AP News Digest 3:15 a.m.

APTOPIX Palin NY Times (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

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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UNITED STATES-SYRIA-THE RAID — When helicopters carrying some 50 U.S. commandos thumped onto the ground in Syria an hour after midnight, the raiders confronted a house of extremists and children. Baby toys were inside, as was the paraphernalia of violence — including the bomb that the Islamic State’s leader is said by U.S. officials to have used to blow up himself and his family. By Ghaith Alsayed, Zeke Miller, Lolita C. Baldor and Calvin Woodward. SENT: 1,180 words, photos. With SYRIA RAID-CIVILIAN CASUALTIES — The U.S. says it tried to avert civilian deaths, but women and children were nonetheless killed. SENT: 960 words, photos.

OLY--BEIJING WINTER OLYMPICS — Beijing opens the Winter Olympics on Friday night, becoming the first city to host both winter and summer Games as the country where the pandemic first emerged staged a locked-down Games amid a boycott by some Western governments over human rights abuses. By Brian Carovillano and Sarah DiLorenzo. UPCOMING: 500 words by 4:30 a.m., photos. Will be updated from the ceremony.

0LY-CHINA-RUSSIA — Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in Beijing for the opening of the Winter Olympic Games and talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, as the two leaders look to project themselves as a counterweight to the U.S. and its allies. SENT: 600 words, photo.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WHAT NEXT — When the U.S. and NATO rejected the Kremlin’s security demands over Ukraine last week, fears of an imminent Russian attack soared. But President Vladimir Putin has signaled an apparent readiness for more talks with Washington and NATO. And that offers a glimmer of hope. By Vladimir Isachenkov and Matthew Lee. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.

For full coverage of Ukraine.

LEBANON-TURNING-TO-MILITANTS — Dozens of young men from Lebanon’s impoverished north have disappeared in recent months, often re-emerging with the Islamic State group in Iraq. The flow has raised fears that Lebanon’s economic collapse is fueling a new wave of radical recruitment, with IS taking advantage of growing frustration and despair. On Sunday, Iraq’s military struck an IS cell, killing nine militants, including a number of Lebanese, all of whom had recently disappeared from a single village near the city of Tripoli. By Bassem Mroue and Fay Abuelgasim. SENT: 1,180 words, photos.

EMIRATES-ATTACK VICTIMS — Indian and Pakistani workers who are part of a vast foreign workforce powering the United Arab Emirates’ economy were caught in the crossfire of a wider regional war last month. An attack claimed by Yemen’s Houthi rebels struck an industrial area of Abu Dhabi, killing three people and wounding six in the rebels’ first-known assault on Emirati soil. The rare strike on the UAE and attacks that followed have ratcheted up tensions in the Mideast, rattled residents of the coastal federation and threatened its long-standing reputation as a safe haven for expats. A survivor of the attack and a victim’s family members recall the terrible instant that changed their lives. By Isabel Debre. SENT: 910 words, photos.

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MORE ON THE OLYMPICS

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OLY-CHINA-THE-OLYMPIC-DIASPORA — At the Beijing Olympic Games, it’s a homecoming of sorts for one of the world’s most sprawling diasporas. Often sweet and sometimes more complicated, for Olympians of Chinese descent, it’s always a reflection of who they are, where they come from and the global Olympic spirit itself. Athletes here at the Beijing Games represent the many variations of the diaspora: some are one, two or many generations removed, others are biracial and multicultural. And even similar backgrounds diverge on the Olympic stage. SENT: 1,090 words, photos.

OLY-BEIJING-WORLD-LEADERS — The U.S., Britain and a handful of others aren’t sending dignitaries to the Beijing Winter Games as part of a diplomatic boycott, but the Chinese capital is still attracting an array of world leaders for the opening ceremony. SENT: 530 words, photos.

OLY-BIA-HOW-BIATHLON-WORKS-EXPLAINER — One analogy often used to describe how it feels to compete in a biathlon race goes like this: “Run up 20 flights of stairs as fast as you can and then try to thread a needle.” U.S. biathlete Jake Brown says biathlon is the marriage of “two totally unrelated things.” One is physical and the other is mostly mental. Dealing with mental demands while under physical duress is the challenge of the sport. Olympic biathlete Lowell Bailey says it’s a great spectator sport. It’s triple the drama of ski racing because as the race develops, the lead can shift depending on how the racers are shooting. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.

OLY-COOLING-ICE-RINKS — The ice rinks that play host to figure skating and speedskating competitions at the Beijing Olympics will also be putting a major environmental problem on the world stage – the potent greenhouse gases often lurking in refrigerators, air conditioners and other cooling systems. SENT: 670 words, photos.

OLY-INDIA-DIPLOMATIC-BOYCOTT-EXPLAINER — India won’t be sending its top diplomat in Beijing to the Winter Olympics after the honor of carrying the Olympic torch went to a Chinese soldier wounded in a deadly border clash between the countries two years ago. What is this border dispute, and why has it riled up the Indian government? SENT: 570 words, photos.

OLY-BEIJING-HOW-TO-WATCH — Instead of waiting until prime time, Olympic fans in the United States will be able to watch the opening ceremony of the Beijing Games on Friday with their morning cup of coffee. SENT: 270 words.

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TRENDING NEWS

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MISSISSIPPI-STATUE-REMOVED — Statue of racist ex-Gov. Bilbo quietly moved in Mississippi. SENT: 480 words, photo.

SUPER BOWL-FAN BEATEN — 49ers fan in medical coma was reportedly punched before fall. SENT: 320 words.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-TONGA — For more than two years, the isolation of the Pacific archipelago nation of Tonga helped keep COVID-19 at bay. But after last month’s volcanic eruption and tsunami brought outside deliveries of desperately needed fresh water and medicine, it also brought the virus. Tonga is one of several Pacific island countries to experience their first outbreaks over the past month. SENT: 800 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-INDONESIA — Direct international flights to Bali have resumed for the first time in two years as Indonesia opens the resort island to foreign travelers from all countries, but mandatory quarantine remains in place for all visitors. SENT: 440 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CANADA PROTESTS — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said a military response to the ongoing Ottawa protest against COVID-19 measures is “not in the cards right now.″ SENT: 550 words, photo.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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CONGRESS-COMPUTER CHIPS — House Democrats are poised to approve legislation that they say positions the United States to better compete with China economically and on the global stage by strengthening the domestic semiconductor industry, shoring up strained supply chains and bolstering international alliances. By Kevin Freking. SENT: 870 words, photo. UPCOMING: 990 words after vote, timing uncertain.

REPUBLICAN-MEETING — Republican officials meeting in Utah advanced a watered-down resolution that would formally censure GOP Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for their perceived disloyalty to former President Donald Trump but not seek to expel them from the party. SENT: 850 words, photo.

FIRST BLACK CONGRESSMAN — Rep. Joseph H. Rainey, born into slavery in 1832, was honored for being the first Black member of the House by formally having a room in the Capitol named after him. Top lawmakers and a descendant turned the ceremony into something more than that. SENT: 690 words, photos.

SUPREME COURT-KRUGER — Leondra Kruger serves on the California Supreme Court and she’s won praise for her intellect, energy and demeanor on the bench. She’s among the group of Black women whose names are being floated as a possible replacement for retiring U.S. Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. SENT: 1,070 words, photo.

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NATIONAL

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WINTER WEATHER — A major winter storm that already cut electric power to about 350,000 homes and businesses from Texas to the Ohio Valley was set to leave Pennsylvania and New England glazed in ice and smothered in snow, forecasters say. SENT: 970 words, photos.

POLICE SHOOTING-MINNEAPOLIS — A Black man who was fatally shot by Minneapolis police as they were executing a search warrant in a homicide investigation was wrapped in a blanket on a couch when SWAT officers entered the apartment, and displayed a handgun as they shouted at him to show his hands and get on the ground, according to police body camera video. SENT: 970 words, photos.

AHMAUD ARBERY-HATE CRIMES — One of the men convicted of murder in the chase and fatal shooting of Ahmaud Arbery says he plans to stand trial for a second time in the killing rather than plead guilty to a federal hate crime. SENT: 440 words, photos.

CHICAGO POLICE-LAQUAN MCDONALD — Former Chicago police Officer Jason Van Dyke left prison after serving less than half of his nearly seven-year sentence for killing Black teenager Laquan McDonald, angering community leaders who feel the white officer’s punishment didn’t fit his crime. SENT: 950 words, photos.

BLACK MAN'S DEATH-MISSOURI — The family of a Black Missouri man killed by his neighbor has called for the resignation of the county coroner over his handling of the case as well as his social media posts that they describe as racist. SENT: 700 words, photo.

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INTERNATIONAL

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BRITAIN-QUEEN-PLATINUM-JUBILEE — Queen Elizabeth II will mark 70 years on the throne Sunday, an unprecedented reign that has made her a symbol of stability as the United Kingdom navigated an age of uncertainty. From her early days as a glamorous young royal in glittering tiaras to her more recent incarnation as the nation’s grandmother, the queen has witnessed the end of the British Empire, the advent of multiculturalism, the rise of international terrorism, and the challenges posed by Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic. In a world of relentless change, she has been a constant — representing the U.K.’s interests abroad, applauding the nation’s successes and commiserating in its failures, and always remaining above the fray of politics. SENT: 1,140 words, photos.

PERU-STRUGGLING PRESIDENT — Turmoil in Peru’s government boiled this week as President Pedro Castillo overhauled his Cabinet for a third time in six months and then it quickly emerged his new prime minister has faced domestic violence claims, highlighting doubts about the political neophyte’s ability to lead a nation. SENT: 980 words, photos.

NICARAGUA-CRACKDOWN — Former Sandinista rebel commander Dora María Téllez, one of dozens of political detainees rounded up last year by Nicaragua’s government, was convicted after a trial lasting only a few hours, a lawyers group says. SENT: 500 words.

HONG KONG — A veteran Hong Kong activist was arrested Friday, days after he announced plans to protest the Beijing Winter Olympics outside government offices in the city, according to local media. SENT: 400 words, photos.

JAPAN-US-NEW-AMBASSADOR — The new U.S. ambassador to Japan, Rahm Emanuel pledged to work “wholeheartedly” to deepen Washington’s alliance with Tokyo as he met with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. SENT: 290 words, photos.

BRITAIN-POLITICS — Four of Boris Johnson’s most senior staff have quit, triggering new turmoil for the embattled British prime minister. SENT: 530 words, photos.

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BUSINESS/ECONOMY

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ECONOMY-JOBS REPORT — Last month’s huge wave of omicron infections is thought to have weakened hiring in January, though the pullback is considered all but sure to prove a temporary one. Economists have forecast that the Labor Department will report Friday that employers added just 170,000 jobs last month, according to data provider FactSet. They expect the unemployment rate to remain unchanged at 3.9%. SENT: 750 words, photos.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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MEDIA-CNN-ZUCKER — The abrupt ouster of CNN chief executive Jeff Zucker because of a workplace relationship has left some prominent employees feeling angry and uncertain about the direction of their network at a pivotal moment. By Media Writer David Bauder. SENT: 890 words, photos.

TV-BLACK HISTORY MONTH — How U.S. history is told and taught is being challenged and potentially constricted on several fronts, but television’s approach to Black History Month is firmly in overdrive. By Television Writer Lynn Elber. SENT: 830 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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FBN—JAGUARS-PEDERSON — The Jacksonville Jaguars are hiring Doug Pederson as their head coach. The decision ends a wild and winding search that ended up where it started more than a month ago. A formal announcement is scheduled for Friday, according to a person familiar with the search. By Pro Football Writer Mark Long. SENT: 730 words, photos.

FBN—COMMANDERS-INVESTIGATION — Former Washington Commanders employees and members of Congress are pressuring the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell to release a report about the team’s history of sexual harassment and its workplace culture. By Sports Writer Ben Nuckols. SENT: 910 words, photos.

Former Washington Commanders employees and members of Congress are pressuring the NFL and Commissioner Roger Goodell to release a report about the team’s history of sexual harassment and its workplace culture. By Ben Nuckols. SENT: 910 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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