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 in AP Newsroom.
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ONLY ON AP
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EMERGENCY ROOMS-PREGNANCY — Complaints about pregnant women being turned away from emergency rooms spiked in the months after states began enacting strict abortion laws following the 2022 U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The cases are detailed in federal documents obtained by The Associated Press and raise serious questions about the state of emergency pregnancy care in the U.S. By Amanda Seitz. SENT: 1,580 words, photos.
GULF-SPILL-WORKERS-LEFT-BEHIND — Thousands of ordinary people who helped clean up after the 2010 BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico say they got sick. A court settlement was supposed to help compensate them, but it hasn’t turned out as expected. The entire sprawling process has left those who jumped into action after the biggest offshore oil spill in U.S. history stranded. By Travis Loller and Michael Phillis. SENT: 2,630 words, photos, video, audio, localize it. WITH: GULF-SPILL-WORKERS-LEFT-BEHIND-TAKEAWAYS – SENT: 880 words, photos.
AP POLL-IRA-CLIMATE — A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that 45% of adults in the United States say they have become more concerned about climate change over the past year. President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act was intended to address some of those fears, but the poll suggests that it’s not widely known among the general population. By Alexa St. John and Linley Sanders. SENT: 1,110 words, photo.
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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES
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CHICAGO-MIGRANTS-BLACK RESIDENTS — Chicago is one of several big American cities grappling with a surge of migrants. With help from state and federal funds, the city has spent more than $300 million to provide housing, health care and more to over 38,000 mostly South American migrants. The speed with which these funds were marshaled has stirred widespread resentment among Black Chicagoans. But community leaders are trying to ease racial tensions and channel the public’s frustrations into agitating for the greater good. The Biden administration is advocating a more restrictive approach to immigration in its negotiations with Republicans in Congress. By Matt Brown. SENT: 1,150, photos, video.
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TOP STORIES
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MIDEAST-TENSIONS — Iran has fired air defenses at a major air base and a nuclear site near its central city of Isfahan after spotting drones. The commotion early Friday raised fears of a possible Israeli retaliatory strike following Tehran’s unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country. It was unclear if the country had come under attack, as no Iranian official directly acknowledged the possibility and Israel’s military did not respond to a request for comment. However, tensions have remained high in the days since the Saturday assault on Israel amid its war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip and its own strikes targeting Iran in Syria. U.S. officials declined to comment as of early Friday, but American broadcast networks quoting unnamed U.S. officials said Israel carried out the attack. By Jon Gambrell. SENT: 860 words, photo, video, audio. WITH: EU-ITALY-G7 — The United States told the Group of Seven foreign ministers that it received “last minute” information from Israel about a drone action in Iran, Italy’s foreign minister said. SENT: 230 words, photos; CONGRESS-IRAN — Iran’s attack against Israel over the weekend has spurred a flurry of bipartisan legislative action in Congress. SENT: 820 words, photo; UNITED-STATES-IRAN-SANCTIONS — The U.S. and U.K. have imposed a new round of sanctions on Iran as concern grows that Tehran’s attack on Israel could fuel a wider war in the Middle East. SENT: 700 words, photos.
TRUMP-HUSH MONEY — Jury selection in Donald Trump’s landmark hush money case could wrap up Friday, setting the stage for the opening statements against the backdrop of a presidential election that could return him to the White House. By Jennifer Peltz, Michael R. Sisak, Jake Offenhartz and Alanna Durkin Richer. SENT: 600 words, photos, video. UPCOMING: 980 words after trial resumes at 9:30 a.m. WITH: TRUMP-HUSH-MONEY-MEDIA — Judge in Trump case orders media not to report where potential jurors work. SENT: 920 words, photos; TRUMP-HUSH-MONEY-THE-LATEST.
INDIA-ELECTION — Millions of Indians are voting in a six-week election that’s a referendum on Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The first round of voting is being held across 21 states. Modi is seeking a third rare term in office. He is up against a broad opposition alliance that hasn’t named their candidate for prime minister if they win. India’s voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament during the staggered elections that will run until June 1. The votes will be counted on June 4. By Ashok Sharma and Krutika Pathi. SENT: 920 words, photos, video.
RUSSIA-NEW-OFFENSIVE — Russian troops are ramping up pressure on exhausted Ukrainian forces across the front line to prepare to grab more land this spring and summer. With a vital U.S. aid package for Kyiv slowed in Congress, Russia has relied on its edge in firepower and personnel to step up attacks across eastern Ukraine. Military experts predict the Russian offensive will intensify in the coming weeks as muddy fields dry up to allow armor and other heavy equipment to move off roads. SENT: 800 words, photos.
PAKISTAN-SUICIDE-ATTACK — Five Japanese autoworkers narrowly escaped an attack by a suicide bomber who detonated his explosive-laden vest near their vehicle in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi. The local police chief said the van carrying the Japanese nationals was heading to an industrial area where they worked at Pakistan Suzuki Motors when it was targeted Friday. He said guards escorting the Japanese workers returned fire after coming under attack and all the Japanese who were the target of the attack were safe. By Adil Jawad. SENT: 360 words, photo, video.
AP-EXPLAINS-HISTORY-OF-420 — Marijuana advocates are gearing up for April 20. Known as 4/20, marijuana’s high holiday on Saturday is often marked by large crowds gathering in parks, at festivals and on college campuses to smoke together. This year activists can reflect on how far the legalization movement has come in the U.S. Medical marijuana is now legal in 38 states. Of those, 24 also allow recreational use. The Biden administration has shown an openness to marijuana reform. The Department of Health and Human Services has recommended marijuana be reclassified as a lower-schedule drug, which would affirm its medical use under federal law. By Gene Johnson. SENT: 1,120 words, photos.
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ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
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ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-UN-MEMBERSHIP — The U.S. vetoed a widely backed U.N. resolution that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 12 in favor, the United States opposed and two abstentions. SENT: 700 words, photos.
ISRAEL-HOSTAGES-PASSOVER — Jews around the world will soon celebrate Passover, recounting the biblical story of their exodus from Egypt after hundreds of years of slavery. But for many Israelis it’s hard to fathom honoring an occasion focused on freedom, when friends and family are still in captivity. SENT: 1,080 words, photos.
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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR
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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Ukraine’s air force is claiming it shot down a Russian strategic bomber. But Moscow officials say the plane crashed Friday in a sparsely populated area due to a malfunction after a combat mission. Neither claim could be independently verified. SENT: 440 words, photos.
CONGRESS-UKRAINE — House congressional leaders were toiling on a delicate, bipartisan push toward weekend votes to approve a $95 billion package of foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, as well as several other national security policies at a critical moment at home and abroad. SENT: 1,010 words, photos. WITH: CONGRESS-JOHNSON-DEMOCRATS — Democrats weigh prospect of helping Johnson save his job as House speaker (SENT).
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MORE NEWS
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INDONESIA-VOLCANO — More people living near an erupting volcano on Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island are being evacuated. The authorities ordered them to leave due to the dangers of spreading ash, falling rocks, hot volcanic clouds and the possibility of a tsunami. SENT: 370 words, photos.
ISRAEL-AMPUTEE-SOCCER — Israel’s national amputee soccer team is heading to France for the 2024 European Amputee Football Championships in June. The team lineup includes two Israeli soldiers who were seriously wounded and lost limbs during the war in Gaza. SENT: 870 words, photos, video.
COLUMBINE-SCHOOL-SHOOTING — The 12 students and one teacher killed in the Columbine High School shooting will be remembered in a vigil on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the tragedy. Friday’s gathering is the main public event marking the anniversary. SENT: 620 words, photos.
EATING-CICADAS — They may look like little monsters. And their seemingly endless racket may be a nuisance. But as parts of the nation prepare for the emergence of trillions of noisy cicadas, bug experts say the little creatures can also be a tasty snack. SENT: 500 words, photos, video.
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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EDUCATION-TITLE-IX-SEXUAL-ASSAULT — The rights of LGBTQ+ students will be protected by federal law and victims of campus sexual assault will gain new safeguards under new rules from the Biden administration. The Education Department issued its new Title IX regulation on Friday. SENT: 950 words, photos.
ALASKA-ARCTIC-DRILLING — The Biden administration has finalized rules that would restrict new oil and gas leasing and development in portions of a federal petroleum reserve in Alaska that are considered particularly sensitive as the Arctic continues to warm. The decision finalizes protections for the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska first proposed last year as the Biden administration prepared to approve the controversial Willow oil project. SENT: 750 words, photos.
UNITED STATES-UKRAINE-WEAPONS-EXPLAINER — The Pentagon could get weapons moving to Ukraine quickly if Congress passes a long-delayed aid bill because it has a network of storage sites in the U.S. and Europe. Those sites already hold some of the munitions and air defense components Kyiv desperately needs. By Tara Copp and Lolita C. Baldor. SENT: 950 words, photos.
ELECTION 2024-DECISION NOTES-PENNSYLVANIA — President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump will go before voters Tuesday in Pennsylvania’s presidential primaries. It’s a prelude to the November general election, when the commonwealth is expected to once again to play a critical role in the race for the White House. By Robert Yoon. UPCOMING: 1,230 words, photo by 7 a.m.
TRUMP-CAPITOL-RIOT — Donald Trump has lost a bid to pause a string of lawsuits accusing him of inciting the U.S. Capitol attack, while the former president fights his 2020 election interference criminal case in Washington. SENT: 420 words, photos.
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NATIONAL
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ASBESTOS-TOWN-RAILROAD — BNSF Railway attorneys are expected to argue before jurors that the railroad should not be held liable for the lung cancer deaths of two former residents of an asbestos-contaminated Montana town. Closing arguments are scheduled Friday in a civil lawsuit against the railroad. SENT: 720 words, photos.
CALIFORNIA-TENANTS-PETS — Finding an apartment may be easier for California pet owners under new legislation. Assembly Bill 2216 would ban blanket no-pets policies and prohibit landlords from charging extra for security deposit and rent for tenants who have cats, dogs or other household animals. SENT: 710 words, photos, video.
HAITI-DEPORTATIONS — U.S. deports about 50 Haitians to nation hit with gang violence, ending a monthslong pause in flights. SENT: 650 words, photo.
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INTERNATIONAL
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LITHUANIA-NAVALNY-ALLY — Lithuania’s president says that two people have been detained in Poland on suspicion of attacking Russian opposition activist Leonid Volkov, an ally of the late activist Alexei Navalny, in March. SENT: 400 words, photo.
DENMARK-FIRE — Firefighters in Copenhagen plan to start taking down scaffolding left dangling outside the ruins of the Danish capital’s historic Old Stock Exchange building following a large blaze on Tuesday. SENT: 340 words, photos.
PAKISTAN-SOCIAL MEDIA BAN — An important ally of Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif demanded the government lift a two-month-old ban on the social media platform X, saying it violates citizens’ right to speech and expression. SENT: 420 words, photo.
SOUTH-KOREA-DOCTORS-PROTEST — South Korea’s government says it will slow down a plan to admit more students to the country’s medical schools from next year, in a bid to end a weeks-long strike by thousands of doctors. SENT: 310 words, photos.
MALI-EXTREME-WEATHER — Laborers and street vendors in Mali find no respite as deadly heat wave surges through West Africa. SENT: 700 words, photos, video.
ARABIAN-PENINSULA-RAIN — Long-haul air carrier Emirates says it is halting local check-in for passengers traveling on its flights as the wider United Arab Emirates tries to recover from record-setting rains. Emirates said the order would go into early Saturday. SENT: 200 words, photo.
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HEALTH & SCIENCE
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SCI-METEOR-SHOWER – The Lyrid meteor shower is here. But with a nearly full moon in the sky during the peak this weekend, it might be tough to see. SENT: 370 words, photo.
MED-SYPHILIS-SCREENING-RECOMMENDATIONS — With syphilis cases in U.S. newborns skyrocketing, a doctors group now recommends that all pregnant patients be screened three times for the sexually transmitted infection. SENT: 340 words, photo.
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BUSINESS
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BITCOIN-HALVING-EXPLAINER — Bitcoin’s next “halving” is right around the corner. Slicing new production of the world’s largest cryptocurrency in half could have a lot of implications, from the price of the asset to the day-to-day operations of bitcoin miners themselves. SENT: 1,080 words, photo.
WORLD-BANK-BANGA — There was no shortage of stressors to the global economy when Ajay Banga took charge at the World Bank almost a year ago: inflation eating at nations drowning in debt, a once-in-a-generation pandemic, climate disasters and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. SENT: 750 words, photos.
FINANCIAL-MARKETS — Japan’s Nikkei leads Asian market retreat as Middle East tensions flare. SENT: 720 words, photos, audio.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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CHRISLEYS-FEDERAL-CHARGES — Reality TV stars Todd and Julie Chrisley have appealed aspects of their convictions on federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion. The case is set for arguments before the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta on Friday. SENT: 740 words, photos.
OBIT-DICKEY-BETTS — Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, “Ramblin’ Man,” has died. He was 80. SENT: 1,140 words, photos, audio.
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SPORTS
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F1-CHINESE-GP-PREVIEW — The Chinese Grand Prix could deliver some much-needed drama to Formula 1. This means Red Bull’s Max Verstappen can’t be penciled in as the almost-certain winner on Sunday. SENT: 730 words, photos.
HKN--PLAYOFF PREVIEW — There is no prohibitive favorite to win the Stanley Cup as the NHL playoffs begin this weekend. This time it wouldn’t be surprising if any one of nearly a dozen teams is the last one left standing in June. SENT: 850 words, photos.
NBA-PLAY-IN PREVIEW — All four teams in the finales of the NBA play-in tournament on Friday night are dealing with injury issues. Chicago goes to Miami and then Sacramento plays at New Orleans. SENT: 800 words, photos.
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HOW TO REACH US
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FILE -A steel worker moves a 155 mm M795 artillery projectile during the manufacturing process at the Scranton Army Ammunition Plant in Scranton, Pa., Thursday, April 13, 2023. The Pentagon could get weapons moving to Ukraine within days if Congress passes a long-delayed aid bill. That's because it has a network of storage sites in the U.S. and Europe that already hold the ammunition and air defense components that Kyiv desperately needs. Moving fast is critical, CIA Director Bill Burns said Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
Richard Wallace, founder and director of Equity and Transformation, poses for a portrait at the Westside Justice Center, Friday, March 29, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
The Rev. Dr. Chauncey Brown speaks during an interview at Second Baptist Church, Sunday, April 14, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)
FILE - This undated photo shows members of the Allman Brothers Band, from left, Dickey Betts, Duane Allman, Berry Oakley, Butch Trucks, Gregg Allman and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson, eating at the H&H Restaurant in downtown Macon, Ga. Guitar legend Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, “Ramblin’ Man,” died Thursday, April 18, 2024. He was 80. (The Macon Telegraph via AP, File)
FILE - Todd Chrisley, left, and his wife, Julie Chrisley, pose for photos at the 52nd annual Academy of Country Music Awards on April 2, 2017, in Las Vegas. Todd and Julie Chrisley, who are in prison after being convicted on federal charges of bank fraud and tax evasion, are challenging aspects of their convictions and sentences in a federal appeals court.(Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)
World Bank President Ajay Banga is interviewed by The Associated Press, Tuesday, April 16, 2024, at the World Bank in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
FILE - An advertisement for the cryptocurrency Bitcoin displayed on a tram, May 12, 2021, in Hong Kong. Sometime in the next few days or even hours, the “miners” who chisel bitcoins out of complex mathematics are going to take a 50% pay cut — effectively slicing new emissions of the world’s largest cryptocurrency in an event called bitcoin halving. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)
Chicago Bulls forward Dalen Terry (25) shoots against Atlanta Hawks forward Bruno Fernando (24) during the second half of an NBA basketball play-in tournament game in Chicago, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. The Bulls won 131-116. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
The soccer player of Israel Amputee Football Team, Ben Binyamin and his teammates prepare to run during a practice session in Ramat Gan, Thursday, April 11, 2024. Ben Binyamin was celebrating his 29th birthday at the Tribe of Nova music festival on Oct. 7 when Hamas militants stormed into southern Israel and opened fire on thousands of Israelis dancing to electronic music. Binyamin raced into an air raid shelter, but attackers fired shots and then threw in grenades. He was seriously wounded; his right leg was blown off. He was left for dead. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
FILE - A guest takes a puff from a marijuana cigarette at the Sensi Magazine party celebrating the 420 holiday in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, April 20, 2019. Marijuana advocates are gearing up for Saturday, April 20, 2024. Known as 4/20, marijuana's high holiday is marked by large crowds gathering in parks, at festivals and on college campuses to smoke together. This year, activists can reflect on how far the movement has come. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)
FILE - A vendor makes change for a marijuana customer at a cannabis marketplace in Los Angeles, April 15, 2019. Marijuana advocates are gearing up for Saturday, April 20, 2024. Known as 4/20, marijuana's high holiday is marked by large crowds gathering in parks, at festivals and on college campuses to smoke together. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel, File)
FILE - Ukrainian National Guard soldiers simulate an assault during tactical training at a shooting range in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region on Feb. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Andrii Marienko, File)
Firefighters work on a building that was partially destroyed after a Russian bombardment in Chernihiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Three Russian missiles slammed into a downtown area of the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv on Wednesday, hitting an eight-floor apartment building and killing at least 17 people, authorities said. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian signs a visitor's book before a meeting with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at United Nations headquarters, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Iranian army members march during Army Day parade at a military base in northern Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. In the parade, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi warned that the "tiniest invasion" by Israel would bring a "massive and harsh" response, as the region braces for potential Israeli retaliation after Iran's attack over the weekend. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Palestinians mourn next to dead ones in the Al Aqsa hospital in Deir al Balah following an Israeli bombardment in the Maghazi refugee camp, central Gaza Strip, Tuesday, April 16, 2024. Several killed in a strike in Maghazi camp in Central Gaza on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump speaks as he meets with Poland's President Andrzej Duda at Trump Tower in New York, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Stefan Jeremiah
President Joe Biden waves during a campaign event in Philadelphia, Thursday, April 18, 2024, with members of the Kennedy family. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
Former President Donald Trump awaits the start of proceedings during jury selection at Manhattan criminal court, Thursday, April 18, 2024 in New York. (Jeenah Moon/Pool Photo via AP)
Former President Donald Trump appears at Manhattan criminal court during jury selection in New York, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (Brendan McDermid/Pool Photo via AP)
