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AP News Digest 5:30 a.m.

| March 22, 2020 3:03 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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NEW/DEVELOPING

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CROATIA-EARTHQUAKE — A strong earthquake shakes Croatia and its capital, causing widespread damage and panic. A 15-year-old is reported in critical condition and others were injured, news outlets report. By Darko Bandic. SENT: 310 words.

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TOP STORIES

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VIRUS OUTBREAK — The virus pandemic advances after the U.S. and Europe reported soaring new cases, prompting a scramble in some regions to set up additional hospital beds and replenish much-needed medical supplies. Italy announced its biggest day-to-day increase of infections, which rose by 6,600 with nearly 800 new fatalities from the virus that causes COVID-19. The country's total death toll of more than 4,825 has surpassed the number of deaths in China, where the first cases emerged late last year. By Yanan Wang and Frances D'Emilio. SENT: 1,090 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-LATEST.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — Top-level negotiations between Congress and the White House are pushing toward resolution on a ballooning $1 trillion-plus economic rescue package, as President Donald Trump urges a deal to steady a nation shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic. With a population on edge and financial markets teetering, all sides indicated a deal is within reach. At issue is how best to keep paychecks flowing for millions of workers abruptly sidelined by the crisis. By Jonathan Lemire, Lisa Mascaro and Andrew Taylor. SENT: 1,250 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE REBELS — People from Europe to the U.S. are ignoring orders and recommendations to stay at home to help stop the coronavirus from spreading. Now authorities around the world are urging them to start obeying and enforcement is up. The resisters are holding corona parties in Germany, going to beaches in France, Australia and Florida and taking farm animals for walks in Spain. By Elaine Ganley. SENT: 1,040 words, photos.

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

NKOREA-TRUMP'S LETTER — President Donald Trump sends a personal letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, seeking to maintain good relations and offering cooperation in fighting the viral pandemic, Kim’s sister says. The latest correspondence came as Kim observed the firing of tactical guided weapons over the weekend, drawing criticism from South Korea, as the nuclear talks remain deadlocked. By Hyung-Jin Kim. SENT: 670 words, photos.

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MORE ON VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-PANDEMIC-BONDS — To offset the crushing costs of trying to stem a global epidemic, the World Bank and partners announced the creation of “pandemic bonds” several years ago: the idea was to leverage private capital from Wall Street firms that would help stricken poor countries. SENT: 780 words, photo.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MIDEAST — Iran's supreme leader refuses U.S. assistance to fight the new coronavirus, citing an unfounded conspiracy theory that the virus could be man-made by America. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei's comments come as Iran faces crushing U.S. sanctions blocking the country from selling its crude oil and accessing international financial markets. SENT: 650 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CALIFORNIA — Most Californians stayed at home on a day that was unlike any its 40 million residents had ever seen before. Less than 48 hours after Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an unprecedented stay-at-home order to help curb the coronavirus spread, shopping centers and streets were empty. Churches were closed. Playgrounds deserted. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW YORK — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the state is scouring the globe for medical supplies and scouting temporary hospital locations as the coronavirus crisis grows. Flights to New York City-area airports were briefly suspended after an air-traffic control worker tested positive. As the number of confirmed cases statewide soared above 12,000, Columbia University's chief of surgery raised alarms about a torrent of patients soon overwhelming emergency rooms. By Michael Hill and Michael R. Sisak. SENT: 980 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-INMATES — New York City was hit by the nation’s largest coronavirus jail outbreak to date this week, with at least 38 people testing positive at the notorious Rikers Island complex and nearby facilities — more than half of them incarcerated men, the board that oversees the city's jail system says. Another inmate, meanwhile, became the first in the country to test positive in a federal jail. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-AFRICA-GORILLAS — As the coronavirus infects more people around the world, conservationists are warning of the risk to another vulnerable species: Africa's endangered mountain gorilla. SENT: 790 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-INDIA — Indian migrant workers attempting to reach their home villages crowded a railway station in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday, defying a 14-hour “people's curfew” that Prime Minister Narendra Modi called to stem a surge in coronavirus cases in the world's second-most populous country. SENT: 540 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-GAZA — The Palestinian Health Ministry announces two residents who returned recently from Pakistan to the Gaza Strip tested positive for the coronavirus, the first cases to be diagnosed in the Palestinian enclave. SENT: 380 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-HAWAII — Hawaii's governor institutes a mandatory 14-day self-quarantine starting Thursday of all people traveling to the state as part of efforts to fight the spread of coronavirus. The order applies to returning residents as well as visitors. It applies to all arrivals at Hawaii airports from the continental U.S. and international destinations and extends to other private and commercial aircraft. SENT: 290 words, photos.

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WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT

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BANGLADESH-ROAD ACCIDENT — Road crash in Bangladesh kills at least 13. SENT: 120 words.

KANYE-WEST-TAYLOR-SWIFT — Taylor Swift may have ended her feud with Katy Perry but the one with Kanye West seems simply not to want to die. SENT: 400 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-EMPTY LANDMARKS -- AP Photos: Virus Outbreak-Empty Landmarks. SENT: 326 words.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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ELECTION 2020-PRIMARIES IN TURMOIL -- U.S. elections have been upended by the coronavirus pandemic. At least 13 states have postponed voting and more delays are possible as health officials warn that social distancing and other measures to contain the virus might be in place for weeks, if not months. The states that have yet to hold their primaries find themselves in a seemingly impossible situation as they look to balance public health concerns with the need to hold elections. By Christina A. Cassidy. SENT: 1,060 words, photos. Eds: This story has moved as the Sunday Spotlight.

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NATIONAL

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VEHICLES SWEPT AWAY — The body of a 13-year-old boy has been recovered in a southeastern Indiana creek, the last six people presumed to have drowned when two vehicles were swept off a roadway after torrential rainfall deluged the region’s hill country, authorities say. SENT: 400 words, photos.

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BUSINESS

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-BUSINESS FALLOUT — Best Buy, the nation's largest consumer electronics chain, is temporarily closing its stores and moving to curbside pickup service as it tries to curb the spread of the coronavirus. SENT: 770 words, photos, video, audio.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-ICONIC EATERIES — New York City's most iconic eateries have been through a lot over the years, but the coronavirus pandemic is like nothing they've seen before. Places like Peter Luger's, Junior's, Tom's Restaurant and Katz's Delicatessen worry about the staff they've let go and whether they'll survive the crisis. SENT: 885 words, photos, video.

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SPORTS

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NBA-SILVER — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is constantly looking at financial numbers and projections. Like the rest of a world dealing with the seismic effects of a pandemic, he isn’t uncertain how bad things will get. But he is sure of this: “It’s not a pretty picture.” By Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds. SENT: 840 words, photos.

FBN--FREE AGENCY-WAITING GAME - Jameis Winston, Cam Newton and Jadeveon Clowney knew immediately where they would be playing coming out of college -- they were No. 1 overall draft picks, Now, as free agents, things are moving much more slowly. By Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow. SENT: 750 words, photos.

BKC--NCAA-BIGGEST UPSETS -- North Carolina State's upset of Houston on Lorenzo Charles' buzzer-beating dunk for the 1983 NCAA championship still resonates after nearly four decades. Other riveting upsets: Villanova over Georgetown for the 1985 title; UMBC, a No. 16 seed, jolting Virginia in 2018. By Basketball Writer Aaron Beard. SENT: 950 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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