AP News Digest 3 am

Tuesday 18 January 2022 01:13 EST

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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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ONLY ON AP

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TARNISHED-GOLD-BRAZIL-DIVISIONS — Very little of the money from illegal mining on Indigenous lands in Brazil go to locals. After a 2020 raid on the Raposa Serra do Sol reserve, Federal Police in Roraima state found just 4% went to local communities. A quarter goes to the owners of equipment used to extract the gold, the rest to miners. By Sam Cowie. SENT: 1,370 words, photos.

THE-AP-INTERVIEW-BEIJING-AI-WEIWEI — Ai Weiwei is one of China's most famous artists. He helped design Beijing s Bird's Nest stadium for the 2008 Olympics. It will be the venue for the opening ceremony next month at the Beijing Winter Olympics. He was jailed in Beijing in 2011 and now lives in exile in Portugal and has been an unrelenting critic of the Chinese Communist Party. By Sports Writer Stephen Wade. SENT: 1,190 words, photos.

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TOP STORIES

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CONGRESS-VOTING BILLS — Facing stark criticism from civil rights leaders, senators return to Washington under intense pressure to change the rules and break a Republican-led filibuster that has hopelessly stalled voting legislation. By Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 900 words, photo.

BIDEN-ONE YEAR-SHORT TAKES — President Joe Biden was seen by voters as one who could restore a sense of normalcy and a reassuring tone to the White House. He found out, as all his predecessors have, that events beyond his control would shape his time in office and the public’s assessment of him. Some takeaways from the AP’s White House team on Biden’s first year as president. SENT: 1,580 words, photos.

CLIMATE CHANGE-STATES — As many U.S. states attempt to go carbon-free for their energy use, a big question hangs over their plans: Will they be able to keep the lights on if they transition to 100% renewable energy? Many states have decided that wind, solar, water and other forms of alternative energy won’t be enough to replace coal- and natural gas-fired power plants and have begun incorporating nuclear power into their strategies. By Jennifer McDermott. SENT: 1,990 words. photos. An abridged version of 960 words is also available. With CLIMATE CHANGE-NUCLEAR TOWN — In tiny Wyoming town, Bill Gates bets big on nuclear power.

KOREAS-TENSIONS-ANALYSIS — Grappling with pandemic difficulties and U.S.-led sanctions over his nuclear ambitions, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un could be reviving his 2017 playbook of nuclear and missile brinkmanship to wrest concessions from Washington and his neighbors. By Kim Tong-Hyung. SENT: 1,100 words, photos. With KOREAS-TENSIONS — North Korea: Tactical guided missiles fired in latest test.

TEXAS SYNAGOGUE-STANDOFF — An armed man who took four people hostage during a 10-hour standoff at a Texas synagogue had spent time in area homeless shelters in the two weeks leading up to the attack, and was dropped off at one by someone he appeared to know. By Jamie Stengle, Jake Bleiberg and Eric Tucker. SENT: 1,080 words, photos, videos.

AFGHANISTAN-DECLASSIFIED REPORT — A year-old report by Washington’s Afghanistan watchdog has now been declassified and shows that it warned back in early 2021 that the Afghan air force would collapse without critical U.S. aid and training. That was months before Biden announced the end to America’s longest war. The report offers stark warnings about the capabilities of Afghanistan’s air force to survive in a post-U.S. Afghanistan, saying it would not be able to maintain the aircraft it possessed or train a new generation. By Kathy Gannon. SENT: 740 words, photos.

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AP News Digest 3 am

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