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
Volunteers of COVID Thailand Aid, Chef Chalee Kader, left, from Thailand, and Chef Saki Hoshino from Japan prepare chili for "pad krapow gai", the spicy minced chicken for the railway-side community at Bo.lan restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, June 10, 2020. Thailand's Natalie Bin Narkprasert, who runs a business in Paris, was stranded in her homeland by a flight ban, so she decided to use her skills to organize the network of volunteers, including Michelin-starred chefs, to help those in her homeland whose incomes were most affected by the pandemic restrictions. (AP PhotoSakchai Lalit)
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POLICE SHOOTING-ATLANTA — Police video from the fatal shooting of a black man after a failed sobriety check in Atlanta shows a largely peaceful encounter that lasts 40 minutes before spiraling into violence. Rayshard Brooks was shot by officers outside a Wendy’s restaurant where he was found sleeping in a car blocking the drive-thru lane. Atlanta police said Sunday the department fired Officer Garrett Rolfe and has taken Officer Devin Brosnan off patrol duty. SENT: 900 words, photos, videos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK – China’s capital is bracing for a resurgence of the coronavirus, with more than 100 new cases reported over recent days in a city that hadn’t seen a case of local transmission in more than a month. The U.S. meanwhile continues to struggle with an outbreak that appears ready to stretch on for months or even years, and the governor of hard-hit New York state threatened to reinstate business closings. Beijing has closed the Xinfadi market, ordered testing of all its workers and is requiring anyone who traveled there to self-isolate for two weeks. By Ken Moritsugu. SENT: 840 words, photos.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Jerusalem, Sunday, June 14, 2020. (AP PhotoSebastian Scheiner, Pool)
VIRUS OUTBREAK-NURSING HOMES -- A grim blame game with partisan overtones is breaking out over COVID-19 deaths among nursing home residents, a tiny slice of the population that represents a shockingly high proportion of Americans who have perished in the pandemic. By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar. SENT: 880 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-DISTANCE LEARNING With huge percentages of students unplugged from distance learning, educators at schools around the country have been working to understand why. Some describe an urgent need to address impediments in case remote learning resumes in the fall, when the stakes will be raised by the return of formal grading and attendance tracking. In Hartford, Connecticut, where a school principal has been going door to door to speak with parents of children who have not been participating, she sees many of the reasons why. Internet service is unreliable. Parents are away at work. And some are uncomfortable with the technology. By Michael Melis. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
PHILIPPINES-CONVICTED JOURNALISTS — Journalist Maria Ressa has been convicted of libel in a Philippine court decision called a blow to press freedom in an Asian bastion of democracy. Ressa was sentenced to a 6-year term over a story on her news website that linked a businessman to murder and other crimes. President Rodrigo Duterte and other Philippine officials have said the case was not a press freedom issue but arose from alleged crimes. But Duterte has openly lambasted media who have reported critically about his policies, including his anti-drug campaign that has left thousands of mostly poor suspects dead. SENT: 790 words, photos.
AMERICA PROTESTS-CONGRESS -- Senate Republicans are poised to unveil an ambitious package of policing changes, including new restrictions on police choke holds and other law enforcement practices, as Congress rushes to respond to protests over the deaths of George Floyd and other black Americans. By Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 600 words, photos.
Find more all-format coverage on the Virus Outbreak featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-EUROPE — Many European countries are reopening borders to each other after three months of coronavirus closures, restoring freedom of movement that was interrupted abruptly in March. But some restrictions persist, and it’s unclear how keen Europeans will be to travel this summer. The continent is still mostly closed to Americans, Asians and other international tourists. SENT: 750 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-TRIBAL CASINOS — Some federally recognized tribes have pushed ahead with plans to reopen their casinos despite opposition from governors who have little to no say in the matter. In Connecticut, the tribes that own and operate Mohegan Sun and Foxwood Resort Casino began the first stages of reopening on June 1 despite pleas from Gov. Ned Lamont to remain shuttered. Lamont resorted to installing temporary electronic signs to warn patrons of the dangers of COVID-19. SENT: 920 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-INDIA-PHOTO GALLERY — Izhaar Hussain Shaikh is an ambulance driver who is working tirelessly to ferry patients with the coronavirus to hospitals in India’s coastal city of Mumbai. It’s an exhausting job, fraught with health risks to him and his family, but he does it anyway at the expense of grueling daily shifts that sometimes stretch 16 hours. SENT: 420 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE GOOD THING-THAILAND VOLUNTEERS — A Thai businesswoman with a career in Paris found herself stuck in Bangkok due to flight bans imposed to fight the spread of the coronavirus. When she contemplated how her 94-year-old grandmother would have a hard time coping with a lockdown, Natalie Bin Narkprasert realized her abilities could be used to organize help for her less well-off compatriots. So she recruited volunteers including Michelin-starred chefs to hand out care packages and freshly cooked food for those whose incomes were shattered by the coronavirus crisis. SENT: 570 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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AUSTRALIA-STATUES VANDALIZED — Two statues of British explorer James Cook have been vandalized in Sydney, and an Australian state government leader is considering tougher laws to protect monuments. SENT: 320 words, photo.
HANGING DEATH-INVESTIGATION — Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva is scheduled to hold an online town hall to address the death of a black man found hanging from a tree in the city of Palmdale. SENT: 240 words.
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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ELECTION 2020-REPUBLICANS -- President Donald Trump is hitting the road again. And while a campaign event with a president who draws TV cameras and raucous crowds can be gold for down-ballot candidates, these days its value can be debatable. By Alan Fram and Jonathan Lemire. SENT: 990 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-WATCH -- President Donald Trump’s upcoming rally in Oklahoma will no doubt turn out thousands of adoring supporters in a deep-red state, but it remains to be seen how he will address his weakness with independents, suburban women and people of color who will play a critical role come November. By National Political Editor Steve Peoples. UPCOMING at 5 a.m. EDT: 1,020 words, photos.
FACT CHECK-WEEK -- President Donald Trump is exaggerating his accomplishments for the military and veterans, asserting falsely that his administration wholly destroyed the Islamic State group and completely rebuilt a depleted U.S. military. By Hope Yen, Calvin Woodward and Amanda Seitz. SENT: 1,780 words, photos. Find AP Fact Checks at https://apnews.com/APFactCheck
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INTERNATIONAL
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ISRAEL-GIFTS FOR NETANYAHU – Israel’s prime minister is on trial for accepting gifts from wealthy friends. But that has not stopped him from seeking another gift from a wealthy friend to pay for his multimillion-dollar legal defense. Benjamin Netanyahu is hoping an oversight committee approves his request to accept $2.9 million from Michigan-based magnate Spencer Partrich. The awkward arrangement opens a window into the very ties with billionaire friends that plunged Netanyahu into legal trouble and sheds light on the intersection of money and Israeli politics. SENT: 990 words, photos.
VENEZUELA-VIRTUAL EMBASSY — The U.S. diplomat has found a rare path back into Venezuela a year after leaving the South American nation amid a historical break between the two political foes. James Story takes to Facebook Live once a week talking on a wide variety of topics from corruption to the oil-rich nation’s gasoline shortages. The United States closed its embassy in Caracas shortly after the White House recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s legitimate leader. SENT: 930 words, photo.
BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE — The president and five other board members of the National Book Critics Circle have resigned amid allegations of racism and violations of privacy. Laurie Hertzel, who had served as president since 2019, announced over the weekend she was leaving. Her departure came two days after another board member, Ugandan-American writer Hope Wabuke, posted redacted screenshots on Twitter of a contentious email exchange that included correspondence from Hertzel and board member Carlin Romano. SENT: 530 words, photos.
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NATIONAL
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POLICE CHASES-DEADLY CRASHES — Crashes involving Chicago police vehicles that killed retired teacher Verona Gunn last year and a young mother this month highlight the dangers of police speeding to crime scenes or during car chases. Gunn’s son says it’s a police reform issue that’s not getting the same attention as officers’ use of excessive force. Audio obtained by The Associated Press of police radio transmissions reveal that speeding officers were repeatedly told by a dispatcher to slow down before the crash that killed 84-year-old Verona Gunn. SENT: 900 words, photos.
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BUSINESS/FINANCE
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FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Asian shares are mostly lower on concern over a resurgence of coronavirus cases and pessimism after Wall Street posted its worst week in nearly three months. Benchmarks in Tokyo, Sydney and Shanghai fell Monday morning after China reported an outbreak of cases in Beijing. Stocks are turning wobbly as investors re-evaluate their expectations for economic growth, which many skeptics have been saying were overly optimistic. SENT: 570 words, photos.
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SPORTS
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NASCAR-HOMESTEAD - Denny Hamlin found the magic at Homestead-Miami Speedway, once again. Hamlin went to the lead for the final time with 30 laps left and held off Chase Elliott for his record-tying third NASCAR Cup Series victory at Homestead. Former drivers Tony Stewart and Greg Biffle are the other three-time winners. Hamlin is in the club now, after battling Elliott most of the night. Hamlin raced to his third victory of the season and 40th overall. . By Tim Reynolds. SENT: 930 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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At the Nerve Center, Richard A. Somma can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Donald E. King 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.