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
Supporters of Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav are seen through dust as a helicopter carrying Yadav lands at an election rally venue in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, India, Sunday, May 5, 2019. With 900 million of India's 1.3 billion people registered to vote, the Indian national election is the world's largest democratic exercise. (AP PhotoRajesh Kumar Singh)
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ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS _Gaza militants intensify a wave of rocket fire into southern Israel, striking towns and cities and killing at least four people in one of the bloodiest rounds of fighting since the 2014 war. At least nine Palestinians, including a pregnant woman and her 14-month-old niece, have also been killed. By Aron Heller. SENT: 1,140 words, photos. With ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-THE LATEST.
ELECTION 2020-JOE BIDEN _ Joe Biden has quickly emerged as the overwhelming front-runner in the Democratic presidential contest by dominating the early debate that matters most: electability. He may be out of step with the heart of the party on key issues, but he opens the race with a broad coalition of voters who believe he’s best positioned to deny President Donald Trump a second term. By Steve Peoples. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4 p.m.
Participants in the Global Bubble Parade are reflected in a soap balloon in Bucharest, Romania, Sunday, May 5, 2019. Dozens took part in the Global Bubble Parade, an international event, held in 125 cities across 60 countries, according to the organizers, that brings together soap bubble fans. (AP PhotoVadim Ghirda)
BETSY DEVOS-STAYING POWER _ Education, it’s safe to say, is not President Donald Trump’s top priority. Instead, he entrusts that realm to Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who’s emerged as one of the most polarizing figures in his Cabinet but also one of its most enduring members. By Education Writer Collin Binkley. SENT: 1,320 words, photos.
IRAQ-RAMADAN DRAMA _The first Iraqi-made TV drama in 7 years is being filmed in Baghdad. As the arts return to life in the capital, they bring with them a touch of hope in a country rebuilding after 16 years of war. By Philip Issa. SENT: 1,020 words, photos. This story has moved as this week’s Monday Spotlight.
RAC--STUMBLING TO PREAKNESS _The next stop in the chase for the Triple Crown is the Preakness, though both Maximum Security and Country House remain noncommittal for the May 18 race following Maximum Security's disqualification from the Kentucky Derby. Owner Gary West says he is unsure whether to enter Maximum Security in the Preakness as he ponders appealing the historic decision. By Gary B. Graves. SENT: 730 words, photos.
Pakistani men clean the walls while others offer noon prayers at a mosque ahead of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in Peshawar, Sunday, May 5, 2019. Muslims across the world will be observing the Ramadan, when they refrain from eating, drinking and smoking from dawn to dusk. (AP PhotoMohammad Sajjad)
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WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
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RUSSIA-PLANE FIRE _ Burning plane lands at Moscow airport; 1 death. SENT: 100 words, photos. UPCOMING: Developing.
KAYAKER RESCUES PILOT _ Fire rescue officials say a kayaker pulled a pilot to shore after the pilot's small plane crashed into a north Florida river. SENT: 120 words.
BENIN-FRENCH TOURISTS MISSING _ Two French tourists are feared kidnapped in West African nation of Benin after they failed to return from a game drive in a wildlife reserve. SENT: 330 words.
DIANA ROSS-AIRPORT SECURITY _ Diana Ross feels 'violated' by airport screener's touching. SENT: 130 words, photo.
MUSLIM CHILDREN-VIDEO _ The Muslim American Society says "disturbing" video showing children speaking in Arabic about sacrifice and chopping off heads wasn't vetted before being posted on its Philadelphia chapter's Facebook page. SENT: 460 words.
BRITAIN-MARATHON NURSE _ Guinness tells marathon-running nurse: no skirt, no record. SENT: 140 words, photos.
MEXICO-VOLCANO OFFERING _ Mexican villagers beseech volcano goddess for rain, safety. SENT: 710 words, photos.
BOY KILLED-SIBLING CHARGED _ Texas 12-year-old charged in fatal shooting of brother, 10. SENT: 110 words.
ROOSEVELT LIBRARY _ Backers seek funds for North Dakota Teddy Roosevelt library. SENT: 690 words, photos.
THAILAND-KING’S CORONATION _ Thai king celebrates coronation with spectacular parade. SENT: 730 words, photos.
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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TRUMP-CHINA TARIFFS _ President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday that tariffs on $200 billion of Chinese imports will jump from 10% to 25% this week, giving Chinese negotiators a fresh deadline and added pressure as talks between the two countries resume this week. SENT: 100 words. Developing.
TRUMP-IMMIGRATION _ President Donald Trump’s latest choice to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is a former border patrol chief from the Obama administration who has publicly backed Trump’s U.S.-Mexico wall. SENT: 350 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-RED STATE DEMOCRATS _ There are few Democrats in the presidential race from reliably Republican areas, but they’re trying in their own way to convince voters that being familiar with places that backed Donald Trump in 2016 could be an advantage in denying him a second term. By Will Weissert and Hunter Woodall. SENT: 890 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-CAMPAIGN RDP _ Biden attends a service at a black church in South Carolina, Sanders offers a new farm policy during a stop in the nation’s heartland. SENT: 240 words, photos. UPCOMING: 650 words by 4 p.m. With ELECTION 2020-PETE BUTTIGIEG _ Buttigieg, husband take in Jimmy Carter's Sunday school class in Plains, Georgia. SENT: 200 words, photos.
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INTERNATIONAL
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NORTH KOREA-MISSILE _ North Korean state media shows leader Kim Jong Un observing live-fire drills of long-range multiple rocket launchers and what appeared to be a new short-range ballistic missile, a day after South Korea expressed concern that the launches were a violation of an inter-Korean agreement to cease all hostile acts. By Kim Tong-Hyung. SENT: 1,210 words, photos.
VENEZUELA _Venezuelan authorities are investigating the cause of a helicopter crash that killed seven military officers while they were while heading to a state where President Nicolás Maduro was visiting troops. The crash followed days of upheaval during which opposition leader Juan Guaidó called in vain for a military uprising to overthrow Maduro. SENT: 340 words, photos.
BALKANS-POPE _ Pope Francis urged Bulgarians to open their hearts and homes to migrants, arguing that a country like Bulgaria, which is losing so much of its population to emigration, should well understand the forces that drive people to seek better lives elsewhere. SENT: 1,020 words, photos. With BALKANS-POPE-THE LATEST.
BREXIT _Britain's Conservative government and opposition Labour Party have a duty to strike a compromise Brexit agreement to end months of political deadlock over Britain's exit from the European Union, Prime Minister Theresa May said. SENT: 500 words, photos.
PANAMA-ELECTION _Panamanians were choosing Sunday among seven mostly business-friendly candidates to lead this Central American trade and financial hub for the next five years in a presidential election focusing on corruption and slowing economic growth. SENT: 690 words, photos. UPCOMING: Polls close at 5 p.m. First results expected a few hours later.
SOUTH AFRICA-ELECTION _ Campaigning for South Africa's upcoming elections reached a climax with mass rallies by the ruling party and one of its most potent challengers, ahead of national polls for president and parliament Wednesday. SENT: 580 words, photos.
SYRIA _ Warplanes struck a hospital in Syria's northwestern Idlib province, knocking it out of service, as government forces continued to bombard the rebel-held region following insurgent attacks last week. SENT: 490 words.
AFGHANISTAN _ The Taliban stormed a police headquarters in northern Afghanistan, killing 13 police and setting off a six-hour gunbattle, officials said. SENT: 470 words.
NORTH MACEDONIA-PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION _ North Macedonia held a competitive runoff election to choose a new president, a vote seen as a test of the center-left government's pro-West policies despite the largely ceremonial duties of the country's head of state. SENT: 420 words, photos. UPCOMING: Results expected around 7 p.m.
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NATIONAL
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BRANDED WOMEN _ It was called "collateral" — nude photos and other embarrassing material that female members of an upstate New York self-improvement group turned over to their "masters" to ensure obedience, silence and sexual fealty to the organization's spiritual leader. Now some former members of the group are poised to break their vow of silence for the first time by testifying against Keith Raniere, who has been compared to a cult leader. SENT: 650 words, photos.
PLANE CRASH-FLORIDA RIVER _ A passenger shouted "Watch out! Watch out!" as other passengers and crew members cautiously walked out on a wing of the Boeing 737, just moments after it had landed at a Florida military base, crashed through a stone seawall, and ended up in a river. SENT: 340 words, photos. Developing.
HOUSING BIAS-JUDGE _ A federal judge who worked until his recent death at age 96 left a historic trail of groundbreaking legal opinions. But one case outlived Damon Keith: the longest-running housing discrimination lawsuit in the United States. SENT: 710 words, photos.
TAX OVERHAUL-KANSAS _ Republican legislators have pushed a tax relief proposal through the Kansas Legislature, ignoring predictions from Gov. Laura Kelly's fellow Democrats that she will veto it, just as she did with a larger plan. SENT: 630 words, photo.
OCEAN CASINO RESORT _ A perennially challenged Atlantic City casino will finally turn a profit this month and chart the way forward under the ownership of a New York hedge fund. SENT: 940 words, photos.
SEAWEED RULING _ Maine's seaweed business has grown like a weed in recent years, with proponents touting it as both a "superfood" and an economic generator for the rural state — but the industry is now facing sticky new restrictions. SENT: 720 words, photo.
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ENTERTAINMENT
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FILM-BOX OFFICE _ "Avengers: Endgame" continued its global domination at the box office in a second week victory lap that saw the blockbuster cross the $2 billion mark in record time and unseat "Titanic" as the second highest-grossing film ever worldwide. Domestically, newcomers, including thrillers ("The Intruder"), well-reviewed comedies ("Long Shot") or animated family fare ("Uglydolls") were left in the dust to pick up the scraps. SENT: 690 words, photos.
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SPORTS
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BETTMAN’S PARITY _ There’s nothing NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman likes to trumpet more than his league’s parity, what he repeatedly calls “competitive balance.” It was the goal of the implementation of the salary cap back in 2005 to even the ice between big- and small-market franchises, and the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs is the culmination of that. By Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 5 p.m.
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HOW TO REACH US
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