Estimated read time: 12-13 minutes
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Good morning! Here's a look at how AP's general news coverage is shaping up today. Some plans are subject to change; see the 2 p.m. News Digest for updates. You can find our contact info at the bottom of this advisory.
HIGHLIGHTING:
Among today's coverage highlights as we see them at 10:15 a.m. EDT:
-- MALAYSIA-PLANE (sent; developing)
-- CALIFORNIA BUS CRASH (sent, developing)
-- PISTORIUS TRIAL (sent; developing)
-- SEBELIUS RESIGNATION (sent; developing)
-- OBAMA (sent; developing)
-- GULF OIL SPILL-HEALTH (sent; developing)
PHOTOS: CALIFORNIA BUS CRASH (sent, developing);
VIDEO: CALIFORNIA_BUS_CRASH (sent); AR_DIAMOND_PARK (sent)
Here are details of those stories, plus others we have in the works for today and notable pieces that we sent in the past 10 hours (all times EDT):
NATIONAL
CALIFORNIA BUS CRASH — A bus carrying high school students on a college visit collides with two other vehicles in a fiery crash on a Northern California freeway, killing 10 people and sending several others to hospitals. SENT: 1,030 words, photos, graphic, video. UPCOMING: Developing.
GULF OIL SPILL-HEALTH — Four years after BP's Gulf of Mexico oil spill, questions remain about cleanup workers' long-term health. SENT: 1,050 words, photos, video, developing. NIH conference call at 1 p.m.
GULF OIL SPILL-NEWS GUIDE — The Gulf of Mexico oil spill at a glance. SENT: 670 words
KIDNAP VICTIM RESCUED — A North Carolina prison inmate used a smuggled mobile phone to keep in touch with kidnappers in Atlanta holding the father of a prosecutor who helped send him away for life, federal authorities say. SENT: 900 words, photos, video.
DAYCARE CRASH — The man authorities say drove an SUV that crashed into another vehicle, sending it spinning into a daycare center where a girl was killed and 14 people were injured is staying in jail through the weekend. A Florida judge will hear arguments Monday whether Robert Corchado should be released on bail. SENT: 130 words, photos, videos, developing.
TAX REFUND FRAUD — Thieves have claimed billions of dollars in bogus tax refunds from the IRS by swiping the Social Security numbers and identities of schoolchildren in Florida, prisoners in Pennsylvania, teachers in Washington and soldiers deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. SENT: 850 words, photos.
TAX REFUND FRAUD-GLANCE — Tips from the government on how to avoid tax refund fraud. SENT: 300 words.
ZUMWALT WARSHIP-NAMESAKE — A new warship bears the name of Bud Zumwalt, Navy reformer who fought racism and sexism. SENT: 650 words, photos.
CRUISE SHIP-ILLNESSES — More than 100 passengers have contracted the highly contagious norovirus on a ship that is touring the California coast. But the cruise line says it has no plans to end the voyage early. SENT: 250 words.
ARKANSAS DIAMOND SOLD — Oklahoma teen sells diamond found in Arkansas park for $20,000, says it will go toward college. SENT: 140 words, video.
CONGRESSMAN-VIDEO — La. congressman rebuffs resignation calls, after video shows him kissing married woman. SENT: 700 words, photos.
HISTORIC DOCUMENTS SALE - A sale of hundreds of historical documents collected by a New York-based archivist has fetched than $1.3 million. SENT: 130 words.
CONNECTICUT EX-GOVERNOR — Former Connecticut Gov. John G. Rowland is arraigned on charges he tried to hide his role in two congressional campaigns. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: Developing from 2:30 p.m. hearing, then 500 words by 5 p.m., photos.
DOCTOR'S DAUGHTER-WATERBOARDING — A former Delaware pediatrician convicted of waterboarding the daughter of his longtime companion by holding her head under a faucet faces sentencing on assault and endangerment charges. Developing from 9:30 a.m. hearing. SENT: 130 words. UPCOMING: 500 words by 5 p.m.
HILLARY CLINTON-VEGAS — The former secretary of state ducked a thrown shoe, expressed surprise, cracked a couple of jokes that drew applause and continued her keynote speech on stage in front of a Las Vegas convention audience. SENT: 590 words, photos, video.
WORLD
MALAYSIA-PLANE — Authorities are confident that signals detected deep in the Indian Ocean are from the missing Malaysian jet's black boxes, Australia's prime minister said, raising hopes they are near solving one of aviation's most perplexing mysteries. SENT: 930 words, photos, video, interactive.
MALAYSIA-PLANE-US SEARCHER — Lt. Cmdr. Adam Schantz, the officer in charge of the two U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon planes taking part in the search for the missing plane, talks about tough conditions, monotony and the meaning of the search. SENT: 670 words, photos.
PISTORIUS-TRIAL — The prosecutor cross-examining Pistorius in his murder trial tried to shred his version of events the night he shot and killed his girlfriend, saying they do not add up and go against how people would react in the situation the double-amputee Olympian has described. SENT: 700 words, photos, videos.
PALESTINIANS-GENEVA CONVENTIONS - The Swiss government says the Palestinians can join the Geneva Conventions, the international rules of war that also cover occupations. SENT: 300 words.
UKRAINE — Ukraine's prime minister tells leaders in the country's restive east that he is committed to allowing regions to have more powers. SENT: 870 words, photos.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-GAS PRICES — Lately, the amount Russia says it is owed by Ukraine's cash-strapped government for natural gas has been ballooning as if by magic — from $1.7 billion at the beginning of April to a staggering $35.4 billion, according to a letter sent by President Vladimir Putin on Thursday to 18 European leaders. A look at the figures, how Moscow is adding them up. UPCOMING: 600 words by 11 a.m., photos.
EUROPE-UKRAINE — EU foreign ministers to discuss broadening Russia sanctions over unrest in eastern Ukraine. SENT: 140 words.
BULGARIA-NATO — NATO's chief visits Bulgaria, calls on Russia to pull back its troops from Ukraine's border. SENT: 140 words.
GREECE-MERKEL — Police ban protests across most of central Athens as German Chancellor Angela Merkel is due to pay a brief visit. SENT: 290 words, photo.
JAPAN-WHALING-ANALYSIS — An international court ruling that scrapped Antarctic whaling may have given Japan a face-saving way to end program. SENT: 700 words, photos.
INDIA-ELECTIONS-WOOING WOMEN — Women form more than 49 percent of India's 814 million voters, but most women, especially in rural India, feel their concerns are not taken seriously by political parties in a country where women take a back seat to men in everything from health care to education to legal protection. SENT: 900 words, photos.
PUERTO RICO-RADICAL FIXES — Puerto Rico has been in tough economic straits for years, and the beleaguered government of the U.S. island territory is being flooded with suggestions to dig itself out. SENT: 950 words, photos.
IRAQ — Iraq's deputy prime minister escaped an assassination attempt in which militants dressed as soldiers opened fire on his convoy west of Baghdad, according to an Iraqi lawmaker and a statement from the deputy premier's office. SENT: 380 words, photos.
VATICAN-CHURCH ABUSE — Pope asks forgiveness for priest sex abuse and vows no going back in fight to protect children. SENT: 330 words.
MYANMAR-MEDIA PROTEST — Several private newspapers in Myanmar printed black front pages on Friday to protest the recent arrests and sentencing of journalists, in the latest sign the country's media climate is worsening. SENT: 400 words, photos.
THAILAND-ROAD ACCIDENT — Nine Cambodians killed in road accident in Thailand's east during Thai New Year break. SENT: 210 words.
NEW ZEALAND-ROYALS — Britain's Duchess of Cambridge has twice beaten her husband Prince William during friendly racing in America's Cup sailing boats on Auckland's Waitemata Harbour. SENT: 140 words, photos, video.
SYRIA — Activists say the death toll from infighting between rival Islamic rebel groups in eastern Syria has jumped to 68. SENT: 140 words, photo.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA-EARTHQUAKE — A powerful earthquake struck off the South Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea on Friday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. SENT: 170 words.
PHILIPPINES-ABU SAYYAF — Philippine troops launched an assault against Abu Sayyaf extremists in the south early Friday and sporadic clashes have left at least three militants dead and 20 soldiers wounded, officials said. SENT: 550 words.
CHINA-CITIZ ENS MOVEMENT — A Beijing court has upheld a four-year prison term for the founder of a Chinese grassroots movement to promote clean governance, drawing criticism and calls for his release from rights groups and the U.S. government. SENT: 570 words, photos.
CAMBODIA-INSURRECTION CONVICTION — Cambodia sentences 13 men to prison terms of 5 to 9 years for plotting to overthrow government. SENT: 340 words.
CHINA-TAINTED WATER - Chinese authorities have cut water supplies to a district in a northwestern city after excessive levels of a toxic chemical were found in tap water. SENT: 130 words.
NETHERLANDS-PRISON UNDERCROWDING — The Dutch government is facing an unusual crisis: Prison undercrowding. SENT: 330 words.
ISRAEL-OBIT-PUNDAK — Ron Pundak, Israeli activist who initiated peace talks with Palestinians in 1990s, dies at 59. SENT: 270 words, photo.
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC — The U.N. refugee agency says Christian militias in Central African Republic are attacking people trying to flee the country, forcing them to take more dangerous routes across the border. SENT: 130 words.
SRI LANKA — Sri Lanka says soldiers kill 3 men who were attempting to revive defeated Tamil Tiger rebels. SENT: 310 words.
WASHINGTON
SEBELIUS RESIGNATION — Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, a lightning rod for health care law critics, resigns as White House seeks new start. SENT: 890 words, photos, video. UPCOMING: 400 words by noon after 11 a.m. announcement, then 1,100 words by 3 p.m., photos, video.
OBAMA — A day after hailing the Civil Rights Act as a lasting legacy of Lyndon B. Johnson's presidency, Obama is using another civil rights forum to issue an election-year warning against erosion of the Voting Rights Act, the landmark 1965 law that helped pave Obama's path in politics. SENT: 760 words, photo, video. UPCOMING: 200 words by 4:45 p.m., 850 words by 6 p.m., photos, video.
GLOBAL FINANCE — Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew is warning Russia that it could face tougher economic sanctions because of its actions in Ukraine but so far other economic powers are showing a reluctance to go as far as the United States. SENT: 850 words. UPCOMING: Updates from 1:30 p.m. news conference, then 1,000 words by 4 p.m., photos.
MICHELLE OBAMA-MILITARY CAREGIVERS - Michelle Obama and Jill Biden are bringing relief to millions of people who care for wounded service members and veterans. SENT: 540 words, photo. UPCOMING: White House event at noon, 300 words by 1 p.m.
SCIENCE
LAB-MADE ORGANS - Two new studies describe the latest achievements in growing body parts in a lab and transplanting them into people, this time with nostrils and vaginas. SENT: 550 words, photo.
BUSINESS AND ECONOMY
FORD PICKUPS-INVESTIGATION — U.S. safety regulators have decided against seeking a recall of Ford F-150 pickup trucks after investigating complaints about reduced power in EcoBoost engines. SENT: 220 words.
GLOBAL FINANCE - Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew is warning Russia that it could face tougher economic sanctions because of its actions in Ukraine but so far other economic powers are showing a reluctance to go as far as the United States. SENT: 850 words. UPCOMING: Updates from 1:30 p.m. news conference, then 1,000 words by 4 p.m., photos.
COLDWATER CREEK-BANKRUPTCY — The women's clothing retailer Coldwater Creek has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after failing to find a potential buyer or a source of capital to help fund its turnaround efforts. SENT: 290 words, photo.
SUBWAY-BREAD INGREDIENT — Subway says an ingredient dubbed the "yoga mat" chemical will be entirely phased out of its bread by next week. SENT: 480 words.
POLK AWARDS — Two reporters central to revealing the massive U.S. government surveillance effort will return to the United States for the first time since the story broke to receive a journalism award. UPCOMING: News conference planned after 2 p.m., then 400 words by 5 p.m., photos, video.
SPORTS
MASTERS — Adam Scott felt a sense of calm that carried over to the golf course. The result: a 3-under 69 that got the laid-back Aussie off to just the kind of start he was looking for at the Masters. SENT: 810 words, photos, interactive.
UNITED NATIONS-REDSKINS —A UN human rights expert says the name of the Washington Redskins football team is a "hurtful reminder" of the mistreatment of Native Americans, but stopped short of joining in calls for the team's owner to change the name. SENT: 130 words.
NAVAJO COUNCIL-REDSKINS — Navajo Nation Council formally opposes use of NFL team's 'Redskins' name. SENT: 130 words.
MANNERS IN BASEBALL — With baseball's expanded replay rule this season, those colorful, saliva-trading tirades that punctuated controversial calls could very well be replaced by far more civilized behavior. Manners in baseball? Maybe so. SENT: 800 words, photos.
WCUP-BRAZIL'S PREPARATIONS — With time running out, Brazil struggles with its World Cup preparations. SENT: 760 words, photos.
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
FILM-SPRING MOVIES — Sandwiched between the chest-thumping ambition of awards season and the swaggering spectacle of summer, spring movie-going is usually an afterthought, a limbo for films not bankable enough for July or sufficiently highbrow for the Oscars. But it might actually be the best time of year for the movies. UPCOMING: 850 words by 1 p.m., photos
STEPHEN COLBERT-LATE SHOW — With Stephen Colbert leaving his character behind to host the 'Late Show,' fans wonder: Who is Stephen Colbert? SENT: 900 words, photos, interactive.
MUSIC-ROCK HALL — Kiss, Nirvana and Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band were ushered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in a colorful induction ceremony at Brooklyn's Barclays Center. By David Bauder. SENT: 1,090 words, photos.
BOOKS-CAROL LEIFER — Comedian and writer Carol Leifer has something serious to say in her new book, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Crying." SENT: 640 words, photos.
OPERA-OLGA ARRIVES — For Olga Peretyatko, the past year has seen a dizzying series of debuts that have thrust the 33-year-old Russian soprano into sudden prominence. Now she's in New York to face critics and audiences at the Metropolitan Opera, singing a touchstone role of the bel canto repertory, the madness-prone Elvira in Vincenzo Bellini's "I Puritani." UPCOMING: 600 words by 10 a.m., photos.
BRITAIN-OBIT-TOWNSEND — British comic author Sue Townsend, who created angst-ridden teenage diarist Adrian Mole and sent Queen Elizabeth II into exile on a public housing estate, has died at 68 after suffering a stroke. SENT: 420 words, photos.
BRITAIN-ROYALTY ON STAGE - "King Charles III" imagines Prince Charles — a man of strong environmental and political views — taking the throne. Even in the 21st century, it's a work director Rupert Goold calls "really provocative." UPCOMING: 600 words by noon, photos.
HOW TO REACH US
At the Nerve Center, Karen Mahabir can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Dan Goodman (ext. 1900). For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from http://www.apexchange.com. For access to AP Exchange and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 877-836-9477.
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