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AP News Digest 2 p.m.

| April 2, 2020 11:03 AM

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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AP POLL-VIRUS OUTBREAK-ECONOMY — Amid growing worries about the coronavirus outbreak, Americans’ views on the national economic situation have plummeted, according to a new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Still, the poll shows that while many have been directly hit already, a majority still feel positive about their own personal finances. By Joshua Boak and Emily Swanson. UPCOMING: 830 words by 2 p.m., photo, graphic.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NURSING HOMES — Nursing homes across the country have been in lockdown for weeks under federal orders to protect their frail, elderly residents from coronavirus, but a wave of deadly outbreaks nearly every day since suggests that the measures including a ban on visits and daily health screenings of staffers either came too late or were not rigorous enough. By Jim Mustian, Bernard Condon and Candice Choi. SENT: 1,360 words, photos, video.

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TOP STORIES

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VIRUS OUTBREAK- UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS — More than 6.6 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week — doubling a record high set just one week earlier — a sign that layoffs are accelerating in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak. Combined with last week's report that 3.3 million people sought unemployment aid two weeks ago, the U.S. economy has now suffered nearly 10 million layoffs in just the past few weeks — far exceeding the figure for any corresponding period on record. By Christopher Rugaber. SENT: 1,120 words, photos. WITH: FINANCIAL MARKETS — Wall Street pushed higher after a surge in oil prices helped resuscitate beaten-down energy stocks. SENT: 690 words, photos, developing.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the knee-buckling report that 6.6 million more Americans are seeking unemployment benefits makes the need for a fresh job-creating bailout bill “even more critical,” but Republicans show little sign that they believe the urgency has increased. By Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor. SENT: 850 words. UPCOMING: 890 words by 5:30 p.m., photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK — The coronavirus outbreak has thrown 10 million Americans out of work in just two weeks, in the swiftest, most stunning collapse the U.S. job market has ever witnessed, and economists warn unemployment could reach levels not seen since the Depression, as the economic damage from the crisis piles up around the world. By Michael R. Sisak, Lori Hinnant and Mark Sherman. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-VENTILATORS — While federal stockpiles of ventilators sit idle, states are turning to the private sector to obtain the life-saving medical devices -- and find themselves bidding not only against each other, but also the U.S. government. Federal officials, meanwhile, have warned states not to expect any shipments until they are within 72 hours of a crisis. By Ben Fox. UPCOMING: 800 words by 4:30 p.m., photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-MEDICINE SHORTAGES — Nine leading European university hospitals are warning they will run out of essential medicines needed for COVID-19 patients in intensive care in less than two weeks as they are increasingly crushed by the pandemic. SENT: 510 words.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ECUADOR - Hospitals are turning away patients and bodies are being left on streets and in homes for days in Guayaquil, a normally bustling metropolis of 2.2 million that has become a hot spot in Latin America as the coronavirus pandemic spreads. Ecuador was one of the first nations to identify a coronavirus case, and experts say it may offer a frightening glimpse of what awaits the rest of the region. By Christine Armario and Gonzalo Solano. 1,100 words, photos by 4:30 p.m.

ELECTION 2020-CONVENTIONS — The Democratic National Committee is delaying its presidential nominating convention until the week of Aug. 17 after prospective nominee Joe Biden said he didn't think it would be possible to hold a normal convention in mid-July because of the coronavirus pandemic. By Bill Barrow. SENT: 850 words. UPCOMING: Developing, 700 words by 5 pm., photos.

Find more all-format coverage on the Virus Outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.

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MORE ON VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-FAUCI — Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s top infectious disease expert, owns up to doing some not-so-smart things as he helps lead the effort to stem the spread of new coronavirus in the U.S., like forgetting to eat and not getting much sleep. The blunt-speaking Fauci also has had to endure a deluge of online threats and uncomfortable personal encounters with admirers. Nevertheless, the 79-year-old epidemiologist insists he’s doing just fine. SENT: 450 words. UPCOMING: 750 words by 4:30 p.m., photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-HIDDEN CARRIERS — Around the world, the race is on to protect people against becoming infected by unwitting coronavirus carriers. A new study shows the illness may be spread by people without symptoms. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-POLIO VACCINATION SUSPENDED — Health officials attempting to eradicate polio say they are being forced to suspend their mass immunization efforts amid the surging coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 280 words, photo.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NUCLEAR PLANTS —Regulators will allow workers at nuclear power plants to work longer hours as the industry copes with the coronavirus pandemic, raising concerns among watchdog groups and plant neighbors that worker fatigue could raise the risks of radioactive accidents. UPCOMING: 790 words by 4 p.m., photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-EXTREMISTS EXPLOITATION — The Islamic State group and al-Qaida are seeing the coronavirus pandemic as a chance to strike harder than ever. IS has urged followers to show no mercy and launch attacks amid the global upheaval. Meanwhile there are signs that the U.S., British and other militaries are pulling back because of the virus. That leaves an opening for attacks. One analyst says "that will be unbelievably bad.” Another analyst says the pandemic threatens the global solidarity that is key to fighting extremists in the Middle East and Africa. SENT: 930 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-TENNESSEE DOUBLE STRIKE — When Jose Cojom's house collapsed around his family in a tornado that struck after midnight, he knew his life was going to get much harder. But that was just the beginning. A few weeks later, the restaurant where he cooks closed its doors because of the coronavirus. Now, living in a rental apartment, Cojom's family faces an uncertain future, unsure whether to rebuild or move on. SENT: 860 words, photos.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SHUTDOWN-SNITCHING — Residents are snitching on businesses and neighbors as authorities worldwide work to enforce business shutdowns and stay-at-home orders meant to limit person-to-person contact amid the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 800 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-AFRICA — Health officials say some African countries will have more than 10,000 coronavirus cases by the end of April. One expert calls the virus an existential threat to Africa. SENT: 790 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CRUISE SHIPS — Two ill-fated cruise ships carrying dozens of passengers with symptoms of the coronavirus are awaiting word on when the vessels will be allowed to dock in Florida after officials gave their tentative approval. SENT: 870 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-YOUTH VIDEO-JOURNALS — Take out your phone. Point the video camera at yourself. And tell us: What is it like to be a young person in your corner of the world, in the midst of the coronavirus crisis? “We’re missing out on a lot of things,” says Angel Gona, 18. Her university shuttered, she is staying with her mother in a one-room “zozo” hut in a low-income township south of Johannesburg, South Africa. SENT: 700 words, photo, video.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE FAMILY — Infectious disease experts say that while the coronavirus spreads fast in cities, rural communities are also vulnerable because of strong family ties. One South Dakota family saw that happen firsthand. SENT: 580 words, photo.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-WUHAN-GREEN PASS — Since the coronavirus outbreak, life in China is ruled by a green symbol on a smartphone screen. Green is the "health code" that says a user is symptom-free and it’s required to board a subway, check into a hotel or just enter Wuhan, the central city of 11 million people where the pandemic began in December. SENT: 840 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MIDEAST — Iran’s parliament speaker has contracted the coronavirus, the country's highest-ranking government figure yet to catch the disease, while in Israel, several top officials entered quarantine when the health minister tested positive. SENT: 975 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-RUSSIA — President Vladimir Putin has ordered most Russians to stay off work until the end of the month to curb the spread of the coronavirus. SENT: 770 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRITAIN — Political opponents, scientists and even usually supportive newspapers are lambasting British Prime Minister Boris Johnson over his government’s broken promises on testing for the COVID-19 virus. SENT: 740 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-STIMULUS-SQUEEZED OUT — As the federal government prepares to launch a $349 billion loan program meant to help small businesses survive the coronavirus pandemic, critics have growing concerns that some mom-and-pop shops might get squeezed out. SENT: 930 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-HOMELESS - The Trump administration says it’s distributing about $3 billion in the first round of coronavirus aid to help the homeless find emergency shelter and communities expand testing and treatment. SENT: 270 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONSTRUCTION CAMPS — Major construction projects are moving forward along both U.S. borders and raising fears that the influx of workers could spread the coronavirus. SENT: 1,130 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-VENTILATOR REPAIR - Joe Tavi is an engineer who makes fuel cells for a living. Now he’s learned how to repair ventilators, the medical devices desperately needed to help people with severe cases of coronavirus breathe. His work has led a company that knew nothing about ventilators to fix 350 of them, with hundreds more on the way. SENT: 590 words, photos.

AP’s coronavirus podcast, “Ground Game: Inside the Outbreak,” today looks at the ripple-like effects of COVID-19, what we’ve lost since the outbreak began and how we chronicle a changing world in real-time. Listen to the podcast after 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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COLD KITTEN SAVED — A kitten stuck on a roof in the cold has been saved by firefighters in Georgia. SENT: 120 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-FRANCE BOLERO — Even with its members scattered far and wide by the coronavirus, an orchestra in France manages to make sweet music in lockdown. SENT: 590 words, photo.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-FAUCI-BOBBLEHEAD — The United States’ top infectious disease specialist is getting his own bobblehead. SENT: 270 words.

BALTIMORE AERIAL-SURVEILLANCE — A Baltimore board has approved a six-month pilot program which will allow surveillance planes to patrol the city. SENT: 440 words.

WHITE HOUSE ATTACK PLOT — A Georgia man accused of plotting to attack the White House with an antitank rocket and explosives has pleaded guilty to a federal charge. SENT: 300 words.

RABBI RELEASED — A former rabbi who secretly videotaped nude women at a Jewish ritual bath in Washington has been released early from prison amid the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 200 words.

NISSAN AIR BAG RECALL —Nissan is recalling more than a quarter-million SUVs, trucks and vans worldwide to replace potentially dangerous Takata air bag inflators. SENT: 230 words, photo.

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NATIONAL

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OBIT-KEVIN DUFFY — Kevin Duffy, a longtime judge who presided over three major New York terrorism trials in the 1990s, has died of the coronavirus. SENT: 490 words.

UNIVERSITY ARBORETUM-DOUBLE HOMICIDE — University of Wisconsin-Madison police investigators are working to determine why a respected physician and her husband were targeted and killed. Their bodies were found at the UW Arboretum, a research and popular recreational area. SENT: 250 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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PAKISTAN-DANIEL PEARL — A Pakistani court has overturned the murder conviction of a British Pakistani man found guilty of the 2002 kidnapping and killing of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. Instead, the court found Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh guilty of the lesser charge of kidnapping. SENT: 690 words, photos.

OBIT-GOMEZ NIETO — Rafael Gomez Nieto, the last surviving member of a company of Spanish soldiers that fought with French forces in liberating Paris from Nazi occupation in 1944, has died of the new coronavirus, the French presidency said. He was 99. SENT: 410 words.

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BUSINESS

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TRUMP-OIL MARKETS — President Donald Trump says he expects Saudi Arabia and Russia will end an oil war and dramatically cut production. SENT: 520 words, photos.

JUUL-ALTRIA COMPETITION — The Federal Trade Commission has sued to break up the multibillion-dollar partnership between tobacco giant Altria and e-cigarette startup Juul Labs. SENT: 340 words, photo.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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OBIT-ELLIS MARSALIS — New Orleans jazz pianist Ellis Marsalis Jr., the patriarch of the New Orleans clan that includes famed musician sons Wynton and Branford, has died of pneumonia brought on by COVID-19. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CUOMOS: The two Cuomo brothers — Andrew during the daytime and Chris at night — have become key figures for Americans following the coronavirus epidemic on television. By AP Media Writer David Bauder. UPCOMING by 5 p.m. About 800 words, with photos.

MUSIC-Q&A-SAM HUNT: Sam Hunt’s sophomore album opens and closes with two of the most personal songs he’s ever written, drawing from his own personal life to paint candid pictures for listeners. But the country star admits he wavers when it comes to spilling his own tea in song form. By Music Writer Mesfin Fekadu. SENT: 800 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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FBC--VIRUS OUTBREAK-NCAA FINANCIAL CRISIS — Athletic directors nationwide are bracing for a big financial hit. A survey of 130 major college football schools finds nearly two-thirds of ADs say department revenue could fall by at least 20% during the next school year. By College Sports Writer Ralph D. Russo. SENT: 750 words, photos.

HKO—MINOR LEAGUERS' PLIGHT — Minor league hockey players are struggling, with their season canceled because of the coronavirus. Players in the ECHL earn about $700 a week and aren't sure how they'll get through the summer. Some are thinking of leaving hockey. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. SENT: 800 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-DIARY-MISSING BASEBALL — Baseball fans are trying in various ways to get their fixes while the “national pastime” is on hold because of the coronavirus outbreak. SENT: 680 words, photo.

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HOW TO REACH US

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