AP News Digest 3:45 am

APTOPIX Senate US Afghanistan

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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THE AP INTERVIEW-CAPITOL POLICE CHIEF — The new chief of the U.S. Capitol Police says the force “cannot afford to be complacent,” six months after an insurrection that left its officers battled, bloodied and bruised. In an interview with The Associated Press, J. Thomas Manger says his force is seeing a historically high number of threats against lawmakers, thousands more than just a few years ago. By Michael Balsamo and Colleen Long. SENT: 1,070 words, photos, video.

THE AP INTERVIEW: UN HUMANITARIAN CHIEF — The United Nations humanitarian chief calls the crisis in Ethiopia a “stain on our conscience" as children and others starve to death in the Tigray region under what the U.N. calls a de facto blockade of food, medical supplies and fuel by the government. By Cara Anna and Edith M. Lederer. UPCOMING: 720 words, photos, video by 5 a.m.

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TOP STORIES

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CONGRESS-BUDGET — Pressure is mounting on Biden to trim back his $3.5 trillion federal government overhaul to win over holdout fellow Democrats. All eyes are turning to Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona to say what they can live with. By Lisa Mascaro and Alan Fram. SENT: 1,050 words, photos, video.

JAPAN-POLITICS — Japan’s former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida wins the governing party leadership election and is set to become the next prime minister, facing the imminent task of addressing a pandemic-hit economy and ensuring a strong alliance with Washington to counter growing regional security risks. By Mari Yamaguchi. SENT: 450 words, photos.

BIDEN-IMMIGRATION DILEMMA — President Joe Biden is caught between a hard place and an even harder one when it comes to immigration. His administration has been forced to confront unusually high numbers of migrants trying to enter the country along the U.S.-Mexico border and the federal response has inflamed both critics and allies. By Ben Fox and Will Weissert. SENT: 1,250 words, photos.

MIGRATION-RESCUE-AT-SEA — Close to 45,000 migrants reached Italy’s shores so far this year, roughly five times more than in 2019. Among them is a large number of North African Arabs who are embarking on the dangerous journey across the Mediterranean, driven by turmoil and economic decline in their home countries. By Samy Magdy. SENT: 1,180 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-ZIMBABWE-VACCINE MANDATES — Many employers in Zimbabwe are mandating COVID-19 vaccines for their staff and the government has its own requirement that its 500,000 employees get the shots. That sets the southern African nation apart from nearly every other on the continent, where the most immediate challenge is still simply acquiring enough doses. Zimbabwe says it has ample supply for now, but that hesitancy is holding back its campaign. But the country's strategy is raising worrying rights questions. By Farai Mutsaka. SENT: 1,080 words, photos.

GONE EXTINCT — Death’s come knocking a last time for the splendid ivory-billed woodpecker and almost two dozen other birds, fish and freshwater mollusks: The U.S. government is declaring them extinct, the Associated Press has learned. It’s a rare move for wildlife officials to give up hope on a plant or animal, but scientists say climate change threatens to make extinctions more common as it adds to the pressures facing imperiled species. By Matthew Brown. SENT: 990 words, photos.

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TRENDING NEWS

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MISSING TRAVELER — Gabby Petito’s father: Give same attention to all missing people. SENT: 680 words, photos.

AUSTRALIA-CROCODILE ATTACK — Australian “a bit sore" after hand was caught in croc’s jaws. SENT: 390 words, photos.

NOEM-DAUGHTER-MEETING — South Dakota attorney general reviewing Noem’s meeting with daughter. SENT: 400 words, photo.

SPAIN-VOLCANO — Lava from La Palma eruption reaches the Atlantic. SENT: 180 words, photo.

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MORE ON THE VIRUS OUTBREAK

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VIRUS-OUTBREAK-SOUTH-CAROLINA — A federal judge suspended South Carolina from enforcing a rule that banned school districts from requiring masks for students. SENT: 560 words, photos. With VIRUS-OUTBREAK-THE-LATEST.

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WASHINGTON

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CONGRESS-PENTAGON — Gen. Mark Milley chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, calls the 20-year war in Afghanistan a “strategic failure” and says he believes the U.S. should have kept several thousand troops in the country to prevent the Taliban takeover. SENT: 1,090 words, photos, video. UPCOMING: 1,200 words after 9:30 a.m. hearing. With TRUMP-BOOK-MILLEY — Milley defends calls to Chinese at end of Trump presidency.

KOCH-CRITICAL RACE THEORY — A prominent backer of Republican causes is notably absent from the conservative political groups backing efforts to ban in schools from teaching what they call critical race theory. SENT: 1,000 words, photo.

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NATIONAL

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VIRGINIA-GOVERNOR-DEBATE — Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin clashed over vaccinations, tax policy, education and their respective records in the second and final debate in Virginia’s closely watched gubernatorial election. SENT: 870 words, photos. With VIRGINIA-GOVERNOR-DEBATE-TAKEAWAYS — Virginia governor candidates go on attack.

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INTERNATIONAL

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KOREAS-TENSIONS — North Korea says it successfully tested a new hypersonic missile it implied was being developed as nuclear capable, as it continues to expand its military capabilities and pressure Washington and Seoul over long-stalled negotiations over its nuclear weapons. SENT: 730 words, photos.

GERMANY-ELECTION-MERKEL — Angela Merkel will leave office in the coming months with her popularity intact among voters and widely admired beyond Germany as a chancellor who deftly steered her country, and Europe, through numerous crises. SENT: 790 words, photos. With GERMANY-ELECTION — German kingmakers open talks toward forming new government.

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BUSINESS/ECONOMY

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JAPAN-NISSAN-GREG KELLY TRIAL — Japanese prosecutors accused former Nissan executive Greg Kelly of joining a “conspiracy” to pay his former boss Carlos Ghosn illicitly, as they wrapped up their closing arguments in a yearlong trial. By Business Writer Yuri Kageyama. SENT: 670 words, photos.

FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Asian shares fell sharply after a broad slide on Wall Street as investors reacted to a surge in U.S. government bond yields. By Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach. SENT: 630 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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PACQUIAO-RETIRES — Boxing legend Manny Pacquiao a candidate for the Philippine presidency in 2022, is officially hanging up his gloves. SENT: 510 words, photos.

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ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT

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MUSIC-R-KELLY — A criminal conviction may be able to do to R. Kelly’s music what years of allegations couldn’t. By Entertainment Writers By Andrew Dalton, Gary Gerard Hamilton and Kristin M. Hall. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

PEOPLE-BRITNEY SPEARS — A Los Angeles judge will hear arguments at a hearing over removing Britney Spears' father from the conservatorship that controls her life and money and whether the legal arrangement should be ended altogether. By Entertainment Writer Andrew Dalton. SENT: 580 words, photo.

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HOW TO REACH US

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At the Nerve Center, Jerome Minerva can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Wally Santana (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from http://newsroom.ap.org. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.