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AP News Digest 6;05 a.m.

| May 31, 2020 3:30 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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MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-DEATH-NATIONWIDE PROTESTS — Another night of unrest in every corner of the country left charred and shattered landscapes in dozens of American cities Sunday as years of festering frustrations over the mistreatment of African Americans at the hands of police boiled over in expressions of rage met with tear gas and rubber bullets. . By Tim Sullivan and Stephen Groves. SENT: 920 words, photos.

MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-DEATH BY RACISM — Black people don’t need to see the video of George Floyd’s death to know that they are three times more likely to be killed by police than are white people. By Jerry Schwartz. SENT: 870 words, photos.

POLICE-DEATH-PROTESTS-NYC — Street protests spiraled into New York City’s worst day of unrest in decades, as fires burned, windows got smashed and dangerous confrontations between demonstrators and officers flared amid crowds of thousands decrying police killings. A day that began with mostly peaceful marches through Harlem and neighborhoods in the Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens descended into chaos as night fell. By Jake Seiner. SENT: 1,000 words,photos,video.

MINNESOTA DEATH-DC PROTESTS — Police fired pepper spray at demonstrators near the White House and the D.C. National Guard was called in as pockets of violence and vandalism erupted during a second straight night of protests over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and President Donald Trump’s response to it. Hundreds of people converged on the White House and marched along the National Mall, chanting “Black Lives Matter,” “I can’t breathe” and “No justice, no peace.” By Ashraf Khalil, Kevin Freking and Michael Balsamo. SENT: 1,210 words, photos, video.

VIRUS OUTBREAK — The mayor of Atlanta, one of dozens of U.S. cities hit by massive protests after the police killing of a black man, has a message for demonstrators: “If you were out protesting last night, you probably need to go get a COVID test this week.” As emergency orders are lifted and beaches and businesses reopen, add protests to the list of concerns about a possible second wave of coronavirus outbreaks. It’s also an issue from Paris to Hong Kong, where anti-government protesters accuse police of using social distancing rules to break up their rallies. By Brian Melley and John Seewer. SENT: 920 words, photos. WITH: VIRUS-OUTBREAK-THE LATEST.

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

SCI--HOME LAUNCH — For many spectators along Florida’s Space Coast, the launch of two astronauts into orbit was a welcome accomplishment. Saturday’s launch also was a reprieve from weeks of dealing with the coronavirus pandemic and economic worries. Many spectators watching had been there just days earlier for the first attempt Wednesday, which was scrubbed at the last minute due to the weather. By Marcia Dunn. SENT: 1,230 words, photos. With HOME LAUNCH-CREW — Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken join NASA’s exclusive inner circle by catching a ride on a SpaceX rocket and capsule. SENT: 460 words, photos; TRUMP — President Trump was on hand to witness the first launch of American astronauts from U.S. soil in nearly a decade. SENT: 600 words, photos.

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MORE ON MINNEAPOLIS PROTESTS

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POLICE DEATH-CALIFORNIA PROTESTS — The Los Angeles mayor says National Guard troops were being sent in to the nation’s second-largest city after a fourth day of violent protests saw demonstrators clash repeatedly with officers, torch police vehicles and pillage businesses. Mayor Eric Garcetti says he asked Gov. Gavin Newsom for 500 to 700 members of the Guard to assist the 10,000 Los Angeles Police Department officers. SENT: 1,250 words, photos.

MINNEAPOLIS-POLICE-DEATH-OUTSIDERS — State and federal officials seem to agree that groups of “outsiders” are responsible for the most destructive protesting in U.S. cities. But those officials have offered differing assessments of who those outsiders are. They’ve blamed left-wing extremists, far-right white nationalists and even suggested involvement of drug cartels. These leaders have offered little evidence to back up those claims, and the chaos of the protests makes verifying identities and motives exceedingly difficult. SENT: 1,030 words, photo.

MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-DEATH-MEDIA — A Fox News reporter was pummeled and chased by protesters who had gathered outside the White House as part of nationwide unrest following the death of George Floyd. For several journalists across the country, the demonstrations were taking an ominous, dangerous turn. SENT: 800 words, photo.

MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEATH-TALLAHASSEE — A pickup truck drove through a crowd of protesters in Florida’s capital, sending some running and screaming as protests across the state erupted in violence, especially in Miami where police cruisers were burned and authorities threw tear gas. SENT: 770 words, photos.

MINNEAPOLIS POLICE-DEATH-ATLANTA MAYOR — Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is being widely praised for her response to protests that flared following the death of a black man, George Floyd, after a white officer in Minneapolis pressed a knee into his neck. SENT: 810 words, photo.

MINNEAPOLIS-POLICE-DEATH-MISINFORMATION — False social media reports claim the wife of the Minneapolis police officer charged in the death of George Floyd is the sister of another officer at the scene of the arrest. Derek Chauvin’s wife, Kellie, does have a brother who is a police officer, but he works in neighboring St. Paul. The false reports surfaced after it was reported that Kellie Chauvin had filed for divorce.SENT: 400 words.

Find more AP coverage of Minneapolis Police Custody Death at AP Newsroom:

Minneapolis Police Custody Death (stories with linked content)

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SKOREA-AL-SPEAKERS — Elderly South Koreans are using voice-enabled smart speakers that allow a telecom company to listen to them 24 hours a day for signs of rising loneliness or insecurity. Trigger words lead to a recommendation for a visit by local public health officials. The experimental remote care service that was launched in April 2019 has taken a new urgency during the coronavirus pandemic but also raised worries that privacy is being sacrificed for epidemiological gains. SENT: 990 words, photosl.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA — India reports more than 8,000 new cases of the coronavirus in a single day, another record high that topped the deadliest week in the country. Confirmed infections have risen to 182,143, with 5,164 fatalities, including 193 in the last 24 hours, the Health Ministry says. Overall, more than 60% of the virus fatalities have been reported from only two states — Maharashtra, the financial hub, and Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The new cases are largely concentrated in six Indian states, including the capital New Delhi. SENT: 720 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-GRIEVING TOGETHER — The plywood wall that surrounds a building site, painted with the words ``WE GRIEVE″ in massive letters, has become a focal point for people of the Stamford Hill neighborhood. It is there that they gather each Thursday to remember those who have died during the coronavirus pandemic. It might seem an odd venue. But it’s central and there’s space for social distancing — a place for civic grief. SENT: 680 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-MIDEAST — Tens of thousands of mosques across Saudi Arabia reopen for the first time in more than two months, but worshipers have been ordered to follow strict guidelines to prevent the spread of the coronavirus as Islam’s holiest site in Mecca remained closed to the public. The Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the third holiest site for Muslims after Saudi Arabia’s Mecca and Medina, also reopened for prayers for the first time since it was closed since mid-March. SENT: 550 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-RETAKING WAIKIKI — The locals are taking Waikiki back. In pre-pandemic days, Oahu residents tended to avoid the tourist mecca’s congested streets and herds of slow-moving visitors. But now that they’re gone and Waikiki is a ghost town, locals are enjoying wide sidewalks for running and walking. They’re swimming in waters that are normally clogged with awestruck and sunburned tourists. SENT: 520 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-UKRAINE PRIESTS — The Rev. Yaroslav Rokhman is hard to recognize as a priest when he visits terminally ill patients at a Ukrainian care center. He wears a white biohazard suit, a face shield and a blue mask over his mouth and nose. The clergyman in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church is pleased just to be performing one of a priest’s most heartfelt duties again. As the coronavirus pandemic’s grip slowly recedes in Ukraine, priests received clearance on May 22 to resume religious services and to visit the sick and bereaved. SENT: 450 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-A FATHER’S DETERMINATION -- When Ted Foxworthy was diagnosed with cancer, he set two goals: Celebrating his youngest child’s 18th birthday and seeing him graduate from Speedway High School near Indianapolis. When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down schools around the nation, Foxworthy worried graduation would be canceled. Instead, on Saturday, the Foxworthy family will celebrate their victory by watching Jacob Foxworthy cross the finish line at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. By Michael Marot. UPCOMING: 800 words with photos by 7 p.m.

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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

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MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEATH-CHICAGO — Squad cars damaged, protesters struck with batons in Chicago. SENT: 370 words, photos.

PHILIPPINES-ARRESTED CHINESE — Philippine police arrest 90 Chinese for illegal gambling. SENT: 230 words, photos.

MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEATH-SPORTS REAX — NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell says “there remains an urgent need for action” following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the protests around the country that have followed. SENT: 790 words, photo.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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CONGRESS-INSPECTORS GENERAL — Members of three House and Senate committees will interview former State Department Inspector General Steve Linick on Wednesday as part of an investigation by House Democrats into his abrupt firing by President Donald Trump. SENT: 960 words, photos.

TRUMP-G7 — President Donald Trump sayst he will postpone until the fall a meeting of Group of 7 nations he had planned to hold next month at the White House despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. And he said he plans to invite Russia, Australia, South Korea and India as he again advocated for the group’s expansion. SENT; 450 words, photos.

AP EXPLAINS-UNITED STATES-HONG KONG -- CONGRESS-INSPECTORS GENERAL — Members of three House and Senate committees will interview former State Department Inspector General Steve Linick on Wednesday as part of an investigation by House Democrats into his abrupt firing by President Donald Trump. SENT: 960 words, photos. By Ben Fox. SENT: 710 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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POLAND-PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE — Warsaw’s liberal mayor Rafal Trzaskowski has made a late entry in Poland’s presidential election and has quickly become the main challenger to the conservative incumbent, Andrzej Duda. His entry has brought real competition and suspense into a race that Duda had seemed certain to win. SENT: 770 words, photos.

AFGHANISTAN — The Islamic State group takes responsibility for a roadside bomb attack against a bus belonging to a local TV station that killed two employees. Marwa Amini, the deputy spokeswoman for the Afghan interior ministry, says four other station employees were wounded in Saturday afternoon’s attack in Kabul. SENT: 370 words, photos.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — Israeli police shot dead an unarmed autistic Palestinian man in Jerusalem’s Old City after saying they suspected he was carrying a weapon. The shooting drew broad condemnations and revived complaints alleging excessive force by Israeli security forces. On social media, some compared the shooting to police violence in the U.S. SENT: 710 words, photos.

CHINA-HONG KONG-US — The mouthpiece newspaper of China’s ruling Communist Party says the U.S. decision to end some trading privileges for Hong Kong “grossly interferes” in China’s internal affairs and is “doomed to fail.” The Hong Kong government called President Donald Trump’s announcement unjustified and said it is “not unduly worried by such threats,” playing down concern that they could drive companies away from the Asian financial and trading center. SENT: 760 words, photos.

EGYPT-SINAI — The Egyptian military says it has killed at least 19 militants in raids and airstrikes against an Islamic insurgency in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula, in clashes that also left at least five casualties among its troops. SENT: 250 words.

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NATIONAL

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RELIGION-TWIN-TRAUMAS — American religious leaders across faiths are grappling with the heavy burden of helping to heal two active traumas: rising civil unrest driven by the police killing of George Floyd and the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 890 words, photos.

FEDERAL-OFFICER-KILLED — A federal law enforcement officer in California was shot and killed and another wounded while providing security at the U.S. courthouse in Oakland amid one of the increasingly violent protests unfolding around the country. SENT: 410 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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At the Nerve Center, Vincent K. Willis can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, ext. 1900. For graphics and interactives 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.