AP News Digest 3 a.m.

APTOPIX George Floyd Officer Trial (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

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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ETHIOPIA-ERASING AN ETHNICITY — The atrocities have been seared into the skin and the minds of Tigrayans. They shelter by the thousands within sight of the homeland they fled in Ethiopia. They carry the pain of gunshot wounds, torn vaginas, welts on beaten backs. Less visible are the memories: Dozens of bodies on riverbanks. Fighters raping a woman for speaking her own language. Now, for the first time, they also bring proof of an official attempt at what is being called ethnic cleansing in the form of a new identity card that eliminates all traces of Tigray. They were confirmed to The Associated Press by several refugees. By Cara Anna. SENT: 3,050 words, photos, video. An abridged version is available.

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TOP STORIES

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VIRUS OUTBREAK-BIDEN — President Joe Biden said he’s bumping up his deadline by two weeks for states to make all adults in the U.S. eligible for coronavirus vaccines. But even as he expressed optimism about the pace of vaccinations, he warned Americans that the nation is not yet out of the woods when it comes to the pandemic. By Darlene Superville and Alexandra Jaffe. SENT: 1060 words, photos, video.

VIRUS OUTBREAK — A new survey from the Biden administration finds that large numbers of students are not returning to the classroom even as more schools reopen for full-time, in-person learning. By Collin Binkley. SENT: 1,030 words, photos.

CONGRESS-INFRASTRUCTURE — Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has fresh options for advancing President Joe Biden’s infrastructure package and certain other priorities past Republican obstruction in the 50-50 split Senate thanks to an official parliamentarian’s ruling. By Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 890 words, photos. With EXPLAINER-SENATE RULES — A look at the Senate’s budget reconciliation rules and what they mean for advancing Biden’s agenda. SENT: 600 words, photos.

GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICER TRIAL — The parade of Minneapolis police officers rejecting a former officer’s actions in restraining George Floyd is continuing at his murder trial. Jurors at the Derek Chauvin’s trial have been told that he received extensive training in how to defuse tense situations and how to properly restrain suspects. By Amy Forliti, Steve Karnowski and Tammy Webber. SENT: 790 words, photos, videos. See more on the Officer Trial below.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-REMOTE VACCINATIONS — Getting the vaccine to the world’s farthest corners means delivering it by boat to Maine islands, by snowmobile to Alaska villages and via complex Amazon waterways in Brazil. Although the vaccination rollout has been choppy in much of the world and some places are still waiting for their first doses, there’s an urgent push to inoculate people in hard-to-reach places that may not have had COVID-19 outbreaks but also may not be equipped to deal with them if they do. SENT: 880 words, photos.

YEMEN-MIDEAST MORASS The battle for an ancient desert city in war-torn Yemen has become a key to understanding wider tensions now inflaming the Middle East and the challenges facing any efforts by President Joe Biden’s administration to shift U.S. troops out of the region. Fighting has been raging in the mountains outside of Marib as Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who hold Yemen’s capital of Sanaa, attempt to seize the city, which is crucial to the country’s energy supplies. By Jon Gambrell and Isabel DeBre, SENT: 1410 words, photos. An abridged version is available.

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WHAT WE’RE TALKING ABOUT

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INTERNMENT-CAMP-AUCTION — The auction of a series of sketches purportedly drawn by an artist at the Japanese internment camp at Manzanar has been canceled after groups protested it was offensive and immoral to profit off the misery of incarcerated people. By Brian Melley. SENT: 930 words, photos.

COMIC-BOOK-RECORD-SALE — One of the few copies of the comic book that introduced Superman to the world has sold for a super-sized, record-setting price. The issue of Action Comics #1 went for $3.25 million in a private sale. SENT: 175 words, photo.

ALL-STAR GAME-COLORADO — The All-Star Game will be played at hitter-friendly Coors Field this year. Major League Baseball announces the new venue days after pulling the game from Atlanta over objections to changes to Georgia’s voting laws. SENT: 450 words, photo.

TIKTOK-LIVESTREAM-CRASH — A New Hampshire teen has been credited with saving a boy more than 800 miles away, thanks to TikTok. SENT: 200 words.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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LONDON-BEYOND THE PANDEMIC-FINACIAL HUB — When the pandemic struck, about 540,000 workers vanished from London’s financial hub almost overnight. The area known as “the City” became a ghost town as many people began working from home. A year on, most haven’t returned to the business hub. While many people believe that post-pandemic workflow will become the new normal, skyscrapers are still rising, and city planners say they aren’t worried about empty office buildings. Rather, they say the uncertainties and changes are just a catalyst for the reinvention of one of the world’s top financial centers. SENT: 1090 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONSPIRACY THEORIES — Conspiracy theories about the coronavirus have flourished since the pandemic was declared. Researchers want to know why, and are examining the reasons some people believe conspiracy theories and others don’t. SENT: 1,000 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-CONSPIRACY THEORIES-GLANCE — How to talk to believers of COVID-19 conspiracy theories. SENT: 520 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASTRAZENECA — The European Medicines Agency says there is a link between AstraZeneca’s vaccine and rare blood clots, but it’s still unclear what the connection is — and the drug’s benefits far outweigh the risks. SENT: 960 words, photos. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-INDIA-VACCINE EXPORTS-AP INTERVIEW — AP Interview: India could resume vaccine exports by June. SENT: 600 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ASIA — North Korea has continued to claim a perfect record in keeping out the coronavirus in its latest report to the World Health Organization, a widely disputed claim. SENT: 770 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-BRAZIL — Brazil has reported a 24-hour tally of COVID-19 deaths exceeding 4,000 for the first time, becoming the third nation to go above that daily threshold. By Mauricio Savarese. SENT: 460 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CALIFORNIA — California is turning to a simpler, statewide approach as it prepares to lift most pandemic restrictions on businesses and workplaces by June 15. By Janie Har and Kathleen Ronayne. SENT: 780 words, photos.

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MORE ON THE GEORGE FLOYD TRIAL

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GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICER TRIAL-FAMILY — A member of George Floyd’s family often occupies a reserved seat in the back corner of the Minneapolis courtroom where former police Officer Derek Chauvin is on trial in Floyd’s death. SENT: 820 words, photos. With EXPLAINING GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICER TRIAL-RELUCTANT WITNESS — What’s the importance of witness’s unwillingness to testify? SENT: 800 words, photos.

EXPLAINING GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICER TRIAL-AMBULANCE RESPONSE — How quickly did paramedics, fire department EMT respond? SENT: 840 words, photos. With EXPLAINING GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICER TRIAL-EXCITED DELIRIUM — Defense attorney has raised “excited delirium” when questioning witnesses. SENT: 500 words, photo; EXPLAINING GEORGE FLOYD-OFFICER TRIAL-HOBBLE — Restraint device called the ‘hobble' surfaces during testimony. SENT: 650 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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CAPITOL LOCKDOWN-OFFICER KILLED — The U.S. Capitol Police officer killed last week in the line of duty will lie in honor in the Capitol Rotunda on April 13, a tribute reserved for the nation’s most eminent private citizens. SENT: 870 words, photos.

BIDEN-REFUGEES — The families of refugees and their supporters, including 124 elected officials, urge President Biden to make good on his promise to boost refugee admissions to the United States. SENT: 460 words, photo.

HOMELAND SECURITY-HACK — Key lawmakers say they’re concerned that some agencies haven’t fully informed Congress about what suspected Russian hackers have stolen from the federal government. SENT: 390 words, photo.

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INTERNATIONAL

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PERSIAN-GULF-TENSIONS — An Iranian cargo ship believed to be a base for the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard anchored for years in the Red Sea off Yemen has been attacked. That’s according to an acknowledgment aired Wednesday by Iranian state television. The state TV acknowledgment marks the first Iranian comment on the mysterious incident involving the MV Saviz. In a statement, the U.S. military’s Central Command only said it was “aware of media reporting of an incident involving the Saviz in the Red Sea.” SENT: 660 words.

ASIA STORM — The death toll from mudslides in eastern Indonesia has risen to 119 with scores still missing as rain continued to pound the region and hamper the search. The village of Lamanele on Adonara island suffered the highest losses with 60 bodies recovered so far and 12 missing. Hundreds of police, soldiers and residents dug through the debris with their bare hands, shovels and hoes searching for those buried. SENT: 300 words, photos.

CHINA-XINJIANG — China has sentenced a former education official and a former legal official in the northwestern region of Xinjiang to death with a two-year reprieve on charges including separatism and bribe taking. They are the latest of many Xinjiang bureaucrats, almost all members of the Muslim Turkic Uyghur minority group, to be sentenced on national security charges. SENT: 620 words, photos.

NORTH KOREA — North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has acknowledged his country was facing the worst-ever situation as he addressed thousands of grassroots members of his ruling party during a major political conference in Pyongyang. SENT: 340 words, photo.

UNITED-NATIONS-SYRIA-CHEMICAL-WEAPONS — Russia has sparred with the United States and its allies over a vote later this month that could strip Syria of voting rights in the international chemical weapons watchdog. By Edith M. Lederer. SENT: 640 words.

UNITED-STATES-PALESTINIANS — The Biden administration moves again to increase U.S. assistance to the Palestinians as it fires up a new Mideast policy that is directly opposite of the one pursued by its predecessor. By Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee. SENT: 590 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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ACTIVE SHOOTER-MARYLAND — A Navy medic shoots and critically wounds two people at a Maryland business park before fleeing to the Fort Detrick Army base, where he is shot and killed, authorities say. SENT: 510 words, photos.

TRANSGENDER YOUTH-ARKANSAS — Arkansas lawmakers make the state the first to ban gender confirming treatments and surgery for transgender youth, enacting the prohibition over the governor’s objections. The measure prohibits doctors from providing gender confirming hormone treatment, puberty blockers or surgery to anyone under 18 years old. By Andrew DeMillo. SENT: 600 words, photo.

ST.-LOUIS-MAYOR — St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones, who has been outspoken in her criticism of the criminal justice system’s “arrest and incarcerate” model, will take over leadership of a city in the midst of yet another wave of violent crime after winning election as mayor on Tuesday. She will become St. Louis’ first Black female mayor. By Jim Salter. SENT: 585 words, photos.

ASIAN AMERICAN WOMAN ASSAULTED — Two New York City apartment building workers have been fired for failing to help an Asian American woman as she was being attacked on the sidewalk outside, the building’s management company says. SENT: 510 words, photos.

FLORIDA-WATERWATER RESERVOIR LEAK — An evacuation order near a leaking Florida wastewater reservoir that affected more than 300 homes and additional businesses is lifted. Officials say the situation is under control. SENT: 580 words, photos.

DEATH PENALTY-ARIZONA — Prosecutors told the Arizona Supreme Court that they intend on soon seeking execution warrants for two death-row inmates in what would be the state’s first executions since 2014. SENT: 350 words, photos.

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HEALTH/SCIENCE

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CLIMATE CHANGE-ERRATIC RAIN — Rainstorms grew more erratic and droughts much longer across most of the U.S. West over the past half-century as climate change warmed the planet, according to a government study. SENT: 550 words, photos.

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BUSINESS/TECH

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IMF-GLOBAL ECONOMIC OUTLOOK — The rollout of COVID-19 vaccines and vast sums of government pandemic aid will accelerate global economic growth to a record high this year, the IMF forecasts. By Economics Writer Paul Wiseman. SENT: 350 words, photo.

NRA-BANKRUPTCY-TRIAL — After school shootings that left dozens dead in recent years, National Rifle Association leader Wayne LaPierre said the resulting outrage put him in such danger that he sought shelter aboard a friend’s 108-foot yacht. A transcript of the deposition was filed over the weekend in a federal bankruptcy trial over whether the NRA should be allowed to incorporate in Texas instead of New York. By Jake Bleiberg. SENT: 700 words, photo.

FACEBOOK-TROLL-FARM — Facebook has removed hundreds of accounts linked to an Iranian exile group and a troll farm in Albania. The company said Tuesday that the accounts used fake profiles and sometimes computer generated profile pictures to post information criticizing Iran’s government and supporting Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, a dissident group known as MEK. SENT: 400 words, photo.

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ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT

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YOUTUBE KIDS-INVESTIGATION — A House subcommittee is investigating YouTube Kids, saying the Google-owned video service feeds children inappropriate material in “a wasteland of vapid, consumerist content” so it can serve them ads. SENT: 650 words, photo.

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SPORTS

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OLY-BEIJING OPTIONS The U.S. State Department says it’s talking with allies about China’s human rights record and how to handle next year’s Beijing Winter Olympics. A department spokesman had suggested that an Olympic boycott to protest China’s rights abuses was among the possibilities. But a senior official said later that a boycott has not yet been discussed. Human rights groups are protesting China’s hosting of the games. They open on February 4, 2022. They have urged a diplomatic or straight-up boycott to call attention to alleged Chinese abuses against Uyghurs, Tibetans, and residents of Hong Kong. SENT: 860 words, photo.

FBN-TEXANS-WATSON-LAWSUITS — The first woman to accuse Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson of sexual assault and harassment in a lawsuit has spoken publicly, alleging she was terrorized by her encounter with the NFL player and he needs to be held accountable for his actions. By Juan A. Lozano. SENT: 760 words, photos.

LSU-SEXUAL-MISCONDUCT-ORGERON — LSU coach Ed Orgeron maintains in a statement provided to state lawmakers that he does not recall speaking with an elderly female security worker who says then-Tigers running back Derrius Guice made offensive sexual advances toward her in 2017. By Brett Martel. SENT: 700 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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