AP News Digest 7:05 a.m.
Columbia Basin Herald | UPDATED 4 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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NEW/DEVELOPING
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IRAN — Iran’s state TV is reporting that the country’s authorities has executed a wrestler for allegedly murdering a man after President Donald Trump asked for the 27-year-old condemned man’s life to be spared. SENT: 370 words, photo.
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CALIFORNIA-WILDFIRES — Smoke from massive wildfires that painted California skies orange was also helping crews corral the deadliest blaze of the year, but despite the progress there was concern that the death toll could mount as crews reach devastated areas. By Brian Melley and Terence Chea. SENT: 820 words, photos. With CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES-CLIMATE CHANGE — Amid ashes, California governor fires away on climate change (sent).
PACIFIC-NORTHWEST-WILDFIRES - A change in the weather — with winds easing and humidity rising — have helped firefighters battling massive blazes in Oregon that have taken a deadly toll from one end of the state to the other. Gov. Kate Brown says dozens of people were still missing and tens of thousands had been forced to flee their homes. By Andrew Selsky and Sara Cline. SENT: 680 words, photos
ELECTION 2020-TRUMP — President Donald Trump pushes to expand his electoral map as he makes a trip west. He plunges head-on into a battle with local authorities in Nevada by holding public events Saturday and Sunday after his initial plans for rallies in Reno and Las Vegas were blocked for violating coronavirus health guidelines. By Jonathan Lemire and Scott Sonner. SENT: 1,020 words, photo.
ELECTION 2020-BIDEN-UKRAINE — Heavily edited recordings of conversations between Joe Biden and Ukraine’s former leader represent a new front in foreign election interference. The audio’s proliferation on social media shows how foreign operations aimed at influencing the U.S. election are still easily reaching Americans. By Amanda Seitz and Eric Tucker. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
ANTARCTICA-KEEPING-COVID-FREE — Antarctica remains the only continent without COVID-19. Now, as nearly 1,000 scientists and others who wintered over on the ice are seeing the sun for the first time in weeks or months, a global effort wants to make sure incoming colleagues don’t bring the virus with them. By Cara Anna and Nick Perry. SENT: 1,270 words, photos. This story moved as the Sunday spotlight.
AFGHANISTAN-PEACE-TALKS — Afghanistan’s warring sides started negotiations for the first time, bringing together the Taliban and delegates appointed by the Afghan government for historic meetings aimed at ending decades of war. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attended the opening ceremony in Qatar, where the meetings are taking place and where the Taliban maintain a political office. The start of negotiations was the latest in a flurry of diplomatic activity by the Trump administration ahead of the U.S. presidential election in November. By Kathy Gannon and Aya Batrawy. SENT: 1,090 words, photos. With AFGHANISTAN-PEACE-TALKS-GLANCE — Historic Afghan peace talks fraught with uncertainty (sent).
Find more coverage on the Virus Outbreak on the featured topic page in AP Newsroom and below.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA — India’s confirms coronavirus tally has crossed 4.6 million after a record surge of 97,570 new cases in 24 hours. India also reported another 1,201 deaths, taking total fatalities to 77,472.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-PANDEMIC-RESOLUTION — The U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly approved a wide-ranging resolution on tackling the coronavirus pandemic Friday over objections from the United States and Israel, which protested a successful last-minute Cuban amendment that strongly urged countries to oppose any unilateral economic, financial or trade sanctions. SENT: 890 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-IMMIGRATION-HOTELS — About 8,800 unaccompanied children have been quickly expelled from the United States along the Mexico border under a pandemic-related measure that effectively ended asylum, authorities say. SENT: 260 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-TURKEY — The governor of Istanbul has banned boating companies from hosting weddings and similar gatherings as part of new measures to combat the spread of COVID-19 in Turkey’s most populous city. SENT: 170 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-COLLEGE PARTY — A college student house held a party over the Labor Day weekend that included people who had recently tested positive for the coronavirus, according to police body camera footage. SENT: 300 words, photo.
A separate wire advisory has been sent outlining AP's complete coronavirus coverage.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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CHINA-US — China announces new restrictions on US diplomats’ activities. SENT: 410 words, photos.
VENEZUELA — Venezuelan president says US spy captured near refineries. SENT: 390 words, photo.
HONG KONG-CHINA — Relatives urge China to return 12 detainees to Hong Kong. SENT: 410 words, photos.
WILDFIRES RESCUE-OREGON — Family believes boy died in fire trying to save grandmother. SENT: 600 words photo.
TROPICAL-WEATHER-FLORIDA — Depression to strengthen in Gulf; TS Paulette to intensify. SENT: 230 words.
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TRUMP-RUSSIA PROBE — A federal prosecutor who was helping lead the investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe has resigned from the Justice Department. By Eric Tucker and Michael Balsamo. SENT: 750 words, photo.
ELECTION-2020-WISCONSIN-KANYE-WEST — Rapper Kanye West does not qualify to be on the presidential ballot in battleground Wisconsin after missing a filing deadline, a judge ruled, upholding a bipartisan decision by the state elections commission. SENT: 660 words.
Find more coverage on the 2020 U.S. Elections featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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GREECE MIGRANT CAMP BLAZE — Thousands of asylum-seekers spend a fourth night sleeping in the open on the Greek island of Lesbos, after successive fires destroyed a notoriously overcrowded migrant and refugee camp during a coronavirus lockdown. SENT: 940 words, photos.
BREXIT — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has strongly defended his government’s plan to override sections of the Brexit deal he negotiated with the European Union, arguing that the EU has an “extreme” interpretation of the treaty that could jeopardize the U.K.’s future. SENT: 670 words, photos.
JAPAN-POLITICS — Japanese prime minister hopeful Yoshihide Suga says he lacks the kind of diplomatic skills that outgoing leader Shinzo Abe has, including Abe’s personal friendship with President Donald Trump, and that he will need his assistance if he assumes the top job. SENT: 420 words, photos.
CONGO GOLD-MINE-COLLAPSE — More than 50 people are dead after landslides collapsed three artisanal gold mining wells near the city of Kamituga in eastern Congo’s South Kivu province, officials say. SENT: 210 words, photos.
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ITALY-VENICE FILM FESTIVAL — The Venice Film Festival is wrapping up the first COVID-era international cinema showcase Saturday, with critics, filmmakers and actors alike cheering organizers for having dared to hold the festival amid a pandemic and demonstrating how to go to the movies again, safely. The coveted Golden Lion awards were being handed out tonight before a masked audience conspicuously lacking in Hollywood star power, given coronavirus travel restrictions kept all but a few American productions away from Venice. SENT: 720 words, photos.
FILM-DAVID BYRNE - In a film festival season that’s been turned largely virtual, Spike Lee’s “American Utopia,” a documentary of David Byrne’s concert musical, has still supplied the giddy rush of live performance for a packed house. In an interview, Byrne talks about turning his staged show into a film. SENT: 940 words, photos.
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CELTICS-RAPTORS — It took every bit of seven games, but Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics are headed to the Eastern Conference finals. And they dethroned the NBA champions to get there. Tatum scored 29 points, Jaylen Brown had 21 and the Celtics topped the Toronto Raptors 92-87 in Game 7 of the East semifinal series. By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. SENT: 880 words, photos. With CELTICS ADVANCE (upcoming).
TEN--US OPEN — Alexander Zverev has reached the first Grand Slam final of his career as the U.S. Open by staging the first comeback from a two-set deficit of his career. Zverev is a 23-year-old from Germany who is seeded No. 5 at the hard-court tournament. He will face No. 2 seed Dominic Thiem for the championship on Sunday. By Tennis Writer Howard Fendrich. SENT: 980 words, photos. With TEN—US-Open-Women, TEN--US Open-Women’s Doubles, TEN--US Open Glance ( all sent).
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