AP News Digest 3:30 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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DEVELOPING

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ALASKA-EARTHQUAKE — Powerful 7.8 earthquake hits Alaska isles, tsunami possible. SENT: 100 words.

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ONLY ON AP

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RACING FOR A REMEDY-SILENT STALKER — One of the great mysteries of the coronavirus is how quickly it rocketed around the world. It first flared in central China and, within three months, was on every continent but Antarctica, shutting down daily life for millions. Behind the rapid spread was something that initially caught scientists off guard, baffled health authorities and undermined early containment efforts — the virus could be spread by seemingly healthy people. By Carla K. Johnson, Matt Sedensky and Candice Choi. SENT: 2,000 words, photos, video. An abridged version of 1,200 words is available.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-TROUBLED AID — Some of the world’s largest government donors of humanitarian assistance are buckling under the strain of the pandemic: Aid commitments, for the virus and otherwise, have dropped by a third from the same period last year. The analysis obtained in advance by the AP is a rare real-time look at the frantic global response. By Cara Anna. SENT: 990 words, photos.

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TOP STORIES

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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-GLOBAL — President Donald Trump warns that the “nasty horrible’” coronavirus will get worse in the U.S. before it gets better, but he also tried to paint a rosy picture of efforts to conquer the disease that has claimed more than 140,000 American lives in just five months. He also professed a newfound respect for the protective face masks he has seldom worn. By Zeke Miller. SENT: 1,140 words, photos, videos.

TRUMP-FEDERALISM — When it comes to states’ rights, Trump is all over the map. To battle the coronavirus, he has told states they are largely on their own. But when it comes to stamping out protests in cities led by Democrats, Trump is sending in federal troops and agents — even when local leaders are begging him to butt out. By Jill Colvin. SENT: 1,020 words, photos. With TRUMP-HOMELAND SECURITY-CITIES — Trump’s show of federal force sparking alarm in cities; RACIAL INJUSTICE-FEDERAL AGENTS-Q&A — City leaders question Trump’s authority.

RACIAL-INJUSTICE-PORTLAND — The Trump administration is facing growing pushback — in the courts and on the streets — to sending federal agents to Portland, Oregon, where protests have spiraled into violence, and vowing to do the same in other Democratic-led cities. The presence of federal agents on the streets of progressive Portland — and particularly allegations they have whisked people away in unmarked cars without probable cause — has energized two months of nightly protests that had begun to devolve into smaller, chaotic crowds. By Gillian Flaccus. SENT: 860 words, photos, video.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-LEBANON-HOSPITALS IN CRISIS — Lebanon’s hospitals, long considered among the best in the Middle East, are cracking under the country’s financial crisis, struggling to pay staff, keep equipment running or even stay open amid a surge in coronavirus cases. Private hospitals, the engine of the health system, warn they may have to shut down. Chronically underfunded public hospitals, which have led the fight against the virus, fear they will be overrun. By Sarah El Deeb. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.

ELECTION 2020-WARREN-BIDEN — Elizabeth Warren has become an unlikely confidant and adviser to presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. She refused to endorse him immediately after leaving the presidential race, yet they are now collaborating closely. By Will Weissert. SENT: 990 words, photos. With ELECTION 2020-BIDEN-ENTHUSIASM — Democratic group looks to close Trump-Biden enthusiasm gap.

BASEBALL-SOCIAL JUSTICE — Major League Baseball hasn’t always been at the forefront of the social justice movement in recent years, with leagues like the NBA and NFL usually taking center stage. But because of the quirks of a coronavirus-altered sports schedule, baseball is in the position of having the American sports world largely to itself for the next week. By Sports Writer David Brandt. SENT: 720 words, photos.

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