AP News Digest 3:30 am

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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ONLY ON AP

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AP POLL-VOTING RIGHTS — Majorities of Americans in both major parties think voting rules in their states are appropriate and support a voter identification law, but Democrats are increasingly worried about progress in voting rights for Black Americans. By Nicholas Riccardi and Hannah Fingerhut. SENT: 890 words, photo, graphics.

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TOP STORIES

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Russian strikes hit near airports in the western Ukrainian cities of Ivano-Frankiivsk and Lutsk, far from Russia’s main offensive, possibly indicating a new direction in the war. New satellite photos, meanwhile, appeared to show a massive convoy outside the Ukrainian capital had fanned out into towns and forests near Kyiv with artillery pieces raised for firing in another potentially ominous movement. By Evgeniy Maloletka. SENT: 1,250 words, photos, videos. With RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-THE LATEST; RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-THINGS TO KNOW.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-NATO’S ENDGAME — As Western leaders congratulate themselves for their speedy and severe responses to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, they’re also scratching their heads with uncertainty. The U.S., NATO and the European Union have focused on strangling Russia’s economy and arming Ukrainian fighters, but how that will stop the fighting isn’t clear. By Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee. SENT: 990 words, photo.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-AIRPOWER — Russia’s airstrike on a children’s and maternity hospital in Ukraine is stirring memories of the Kremlin’s past aerial campaigns waged in Chechnya and Syria. For now, comparisons with the destruction of the Chechen capital of Grozny, or Aleppo in northern Syria, are premature: The invasion of Ukraine is only in its third week, and military analysts say that Russia is still not pressing its aerial advantage. By Lorne Cook. SENT: 700 words, photos. Also see MORE ON RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR below. For full coverage.

VIRUS OUTBREAK — On the two-year anniversary of the start of the pandemic, people are shedding their masks and getting back to normal as COVID-19 deaths and cases plummet. Hospitalizations from COVID-19 in the U.S. have plunged 80% in the last six weeks across the U.S. since a mid-January pandemic peak down to the lowest levels since July 2021, according to CDC data. People are headed back to gyms, bars and restaurants and even crowded concerts — things that seemed too risky just last month. By Gillian Flaccus, Christopher Weber and Terry Tang. SENT: 1,290 words, photos. With VIRUS-OUTBREAK-ANNIVERSARY-PHOTO-GALLERY — Two years of images tell the story of the pandemic.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-BIDEN-PANDEMIC RELIEF — It’s been one year since President Joe Biden signed into law the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan. Critics say it contributed to inflation and undermined Biden’s chances to enact the rest of his sweeping domestic agenda. Administration officials say it helped insulate the economy from more disruptions and ensured a more equitable recovery. By Chris Megerian and Zeke Miller. SENT: 1,470 words, photo. With VIRUS OUTBREAK-BIDEN-PANDEMIC RELIEF-GLANCE.

JUSSIE SMOLLETT — A judge sentenced Jussie Smollett to 150 days in jail, branding the Black and gay actor a narcissistic charlatan for staging a hate crime against himself to grab the limelight while the nation struggled with wrenching issues of racial injustice. Smollett responded by defiantly maintaining his innocence and suggesting he could be killed in jail. By Don Babwin and Kathleen Foody. SENT: 1,000 words, photos, video. With JUSSIE-SMOLLETT-TRIAL-EXPLAINER-CHARGES; JUSSIE-SMOLLETT-TIMELINE.

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