AP News Digest 3;10 a.m.

APTOPIX Ukraine Tensions (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 — A separatist leader in eastern Ukraine has ordered a full military mobilization, a move that comes amid a spike in violence in the war-torn region that the West fears could be used as a pretext for an invasion by neighboring Russia. By Vladimir Isachenkov, Yuras Karmanau, Aamer Madhani and Zeke Miller. SENT: 1,180 words, photos.

UKRAINE TENSIONS-HARRIS — Vice President Kamala Harris is expected to use a speech at the Munich Security Conference to warn Russia that it will face huge financial costs if it further invades Ukraine, while underscoring that an invasion will only draw European allies closer to the United States. By Aamer Madhani. SENT: 740 words, photos. UPCOMING: 900 words after 5:30 a.m. speech.

Find full Ukraine coverage here.

TRUMP-INVESTIGATIONS — Former President Donald Trump faced one legal setback after another this week as judges ruled against him, his accounting firm declared his financial statements unreliable, and the National Archives confirmed that he took classified information with him to Florida. By Jill Colvin. SENT: 1,370 words, photos. With NATIONAL ARCHIVES-TRUMP — The National Archives refers the matter of Trump’s records to the Justice Department. SENT: 620 words, photo; CAPITOL RIOT-LAWSUITS — A federal judge rejects efforts by Trump to toss out lawsuits that claim his actions led to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection. SENT: 560 words, photo.

GUANTANAMO CLOSURE-EXPLAINER — The Biden administration has been quietly laying the groundwork to release prisoners from the Guantanamo Bay detention center and at least move closer to being able to shut it down. By Ben Fox. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

OLY-MASCOT-FOLLIES — The popular panda mascot of the Beijing Games got into a minor controversy last week when horrified fans by speaking with a grown man’s voice on Chinese TV. But the incident is just the latest comic mishap for Olympic mascots, which are supposed to embody the culture of their host cities. By Candice Choi. SENT: 890 words, photos.

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MORE ON THE OLYMPICS

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OLY-CHINA-THE-CHAINED-WOMAN — As the world watches the Beijing Olympics, the story of a chained woman who appeared in a video in rural China has continued to grow. It has evaded numerous censors both digital and human. The original accounts that shared the video disappeared, and censors on social media platforms deleted articles and hashtags. SENT: 1,390 words, photos. An abridged version is also available.

OLY-STUDENT-ATHLETES — Here’s one thing the pandemic has made easier for the young stars of the Beijing Olympics: juggling the demands of elite athletic competition with college life. Remote schooling, now a fact of life for students everywhere, also comes in handy when you’re a world away from campus for weeks at a time. And the technology has been battle tested for two years now. SENT: 710 words, photos.

OLY-ATHLETES-ON-RESILIENCE — Whether it’s a sidelining injury or loss on the world stage, Olympic athletes know what it’s like to suffer major setbacks — and to bounce back. Most athletes who earn a chance to compete in an Olympic Games do not go home with medals. But many often go home having achieved a personal best: a career-high judging score or a faster race time. For athletes, it’s evidence that resilience does yield a prize at the Olympics. SENT: 710 words, photos.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-SURGEON GENERAL — Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has announced that he and his young family have COVID-19 despite their best efforts to avoid infection by getting vaccinated and taking other precautions. SENT: 670 words, photo.

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TRENDING NEWS

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TEXAS-DUMPSTER-FIRE-BODIES — Man charged in 3 Texas deaths indicted in roommate’s slaying. SENT: 270 words, photo.

DALLAS COLD CASE-ARREST — Dallas man arrested in 1984 killing of aspiring model. SENT: 250 words, photos.

ELON-MUSK-SEC — US securities agency denies claims it’s harassing Elon Musk. SENT: 350 words, photos.

RODENTS-FAMILY-DOLLAR-FACILITY — Hundreds of rodents found inside Family Dollar facility. SENT: 290 words, photo.

TURTLE-RELEASE-FLORIDA-KEYS — Rehabilitated sea turtle ‘Sheldon’ released off Florida Keys. SENT: 220 words, photos.

PHILANTHROPY-MUSK-DONATION — Elon Musk’s $5.7 billion donation sparks questions about giving. SENT: 1,100 words, photos.

ARCHES COLLAPSE — Arches weighing 40 tons collapse along pedestrian walkway. SENT: 220 words.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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CAPITOL RIOT-OATH KEEPERS — A federal judge has refused to free Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes from jail while he awaits trial on charges that he plotted with other members of his far-right militia group to attack the U.S. Capitol to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden’s electoral victory. SENT: 700 words, photo.

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NATIONAL

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DAUNTE WRIGHT-OFFICER TRIAL-JUDGE — The judge who sentenced white former Officer Kim Potter to two years in prison for killing Black motorist Daunte Wright cited the difficult job that police face — and Potter’s remorse — as justification for giving her a light sentence. SENT: 900 words, photos.

CRIME-VICTIMS-SEXUAL-ASSAULT-REPORTING — Every day, DNA is routed through local, state and federal databases to identify suspected criminals. A technological breakthrough that’s allowed law enforcement to solve unprecedented numbers of crimes, its use has simultaneously garnered praise along with major privacy concerns. SENT: 980 words, photos.

POLICE SHOOTING-ROBBERY WARRANT — The family of a 27-year-old man who was shot and killed by Houston police as they attempted to serve him with an arrest warrant says the officers never identified themselves before they opened fire. SENT: 800 words, photos.

ALASKA-LARGE-OPAL-SALE — An opal that is bigger than a brick is up for sale this weekend in Anchorage, Alaska. Alaska Premier Auctions & Appraisals says the stone dubbed the “Americus Australis” is one of the world’s largest gem-quality opals. SENT: 710 words, photos.

NEBRASKA-LAWMAKER-PHOTOS — Nebraska state Sen. Mike Groene has denied accusations that he took inappropriate photos of a female legislative aide without her knowledge, but he said he was going to resign next week to avoid putting his family through a public ordeal. SENT: 690 words photo.

OPIOID-CRISIS-PURDUE-BANKRUPTCY — Members of the Sackler family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma are willing to kick in more money — up to $6 billion total — to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids as the company tries to work out a deal with state attorneys general who torpedoed an earlier settlement. SENT: 510 words, photo.

EPA-BENTON-HARBOR-WATER — Federal auditors has announced an investigation of how the government has dealt with lead contamination of drinking water in Benton Harbor, an impoverished, mostly Black city in southwest Michigan. SENT: 510 words, photo.

CORONAVIRUS-AID-INVESTIGATION — Two more people were arrested in a federal criminal case involving a former Connecticut state representative accused of stealing federal pandemic relief funds from the city of West Haven while he was working as an aide to the city council. SENT: 470 words.

POLICE-SHOOTING-MADISON — A Black man whose family says authorities shot him five times during a violent arrest in Wisconsin’s capital city this month apparently wasn’t armed, a sheriff says. SENT: 350 words.

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INTERNATIONAL

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COLOMBIA-ESCOBAR'S-HIPPOS — People around the Colombian town of Puerto Triunfo have grown accustomed to living near the herd of hippopotamuses descended from a few that were imported illegally from Africa in the 1980s by flamboyant drug lord Pablo Escobar. Within weeks, Colombia’s government plans to sign a document declaring the hippos an exotic invasive species, which means coming up with a plan for how to control their population. SENT: 800 words, photos.

UNITED NATIONS-ETHIOPIA — The last U.N. staff member detained by the Ethiopian government has been released, ending a months-long effort to gain freedom for at least 16 U.N. employees picked up since late October during the ongoing war in the country’s north, the United Nations say. SENT: 650 words.

MEXICO-VIOLENCE — Special squads of Mexican army troops equipped with metal detectors and bomb suits have deployed to the western state of Michoacan, where warring drug cartels have planted land mines or improvised explosive devices. SENT: 390 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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BBO—LOCKOUT — Major League Baseball has canceled the first week of spring training games through March 4 in the first public acknowledgement of the disruption caused by the lockout. By Baseball Writer Ronald Blum. SENT: 560 words, photos.

FBC—PLAYOFF EXPANSION — The College Football Playoff is set to stick with a four-team format through the 2025 season. The administrators who manage the postseason failed to agree on a plan to expand before the current contracts run out. By College Football Writer Ralph D. Russo. SENT: 1,010 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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