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.
-------------------
ONLY ON AP
A woman working as a shoe polisher as she waits for customers during the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, May 11, 2020. Muslims across the world are observing Ramadan as most of the Muslim countries are hit with the coronavirus due to lockdowns and job cuts. (AP PhotoRahmat Gul)
-------------------
VIRUS OUTBREAK-UKRAINE-BUCKLING HOSPITALS — Ukraine’s troubled health care system has been overwhelmed by the coronavirus, even though it has reported a relatively low number of cases at over 15,000. A war with Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine’s eastern region and its struggling economy are widely blamed for the desperate condition of its hospitals. By Mstyslav Chernov and Yuras Karmanau. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.
-------------------
FILE - In this April 2, 2013, file photo, singer Betty Wright performs the national anthem before an NBA basketball game between the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks in Miami. Wright, the Grammy-winning soul singer and songwriter whose influential 1970s hits included “Clean Up Woman” and “Where is the Love,” has died. Several media outlets reported that Wright died of cancer at her home in Miami on Sunday, May 10, 2020. She was 66. (AP PhotoWilfredo Lee, File)
TOP STORIES
-------------------
VIRUS OUTBREAK — The difficulty in trying to reopen economies without rekindling coronavirus outbreaks is being highlighted by several new cases in South Korea and China. Nightclubs in the Seoul region were ordered to close again after dozens of cases occurred among visitors to the venues. Health officials were trying to trace thousands of guests who went to the clubs. China’s original epicenter of the virus, Wuhan, reported five new cases. Meanwhile, Trump administration officials spoke optimistically about a relatively quick rebound from the virus. But life within the White House reflected the challenges still posed by the pandemic, with Vice President Mike Pence “self-isolating” after one of his aides tested positive. By Nick Perry and Nomaan Merchant. SENT: 895 words, photos. WITH: VIRUS OUTBREAK-THE LATEST (sent).
GEORGIA CHASE-DEADLY SHOOTING — Georgia’s attorney general has asked the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the handling of the killing of Ahmaud Arbery. Authorities say Arbery, a black man, died at the hands of two white men in February near the coastal city of Brunswick as he ran through a neighborhood. No arrests were made until this month. National outrage over the case swelled last week after video surfaced that appeared to show the shooting. By Jeff Amy. SENT: 710 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-TRUMP-BIDEN — President Donald Trump rarely holds his fire, but when it comes to the sexual assault allegation leveled against Joe Biden, the president is unusually reticent. Trump did not address the allegations until April 30 — more than a month after Tara Reade publicly made the accusation, which Biden denies. The November contest between Biden and Trump is the first presidential race of the #MeToo era. By Jill Colvin. SENT: 1,025 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SINGAPORE — A second wave of coronavirus infections in tightly packed foreign workers’ dormitories has caught Singapore off guard, and exposed the danger of overlooking marginal groups in a health crisis. Infections in Singapore, an affluent Southeast Asian city-state of fewer than 6 million people, have jumped more than a hundredfold in two months — from 226 in mid-March to over 23,000, the most in Asia after China and India. By Eileen Ng. SENT: 1,010 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRUMP— This could be a tricky week for President Donald Trump. His leading health experts on the coronavirus will speak from self-quarantine, the Supreme Court will hear arguments over access to his financial records, and a whistleblower will tell lawmakers that he lost his job for questioning a malaria drug for COVID-19 championed by the president. By Kevin Freking. SENT: 970 words, photos.
Find more all-format coverage on the Virus Outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
------------------------------------------
WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
------------------------------------------
OBIT-DOUBLE RAINBOW MAN — Paul L. Vasquez, the burly mountain man whose awestruck reaction upon seeing a double rainbow propelled him to internet stardom and turned him into a folk hero, has died in Central California. SENT: 370 words.
OBIT-BETTY WRIGHT — Betty Wright, the Grammy-winning soul singer and songwriter whose influential 1970s hits included “Clean Up Woman” and “Where is the Love,” has died. SENT: 405 words, photo.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NEW MEXICO SURVIVOR — A 105-year-old New Mexico woman who beat back the 1918 flu that killed millions, including her mother and infant sister, is battling COVID-19. SENT: 165 words.
SHARK ATTACK-CALIFORNIA — A 26-year-old man killed in a shark attack off a Northern California beach was an avid surfer who customized surfboards for a living. SENT: 430 words, photos.
———————————————————————
MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
———————————————————————
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRGINIA PAROLE CONTROVERSY — Four Republican Virginia lawmakers are at the last minute calling on Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam to prevent the release of a man who killed a police officer in 1979. Sixty-four-year-old Vincent Lamont Martin is scheduled to be released Monday. Martin is one of dozens of inmates convicted in slayings who were granted parole in March during a push to accelerate the review of parole-eligible inmates because of the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 280 words.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA — China reported another rise in coronavirus cases as the government reminded people to step up personal protection against the virus. The 17 new cases were up from 14 the day before which had been the first double-digit increase in 10 days. SENT: 585 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SHANGHAI DISNEYLAND — Visitors wearing face masks streamed into Shanghai Disneyland as China’s most prominent theme park reopened in a new step toward rolling back anti-coronavirus controls that shut down its economy. The park had been closed since Jan. 25. It will limit its number of visitors and is keeping some attractions closed in line with social distancing guidelines. By Sam McNeil. SENT: 620 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-AVIANCA BANKRUPTCY — One of Latin America’s largest airlines has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, saying the COVID-19 pandemic has devastated its business. Avianca Holdings said the move is aimed at continuing operations and preserving jobs. SENT: 160 words.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-UKRAINE-BUCKLING HOSPITALS — Ukraine’s troubled health care system has been overwhelmed by the coronavirus, even though it has reported a relatively low number of cases at over 15,000. A war with Russia-backed separatists in Ukraine’s eastern region and its struggling economy are widely blamed for the desperate condition of its hospitals. By Mstyslav Chernov and Yuras Karmanau. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRITAIN — The U.K. government has replaced its “stay at home” coronavirus slogan with a new “stay alert” message, raising concerns about the potential danger of mixed messaging ahead of a speech Sunday in which Prime Minister Boris Johnson will lay out the stages for lifting the country’s lockdown. By Pan Pylas. SENT: 970 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-TRIBAL-CASINOS — When the Kalispel Tribe of Indians closed its casino as the coronavirus took hold in Washington state, it essentially shut down its economy. That difficult choice has played out nationwide as some 500 Native American casinos have voluntarily closed during the pandemic, often taking away tribes’ main source of income in an effort to protect people’s health in communities with limited medical resources. By Nicholas K. Geranios. SENT: 910 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-JAPAN-CORONA DISCRIMINATION — In Japan, the pandemic has brought not just coronavirus infections, but also an onslaught of bullying and discrimination against COVID-19 patients, medical staff and others working essential jobs. Experts say fear is what’s driving prejudice in the minds of those who shun or attack those thought to be more likely exposed to the virus. By Mari Yamaguchi. SENT: 1,030 words, photos.
---------------------------------
WASHINGTON/POLITICS
---------------------------------
VIRUS OUTBREAK-WASHINGTON — Some of President Donald Trump’s top economic advisers emphasized on Sunday the importance of states getting more businesses and offices open even as the pandemic makes its way to the White House complex, forcing three members of the administration’s coronavirus task force into self-quarantine. By Kevin Freking. SENT: 965 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence is self-isolating after an aide tested positive for the coronavirus last week. An administration official says Pence is voluntarily keeping his distance from other people in line with CDC guidance. The official says Pence has repeatedly tested negative for COVID-19 since his exposure but is following the advice of medical officials. SENT: 575 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS STEPS UP — As President Trump tries to move on from the coronavirus, Congress is rushing to fill the void and prepare the country for the long fight ahead. Compelled by the lack of comprehensive federal planning as states begin to reopen in the pandemic, lawmakers of both parties, from the senior-most senators to the newest House member, are jumping in to develop policies and unleash resources to prevent a second wave. SENT: 940 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-VETERANS-MALARIA DRUG —The Senate’s top Democrat wants to the Department of Veterans Affairs to explain why it allowed the use of an unproven drug on veterans for the coronavirus, saying patients may have been put at unnecessary risk. By Hope Yen and Michael Balsamo. SENT: 925 words, photos.
-----------------------—
INTERNATIONAL
-----------------------—
IRAN-NAVY — An Iranian missile fired during a training exercise in the Gulf of Oman struck a support vessel near its target, killing at least one sailor and wounding 15 others, Iranian media reported, amid heightened tensions between Tehran and the U.S. The friendly fire incident happened Sunday near the port of Jask, in the Gulf of Oman. By Nasser Karimi. SENT: 315 words, photo.
LEBANON-SLIDE INTO POVERTY — Residents of Lebanon’s poorest city, Tripoli, despair as the country faces a terrifying confluence of events. An unprecedented economic crisis, nationwide protests and coronavirus restrictions are posing the biggest threat to stability since the end of the civil war in 1990. Mounting poverty is turning it into a powder keg. By Sarah El Deeb. SENT: 1,045 words, photos.
UNITED NATIONS-MALI ATTACKS — The United Nations says three peacekeepers from Chad were killed and four others seriously injured in attacks against a U.N. convoy in northern Mali using improvised explosive devices. The UN peacekeeping mission in Mali was established in 2013 to help stabilize the northwestern African nation. SENT: 175 words.
------—--------
NATIONAL
-------————
EX-MAYOR-MOVE BOMBING — The former Philadelphia mayor who led the city 3 1/2 decades ago when police dropped a bomb on a row house and caused an inferno that killed 11 people and destroyed more than 60 homes is calling for a formal apology from the city for the tragedy. SENT: 670 words, photos.
——————————————-
BUSINESS/FINANCE
——————————————-
CHINA INVESTMENT IN US — China’s direct investment in the United States fell last year to its lowest level since the Great Recession, even before the coronavirus pandemic shut down much of global commerce. The decline reflected tensions between the world’s two biggest economies and Chinese government restrictions on overseas investment. By Paul Wiseman. SENT: 315 words, photos.
—————-
SPORTS
—————-
VIRUS OUTBREAK-GAME SHAPE — Making it safe for America’s professional sports teams to start playing games is one thing. Making sure athletes are in game shape is another. Experts say nothing should be rushed. Athletes in the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball all indicate that a few weeks of training is necessary before any games. By Cliff Brunt. SENT: 945 words, photos.
SPORTS-WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN — The second leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown and golf’s second major of the season would have been this week if not for the pandemic. The PGA Championship in San Francisco instead will be played in August. There is still no new date for the Preakness. Most of the sports calendar still remains on hold, even as NASCAR prepares to resume live racing. By Stephen Hawkins. SENT: 525 words, photos.
MLB-CORONAVIRUS STUDY — Just 0.7% of Major League Baseball employees has tested positive for antibodies to COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus. The small number of positive tests, announced Sunday, was positive news for a sport pushing ahead with plans to start its delayed season. By Ronald Blum. SENT: 735 words, photos.
-------------------————-
HOW TO REACH US
---------------------------
The Nerve Center 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.or g. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport(at)ap.org or call 877-836-9477.