AP News Digest 2 p.m.

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All Times EST. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan at https://newsroom.ap.org.

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ONLY ON AP

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-STATE SPENDING — An Associated Press analysis shows states spent more than $7 billion this spring buying personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves and gowns as well as vital medical devices such as ventilators. The data obtained from states through open-records requests is the most comprehensive accounting to date of how much states were spending and whom they were paying during a chaotic period at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. Some states paid as much as $11 for individual N95 masks, which could have been bought for around 50 cents before the pandemic. By David A. Lieb and Camille Fassett. SENT: 1,865 words, photos. Eds: An abridged version of 980 words is available. WITH: VIRUS OUTBREAK-STATE SPENDING-CANCELED ORDERS — Businesses left with bills as states halt virus supply deals. SENT: 970 words, photos.

TOP STORIES

FEDERAL AGENCIES HACKED — Contradicting his secretary of state and other top officials, President Donald Trump suggests without evidence that China — not Russia — may be behind the major cyberattack against the United States and he tries to minimize its impact. In his first comments on the breach, Trump scoffs at the focus on the Kremlin and downplays the intrusions, which the nation’s cybersecurity agency has warned posed a “grave” risk to government and private networks. By Jill Colvin and Matthew Lee. SENT: 1,010 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — Negotiators are down to a handful of remaining issues as they seek to finalize an almost $1 trillion COVID-19 economic relief package. There’s optimism the overdue talks would soon produce an agreement. The Senate convened a Saturday session, while House members stood by for a vote that will come no earlier than Sunday. By Andrew Taylor. SENT: 950 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK — First, Theresa Pirozzi’s 85-year-old dad got sick and was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. Days later, her mom was so weak she could barely walk. Now, instead of getting ready for Christmas, Pirozzi is anxiously awaiting updates from the hospital where both of her parents are in intensive care with the coronavirus. The couple is emblematic of the crisis deepening at an alarming rate in California, where hospitals are being stretched to their limits as the virus explodes across the state. By Alanna Durkin Richer. SENT: 750 words, photos. WITH: VIRUS OUTBREAK-VACCINE — The Army general in charge of getting COVID-19 vaccines across the U.S. is apologizing for what he calls “miscommunication” with states over the number of doses to be delivered in the early stages of distribution. SENT: 280 words, photo.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-POLITICAL HYPOCRISY — Several American political leaders have been caught preaching one thing on the coronavirus and doing another. Politicians have long been called out for hypocrisy. But their actions can feel like a personal insult during a pandemic that’s forced millions into seclusion and left many without paychecks. By Juliet Williams. SENT: 960 words, photos. Eds: This story has moved as the Sunday Spotlight.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-RURAL CHURCHES — As churches in rural communities in South Dakota approach this year’s Christmas season, church announcements are marked not with parties and performances, but with deaths. Churches in Canton, South Dakota, are grappling with how to approach an Advent filled with quiet mourning after a series of coronavirus deaths in the community. Yet congregations are also finding new significance in the season when Christians mark the long, dark nights leading up to Christmas by preparing to celebrate the hope of Jesus Christ’s birth. SENT: 895 words, photos.

BIDEN CHURCH — Joe Biden’s home church, St. Joseph on the Brandywine in Wilmington, Delaware, is one of the last places where the president-elect can at least try to blend in, a luxury that probably will fade away completely when he takes office next month. Once he arrives in Washington, the trappings of the presidency — and the eagerness of the city’s residents to be near power — could make a casual church visit nearly impossible. By Will Weissert and Elana Schor. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.

WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

WINTRY WEATHER-DOME COLLAPSE — The owner of a sports complex in the upstate New York city of Binghamton says he plans to rebuild after its air-supported dome collapsed under this week’s record-breaking snowfall. SENT: 180 words.

GEORGE-FLOYD COURTROOM CAMERAS — A judge has upheld his decision to livestream the trial of four former Minneapolis police officers charged in the death of George Floyd. SENT: 225 words.

FRANCE-EPSTEIN INVESTIGATION — A modeling agent associated with disgraced U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein has been charged in France with sexual harassment and the rape of minors over 15 years old. SENT: 215 words, photos.