AP News Digest 2 p.m.
Columbia Basin Herald | UPDATED 5 years, 3 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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BELARUS-ELECTION-FRAUD — Poll workers in Belarus are providing details of vote-rigging in the Aug. 9 election that kept authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko in power. One worker in the capital told The Associated Press she was asked to sign a document with the vote totals left blank even before the election concluded. Another who pointed out violations during vote-counting was fired on the spot. And another poll worker said he signed a document with falsified results in favor of Lukashenko. By Kostya Manenkov and Daria Litvinova. SENT: 1,300 words, photos. WITH: BELARUS-PROTESTS - Scores detained as students march against Belarus president. SENT: 655 words, photos. WITH: BELARUS-OPPOSITION — The woman who ran for president as an opposition candidate in Belarus says she thinks the government will eventually agree to discuss a peaceful transition of power. SENT: 500 words, photos.
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ELECTION 2020-TRUMP — President Donald Trump dives head-first into the latest eruption in the nation’s reckoning over racial injustice with a trip to Kenosha, Wisconsin, over the objection of local leaders, who fear he will inflame local tensions over the Aug. 23 shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man hit seven times in the back by police. By Zeke Miller, Jonathan Lemire and Will Weissert. SENT: 1070 words. UPCOMING: Developing from events starting at 1:45 p.m. in Kenosha, 1,000 words by 5 p.m., photos, video.
Find more coverage of Election 2020 on the U.S. Elections featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
PORTLAND PROTESTS — Black Lives Matter protesters in Portland, Oregon, shifted their focus to the city’s mayor, and police declared a riot as people broke windows, vandalized a business and set a fire inside the upscale apartment building where Mayor Ted Wheeler lives. The demonstration that began late Monday and extended into Tuesday fell on Wheeler’s 58th birthday and featured shiny golden alphabet balloons that spelled out an expletive. Protesters sang on the street outside the mayor’s building, some wearing party hats. By Gillian Flaccas. SENT: 600 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK — The torrid coronavirus summer across the Sun Belt is easing after two disastrous months that brought more than 35,000 deaths. Whether the outbreak will heat up again after Labor Day and the resumption of school and football in the land of Friday Night Lights remains to be seen. By Matt Sedensky. SENT: 675 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SMALL BUSINESS AID — More than $1 billion in loans in the Trump administration’s coronavirus relief program for small businesses went to companies that received multiple loans, according to a congressional investigation that cites a lack of government oversight and accountability it says “may have led to billions of dollars being diverted to fraud, waste and abuse.” By Marcy Gordon. SENT: 230 words. UPCOMING: Developing from 1 p.m. House hearing, 790 words by 4 p.m., photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CUBA-QUARANTINE -- Cuban authorities launched a strict 15-day lockdown of Havana in order to stamp out the low-level but persistent spread of the novel coronavirus in the capital. Aggressive anti-virus measures including closing down air travel have virtually eliminated COVID-19 in Cuba with the exception of the capital, where cases have surged from a handful a day to dozens daily over the last month. By Andrea Rodriguez. SENT: 400 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-MASSACHUSETTS SENATE -- Massachusetts voters are set to decide one of the higher profile battles on this year’s primary ballot — the contest pitting incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Edward Markey against U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III. By Steve LeBlanc. SENT: 565 words, photos.
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MED-VIRUS-OUTBREAK-VACCINES -- A handful of the dozens of experimental COVID-19 vaccines in human testing have reached the last and biggest hurdle — looking for the needed proof that they really work. AstraZeneca announced Monday its vaccine candidate has entered the final testing stage in the U.S. The Cambridge, England-based company said the study will involve up to 30,000 adults from various racial, ethnic and geographic groups. SENT: 865 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NYC SCHOOLS -- —New York City delayed the start of its school year by several days to give teachers more time to prepare for having students back in classrooms amid the coronavirus pandemic, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced. SENT: 625 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SCHOOLS -- Millions of children returned to school across Europe and beyond Tuesday, in a mass experiment aimed at bridging inequalities and resuscitating economies despite the persistent pandemic. Many students are required to wear masks, even during recess. SENT: 700 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-INDIA — Many Indian states eased lockdown restrictions, allowing more businesses and public areas to reopen to reduce economic pain caused by the coronavirus, even as the country’s new daily infections remain the highest in the world and its confirmed cases near 3.7 million. SENT: 500 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-HONG-KONG — Hong Kong tested more than 120,000 people for the coronavirus at the start of a mass-testing effort that’s become another political flash point in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory. SENT: 730 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-HUNGER — The coronavirus pandemic has brought hard times for many farmers and has imperiled food security for many millions both in the cities and the countryside. SENT: 600 words, photos.
RUSSIA-VIRUS OUTBREAK -- Russia’s tally of confirmed coronavirus cases has surpassed 1 million after authorities reported 4,729 new cases. With a total of 1,000,048 reported cases, Russia has the fourth-highest caseload in the world after the U.S., Brazil and India. SENT: 200 words, photos.
REL--VIRUS OUTBREAK-VATICAN-ENVIRONMENT -- Pope Francis says the coronavirus pandemic has shown how the Earth can recover “if we allow it to rest” and must spur people to adopt simpler lifestyles to help the planet. SENT: 415 words, photos.
PICTURES OF THE MONTH-RELIGION-PHOTO GALLERY- AP PHOTOS: Around the world, faith in the summer of COVID-19. SENT: 400 words.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-VIRAL-QUESTIONS-FACE SHIELDS — Can I use a face shield instead of a mask? No. SENT: 230 words, graphic.
Find more all-format coverage on the Virus Outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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AUSTRALIA-SNAKES IN THE CEILING -- An Australian returns home and discovers that his kitchen ceiling had collapsed under the weight of two large pythons apparently fighting over a mate. SENT: 150 words.
BABY KIDNAPPED — Authorities say a couple accused of kidnapping a 1-year-old boy at gunpoint outside his mother’s house near Atlanta “intended to raise” the baby as their own and had tried to abduct a separate child earlier. SENT: 375 words.
WHITE HOUSE-PUBLIC TOURS — Public tours of the White House, halted nearly six months ago due to the coronavirus outbreak, are set to resume later this month with new health and safety policies in place. SENT: 250 words, photo.
CHICAGO VIOLENCE-SQUAD CAR SHOOTING -- Chicago police say officers shot and fatally wounded a male suspect after their squad car was struck overnight by gunfire. SENT: 250 words.
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FBI-SURVEILLANCE — The Justice Department announces new restrictions on how it conducts any secret national security surveillance of candidates for federal office or their staff, part of broader changes to procedures in response to problems detected during the Russia investigation four years ago. By Eric Tucker. SENT: 430 words, photo.
TRUMP-HEALTH - A new book about President Trump revives questions about his unscheduled visit to Walter Reed military hospital last fall by revealing that “word went out” at the White House for Vice President Mike Pence to be ready to stand in if Trump had to be put under anesthesia for a medical procedure. The White House has claimed the visit was part of Trump’s annual physical. UPCOMING: 550 words by 3 p.m., photos, video.
TRUMP-TAXES — A federal appeals court blocked a New York prosecutor from obtaining President Trump’s tax returns while the president’s lawyers continue to fight a subpoena seeking the records. The three-judge panel ruled after hearing brief arguments from both sides. SENT: 605 words, photos.
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SHERIFF’S DEPUTY SHOOTING-SUSPECT KILLED — Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies fatally shot a Black man who ran away from officers, punched one of them and dropped a bundle that contained a gun, authorities said. The shooting set off a protest march to a sheriff’s station. SENT: 360 words, photos.
BOY SCOUTS-BANKRUPTCY — Under the direction of a bankruptcy judge, the Boy Scouts of America has launched a nationwide advertising campaign notifying victims of decades-ago sex abuse by scout leaders that they have until Nov. 16 to file claims seeking a share of a proposed compensation fund. UPCOMING: 750 words by 5 p.m.
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EMIRATES-ISRAEL — Jared Kushner and U.S. officials visited a major air base in the United Arab Emirates speaking to Emirati and American pilots on the tarmac, as Iran’s supreme leader called the UAE’s recognition of Israel “treason that will not last for long.” SENT: 980 words, photos.
LEBANON — French President Emmanuel Macron issued a stern warning to Lebanon’s political class Tuesday, urging them to commit to serious reforms within a few months or risk punitive action, including sanctions, if they fail to deliver. SENT: 790 words, photos. WITH: LEBANON-MACRON-BLAST VICTIM -- Beirut blast victim’s daughter gifts Macron a pin, gets a hug. SENT: 485 words, photos.
PACIFIC-WAR-75-JAPAN-US-TORN-NATIONALITY — Hidekazu Tamura has vivid memories of his time locked up with thousands of other Japanese Americans in U.S. internment camps. Torn between two warring nationalities, the experience led him to refuse a loyalty pledge to the United States, renounce his American citizenship and return to Japan. Saying he has “too many stories to tell,” the 99-year-old is reflective ahead of commemorations of the 75th anniversary of the formal Sept. 2, 1945, surrender ceremony that ended World War II. By Emily Wang. SENT: 1,100 words, photos.
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WALMART-MEMBERSHIP — Walmart is launching a new membership service for shoppers this month that it hopes can compete with Amazon Prime. By Retail Writer Joseph Pisani. SENT: 340 words.
FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Wall Street shook off a sluggish start and was higher, a day after the market wrapped up its fifth monthly gain in a row. SENT: 450 words, photos. WITH: ZOOM-STOCK-SURGE — Zoom is surging, making the video conferencing company more valuable than well-established companies in the auto and aviation industries. SENT: 190 words, photo.
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MUSIC-CMA NOMINATIONS — Country star Miranda Lambert turns her “Wildcard” into an ace as she’s the leading nominee at the 2020 Country Music Association Awards, including her first entertainer of the year nomination in five years. SENT: 400 words, photos.
ITALY-VENICE FILM FESTIVAL — Venice is reclaiming its place as a top cultural destination with the opening of the Venice Film Festival — the first major in-person cinema showcase of the coronavirus era after Cannes canceled and other international festivals opted to go mostly online this year. SENT: 830 words, photos, video.
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FBN-ECONOMICS-STAYING PUT — As 67 players opted out of the NFL season due to the coronavirus pandemic, corporate partners, sponsors and advertisers did the opposite. They stood pat. The league even added two major companies: Subway and Invisalign. The truth is that not even COVID-19 has scared away the folks who, frankly, desperately need pro football to get their sales pitches and promotions across to more than 187 million Americans who call themselves NFL fans. By Pro Football Writer Barry wilner. UPCOMING: 850 words, photos, by 3 p.m.
FBC-VIRUS OUTBREAK-BIG TEN — The Big Ten Conference, already in court and under pressure from players and parents over its decision to cancel fall football, is now hearing from President Trump. Trump tweeted that he had spoken with Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren about reinstating the fall season. SENT: 400 words, photos.
TEN--US OPEN — The Williams sisters both are scheduled to play in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Day 2 of the U.S. Open. They have won a combined eight titles at Flushing Meadows; Serena has six of those and also was the runner-up in New York each of the past two years. Serena faces Kristie Ahn, while Venus will take on No. 20 seed Karolina Muchova. Tuesday also features the return of Andy Murray, the 2012 U.S. Open champion, who is still working his way back from two hip operations. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 6 p.m.
BKN—JAZZ-NUGGETS — Denver’s Jamal Murray and Utah’s Donovan Mitchell play the seventh game of a series in which both have a pair of 50-point games. The Nuggets are trying to become the 12th NBA team to win a playoff series after trailing 3-1. By Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Game starts 9 p.m.
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