AP News Digest 2:15 p.m.
Columbia Basin Herald | UPDATED 5 years, 1 month 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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VIRUS OUTBREAK — Tens of millions of students are staying home on three continents, security forces are on standby to guard against large gatherings of people, and bars, restaurants and offices are closed to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. By Aritz Parra and Lori Hinnant. SENT: 1,485 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST; VIRUS OUTBREAK-CANADA — Canada shuts down Parliament while Prime Minister Justin Trudeau governs from self-imposed quarantine after his wife tested positive for the new coronavirus (sent).
VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRUMP — President Donald Trump will hold a press conference to address the spiraling coronavirus pandemic as he seeks to calm a panicked nation amid mixed messages and growing criticism of his administration's scattershot response. SENT: 510 words, photos. UPCOMING: Press conference at 3 p.m. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is preparing to invoke emergency powers over the coronavirus outbreak, an emerging development Friday as an aid package teetered in Congress without his full public support. SENT: 1,300 words, photos, developing.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-HOSPITALS PREPARE — U.S. hospitals are setting up circus-like tents for testing, canceling elective surgeries and calling on retired doctors for help as they brace for an onslaught of COVID-19 patients. The head of the American College of Emergency Physicians expects a tremendous strain on the U.S. health system. Experts fear that when federal testing snafus are resolved, a flood of patients will hit U.S. emergency rooms. And they worry doctors will face agonizing decisions over who gets treatment. It's already happened in China and Italy. By Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner. UPCOMING: 850 words by 3:30 p.m., photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ITALY-GROUND ZERO — The northern Italian town that recorded Italy’s first coronavirus infection offers a virtuous example to fellow Italians now facing an unprecedented nationwide lockdown: By staying home, trends can reverse. By Colleen Barry. SENT: 870 words, photos. Also see MORE ON VIRUS OUTBREAK below.
Find more all-format coverage below and on the coronavirus outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Stocks are clawing back some of their recent losses at the end of a brutal week of selling as the spreading coronavirus heightens fears of a global recession. By Business Writer Alex Veiga. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-FLORIDA — The Florida primary election next Tuesday could be the knockout punch for Bernie Sanders. Joe Biden's advisers are banking on a victory that is so overwhelming that it sends a clear message that he is much better positioned than Sanders in a state considered a must-win for President Donald Trump. By Tamara Lush and Adriana Gomez Licon. SENT: 1,040 words, photos. With ELECTION 2020-BIDEN-CBC CHAIR ENDORSEMENT — The chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus has endorsed Joe Biden for president. SENT: 690 words, photos.
UNITED-STATES-IRAQ — The U.S. retaliatory airstrikes against militants in Iraq have destroyed five weapons depots, but the top U.S. commander for the Middle East acknowledged that there are many similar sites that the U.S. has so far not hit because of potential civilian casualties and political sensitivities with the Iraqi government. By Lolita C. Baldor. SENT: 920 words, photos.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-SCHOOL MEALS — Millions of students across the U.S. may go without free lunches and breakfasts they receive at schools, as more districts decide to close due to the coronavirus. Many schools are rushing to arrange grab-and-go lunch bags or set up delivery routes so America's poorest children don't go hungry while classes are out of session. SENT: 1,080 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-FEDERAL PRISONS — AP Exclusive: Inmates at all 122 federal correctional facilities across the country are no longer being allowed visits for the next 30 days, in response to the new coronavirus. SENT: 590 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHURCH SERVICES — Across the U.S., religious leaders are taking unprecedented steps in response to the coronavirus outbreak — cancelling church services. closing church schools, waiving age-old obligations of their faiths. By National Writer David Crary. UPCOMING: 850 words by 5 p.m., photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ROLE REVERSAL — From quarantining arriving travelers from overseas to nabbing those sneaking in with fevers, China and other parts of Asia are scrambling to prevent the new coronavirus from coming back to where it first broke out. SENT: 1,090 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRAZIL — Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro has tested negative for the new coronavirus, according to a post on his official Facebook profile. His communications chief has the virus. SENT: 510 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPAIN — With Italy already submerged in a national quarantine, Spain took a major step Friday toward a similar lock-down as it struggles to ride the wave of the coronavirus pandemic spawning illness and fear around the globe. SENT: 1,110 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MIDEAST — Religious authorities move to cancel or limit weekly prayer gatherings across the Middle East to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus as they encouraged the faithful to pray for those afflicted by the global pandemic. SENT: 950 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-WHAT'S HAPPENING — The coronavirus pandemic has lent a surreal quality to the lives of millions of people around the globe. It has disrupted daily routines, overwhelmed hospitals, shuttered schools and offices and halted many sporting and entertainment events. If that weren't enough, many are also forced to grapple with fears about the financial toll, from lost jobs and businesses to shrinking retirement accounts. These are some of the latest developments. SENT: 780 words, photos, developing.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-AFRICA — Cases of the new coronavirus are ramping up in Africa, with six new countries announcing confirmed infections in the past 24 hours. SENT: 920 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRITAIN — The United Kingdom was standing increasingly apart as countries around the world shut schools and universities, scrapped sports tournaments and shuttered bars and restaurants in response to the new coronavirus. The British government has not restricted the everyday activities of U.K. residents. SENT: 910 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-EUROPE — European Union interior ministers are trying to coordinate their response to the novel coronavirus as cases spread throughout the 27-nation bloc and countries take individual measures to slow the disease down. SENT: 300 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-EVEREST-CLOSED — Nepal's government announces that it was suspending climbing permits for Mount Everest and all of the other peaks in the country due to concern over the spread of the coronavirus. SENT: 390 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-EMPTY HALLS — The ongoing fears surrounding the new coronavirus have shuttered places where Americans have long gathered to escape the world and also to engage with it. By Entertainment Writer Mark Kennedy. SENT: 1,080 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK TOKYO PHOTO GALLERY — Unsettled Tokyo in black and white. By Jae C. Hong. SENT: 190 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-COLLEGE GRADUATIONS — Some U.S. colleges are starting to cancel or postpone spring graduation ceremonies over fears about the new coronavirus. SENT: 860 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CASINOS — A Pennsylvania casino shut down temporarily, some Las Vegas casinos closed their buffets and the Hard Rock chain canceled live entertainment at all its U.S. properties for at least a month as the nation's casinos grappled with the coronavirus outbreak. SENT: 530 words, photos.
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WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-CLEANING YOUR GADGETS — You're washing your hands to ward off the coronavirus, but don't forget about that extension of your hand and breeding ground for germs — your phone. SENT: 320 words, photo.
OBIT-CHARLES WUORINEN — Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Charles Wuorinen dies at 81. SENT: 530 words.
FRANCE-SURGEON-SEX ABUSE — Accused of abusing 349 children, French surgeon faces trial. SENT: 460 words.
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CENSUS-HIRING — The U.S. Census Bureau says it has reached its goal of recruiting more than 2.6 million applicants, but it has been a bumpy road to get there. An Associated Press analysis shows that low unemployment is complicating the bureau's recruiting efforts. SENT: 1,120 words, photos.
UNITED STATES-KOREA — The top U.S. general in South Korea says he is fairly certain North Korea has not been spared by the COVID-19 outbreak, although the North has not publicly confirmed a single case. SENT: 300 words, photo.
SUPREME COURT-POLICE IMMUNITY — A public interest law firm is asking the Supreme Court to consider whether police officers and other government agents should have broad immunity from civil lawsuits. The court is expected to decide as soon as this month whether to take the cases. SENT: 740 words, photos.
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NEW ZEALAND-SHOOTING REFLECTIONS — Three people whose lives were forever altered when a gunman attacked two mosques in New Zealand say it has prompted changes in their career aspirations, living situations and in the way others perceive them. By Nick Perry. SENT: 1,460 words, photos. With NEW ZEALAND-CHRISTCHURCH ARDERN — New Zealand leader says nation changed after mosque attacks.
ETHIOPIA NILE DAM — Ethiopia’s foreign minister says his country is refusing to be pressured by the U.S. into signing a deal with Egypt and Sudan over Ethiopia's controversial dam on the Nile River. An AP Interview. By Elias Meseret. SENT: 730 words.
EUROPE-MIGRANTS-CHILDREN — A group of European Union countries has agreed to take in at least 1,600 migrant children in Greece who have been traveling without their parents. SENT: 260 words, photos.
EGYPT-WEATHER — Thunderstorms and flooding around Egypt entered a second day, interrupting daily life in much of the country, including the capital Cairo. The death toll has risen to 21. SENT: 220 words, photo.
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POLICE OFFICER SHOT — A Philadelphia police officer was shot and killed early Friday as he served a homicide warrant at a home, and several people were arrested, including the subject of the warrant, officials said. SENT: 470 words, photos.
ANDREW GILLUM — Former Florida Democratic candidate for governor Andrew Gillum is named in a police report saying he was “inebriated" and initially unresponsive in a hotel room where authorities found baggies of suspected crystal methamphetamine. SENT: 370 words, photo.
ST PAUL TEACHERS — The St. Paul teachers union and Minnesota's second-largest school district have reached a tentative contract agreement, ending a strike that began Tuesday and canceled classes for some 36,000 students. SENT: 460 words, photo.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-AIRLINES — Delta Air Lines will cut passenger-carrying capacity by 40% to deal with a nosedive in travel demand, and it is talking to the White House and Congress about assistance to get through the downturn. SENT: 150 words, photo.
PENTAGON-CLOUD CONTRACT — The Pentagon is reconsidering its awarding of a major cloud computing contract to Microsoft after rival tech giant Amazon protested what it called a flawed bidding process. SENT: 320 words, photo.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-COMEDY — Late-night comics got experience Thursday night doing shows with virtually no audience, except for paid staffers. The shows went audience-less in response to the new coronavirus. The format made for an oddly quiet vibe, and the hosts were self-conscious about it. SENT: 830 words, photo.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPORTS — The shock waves from the coronavirus rattle sports for another day. Two rites of spring are postponed -- the Masters and Boston Marathon. NASCAR and IndyCar shift gears and abandon racing. And the Japanese seem more concerned with other things than the Tokyo Olympics. By Bernie Wilson. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 5 p.m. With The Latest.
GLF--VIRUS OUTBREAK-GOLF — The Masters, with the chase for the green jacket an April fixture, is postponed until an unspecified date. Augusta National cites “ever-increasing risks” from the coronavirus. The decision means there will be no golf for at least the next month. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 4 p.m.
ATH--VIRUS OUTBREAK-BOSTON MARATHON -- The Boston Marathon, the world’s most celebrated footrace, is postponed until Sept. 14 because of the coronavirus pandemic. There was increasing concern over the health of the 31,000 registered runners and the estimated 1 million spectators who line the course. By William J. Kole and Jimmy Golen. SENT: 900 words, photos.
CAR--VIRUS OUTBREAK-MOTORSPORTS -- NASCAR and IndyCar reverse course and abandon racing this weekend, with IndyCar suspending its season through the end of April. NASCAR suspends only Sunday's race in Atlanta and next week in Miami -- both scheduled to be run without spectators. By Auto Racing Writer Jenna Fryer. SENT: 450 words, photos.
HKN--VIRUS OUTBREAK-NHL — NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman discusses what went into the league’s decision to put the season on “pause” and what could happen to the remainder of regular season, playoffs and Stanley Cup. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 4 p.m.
BBO—VIRUS-EMPTY BALLPARKS — A day after MLB canceled spring training games and postponed opening day by at least two weeks, camps in Florida and Arizona are in lockdown. Complexes are likely to be closed through the weekend while the league and union plot the next steps. By Jake Seiner. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 6 p.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SPORTS-ARENA WORKERS -- The full economic impact of the loss of sports will surely reach billions. Teams, leagues and organizers lose money. Taxi drivers lose passengers. Hotel rooms lose guests. Many teams have plans to help, but no one knows how long this shutdown will last. By Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 950 words, photos.
OLY--TOKYO-PEOPLE SPEAK -- Amid growing uncertainty over the coronavirus, many Japanese may be more concerned about their schools and the country’s economy than they are about this summer’s Olympics. By Mari Yamguchi and Haruka Nuga. SENT: 650 words, photos. With sidebar on torch relay (sent).
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HOW TO REACH US
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