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ELECTION 2020-VOTECAST
AP VoteCast: Iowa Dems split on best challenger for Trump
WASHINGTON (AP) — Iowa Democrats are fiercely united by the goal of unseating President Donald Trump, but they were sharply divided at the state's caucuses Monday over which candidate was best equipped to do so. The results from AP VoteCast show how difficult it can be any single contender to unite an increasingly diverse coalition of voters. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders enjoys greater backing from young voters. Former Vice President Joe Biden has slightly more support from older voters. Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren has a slight edge with women. AP VoteCast is a survey of more than 2,800 voters who said they planned to take part in the Iowa caucuses.
AP-US-ELECTION-2020-THE-LATEST
The Latest: Dems blame 'quality checks' on late Iowa results
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Democratic Party says it is experiencing a delay in reporting results from the first-in-the nation caucuses because of unspecified “quality checks.” Communications director Mandy McClure said in a statement Monday night that the delay is also the result of the party reporting three sets of data for the first time. The three sets of results are tallies for the “first alignment” and “final alignment,” as well as each candidate's total of “state delegate equivalents.” McClure says the party has data so far from “around 25%” of the state’s 1,765 precincts and “and early data indicates turnout is on pace for 2016."
CHINA-OUTBREAK
China's virus cases top 20K as Hong Kong reports 1st death
BEIJING (AP) — China says the number of infections from a new virus has surpassed 20,000 as medical workers and patients arrived at a new hospital and President Xi Jinping said “we have launched a people's war of prevention of the epidemic.” Xi presided over a special meeting of the top Communist Party body, saying the country must race against time to curb the spread of the virus. Hong Kong reported its first death from the illness and shut almost all of its land and sea border crossings with the mainland after medical workers began a strike demanding the border be closed completely. Their union has threatened a bigger walkout Tuesday.
IMMIGRATION-BORDER CROSSINGS
AP Exclusive: Border apprehensions drop 8 straight months
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Homeland Security official says the number of border apprehensions has dropped for the eighth straight month, following crackdowns by the Trump administration that include forcing asylum seekers back over the U.S.-Mexico border. The official says the number of encounters with border officials over the past four months was 165,000. A year earlier during the same time it was about 242,000. The official spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the official results have not been released. The steep decline will almost certainly figure heavily into President Donald Trump's State of the Union address Tuesday.
TRUMP-IMPEACHMENT
Trump trial closing arguments aim at voters, history
WASHINGTON (AP) — Closing arguments Monday in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial were directed more toward history than to sway the outcome, one final chance to influence public opinion and set the record ahead of his expected acquittal in the Republican-led Senate. The House Democratic prosecutors say senators — and Americans — should see that Trump's actions are not isolated but a pattern of behavior that, left unchecked, will allow him to "cheat"' in the 2020 election. The president's defense counters that the Democrats have been out to impeach Trump since the start of his presidency.
AP-US-KLOBUCHAR-JUVENILE-LIFER
Klobuchar's claims about black teen's case draw criticism
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Civil rights activists and legal experts are challenging Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s claims that she was unaware of questionable evidence and police tactics used to send a young black teen to prison for life when she was a top Minneapolis prosecutor. In an interview with “Fox News Sunday,” Klobuchar denied that she had knowledge of any evidence that would call the conviction into question. But much of what The Associated Press found while investigating the case would have been available to her office at the time. The president of the national NAACP says the conviction points to the eagerness of America’s criminal justice system to put young black men behind bars.
AP-US-RUSH-LIMBAUGH-CANCER
Rush Limbaugh says he's been diagnosed with lung cancer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh says he’s been diagnosed with advanced lung cancer. Addressing listeners on his program Monday, Limbaugh said he will take some days off for further medical tests and to determine treatment. Limbaugh called himself the “mayor of Realville” in announcing his illness. He’d been experiencing shortness of breath and testing by two medical institutions. President Donald Trump called him a “great guy & fantastic political talent.” Limbaugh's national prominence began in 1988, when his first national radio show launched. Within a few years he was considered a Republican kingmaker.
AP-US-SEXUAL-MISCONDUCT-WEINSTEIN
Cross-examination drives key Weinstein accuser to tears
NEW YORK (AP) — A key accuser in the New York City rape trial of Harvey Weinstein faced a vigorous cross-examination that drove her to tears. The drama prompted the judge to send the jury home about an hour earlier than usual Monday. While on the stand, the woman answered questions about why she maintained a relationship with Weinstein despite her allegations that the once-powerful movie mogul raped her. The testimony comes at a pivotal moment in the trial of Weinstein, who became one of the #MeToo movement's top targets. He is charged in New York with the 2013 rape and also sexually assaulting Mimi Haleyi, a former “Project Runway” production assistant, in 2006. He has insisted that any sexual encounters were consensual.
MICHAEL AVENATTI-NIKE
Witness testifies Avenatti had no authority for Nike demands
NEW YORK (AP) — A businessman who enlisted Michael Avenatti to help his friend deal with corrupt Nike executives says he reacted with shock when the attorney threatened to go public with information. Entertainment industry executive Jeffrey Auerbach testified Monday that he wanted to help a friend who had coached his son in basketball repair his relationship with the apparel giant. Auerbach said he urged the friend — amateur league coach Gary Franklin — to hire Avenatti. But he says he never authorized Avenatti to demand millions of dollars for himself from Nike or to release information publicly. In Manhattan federal court, Avenatti has pleaded not guilty to attempted extortion.
AP-US-PRINCE-DOCTOR-DISCIPLINED
Prince doctor to pay $4K civil penalty for prescription
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota medical board has disciplined a doctor who treated Prince for prescribing pain medication for the pop megastar in another person's name. The Minnesota Board of Medical Practice reprimanded Dr. Michael Schulenberg and ordered him to pay a civil penalty of $4,648. The board did not name Prince, but the Star Tribune reports he was identified as “Patient No. 1” and his longtime friend Kirk Johnson as “Patient No. 2.” Schulenberg initially told the board he didn't know painkillers he prescribed for Johnson were intended for Prince. But his story changed last August. Prince died of an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2016. No one was criminally charged in his death.
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