AP News Digest 2:10 p.m.

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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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ONLY ON AP

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE YEAR-AP POLL-PERSONAL FINANCE — Roughly 4 in 10 Americans say they’re still feeling the financial impact of the loss of a job or income within their household as the economic recovery remains uneven one year into the coronavirus pandemic. A new poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research provides further evidence that the pandemic has been devastating for some Americans, while leaving others virtually unscathed or even in better shape, at least when it comes to their finances. By Ken Sweet and Emily Swanson. SENT: 930 words, photos.

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TOP STORIES

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — Joe Biden is staking his presidency on the idea that the government can use his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan to stop a pandemic and jobs crisis and catapult the country forward to tackle the issues of poverty and inequality. By Josh Boak and Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 1,030 words, photos, video.

BRITAIN-MEGHAN-AND-HARRY —Buckingham Palace said that allegations of racism made earlier this week by Prince Harry and Meghan were “concerning” and would be addressed privately by the royal family. The statement is the first comment by the palace following Harry and Meghan’s two-hour interview with Oprah Winfrey in which they alleged that Meghan had experienced racism and callous treatment during her time in the royal family. By Danica Kirka. SENT: 522 words, photos. With: BRITAIN-MEGHAN-AND-HARRY-RACISM — Explosive allegations by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex that she faced racist attitudes from both the palace and the U.K. press have sent ripples of shock around the world. But they came as no surprise to many Black Britons. By Jill Lawless. SENT: 830 words, photos. BRITAIN-MEGHAN AND HARRY-PIERS MORGAN: Piers Morgan quits talk show after comments about Meghan Markle SENT: 177 words.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ONE-YEAR-MILESTONES — As the pandemic enters its second year, there’s a pent-up longing for normalcy, especially when it comes to life’s milestones. Some predict their pandemic celebrations have set a new course. The crisis has proven that distance no longer denies lasting meaning. Others still mourn the way their celebrations used to be. By Leanne Italie. SENT: 1,160 words, photos.

REPUBLICANS-BIDEN — Republicans are struggling to villainize President Joe Biden like they did Barack Obama, with the party more focused on internal divisions and cultural issues. By Jonathan Lemire and Jill Colvin. UPCOMING: 900 words by 4:30 p.m., photos.

MYANMAR — About a thousand demonstrators against last month’s military seizure of power in Myanmar emerged cautiously onto the streets of the country’s second-biggest city, those in the vanguard carrying homemade shields bearing images of the three-fingered salute, the movement’s symbol of defiance. SENT: 700 words, photos. With MYANMAR-MEDIA-CRACKDOWN — Myanmar media defiant as junta cracks down.

VIRUS OUTBREAK — As states ramp up vaccination distribution in the fight against the coronavirus, volunteers are needed to do everything from direct traffic to check people in to keep vaccination sites running smoothly. In return for their work, they’re often given a shot. That’s raised questions at a time when supplies are limited and Americans have struggled to get vaccinated even if they’re eligible. But medical ethicists say volunteers are a key part of the public health effort. SENT: 950 words, photos.

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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

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FRANCE-NOTRE DAME — In a former royal forest in France, four 200-year-old oaks are being felled for wood to reconstruct Notre Dame cathedral’s fire-damaged spire. SENT: 470 words, photos.

OBIT-NORTON-JUSTER — Norton Juster, ‘The Phantom Tollbooth’ author, dead at 91. SENT: 220 words, photo.

WORLD WAR II-VETERAN-MEDALS — World War II veteran receives medals 77 years after heroism. SENT: 800 words, photo.

FLINT WATER-LEGAL FEES — Lawyers seeking 32% of $641M Flint tainted water settlement. SENT: 380 words.

TEXAS-SCHOOL SONG — Report finds ‘no racist intent’ behind song ‘Eyes of Texas’. SENT: 820 words, photos.

HAWAII-FLOODING — Maui residents evacuated after officials feared dam breach. SENT: 545 words, photos.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ONE-YEAR-PHOTO-GALLERY — To look at year-old photographs is to revisit a world divided. There were places where life had already been short-circuited by a raging plague -- and others where it was just becoming apparent that the monster was in the house. SENT: 320 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SUMMER CAMPS — There are going to be more happy campers this summer as more camps reopen despite the pandemic. So far, more than 40 states are allowing overnight camps this summer. SENT: 740 words, photos.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ITALY-SPUTNIK-V — Russia has signed a deal to produce its Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in Italy the first contract in the European Union, the Italian Russian Chamber of Commerce announced. SENT: 760 words, photos.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-MEXICO-VACCINES — Mexico has just made a huge bet on Chinese vaccines, without making public any information about their efficacy. Foreign Relations Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said the Mexican government has signed contracts for 12 million doses of the yet-unapproved Sinopharm vaccine and a total of 20 million doses of the Coronavac dose made by China’s Sinovac. SENT: 340 words.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ITALY — The 160-bed hospital in the Po River Valley town of Chiari has no more room for patients stricken with the highly contagious variant of COVID-19 first identified in Britain that has put hospitals in Italy’s northern Brescia province on high alert. SENT: 560 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CZECH — The first Czech COVID-19 patient to be sent outside of the country was transported to Poland from a region that had declared its ICUs were full. As Czech intensive care units reach their limits, the nurses are so busy that they have no time to eat, drink, or go to the toilet. SENT: 560 words, photos.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK–ONE-GOOD-THING–CHURCH-FEEDINGS—Long past midnight every Friday, Doramise Moreau toils in her tiny kitchen, boiling lemon peels, crushing fragrant garlic and onion blended into a homemade spice rub for chicken and turkey and boiling the dried beans to accompany the yellow rice she’ll deliver to the Miami church where she’s cooked roughly 1,000 meals a week since the pandemic erupted. SENT: 660 words, photos, video.

VIRUS-OUTBREAK-FAITH-VACCINE-DRIVE — In much of the country, getting the coveted vaccine has been tremendously difficult for many older adults due to complicated and overtaxed websites and bureaucracies — and even more so for those who have disabilities, are homebound or have no family to help. In Miami Beach, faith leaders and the fire department have joined resources to expedite getting shots in the arms of older adults starting with the homebound and those in low-income housing. SENT: 960 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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CAPITOL-NATIONAL GUARD — The Pentagon is set to approve an extension of the National Guard deployment at the U.S. Capitol for about two more months, defense officials said Tuesday. Officials said final details were being worked out, but Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is expected to give final approval. By Lolita C. Baldor. SENT: 550 words, photos.

BIDEN-MAJOR TROUBLE — President Joe Biden has Major trouble. Family dogs Major and Champ have been banished from the White House for a doggie time out in Delaware but the White House is mum on reports that it’s because Major sank his teeth into a staffer. It’s not the first kerfuffle involving Major, who also played a role in Biden’s broken foot late last year. By Darlene Superville. UPCOMING: 500 words by 4 p.m., photo.

UNITED STATES-RUSSIA-PIPELINE — Turning the tables after the Trump years, Republicans are criticizing the Biden administration’s approach to Russia. By Matthew Lee. UPCOMING: 700 words by 5 p.m., photo.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-SMITHSONIAN — The Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History has acquired the vial that contained the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine administered in the United States as part of its plans to document the global pandemic and “this extraordinary period we were going through.” By Ashraf Khalil. SENT: 600 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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RACIAL INJUSTICE-REPORTER'S TRIAL — An Iowa police officer who pepper sprayed and arrested a journalist who was covering an unruly Black Lives Matter protest acknowledged that he failed to record the interaction on his body camera and did not notify a supervisor as required by department policy. Wilson’s testimony came on the second day of a trial in which Sahouri and her former boyfriend, Spenser Robnett, are charged with failure to disperse and interference with official acts. SENT: 670 words, photos.

GENERAL MOTORS-LEAVING HOME — When General Motors ended a half-century of building cars in Ohio’s blue collar corner, 1,600 workers had to decide whether to accept the automaker’s offer to move to another factory. Now, two years later, many of autoworkers who relocated are finding that their lives and futures are just as unsettled. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.

GEORGE-FLOYD-OFFICER-TRIAL — The trial of a former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s death is forging ahead with jury selection, even though a looming appellate ruling could halt the case and delay it for weeks or even months as the state tries to add a third-degree murder count. SENT: 600 words, photos.

GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICER TRIAL-PANDEMIC — The trial of a fired Minneapolis police officer in George Floyd’s death is being conducted amid a pandemic, which means the courtroom looks nothing like it usually would. The jury box and gallery are gone, replaced with just a few widely spaced desks for attorneys, jurors and two media representatives. Plexiglas barriers and sanitizer are everywhere, and participants – even the judge – are largely wearing masks. UPCOMING: Developing.

2022-SENATE-MISSOURI-GREITENS — Since former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens resigned that office amid scandal in 2018, he’s been laying the groundwork for a comeback. The retirement of fellow Republican Roy Blunt from the U.S. Senate as the party searches for direction after President Donald Trump is the moment he’s waited for. UPCOMING: 800 words by 3 p.m., photo.

CALIFORNIA-GOVERNOR-RECALL — California Gov. Gavin Newsom is set to give perhaps the most important speech of his political life, and he’s spent weeks laying the groundwork for an upbeat address aimed at nearly 40 million people exhausted by a year of coronavirus restrictions. SENT: 890 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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EUROPE-SPAIN-CATALONIA — The European Parliament voted to lift the immunity of the former president of Spain’s Catalonia region, Carles Puigdemont, and two of his associates, a move that could pave the way for their extradition and reopen the scars of separatism in Spain. SENT: 170 words, photos.

CLIMATE-EU-US — U.S. special envoy for climate John Kerry traveled to Brussels to discuss transatlantic cooperation with European officials in the wake of Biden’s decision to rejoin the global effort to curb climate change. SENT: 340 words, photo.

ARMENIAN-POLITICS — Thousands of opposition supporters blockaded the Armenian parliament building to press a demand for the country’s prime minister to step down. Nikol Pashinyan has rejected the opposition’s demands to resign over a November peace deal that ended six weeks of fierce fighting over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, in which Azerbaijan routed the Armenian forces. SENT: 350 words.

PERSIAN-GULF-JEWISH-REVIVAL — Half a year after the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain established diplomatic relations with Israel, discreet Jewish communities in the Gulf Arab states that once lived in the shadow of the Arab-Israeli conflict are adopting a more public profile. SENT: 1,100 words, photos.

FRANCE-ALGERIA — French President Emmanuel Macron announced a decision to speed up the declassification of secret documents related to Algeria’s 1954-62 war of independence from France. SENT: 330 words, photos.

TUNISIA-MIGRANTS — Thirty-nine African migrants, including several children, perished at dawn on Tuesday off the Tunisian coast after a boat carrying 93 people sank. SENT: 160 words.

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BUSINESS/ECONOMY

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-RELIEF MEASURES-TIMING — The $1.9 trillion federal pandemic relief package includes direct payments to most Americans, aid to small businesses and much more to help the country recover from the financial ravages of the pandemic. Some benefits made directly to taxpayers could begin arriving later this month, with others taking much longer to put into effect. UPCOMING: 900 words by 3 p.m., photos.

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SCIENCE

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LUNG CANCER SCREENING — More Americans now qualify for yearly scans to detect lung cancer under new guidelines. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force expanded eligibility for the screening, opening it to lighter smokers and starting at age 50 instead of 55. Lung cancer is the nation’s top cancer killer, causing more than 135,000 deaths each year. SENT: 470 words, photo.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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MUSIC-GRAMMYWATCH-PREDICTIONS — Associated Press music writers Mesfin Fekadu and Kristin M. Hall dissect the best of an extremely unpredictable year in music, predicting that Taylor Swift will win Album of the Year and are split on which honors Beyoncé, Billie Eilish and Harry Styles might take home. SENT: 1,500 words, photos.

MUSIC-GRAMMYWATCH-BTS — BTS’ “Dynamite” exploded on the Billboard charts and helped the K-pop all-stars land their first Grammy nomination, but they said the song that changed their careers almost didn’t happen. By Music Writer Mesfin Fekadu. SENT: 540 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE-YEAR-WUHAN SOCCER — Chinese soccer team Wuhan FC is back in preseason training as the coronavirus pandemic stretches into a second year. A lot closer to home this time. The club endured quite an ordeal last year after first being stranded in Spain on a preseason tour as its home city was overrun by the virus. It then fled the country just before the outbreak hit Europe hard. The team had to spend nearly four months away from home. SENT: 760 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ONE YEAR-GOOD AND BAD — AP sports columnists Jim Litke and Tim Dahlberg weigh in on the highlights and lowlights of a year in sports few will forget and none want to repeat. UPCOMING: 1,000 words, photos by 7 p.m.

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HOW TO REACH US

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