Ground Game

As states across the U.S. begin to loosen social distancing measures, President Donald Trump seems eager to resume his campaign rallies as presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden looks relatively strong in polls. “Ground Game” co-hosts Julie Pace and Ralph Russo wrap up this podcast series by talking about the future of the campaign, the symbolism of the national conventions and the November vote as a referendum on Trump’s handing of the pandemic.

Artists and writers from Edgar Allan Poe to Stephen King have long turned to pandemics as a source of creative inspiration. In this episode of “Ground Game,” AP book and publishing reporter Hillel Italie explains why plagues prove such fertile ground for the artist’s imagination.

AP News Director for Europe and Africa Anna Johnson steps back and talks about how the world is experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic at the same time but in very different ways.

AP Global Entertainment and Lifestyles Editor Nekesa Moody joins this episode of “Ground Game” to explain how the entertainment industry is being reshaped by the pandemic, from the launch of drive-in concerts to the possibility of imposing physical distancing measures in movie theaters.

Colleges and universities across the United States have been forced to cancel in-person classes for the remainder of the school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. AP editor Alan Clendenning and AP education writer Collin Binkley join Larry Lage to discuss what the future of higher education might look like during a time of social distancing.

From the Nancy Pelosi's push to vote on a $1 trillion rescue bill in the Democratic-controlled House to President Trump’s efforts to galvanize his supporters who oppose lockdown restrictions, Ralph Russo speaks to his co-host, Washington Bureau Chief Julie Pace about the latest political news on this episode of “Ground Game.”

COVID-19 ripped through rural Southwest Georgia, killing more people per capita than just about anywhere in America. AP reporter Claire Galofaro joins host Ralph Russo to share the tale of a community that had already felt abandoned before the pandemic, and how she was able to connect with people while also keeping her distance. Read Claire’s story here: https://apnews.com/b2a2add19ce7f4f75f42b29331034706

What conditions should be in place as U.S. states seek to reopen? How much risk should we be willing to accept amid this pandemic? “Ground Game” host Ralph Russo discusses these topics and more with Dr. Tom Inglesby, Director of the Center for Health Security of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

The Trump administration shelved a document created by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with step-by-step advice to local authorities on how and when to reopen restaurants and other public places during the still-raging coronavirus outbreak. Host Ralph Russo speaks to the AP reporters who delivered this scoop, medical writer Mike Stobbe and investigative reporter Jason Dearen.

New York City has been, by far, the hardest hit city in the US by the COVID-19 pandemic. Within the nation's largest city, the homeless population is bearing the brunt of the pandemic. AP Reporter David Crary sits down with Larry Lage to discuss the city's mounting crisis hitting the homeless population.

After a month of coronavirus shutdowns, the U.S. jobs report for April announced a record-high unemployment rate and the highest since the Great Depression. AP Federal Reserve reporter Chris Rugaber and economics editor Fred Monyak discuss how 11 years of gains were wiped out in a month by the pandemic and what the road to recovery looks like.

Professional and college sports have been shutdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. NCAA Chief Medical Officer Dr. Brian Hainline joins the “Ground Game” podcast to talk about when college teams can start gathering, practicing and competing again, as well as what might happen if a student-athlete tests positive for the virus.

U.N. officials say the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic won’t hit the poorest parts of the world for another three to six months. In this episode of “Ground Game,” U.N. chief correspondent Edith Lederer explains what could happen to these countries and how the world agency is responding.

The medical community has made it clear that there won’t be a vaccine available to curb the spread of COVID-19 for at least a year or 18 months (since January) as research groups move ahead to the early stages of human trials, or are poised to start. AP medical reporter Lauran Neergaard explains the process of creating a vaccine – and the ethical dilemmas that come with it. 

In a new series about unemployment, AP reporters are looking at how the COVID-19 pandemic has hit businesses in New York, which has been the U.S. epicenter of the outbreak. In this episode of Ground Game, host Ralph Russo sits down with two reporters contributing to “Unemployed New York,” Deepti Hajela and Anne D'Innocenzio, to learn more about how the city’s vibrant restaurant and fashion industries are responding – and what might come next.

For weeks, President Donald Trump has been sheltering in place because of the COVID-19 pandemic and is eager to venture out again. Co-Hosts Ralph Russo and Julie Pace discuss Trump’s next moves as the presidential election approaches and lockdown measures ease up.

Parts of Europe are starting to take steps to reopen following weeks of lockdown. Hard-hit France and Spain, for example, will soon begin easing social distancing guidelines as cafes, schools and churches look at reopening in the coming weeks. In this episode of “Ground Game,” AP correspondents Aritz Parra in Spain and Angela Charlton in France explain how their respective countries are responding.

The 2020 presidential race was shaping up to be a face-off between President Donald Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. Now Rep. Justin Amash _ a former Republican-turned-independent _ has announced he's eyeing a presidential run as a member of the Libertarian Party. Julie Pace sits down with AP Michigan reporter David Eggert who interviewed Amash earlier this week. 

As Brazil careens toward a full-blown public-health emergency because of mounting COVID-19 cases, Latin America’s most populous nation is contending with two other crises: economic turmoil and an investigation into President Jair Bolsonaro’s action. In this episode of Ground Game, AP Brazil News Director David Biller explains how these three crises are colliding.

AP is chronicling the many people who have died due to the COVID-19 pandemic in a series of stories called “Lives Lost.” In this episode, we speak to the editors behind the project, AP’s Digital Storytelling Editor Raghu Vadarevu and Western U.S. News Director Peter Prengaman to learn more about how we chronicle the lives of people who have died when there are so many.

Daniela Lamas, a pulmonologist and critical care doctor at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, takes host Ralph Russo inside the intensive care units that have been treating COVID-19 patients. Dr. Lamas describes what the ICU looks like these days, explains the medical lexicon and shares a few stories of survival.

As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads around the globe, so does inaccurate information. This is causing people to flout stay-at-home orders and even ingest fatal home remedies. On this episode of Ground Game, host Ralph Russo talks to two AP journalists about how misinformation and disinformation circulate on social media and elsewhere — and the worrisome consequences. 

Contact tracing that relies on phone apps has proven to be an effective way to help slow the spread of the coronavirus in some parts of the world. Meanwhile, Big Tech in the U.S. has announced plans to develop a contact-tracing app but how much data are Americans willing to share? And what is considered a breach of privacy and freedom? AP global science and environment reporter Christina Larson explains.

It took a pandemic for the U.S. Supreme Court to agree to arguments over the telephone, with live audio available to the world for the first time. AP Supreme Court reporters Jessica Gresko and Mark Sherman explain what this new virtual courtroom will sound like, how the public will be able to access it and whether the tech development will last.

The World Health Organization chief warned that “the worst is yet ahead of us” in the coronavirus outbreak, reviving the alarm just as many countries ease restrictive measures aimed at reducing its spread. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would halt funding to the WHO. AP reporters Maria Cheng and Jamey Keaten explain the role of the U.N. agency and its political dance with the U.S. and China.

On today's episode of "Ground Game" host Ralph Russo goes behind the scenes of AP's new "One Good Thing" feature. AP editors Sally Stapleton and Gary Fields speak about the weekday series that aims to offer uplifting stories during this period of uncertainty and anxiety.

India has implemented the world's largest lockdown, one of the most draconian social experiments in human history. AP South Asia correspondent Emily Schmall explains the extreme measures taken by Indian officials and how the country’s impoverished population is being affected.

A recent Associated Press analysis revealed that African Americans account for more than 40 percent of COVID-19 deaths in the U.S. where the race of victims has been made publicly known. Data from states, cities and counties show black people are a disproportionate share of the population dealing with the most dire consequences of the pandemic. In this episode of “Ground Game,” AP national race and ethnicity writer Aaron Morrison explains why this is so.

“Ground Game” co-hosts AP Washington Bureau Chief Julie Pace and Ralph Russo discuss the significance of a recent AP interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert. They also talk about the White House’s daily press briefings and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s seemingly low profile during this most unusual campaign season.

AP photographer Wong Maye-E and photo editor Enric Marti talk about an assignment for which they documented a ghostly virus-era New York City from the back of a motorbike. They also talk about the challenges they face as they seek to capture an otherwise bustling city under lockdown. You can find their photos here.

As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the globe, many people are stuck at home, emptying streets and other public places. In New York City and elsewhere, residents hear constant ambulance sirens as they also notice sounds that might be missed otherwise. AP reporter Leanne Italie breaks down the sounds that we are hearing during the COVID-19 outbreak.

 The United States is seeing record unemployment because of the coronavirus pandemic. President Donald Trump is optimistic that the economy will bounce back once the virus is contained, but economists aren’t so sure. In this episode of Ground Game, AP economics editor Fred Monyak and Federal Reserve reporter Chris Rugaber break down everything you need to know about unemployment and explain what a post-pandemic economy might look like.

A group of AP journalists spent 24 hours shadowing several New Yorkers from all walks of life -- a paramedic, a bodega owner, a taxi driver, a Broadway actor and an undertaker. The reporters talk about “The Fight for New York” with host Ralph Russo on this episode of Ground Game. Read the stories in their entirety: https://apnews.com/TheFightforNewYork

Sen. Bernie Sanders has ended his campaign for president, establishing former Vice President Joe Biden as the presumptive Democratic nominee. Sanders had enthusiastic support from young voters and was a fundraising juggernaut, but couldn’t overcome a rapid coalescing in the party around Biden. AP political reporter Will Weissert was on the campaign trail with Sanders throughout the primary and joins Julie Pace to break down the end of the campaign. Plus, what does Biden need to do in order to defeat President Trump in November.

A tiger at the Bronx Zoo in New York recently tested positive for the new coronavirus, in what is believed to be the first known infection in an animal in the U.S. or a tiger anywhere. So how does an animal like a tiger contract COVID-19 and what does this mean for transmission to humans? Host Ralph Russo speaks to Jennifer Peltz, an AP reporter who wrote about the diagnosis, and Karen Terio, a professor in the Zoological Pathology Program at the University of Illinois, to learn more about this finding.

President Trump is facing the toughest test of his Presidency, and one of the toughest tests any American President has ever faced. Both a Pandemic that could kill hundreds of thousands of Americans and a looming economic crisis. All of this just months before his re-election vote. AP White House Reporters Zeke Miller and Jill Colvin break down President Trump's strategy on this episode of Ground Game.

In hard-hit New York and cities elsewhere, police officers are testing positive for COVID-19 and calling out sick. So how does a police force do its job with fewer officers? It depends. In this episode of Ground Game, AP law enforcement reporters Colleen Long and Mike Balsamo talk about how the virus is affecting policing, the courts and prisons.

Iran has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus outbreak as the number of confirmed cases tops 60,000, more than any other country in the Middle East. The region, however, is beginning to see a spike in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases. Jon Gambrell, AP News Director of the Persian Gulf and Iran, explains why some countries in the Middle East are seeing an increase in the number of COVID-19 cases, compared to others; he also weighs in on relations between the U.S. and Iran following a Washington-directed strike in January that killed an Iranian general.

State and local officials are receiving high marks for how they’ve been handling the coronavirus outbreak, less so for President Donald Trump and the federal government. AP Washington Bureau Chief Julie Pace and Director of Public Opinion Research Emily Swanson explain what this means based on several recent surveys done by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.

The coronavirus pandemic continues to take a devastating toll on The United Sates economy, with over 6 million Americans filing for unemployment. The disruptions due to coronavirus are causing a ripple effect, trickling into the day-to-day lives of people across the globe. AP National Writer and Director of Digital Innovation, Ted Anthony, has been covering the ripple effect of the virus and breaks it all down for us on this episode of Ground Game.

Spain has been hit especially hard by the coronavirus outbreak and the country’s death toll remains comparatively high despite a two-week lockdown. With more than 9,000 COVID-19 deaths documented, officials have been forced to convert hotels into hospitals and ice rinks into morgues. Madrid-based AP reporter Aritz Parra explains what is happening inside Spain’s overburdened medical facilities and funeral homes.

The 2020 Super Tuesday contest was less than one month ago. It's hard believe, now that majority of the country is closed down and forced to work from home. That includes presidential candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, who are still vying to take on President Trump in November. AP Reporters Will Weissert and Bill Barrow sit down with Julie Pace to explain how both of these campaigns are handling their new work-from-home situation. 

New York has been hit especially hard in the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 75,000 cases confirmed so far. In New York and elsewhere, health officials are reviewing guidelines from sources including state governments and medical groups on how to fairly ration limited resources as hospitals prepare for a surge in patients. Central to these guidelines will be figuring out who gets a ventilator and who doesn’t. AP reporter Candice Choi explains what this all means.

In rural towns and already isolated communities across the country, the concerns about the coronavirus outbreak range from outsiders bringing the virus with them from bigger cities to economies that normally rely on tourism grinding to a halt. AP Reporter Gillian Flaccus takes us inside rural Oregon to discuss how the pandemic is playing out there.

Quarantine, self-isolation, social distancing, pandemic, shelter in place: these are all terms that have suddenly consumed people around the globe, sometimes causing more fear than comprehension. But what do all of these terms actually mean? AP National Reporter Matt Sedensky breaks down our emerging vocabulary on this episode of Ground Game.

The U.S. Senate passed a massive $2.2 trillion rescue package to help offset the economic fallout caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The package is the largest economic relief bill in U.S. history and includes aid for hospitals, small businesses, the airline industry and individual Americans. The AP's Julie Pace and Ralph Russo dive deep into what the bill means and how it might offer relief.

COVID-19 has spread through Italy, killing thousands of people and forcing a nationwide lockdown. Medical experts analyzing data coming out of Italy say the United States could be just days behind in a trajectory of the outbreak. AP's Ralph Russo dives deep into the current state of Italy with AP Milan Correspondent Colleen Barry. 

President Trump has been vocal this week about wanting to get the United States back up and running sooner rather than later, in order to save the economy from the Coronavirus fallout. This, while the US Senate struggles to pass a $2 trillion aid package. Plus, where is Joe Biden during all of this? Julie Pace answers all of your political-related COVID-19 questions on this episode of "Ground Game: Election 2020"

For the first time in history the International Olympic Committee has postponed the 2020 summer games to next year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The AP's Ralph Russo sits down with AP Sports Writer Eddie Pells to take you inside the IOC's landmark decision to postpone the games that were slated to begin July 24th.

The coronavirus pandemic ranks among one of the most consequential stories ever covered by The Associated Press in its 170-year history. Here to take you inside the outbreak is the AP’s Ralph Russo. On this episode of "Ground Game" Ralph takes you inside where the outbreak began, speaking to AP News Director for Greater China, Ken Moritsugu.

As the United States and the rest of the globe struggle to fight off the coronavirus pandemic, there is still a presidential election going on. Joe Biden swept Bernie Sanders in the three-state primary contest on Tuesday, making him all but certain to be the Democratic presidential nominee. But does Biden campaign amid an outbreak? Will Bernie Sanders bow to reality and drop out? Plus, what is the impact of the pandemic on President Trump's re-election bid? Julie Pace answers all your election questions on this episode of Ground Game.