AP News Digest 3:15 a.m.

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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TRUMP-FBI — A unanimous federal appeals court has ended an independent review of documents seized from former President Donald Trump’s Florida estate, removing a hurdle the Justice Department said had delayed its criminal investigation into the retention of top-secret government information. The decision by the three-judge panel represents a significant win for federal prosecutors, clearing the way for them to use as part of their investigation the entire tranche of documents seized during an Aug. 8 FBI search of Mar-a-Lago. By Eric Tucker. SENT: 790 words, photos.

ELECTION 2024-DEMOCRATS — President Joe Biden has said that Democrats should give up “restrictive” caucuses and prioritize diversity at the start of their presidential primary calendar — dealing a major blow to Iowa’s decadeslong status as the state that leads off the process. By Zeke Miller Meg Kinnard and Will Weissert. SENT: 940 words, photos.

CHINA-QUASHING-DISSENT — When it comes to ensuring the security of their regime, China’s Communist Party rulers don’t skimp. The extent of that lavish spending was put on display when the boldest street protests in decades broke out in Beijing and other cities, driven by anger over rigid and seemingly unending restrictions to combat COVID-19. The government has been preparing for such challenges for decades, installing the machinery needed to quash large-scale upheavals. SENT: 860 words, photos. With VIRUS-OUTBREAK-CHINA — China fines former NBA star Lin over quarantine comments (sent).

UKRAINE-RUSSIA-WAR-MAINTAINING-MOBILE — With Ukraine scrambling to keep communication lines open during the war, an army of engineers from the country’s phone companies has mobilized to help the public and policymakers stay in touch during repeated Russian missile and drone strikes. By Vasilisa Stepanenko and Jamey Keaten. SENT: 550 words, photos.

CONGRESS-RAIL-STRIKE — Legislation to avert what could have been an economically ruinous freight rail strike won final approval in Congress on Thursday as lawmakers responded quickly to President Joe Biden’s call for federal intervention in a long-running labor dispute. By Kevin Freking and Josh Funk. SENT: 1,020 words, photos.

PERU-DRY ANDEAN LAGOON — The small Cconchaccota lagoon has been the axis of life in Vilma Huamaní’s community high in Peru’s southern Andes. It was a source of trout, fun for children eager to swim, beauty as flamingos flew from over the mountains and water for thirsty sheep. Nowadays, though, all Huamaní sees of the lagoon is a plain of cracked and broken soil surrounded by yellow grass. The rainy season in this part of South America should have started in September. But the area is experiencing its driest period in almost a half century, affecting more than 3,000 communities in the central and southern Andes of Peru. By Franklin Briceno. SENT: 730 words, photos.

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TRENDING

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PARLER-KANYE WEST — The rapper Ye is no longer buying right-leaning social media site Parler, the company has said. Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, had offered to buy Parler in October. At the time, Ye and Parlement Technologies, which owns Parler, said the acquisition would be completed in the last three months of the year. The sale price and other details were not disclosed. SENT: 320 words, photo.

NJ POWER PLANT-IMPLOSION — A former coal-fired power plant in New Jersey will be imploded and its owners are expected to announce plans for a new clean energy venture on the site. SENT: 210 words.

NEW YORK RAT CZAR — Hate rats? Are you a “somewhat bloodthirsty” New Yorker with excellent communication skills and “a general aura of badassery"? Then you might have what it takes to be the city’s new rat czar. SENT: 290 words, photo.

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WORLD CUP

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SOC--WCUP-NETHERLANDS-US PREVIEW — The United States and the Netherlands look ahead to their meeting Saturday in the World Cup’s round of 16. By Ronald Blum. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 4 a.m. Will be updated after news conferences, U.S. at 6:45 a.m. Netherlands at 8:30 a.m..

SOC--WCUP-US-PULISIC — United States midfielder Christian Pulisic hopes to play against the Netherlands in the round of 16 at the World Cup on Saturday after bruising his pelvic bone while scoring in the 1-0 win over Iran. The American star says he “will do everything in my power to work with this medical team and make sure I can play.” SENT: 500 words, photos.

WCUP-MOROCCO-FANS-REACTION — First Qatar was out, exiting the World Cup with the worst record of a host country. Then the Saudi national team’s run ended, despite a historic upset against Argentina last week. Finally Tunisia was eliminated, after a dramatic victory against already-qualified France. Now, at the first World Cup ever to be held in the Middle East, Morocco is the Arab world’s last hope. The fractured region is rallying around the North African nation after its 2-1 win Thursday against Canada that advanced Morocco to the knockout stage of the tournament for the first time since 1986. SENT: 380 words, photos.

WCUP-PHOTO-GALLERY — Highlights from the 12th day of the World Cup in Qatar. SENT: 20 words, photos.

WCUP-IRAN-US-RATINGS — The United States’ 1-0 win over Iran that earned the Americans a berth in the World Cup knockout rounds was seen by nearly 15.5 million people on U.S. English- and Spanish-language broadcasts and digital streams. SENT: 280 words, photos.

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Russian shelling has cut off power in the recently liberated Ukrainian city of Kherson amid Moscow’s ongoing drive to destroy key civilian infrastructure as freezing weather sets in. SENT: 590 words, photos.

RUSSIA-OIL-PRICE-CAP — The European Union was edging closer to setting a $60-per-barrel price cap on Russian oil — a highly anticipated and complex political and economic maneuver designed to keep Russia’s supplies flowing into global markets while clamping down on President Vladimir Putin’s ability to fund his war in Ukraine. SENT: 770 words, photo.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-BILLBOARDS-PHOTO-GALLERY — In the liberated city of Kherson, Ukrainians have been tearing down a glaring symbol of occupation -- billboards spreading Russian propaganda. SENT: 350 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON/ POLITICS

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BIDEN — To help Democrats win their 51st Senate seat in a Georgia runoff election, President Joe Biden is heading north — to Massachusetts. Days before polls close on Tuesday, Biden still has no plans to visit Georgia. Instead he’ll aim to help Sen. Raphael Warnock’s reelection campaign from afar with appearances at a Boston phonebank and fundraiser. By Zeke Miller and Bill Barrow. SENT: 780 words, photo. UPCOMING: 900 words after 2:15 p.m. arrival in Boston.

UNITED STATES-FRANCE-STATE DINNER — The first White House state dinner of President Joe Biden’s administration drew big names from fashion, entertainment, politics and business who turned out to help celebrate French President Emmanuel Macron and the return of large social events after the pandemic. SENT: 1,020 words, photos, video.

ELECTION 2022-GEORGIA-SENATE — Former President Barack Obama and Sen. Raphael Warnock have urged Democratic voters to keep pushing an apparent head start in early voting in the Georgia Senate runoff against Republican Herschel Walker, ahead of the last day of early in-person voting and Tuesday’s election day. By Bill Barrow. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

STUDENT LOAN DEBT — The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether the Biden administration can broadly cancel student loans, keeping the program blocked for now but signaling a final answer by early summer. SENT: 740 words, photos.

CONGRESS-HOUSE-DEMOCRATS — Wrapping up leadership elections, House Democrats unanimously chose Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina for a new role as the party whip relinquishes his current job and a younger generation of Democratic leaders takes charge in the new year. SENT: 500 words, photo.

ELECTION 2022-ARIZONA — A rural Arizona county certified its midterm election results on Thursday, following the orders of a judge who ruled that Republican supervisors broke the law when they refused to sign off on the vote count by this week’s deadline. SENT: 800 words, photo.

UNITED STATES-NORTH KOREA — The Biden administration has imposed sanctions on three members of North Korea’s ruling party’s central committee for their involvement in the country’s ballistic missile program. SENT: 280 words, photo.

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NATIONAL

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COLORADO-SPRINGS-SHOOTING-CHOIR — A gay men’s choir in Colorado Springs is among a group of organizations working locally to foster solidarity and healing after a gruesome shooting at a gay night club devastated Colorado Springs’ LGBTQ community. The attack robbed people of devoted friends and family members and left memories of gunfire and screaming in a space that was considered a safe haven. As chorus members harmonize, their singing is haunted by the tragedy, yet they say the sound of their voices in unison instills strength and a stubborn optimism able to withstand attacks. SENT: 1,140 words, photos.

HAWAII-VOLCANO-HAWAIIAN-CULTURE — Glowing lava from the world’s largest volcano is a sight to behold, but for many Native Hawaiians, Mauna Loa’s eruption is a time to pray, make offerings and honor both the natural and spiritual worlds. An eruption of a volcano like Mauna Loa has a deep yet very personal cultural significance for many Native Hawaiians. It can be an opportunity to feel a connection with creation itself through the way lava gives birth to new land, as well as a time to reflect on their own place in the world and the people who came before them. SENT: 860 words, photos, video.

SEXUAL-MISCONDUCT-HARVEY-WEINSTEIN — An attorney for Harvey Weinstein at his Los Angeles rape and sexual assault trial told jurors that prosecutors’ case relies entirely on asking them to trust women whose testimony showed they were untrustworthy. SENT: 710 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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KOREAS-TENSIONS — South Korea has sanctioned eight people and seven companies suspected of engaging in illicit activities to finance North Korea’s growing nuclear weapons and missile programs. SENT: 520 words, photos. UNITED NATIONS — New US sanctions against North Koreans over missile program

INDIA-ADANI-GOES-GREEN — Asia’s richest man, Gautam Adani, made his vast fortune betting on coal as an energy hungry India grew swiftly after liberalizing its economy in the 1990s. He’s now set his sights on becoming the world’s biggest renewable energy player, by 2030, adroitly aligning his investments with the government’s own priorities. SENT: 1,090 words, photos.

AUSTRALIA-PARLIAMENT-ALLEGATIONS — An Australian prosecutor on Friday dropped the rape charge of a woman who was allegedly assaulted in a parliamentary office after he determined that the stress of the trial would put her life at risk. SENT: 740 words, photo.

UNITED NATIONS-IRAQ — Evidence collected in Iraq strengthens preliminary findings that Islamic State extremists committed crimes against humanity and war crimes against the Christian community after it seized about a third of the country in 2014, a U.N. investigative team has said in a report. SENT: 810 words.

HUNGARY-FUEL-SHORTAGE — Drivers in Hungary are increasingly running into gas and diesel shortages at filling stations as a government-imposed price cap squeezes the operators of independent stations and leaves the state energy company struggling to keep up with demand. SENT: 650 words, photos.

MEXICO-US-DISPUTES — Mexico’s economy secretary on Thursday proposed yet another round of talks with the United States on a dispute over Mexico’s energy sector. Mexico hopes to stave off a full-fledged trade complaint under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. SENT: 440 words.

AUSTRALIA-FINLAND — Finland’s Prime Minister Sanna Marin warned an Australian audience Friday that a Russian victory over Ukraine would empower other aggressors and urged democracies against forming “critical dependencies” on authoritarian states such as China. SENT: 380 words, photos.

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BUSINESS/ECONOMY

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FINANCIAL MARKETS — Shares retreated in Asia after a mixed day on Wall Street as optimism over signs the Federal Reserve may temper its aggressive interest rate hikes was replaced by worries the economy might be headed for a recession. SENT: 630 words, photos.

AUTO-WORKERS-NEW-LEADERSHIP — Members of the United Auto Workers union appeared to favor replacing many of their current leaders in an election that stemmed from a federal bribery and embezzlement scandal involving former union officials. SENT: 760 words, photo.

US-ECONOMY-JOBS-REPORT — When the government issues the November jobs report, it could provide clarity on whether hiring and pay growth are gradually cooling — a trend that the Federal Reserve sees as vital in its fight against high inflation. SENT: 610 words, photo.

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SPORTS

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FBC--PLAYOFF EXPANSION — The College Football Playoff announced Thursday it will expand to a 12-team event starting in 2024, completing an 18-month process that was fraught with delays and disagreements. SENT: 900 words, photos. With FBC--PLAYOFF EXPANSION-EXPLAINER — How will College Football Playoff expansion work? (sent).

FBN--BILLS-PATRIOTS — Josh Allen threw two touchdown passes and the Buffalo Bills beat the New England Patriots 24-10 for their first AFC East victory of the season. By Kyle Hightower. SENT: 860 words, photos. With FBN--LAST-PLACE PATRIOTS — Last-place Patriots lose 3d straight to Buffalo, 24-10 (sent).

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HOW TO REACH US

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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.