AP News Digest 4:20 a.m.

APTOPIX Kansas Daily Life (Copyright 2021 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.

—————————

TOP STORIES

—————————

ELECTION 2022-THREE LITTLE WORDS — Nearly eleven months since Joe Biden’s inauguration, Republican politicians cannot bring themselves to utter three simple words: “Joe Biden won.” Former President Donald Trump’s lies about a stolen election have so taken hold among GOP voters that many of the party’s candidates either believe them — or fear the political repercussions of refuting them. By Thomas Beaumont. SENT: 1,010 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-NFL — The NFL has moved three games because of COVID-19 outbreaks: Las Vegas at Cleveland from Saturday to Monday; and Seattle at the Los Angeles Rams and Washington at Philadelphia from Sunday to Tuesday. Previously, the NFL did not plan to move any games because of coronavirus outbreaks. SENT: 1,380 words, photos. By Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner. SENT: 1,380 words, photos.

AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN-RALLYING HELP — Pakistan is rallying Muslim countries to help Afghanistan stave off an economic and humanitarian disaster while also cajoling the neighboring country’s new Taliban rulers to soften their image abroad. By Kathy Gannon. SENT: 740 words, photos.

JAPAN-FIRE — Japanese police have searched the house of one of the patients at a mental clinic where a fire gutted an entire floor in an eight-story building, killing 24 people trapped inside. By Chisato Tanaka and Mari Yamaguchi. SENT: 640 words, photos.

—————————————-

LOCALIZE IT

—————————————-

YEAREND COVERAGE-LOCALIZE IT — With the end of the year comes the inevitable hunger by news audiences for recaps — ways, during down time, to look at news and context that helps make sense of the previous year. And 2021, like its predecessor, was a doozy. So how to localize? Here are a few thoughts. SENT: 640 words.

—————————————-

TRENDING NEWS

—————————————-

US-HARRIS — Vice President Kamala Harris got into a testy exchange with media host Charlamagne Tha God, defending President Joe Biden from questions over roadblocks to passage of his social spending package. SENT: 380 words, photo.

OBIT-KEN KRAGEN — Ken Kragen, a top entertainment producer, manager and philanthropist who turned to such clients as Lionel Richie and Kenny Rogers in helping to organize the 1985 all-star charity single “We Are the World,” has died. SENT: 420 words.

MISS AMERICA — The newly crowned Miss America has made history, becoming both the first Korean American and the first Alaskan to hold the title in the competition’s 100-year history. SENT: 720 words, photos.

————————————————————————

MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

————————————————————————

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ATHLETE-VIDEO-MISINF0RMATION — Jake West was a seemingly healthy 17-year-old when he collapsed during high school football practice in Indiana and died of sudden cardiac arrest. A video widely shared online falsely suggests COVID-19 vaccination is to blame, weaving headlines about him into a rapid-fire compilation of news coverage about athletes collapsing. SENT: 1,100 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-EGYPT — Egyptian health authorities said they have identified the country’s first cases of the highly transmissible omicron variant of the coronavirus. SENT: 130 words.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-BOEING — Aerospace giant Boeing says it’s suspending a company vaccination requirement for all U.S.-based employees. SENT: 190 words, photos.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-NEW YORK — New York state has reported just over 21,000 people had tested positive for COVID-19 the previous day, the highest single-day total for new cases since testing became widely available. SENT: 340 words, photos.

VIRUS-RULES-SCHOOLS-MISSOURI — Missouri’s treasurer no longer will help schools refinance bond debt unless they promise not to require face masks. SENT: 350 words.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-CANADA — Canada’s largest province is cutting capacity at restaurants, bars and retailers to 50% and limiting social gatherings inside restaurants to 10 people in an effort to slow the spread of the omicron variant. SENT: 240 words, photos.

——————————————————-

WASHINGTON/POLITICS

——————————————————-

CONGRESS-MANCHIN’S DEMANDS — Sen. Joe Manchin and Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sat down in July to negotiate what exactly it would take to get Manchin’s vote for President Joe Biden’s massive social and environmental bill. Nearly six months later, most of his top asks have been delivered, yet Democratic senators are nowhere closer to gaining his support. By Farnoush Amiri and Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 730 words, photos.

—————————

NATIONAL

—————————

AIRLINES-MASKS-FACT-FOCUS — The CEO of a major airline suggested during a congressional hearing this week that face masks provide little value on planes — a claim that was quickly amplified online. SENT: 850 words, photo.

JEFFREY EPSTEIN-MAXWELL-TRIAL — Ghislaine Maxwell’s defense rested its case Friday after two days of presenting evidence on the British socialite’s behalf. Not among that evidence: testimony from the longtime Jeffrey Epstein associate herself. Around a half-hour after Maxwell told the court Friday she would not testify in her own defense. By Tom Hays and Larry Neumeister. SENT: 680 words, photos, video.

ARMY-GENERAL-COLORADO-VISIT — The U.S. military’s new Southern Command Gen. Laura Richardson said Friday she is focused on strengthening military relationships with South American countries despite fraught politics. SENT: 510 words, photos.

———————————-

INTERNATIONAL

———————————-

HAITI-US-HOSTAGES — All the former hostages from a U.S.-based missionary group kidnapped in Haiti have been flown out of the country after a two-month ordeal, the leader of their Ohio-based missions organization says, as he also extended an offer of forgiveness to their captors. SENT: 750 words, photos.

HONG KONG-ELECTION — Elections for Hong Kong’s Legislative Council on Sunday mark the culmination of Beijing’s campaign to rein in the body that had once kept it from imposing its unrestrained will over the semi-autonomous territory. SENT: 870 words, photos.

INDONESIA-VOLCANO — Indonesian authorities raised the alert level for the highest volcano on Java island, saying Mount Semeru could blow up again after a sudden eruption earlier this month left 48 people dead and 36 missing in villages that were buried in layers of mud. SENT: 360 words, photos.

FRANCE ECONOMY — French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire speaks to The Associated Press about how to deal with challenges from China, the upcoming French presidential elections and controversial COVID restrictions against travel with Britain. SENT: 600 words, photos.

———————

SPORTS

——————

HKN—VIRUS OUTBREAK-NHL — The NHL has postponed all games for the Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers through at least the Christmas weekend amid worsening COVID-19 test results across the league. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. SENT: 840 words, photos.

GLF--PNC CHAMPIONSHIP — Tiger Woods was in golf attire taking full swings and holing putts. And this time he had a viewing audience. Even a pro-am at the PNC Championship brought a big crowd, and Woods said he had a few nerves. This was must-see golf for other reasons. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. SENT: 870 words, photos.

——————————————

HOW TO REACH US

———————————————

At the Nerve Center, Vincent K. Willis can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Donald E. King (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from http://newsroom.ap.org. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.