tools to organize rallies, record police violence and communicate during the marches sweeping the U.S. and other countries following the death of George Floyd. Some of that involves secure messaging services like Signal, which can encrypt messages to thwart spies. But experts say convenience and reach remain key, which favors standbys like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. SENT: 890 words, photos.
OIL-MARKETS — OPEC and allied nations have agreed to extend a production cut of nearly 10 million barrels of oil a day through the end of July, hoping to boost energy prices hard-hit by the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 575 words, photos.
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FBN--VIRUS OUTBREAK-NFL FEARS - Colds and flu spread through NFL locker rooms just about every winter. Now teams have COVID-19 to worry about. Many players are scared about the coronavirus but are putting their trust in the league’s safety protocols. SENT: 1,050 words, photos.
CAR--INDYCAR-TEXAS -- IndyCar opens its season nearly three months later than expected because of the pandemic. The drivers will practice, qualify and race on the same day without spectators. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos. Will move initial lead during early practice, with updates. Race starts 8:05 p.m.
CAR--NASCAR-ATLANTA PREVIEW -- NASCAR, a largely white sport, seemed hesitant to join the national outrage over the death of George Floyd. That’s in striking contrast to its rush to be the first major sport to return during the pandemic. SENT: 850 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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