AP News Digest 3 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.

——————————-

TOP STORIES

——————————-

AFGHANISTAN — Afghanistan’s state-run news agency says at least 255 people were killed in an earthquake that struck the country’s eastern Paktika province. The state-run Bakhtar news agency said rescuers were arriving by helicopter. Information remained scarce on the magnitude 6 temblor but it comes as the international community largely has left Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover of the country last year amid the chaotic withdrawal of the U.S. military from the longest war in its history. That likely will complicate any relief efforts for this country of 38 million people. By Fazel Rahman Faizi. SENT: 500 words. DEVELOPING. Pursuing photos and videos.

CAPITOL RIOT-INVESTIGATION — The House Jan. 6 committee has heard chilling, tearful testimony that Donald Trump’s relentless pressure to overturn the 2020 presidential election led to widespread threats against local workers and state officials. The panel focused Tuesday on the “heroes” of democracy — election workers and officials who fended off the defeated president’s demands. The committee is focused on Trump’s schemes to reject state tallies and electors, all fueled by his false claims of election fraud. By Lisa Mascaro and Farnoush Amiri. SENT: 1,200 words, photos, videos.

ELECTION 2022 — Katie Britt wins the Republican nomination for Senate in Alabama, defeating six-term Congressman Mo Brooks in a primary runoff after former President Donald Trump endorsed and then un-endorsed him. By Kim Chandler and Jill Colvin. SENT: 1,060 words, photos. With ELECTION 2022-TAKEAWAYS — Loyalty to Trump brings differing results in Alabama and Georgia. SENT: 940 words, photos.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — The press freedom group Reporters Without Borders says it believes that a Ukrainian photojournalist and a soldier who was accompanying him were “coldly executed” in Russian-occupied woodlands in the first weeks of Russia’s invasion. The bodies of Maks Levin and serviceman Oleksiy Chernyshov were found April 1 in woods north of the capital, Kyiv. Reporters Without Borders said it went back to the wooded spot to investigate the circumstances of their deaths. By John Leicester. SENT: 500 words, photo.

ABORTION-VIOLENCE — Abortion providers and some in law enforcement are preparing for an increase in violence once the Supreme Court rules in a case that could end Roe v. Wade, saying there has historically been a spike when the issue of abortion gets widespread public attention. By Sara Burnett. SENT: 880 words, photos. With: WISCONSIN-ABORTION — GOP lawmakers poised to end special session on abortion ban. SENT: 300 words, photos.

CONGRESS-GUNS — Senate bargainers have reached agreement on a bipartisan gun violence bill. That potentially tees up congressional passage this week on an incremental but notable package that would stand as Congress’s response to mass shootings in Texas and New York that shook the nation. By Alan Fram. sent: 1,200 words, photos, video.

——————————-

TRENDING

——————————-

BILL COSBY — Civil trial jurors find that Bill Cosby sexually abused a 16-year-old girl at the Playboy Mansion in 1975. SENT: 800 words, photos.

PLANE FIRE-MIAMI — A jetliner carrying 126 people catches fire after landing at Miami International Airport. No serious injuries are reported. SENT: 220 words, photos.

WESTMINSTER DOG SHOW — A bloodhound, a French bulldog, a German shepherd and a Maltese advance to the final round of the Westminster Kennel Club dog show. SENT: 450 words, photos.

BOOKS-OLIVIA HARRISON — Olivia Harrison, the widow of former Beatle George Harrison, opens up about life with her husband — and grieving his death — in a new book of poetry. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

———————————-

MORE ON ELECTION 2022

———————————-

ELECTION 2022-DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA — Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser wins the Democratic primary, overcoming a progressive rival and virtually guaranteeing that she will win a third consecutive term. SENT: 550 words, photos.

ELECTIONS 2022-GEORGIA — State Rep. Bee Nguyen will be the Democratic candidate for Georgia secretary of state in November. Nguyen is set to face Republican incumbent Brad Raffensperger and Libertarian Ted Metz in the general election. SENT: 700 words, photos.

———————————-

WASHINGTON/POLITICS

———————————-

CAPITOL RIOT-DOCUMENTARY — New footage of ex-President Trump and his inner circle taken both before and after Jan. 6, 2021, is now in the hands of the House committee investigating the attack on the Capitol. Word of the footage surfaced Tuesday. SENT: 380 words, photo.

VIRUS OUBTREAK-BIDEN — President Joe Biden is celebrating that virtually all Americans can now get a COVID-19 shot after the authorization of vaccines for kids under 5 over the weekend. SENT: 450 words, photos.

IRS-BACKLOG — The IRS says it will have erased its backlog of last season’s tax returns by the end of this week. SENT: 550 words, photo.

———————————

INTERNATIONAL

———————————

EUROPE-WILDFIRES — Extended drought conditions in several Mediterranean countries, a heat wave last week that reached northern Germany and high fuel costs for aircraft needed to fight wildfires have heightened concerns across Europe this summer. Experts warn Europe’s wildfires are no longer a problem just for the southern hotter countries as much of the continent is in drought. SENT: 800 words, photos.

SRI LANKA-CRISIS — Sri Lanka’s economic crisis, the worst in its history, has completely recast the lives of the country’s once galloping middle class. For many families that never had to think twice about fuel or food, the effects have been instant and painful, derailing years of progress toward lifestyles aspired to across South Asia. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

TURKEY-SAUDI — Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is set to make his first visit to Turkey as the two regional heavyweights press ahead with efforts to repair ties following the slaying of Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi in Istanbul. The crown prince will meet Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Wednesday. SENT: 450 words.

KOREAS-TENSIONS — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is meeting with his senior military officials to discuss national defense policies and continuing his arms buildup following a highly provocative run in ballistic missile testing this year that revived tensions with Washington and Seoul. SENT: 450 words, photos.

LAPID’S TEST — In just a decade, Yair Lapid has transformed himself from upstart political novice to the savvy operator who toppled Benjamin Netanyahu. Next week, he’s expected to assume his biggest role yet — as Israel’s new prime minister. SENT: 960 words, photos.

CHINA-FLOODS — Flooding forces the evacuation of tens of thousands of people in southern China, with more rain expected. SENT: 260 words, photo.

CHINA-ALIBABA — A Chinese court has sentenced a man to 18 months in prison after an Alibaba employee went public about being sexually assaulted at a business dinner. SENT: 300 words, photo.

COLOMBIA-KINDAPPINGS — A group of former leaders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, say the guerrilla organization was responsible for war crimes, including the kidnapping of thousands of civilians for ransom and also holding politicians as hostages for several years in the hopes of exchanging them for imprisoned rebels. SENT: 500 words, photos.

ISRAEL-MINI GAZA-PHOTO GALLERY — In Israel’s southern desert, the Israeli army has built a training base with 500 buildings and narrow alleyways adorned with posters honoring slain Palestinian fighters. The Urban Warfare Training Center cannot be found on any map. SENT: 400 words, photos.

———————————

NATIONAL

———————————

TEXAS-SCHOOL SHOOTING-EXPLAINER-DOORS — The Uvalde massacre began after the 18-year-old gunman entered the school through a door that could only be locked from the outside and then got inside a classroom that had a busted lock. SENT: 840 words, photos.

WESTERN WILDFIRES-STAFFING — Firefighter groups are applauding steps taken by the Biden administration this week to temporarily raise wages for the men and women on the front lines of the nation’s largest wildfires. But they say the temporary wage hikes won’t be enough to combat staffing problems, as federal agencies compete with local fire departments and a tight labor market. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

SOUTH DAKOTA-ATTORNEY GENERAL-IMPEACHMENT — The South Dakota Senate convicts Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg of impeachment charges stemming from a 2020 fatal accident, removing and barring him from future office. SENT: 1,220 words, photos.

———————————

BUSINESS/ECONOMY

———————————

THERANOS-FRAUD TRIAL — Final arguments unfold in the trial for Ramesh “Sunny" Balwani, the second act of the Theranos courtroom drama. By Technology Writer Michael Liedtke. SENT: 560 words, photo.

FINANCIAL MARKETS — Asian shares are mostly lower as markets shrug off a Wall Street rally and await the congressional testimony of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. SENT: 750 words, photos.

FORD-ELECTRIC VEHICLES-TENNESSEE — Ford Motor Co. officials are pledging to be good neighbors to those in rural west Tennessee who live near the automaker’s planned electric truck factory, a project expected to create thousands of jobs and change the face of the region. SENT: 500 words, photos.

———————————

SPORTS

———————————

TITLE IX-BRIANNA SCURRY'S JOURNEY — Brianna Scurry’s soccer jersey from the 1999 Women’s World Cup is at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture. It’s part of a permanent display that recognizes Title IX and its contributions to leveling the playing field. The law paved the way for the Black goalkeeper to knock down barriers with her talent, determination and grit, amassing a long list of honors in what was a predominantly white sport. SENT: 900 words, photos.

———————————

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT

———————————

FILM REVIEW-MARCEL THE SHELL — The experience of being small, and knee-weakeningly cute, is much at the heart of “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On,” very possibly the sweetest, most cuddly movie ever made about a mollusk, writes Associated Press Film Writer Jake Coyle in his review. SENT: 700 words, photos.

———————————————-

HOW TO REACH US

————————————————

The Nerve Center can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, 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.