AP News Digest 2 p.m.
Columbia Basin Herald | UPDATED 6 years, 6 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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ONLY ON AP
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ESTONIA-GLOBAL OPIOIDS — Estonia won its war on fentanyl in 2017, when police busted the tiny Baltic nation's major suppliers. But the trouble was just starting. Drug users who couldn't get fentanyl didn't go back to using heroin. Instead, they began using combinations of different synthetic drugs, including amphetamines and alpha-PVP. The shift in Estonia from plant-based drugs, like heroin, to synthetic ones, like fentanyl, can be seen elsewhere, including in the United States. That’s potentially bad news for Mexican poppy farmers and good news for unscrupulous chemists, and it could help cement China's role as key supplier in the global narcotics trade. By Erika Kinetz. SENT: 1,800 words, photos, video.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-GOVERNORS-TRUMP — Amid an unprecedented public health crisis, the nation’s governors are trying to get what they need from the federal government, and get it fast. But it's not always easy to understand the best way to deal with President Donald Trump. Republicans and Democrats alike are testing whether to fight or flatter the president, and whether to back-channel requests or go public. At stake may be states' access to masks, ventilators, and other personal protective gear, in addition to field hospitals and federal cash. By Kathleen Ronayne and Jonathan Lemire. SENT: 1,270 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — Washington is on the brink of delivering a $2.2 trillion government response to the coronavirus pandemic, with unprecedented generosity for businesses, the unemployed and health providers. But it may not be enough. With more than 3 million unemployment claims already filed, there are real questions about how well the rescue plan will work — and what Congress might try next, if it falters. By Andrew Taylor. SENT: 1,100 words. UPCOMING: 900 words by 5 p.m., photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK — The human and economic toll of the lockdowns against the coronavirus mounts as India struggles to feed the multitudes, Italy shuts down most of its industry, and a record-shattering 3.3 million Americans apply for unemployment benefits in a single week. By Colleen Long, David Rising and Emily Schmall. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos, by 2 p.m.
Find more all-format coverage on the Virus Outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS — Nearly 3.3 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week — almost five times the previous record set in 1982 — amid a widespread economic shutdown caused by the coronavirus. The surge in weekly applications was a stunning reflection of the damage the viral outbreak is inflicting on the economy. By Christopher Rugaber. SENT: 1,385 words, photos, video. WITH: FINANCIAL MARKETS - Stocks rise, putting the market on track for its first three-day rally in six weeks. SENT: 630 words, photo. WITH: ECONOMY-GDP —US economy grew at 2.1% rate in fourth quarter. SENT: 880 words, photo.
US-VENEZUELA-MADURO — The Justice Department alleges that Nicolás Maduro effectively converted Venezuela into a criminal enterprise at the service of drug traffickers and terrorist groups as he and his allies stole billions from the South American country. Several indictments against the embattled socialist and his inner circle were made public Thursday. By Joshua Goodman and Jim Mustian. SENT: 1,085 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-HOUSEHOLD BENEFITS-Q&A — The government's huge $2.2 trillion economic rescue package includes checks for most Americans and enhanced unemployment aid. How can people access those funds? Here are some questions and answers about the bill. By Christopher Rugaber, Sarah Sell and Alexandra Olson. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 4 p.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ISRAEL POLITICS —Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's chief rival was chosen as the new speaker of parliament, an unexpected step that could pave the way to a power-sharing deal between the two men as the country grapples with a worsening coronavirus crisis. By Josef Federman. SENT: 850 words, photos.
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MORE ON VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-G20 — The head of the United Nations has told leaders of the world’s 20 major industrialized nations during an emergency virtual summit that "we are at war with a virus – and not winning it” despite dramatic measures by countries to seal their borders, shutter businesses and enforce home isolation for well over a quarter of the world's population. SENT: 1,190 words, photos. WITH: VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRTUAL G20 — Thursday’s virtual meeting of the Group of 20 nations was more of a high-powered conference call than a summit. SENT: 600 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-LAUGHTER AS MEDICINE — Are we allowed to chuckle? Experts say we'd better. Laughter really is the best medicine, they say, so long as it's within the bounds of good taste. And in a crisis, it can be a powerful coping mechanism. Says one comedian: “It's more than just medicine. It's survival.” UPCOMING: 750 words, photos by 5 p.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-HOSPITAL BEDS — U.S. hospitals are rushing to find beds for a coming flood of COVID-19 patients, opening older closed hospitals and re-purposing other medical buildings. With total U.S. cases now doubling every three days, empty intensive care unit beds, needed by an estimated 5% of the sick, will rapidly fill. An AP analysis of federal hospital data finds more than 7 million people age 60 and older — those most at risk of severe COVID-19 illness — live in counties without ICU beds. SENT: 1,020 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SMALL CITIES -President Trump's vow to reopen the country by Easter is at odds with the reality on the ground in cities across America that are already dealing with a crush of patients and don't see it getting better in the next few weeks. The situation is already bad in smaller cities such as Albany, Georgia, which is already out of space in the intensive care unit. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NATIONAL PARKS — The Trump administration is encouraging Americans to visit national parks during the coronavirus outbreak, as park managers try and fail to keep parkgoers a safe distance apart, and neighboring communities appeal for them to close. UPCOMING: 800 words by 5 p.m., photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRUMP-FACT CHECK — President Trump has repeatedly boasted of travel restrictions on China that he suggests he decided on his own over the objections of health experts and saved “thousands” of lives. His claims aren’t substantiated. SENT: 670 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-MILITARY — The coronavirus is taking a growing toll on the U.S. military, and commanders and senior officials are bracing for worse. From nuclear missile fields at home to war zones abroad, from flight lines to ships at sea, the Pentagon is striving to shield vital missions even as it faces urgent calls for help on the civilian front. By Robert Burns and Lolita C. Baldor. SENT: 1,300 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SHUTDOWN-Q&A — Who has the power to open and close large swaths of the American economy: the states or the federal government? By Mark Sherman. UPCOMING: 800 words by 4 p.m., photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-DAILY BREAD — The coronavirus has turned the French daily ritual of popping out of the house to buy a fresh, crusty baguette into a moral, civic and public health dilemma: Am I putting myself and others at risk by going out and lining up for my daily bread? SENT: 835 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CANADA-US — Canada has told the U.S. it is is strongly opposed to a Trump administration proposal to put troops at the U.S.-Canada border amid the pandemic and said if it goes ahead it would damage relations between the two longtime allies. SENT: 290 words.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-IMMIGRATION COURTS — Immigration attorneys have been sporting swim goggles to be able to visit their clients since US Immigration and Customs Enforcement over the weekend started requiring protective eye-wear, masks and gloves to get into detention centers, which also house immigration courts. UPCOMING: 700 words by 5 p.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-RELIEF BILL-UNEMPLOYED — A significant expansion of unemployment benefits for millions of Americans who will likely lose their jobs as a result of the coronavirus outbreak is in the economic relief bill nearing final approval in Congress. The $2 trillion economic rescue package would, for four months, add $600 a week to standard unemployment benefits, which vary by state. It would provide funding for states to allow people to collect their payments immediately, eliminating a one-week waiting period. SENT: 950 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-EGYPT-REPORTER EXPELLED — Egypt has expelled a foreign journalist for a report citing a study that challenged the official count of coronavirus cases in the Arab world's most populous country. SENT: 520 words.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-CLUBS — The nightclubs in the German capital have decided to keep the beat going — at least online. SENT: 540 words, photos.
A separate wire advisory has been sent detailing AP's complete coronavirus coverage.
AP’s coronavirus podcast, “Ground Game: Inside the Outbreak,” today looks at the $2.2 trillion rescue package that aims to help American workers, business owners and the health care system deal with the damage done to the economy by the coronavirus. Listen to the podcast at 3 p.m. at https://appodcasts.com/category/ground-game/. Embed code is available on AP Coverage Plan.
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WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-EASTER PEEPS — No more Peeps are being hatched for at least a couple of weeks — but it shouldn't affect Easter baskets. SENT: 140 words, photos.
PEOPLE-ROBERT ENGLUND — After playing Freddy Krueger in eight films and on TV, Robert Englund says he looks forward to seeing the “A Nightmare on Elm Street” franchise revived with someone other than himself in the role. SENT: 430 words, photos.
FORD RESTARTING PLANTS — Ford says it wants to reopen five North American assembly plants in April that were closed due to the threat of coronavirus. SENT: 500 words, photo.
EGYPT-DEADLY CRASH — Egyptian authorities say a trailer-truck smashed into multiple cars stopped on a freeway in Cairo, killing 15 people. SENT: 250 words.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-LOTTERY JACKPOTS — Lottery jackpots are going to shrink as the coronavirus pandemic tamps down lottery sales. SENT: 370 words, photos.
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FOREIGN FIGHTERS DEADLY AMBUSH — The two former U.S. Army soldiers met in Ukraine, where they joined the same far-right paramilitary group. After getting deported, they planned to take a boat from Miami to South America. They wanted to fight the socialist Venezuelan government and kill “communists.” SENT: 950 words, photos.
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BUSINESS
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-ITALY-INDUSTRIAL SHOWDOWN — Italy has become the first western developed nation to idle most of its industry to halt the spread of the coronavirus, a potential cautionary tale for other governments, such as the Trump administration, that are resisting such drastic measures. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-RESTARTING THE ECONOMY — President Donald Trump has called the country to open for business by mid-April, but some experts warn it's not as easy as flipping a switch: Economies run on confidence, and that is likely to be in short supply for as long as coronavirus cases in the United States are still rising. SENT: 1,190 words, photos.
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HEALTH/SCIENCE
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AUTISM INCREASING — Autism has grown slightly more common in the U.S., but a gap in diagnosis of white and black kids has disappeared, according to a government report released Thursday. Closure of that gap — thanks to increased screening — is the main reason autism diagnoses are up a little, some experts said. SENT: 440 words, photo.
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TV-Q&A-ROSARIO DAWSON — Rosario Dawson has graced both the big and small screens, in everything from dramas to comedies to Marvel superhero projects, yet she’s rarely been cast as the lead. That changes with her new USA series “Briarpatch” where she plays a fashionable political fixer who returns home to her Texas border town following the bombing death of her police officer sister. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos, video.
BRITAIN-DUCHESS OF SUSSEX — Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, has her first post-royal job. She will narrate a Disney documentary about elephants. SENT: 170 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ENTERTAINMENT-WHAT'S HAPPENING — Taylor Swift surprises some of her fans with money donations; ACM announces performers for at-home country music special. SENT: 780 words, photos.
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BBO--OPENING DAY-2020 SOLUTIONS — This was supposed to be baseball’s opening day. If the game does resume this season -- it’s on hold until at least mid-May -- there could be radical scheduling solutions to squeezing in as many games as possible. By David Brandt. UPCOMING: 850 words, photos by 4 p.m.
HKN--ONLY BUSINESS IN HOCKEY —NHL teams have only one real way of getting business done with the season on pause: signing college free agents and sometimes draft picks or minor leaguers. It has given players hope, and executives something to do. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 6 p.m.
OLY--TOKYO-NEXT STEPS —The Tokyo Olympics need a new start date for 2021. Nothing can proceed -- ticketing, security, venues, merchandising, lodging, volunteers -- until that is worked out by the IOC, Japanese government and local organizers. By Stephen Wade. SENT: 550 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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