AP News Digest 4 am

APTOPIX Beijing Olympics Alpine Skiing (Copyright 2022 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.

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TOP STORIES

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UKRAINE-TENSIONS — As Ukrainians waved flags in a show of defiance of a feared Russian invasion, the United States reported that Moscow had added as many as 7,000 troops to forces stationed along the tense border — a warning that contradicted Kremlin declarations that military units were being pulled back. By Vladimir Isachenkov, Yuras Karmanau and Aamer Madhani. SENT: 980 words, photos, video. Also see UKRAINE-RUSSIAN PASSPORTS below. For full coverage of Ukraine.

VIRUS OUTBREAK — The omicron wave that assaulted the United States this winter also bolstered its defenses, leaving enough protection against the coronavirus that future spikes will likely require much less — if any — dramatic disruption to society. Millions of individual Americans’ immune systems now recognize the virus and are primed to fight it off if they encounter omicron, or even another variant. By Medical Writer Carla K. Johnson. SENT: 960 words, photos.

CANADA PROTESTS-US INFLUENCE — The Canadian protests that have blocked major border crossings with the U.S. and gnarled supply chains have been promoted, cheered and funded by American anti-vaccine groups, right-wing activists and conservative elected officials. About 44 percent of the donations to a campaign to support the protesters came from U.S. donors, according to an AP analysis of leaked donor files. By Richard Lardner, Michelle R. Smith and Ali Swenson. SENT: 980 words, photo.

CHINA-GLOVES OFF — For two weeks and more, China’s stance on questions about its politics and policies has been straightforward: It’s the Olympics, and we’re not talking about these things. That changed at the Beijing organizing committee’s last regularly scheduled daily news conference, three days before the end of the Games. The persistent and polite refusal to answer such questions gave way to the usual state of affairs at news conferences with Chinese officials — emphatic, calibrated answers about the country’s most sensitive situations. By Sports Writers Stephen Wade and Graham Dunbar. SENT: 550 words, photo.

ELECTION 2022-RURAL VOTERS — The Democratic Party’s brand is so toxic in some parts of rural America that liberals are removing bumper stickers and refusing to acknowledge their party affiliation publicly. That presents acute challenges for Democratic candidates in states that will help decide the Senate majority in November. By National Politics Writer Steve Peoples. SENT: 1,110 words, photos.

SYRIA-FOREIGN DETAINEES — In a camp for Islamic State-affiliated foreign nationals in northeast Syria, many women have long discarded the black garb synonymous with the wives of IS, donning jeans, baseball caps and makeup. Stretched thin amid an economic crisis and rising threats from IS sleeper cells, authorities in the Kurdish-led autonomous region are renewing calls for countries to repatriate tens of thousands of foreign nationals held in volatile camps and detention centers, pointing the finger at them as a chief source of instability. By SENT: 1,200 words, photos.

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MORE ON THE OLYMPICS

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WOMEN’S FREE — With the shadow of a doping controversy hanging over her, Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva tries to finish off a golden Olympics in the women’s free skate. By Sports Writer Dave Skretta. SENT: 860 words, photos. With BEIJING-OLYMPICS-THE-LATEST.

WOMEN’S COMBINED — Mikaela Shiffrin came to the Beijing Olympics as one of the biggest stars of Alpine skiing — or any sport. She will leave without any individual medals after managing to finish just two of the five women’s races. By National Writer Howard Fendrich. SENT: 500 words, photos.

ALPINE SKIING DIVERSITY — There are many programs aimed at exposing Black and Hispanic children from urban communities to winter sports, such as Alpine skiing. But the skiing community’s efforts to diversify the sport aren’t fully reflected in the competition at the Beijing Winter Games. SENT: 1,180 words, photos.

GOLD MEDAL — Marie-Philip Poulin scored twice and Canada reclaimed its place atop the women’s hockey world with a 3-2 win over the defending champion United States at the Beijing Olympics. By Hockey Writer John Wawrow. SENT: 770 words, photos.

EILEEN’S GOALS — Another Olympic gold medal is hers for the taking. Eileen Gu has bigger goals than that. By National Writer Eddie Pells. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4 a.m.

BEIJING-INVISIBLE OLYMPICS — The Olympics are back in Beijing this year but the atmosphere is much more subdued. SENT: 870 words, photos.

GLIMPSES-OLYMPIC FRIENDS — Nations at odds, but Olympians find time for a hug; DAY 12-PHOTO GALLERY.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-SOLDIERS AS TEACHERS — National Guard Army and Air Force troops in New Mexico have been stepping in for an emergency unlike others they have responded to before: the shortage of teachers and school staff members that have tested the ability of schools nationwide to continue operating during the coronavirus pandemic. SENT: 950 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK ZIMBABWE MENTAL HEALTH — In Zimbabwe, the COVID-19 pandemic has driven up mental health problems caused by substance abuse. SENT: 770 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-INDIA TESTS — The use of rapid home tests has surged in India on the back of omicron cases, but experts say home tests are less accurate than lab-run PCR tests and that since not all results are being reported, new variants or future clusters may go undetected. SENT: 980 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-HONG KONG — Facing an outbreak of COVID-19 among prisoners, Hong Kong is moving infected inmates to an isolation facility as the city struggles to snuff out a record number of cases by implementing China’s “zero tolerance” strategy. SENT: 260 words, photos.

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TRENDING NEWS

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BOTCHED BAPTISMS — Baptisms by Arizona priest presumed invalid due to error. SENT: 1,190 words, photos.

THAILAND-STILL-BANGKOK — It’s still Bangkok: Thailand quells talk of name change. SENT: 330 words, photos.

ABORTION-FLORIDA — Florida House passes Republican’s 15-week abortion ban. SENT: 360 words, photo.

PLANE CRASH-INTERSTATE 85 — Plane crashes into tractor-trailer on North Carolina interstate. SENT: 180 words, photo.

EMIRATES-LOW FLIGHT — Investigators say Emirates flight to Washington flew too low. SENT: 210 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON

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BIDEN — President Joe Biden highlights how his infrastructure law will help to clean up and restore the Great Lakes and surrounding waterways during a visit to Ohio. UPCOMING: 710 words, photo by 5 a.m.; then updates from midday events in Ohio.

FAA CHIEF RESIGNS — Steve Dickson, the leader of the Federal Aviation Administration, whose agency has been criticized for its oversight of Boeing and handling of questions surrounding 5G interference with aircraft, says he will step down March 31. By Airlines Writer David Koenig. SENT: 500 words, photo.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-STATE OF THE UNION — Biden hopes to use next month’s State of the Union address to nudge the pandemic into the nation’s rear-view mirror, but there are risks the event could turn out to be another disruptive display of tensions and frustrations over how to move past COVID-19. SENT: 1,000 words, photo.

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NATIONAL

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TRUMP-LEGAL TROUBLES — A judge will hear arguments in former President Donald Trump’s fight to avoid being questioned under oath in a New York investigation into his business practices. SENT: 470 words, photo.

GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICERS-CIVIL RIGHTS — A former Minneapolis police officer charged in George Floyd’s killing testified that he deferred to Derek Chauvin because he was his senior officer and that’s what he had been trained to do. SENT: 720 words, photos.

AHMAUD ARBERY-HATE CRIMES — The federal hate crimes trial of the three men convicted of murdering Ahmaud Arbery enters its fourth day, with the jury returning to court after hearing testimony that two of the defendants frequently used racial slurs. SENT: 340 words, photos.

POLICE SHOOTING-MINNEAPOLIS-FUNERAL — Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man who was shot by Minneapolis police serving a search warrant, will be eulogized in the same church that hosted Daunte Wright’s funeral last April. SENT: 260 words, photo. UPCOMING: Developing from noon service.

LA MAYOR — The contest to become the next mayor of Los Angeles can be distilled into a single question with no easy answer: Who can fix this mess? By Political Writer Michael R. Blood. SENT: 1,100 words, photos.

SAN FRANCISCO-SCHOOL BOARD RECALL — The parents of San Francisco have spoken and their message is echoing like a wake-up call across the country. SENT: 810 words, photos.

OKLAHOMA EXECUTION-POSTELLE — Oklahoma is set to execute Gilbert Postelle, 35, for his role in the slayings of four people in south Oklahoma City in 2005. SENT: 480 words, photo. UPCOMING: Execution scheduled for 11 a.m.

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INTERNATIONAL

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BRAZIL-DEADLY RAINS — Rio de Janeiro state’s government has confirmed 94 deaths from floods and mudslides that swept away homes and cars in the city of Petropolis. SENT: 570 words, photos, video.

AFGHANISTAN-MEDIA — Journalists in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan say they operate in a climate of fear and uncertainty. SENT: 980 words, photos.

UKRAINE-RUSSIAN PASSPORTS — Since 2019, some 720,000 residents of areas in eastern Ukraine controlled by Russia-backed rebels have received Russian passports in a fast-track procedure widely seen as an attempt to underscore Russia’s influence in the region. SENT: 1,090 words, photos.

FRANCE-ELECTION-FAR RIGHT — Two words, taboo for many in France because they evoke a conspiracy theory embraced by white supremacists, have been haunting the French presidential campaign: “Great replacement.” SENT: 880 words, photos.

FRANCE-MALI — President Emmanuel Macron says France will withdraw its troops from Mali but maintain a military presence in neighboring West African nations. SENT: 320 words, photos.

AUSTRALIA-TERRORISTS — Australia said it had added the U.S.-based far-right extremist group National Socialist Order and planned to add the entirety of the Palestinian group Hamas to its list of outlawed terrorist organizations as concerns rise about radicalized children. SENT: 550 words, photo.

VIETNAM-HUMAN RIGHTS — More than 170 activists have been put under house arrest, blocked from traveling and sometimes assaulted by agents of the Vietnamese government in a little-noticed campaign to silence its critics, a human rights group says. SENT: 550 words, photo.

UNITED NATIONS-TONGA — A month after an undersea volcanic eruption and ensuing tsunami lashed Tonga, a U.N. official says that 80% of the Pacific island nation’s 105,000 people were affected and the country needs over $90 million to start repairing damage and restoring its key farming and fishing sectors. SENT: 480 words, photos.

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BUSINESS/ECONOMY

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FINANCIAL MARKETS — Asian stock markets were mixed after Federal Reserve policymakers indicated they are leaning toward more decisive action on inflation but set no firm targets. By Business Writer Joe McDonald. SENT: 570 words, photos. With JAPAN-TRADE — Japan’s deficit reaches eight-year high as energy imports soar.

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS — The Labor Department reports on the number of people who applied for unemployment benefits last week. By Business Writer Matt Ott. UPCOMING: 130 words after release of report at 8:30 a.m., photo.

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HOW TO REACH US

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