Video, Photos, Text on Key Stories

Washington – In addition to its around-the-clock news reporting from across the globe, The Associated Press was first this past week in breaking two major stories.

On Monday, AP was first to report the identity of the world's first fully self-contained artificial heart, and also was first last Friday to provide footage of millionaire Steve Fossett and his roughed-up hot-air balloon, which was downed in the Andes Mountains.

AP learned before the rest that the recipient of the world's first self-contained artificial heart is a former telephone company employee and teacher who moved to Kentucky from Colorado hoping to receive a transplant, but grew so weak he could barely cross the street. Jewish Hospital and Abiomed Inc., maker of the artificial heart, would not identify the patient, Robert Tools, until a planned new conference on Tuesday afternoon, except to say that he is a diabetic man in his 50s with a history of heart problems. Tools’ name had been so closely guarded that even people who live on the same street in Franklin and the family's pastor said they did not know Tools had undergone the experimental procedure. The AP broke the story and provided the information on Monday at 6:05 p.m.

In another recently breaking story, AP provided the first video, photos and text of adventurer Steve Fossett and his downed-balloon after he abandoned his latest effort to travel around the globe in the craft. APTN – the international video arm of the Associated Press – accompanied by an AP photographer were the first on the scene after Fossett landed Friday in southern Brazil, just after reaching the halfway point in his trip.

The AP team was aboard a small plane that was monitoring the aircraft after it crossed the Andes. APTN's exclusive video footage was distributed to networks in the US and around the world.