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AP News Digest 2 p.m.

| August 4, 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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TOP STORIES

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LEBANON-EXPLOSION — A massive explosion stunned Beirut, flattening much of the port, wrecking buildings and blowing out windows and doors as a giant mushroom cloud rose above the Lebanese capital, a city repeatedly wounded by civil war, suicide bombings and bombardment. The Red Cross said there were hundreds of casualties — dead and wounded — and a civil defense official said bodies were trapped under debris. The blast was heard as far away as Cyprus. By Bassem Mroue. SENT: 520 words, photos, developing.

TROPICAL-WEATHER — Tropical Storm Isaias spawned tornadoes and dumped rain along the U.S. East Coast after making landfall as a hurricane in North Carolina, where it smashed boats together and caused floods and fires that displaced dozens of people. At least two people were killed when one of its twisters hit a mobile home park. More than 12 hours after coming ashore, Isaias was still sustaining top winds of 70 mph. By Bryan Anderson and Sarah Blake Morgan. SENT: 900 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK — The U.S. is approaching 5 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus, far outpacing other countries. The reasons are obvious: Americans are resisting taking steps to avoid getting infected. Many of the hotspots are chalked up to large gatherings, from big house parties and large no-mask weddings to crowded bars and restaurants. The U.S. has had more than 155,000 people die from the virus in just a matter of months. It’s been fueled by a perfect storm of factors: continuing to gather in droves, resistance to wearing masks and a patchwork quilt of approaches to containing the virus by county, state and federal governments. By Phil Marcelo, Carla K. Johnson and Lisa Marie Pane. SENT: 720 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRUMP-EXPERTS — With three months to go before Election Day, the chasm between President Donald Trump and federal government health experts tasked with providing him with scientific truth about the pandemic is widening. By Aamer Madhani, Jonathan Lemire and Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar. UPCOMING: 900 words by 5 p.m.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-LEARNING PODS -- As the coronavirus pandemic has clouded hopes of reopening schools nationwide, parents who want more than remote instruction have been scrambling to hire tutors and private teachers for small groups of children. The race to set up “learning pods” threatens to vastly deepen inequities in access to education. In some cases, parents are paying thousands of dollars each to include their children in pods, promising teachers $40 to $100 an hour or more. By Carolyn Thompson and Adriana Gomez Licon. SENT: 1,015 words, photos.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-FORGOTTEN FRONTIER --California’s Imperial County is an example of how the coronavirus has been especially damaging to lower-income and Latino households. The county is heavily Hispanic and poor, and has some of California’s highest infection rates. Crowded households with multiple generations allow the virus to spread quickly. And it borders the sprawling Mexican industrial city of Mexicali, bringing tens of thousands of workers and students in daily. One doctor is seeing patients at his clinics and their homes to help the people who need him. By Elliot Spagat. SENT: 1,360 words, photos.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — A key Senate Republican said that he supports an increase in the food stamp benefit as part of a huge coronavirus relief bill, adding that an agreement on that issue could lead to further overall progress on the legislation, which remains stalled despite days of Capitol negotiations. SENT: 975 words, photos. Will be updated with developments.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS-POLITICS — Senate Republicans are growing restless with the protracted negotiations over a coronavirus relief measure, with vulnerable incumbents facing intense pressure to show voters they are doing something to address the pandemic and the steep unemployment across the country. UPCOMING: 800 words by 5 p.m.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS-POLITICS — Senate Republicans are growing restless with the protracted negotiations over a coronavirus relief measure, with vulnerable incumbents facing intense pressure to show voters they are doing something to address the pandemic and the steep unemployment across the country. Top strategists are adamant that Republicans can’t go home empty-handed in August, a dynamic that is empowering Democrats in the negotiations and raising questions about when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell may get more directly involved. UPCOMING: 800 words by 5 p.m.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-EVICTIONS — Housing advocates fear that they could see a wave of evictions in the coming months, as states end moratoriums put in place during the coronavirus pandemic. By Regina Garcia Cano and Michael Casey. SENT: 1,230 words, photo.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NURSING HOMES — The Trump administration’s plan to provide every nursing home with a fast COVID-19 testing machine comes with an asterisk: The government won’t supply enough test kits to check staff and residents beyond an initial couple of rounds. By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar. SENT: 860 words, photo.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-BACK-TO-SCHOOL SHOPPING -- The pandemic has dragged into the new school year and wreaked havoc on reopening plans. That has extended to the back-to-school shopping season, the second most important period for retailers behind the holidays. Parents are buying less dressy clothes and more basics for their kids, while stepping up purchases of masks and other protective equipment as well as electronics. They’re also holding back on spending amid uncertainty about what the school year will look like. By Anne D’Innocenzio. SENT: 745 words, photos.

PUBLIC HEALTH-FRONT-LINE WORKERS -- Officials in Maryland’s Prince George’s County say they “will spare no time or expense” investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a veteran public health worker who died of COVID-19 after relatives and coworkers believe she contracted the virus on the job. SENT: 845 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MEXICO — Only after a neighbor died of the coronavirus did Juan José and Esther Serralde begin to believe that the threat was real. Soon, the older couple, their son and daughter-in-law, and two of their grandchildren were infected. Even if they had acted earlier, the family members might have struggled to protect themselves. SENT: 955 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-DIARY-DEATH OF A FRIEND -- Some people don’t love the notion of baring the soul. One Associated Press writer marveled at fellow journalists who were willing to write about personal stories that were obviously painful. That was not her way. She always thought that the people she wrote about were far more interesting than anything she might suggest. But the death of a colleague inspired some heretofore unseen courage, even if she hardly comes off so well in the telling.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NO-MASK WEDDINGS -- Wedding planners, photographers and other bridal vendors who make the magic happen have a heap of new worries in the middle of the pandemic. Some couples pressing ahead with weddings aren’t requiring masks. Vendors say guest counts are rising. And some venues aren’t following the rules on crowd sizes, social distancing and prohibited dance floors. SENT: 1,015 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRAL QUESTIONS-SMOKE — Can I get the virus from secondhand smoke? Secondhand smoke isn’t believed to directly spread the virus. But being able to smell the smoke might be a sign you’re too close to the smoker. SENT: 185 words, photo.

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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ELECTION 2020-KANYE WEST -- Kanye West withdrew his petition to appear as a presidential candidate on New Jersey’s ballot. SENT: 415 words, photos.

UGANDA BABY GORILLAS — Two new baby gorillas have been discovered in a Ugandan national park where a beloved primate named Rafiki was killed in June, a wildlife official said. SENT: 375 words, photos.

HONDA RECALLS — Honda is recalling over 1.6 million minivans and SUVs in the U.S. to fix problems that include faulty backup camera displays, malfunctioning dashboard lights and sliding doors that don’t latch properly. SENT: 250 words, photos.

CHICAGO-VIOLENCE — Chicago police say a 39-year-old man has been charged with first-degree murder in the shooting death of a 9-year-old boy. SENT: 290 words, photos.

MISSILE TEST — An unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from California on a test flight to a target in the Pacific Ocean. SENT: 130 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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TRUMP-PUBLIC LANDS — President Trump signed into law legislation that will devote nearly $3 billion annually to conservation projects, outdoor recreation and maintenance of national parks and other public lands. By Darlene Superville. SENT: 500 words, photos.

ELECTION-2020 MISSOURI — Missouri voters were deciding whether to expand Medicaid health care coverage to thousands more low-income adults after years of resistance from Republican lawmakers. The vote on health care, as well as primaries for statewide offices and congressional seats, comes as confirmed coronavirus cases have been increasing in Missouri. SENT: 770 words, photos.

ELECTION-2020-KANSAS — Establishment Republicans sought to thwart polarizing conservative Kris Kobach’s bid for Kansas’ open Senate seat, a task complicated by President Trump’s refusal to endorse their favored candidate in the primary. SENT: 590 words, photos. WITH: ELECTION-2020-HOUSE-KANSAS -- Freshman Kansas Rep. Steve Watkins is fighting to keep his seat in the state’s Republican primary while facing felony criminal charges. SENT: 575 words, photos.

Find more coverage of the 2020 U.S. Elections.

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INTERNATIONAL

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IRAQ-ELECTRICITY-WOES — In Iraq’s oil-rich south, the scorching summer months pose painful new choices in the age of the coronavirus: stay at home in the sweltering heat with electricity cut off for hours, or go out and risk the virus. SENT: 1,110 words, photos.

IRAN — A California-based member of an Iranian militant opposition group in exile was abducted by Iran while staying in Dubai, his family said. The suspected cross-border abduction of Jamshid Sharmahd appears corroborated by mobile phone location data, shared by his family with The Associated Press, that suggests he was taken to neighboring Oman before heading to Iran. SENT: 990 words, photos.

JAPAN-HIROSHIMA-LAST-WITNESSES — For nearly 70 years, until he turned 85, Lee Jong-keun hid his past as an atomic bomb survivor, fearful of the widespread discrimination against blast victims that has long persisted in Japan. But Lee, 92, is now part of a fast-dwindling group of survivors that feels a growing urgency to tell their stories. These last witnesses to what happened 75 years ago this Thursday want to reach a younger generation that they feel is losing sight of the horror. SENT: 1,180 words, photos.

AMBASSADORS BEHAVING BADLY — In Iceland, the U.S. ambassador wants guards who pack heat. In Britain, the U.S. ambassador is accused of pushing business deals for the president’s resorts. And, in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Canada and South Africa, among others, U.S. envoys have and are pushing the limits, infuriating career diplomats who work under them and irritating host governments. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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RACIAL INJUSTICE-BREONNA TAYLOR --Nearly five months after Breonna Tayolor’s death, legal experts say prosecutors may face significant obstacles to bringing charges against the police officers sent to her Louisville home. The officers had a warrant and were fired on after breaking down Taylor’s door. SENT: 975 words, photos.

2020 CENSUS — The U.S. Census Bureau is cutting its schedule for data collection for the 2020 census a month short as legislation that would have extended the national head count’s deadlines stalls in the U.S. Senate. The move is worrying researchers, politicians and others who say the change will miss hard-to-count communities, including minorities and immigrants, and produce less trustworthy data. SENT: 475 words, photos.

GYM--DOCTOR-SEXUAL ASSAULT-COACH -- A former Michigan State University head gymnastics coach was sentenced to 90 days in jail for lying to police during an investigation into ex-Olympic and university doctor Larry Nassar. Kathie Klages, 65, was found guilty by a jury in February of a felony and a misdemeanor for denying she knew of Nassar’s abuse prior to 2016 when survivors started to come forward publicly. SENT: 530 words, photos.

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BUSINESS/TECH

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FINANCIAL-MARKETS — U.S. stocks are drifting between small gains and losses as Wall Street’s big rally lets off the accelerator. The S&P 500 was virtually flat in afternoon trading after earlier flipping from a 0.2% loss to a similar gain. SENT: 650 words, photos, developing.

EUROPE-GOOGLE-FITBIT -- European Union regulators opened an in-depth investigation into Google’s plan to buy fitness tracking device maker Fitbit. The EU’s executive commission said it was concerned the deal would entrench the U.S. tech giant’s position in the online ad market by “increasing the already vast amount of data” the company uses to personalize ads. SENT: 580 words, photos.

TWITTER HACK — A Florida teen identified as the mastermind of a scheme that gained control of Twitter accounts of prominent politicians, celebrities and technology moguls pleaded not guilty on to multiple counts of fraud. Graham Ivan Clark, 17, is accused of using the hijacked Twitter accounts to scam people around the world out of more than $100,000 in Bitcoin. SENT: 515 words, photo.

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HEALTH/SCIENCE

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MED--PARALYZING DISEASE -- A rare but terrifying paralyzing disease has been hitting U.S. children in every-other-year waves, and the forecast has been that 2020 might set a new record for cases. But as the calendar turns toward late summer, when the illnesses has traditionally spiked, health experts are saying the coronavirus epidemic could disrupt the pattern. UPCOMING: 550 words, photos.

RARE WILDFLOWER-NEVADA LITHIUM MINE — A botanist hired by a company planning to mine one of the most promising deposits of lithium in the world believes a rare desert wildflower at the Nevada site should be protected under the Endangered Species Act, a move that could jeopardize the project, the AP has learned. SENT: 950 words, photos.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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BOOKS-WINFREY-WILKERSON — Oprah Winfrey has chosen Isabel Wilkerson’s “Caste” as her new book club selection. Wilkerson looks at American history and the treatment of Blacks and finds what she calls an enduring, unseen and unmentioned caste system. Winfrey tells The Associated Press that the book “could change the way we see each other.” By National Writer Hillel Italie. SENT: 880 words, photos.

JAY-Z SCHOOL -- Jay-Z’s Roc Nation entertainment company is partnering with Brooklyn’s Long Island University to launch the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment. The new school will begin enrolling students for the fall 2021 semester, and 25% of the incoming freshmen class will receive Roc Nation Hope Scholarships. SENT: 400 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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BBO—MARLINS-ORIOLES — Coming off an eight-day layoff and using a makeshift roster after having 18 players test positive for COVID-19, the Miami Marlins face the Baltimore Orioles in a game originally scheduled for July 29. By David Ginsburg. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Game starts at 7:35 p.m.

HKN—HURRICANES-RANGERS - The Carolina Hurricanes go for a sweep of the New York Rangers when the teams meet in Toronto. The Hurricanes have won the first two games of the Stanley Cup qualifier series. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos. Game starts at 8 p.m.

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HOW TO REACH US

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