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.

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ONLY ON AP

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SOMALIA-DYING IN DROUGHT — No mother should have to lose her child. Owliyo Hassan Salaad has watched four die this year. A drought in the Horn of Africa has taken them, one by one. Previously unreported data shared with the AP show nearly 450 deaths this year at malnutrition treatment centers in Somalia alone. By Omar Faruk and Cara Anna. SENT: 1,000 words, photo, video.

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TOP STORIES

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ELECTION 2022-HOUSE — Republican U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo of Mississippi has been forced into a runoff after a congressional ethics watchdog raised questions about his campaign spending and he faced his largest-ever field of primary challengers. In heavily Democratic California, Republican House members are facing primary rivals in races that will help determine control of Congress. In Montana, former Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is competing against several other Republicans for a chance to capture a new U.S. House district. And in Iowa, state Sen. Zach Nunn has won the GOP spot to take on the state’s lone Democratic House member, Rep. Cindy Axne, in a newly drawn district with a stronger Republican tilt . SENT: 1,300 words, photos, video. Follow this link for AP’s complete election coverage.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Russia is drawing closer to its goal of fully capturing Ukraine’s eastern industrial heartland of coal mines and factories. The Kremlin claimed Tuesday to have taken control of 97% of one of the two provinces that make up the Donbas region. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said Moscow’s forces hold nearly all of Luhansk province. And it appears that Russia now occupies roughly half of Donetsk province. That’s according to Ukrainian officials and military analysts. After abandoning its attempt to storm Kyiv two months ago, Russia declared that taking the entire Donbas is its main objective. By John Leicester and Hanna Ahrirova. SENT: 870 words, photos, video.

CAPITOL RIOT-INVESTIGATION-CHENEY — Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney is in the spotlight during Thursday’s hearing on the U.S. Capitol insurrection. It could be a pivotal moment in her political legacy — gaining her the respect of detractors or possibly costing Cheney her job. By Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 1,090 words, photos. With CAPITOL RIOT-POLITICS — As Democrats focus on threats to democracy, voters interested in more personal issues like inflation. SENT: 1,100 words, photos; CAPITOL RIOTS-HEARINGS-THINGS TO KNOW (sent),

AMERICAS SUMMIT-MIGRATION — The U.S. is the most popular destination for asylum-seekers, posing a challenge that has stumped President Joe Biden and his immediate predecessors, Donald Trump and Barack Obama. But the U.S. is far from alone. Other countries in the region, too, face intense pressure from immigration. By Elliott Spagat. SENT: 850 words, photos.

SHRINKFLATION — It’s the inflation you’re not supposed to see. From toilet paper to yogurt to corn chips, manufacturers are quietly shrinking package sizes without lowering prices. It’s dubbed “shrinkflation,” and it’s accelerating worldwide. By Business Writer Dee-Ann Durbin. SENT: 980 words, photos.

UNITED STATES-RUSSIA-GRINER-WHELAN — Brittney Griner is easily the most prominent American locked up by a foreign country. But the WNBA star’s case is tangled up with that of Paul Whelan, a lesser-known American also imprisoned in Russia. By Eric Tucker. SENT: 1,090 words, photos.

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TRENDING

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TEXAS SCHOOL SHOOTING-MCCONAUGHEY — Actor Matthew McConaughey calls on Congress to “reach a higher ground” and pass gun control legislation. SENT: 520 words, photos.

CHRISLEYS-FEDERAL CHARGES — Todd and Julie Chrisley, stars of the reality TV show “Chrisley Knows Best,” are found guilty on federal charges including bank fraud and tax evasion. SENT: 750 words, photo.

OBIT-JIM SEALS — Jim Seals, who teamed with fellow musician “Dash” Crofts on such 1970s soft-rock hits as “Summer Breeze,” has died at 80. SENT: 280 words.

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MORE ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-MERKEL — No apologies: Germany’s Merkel defends approach to Ukraine. SENT: 590 words, photos.

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MORE ON ELECTION 2022

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ELECTION 2022-SAN FRANCISCO-DISTRICT ATTORNEY — San Francisco has voted to recall progressive District Attorney Chesa Boudin in a heated campaign that divided Democrats over crime, policing and public safety reform in the famously liberal city. SENT: 620 words, photos.

ELECTION 2022-LOS ANGELES MAYOR — Democratic U.S. Rep. Karen Bass and billionaire developer Rick Caruso breezed past a large field of rivals looking to be the next mayor of Los Angeles and advanced to a runoff election in November. SENT: 550 words, photos.

ELECTION 2022-IOWA-SENATE — Democrat Mike Franken, a retired Navy admiral, will face Republican Chuck Grassley in the race for an Iowa U.S. Senate seat, winning his party nomination over two competitors. SENT: 530 words, photos.

ELECTION 2022-CALIFORNIA-GOVERNOR — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has cruised to an easy primary victory. Early returns Tuesday showed the first-term Democrat with just over 60% of the votes to advance to the general election in November. SENT: 630 words, photos.

ELECTION 2022-NEW MEXICO — Mark Ronchetti has won the Republican primary for governor to challenge incumbent Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. SENT: 800 words, photos.

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VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-NOVAVAX — American adults who haven’t yet gotten vaccinated against COVID-19 may soon get another choice, as advisers to the FDA back a more traditional type of shot. By Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard. SENT: 750 words, photo.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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FOREIGN LOBBYING INVESTIGATION — The FBI seizes the electronic data of a retired four-star general who authorities say made false statements and withheld “incriminating” documents about his role in an illegal foreign lobbying campaign on behalf of the Persian Gulf nation of Qatar. SENT: 950 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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IRAN-TRAIN DERAILMENT — A A passenger train has derailed in eastern Iran, killing at least 17 people and injuring 50 others. That’s according to initial reports on Iranian state television. The report said four of the seven cars in the train derailed in the early morning darkness near the desert city of Tabas. SENT: 370 words.

KOREAS-TENSIONS — U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman has met with her counterparts from South Korea and Japan, emphasizing the U.S. commitment to defend its allies and trilateral security cooperation to confront an accelerating nuclear threat from North Korea. SENT: 750 words, photos.

AUSTRALIA-ROCKETS — NASA is gearing up to launch a research rocket from remote northern Australia this month. It will be the agency’s first blast off from a commercial space port outside the United States. SENT: 350 words, photos.

VIETNAM-CORRUPTION — State media say Vietnam’s health minister and the mayor of the capital Hanoi have been arrested in an investigation into massive price gouging of COVID-19 tests. SENT: 260 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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XERNONA TAYLOR — A key aide to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. says she’s deeply saddened by the hate crimes that are terrorizing people across America. Xernona Clayton has been working for racial equality and harmony since the civil rights movement began, which is why she tells The Associated Press that she can’t sit quietly in the face of racial terror. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

JILL BIDEN — Jill Biden is urging graduates of a Los Angeles community college to never forget where they came from. The first lady told the students they can learn from their past without being defined by it. SENT:350 words, photos.

DEATH PENALTY-ARIZONA — An Arizona prisoner convicted in the 1984 killing of an 8-year-old girl is scheduled to be executed Wednesday. It will be the state’s second execution since resuming its use of the death penalty in May after a nearly eight-year hiatus. The execution is scheduled for 10 a.m. SENT: 830 words, photos.

SPRING WILDFIRES — New Mexico’s governor says the destruction caused by the largest wildfire burning in the U.S. has been devastating for thousands of residents and their lives have been forever disrupted and altered. SENT: 440 words, photos.

DOCTOR-SEXUAL ABUSE — Sexual assault victims of Larry Nassar including several Olympians are filing claims Wednesday against the FBI, claiming a bungled investigation by agents led to more abuse by the sports doctor. UPCOMING: 500 words by 7 a.m., photos.

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BUSINESS/ECONOMY

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AMAZON-COUNTERFEITS — Amazon says its second-annual report that it prevented 4 billion bad listings from making it onto its site and got rid of more than 3 million phony products last year. The results, released Wednesday, were mixed compared with 2020, when Amazon blocked 10 billion listings and got rid of 2 million phony products. SENT: 570 words, photos.

JAPAN-ECONOMY — The government says Japan’s economy contracted in the first quarter though at a slower rate than expected. The Cabinet Office said the world’s third-largest economy contracted at a 0.5% annual rate, smaller than the 1.0% contraction in the preliminary estimate for Japan’s real gross domestic product. SENT: 530 words, photos.

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HEALTH/SCIENCE

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CANCER TREATMENT — Some cancer patients can safely skip radiation or chemotherapy after surgery. That’s according to two new studies exploring shorter, gentler cancer care. SENT: 650 words, photos.

WELL WATER WORRIES — Experts say more intense storms driven by climate change are boosting contamination risks for privately owned drinking water wells. Roughly 53 million U.S. residents rely on private wells that draw groundwater. UPCOMING: 1,200 words by 11 a.m., photos.

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SPORTS

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FIFA TRIAL-BLATTER-PLATINI — Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini’s 11-day trial on charges of defrauding soccer governing body FIFA starts Wednesday. The case finally brings the epic downfall of soccer’s former world leaders into criminal court. SENT: 960 words, photos.

SALT LAKE-EILEEN GU — Eileen Gu won two gold medals for China in freestyle skiing at the recent Beijing Olympics. Now the California-born athlete has signed on to work for Salt Lake City’s bid for the 2030 or 2034 Winter Olympics. SENT: 400 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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