AP News Digest 3 am
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TOP STORIES
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-VACCINE MANDATES — The Supreme Court is taking up two major Biden administration efforts to bump up the nation’s vaccination rate against COVID-19. The justices are hearing arguments about whether to allow the administration to enforce a vaccine-or-testing requirement that applies to large employers and a separate vaccine mandate for most health care workers. By Mark Sherman and Jessica Gresko. SENT: 680 words, photo. UPCOMING: 990 words after 10 a.m. arguments.
CAPITOL RIOT-NATIONAL MOMENT — The anniversary of the assault on the U.S. Capitol exposes a nation of two peoples. Democrats, led by one angry president standing in the gleaming hall of statues overrun a year ago by the pro-Trump mob, remembered. Republicans in large measure moved on. By Calvin Woodward. SENT: 910 words, photos. With CAPITOL-RIOT-ANNIVERSARY — Biden warns of U.S. peril from Trump’s “dagger" at democracy. Also see CAPITOL RIOT-BIDEN-ANALYSIS and CAPITOL RIOT-REPUBLICANS below.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SCHOOLS — Facing a surge in COVID-19 cases, the Detroit Public Schools Community District joined a growing number of U.S. districts moving classes online. In Detroit, a district of 50,000 students, the shift once again leaves parents juggling home and work schedules around the educational needs of their children. By Corey Williams. SENT: 830 words, photo. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHICAGO SCHOOLS — Chicago nixes school for third day as virus, union debate rage.
KAZAKHSTAN-PROTESTS — The president of Kazakhstan declared that constitutional order was “mainly restored” after the country was engulfed in unprecedented unrest in recent days. Kazakhstan is experiencing the worst street protests since the country gained independence three decades ago. The demonstrations began over a near-doubling of prices for a type of vehicle fuel and quickly spread across the country, reflecting wider discontent over the rule of the same party since independence. By Daria Litvinova. SENT: 260 words, photos. UPCOMING: Developing, will be updated.
AUSTRALIA-DJOKOVIC — On a tennis court, Novak Djokovic’s timing is perfect. But when he arrived in Australia to play the first Grand Slam of the year holding documents allowing him to enter the country without a COVID-19 vaccine, his timing hardly could have been worse. By Steve McMorran. SENT: 930 words, photos.
ECONOMY-JOBS REPORT — Inflation is surging and new omicron infections are spiking, but America’s employers are thought to have kept right on hiring in December on the strength of solid consumer spending. By Economics Writer Christopher Rugaber. SENT: 630 words, photos. UPCOMING: Developing from 8:30 a.m. release.
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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK
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VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRAL QUESTIONS-FLU — Symptoms of common colds, the flu and COVID-19 can overlap, so experts say testing is the best way to determine what you have. SENT: 390 words, illustration.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CALIFORNIA — The California surge in coronavirus cases has shut down schools and sidelined thousands of police, firefighters, teachers and health care workers but officials are hoping it will be short-lived. SENT: 750 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-AUSTRALIA — Australia’s most populous state reinstated some restrictions and suspended elective surgeries as COVID-19 cases surged to another record. SENT: 350 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-JAPAN — Japan approved new restrictions to curb a sharp rise in coronavirus cases in the three most affected southwestern regions of Okinawa, Yamaguchi and Hiroshima. SENT: 330 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-SRI LANKA — Sri Lankan health authorities will begin inoculating children in the age group of 12 to 15 in their latest effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 infections. SENT: 310 words, photos.
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TRENDING NEWS
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WIZARDS-ANNOUNCER APOLOGIZES — Wizards announcer apologizes to Houston’s Porter for comment. SENT: 230 words, photo.
CAPITOL RIOT-MEDIA — Conservative networks minimize insurrection on anniversary. SENT: 900 words, photos.
EX-MICHIGAN LAWMAKER-SEXUAL ASSAULT — Ex-Michigan House Speaker Chatfield accused of sex assault. SENT: 310 words, photo.
GEORGE FLOYD-NIECE SHOT — Late response to shooting of Floyd grandniece prompts review. SENT: 640 words, photo.
BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING — Judge OKs marathon bomber’s COVID payment going to victims. SENT: 380 words, photo.
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WASHINGTON
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CAPITOL RIOT-BIDEN-ANALYSIS — It may not be the fight he sought, but taking on Donald Trump is President Joe Biden’s calling. By Zeke Miller and Colleen Long. SENT: 990 words, photos.
CAPITOL RIOT-REPUBLICANS — Just a year ago, Republicans joined Democrats in reacting with horror and outrage to the Capitol insurrection. But on the anniversary of the attack, GOP leaders were far more muted if they responded at all. SENT: 1,280 words, photos.
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NATIONAL
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PHILADELPHIA FIRE — Investigators are looking into whether a 5-year-old who was playing with a lighter set a Christmas tree on fire, sparking a conflagration that killed 12 family members in a Philadelphia rowhome, officials revealed. SENT: 780 words, photos, videos.
AHMAUD ARBERY-GEORGIA TRIAL — A Georgia judge is scheduled to sentence three white men who chased and killed Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year-old Black man whose 2020 killing sparked an outcry over racial injustice. SENT: 540 words, photo.
SCHOOL SHOOTING-MICHIGAN — A 15-year-old boy accused of opening fire at his Michigan high school, killing four students, is due in court for a procedural hearing. His parents are scheduled to appear in court later in the day for a hearing on a defense motion to reduce their respective $500,000 bonds. SENT: 280 words, photos. UPCOMING: Developing from 9 a.m. and 1:15 p.m. hearings.
CUOMO-SEXUAL HARASSMENT — Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is set to appear virtually at an Albany court hearing where prosecutors and his lawyers are asking a judge to dismiss a forcible touching charge filed against the Democrat. SENT: 420 words, photos.
MISSING WOMAN-MISSOURI — Sentencing is set for Missouri man found guilty of killing his wife and falsing reporting her missing in 2019. SENT: 480 words, photo.
WINTER WEATHER — A winter storm blanketed parts of the South with snow, freezing rain and sleet, tying up roads in Tennessee and Kentucky as the system tracked a path through Appalachia toward the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. SENT: 960 words, photos.
COLORADO WILDFIRES — Last week’s Colorado wildfire caused at least $513 million in damage and destroyed nearly 1,100 homes and structures, officials say as they updated the toll of property lost in the most destructive wildfire in state history. SENT: 590 words, photos, video.
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INTERNATIONAL
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MYANMAR — Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen is visiting Myanmar, seeking to revive a diplomatic initiative to restore peace following a military takeover nearly a year ago. Critics contend his mission will just legitimize the army’s seizure of power. SENT: 670 words, photos.
CYBERSECURITY-POLAND-NSO-HACKS — Poland’s most powerful politician has acknowledged that the country bought powerful spyware from the Israeli surveillance software maker NSO Group, but denied that it was being used to target his political opponents. SENT: 610 words, photos.
BEIJING-NORTH KOREA — North Korea says it would skip next month’s Beijing Olympics because of the COVID-19 pandemic and “hostile forces’ moves,” a largely redundant statement since the country has already been banned from the Games by the IOC. SENT: 530 words, photos.
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HEALTH/SCIENCE
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JAPAN-SPACE TYCOON — “Space now,” was what Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa wanted to tweet for years. He finally really did it, from the International Space Station. SENT: 540 words, photos.
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BUSINESS/ECONOMY
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FINANCIAL MARKETS — Asian markets were mixed after more declines in big technology stocks pulled major indexes lower on Wall Street. By Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach. SENT: 610 words, photos.
EUROPE ECONOMY — Inflation across the 19 countries that use the euro will be reported for December after November saw consumer prices rise to the highest rate since the currency was established. By Business Writer Kelvin Chan. UPCOMING: 400 words, photo by 5 a.m.
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SPORTS
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COACHING PIPELINE-RIDDICK — Louis Riddick, an analyst on the NFL’s most iconic television package, still has hopes of running a franchise as a general manager. By Sports Writer Joe Reedy. SENT: 950 words, photo.
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ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
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ISRAEL-LOOTED-ARTIFACTS — One of the Israel Museum’s biggest patrons, American billionaire Michael Steinhardt, last month surrendered 180 artifacts valued at roughly $70 million as part of a landmark deal with the Manhattan District Attorney’s office to avoid prosecution. SENT: 1,080 words, photos.
BOOKS-TONI MORRISON-RECITATIF — A short story by the late Nobel laureate Toni Morrison called “Recitatif” will be coming out as a book next month. By National Writer Hillel Italie. SENT: 650 words.
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HOW TO REACH US
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