AP News Digest 2 p.m.

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

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TOP STORIES

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GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICER TRIAL-BIDEN ADMINISTRATION — President Joe Biden says he is “praying the verdict is the right verdict” in the trial of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin and that he believes the case, which has gone to a jury and put the nation on edge, to be “overwhelming.” The president’s comments come a day after the trial judge admonished elected officials for speaking out about the case. By Jonathan Lemire, Zeke Miller and Michael Balsamo. SENT: 920 words. UPCOMING: Developing, 990 words by 5 p.m., photos, video.

GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICER TRIAL-MAXINE WATERS — When Rep. Maxine Waters urged demonstrators in Minneapolis to “stay on the street” in pursuit of justice for George Floyd supporters heard another voice in the long march for civil rights. But detractors, including Republicans and the presiding judge at the trial of Minneapolis Officer Derek Chauvin, accuse her of incendiary rhetoric, shifting attention from the trial to the liberal Democratic firebrand. Some say it’s a familiar pattern. By Lisa Mascaro. UPCOMING: 980 words by 5 p.m., photos.

GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICER TRIAL — The jurors who sat off-camera through three weeks of draining testimony in Derek Chauvin’s murder trial in George Floyd’s death were in the spotlight Tuesday, still out of sight but now in control of verdicts awaited by a skittish city. The jury of six white people and six people who are Black or multiracial resumed deliberations in the morning. By Amy Forliti, Stephen Groves and Tammy Webber. SENT: 1,160 words, photos, videos.

Click here for more stories on the Chauvin trial.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT-POLICE SHOOTINGS — Calls have grown for federal investigations into recent police killings across the nation since President Biden took office and said he believes racial disparities in policing must change. The family of a child shot dead by police in 2014 have asked the Justice Department to reopen the case. By Sara Burnett and Michael Balsamo. UPCOMING: 950 words by 4 p.m., photo.

MED--VIRUS OUTBREAK-JOHNSON & JOHNSON VACCINE — The European Union’s drug regulatory agency said Tuesday that it found a “possible link” between Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine and extremely rare blood clots and recommended a warning be added to the label. But experts at the agency reiterated that the vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risks. By Maria Cheng. SENT: 840 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK — India’s health system is collapsing under the worst surge in coronavirus infections that it has seen so far. Medical oxygen is scarce. Intensive care units are full. Nearly all ventilators are in use, and the dead are piling up at crematoriums and graveyards. Such tragedies are familiar from surges in other parts of the world — but were largely unknown in India. Now they are everyday occurrences in the vast country. By Aniruddha Ghosal and Neha Mehrotra. SENT: 1,075 words, photos.

CHAD-PRESIDENT-KILLED — Chad’s longtime leader has died of wounds suffered during a visit to front-line troops battling a little-known rebel group, the military announced Tuesday, just hours after he was declared the winner of an election that would have given him another six years in power. The military quickly announced President Idriss Deby Itno’s son as the central African nation’s interim leader, succeeding his 68-year-old father who ruled for more than three decades. By Edouard Takadji And Krista Larson. SENT: 700 words, photos.

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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

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GROCERY-STORE-SHOOTING — One person was killed and two people were injured in a shooting a Long Island grocery store, Nassau County police said. SENT: 250 words, photo.

PEOPLE-TED-NUGENT — Rocker Ted Nugent is revealing he was in agony after testing positive for coronavirus — months after he said the virus was “not a real pandemic.” SENT: 190 words, photos.

TENNESSEE-SCHOOL-SHOOTING — Seven protesters demanding the release of police body camera video of a student’s fatal shooting at a Tennessee high school have been arrested. SENT: 330 words.

SUBARU-RECALLS — Subaru is recalling nearly 875,000 cars and SUVs in the U.S. because the engines can stall or a rear suspension part can fall off. The stalling recall covers more than 466,000 Crosstrek SUVs from 2018 and 2019 and Impreza cars from 2017 through 2019. SENT: 130 words, photos.

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MORE ON THE CHAUVIN TRIAL

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EXPLAINING GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICER TRIAL-DISPUTED CHARGE — Prosecutors fought hard to add a third-degree murder charge against Derek Chauvin. But a conviction on that charge alone could set up a problematic scenario for them. That’s because another fired Minneapolis police officer convicted of third-degree murder has a pending appeal before the state Supreme Court – and it’s overturned, it could mean Chauvin’s is too. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos, video by 4 p.m.

GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICER-TRIAL-CLOSING-MOMENTS — Prosecutors and the defense in Derek Chauvin’s trial used their closing arguments to again hammer jurors with their version of the event that led up to George Floyd’s death last Memorial Day. An examination of key moments for both sides. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos, video by 6 p.m.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-VACCINE-TOURISM — People from Latin America are increasingly making trips to the U.S. to get COVID-19 shots with their governments badly lagging behind American counterparts on the vaccine campaign. SENT: 700 words, photos by 4 p.m.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENTS — Asian American families are wrestling with whether to send their children back to classrooms as high schools, middle schools and elementary schools across the country widely reopen amid rising anti-Asian harassment. By Philip Marcelo. SENT: 1,060 words, photos, video. WITH: KOREAN-AMERICAN-FEAR-PHOTO-ESSAY — Older Korean-Americans in L.A. fearful amid anti-Asian attacks. SENT: 725 words.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-GERMANY-COVID-19-REHAB — A clinic on the Baltic coast has become a major rehabilitation center for COVID-19 patients from across Germany, treating 600 people over the past year. The clinic’s medical director says helping patients learn how to breathe properly again is often a key part of the treatment, along with occupational and cognitive therapy, and psychological support. By Frank Jordans and Kerstin Sopke. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-HUNGARY-ROMA-EDUCATION — Many students from Hungary’s Roma minority do not have access to computers or the internet and are struggling to keep up with online education during the pandemic. SENT: 660 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-BEAUTY-WITHHELD — There is no stopping flowers when they bloom, blossoms when they burst. Unfortunately, there is stopping people to enjoy them these days. From Japan’s cherry blossom trees, to the endless Keukenhof tulip fields in the Netherlands, to the riot of purple bluebells in the Hallerbos south of Brussels, everything looks its best this spring when visiting conditions are at its worst. The second year in a row efforts are being made to keep people away from the joys of nature. SENT: 700 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE-GOOD-THING-FOOD-DRIVE — Erin Pfeifer, 40, has spent the last eight months volunteering and donating food at St. Mary’s Food Bank in Phoenix with her 8-year-old son Dylan. They attended their second volunteer food packing event on March 18. Pfeifer said she got more involved after her son wanted to help the community. Dylan has led two of his own food drives out of their home and has donated the food to either St. Mary’s Food Bank or United Food Bank. During the first drive they raised about 400 pounds of nonperishable food with help from friends and neighbors. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 4 p.m.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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CYBERSECURITY-ELECTRIC SYSTEM — The Biden administration is taking steps to protect the country’s electric system from cyberattacks through a new 100-day initiative combining federal government agencies and private industry. SENT: 365 words. UPCOMING: 500 words by 5 p.m., photo.

CALIFORNIA-RECALL-REPUBLICANS — California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s critics almost certainly have qualified a recall election for the ballot, a remarkable feat in the heavily Democratic state. Now the real work begins. The chance to recapture the governorship in the most populous state is an energizing prospect for Republicans who have been locked out of statewide office for more than a decade. But so far there’s no candidate like Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose fame attracted attention that helped him oust Democratic Gov. Gray Davis in the 2003 recall. SENT: 985 words, photos.

CONGRESS-ELECTIONS BILL — Senate Democrats hear testimony from Georgia officials as they continued their uphill push to enact the largest overhaul of U.S. elections in a generation. They warn that new state laws that restrict voting could become the status quo without federal intervention. UPCOMING: 700 words by 5 p.m., photos, video.

UNITED STATES-AFGHANISTAN — In a blunt assessment, the top U.S. general for the Middle East tells Congress it will be difficult but not impossible for the U.S. to find, track and take out counterterrorism threats in Afghanistan once all American troops are withdrawn. UPCOMING: 700 words by 3:30 p.m., photos.

GEORGE BUSH — George W. Bush says the Republican Party he served as president has become “isolationist, protectionist and, to a certain extent, nativist” and says he’s especially concerned about anti-immigration rhetoric. SENT: 230 words, photo.

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INTERNATIONAL

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BRITAIN-THE QUEEN — Now that the Royal Family has said farewell to Prince Philip, attention will turn to Queen Elizabeth II’s 95th birthday and, in coming months, the celebrations marking her 70 years on the throne. SENT: 1,140 words, photos.

AFGHANISTAN-ABDUCTED AMERICAN — There are growing concerns about one American who risks being left behind as the U.S. moves to withdraw its military from Afghanistan. SENT: 780 words, photo.

GERMANY-ELECTION — Armin Laschet, the governor of Germany’s most populous state, wins a bruising power struggle to become the candidate of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right bloc for chancellor in the September election. SENT: 750 words, photos.

RUSSIA-NAVALNY- Several doctors were prevented from seeing Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a prison hospital after his three-week hunger strike and prosecutors detailed a sweeping, new case against his organization. Navalny was transferred Sunday from a penal colony east of Moscow to a hospital unit at a prison in Vladimir. SENT: 630 words, photos.

SYRIA — A woman from the capital Damascus has applied to run for president of Syria, the parliament speaker said, making her the first female to make a bid for the country’s top job. The largely symbolic election is certain to be won by President Bashar Assad. SENT: 500 words, photo.

IRAN-SAUDI-TALKS — A first round of direct talks held between regional rivals Saudi Arabia and Iran is seen as a positive sign of de-escalation following years of animosity that has often spilled over into neighboring countries. But few expect quick results. UPCOMING: 850 words, photos by 3 p.m.

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NATIONAL

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CHICAGO POLICE SHOOTING-SPLIT SECOND — The graphic video of an officer shooting a 13-year-old Chicago boy puts a microscope on split-second decisions with far-reaching consequences. Adam Toledo was shot less than a second after he appeared to drop a handgun, turn toward the officer and begin raising his hands. SENT: 920 words, photo.

REGULATING-POT-POTENCY — As marijuana legalization spreads across U.S. states, so does a debate over whether to set pot policy by potency. SENT: 850 words, photo.

FEDEX-SHOOTING-INDIANAPOLIS-SIKH-COMMUNITY — Members of the Sikh community expressed collective trauma over the mass shooting in Indianapolis that killed eight people, including four Sikhs and said that more needs to be done to combat the bigotry, bias and violence that Sikhs have suffered for decades in America. Police have said the motive behind Thursday’s rampage remains under investigation. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 5 p.m.

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HEALTH & SCIENCE

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HARRIET-TUBMAN-FATHER’S-HOME — Archaeologists in Maryland say they believe they have found the homesite of famed abolitionist Harriet Tubman’s father. The homesite of Ben Ross was found on property acquired last year by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as an addition to Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, officials said. SENT: 450 words.

BRITAIN-CLIMATE — The U.K. government set itself a tough new climate target, pledging to cut carbon emissions by more than three-quarters of their 1990 levels by 2035 while closing a loophole that had left much of the pollution from airplanes and ships out of the tally. SENT: 560 words, photos.

CLIMATE-IEA-REPORT — Global carbon dioxide emissions related to energy use are being forecast to rise significantly this year, driven by a resurgence in the use of coal to generate electricity. SENT: 510 words, photos.

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BUSINESS/TECH

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RESTAURANTS-DELIVERY STRAIN — Diners got used to delivery during the pandemic, and the habit may stick long after dining rooms reopen. But restaurants and delivery companies remain uneasy partners, haggling over fees and struggling to make the service profitable for themselves and each other. SENT: 1,140 words.

APPLE-EVENT — Many of us may be suffering from virtual event fatigue after a year of video calls. But not Apple, which plans new product announcements at what seems likely to be an iPhone-less online event. It’s the first such event for the company in 2021. By Technology Writer Barbara Ortutay. SENT: 420 words, photo.

FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Stocks were lower as investors started digesting company earnings reports that are steadily coming out this week. SENT: 325 words, photos.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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OSCARS-PREDICTIONS — Will “Nomadland” cruise to best picture? Who will win the topsy-turvy best actress race? AP Film Writers Lindsey Bahr and Jake Coyle make their predictions for Sunday’s Academy Awards. UPCOMING: 1,900 words, photos. An abridged version of 1,130 words is also available.

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SPORTS

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FBN-DRAFT-AGENT’S-VIEW — Andre Odom worked as a graduate assistant at Temple after his college football career ended before moving into radio sales and banking. He landed a job as a scouting assistant with the Chicago Bears and transitioned to representing players instead of evaluating them. Odom joined Athletes First as an agent two years ago and later this month two of his clients — Kyle Pitts and Micah Parsons — could be picked in the top 10 of the NFL draft. By Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi. 750 words, by 5 p.m.

SOC-SUPER LEAGUE — Seeking a weak link in the unity of 12 rebel clubs in the Super League, UEFA targeted owners in England who signed up to the project that threatens to tear apart soccer’s traditional structure including the Champions League. SENT: 730 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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At the Nerve Center, Dave Clark can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Courtney Dittmar (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from http://newsroom.ap.org. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport(at)ap.org or call 877-836-9477.