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AP News Digest 6:30 p.m.

| June 4, 2020 4:03 PM

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.

ADDS: VIRUS OUTBREAK-MALARIA DRUGS , MADOFF-FRAUD, AMERICA PROTESTS-CHICAGO POLICE, MALL RIOT-INFLUENCER CHARGED, CARBON DIOXIDE RECORD, TRUMP-ENVIRONMENT, IMMIGRATION-DEFERRED ACTION

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ONLY ON AP

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CLERGY ABUSE-BISHOP ACCUSED — The Roman Catholic bishop of Brooklyn, New York, already under a church investigation for alleged sex abuse, has been accused by a second man of abuse in the 1970s, when the bishop was a parish priest in New Jersey. By Michael Rezendes. SENT: 1,040 words, photos, video.

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TOP STORIES

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AMERICA PROTESTS — Hollywood celebrities, musicians and political leaders gathered in front of the golden casket of George Floyd at a fiery memorial Thursday for the man whose death at the hands of police sparked global protests. A civil rights leader declared it is time for black people to demand, “Get your knee off our necks!” By Aaron Morrison, Nomaan Merchant and Matt Sedensky. SENT: 850 words, photos. WITH: AMERICA PROTESTS-THE LATEST.

AMERICA PROTESTS-MILITARY-RACE — The death of George Floyd in police hands has pushed the U.S. military to search its soul and to admit that, like the rest of America, it has fallen short on racial fairness. Top leaders of the military services are acknowledging that many of the troops being called upon to help keep order on tense streets across the country are African Americans and other minorities who experience racial injustice in their ranks. By Robert Burns and Lolita C. Baldor. SENT: 900 words, photos, video.

TRUMP-ANALYSIS — In words and in actions, President Donald Trump is increasingly embracing the tactics of the strongman leaders he has long admired. Trump’s response to the protests over police brutality against minorities have alarmed America’s military leaders, both past and present, and sparked concerns about far he is willing to go in using his extraordinary federal powers in an election year. By Julie Pace. SENT: 850 words., photos. WITH: AMERICA PROTESTS-TRUMP — Yet another former military leader, retired Marine Corps Gen. John Allen, is criticizing President Donald Trump’s response to the protests following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. SENT: 1,140 words, photos, video, audio.

Find more coverage of America Protests in AP Newsroom.

GEORGIA CHASE-DEADLY SHOOTING — An investigator testifies that one of the white men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery was heard uttering a racist slur over the young black man’s body. The lead Georgia Bureau of Investigation agent in the case also testified that Arbery was repeatedly boxed in by two pickup trucks as he tried to escape. By Russ Bynum. SENT: 650 words, photos.

UNITED STATES-IRAN — A U.S. Navy veteran detained in Iran for nearly two years has been released and has arrived in Switzerland before his return to the United States. Michael White’s release is part of a deal that also involves an American-Iranian physician prosecuted in the United States. By Matthew Lee and Eric Tucker. SENT: 960 words, photos.

RELIGION-BLACK CLERGY’S CHALLENGES — For black clergy across the United States, the past 10 days have been a tumultuous test of their stamina and skills. For weeks, they had been striving to comfort their congregations amid the coronavirus outbreak, which has taken a disproportionately heavy toll on blacks. Then came a coast-to-coast upsurge of racial tension and unrest sparked by the death of George Floyd. SENT: 995 words, photos.

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MORE ON AMERICA PROTESTS

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AMERICA PROTESTS-EIGHT MINUTES — All protest movements have slogans. George Floyd’s has a number: 8:46, for the length of time prosecutors say Floyd was pinned to the ground under a white Minneapolis police officer’s knee before he died last week. SENT: 760 words, photos.

AMERICAN PROTESTS-FEDERAL RESPONSE — The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging officials violated the civil rights of protesters who were forcefully removed from a park near the White House by police using chemical agents before President Trump walked to a nearby church to take a photo. By Michael Balsamo. SENT: 990 words, photos.

AMERICA PROTESTS-CRISPUS ATTUCKS - As the nation confronts old demons, a black man gunned down in 1770 in colonial Boston has become a symbol of entrenched racism and oppression. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 3 p.m.

AMERICA PROTESTS-JOHN LEWIS — Civil rights icon John Lewis says the video of George Floyd’s death at the hands of police in Minnesota “made me cry.” “I kept saying to myself: How many more? How many young black men will be murdered?” SENT: 390 words, photo.

POLICE SHOOTING-BROOKLYN -- A New York City police officer on an anti-looting patrol was ambushed Wednesday in Brooklyn by a man who walked up behind him and stabbed him in the neck, police said, setting off a struggle in which the assailant was shot and two other officers suffered gunshot injuries to their hands. SENT: 575 words, photos.

AMERICA PROTESTS-CHICAGO POLICE — Several Chicago police officers are under investigation after a video surfaced showing them yanking two women out of a car and throwing them to the ground, and one of the women alleges one of the officers put his knee on her neck while restraining her. SENT: 860 words.

A separate wire advisory has moved detailing the AP’s complete protests coverage.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS — Nearly 1.9 million people applied for U.S. unemployment benefits last week, the ninth straight decline since applications spiked in mid-March, a sign that the gradual reopening of businesses has slowed the loss of jobs. By Christopher Rugaber. SENT: 950 words, photo.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK — The British government is hosting a vaccine summit, hoping to raise billions of dollars to immunize children in developing countries and to discuss how any potential vaccine against the new coronavirus might be distributed globally — and fairly. The United Nations and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement have urged that “a people’s vaccine” be developed for COVID-19 that would be freely available to everyone, calling it a “moral imperative.” SENT: 985 words, photos. WITH: VIRUS OUTBREAK-WHAT’S HAPPENING.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MALARIA DRUGS — Several authors of a large study that raised safety concerns about malaria drugs for coronavirus patients have retracted the report, saying independent reviewers were not able to verify information that’s been widely questioned by other scientists. SENT: 650 words.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-FLORIDA —Universal Orlando became the first of Orlando’s major theme park resorts to reopen by allowing annual pass-holders to return to its three parks Wednesday and Thursday. It will open to the general public Friday for the first time since mid-March. SENT: 850 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-LAS VEGAS CASINOS — The casino coronavirus closure has ended. Cards are being dealt, dice are rolling and slot machines flashed and jingled for the first customers who started gambling again early Thursday in Las Vegas and throughout Nevada. SENT: 625 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-DIARY-HAMSTER AT HOME -- During a pandemic, what becomes of the classroom pets? For one writer, Mr. Rich the hamster became a fixture of their home after her daughter brought him home in March. But as the novelty faded and the weeks dragged on, it became clear that no end was in sight. SENT: 525 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NURSING HOMES — The Associated Press has identified some inconsistencies in the coronavirus nursing home data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The AP has contacted the agency and is waiting for a response. The Virus Outbreak-Nursing Homes story listed on the 2 p.m. AP News Digest is being held until the AP’s questions are answered.

BC-Virus Outbreak, ADVISORY is no longer moving. For full virus coverage, visit the AP Newsroom coronavirus hub.

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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

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BREES-SOCIAL MEDIA -- Drew Brees has apologized for his comments on “disrespecting the flag” when reiterating his opposition to kneeling during the national anthem. The New Orleans Saints quarterback now says the comments were “insensitive and completely missed the mark.” SENT: 700 words, photos.

MALL RIOT-INFLUENCER CHARGED — Police in Arizona say social media influencer Jake Paul faces misdemeanor charges following a riot that resulted in extensive damage to a mall. SENT: 300 words.

CARBON DIOXIDE RECORD — The world hit another new record high for heat-trapping carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, despite reduced emissions because of the coronavirus pandemic, scientists announced Thursday. SENT: 300 words.

VIRUS OUTBREAK–ONE GOOD THING–VOLUNTEERS CONNECT -- What started with a simple spreadsheet created by a group of college students who wanted to help during the pandemic has become a national engine for volunteer work. SENT: 370 words.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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REPUBLICANS-DEFENDING TRUMP — Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski says she’s “struggling” over whether she can support President Donald Trump given his handling of the virus and race crises roiling the U.S. SENT: 900 words, photos.

TRUMP-RUSSIA PROBE-CONGRESS — Two GOP-led Senate committees are launching election-year investigations into the Justice Department’s Russia probe. Republicans are resurrecting the issue at the urging of President Donald Trump, but the move has divided senators. By Mary Clare Jalonick. SENT: 880 words, photos, video.

TRUMP-ENVIRONMENT — President Donald Trump is set to issue an executive order to speed up the building of highways and other major projects by scaling back environmental reviews under special powers he has under the coronavirus emergency. SENT: 740 words.

TRUMP-JUDICIAL NOMINEE — The Senate Judiciary Committee advances the nomination of a 38-year-old judge and protégé of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to serve on a federal appeals court, despite Democrats’ objections. SENT: 670 words, photos.

UNITED STATES-VOICE OF AMERICA — A divided Senate votes along party lines to confirm Michael Pack to run the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America and other broadcasting units. SENT: 540 words.

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INTERNATIONAL

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CHINA-HONG KONG-TIANANMEN -- Thousands of people in Hong Kong defied a police ban Thursday evening, breaking through barricades to hold a candlelight vigil on the 31st anniversary of China’s crushing of a democracy movement centered on Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. With democracy all but snuffed out in mainland China, the focus has shifted increasingly to semi-autonomous Hong Kong. By Zen Soo and Ken Moritsugu. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

ISRAEL-SHOOTING OUTCRY -- The fatal shooting of an unarmed Palestinian man with autism by Israeli police has drawn comparisons to the death of George Floyd in the United States and prompted a series of small demonstrations in Israel. The calls for justice have crossed Jewish-Arab lines, a rarity in this deeply polarized society. Yet for the Palestinian man’s devastated family, such gestures have provided little comfort and even less hope that the officers who shot him will be punished. Israel’s Justice Ministry said two officers have been placed under house arrest, but gave no further details. By Josef Federman. SENT: 1,195 words, photos.

BRITAIN-MISSING GIRL -- Madeleine McCann’s family is hoping for closure in the case after a key suspect was identified in Germany and as authorities there say they believe the missing British girl is dead. McCann was 3 at the time of her disappearance while she was on vacation with her family in Portugal in 2007. U.K. and German authorities haven’t named the suspect but said he is 43 and was in and around the Praia da Luz resort area on the Algarve coast at the time Madeleine McCann disappeared on May 3, 2007. SENT: 625 words, photos.

LIBYA — Forces allied with Libya’s U.N.-supported government said Thursday they regained control of all of Tripoli’s entrance and exit points after taking back the airport, claiming that the siege by rival troops trying to capture the capital for over a year has effectively ended. SENT: 890 words, photo.

SYRIA-ASSAD’S COUSIN — Syrian President Bashar Assad is seeking to strengthen his grip on his country’s war-wrecked economy, and he’s doing it by going after his close cousin. SENT: 1,050 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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CONFEDERATE MONUMENTS-RICHMOND — Virginia’s governor says a towering statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee will be removed as soon as possible from Richmond’s Monument Avenue. SENT: 870 words, photos.

MADOFF-FRAUD — A judge has rejected Ponzi king Bernard Madoff’s bid for early release from his 150-year prison sentence. Judge Denny Chin, who now sits on a federal appeals court, noted the continuing suffering of Madoff’s victims as he rejected on Thursday the financier’s request to be freed because he has less than a year and a half to live. SENT: 425 words.

IMMIGRATION-DEFERRED ACTION — Many immigrants are feeling anxious as they wait to hear whether the U.S. Supreme Court will allow President Donald Trump to end the program that shields them from deportation. SENT: 800 words.

INMATE DEATH-NYC — The federal Bureau of Prisons says an inmate at a federal jail in New York City died after being pepper sprayed by officers in his cell. SENT: 510 words, photo.

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BUSINESS

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FINANCIAL MARKETS — Wall Street paused on Thursday, and the S&P 500 fell for the first time in five days as stocks that had held steadiest through this year’s feverish swings gave back some of their gains. SENT: 725 words, photos.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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SOCIAL MEDIA-YOU’RE FIRED — A TV writer from a “Law & Order" spin-off and the play-by-play broadcaster for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings found themselves out of jobs after social media posts this week that their bosses deemed inappropriate, highlighting what seems to be a surge in such firings from many lines of work. SENT: 620 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-NBA — AP source says NBA Board of Governors approves 22-team format in major step to league restarting its virus-delayed season. UPCOMING: Developing, 750 words, photos by 4 p.m.

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HOW TO REACH US

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At the Nerve Center, Josh Cornfield can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Donald E. King (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, Phil Holm (ext. 7636). Expanded AP content can be obtained from http://newsroom.ap.org. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport(at)ap.org or call 877-836-9477.