AP News Digest 4:05 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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ONLY ON AP

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AP POLL-RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR — Many Americans continue to question whether President Joe Biden is showing enough strength in response to Russia’s war against Ukraine, even as most approve of steps the U.S. is already taking and few want U.S. troops to get involved. The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows 54% of Americans think Biden has been “not tough enough.” By Nomaan Merchant and Hannah Fingerhut. SENT: 910 words, photos.

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TOP STORIES

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his forces not to storm the last remaining Ukrainian stronghold in the besieged city of Mariupol but to block it “so that not even a fly comes through. Leaving the plant in Ukrainian hands, however, robs the Russians of the ability to declare complete victory in Mariupol. The city’s capture has both strategic and symbolic importance. By Adam Schreck. SENT: 1,500 words, photos, video. With RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-THE LATEST.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHINA — In a city of 25 million people with hundreds of thousands of COVID-19 cases, Chinese health authorities have reported only 25 coronavirus deaths. An Associated Press examination of the death toll sheds light on how the figures have been obscured by the way Chinese health authorities tally virus statistics, applying a much narrower, less transparent, and at times inconsistent standard than the rest of the world. By Huizhong Wu and Dake Kang. SENT: 1,320 words, photos.

BIDEN-CLIMATE — President Biden plans to mark Earth Day in Seattle on Friday, but he’s struggled to make progress on a sweeping environmental agenda. Some of his plans for fighting climate change remain stalled on Capitol Hill, even as scientists have escalated their warnings about the potential effects of global warming. By Matthew Daly and Chris Megerian. SENT: 1,240 words, photo.

BRITTNEY GRINER — WNBA All-Star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is easily the most prominent American citizen known to be jailed by a foreign government. Yet as a crucial hearing approaches next month in Russia, the case against Griner remains shrouded in mystery. By Eric Tucker. SENT: 1,020 words, photos.

MIDEAST-ISLAMIC-STATE-CRIMES — Thousands of people taken captive by the Islamic State group remain missing years after the extremists’ territorial defeat. Accountability for their captors remains elusive. Families of the missing feel abandoned by a world that has largely moved on, while they struggle to uncover the fate of their loved ones. By Bassem Mroue. SENT: 900 words, photos.

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TRENDING

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STEELERS-HASKINS KILLED — Pittsburgh Steelers QB Dwayne Haskins apparently ran out of gas and was returning to his vehicle when he was fatally struck by a dump truck this month in Florida. SENT: 400 words, photos.

REAL HOUSEWIVES-LAWSUIT — Former star of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta” NeNe Leakes sues the companies behind the show, alleging that they fostered and tolerated a hostile and racist work environment. SENT: 560 words, photos.

BLAC CHYNA-KARDASHIANS-TRIAL — Former reality TV star Blac Chyna testifies that all was joyful between her, her fiancé Rob Kardashian, and his famous family before one day in 2016 when everything went sour. SENT: 350 words, photos.

SHRIVER-OLDER COACH — Former pro tennis player Pam Shriver says that she “had an inappropriate and damaging relationship with my much older coach” that began when she was 17 and he was 50. SENT: 280 words.

BOOKS-OLIVIA HARRISON — Olivia Harrison, widow of Beatle George Harrison and a philanthropist and film producer, has a few words of her own to share. She has written 20 original poems about her late husband for the book “Came the Lightening,” which comes out June 21. “Came the Lightening” also will include photographs and images of mementos and will have an introduction by Martin Scorsese, who directed a 2011 documentary about George Harrison. SENT: 160 words, photos.

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MORE ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE

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CHINA-UKRAINE — Chinese leader Xi Jinping on Thursday said his government supports talks to resolve international disputes, but opposes the use of sanctions. Xi’s comments in a televised address to an international forum in the southern island province of Hainan marked China’s latest attempt to describe an approach to Russia’s bloody invasion of Ukraine. SENT: 390 words, photo.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR-BIDEN — President Joe Biden is set to announce plans to send additional military aid to help Ukraine fight back against the Russian invasion, a U.S. official says. The new package is expected to be similar in size to the $800 million package Biden announced last week. By Aamer Madhani and Darlene Superville. SENT: 520 words, photos. UPCOMING: 900 words after 9:45 a.m. speech.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-SANCTIONS — The U.S. rolls out new sanctions against more than 40 individuals and entities accused of evading the ongoing wave of penalties imposed on Russia as punishment for invading Ukraine. SENT: 360 words, photo.

CHINA-RUSSIA-CREDIT-CARDS — China’s credit card processor has refused to work with banks in Russia for fear of being targeted by sanctions over its war on Ukraine, cutting off a possible alternative after Visa and Mastercard stopped serving them, according to the Russian news outlet RBC. SENT: 200 words, photo.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-WHO — The World Health Organization says that the number of reported new COVID-19 cases worldwide decreased by nearly a quarter last week, continuing a decline since the end of March. SENT: 200 words, photo.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-JUSTICE-FRAUD — Twenty-one people are charged as part of a Justice Department push to root out pandemic-related health care fraud schemes. SENT: 460 words, photo.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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TRAVEL MASK MANDATE — The Justice Department is filing an appeal seeking to overturn a judge’s order that voided the federal mask mandate on planes and trains and in travel hubs. the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention requested the appeal. SENT: 620 words, photos, video.

CAPITOL EVACUATION — The U.S. Capitol was briefly evacuated Wednesday evening after police identified an aircraft that they said posed “a probable threat” — but the plane was actually carrying members of the U.S. Army Golden Knights, who then parachuted into Nationals Park for a pregame demonstration. SENT: 580 words, photos.

DISNEY’S GOVERNMENT — Decades ago, Disney was allowed to form its own government within the state of Florida as it chased its theme-park dreams. Now Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking lawmakers to scuttle that entity — threatening the symbiotic ties between the state and the entertainment giant. The move follows Disney’s opposition to what critics have dubbed Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” law. By Curt Anderson and Michael Schneider. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

SUPREME COURT-MIRANDA WARNINGS — The Supreme Court wrestles with what should happen when law enforcement officers question suspects without reading them their Miranda rights. SENT: 460 words, photo.

BIDEN-MILITARY COMMANDERS — President Joe Biden praises U.S. military officials for doing “exceptional” work arming Ukrainians as he gathers top military brass for their first in-person meeting at the White House as a group during his presidency. SENT: 380 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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KOREAS-TRASH OR TREASURES? — A South Korean scholar has turned to a different way of collecting information about secretive North Korea as pandemic restrictions make it harder for outsiders to find out what life is like for North Koreans. Professor Kang Dong Wan from Dong-A University has been combing the beaches of South Korean border islands for North Korean trash. He’s collected about 2,000 pieces of trash, ranging from snack bags, juice pouches, sweet wrappers and drink bottles to seasoning sachets. He says his findings confirm North Korean state media reports that the country has been producing a variety of consumer goods on the orders of leader Kim Jong Un. SENT: 1,070 words, photos, video.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS -- Israel’s air force and Palestinian militants traded fire across the Gaza frontier as clashes erupted again at Jerusalem’s most sensitive holy site, worsening an escalation that has been eerily similar to the lead-up to last year’s Israel-Gaza war. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

CUBA-IMMIGRATION — More immigrants from Cuba are coming to the U.S. by making their way to Mexico and crossing the border illegally. It’s a very different reality from years ago, when Cubans enjoyed special protections that other immigrants did not have. The increase coincided with Nicaragua’s decision starting in November to stop requiring visas for Cubans to promote tourism after other countries, such as Panama and the Dominican Republic, began to require them. By Gisela Salomon. SENT: 1,300 words, photos.

SRI LANKA-ECONOMIC CRISIS — A leading human rights group is demanding the Sri Lankan authorities conduct a prompt and impartial probe into a police shooting that left one person dead and 13 others injured during protests over fuel price hike amid the country’s worst economic crisis in decades. SENT: 600 words, photo.

JAPAN-NEW-ZEALAND — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is in Japan as part of her first trip abroad in more than two years, as her government seeks to promote the country’s reopening for business and tourism following a pandemic-related border closure, while Japan wants to focus on mutual security concerns, including China’s new alliance with the Solomon Islands. SENT: 490 words, photos.

BRITAIN-QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY — Queen Elizabeth II is marking her 96th birthday privately, retreating to the Sandringham estate in eastern England that has offered the monarch and her late husband, Prince Philip, a refuge from the affairs of state. SENT: 580 words, photo.

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NATIONAL

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WESTERN WILDFIRES — Winds that are expected to intensify through the end of the week have been a major obstacle for firefighters battling blazes across the Southwest. Resources are tight, and fire managers are scrambling to get crews on board. Hundreds of residents have been evacuated because of multiple wildfires. One of the largest outside of Flagstaff, Arizona, more than tripled in size. SENT: 910 words, photos.

TEXAS-EXECUTION — Texas’ oldest death row inmate faces execution for killing a Houston police officer nearly 32 years ago during a traffic stop. Carl Wayne Buntion, 78, was sentenced to death for the June 1990 fatal shooting of Houston police officer James Irby, a nearly 20-year member of the force. SENT: 650 words, photo.

EXECUTION-TENNESSEE — Tennessee is set to execute its first inmate Thursday since the start of the pandemic, planning a lethal injection procedure that has become less common in the state than the electric chair in recent years. SENT: 530 words, photos.

MICHIGAN-LAWMAKERS-GROOMING ATTACK — A Michigan lawmaker, mother and LGBTQ rights supporter who was accused by a GOP colleague of wanting to “groom” schoolchildren says her impassioned response resonated because people are sick of such attacks. SENT: 490 words, photos.

STUDENT LOANS — Record-keeping failures may have left thousands of Americans saddled with student debt that should have been automatically canceled through a benefit for low-income borrowers, according to a U.S. government study. SENT: 950 words, photo.

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BUSINESS/ECONOMY

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CRYPTOCURRENCY-MINING-ENERGY-USE — For the past year a company that “mines” cryptocurrency had what seemed the ideal location for its thousands of power-thirsty computers working around the clock to verify bitcoin transactions: the grounds of a coal-fired power plant in rural Montana. But with the cryptocurrency industry under increasing pressure to rein in the environmental impact of its massive electricity consumption, Marathon Digital Holdings made the decision to pack up its computers, called miners, and relocate them to a wind farm in Texas. By Amy Beth Hanson. SENT: 1,280 words, photos. With EXPLAINER-CRYPTOCURRENCY — How cryptocurrencies work (and how they don’t) (sent).

FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Asian shares were mixed in choppy trading Thursday, as inflation worries and the war in Ukraine had investors partly optimistic while staying cautious. Benchmarks rose in Japan, South Korea and Australia, boosted by the overnight rally in Europe and in the Dow in the U.S. Investors were also watching South Korean trade numbers for April, which showed a trade deficit, although both imports and exports rose. By Business Writer Yuri Kageyama. SENT: 760 words, photos.

JAPAN-DRONE-DELIVERIES — Zipline, an American company that specializes in using autonomously flying drones to deliver medical supplies, has taken off in Japan. They’re flying, starting Thursday, across the tiny Goto Islands, off the western coast of Kyushu, in southwestern Japan, delivering to pharmacies and hospitals. SENT: 400 words, photos.

MYANMAR-ECONOMY — Myanmar is exempting approved foreign investors, embassies, United Nations agencies and non-government organizations from its rules requiring conversion of foreign exchange into the local currency, officials say. By Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach. SENT: 460 words, photos.

RESULTS-TESLA — Tesla reports that its first-quarter net earnings were over seven times greater than a year ago, powered by strong sales despite global supply chain kinks. SENT: 490 words, photo.

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SPORTS

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BKN--BULLS-BUCKS — DeMar DeRozan scored 41 points for his career playoff high and the Chicago Bulls outlasted the Milwaukee Bucks 114-110 on Wednesday to tie their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at a game apiece. By Steve Megargee. SENT: 860 words, photos. With BKN--Bucks-Middleton Injury (sent).

BKN—76ERS-RAPTORS — Joel Embiid made a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds left in overtime to give the Philadelphia 76ers a 104-101 victory over the Toronto Raptors and a 3-0 lead in their first-round series. SENT: 700 words, photos.

BKN--NETS-CELTICS — Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter, and the Boston Celtics rallied from 17 points down to beat the Brooklyn Nets 114-107 and take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series. By Kyle Hightower. SENT: 750 words, photos. With BKN--Nets-Kyrie and KD (sent).

BKC—VILLANOVA-WRIGHT — Jay Wright shocked college basketball Wednesday night with his immediate resignation at Villanova, the Big East program he led to two national championships and four Final Fours in a Hall of Fame career. By Dan Gelston. SENT: 800 words, photos.

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