AP News Digest 3:50 am

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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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — An airstrike on a hospital in the port city of Mariupol killed three people, including a child, the city council said, as Russian forces intensified their siege of Ukrainian cities. The attack in the southern port city wounded women waiting to give birth and doctors and buried children in the rubble. Bombs also fell on two hospitals in another city west of the capital. Russia and Ukraine’s foreign ministers, meanwhile, are holding talks in Turkey for the first time since the invasion. By Evgeniy Maloletka. SENT: 1,320 words, photos, videos. With RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-THE LATEST; RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-THINGS TO KNOW.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-WHO’S NEXT? — For some European countries watching Russia’s brutal war in Ukraine, there are fears that they could be next. Western officials say the most vulnerable could be those who aren’t members of NATO or the European Union, and thus alone and unprotected — including Ukraine’s neighbor Moldova and Russia’s neighbor Georgia, both of them formerly part of the Soviet Union — along with the Balkan states of Bosnia and Kosovo. By Dusan Stojanovic. SENT: 1,330 words, photos.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-FOREIGN FIGHTERS — Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has given the smaller nation’s embassy in Washington an unexpected role: recruitment center for Americans who want to join the fight. Diplomats working out of the embassy are fielding thousands of offers from volunteers seeking to fight for Ukraine. By Ben Fox. SENT: 930 words, photo. Also see MORE ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR below. For full coverage.

CONSUMER PRICES — Consumer inflation in the United States likely set another 40-year high in February — and it won’t even reflect the oil and gas spikes of the past week, which will likely catapult prices even higher in coming months. By Economics Writer Christopher Rugaber. SENT: 700 words, photo. UPCOMING: Developing from 8:30 a.m. release of report.

VENEZUELA-US — Pressure is building on the Biden administration to begin unwinding sanctions on Venezuela after President Nicolas Maduro freed two American prisoners and promised to resume negotiations with his opponents. By Joshua Goodman and Regina Garcia Cano. SENT: 950 words, photos.

IMMIGRATION-DETENTION APP — U.S. immigration authorities are turning to smartphones to keep tabs on immigrants and ensure they attend their deportation hearings. Increasingly, immigrants who are released from detention or stopped on the border are being required to snap a selfie or call to check in with federal agents using an app on their phones. By Amy Taxin and Amancai Biraben. SENT: 1,010 words, photo.

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MORE ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-CONGRESS-SPENDING — The House approves a massive spending bill anchored by $13.6 billion for battered Ukraine and its European allies. SENT: 1,060 words, photos. With CONGRESS-SPENDING-GLANCE; RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-CONGRESS-OIL — House approves ban on Russian oil to U.S., bolstering Biden.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-EU SUMMIT — European Union leaders are gathering in Versailles, France, for a two-day summit focusing on the war in Ukraine. SENT: 810 words, photos. UPCOMING: Summit begins at 11:30 a.m.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-OIL DIPLOMACY — Three checkered oil regimes that President Joe Biden and past U.S. leaders have snubbed — Venezuela, Saudi Arabia and Iran — are the targets of U.S. outreach as global fuel prices hit record highs. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR-FAMILY KILLED — A man whose wife and two children were killed by mortar fire in Ukraine as they tried to flee was in Kyiv to bury them but he said their funerals must be postponed because the morgues are full of civilians. SENT: 520 words, photo.

PHILIPPINES-US — The Philippine president is ready to open the country’s “facilities” to American forces under a 1951 mutual defense treaty if Russia’s war against Ukraine turns for the worse and embroils the United States in the fighting, Manila’s ambassador to Washington said. SENT: 500 words, photos.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-VIRAL QUESTIONS-PANDEMIC CHANGES — Two years after the pandemic began, more countries are shifting toward a return to normal and learning to live with the virus. By Science Writer Victoria Milko. SENT: 330 words, illustration.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONGRESS — This could be the end of the line for congressional funding to fight COVID-19. SENT: 630 words, photo.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHINA-HONG KONG — China is tackling a COVID-19 spike with selective lockdowns and other measures that appear to slightly ease its draconian “zero tolerance” strategy. SENT: 360 words, photos.

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TRENDING NEWS

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PEOPLE-LEONARDO DICAPRIO — Leonardo DiCaprio donates to Ukraine, but earlier reports false. SENT: 140 words, photo.

PIG HEART TRANSPLANT — U.S. man who got first pig heart transplant dies after two months. SENT: 970 words, photos.

DJOKOVIC OUT OF US TOURNAMENTS — Unvaccinated Djokovic says he is out of Indian Wells, Miami. SENT: 600 words, photos.

TRUMP-EMERGENCY LANDING — Trump plane makes emergency landing after engine failure. SENT: 190 words, photo.

INDONESIA-VOLCANO ERUPTION — Indonesia’s Mount Merapi erupts multiple times, 250 evacuate. SENT: 370 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON

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BIDEN-PAYROLL PROGRAM — Almost two years after the Paycheck Protection Program made its debut, what did taxpayers get for the $800 billion? SENT: 1,000 words, photo.

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NATIONAL

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ELECTION-2022-TEXAS-BALLOTS — More than 27,000 mail ballots in Texas were flagged for rejection in the first test of new voting restrictions enacted across the U.S., jeopardizing votes cast by Democrats and Republicans alike and in counties big and small, according to an analysis by The Associated Press. SENT: 1,180 words, photos.

JUSSIE SMOLLETT — Jussie Smollett, who was convicted in December for lying to police about a racist, homophobic attack that authorities said he staged, will return to court for sentencing. SENT: 410 words, photo. UPCOMING: Developing from 2 p.m. sentencing. With JUSSIE SMOLLETT-EXPLAINER-CHARGES — What charges did Jussie Smollett face at trial? JUSSIE SMOLLETT-TIMELINE.

MICHIGAN GOVERNOR-KIDNAPPING PLOT — The focus of a trial in Michigan has quickly turned to the question of whether the FBI tricked and cajoled four defendants into agreeing to a plot to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. SENT: 810 words, photos, video.

OPIOID CRISIS-PURDUE BANKRUPTCY — People who lost loved ones or years of their own lives to opioid addiction are getting their first and perhaps only chance to confront members of the Sackler family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma. SENT: 910 words, photos. UPCOMING: Developing from 10 a.m. hearing.

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INTERNATIONAL

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INDIA ELECTIONS — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party had a commanding lead in India’s most populous state as votes were counted, despite his government’s criticized handling of COVID-19, soaring unemployment and farmer protests. SENT: 720 words, photos.

SOUTH KOREA-ELECTION — South Korea’s president-elect Yoon Suk Yeol said he would solidify an alliance with the United States, build up a powerful military and sternly cope with North Korean provocations, hours after he won the country’s hard-fought election to become its next leader. SENT: 940 words, photos. With JAPAN-SOUTH KOREA — Japan cautiously welcomes South Korean president-elect.

IRAN-NUCLEAR — Iran offered mixed signals as a deadline loomed in talks over its tattered nuclear deal with world powers, with its president defending the negotiations while a top security official blamed America for the deadlock. SENT: 510 words.

TAIWAN-CHINA — A conflict with China, which threatens to invade Taiwan, would be a disaster for all sides regardless of the outcome, the island’s defense minister says. SENT: 340 words, photos.

LEBANON-THEATER REVIVAL — A Lebanese actor and director is seeking to restore some of Tripoli’s past glory by turning the city’s long abandoned Empire Cinema building into a working theater. SENT: 800 words, photos.

SRI LANKA-POWER CUTS-PHOTO GALLERY — Sri Lankan power cuts affect all walks of life. SENT: 220 words, photos.

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HEALTH/SCIENCE

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BRITAIN-ANTARCTIC SHIP — Scientists say they have found the sunken wreck of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance, more than a century after it was lost to the Antarctic ice. SENT: 780 words, photos.

UNITED NATIONS-CLIMATE FINANCING — U.S. climate envoy John Kerry said he thinks rich countries can finally meet their pledge to provide $100 billion annually to help poor nations cope with climate change beginning this year — and will definitely reach that amount in 2023. SENT: 760 words.

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BUSINESS/ECONOMY

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FINANCIAL MARKETS — Japan’s stock benchmark soared 4% and other Asian markets surged after oil prices dropped, easing fears inflation was set to accelerate. By Business Writer Joe McDonald. SENT: 590 words, photos.

HOUSING MARKET-BIDDING WARS — Would-be homeowners are increasingly opting to pay sellers more than their asking price in hopes of edging out rivals as heightened competition for few homes on the market fuels bidding wars. By Business Writer Alex Veiga. UPCOMING: 430 words, photo by 9 a.m.

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.

JAPAN-NISSAN-GHOSN-TAYLORS — Two Americans imprisoned in Japan for helping former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn avoid trial and escape to Lebanon are hoping to serve the rest of their time in the U.S. By Business Writer Yuri Kageyama. SENT: 530 words, photo.

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SPORTS

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LOCKOUT — Major League Baseball’s Commissioner Rob Manfred canceled 93 more games, appearing to cut off the chance to play a full 162-game schedule and threatening locked out players with loss of salary and service time. By Baseball Writer Ronald Blum. SENT: 1,110 words, photos.

JIM LITKE COLUMN-WOODS — Tiger Woods’ Hall of Fame speech made no mention of the accomplishments that landed him at that podium in the first place and just as tellingly, he gave no hints about what he might do next. By Sports Columnist Jim Litke. SENT: 840 words, photo. With HALL OF FAME — Woods inducted into Hall with hard work and big payoff.

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ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT

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FILM-RESCUED BY RUBY — A new Netflix movie, “Rescued by Ruby,” tells the improbable story of a shelter dog who was nearly euthanized, only to become a police K-9 and save a life. SENT: 830 words, photos, video.

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HOW TO REACH US

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