AP News Digest 3:20 a.m.
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ONLY ON AP
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BARR-ELECTION FRAUD — Attorney General William Barr says the Justice Department has not uncovered evidence of widespread voter fraud that would change the outcome of the 2020 presidential election, disputing President Donald Trump’s baseless but persistent claims. By Michael Balsamo. SENT: 930 words, photos.
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TOP STORIES
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-VACCINE — Pfizer and BioNTech say they’ve won permission for emergency use of their COVID-19 vaccine in Britain, the world’s first coronavirus shot that’s backed by rigorous science — and a major step toward eventually ending the pandemic. The move makes Britain one of the first countries to begin vaccinating its population as it tries to curb Europe’s deadliest COVID-19 outbreak. By Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard. SENT: 680 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-US SURGE — Nearly 37,000 people died of COVID-19 in the U.S. in November, the most in any month since the dark early days of the pandemic, engulfing families in grief, filling up obituary pages of small-town newspapers and testing the capacity of morgues, funeral homes and hospitals. By Tammy Webber and Heather Hollingsworth. SENT: 800 words, photos.
KLAIN PROFILE — Ron Klain has checked all the boxes of a classic Washington striver: Georgetown, Harvard Law, Supreme Court and Capitol Hill staffer, White House adviser and, along the way, of course, lobbyist and lawyer. Now he is preparing to serve as President-elect Joe Biden’s chief of staff, a job often referred to as the nation’s chief operating officer. By Ashraf Khalil and Laurie Kellman. SENT: 1,540 words, photos. An abridged version of 1,080 words is also available.
BIDEN-SENATE CONFIRMATION — Biden’s Cabinet picks are quickly running into the political reality of a narrowly controlled Senate that will leave the new Democratic administration dependent on rival Republicans to get anything done. By Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 850 words, photos.
POLAND-WOMEN’S-REVOLT — Poland is facing one of the biggest protest movements since the collapse of Communism three decades ago. It erupted after the country’s constitutional court, packed by loyalists of the conservative ruling party, attempted to further tighten one of the world’s most restrictive abortion laws. Some say that the women-led protest feels a revolutionary moment that signals a deeper generational change, while the opposition and protesters hope it might eventually bring the populist government down. By Vanessa Gera. SENT: 1,020 words, photos.
SPORTS-COMING-OUT-THE-REALITY — Decades after David Kopay and Ian Roberts came out, both men are united in their disappointment that a higher proportion of gay athletes haven’t come out publicly, and that homophobic language in sports is still a sad reality. By Sports Writer Dennis Passa. SENT: 1,010 words, photos.
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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT
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TRUMP-CHRISTMAS-PARTY — Trump teases 2024 run at White House Christmas party. SENT: 380 words, photo.
ELECTION-2020-GEORGIA — Georgia elections official urges Trump to rein in supporters. SENT: 530 words, photos, video.
CHINA-MOON-PROBE — China spacecraft lands on moon to bring rocks back to Earth. SENT: 600 words, photos.
ROCKEFELLER-TREE-LIGHTING — Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree turns on, with virus rules. SENT: 270 words, photos.
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES-BURNED BOBCAT — Bobcat burned in California wildfire set for release to wild. SENT: 220 words, photos.
WALMART-MEMBERSHIP-PERK — Walmart drops $35 minimum for its members’ online orders. SENT: 310 words.
GANG-ACTIVITY-INDICTMENT — Eighteen indicted, including rapper, in gang-related activity. SENT: 210 words, photos.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK — Health care workers and nursing home residents should be at the front of the line when the first coronavirus vaccine shots become available, an influential government advisory panel decides. By Medical Writer Mike Stobbe. SENT: 1,000 words, photos, video. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-VACCINE-TIMELINE.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — Top Senate Republican Mitch McConnell says he’s sticking with his scaled-back COVID-19 relief bill with the goal of passing a significant down payment during the lame-duck session and then revisiting the topic next year. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.
VIRUS-OUTBREAK-LOS-ANGELES — The city of Pasadena has kept outdoor dining open despite Los Angeles County restricting restaurants to takeout to reduce the spread of the coronavirus. SENT: 1,050 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA — South Korean officials are urging people to remain at home if possible and cancel gatherings large and small as around half a million students prepare for a crucial national college exam. SENT: 320 words, photos. With VIRUS-OUTBREAK-THE-LATEST.
Find more coverage on the Virus Outbreak on the featured topic page in AP Newsroom.
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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PARDON-BRIBERY SCHEME — The Justice Department is investigating whether there was a secret scheme to lobby White House officials for a pardon as well as a related plot to offer a hefty political contribution in exchange for clemency, according to a court document. SENT: 350 words, photo.
TRUMP-SOCIAL MEDIA — President Donald Trump is threatening to veto a defense policy bill unless it ends protections for internet companies that shield them from being held liable for material posted by their users. SENT: 260 words, photo.
ELECTION-2020-HOUSE-GEORGIA — Former Atlanta City Council member Kwanza Hall wins a special runoff election for a brief term in Congress and will succeed the late civil rights legend John Lewis. SENT: 470 words, photos.
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INTERNATIONAL
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HONG-KONG-ACTIVISTS-SENTENCED — Hong Kong pro-democracy activists Joshua Wong, Agnes Chow and Ivan Lam were sentenced to jail on charges related to an unauthorized anti-government protest last year at the city’s police headquarters. SENT: 200 words, photos. UPCOMING: Developing, will be updated.
THAILAND-POLITICS — Thailand’s highest court is set to rule on whether Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has breached ethics clauses in the country’s constitution and should be ousted from his position. SENT: 670 words, photos.
IRAN-NUCLEAR — Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani rejects a bill approved by parliament that would have suspended U.N. inspections and boosted uranium enrichment, saying it was “harmful” to diplomatic efforts aimed at restoring the 2015 nuclear deal and easing U.S. sanctions. SENT: 410 words, photo.
GERMANY-CAR-ATTACK — German police say that a man who zig-zagged an SUV at high speed through a pedestrian zone in the southwestern city of Trier, killing five people including a 9-month-old baby and seriously injuring more than a dozen, has started talking to them. SENT: 250 words, photos.
CHINA-METOO LAWSUIT — A Chinese woman who filed a sexual misconduct lawsuit against a TV host told dozens of cheering supporters at a courthouse she hopes her case will encourage other victims of gender violence in a system that gives them few options to pursue complaints. SENT: 360 words, photos.
UNITED NATIONS-SOUTH SUDAN — U.N. experts say South Sudan’s latest peace effort has stalled, with the coalition government formed in February failing to meet deadlines and President Salva Kiir locking opposition leader and now First Vice President Riek Machar “out of the government’s decision-making process.” SENT: 660 words, photos.
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NATIONAL
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YE-TOP PHOTOS 2020 — The world that AP photographers captured in 2020 was beset by every sort of catastrophe — natural and unnatural disaster, violent and non-violent conflict. And, in every corner of that world, the coronavirus. SENT: 360 words, photos.
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BUSINESS/ECONOMY
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FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Asian shares were mixed after the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite index both set fresh record highs. By Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach. SENT: 860 words, photos. With AUSTRALIA-ECONOMY — Australia bounces out of recession as economy grows 3.3%.
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HEALTH/SCIENCE
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AP INTERVIEW-NUNEZ-SMITH — A top adviser to Biden on the pandemic response says addressing racial disparities cannot be an afterthought. By Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson. SENT: 700 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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