AP News Digest 3:15 a.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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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Russian troops are pressing their offensive in the eastern Donbas region in an attempt to fully seize Ukraine’s industrial heartland but have made little headway as fierce Ukrainian counterattacks have slowed their efforts, Ukrainian and British officials say. By David Keyton and Yesica Fisch. SENT: 860 words, photos, video. With RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-THE LATEST.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR-G-20 — Despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Moscow’s membership in the Group of 20 remains firmly intact. While it has been rendered a pariah country by Western states, several countries, including China, South Africa and India, have made clear that they will support Russia’s membership. By Fatima Hussein, Debora Alvares and Andrew Meldrum. SENT: 990 words, photos.

ELECTION 2022-TRUMP ENDORSEMENTS — Donald Trump’s late endorsements in hypercompetitive Republican Senate primaries have unlocked a flood of support for his chosen candidates. But they have also provoked backlash from some Republicans who believe Trump has betrayed his core supporters by backing “Hillbilly Elegy” author JD Vance in Ohio and TV’s Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania. By Jill Colvin, Marc Levy and Julie Carr Smyth. SENT: 1,250 words, photos.

PRO-GUN GROUP-OKLAHOMA — A pro-firearms group in Oklahoma that was little known a decade ago has grown into a formidable political player in the state. The Oklahoma 2nd Amendment Association has gone from a handful of county chapters to more than 50, set up its own political action committee and begun branching out into other right-wing causes. By Sean Murphy. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.

FRANCE-ELECTION — President Emmanuel Macron is in the pole position to win reelection Sunday in France’s presidential runoff, yet his lead over far-right rival Marine Le Pen depends on one major uncertainty: voters who decide to stay home. A victory in Sunday’s runoff vote would make Macron the first French president in 20 years to win a second term. By Sylvie Corbet. SENT: 850 words, photos.

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TRENDING

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CHILD-PORN-RING-CALIFORNIA — A Fresno man who was part a California child exploitation ring in which members filmed themselves sexually abusing more than 20 children and then distributed the footage on the dark web was sentenced to life in prison, prosecutors say. SENT: 330 words.

OKLAHOMA-OFFICERS SHOT TRIAL — A man whose attorney says he fatally shot a Tulsa police sergeant and wounded another because he feared for his life during a traffic stop was convicted of murder. SENT: 290 words, photos.

WASHINGTON-OUTHOUSE RESCUE — A woman who accidentally dropped her cellphone into the hole of an outhouse in a national forest and fell in while trying to retrieve it had to be rescued by firefighters in Washington state. SENT: 220 words.

EARTH-DAY-KEYS-TURTLE — A rehabilitated green sea turtle was released back to the ocean in the Florida Keys on Friday to mark Earth Day. Several hundred onlookers watched on Marathon’s Sombrero Beach as staff from the Keys-based Turtle Hospital released “TJ Sharp,” a 65-pound juvenile sea turtle that was rescued in February. SENT: 230 words, photos.

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MORE ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-WHAT’S LEFT — The United States unleashed some of its toughest actions against Russian President Vladimir Putin right after he rolled his troops into Ukraine. Polls in the U.S. find support for doing more. So what options are left? By Ellen Knickmeyer. SENT: 1,150 words, photos.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-CHURCHLESS EASTER — A single metal cross remains inside the church of shattered brick and blackened stone. Russian soldiers used the house of worship for storing ammunition, residents said, and Ukrainian forces shelled the building to make the Russians leave. There will be no Orthodox Easter service here Sunday in this small village in northern Ukraine. SENT: 400 words, photos.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-PROTECTION-VESTS — A Czech leatherwork company that makes a wide variety of handmade products — travel bags, messenger totes, wallets and belts — never planned to add personal protective gear that would save lives in a war to its offerings. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has changed that. SENT: 610 words, photos.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-SECURITY-CHIEF — Ukraine’s security chief says that the main battles in Ukraine are taking place in the Donbas, the industrial heartland in the east, with Russians deploying more and more troops every day. SENT: 310 words, photos.

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VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-PFIZER PILL — President Joe Biden and his administration want Americans and their doctors to know that the country has an ample supply of the life-saving COVID-19 antiviral treatment Paxlovid and that it no longer needs to be rationed. SENT: 400 words, photo.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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UNITED STATES-CUBA — Cuba and the United States have taken a tentative step toward thawing relations and resuming joint efforts to address irregular migration, a senior Cuban official says following the highest-level talks between the two countries in four years. SENT: 760 words, photos.

CAPITOL RIOT-INVESTIGATION — A former White House official told the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol that President Donald Trump’s chief of staff, Mark Meadows, had been advised of intelligence reports showing the potential for violence that day, according to transcripts. SENT: 600 words, photo.

XGR-REDISTRICTING-CONGRESS-FLORIDA — Voting rights groups has sued Florida over a congressional map drawn by Gov. Ron DeSantis and passed by the GOP-controlled Legislature, saying it will diminish the state’s Black representation and benefit Republicans. SENT: 620 words, photos.

MICHIGAN-REPUBLICANS-CONVENTION — Michigan Republicans are meeting to pick candidates for statewide races that former President Donald Trump has sought to sway while flirting with another run for the White House. SENT: 280 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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DISNEY-FLORIDA-FEUD — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a bill to dissolve Walt Disney World’s private government, after the entertainment giant opposed a new state law critics have dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.” SENT: 740 words, photos. With FLORIDA-DISNEY FEUD-EXPLAINER — Why are Disney and DeSantis feuding in Florida?; CRITICAL-RACE-THEORY-FLORIDA — Florida Gov. DeSantis signs bill to limit discussion of race (all sent).

WESTERN-WILDFIRES — Destructive U.S. Southwest fires have burned dozens of homes in northern Arizona and put numerous small villages in New Mexico in the path of danger, as wind-fueled flames chewed up wide swaths of tinder-dry forest and grassland and plumes of smoke filled the sky. More than 1,600 firefighters were battling six blazes in New Mexico and three in Arizona that have consumed more than 100 square miles of timber and brush. SENT: 860 words, photos, videos.

ILLINOIS INMATE DEATH-GUARDS CHARGED — Federal prosecutors and defense attorneys offered starkly different explanations Friday for the fatal beating of an Illinois prison inmate four years ago in closing arguments before a jury began deliberating in the trial of two former correctional officers. SENT: 730 words photo.

SACRAMENTO-MASS SHOOTING — An alleged gang member with a “life-time commitment to violence” fired at least 28 bullets earlier this month during a mass shooting in California’s capital city that left six people dead, prosecutors say. SENT: 630 words, photos.

ELECTION-2022-HERBSTER-LAWSUIT — A Republican Nebraska governor candidate who is backed by former President Donald Trump filed a defamation lawsuit against a GOP state lawmaker who accused him of groping her at a local party event in 2019. SENT: 500 words, photo.

ALASKA-NATIVE-VIETNAM-VETERANS — The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has proposed an expansion of lands available for selection by Alaska Native Vietnam War-era veterans who are entitled to allotments. SENT: 490 words, photo.

WILDLIFE CROSSING-SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — Construction has begun on what is billed as the world’s largest wildlife crossing for mountain lions and other animals caught in Southern California’s urban sprawl. SENT: 430 words, photos.

CAPITOL-BREACH-NEW-YORK — Two New York men pleaded guilty Friday to discharging chemical spray at police officers inside the U.S. Capitol during the January 2021 insurrection. SENT: 270 words, photos.

NATION'S CAPITAL-SHOOTING — At least four people, including a 12-year-old girl, were shot when a gunman unleashed a flurry of bullets in the nation’s capital, leading to lockdowns at several schools and leaving a community on edge before the suspect was found dead hours later. SENT: 880 words, photos, video.

EXECUTION-TENNESSEE — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law new guidelines Friday involving race-based discussions in businesses and schools as part of his campaign against critical race theory, which he once called “crap” in a strongly worded speech. SENT: 810 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — Israel has said it would close its crossing to thousands of Gaza workers after a series of rockets were fired from the territory ruled by the militant Hamas group in recent days. SENT: 470 words, photos.

ITALY-VENICE-BIENNALE — For the first time in the 127-year history of the Venice Biennale, the world’s oldest and most important contemporary art fair features a majority of female and gender non-conforming artists, under the curatorial direction of Cecilia Alemani. SENT: 770 words, photos.

BRAZIL-CARNIVAL-RETURNS — Colorful floats and flamboyant dancers are delighting tens of thousands jammed into Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Sambadrome, putting on a delayed Carnival celebration after the pandemic halted the dazzling displays. Rio de Janeiro’s top samba schools began strutting their stuff, which was the first evening of the two-night spectacle. SENT: 570 words, photos.

PERUVIAN ARTIFACTS-REPATRIATION — U.S. officials have repatriated 16 cultural items to the Peruvian government, including paintings, historical documents and stone axes. The FBI returned the items to representatives of Peru at a ceremony Friday in Los Angeles. SENT: 340 words, photos.

BOSNIA-EARTHQUAKE — A strong earthquake struck Bosnia, killing one person, injuring at least two others and sending hundreds of people fleeing from their homes. SENT: 100 words.

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BUSINESS/ECONOMY

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EUROPE-TECH-REGULATION — The European Union reached a landmark deal to take aim at hate speech, disinformation and other harmful content online that would force big tech companies to police themselves harder, make it easier for users to flag problems and empower regulators to punish noncompliance with billions in fines. By Kelvin Chan and Raf Casert. SENT: 1,200 words, photo.

AIRLINES-MASKS-REFUNDS — Airlines say they are offering options — including refunds in some cases — for people worried about flying now that other passengers aren’t required to wear face masks. By Airlines Writer David Koenig SENT: 440 words, photo.

NLRB-STARBUCKS — Federal labor officials have asked a judge to force Starbucks Corp. to reinstate three union activists at its Phoenix location, alleging that the coffee giant engaged in unfair labor practices, documents show. SENT: 200 words, photo.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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BLAC-CHYNA-KARDASHIANS-TRIAL — Kris Jenner became emotional while recalling a volatile 2016 argument she heard about between her son Rob Kardashian and his then-girlfriend Blac Chyna that traumatized him. By Entertainment Writer Jonathan Landrum Jr. SENT: 750 words, photo.

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SPORTS

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FBN--DRAFT-QUARTERBACKS — This year’s quarterback class isn’t as heralded as last year’s or even next year’s. There’s not a premier passer who will rise to the top of the NFL draft as Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence did the past four years. There may not even be a quarterback selected in the top 10 picks. That hasn’t happened since 2013. But general managers across the NFL say this crop of QBs is solid with some possible gems, including Liberty’s Malik Willis who has off-the-charts athleticism and Pitt’s Kenny Pickett, who made a whopping 52 starts in college. By Arnie Stapleton. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 4 a.m.

FBN- -MATURE MANZIEL — Johnny Manziel is still playing football with a new perspective. The 2012 Heisman Trophy winner and first-round bust will make his season debut Saturday in Fan Controlled Football on a team that features Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Owens. It’s Manziel’s second season in his third league since his last game in the NFL in 2015. Manziel, selected 22nd overall by the Browns in the 2014 NFL draft, played two tumultuous seasons in Cleveland and made more headlines for his troubles off the field, including one stint in rehab and a domestic violence charge that led to a dismissal agreement with prosecutors. But the 29-year-old Manziel seems more mature. By Rob Maaddi. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos by 4 a.m.

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