AP News Digest 3 am
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Your support makes all the difference.Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EST. 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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UKRAINE-TENSIONS — Russian President Vladimir Putin accused the U.S. and its allies of ignoring Russia’s top security demands but said Moscow is willing to talk more to ease tensions over Ukraine The comments were his first on the standoff in more than a month and suggested a potential Russian invasion of Ukraine may not be imminent and that at least one more round of diplomacy is likely. By Vladimir Isachenkov and Matthew Lee. SENT: 1,200 words, photos, videos.
UNITED STATES-UKRAINE-JAILED FARMER — An American farmer is jailed in Ukraine on charges he attempted to assassinate a former business partner who is now a government minister. The family of Kurt Groszhans says the charges are bogus and designed to stifle his claims of corruption. The State Department says it’s closely following the case. By Eric Tucker. SENT: 1,000 words, photo. For full coverage of Ukraine.
TRUMP-ALTERNATIVES — At Donald Trump’s rally in Texas over the weekend, some of his supporters said they would happily embrace a successor if Trump offered his blessing — and repeatedly named Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as their top second choice. By Jill Colvin. SENT: 1,290 words, photos. Also see REPUBLICAN MEETING and CONGRESS-ELECTORAL VOTES below.
UNITED STATES-YEMEN — A clan-based militia government in the Arab world’s poorest country is presenting the Biden administration with another foreign policy setback, as Yemen’s Houthis launch cross-border drone and ballistic-missile strikes rattling wealthy oil and banking hubs. By Ellen Knickmeyer. SENT: 1,010 words, photos.
BEIJING-TAIWAN-IDENTITY — For Taiwan, every appearance on the global stage can be fraught with politics. The island’s four athletes going to the Winter Olympics in Beijing must compete under the name “Chinese Taipei” because of opposition from China, which says Taiwan is part of its territory. Skier Maggie Lee found herself giving people an impromptu history lesson in the name as she traveled across Europe for training and competitions ahead of the Games. By Huizhong Wu. SENT: 820 words, photos.
WHOOPI-GOLDBERG-HOLOCAUST — Whoopi Goldberg has been suspended for two weeks as co-host of “The View” because of what the head of ABC News called her “wrong and hurtful comments” about Jews and the Holocaust. ABC News announced the suspension, saying she wanted Goldberg to use the time to reflect and learn about the impact of her comments. By Media Writer David Bauder. SENT: 950 words, photos, videos.
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MORE ON THE OLYMPICS
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UNKNOWN HILL — None of the Alpine ski racers who’ll be zooming down the Beijing Olympics mountain ever has tried the slope that’ll be used with medals at stake. Not yet, anyway. By National Writer Howard Fendrich. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4 a.m.
BEIJING-TORCH RELAY — The three-day torch relay for the Beijing Olympics, shortened considerably because of concerns about the coronavirus, begins with an 80-year-old former speedskater carrying the flame. SENT: 570 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-OLYMPICS — With more than 30 new COVID-19 cases being detected daily ahead of the Beijing Olympics, organizers say they aren’t worried and expect numbers to drop within days. By Sports Writer Graham Dunbar. SENT: 370 words, photos.
OLYMPIC BUBBLE-PHOTO GALLERY — From the moment participants at the Beijing Olympics step off the plane, they enter the “bubble” — a system of strict containment measures that aims to keep the coronavirus at bay for the duration of the Games. SENT: 170 words, photos.
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TRENDING NEWS
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GROUNDHOG DAY — Punxsutawney Phil prepares to make Groundhog Day prediction. SENT: 200 words, photos.
BRADY-RETIRES — Bucs QB Tom Brady retires after 22 seasons, seven Super Bowl titles. SENT: 940 words, photos.
VIRGINIA COLLEGE LOCKDOWN — Police: Gunman kills two Virginia college officers, arrested. SENT: 430 words, photos.
MINNESOTA-SCHOOL SHOOTING — Police: Two students shot, one fatally, outside Minnesota school. SENT: 550 words, photos.
CHILD KILLER-PAROLE — Man who killed 4-year-old when he was 13 freed from prison. SEN: 250 words.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-KID VACCINES — Pfizer asks the U.S. to authorize extra-low doses of its COVID-19 vaccine for children under 5, potentially opening the way for the very youngest Americans to start receiving shots as early as March. SENT: 970 words, photo.
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WASHINGTON
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REPUBLICAN MEETING — A deep red state that’s home to some of Trump’s most vocal conservative critics welcomes members of the Republican National Committee for a meeting in which party officials are expected to solidify the former president’s status as the GOP standard-bearer. SENT: 830 words, photo. With ELECTION 2022-KINZINGER — Rep. Kinzinger pushes “uneasy alliance" to thwart Trump’s allies.
CONGRESS-ELECTORAL VOTES — Trump’s persistent attacks and false claims over the 2020 presidential election outcome are sparking fresh urgency in Congress — from both parties — for changes to the Electoral Count Act. SENT: 970 words, photo.
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NATIONAL
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WINTER WEATHER — Airlines canceled hundreds of flights, governors urged residents to stay off roads and schools closed campuses as a huge swath of the U.S. braced for a major winter storm that was set to put millions of Americans in the path of heavy snow and freezing rain. SENT: 820 words, photos, video.
GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICERS-CIVIL RIGHTS — A medical doctor from out-of-state was expected to be among the government’s next witnesses as testimony continues in the federal trial of three former Minneapolis police officers charged with violating George Floyd’s rights. SENT: 600 words, photos, video. UPCOMING: Trial resumes at 10:30 a.m.
UCLA-THREATS — Classes are scheduled to resume at the University of California, Los Angeles after a former lecturer was arrested on suspicion of threatening violence against the school in online videos and an 800-page document sent via email. SENT: 950 words, photos.
POLICE OFFICERS SHOT — For the second time in under a week, police are converging on New York City’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral to pay tribute to a young officer gunned down while answering a call for help in Harlem. SENT: 360 words, photos.
LUNAR NEW YEAR — For two years now, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders across the country have endured racist verbal, physical and sometimes deadly attacks fueled by the pandemic. SENT: 890 words, photos.
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INTERNATIONAL
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ISRAEL-MEDICAL MARIJUANA — Ehud Olmert is among a group of former Israeli leaders and security chiefs who have found new careers in the country’s tightly controlled medical cannabis industry. SENT: 980 words, photos.
NORTH KOREA-KIM — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife attended a Lunar New Year’s Day concert in Pyongyang where he received thunderous cheers from audience members and artists who praised him for heralding a “new era” of national power, state media reported. SENT: 700 words, photos.
RUSSIA-OPPOSITION-CRACKDOWN — The prison sentence imposed a year ago on leading Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny was a severe blow to Russia’s opposition — and then the situation got worse. SENT: 1,150 words, photos.
SYRIA PUBLIC BATHHOUSES — Having fallen victim to modernization, Syria’s traditional public bathhouses are picking up steam again due to electricity cuts during a particularly cold winter. SENT: 450 words, photos.
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BUSINESS/ECONOMY
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OPEC-OIL-PRICES — OPEC and allied oil-producing countries will decide how much oil to pump to the world, with expectations they will keep restoring cutbacks made during the depths of the coronavirus pandemic. By Business Writer David McHugh. UPCOMING: 400 words, photo by 6 a.m.
FINANCIAL MARKETS — Stock prices in Tokyo and Sydney followed Wall Street higher while China, South Korea and Southeast Asian markets were closed for the Lunar New Year. By Business Writer Joe McDonald. SENT: 350 words, photos.
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SPORTS
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BRIAN FLORES-LAWSUIT — Fired Miami Dolphins coach Brian Flores sued the NFL and three teams over alleged racist hiring practices for coaches and general managers, saying the league remains “rife with racism” even as it publicly condemns it. SENT: 1,300 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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