AP News Digest 7 a.m.
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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UNITED STATES-RUSSIA-INTELLIGENCE — Top officials in the White House were aware in early 2019 of classified intelligence indicating Russia was secretly offering bounties to the Taliban for the deaths of Americans, a full year earlier than has been previously reported. By James LaPorta. SENT: 1,140 words, photos. With UNITED STATES-RUSSIA-CONGRESS — GOP lawmakers urge action after Russia-Afghanistan briefing. UPCOMING: 900 words after Democratic briefing, time uncertain. Also see AFGHANISTAN-US below.
HONG KONG-CHINA-SECURITY LAW — China approves a contentious national security law that will allow authorities to crack down on subversive and secessionist activity in Hong Kong, a move many see as Beijing’s boldest yet to erase the legal firewall between the semi-autonomous territory and mainland China’s authoritarian Communist Party system. By Zen Soo and Ken Moritsugu. SENT: 1,030 words, photos, graphic. With HONG KONG-CHINA-REACTION — Hong Kong security law criticized abroad, defended by China.
RACIAL-INJUSTICE-CONFEDERATE-FLAG — Long a symbol of pride to some and hatred to others, the Confederate battle flag is losing its place of official prominence 155 years after rebellious Southern states lost a war to perpetuate slavery. By Jay Reeves. SENT: 850 words, photos.
Find more coverage of Racial Injustice in AP Newsroom.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-EUROPE-BORDERS — The European Union is set to make public a list of countries whose citizens will be allowed back into 31 European nations, but Americans are likely to be refused entry for at least another two weeks. By Lorne Cook. SENT: 520 words, photos.
SUPREME COURT-ABORTION-WHAT’S NEXT — Supporters of abortion rights were elated, foes of abortion dismayed after the Supreme Court issued its first major ruling on the issue since President Donald Trump took office. But the two sides agree on one consequence: The upcoming election is crucial. By National Writer David Crary. SENT: 1,000 words, photos. UPCOMING: Video. With SUPREME COURT-ROBERTS — Chief Justice Roberts a pivotal vote in the Supreme Court’s big opinions.
ISRAEL-ANNEXATION-Q&A — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears determined to carry out his pledge to begin annexing parts of the occupied West Bank, possibly as soon as Wednesday. His vision of redrawing the map of the Holy Land, in line with Trump’s Mideast plan, has been welcomed by Israel’s religious and nationalist right wing and condemned by the Palestinians and the international community. By Josef Federman. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-ARMY RECRUITING — COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on military recruiting, shuttering enlistment stations around the country and forcing thousands of recruiters to woo potential soldiers online. SENT: 960 words, photos. With VIRUS-OUTBREAK-THE-LATEST.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-CHINA-FACTORY-DILEMMA — The United States, Japan and France are prodding their companies to rely less on China to make the world’s smartphones, drugs and other products, but few want to leave China’s skilled workforce and efficient suppliers of raw materials to move to other countries. By Business Writer Joe McDonald. SENT: 1,230 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-LIVES LOST-INDONESIAN DOCTOR — An Indonesian doctor whose passion for music led him to his fiancée never got to marry because he succumbed to the coronavirus. SENT: 640 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-VIRAL-QUESTIONS-AIRLINES — Flying can increase your risk of exposure to the coronavirus, but airlines are taking precautions and you can too. SENT: 350 words, photo.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-BRITAIN — Stores closed their doors and schools prepared to send children home in the English city of Leicester, where the British government has imposed a local lockdown to contain a spike in coronavirus cases. SENT: 540 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-THAILAND SCHOOL-PHOTO GALLERY — Preparing to welcome back Thai preschoolers. SENT: 300 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ARIZONA GOVERNOR-TURNABOUT — After telling Arizonans that many public places were again being closed amid a surge of coronavirus cases, Gov. Doug Ducey ended a somewhat contentious news conference by imploring people to wear face masks. SENT: 800 words, photos, video.
Find more coverage of the Virus Outbreak in AP Newsroom.
A separate wire advisory has moved detailing the AP's complete coronavirus coverage.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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RACIAL JUSTICE-MORANT APOLOGY — Grizzlies’ Morant apologizes for anti-police Instagram post. SENT: 170 words, photo.
PHOTO GALLERY-WIMBLEDON SCENE — Wimbledon’s grass, whites, rain and strawberries. SENT: 250 words, photos.
ALASKA-WHALE COLLISION — Three injured when boat, humpback whale collide in Alaska waters. SENT: 170 words.
SUPREME-COURT-CONSUMER-AGENCY — Supreme Court says president can fire Consumer board head “at will." SENT: 700 words, photo.
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CITIZENSHIP AGENCY WOES — The U.S. has resumed swearing in new citizens, but the oath ceremonies aren’t the same because of COVID-19, and a budget crisis at the citizenship agency threatens to stall them again. SENT: 990 words, photos, video.
ELECTION 2020-TRUMP — Some Republican loyalists are beginning to distance themselves from Trump because of his handling of the pandemic and race relations. SENT: 960 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-KENTUCKY SENATE — After a weeklong wait, Kentucky Democrats prepare to find out whether Charles Booker or Amy McGrath will get the party’s nomination to challenge Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in the fall. SENT: 300 words, photos.
ELECTION-2020-OKLAHOMA — Voters in central Oklahoma will pare down a crowded field of congressional hopefuls seeking to represent the 5th District in Washington. SENT: 310 words, photo. With ELECTION-2020-OKLAHOMA-MEDICAID Oklahoma voters to decide whether to expand Medicaid.
Find more coverage of the 2020 U.S. Elections in AP Newsroom.
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RUSSIA-VOTE-PUTIN STRONGHOLD — Workers in the Russian industrial city of Nizhny Tagil who once defended Vladimir Putin are speaking out against the constitutional changes that would allow him to stay in office until 2036. SENT: 1,030 words, photos.
IRAN — Iran sentences a once-exiled journalist to death over his online work that helped inspire nationwide economic protests that began at the end of 2017, authorities say. SENT: 600 words, photos.
AFGHANISTAN-US — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has called and spoken with the Taliban’s chief negotiator, a spokesman for the insurgents says, amid a raging controversy in Washington over when Trump was told about U.S. intelligence that Russia was paying the Taliban to kill U.S. and NATO soldiers in Afghanistan. SENT: 660 words, photos.
BELGIUM-COLONIALISM — For the first time in Belgium’s history, a reigning king expresses regret for the violence carried out by the former colonial power when it ruled over what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. SENT: 480 words, photos.
IRAN-US — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif are scheduled to address a U.N. Security Council meeting on the implementation of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal — the accord that the Trump administration pulled out of more than two years ago. SENT: 640 words, photo.
POLAND-PRESIDENT-ELECTION — Official final results issued from the first round of Poland’s presidential election show incumbent President Andrzej Duda secured 43.5% of the vote and needs to go into a runoff July 12 with Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski. SENT: 340 words, photos.
VATICAN-FINANCES — Vatican prosecutors order the seizure of documents and computers from the administrative offices of St. Peter’s Basilica in an apparently new investigation into financial irregularities in the Holy See. SENT: 260 words, photos.
GERMANY-EU-PRESIDENCY — Germany, the European Union’s biggest economic power, is taking over the rotating presidency of the 27-nation bloc amid massive challenges and huge expectations as the continent grapples with the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 940 words, photos.
EUROPE-SYRIA-DONOR CONFERENCE — Donors from around 60 countries and international agencies are meeting to drum up financial aid for Syria as the coronavirus and economic chaos wreak even more havoc in a country shattered by a conflict now in its 10th year. SENT: 300 words, photos.
SINGAPORE-ELECTIONS — Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s estranged brother is not running in next month’s general election but says he hopes to be a “catalyst for change” as campaigning began. SENT: 680 words, photos.
KOREAS-TENSIONS — South Korean police say that they’ve summoned two activists accused of raising tensions with North Korea by sending propaganda balloons or plastic bottles filled with rice across the border. SENT: 380 words, photo.
NEW ZEALAND-APEC CANCELED — New Zealand cancels its plans to host a major meeting of U.S. and Asian leaders next year because of the coronavirus, opting instead to lead a virtual summit. SENT: 360 words, photos.
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GOLDEN-STATE-KILLER — The former police officer dubbed the Golden State Killer pleads guilty to 13 counts of murder in exchange for a life sentence instead of a possible death penalty. SENT: 1,400 words, photos.
POLICE SUPERINTENDENT-JOHNSON — The city of Chicago releases documents, audio of a civilian 911 call and police body camera footage showing the former head of Chicago police allegedly asleep in October at the wheel of his vehicle. SENT: 400 words, photo.
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FINANCIAL MARKETS — World shares were mixed, with European benchmarks falling after a day of gains in Asia that carried over from a rally on Wall Street. By Business Writer Yuri Kageyama. SENT: 570 words, photos.
JAPAN-YAHOO-LINE — Online services Yahoo Japan and Line Corp. say the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic is causing delays that will push back their merger to later than the scheduled October date. By Business Writer Yuri Kageyama. SENT: 200 words, photo.
NORWEGIAN-AIR-BOEING — Low-cost carrier Norwegian Air Shuttle says it has canceled its 97 outstanding orders for planes from U.S. manufacturer Boeing. SENT: 190 words, photo. With SCANDINAVIAN-AIRLINES Scandinavian Airlines gets $1.5 billion to survive crisis.
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SOUTH KOREA-FANS TO RETURN — South Korea’s professional baseball league says it will require fans to wear masks and to sit at least a seat apart as it prepares to bring back spectators in the coming weeks amid the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 580 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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