AP News Digest 2 p.m.
Columbia Basin Herald | UPDATED 6 years, 4 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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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-LEFT-TO-DIE — Spain’s more than 19,000 nursing home deaths put it ahead of any other country in Europe. And it’s led to soul-searching over its elder-care system, particularly public nursing homes operated by private firms that seek to turn profits quickly by cutting staff, expenses and some say care to the bone. Dozens of interviews with workers, relatives and residents painted a picture of what some have called a “fast-food” version of elder care. By Aritz Parra. SENT: 2,400 words, photos. An abridged version of 1,070 words is available.
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MINNEAPOLIS-POLICE-DEATH-PROTESTS — Protests over the death of George Floyd that turned violent left a neighborhood in the southern part of the city in a smoking shambles, with burned buildings, looted stores and angry graffiti over it all. One person was shot dead in the violence, and Mayor Jacob Frey had asked Gov. Tim Walz to activate the National Guard. By Tim Sullivan and Amy Forliti. SENT: 735 words, photos, videos, developing. WITH: TRUMP-MINNEAPOLIS DEATH — President Donald Trump and his allies have taken a very different tone with the police-involved death in Minneapolis vs past instances of alleged police brutality involving minorities. UPCOMING: 800 words by 5 p.m., photos. WITH: MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-DEATH-OFFICERS — The white Minneapolis police officer accused of killing a black man by kneeling on his neck was a 19-year veteran. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 5 p.m. WITH: MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-NECK RESTRAINT - George Floyd was handcuffed and appeared to be subdued when a police officer trying to arrest him pressed his knee against the man’s neck. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 5 p.m.
TRUMP-TWITTER — President Donald Trump escalates his war on social media companies, preparing to sign an executive order challenging the liability protections that have served as the bedrock of free speech on the internet. The move appears to be more about politics than substance, as the president aims to rally supporters to his defense after Twitter decides to add fact checks to his tweets. By Zeke Miller. SENT: 760 words. UPCOMING: Developing, time uncertain, 890 words by 5 p.m., photos, video.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK — An estimated 2.1 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week despite the gradual reopening of businesses around the country, bringing the running total since the coronavirus shutdowns took hold in mid-March to about 41 million, the government said. By Christopher Rugaber and Dan Sewell. SENT: 740 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-TRUMP-ECONOMY — The White House throws in the towel on issuing an updated economic forecast for this year, a fresh manifestation of the political peril and anxiety facing President Donald Trump and his campaign as his administration tries to rehabilitate the coronavirus-ravaged economy in an election year. By Aamer Madhani, Joshua Boak and Andrew Taylor. UPCOMING: 800 words by 5 p.m., photos.
MED--VIRUS OUTBREAK-CANCER PATIENTS, HFR -- New research shows how dangerous the coronavirus is for current and former cancer patients. Those who developed COVID-19 were much more likely to die within a month than people without cancer who got it, doctors found. The study is the largest of people with both diseases and involved hospitals across the U.S. and in several other countries. By Marilynn Marchione. UPCOMING: 800 words by 5:30 p.m. Eds: This story may not be broadcast or posted online before 5 p.m.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-FUTURE OF DINING — Dining at a table where each person is enclosed by a clear plastic shield might look and sound futuristic, but it could be one way for some restaurants to reopen. It also might help out if your companion orders escargots, heavy on the garlic. The suspended clear plastic dome descends over a human being eating, but it is not science fiction. It could be the future of French fine dining in the age of coronavirus. By Thomas Adamson and Oleg Cetinic. SENT: 650 words, photos.
Find more all-format coverage on the Virus Outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-SCIENTISTS OF FAITH -- While faith and science face unprecedented challenges during the coronavirus pandemic, including to their relationship with each other, the two have worked in concert for several experts leading the U.S. government’s pandemic response. National Institutes of Health Director Francis Collins founded a nonprofit focused on “the harmony between science and biblical faith.” Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, describes his faith and his public health work as mutually reinforcing. SENT: 950 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRGINIA UNEMPLOYMENT -- Tens of thousands of Virginians who are eligible for an expanded unemployment benefit Congress enacted in response to the coronavirus pandemic are waiting for their money because the state hasn’t managed to get the program running yet. SENT: 880 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-LIVES LOST-NUREMBERG GUARD -- Emilio DiPalma, who fought on the front lines during World War II and served as a courtroom guard during the trial of top Nazi war criminals, has died from the coronavirus. He was 93. SENT: 905 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ABORTION PILL -- A group of physicians has asked a federal court to suspend a U.S. Food and Drug Administration rule that requires patients to visit a hospital, clinic or medical office to get an abortion pill. SENT: 425 words.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-INDIA-PLAGUES — As if the coronavirus wasn’t enough, India is grappling with scorching temperatures and the worst locust invasion in decades as authorities prepared for the end of a monthslong lockdown despite recording thousands of new infections every day. This triple disaster is forcing officials to try to balance protection from eviscerating heat but also social distancing in newly reopened parks and markets. SENT: 850 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-LATIN AMERICA-RADIO LESSONS -- Broadcasting was once widely used in Latin America to teach basic math and literacy skills to rural children and adults. Amid the coronavirus lockdown, lessons on radio and TV are making a comeback, especially with the region’s weak internet connectivity. SENT: 875 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK -ONE GOOD THING-CROATIA TOURISM — If it hadn’t been for Igor Loparic and his charity, many in the northern Croatian Istria region wouldn’t be able to cope with the crisis brought on by the new coronavirus. Lopardic’s Our Dream Their Smile group has helped people in the tourism-dependent area in the Adriatic survive as the outbreak closed down borders, shutting down hotels, restaurants and other businesses that normally thrive in virus-free times. SENT: 600 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRAL QUESTIONS-VACCINE — When could a COVID-19 vaccine be ready? Top health officials say the end of this year would be a best case scenario. But scientists have never created a vaccine so quickly, and there’s no guarantee any under development will ultimately work. UPCOMING: 150 words by 1 p.m., photo.
A separate wire advisory has moved detailing our complete coronavirus coverage.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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MISSING CHILDREN-TULSA — Police say a body found in an east Tulsa creek is believed to be that of a second missing toddler who disappeared with his sister last week. SENT: 235 words, photos.
CVS HEALTH-SELF-DRIVING VEHICLE DELIVERIES -- CVS Health will try delivering prescriptions with self-driving vehicles in a test that begins next month. SENT: 280 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VENTILATORS -- House Democrats want the Trump administration to provide records related to the purchase of ventilators from Russia. The lawmakers say those ventilators were not only unsafe for use but were also made by a subsidiary of a Russian company that’s under U.S. sanctions. SENT: 275 words, photos.
HARVARD COMMENCEMENT --The Washington Post’s top editor told Harvard University graduates that facts and truth have become “matters of life and death.” SENT: 600 words.
APPLE MUSIC-AFRICA — Apple Music is launching its first radio show in Africa. The streaming platform announced that “Africa Now Radio with Cuppy,” to be hosted by Nigerian-born DJ and music producer Cuppy, SENT: 210 words, photo.
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-WORKER PROTECTIONS — As deaths from COVID-19 top 100,000 Democrats are slamming the Trump administration for failing to protect workers, including those at meatpacking plants and health-care facilities. At a hearing Thursday, Democrats said OSHA has been “largely invisible” and has failed to develop needed tools to combat the pandemic , including an emergency temporary standard to protect frontline workers. By Matthew Daly. UPCOMING: 700 words by 4 p.m., photos.
UNITED STATES-CHINA — The Trump administration may expel thousands of Chinese graduate students enrolled at U.S. universities in the latest sign of escalating tensions between Washington and Beijing. Four administration officials say President Donald Trump is considering a months-old proposal to revoke the visas of Chinese students affiliated with educational institutions in China that are linked to the People’s Liberation Army or Chinese intelligence services. SENT: 680 words. UPCOMING: 750 words by 3 p.m., photos.
CONGRESS-SURVEILLANCE — Democrats pull legislation from the House floor that would have extended FBI surveillance authorities after President Donald Trump and Republicans turned against the legislation, ensuring its defeat. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said there will be a new round of negotiations with the Senate over the expired powers the FBI considers vital in fighting terrorism. SENT: 820 words. UPCOMING: Developing, 890 words by 5 p.m., photos, video.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — The House gives sweeping bipartisan approval to legislation to modify a new “paycheck protection” program for businesses that have suffered COVID-related losses, giving them more flexibility to use federal subsidies for other costs and extending the lifespan of the program as the economy continues to struggle. UPCOMING: Developing, 780 words by 5 p.m., photos.
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VENEZUELA-AMERICAN MERCENARY — An investigation by The Associated Press shows that Jordan Goudreau, a former Green Beret who launched a failed plot this month to capture Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro, flew to a planning meeting in Colombia aboard a plane owned by Franklin Durán, a businessman with longtime ties to the socialist government. SENT: 1,740 words, photos.
AFGHANISTAN-PRISONER RELEASES - A five-member Taliban team was in Kabul to follow up on this week’s prisoner release by the Afghan government that saw hundreds of insurgents freed. It was the single largest such release since a U.S.-Taliban deal earlier this year spelling an exchange of detainees between the warring sides. SENT: 550 words, photos.
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SLAIN SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER --An airman charged with murder in the death of a 27-year-old Mennonite Sunday school teacher told authorities he was raised in the religion and joined the Air Force to escape a difficult, sheltered and restricted life. Sheriff’s records hint at disdain for the Mennonite community by suspect Mark Gooch, who has pleaded not guilty in the death of Sasha Krause. Her body was found in a forest clearing near Flagstaff, Arizona, after she was last seen at a church in New Mexico. Krause was part of a group of conservative Mennonites where women wear head coverings and believe in forgiveness. SENT: 1,150 words, photos.
MASTER THIEF SENTENCE — A self-described “master thief” career criminal is hoping to catch a break on his prison sentence from burglarizing a Brink’s warehouse during which he accidentally set millions of dollars on fire. SENT: 935 words, photos.
SPELLING BEE — With the Scripps National Spelling Bee canceled, many top spellers who would have been on the bee stage this week are instead competing online. SENT: 805 words, photo.
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FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Stocks are pushing higher on Wall Street, extending this week’s rally built on hopes for a coming economic revival. SENT: 600 words, photos, developing.
ECONOMY-GDP — The U.S. economy shrank at an even faster pace than initially estimated in the first three months of this year with economists continuing to expect a far worse outcome in the current April-June quarter. The Commerce Department reported Thursday that the gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic health, fell at an annual rate of 5% in the first quarter, a bigger decline than the 4.8% drop first estimated a month ago. SENT: 700 words, photo.
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FILM-OUT — The Pixar short “Out,” about a man who comes out to his mother (after swapping bodies with his dog), features the studio’s first gay protagonist in its 25-year history. In an interview, the film’s director Steven Clay Hunter talks about the personal roots of the story and making history at Disney. By Film Writer Jake Coyle. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 3 p.m.
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TRANSGENDER ATHLETES-HIGH SCHOOL --A letter from the U.S. Education Department’s civil rights office says a Connecticut policy that allows transgender athletes to compete as girls in high sports violates the civil rights of athletes who have always identified as female. A copy of the letter was obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. SENT: 575 words, photos.
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