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.
——————————————
NEW/DEVELOPING
——————————————
RUSSIA-FIRE — A fire in a cafe in the Russian city of Kostroma killed 15 people and injured five others local authorities say. The blaze erupted in the early hours after someone apparently used a flare gun during a dispute, authorities say. SENT: 150 words, photos.
—————————-
TOP STORIES
—————————-
ELECTION 2022 — Swing-state Pennsylvania is the stage for a clash of presidents. President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama are campaigning with Democratic Senate hopeful John Fetterman and gubernatorial candidate Josh Shapiro. Former President Donald Trump will hold a rally in southwestern Pennsylvania with Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz and gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano. By Marc Levy, Steve Peoples and Jill Colvin. SENT: 940 words, photos. UPCOMING: 990 words after noon Fetterman event.
BIDEN-ECONOMY — President Biden has notched an envious record on jobs, with 10.3 million gained during his tenure. But voters in Tuesday’s midterm elections are far more focused on inflation hovering near 40-year highs. Biden is asking voters to look beyond the current financial pain. By Josh Boak. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.
MEDICARE-SCAMS — With Medicare’s open enrollment underway, health experts are warning older adults about an uptick in misleading marketing tactics that might lead some to sign up for Medicare Advantage plans that don’t cover their doctors or prescriptions and drive up their out-of-pocket costs. By Amanda Seitz. SENT: 745 words, photo.
KOREAS-TENSIONS — The United States will fly a supersonic bomber over ally South Korea as part of a massive combined aerial exercise involving hundreds of warplanes, in a show of force meant to intimidate North Korea over its barrage of ballistic missile tests this week that has escalated tensions in the region. By Kim Tong-Hyung. SENT: 680 words, photos.
REL-BAHRAIN-POPE — Thousands of Christians from around the Gulf packed Bahrain’s sports stadium for Pope Francis’ big Mass, as he shifted the attention of his four-day visit to ministering to the Catholic community in the overwhelmingly Muslim region. By Nicole Winfield. SENT: 500 words, photos.
—————————————————————————-
MORE ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
——————————————————————————
GLOBAL LEADERS-UKRAINE — Only dialogue and diplomacy can end the devastating war in Ukraine, with total victory on the battlefield impossible for either warring party, members of a group of prominent former world leaders founded by Nelson Mandela say. SENT: 390 words, photos.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has accused Russia of engaging in “energy terrorism” after Russian strikes on Ukraine’s energy network left millions of residents without power. About 4.5 million people were without electricity across the country, Zelenskyy said in his nightly address. SENT: 860 words, photos.
————————-
TRENDING
————————
SEVERE-WEAHTER — Tornadoes tore through parts of Texas and Oklahoma, killing at least one person, injuring two dozens others and leaving dozens of homes and buildings in ruins. SENT: 360 words, photos.
JERRY-LEE-LEWIS-MEMORIAL-SERVICE — Family, friends and fans will gather to bid farewell to rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis at memorial services held in his north Louisiana home town. SENT: 440 words, photos.
TV-WESTWORLD-CANCELED — HBO has pulled the plug on “Westworld,” its Emmy-winning sci-fi drama. The series’ cancellation came less than three months after its fourth season concluded in August. The cast included Evan Rachel Wood, Ed Harris, Jeffrey Wright, Aaron Paul and Thandiwe Newton. SENT: 230 words, photo.
CHILD-DIES-OFFICER-CHARGED — A jury convicted a former New York City police officer of second-degree murder in the death of his 8-year-old son, who was forced to sleep overnight on the concrete floor of a freezing garage. SENT: 300 words.
FALL-BACK — Daylight saving time is out, standard time is in this weekend. Standard time begins at 2 a.m. local time Sunday and lasts until March 12. SENT: 160 words, photo.
CALIFORNIA-SHARK-ATTACK — A woman who was attacked by a shark in the Pacific Ocean north of San Diego has been treated for puncture and laceration wounds to her upper right thigh and is recovering. SENT: 180 words.
————————————
ELECTION 2022
————————————-
ELECTION-2022-ARIZONA-HAND-COUNT — Nevada’s secretary of state has declined to lift a ban on a rural county’s controversial early hand-count of mail-in ballots, saying a modified procedure the county clerk proposed still raises “concerns relating to the integrity of the election. SENT: 860 words, photo.
ELECTION-2022-STATE-SUPREME-COURTS-KANSAS — A mailer to voters across Kansas suggests removing state Supreme Court justices in Tuesday’s election would protect access to abortion, when abortion rights advocates want to keep them on the bench. SENT: 460 words, photos.
ELECTION 2022-DECISION NOTES — From coast to coast, a collage of American elections unfolds. SENT: 830 words, photos.
——————————————————
WASHINGTON /POLITICS
——————————————————
CAPITOL-RIOT-INVESTIGATION — The House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol has extended the deadline for former President Donald Trump to turn over documents as part of a subpoena issued last month, while reiterating its request for a sit-down interview. SENT: 540 words, photo.
TRUMP-LEGAL-TROUBLES — A criminal trial involving tax fraud charges against Donald Trump’s company won’t resume until late next week at the earliest as a key witness continues to recover from COVID-19. SENT: 280 words, photo.
————————————-
INTERNATIONAL
————————————-
MALAYSIA-ELECTIONS — Campaigning for Malaysia’s general elections formally started Saturday, in a highly competitive race that will see the world’s longest-serving coalition seeking to regain its dominance four years after a shocking electoral loss. SENT: 810 words, photos.
UNITED-NATIONS-NORTH-KOREA — The United States and its allies clashed with China and Russia over North Korea’s escalating ballistic missile launches and American-led military exercises in South Korea, again preventing any action by the deeply divided U.N. Security Council. SENT: 800 words, photo.
GLOBAL-LEADERS-UN-REFORM — The United Nations needs to be more muscular and united if it wants to remain a central player in tackling the world’s multiple escalating crises, a group of elder statesmen founded by Nelson Mandela say. SENT: 450 words, photos.
MEXICO-CUBA — After raising controversy by hiring hundreds of Cuban doctors, Mexico’s president appeared ready Friday to anger critics again by announcing plans to buy crushed rock ballast for a tourist train project from Cuba. SENT: 460 words, photo.
NEW ZEALAND-ANTARCTICA — Russia and China have again blocked plans supported by the European Union, the United States and 23 other nations to protect three vast stretches of ocean around Antarctica from most fishing. SENT: 390 words, photo.
MEXICO-VENEZUELA-TALKS — The Venezuelan government and the political opposition are preparing to resume talks stalled for more than a year, people familiar with the process told The Associated Press. SENT: 360 words, photos.
————————-
NATIONAL
————————-
TRANSGENDER-RULE FLORIDA — Transgender children in Florida will be barred from receiving hormones or undergoing surgeries to treat gender dysphoria under a rule approved by state medical officials at the urging of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis. SENT: 610 words, photos.
WATER-TROUBLE-MISSISSIPPI — Mississippi officials on Friday approved the city of Jackson’s request for $35.6 million in federal funds to help fix its crumbling water infrastructure, following this summer’s flooding-induced breakdowns that left 150,000 people without running water for days. SENT: 530 words, photos.
SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-PAUL HAGGIS — Filmmaker Paul Haggis choked up and wiped away tears while finishing his defense from the witness stand against a civil trial rape claim by a publicist. SENT: 350 words, photos.
MARYLAND-KILLING SERIAL PODCAST — An appeal of the court proceedings that freed Adnan Syed from prison filed by the family of the murder victim in the case chronicled in the true-crime podcast “Serial” can move forward, Maryland’s intermediate appellate court has ruled. SENT: 290 words, photo.
————————
SPORTS
————————
BKN--NETS-IRVING-NIKE — Nike has parted ways with Kyrie Irving. The shoe giant announced it will halt its relationship with the Brooklyn guard, who has been suspended by the Nets for what the team called a repeated failure to “unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs.” The Nets made that move Thursday, and a day later, Nike made its decision as well. Irving tweeted a link to a film that contains antisemitic material and repeatedly refused to apologize until the Nets suspended him. By Tim Reynolds. SENT: 827 words, photos.
BBO--WORLD SERIES-PHILLIES-ASTROS PREVIEW — Dusty Baker has been here before. It’s hard not to think of the last time the Astros’ manager was up 3-2 in the Fall Classic as he leads the team back to Houston on Saturday night for Game 6 of the World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies needing just one win for a championship. In 2002, Baker’s San Francisco Giants entered Game 6 against the Anaheim Angels up by the same margin. The Giants squandered a five-run lead in a 6-5 loss in the sixth game before the Angels won the title with a 4-1 win in Game 7. Twenty years later in his third trip to the World Series, Baker is still looking for that elusive championship after a quarter-century as a major league manager. By Kristie Rieken. SENT: 740 words, photos.
———————————————-
HOW TO REACH US
————————————————-
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 http://newsroom.ap.org. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.
