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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ELECTION 2022-GEORGIA-SENATE-RACE — Raphael Warnock is the first Black U.S. senator from Georgia. His reelection challenger is another Black man, Republican challenger Herschel Walker. The two men have cut different paths and offer clearly opposing visions for the country, including on race and racism. By Bill Barrow. SENT: 1,280 words, photos. With ELECTION 2022-WHAT TO WATCH — Runoff presents different challenges for both candidates.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-HIDDEN ORPHANS — Throughout the war in Ukraine, Russian authorities have been accused of deporting Ukrainian children to Russia or Russian-held territories to raise them as their own. At least 1,000 children were seized from schools and orphanages in the Kherson region during Russia’s eight-month occupation of the area, their whereabouts still unknown. But locals say even more orphans would have been taken had it not been for the efforts of some in the community who tried to hide as many as they could. By Sam Mednick. SENT: 970 words, photos.
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHINA — China is easing some of the world’s most stringent anti-virus controls and authorities say new variants are weaker. But they have yet to say when they might end a “zero-COVID” strategy that confines millions of people to their homes and set off protests and demands for President Xi Jinping to resign. By Joe McDonald. SENT: 890 words, photos. With CHINA PROTEST — Protesters near White House demand “Free China!”
SUPREME COURT-GAY RIGHTS — The Supreme Court is hearing the case of a Christian graphic artist who objects to designing wedding websites for gay couples, that’s the latest clash of religion and gay rights to land at the highest court. By Jessica Gresko. SENT: 510 words, photos. UPCOMING: 800 words after 10 a.m. arguments.
MARRIAGE RIGHTS-EXPLAINER — Legislation that ensures same-sex and interracial marriages are recognized as legal unions appears headed for final approval and President Joe Biden’s signature, a bipartisan agreement that reflects a wider acceptance of gay rights in both Congress and the country. By Sara Burnett. SENT: 1,290 words, photos.
POLICE-KILLER ROBOTS — The unabashedly liberal city of San Francisco became the unlikely proponent of weaponized police robots last week after supervisors approved limited use of the remote-controlled devices, addressing head-on an evolving technology that has become more widely available even if it is rarely deployed to confront suspects. The authorization comes as police departments across the U.S. face increasing scrutiny for the use of militarized equipment and force amid a years-long reckoning on criminal justice. By Janie Har and Claudia Lauer. SENT: 1,240 words, photos.
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MORE ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Western nations began imposing a $60-per-barrel price cap and ban on some types of Russian oil, part of new measures aimed at stepping up pressure against Moscow over its war on Ukraine. SENT: 420 words, photos.
EUROPE-WESTERN BALKANS-SUMMIT — The war in Ukraine has put the European Union’s expansion at the top of the agenda as officials from the Western Balkans and EU leaders gather Tuesday for a summit intended to reinvigorate the whole enlargement process. SENT: 790 words, photos.
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WORLD CUP
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WCUP-VIEWER’S GUIDE — Neymar is expected to play in Brazil's round of 16 match against South Korea. By National Writer Jenna Fryer. SENT: 850 words, photos. With WCUP-PHOTO GALLERY — World Cup highlights from Day 15.
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COVID-19
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NEW ZEALAND-CORONAVIRUS INQUIRY — New Zealand is launching a wide-ranging inquiry into whether it made the right decisions in battling COVID-19 and how it can better prepare for future pandemics. SENT: 360 words, photos.
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TRENDING
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OBIT-BOB-MCGRATH — Bob McGrath, “Sesame Street” legend, dies at 90. SENT: 250 words, photo.
COLTS-COWBOYS — Cowboys score 33 points in 4th quarter, rout Colts 54-19. SENT: 800 words, photos.
GULF PLANE CRASH-FLORIDA — Airplane crash in Gulf of Mexico leaves two dead, one missing. SENT: 200 words.
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NATIONAL
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CALIFORNIA-LEGISLATURE — Furious about oil companies’ supersized profits after a summer of record-high gas prices, California Gov. Gavin Newsom will formally start his campaign to punish big producers by asking the Legislature to fine them and give the money back to drivers. SENT: 780 words, photos.
POLICE-SHOOTING-IN-HOME-TEXAS — A white former police officer is set to go on trial for fatally shooting a Black woman through a rear window of her Texas home while responding to a call about an open front door in a case that has faced years of delays. SENT: 530 words, photo.
POWER OUTAGE-VANDALISM — Two power substations in a North Carolina county were damaged by gunfire in what is being investigated as a criminal act, causing damage that could take days to repair and leaving tens of thousands of people without electricity, authorities said. SENT: 450 words, photo.
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INTERNATIONAL
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VATICAN-SCANDAL Revelations that a key prosecution witness may have been manipulated into changing his story and cooperating with prosecutors has jolted a Vatican trial over a money-losing investment in a London property. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.
QATAR-EMIRATES — The leader of the United Arab Emirates made a surprise visit to Qatar as it is hosting the World Cup — his first since leading a yearslong four-nation boycott of Doha over a political dispute that poisoned regional relations. SENT: 400 words.
INDONESIA-VOLCANO ERUPTION — Improved weather conditions allowed rescuers to resume evacuation efforts and a search for possible victims after the highest volcano on Indonesia’s most densely populated island erupted, triggered by monsoon rains. SENT: 440 words, photos.
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BUSINESS/ECONOMY
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FINANCIAL MARKETS — Asian shares were mostly higher and oil prices rose after the European Union and the Group of Seven democracies agreed on a boycott of most Russian oil and a price cap of $60 per barrel on Russian exports. By Business Writer Elaine Kurtenbach. SENT: 690 words, photos.
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SPORTS
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HALL OF FAME — Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens and Curt Schilling were passed over by a Baseball Hall of Fame committee that elected former big league slugger Fred McGriff to Cooperstown. By Baseball Writer Jay Cohen. SENT: 770 words, photos.
MIXED TEAM — The QBE Shootout will become a mixed-team event starting in 2023, returning the format to the schedule for the first time since the JC Penney Classic in 1999. By Golf Writer Doug Ferguson. SENT: 700 words, photos.
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ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT
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KENNEDY CENTER HONORS — Gladys Knight, George Clooney, Amy Grant, Tania León and U2 were all celebrated at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, which annually honors a select group of people for their artistic influences on American culture. SENT: 970 words, photos.
OPERA-BENJAMIN BERNHEIM — Fresh off a triumphant debut, French tenor Benjamin Bernheim seems likely to become a familiar presence at the Metropolitan Opera. By Mike Silverman. SENT: 950 words, photos.
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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.
