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.
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TOP STORIES
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SERBIA-SHOOTINGS — Serbian police say they had arrested a suspect in a series of shootings that killed at least eight people and wounded 14, the nation’s second such mass shooting in two days. In a statement, police said that the man, identified by initials U.B., was arrested near the central Serbian town of Kragujevac, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Belgrade. By Jovana Gec and Dusan Stojanovic. SENT: 670 words, photos, video.
SUPREME COURT-CLARENCE THOMAS — A Republican megadonor paid two years of private school tuition for a child raised by Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, who did not disclose the payments, a lawyer who has represented Thomas and his wife acknowledges. SENT: 540 words, photos, video.
SUBWAY-RESTRAINT DEATH — The choking death of a man at the hands of another New York subway rider was setting off powerful reactions Thursday, with some calling it a criminal, racist act even as authorities reserved judgment on the killing. By Jake Offenhartz and Bobby Caina Calvan. SENT: 880 words, photos, video.
ELECTION 2024-TRUMP-COLUMNIST-LAWSUIT — Accounts of rape and assault shared by women at a civil trial against Donald Trump mark the first time that any of the numerous allegations of sexual misconduct against the former president have been heard in a court of law. As Trump campaigns for a 2024 presidential bid, the case provides another test of his ability to survive scandals that would sink others. By Sara Burnett. SENT: 1,030 words, photos.
BRITAIN-CORONATION-COMMONWEALTH ATTITUDES — When King Charles III is crowned on Saturday, soldiers carrying flags from the Bahamas, South Africa, Tuvalu and beyond will march alongside British troops in a spectacular military procession in honor of the monarch. By Sylvia Hui, John Myers Jr. and Krutika Pathi. SENT: 1,210 words, photos.
WESTMINSTER-DOG-SHOW-101 — To the casual viewer, competing at the Westminster Kennel Club dog show might look as simple as getting a dog, grooming it and leading it around a ring. But there’s a lot more to getting to and exhibiting in the United States’ most prestigious canine event. The 147th annual show starts Saturday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York. More than 2,500 dogs from 210 different breeds and varieties signed up to vie for the best in show trophy that gets awarded Tuesday night. SENT: 910 words, photos. By Jennifer Peltz. SENT: 910 words, photos.
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RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Ukraine and Russia pressed their wartime rhetoric, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressing confidence that Vladimir Putin would be convicted of war crimes and the Kremlin alleging that the U.S. was behind what it called an assassination attempt against the Russian president. By Mike Corder. SENT: 1,000 words, photos, video.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-TRAINING -- The Associated Press joined up with a fighting unit of Ukraine’s National Guard as it prepared for an impending counteroffensive. It’s a crash course in new assault tactics for the squad, a mix of volunteers whose ages range from 22 to 51. By their own admission, the servicemen have outdated weapons, and many feared not enough training or resources. But they said when the time comes, they will be ready to fight. SENT: 870 words, photos.
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KING CHARLES CORONATION
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BRITAIN-CORONATION-JILL BIDEN — After spending time with Prince Harry, Princess Kate and Queen Elizabeth II over the years, U.S. first lady Jill Biden is back in London for another royal engagement: King Charles III’s coronation. SENT: 750 words, photo.
AUSTRALIA-CORONATION — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he would declare his allegiance to King Charles III at the monarch’s coronation despite believing that Australia should have its own head of state. SENT: 460 words, photos.
BRITAIN-CORONATION-ROYALS — Prince William has poured a pint of ale and taken a ride on the subway with his wife Kate as part of a royal ramble in central London before King Charles III’s coronation. SENT: 365 words, photos.
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MORE NEWS
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IDAHO-KILLINGS-TRAFFIC-STOP-VIDEO — Newly released body camera video shows the man accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students being pulled over for allegedly running a red light about a month before the killings. SENT: 300 words, photo.
MULTIPLE KILLINGS-SOUTH GEORGIA — A man recorded by a security camera fatally shooting his manager at a fast food restaurant in rural south Georgia is also suspected of killing his mother and grandmother at their nearby homes before taking his own life, authorities say. SENT: 750 words, photo.
WORLD-PRESS-FREEDOM — China was the biggest global jailer of journalists last year with more than 100 behind bars, according to a press freedom group, as President Xi Jinping’s government tightened control over society. SENT: 300 words, photos.
ED SHEERAN-COPYRIGHT LAWSUIT -- British singer Ed Sheeran didn’t steal key components of Marvin Gaye’s classic 1970s tune “Let’s Get It On” to create his hit song “Thinking Out Loud,” a jury has said with a trial verdict, prompting Sheeran to joke later that he won’t have to follow through on his threat to quit music. SENT: 980 words, photos.
CALIFORNIA-SERIAL STABBINGS — A 21-year-old who was a student at the University of California, Davis, until last week was arrested on accusations of fatally stabbing two people and wounding another in attacks that terrified the quiet college community, police say. SENT: 530 words, photos, audio.
PRIDE-FESTIVAL-DRAG-SHOWS — Tennessee organizers booked more than 50 drag entertainers for next month’s Midsouth Pride festival in Memphis now that the state’s new law placing strict limits on cabaret shows is temporarily on hold. SENT: 940 words, photos.
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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ELECTION 2024-DESANTIS — On the day he took office, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vowed to pursue an agenda that would heal the state’s political divisions. On Friday, four years later, DeSantis is set to conclude a legislative session that establishes him as perhaps the most accomplished conservative governor in the nation’s bitter culture wars. By Steve Peoples and Anthony Izaguirre. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.
TWITTER-SPAIN-RECONQUISTA — A far-right movement in Spain that is opposed to Muslims and immigrants has found a home on Twitter. The informal movement often references the Reconquista, the successful effort by Christians to retake Spain from its Muslim rulers in the Middle Ages. By David Klepper. SENT: 1,200 words, photo.
IRS-DEBT LIMIT — That big infusion of cash that Congress approved last year to shape up the beleaguered IRS has helped the agency catch up on processing tax returns. And that has allowed federal bean-counters to give policymakers a more precise picture of when the Treasury could run out of money — the so-called X-date. By Fatima Hussein. SENT: 670 words, photo.
MILITARY-LAND SALES — Foreign citizens and companies would need U.S. government approval to buy property within 100 miles (160 kilometers) of eight military bases, under a proposed rule change that follows a Chinese firm’s attempt to build a plant near an Air Force base in North Dakota. SENT: 680 words, photos.
ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN — Secretary of State Antony Blinken says Armenia and Azerbaijan have made “tangible progress” in four days of U.S.-hosted peace talks. SENT: 500 words, photo.
LGBTQ ISSUES-FLORIDA — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign a bill legislators sent him that would keep doctors from prescribing drugs and performing procedures on minors who are seeking gender-affirming care. The bill passed in the House on largely along political lines. SENT: 270 words, photo.
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NATIONAL
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CROSSWALKS-BLIND-PEDESTRIANS — A federal ruling blasting Chicago planners for not equipping more of their intersections with audible signals that help blind pedestrians cross busy streets has given advocates a victory they call long overdue. The judge’s recent ruling could push other major U.S. cities to install accessible pedestrian signals. SENT: 1,090 words, photos, video.
ABORTION-NORTH CAROLINA — The Republican-controlled North Carolina legislature has approved a ban on nearly all abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy in response to last year’s overturning of Roe v. Wade at the U.S. Supreme Court. Republicans appear to have the votes to override an expected veto. SENT: 950 words, photos, video. With ABORTION-THINGS TO KNOW (sent).
CINCO-DE-MAYO-EXPLAINER — American bars and restaurants gear up every year for Cinco de Mayo, offering special deals on Mexican food and alcoholic drinks for a May 5 commemoration that is barely celebrated south of the border. In the United States, the date is largely seen as a celebration of Mexican American culture stretching back to the 1800s in California. SENT: 490 words, photos.
WELFARE-SCANDAL-MISSISSIPPI — Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has released what he said were all of his text and email messages related to a welfare fraud investigation — including money spent on building a university volleyball arena that was pushed by NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre. SENT: 780 words, photos.
OREGON-WALKOUT-BILL-READABILITY — Republicans blocking votes on bills about abortion, gun control and gender-affirming healthcare in Oregon this week have based their boycott on an obscure, 44-year-old state law that requires bill summaries to be written at the reading level of an 8th- or 9th-grader. SENT: 710 words, photos. With OREGON-WALKOUT-BILL-TEST-SCORES — Oregon GOP boycott: most bills have high reading score (sent).
SHOOTING-OUTSIDE-FOOTBALL-GAME — Three fired police officers who pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges in the death of an 8-year-old girl killed when they opened fire outside a high school football game near Philadelphia are set to be sentenced Friday. SENT: 380 words, photos.
UBER-CYBERSECURITY — The former chief security officer for Uber was sentenced to probation Thursday for trying to cover up a 2016 data breach in which hackers accessed tens of millions of customer records from the ride-hailing service. SENT: 410 words, photo.
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INTERNATIONAL
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ISRAEL-SUDAN-CRISIS-MIGRANTS — Sudanese migrants in Israel are watching the fighting roiling their nation with trepidation. They fear that the further Sudan sinks into chaos and violence, the longer they are likely to remain unrecognized asylum seekers in a country that has granted them few protections. Their backers say migrants’ rights in Israel will come under even greater threat if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’ s government moves ahead on its contentious plan to overhaul the judiciary. SENT: 970 words, photos.
TURKEY-ELECTION-ERDOGAN — Early in his political career, a devastating earthquake and economic troubles helped propel Recep Tayyip Erdogan to power in Turkey. Two decades later, similar circumstances are putting his leadership at risk. SENT: 1,010 words, photos. With TURKEY-ERDOGAN-TIMELINE — Key dates in the career of Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan (sent).
AUSTRALIA-WIKILEAKS — Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed frustration at the United States’ continuing efforts to extradite WikiLeaks founder and Australian citizen Julian Assange, saying: “There is nothing to be served by his ongoing incarceration.” SENT: 420 words, photos.
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HEALTH & SCIENCE
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MED-US-DEATHS — U.S. deaths fell last year, and COVID-19 dropped to the nation’s No. 4 cause, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. SENT: 300 words, photo.
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BUSINESS/ECONOMY
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FINANCIAL MARKETS — Asian stock markets were mixed after Wall Street sank on worries about the health of U.S. banks under pressure from interest rate hikes. SENT: 620 words, photos.
ECONOMY-JOBS-REPORT — Month after month, the nation’s job market has stood its ground against howling headwinds — rising interest rates, chronic inflation, major bank failures and economic uncertainties across the world. SENT: 960 words, photos.
NEW-ZEALAND-AUSTRALIA-BRITAIN-TRADE — Britain’s free trade agreements with New Zealand and Australia will come into force by the end of this month, the leaders from the three nations say. SENT: 300 words, photos.
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SPORTS
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BKN--LAKERS-WARRIORS —After yet another big basket, Klay Thompson scurried toward the fans sitting courtside opposite the Warriors bench and raised his arms in the air to ignite an entire arena behind him. It didn’t take much the way his shots were falling. He has been waiting his entire life to shine against his father’s Los Angeles Lakers on the big stage. By Janie McCauley. SENT: 900 words, photos.
BKN-BUCKS--BUDENHOLZER-FIRED — The Milwaukee Bucks have fired coach Mike Budenholzer just over a week after their stunning first-round playoff loss to the Miami Heat spoiled a season in which they owned the NBA’s best record. Budenholzer’s ouster comes just two years after he directed the Bucks to their first NBA title in half a century. The move also comes three weeks after the NBA finalized Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam’s purchase of a 25% stake in the team. By Steve Megargee. SENT: 900 words, photos.
US--NFL-WORKPLACE INVESTIGATION — The attorneys general of New York and California announce they are investigating allegations of workplace discrimination at the NFL, citing lawsuits filed by employees that describe sex, racial and age bias, sexual harassment and a hostile work environment. Attorneys General Letitia James of New York and Rob Bonta of California said they have issued subpoenas to NFL executives as part of an examination into the workplace culture at the the league’s corporate offices in both states. The league is calling the allegations “entirely inconsistent with the NFL’s values and practices.” By Karen Matthews. SENT: 560 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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At the Nerve Center, Vincent K. Willis can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from AP Newsroom. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.
