AP News Digest 3 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.

——-—————————— NEW/DEVELOPING ——-——————————

GERMANY SECURITY CONFERENCE — World leaders, security experts gather for Munich Security Conference.

———————— ONLY ON AP ————————

MIGRANTS-JOURNEY — Thousands of Ethiopians trek to Saudi Arabia in search of work each year, crossing deserts, the sea and a long journey through war-torn Yemen to get to the kingdom. It’s a dangerous journey of thousands of miles and many migrants never make it. Even those who do make if face deportation if they are caught in Saudi Arabia. It’s an endless cycle of arrivals and deportation. Yet many people say they have no choice but to make the trip due to the extreme poverty at home. By Maggie Michael, Nariman El-Mofty and Maad Al-Zekri. SENT: 3,030 words, photos, graphic. An abridged version is available. With MIGRANTS-JOURNEY-PHOTO-ESSAY — Determined: Ethiopian female migrants risk it all for Saudi Arabia.

MEDICARE-TELEMARKETERS — A government watchdog plans to launch a nationwide probe into how telemarketers may be getting hold of seniors’ personal Medicare information, a red flag for potential fraud and waste. Investigators say sensitive information can get out even when a Medicare beneficiary thinks he or she is dealing with a trustworthy entity. By Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar. SENT: 780 words, photo.

————————- TOP STORIES ————-—————

CONGRESS-BARR — House Democrats frustrated over the Senate’s acquittal of President Donald Trump are pushing their oversight efforts toward the Justice Department. Top Democrats plan to investigate what they call Attorney General William Barr’s efforts to politicize federal law enforcement. By Mary Clare Jalonick. SENT: 700 words, photo. With TRUMP-ATTORNEY GENERAL — Barr swipes at Trump: Tweets make it “impossible" to do job.

CHINA-OUTBREAK — China reports another sharp rise in the number of people infected with a new virus, as the death toll nears 1,400. The National Health Commission says 121 more people had died and there were 5,090 new confirmed cases. By Ken Moritsugu. SENT: 450 words, photos. With NKOREA-OUTBREAK — U.S. says it's ready to help North Korea combat virus; CHINA-OUTBREAK-AT A GLANCE. Also see MORE ON CHINA-OUTBREAK below.

ELECTION 2020 — Democratic presidential candidates hoping to revive their flagging campaigns are increasingly taking aim at Mike Bloomberg. They are accusing their billionaire rival of trying to buy his way into the White House and raising questions about his commitment to racial equality. By Will Weissert and Alan Fram. SENT: 1,180 words, photos. With ELECTION-2020-NEVADA-UNION — Nevada's Culinary Union will not endorse in Democratic race.

Find more coverage on the 2020 U.S. Elections featured topic page in AP Newsroom.

SYRIA-THE HIGHWAY-AP EXPLAINS — It is arguably one of the most coveted prizes in Syria’s civil war, and after eight years of fighting, Syrian President Bashar Assad has got it back. The Damascus-Aleppo highway, or the M5, is known to Syrians simply as the “International Road.” Cutting through all of Syria's major cities, the motorway is key to who controls the country. By Zeina Karam. SENT: 860 words, photos.

KASHMIR-INTERNET CENSORSHIP — India is heralding the restoration of limited internet six months after it stripped Kashmir of its semi-autonomy and imposed a blackout. But Kashmiris are only allowed to access government-approved websites. Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter remain blocked. By Aijaz Hussain and Sheikh Saaliq. SENT: 1,040 words, photos.

EUROPE-UNDER REPAIR — The European Union is looking at major changes in the way it operates. The bloc has been preoccupied for almost four years with Brexit. But now that Britain has left the bloc, the EU hopes to find more time to fix problems ranging from the way it carries out foreign policy to how it allows new members in. By Raf Casert. SENT: 1,050 words, photos.

————————————————————

MORE ON CHINA-OUTBREAK

————————————————————

CHINA-OUTBREAK-WORKING-AT-HOME — China has told employees who can work from home to stay there while the government fights a virus outbreak with the most extreme anti-disease measures ever imposed. By Business Writer Joe McDonald. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.

CAMBODIA-OUTBREAK-CRUISE SHIP — Hundreds of cruise ship passengers long stranded at sea by virus fears cheer as they finally disembark and were welcomed to Cambodia by the nation's authoritarian leader who handed them flowers. SENT: 740 words, photos.

CHINA-OUTBREAK-WILDLIFE — China cracks down on the sale of exotic species after an outbreak of a new virus in 2002 was linked to markets selling live animals. SENT: 1,110 words, photos, video.

TAIWAN-OUTBREAK-PATHOGENS AND POLITICS — Taiwan’s exclusion from the World Health Organization is pitting health concerns against geopolitics during the current crisis over the new illness known as COVID-19. SENT: 580 words, photos.

—————————————————————- WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ————-———--———————-—————-

MISSING-GIRL-SOUTH-CAROLINA — South Carolina girl found dead, days after going missing. SENT: 310 words, photos.

BEN-WILSON-FORGIVENESS — Brothers of Chicago prep basketball star forgive his killer. SENT: 440 words.

————————————————- WASHINGTON/POLITICS —————————————————-

TRUMP-URANIUM — The Trump administration wants to spend $1.5 billion over 10 years to create a U.S. uranium reserve, claiming that reliance on cheaper uranium imports threatens the country's energy security, but some critics say the president is seeking a taxpayer handout for uranium companies that can’t compete in the global market. SENT: 880 words, photo.

———————————— INTERNATIONAL ————-———————-

MALI-GOLD-EXTREMISM — A gold rush is underway in an area of northern Mali where al-Qaida-linked militants operate, raising concerns that new profits from the artisanal mining could benefit not only the local economy but also Islamic extremists. UPCOMING: 500 words by 5 a.m., photos.

VATICAN-AMAZON-REACTION — Roman Catholic priests, deacons and bishops across the Amazon voice surprise, resignation and reluctant acceptance of Pope Francis' refusal to allow married men to be ordained priests, lamenting that their faithful will continue to be deprived of Mass and subject to competing evangelical churches that have made impressive inroads in the region. SENT: 1,130 words, photos.

ARGENTINA-TRANSGENDER SOCCER PLAYER — Dozens of trophies, balls and cups sit on two worn, wooden shelves in the small home in a Buenos Aires suburb of Mara Gómez, who is poised to become the first transgender woman to play professional soccer in Argentina. SENT: 1,010 words, photos.

————————- NATIONAL ————————

SCHOOL SHOOTING-FLORIDA-RED FLAG LAW — A Florida law that allows judges to bar anyone deemed dangerous from possessing firearms has been used 3,500 times since its enactment after a 2018 high school massacre. SENT: 1,020 words, photos.

MEXICAN CHURCH LEADER-CHILD RAPES — A Southern California woman says the father and son leaders of a Mexican megachurch sexually abused her for 18 years starting when she was 12, manipulating Bible passages to convince her the mistreatment actually was a gift from God, according to a federal lawsuit. SENT: 820 words, photo.

—————————————— BUSINESS/ECONOMY ——————————————

GLOBAL ECONOMY-LOW RATES — Negative interest rates are likely to be a feature of the global economy for years to come and could change the way people save and invest. By Business Writers David McHugh and Christopher Rugaber. UPCOMING: 1,280 words by 6 a.m., photos.

JUSTICE DEPARTMENT-HUAWEI — The Justice Department adds new criminal charges against Chinese tech giant Huawei and several subsidiaries, accusing the company of a brazen scheme to steal trade secrets from competitors in America. SENT: 770 words, photos.

————————————————-

ARTS/ENTERTAINMENT

—————————————————

FASHION-BALLET-FIT-EXHIBIT — The launch this week of “Ballerina: Fashion's Modern Muse” at the Museum at FIT argues that ballet has had a major influence on fashion, starting in the early 20th century and up to the present time. By National Writer Jocelyn Noveck. SENT: 700 words, photos.

-—————- SPORTS —————-

CITY GAME — The Museum of the City of New York has a new exhibit that chronicles the rich history of basketball in New York. By Basketball Writer Doug Feinberg. SENT: 650 words, photos.

—————————————- HOW TO REACH US —————————————-

At the Nerve Center, Jerome Minerva can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, Wally Santana (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(at)ap.org or call 877-836-9477.