This news lookahead offers a look at major events and stories through the weekend and beyond. All times EST and plans are subject to change. Find our latest plans in AP Coverage Plan.
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WEEKEND TOP STORIES
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SATURDAY
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EDUCATION-UNIVERSAL PRESCHOOL -- Investments that states have made in public preschool have helped many parents through a child care crisis in which quality options for early learners are often scarce and unaffordable. But the challenges around finding care on either side of the school day can make even these programs difficult to accommodate for working parents. No state has a more ambitious plan for universal preschool than California, which plans to extend eligibility for transitional kindergarten to all 4-year-olds by fall 2025. But not all schools hosting transitional kindergarten offer child care before or after instruction. UPCOMING: 1,070 words, photos by 3 a.m. Eds: This is the Monday Spotlight.
CONGRESS-UKRAINE -- The House is planning to vote on a $95 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies. UPCOMING: Text, photos. Live and edits planned for video.
TRUMP-HUSH MONEY-COCOON -- The jury selection process in Donald Trump's hush money trial is putting the former president in the unusual position of having to sit and listen to regular people offering their unvarnished opinions of him. UPCOMING: By 9 a.m., photos.
REL-PASSOVER-EXPLAINER -- Passover is a major Jewish holiday, celebrated over seven or eight days each year. It commemorates the exodus of ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt, as recounted in the Bible. To many Jews, it symbolizes freedom and the birth of a Jewish nation. This year, for many Jews, the holiday's mood will be impacted by somber factors related to Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and the rise of antisemitic incidents elsewhere. Many Seder tables, in Israel and elsewhere, are expected to have empty seats, representing those killed or taken hostage by Hamas on Oct. 7, as well as soldiers unable to return home for Passover. UPCOMING: 590 words, photos by 8 a.m.
POND-SKIMMING -- The wacky spring tradition of pond skimming is happening this month at ski resorts across the country. It's often held to celebrate the last day of the skiing season before the chairlifts close until the following winter. People ski in pajamas, dressed as movie characters, holding fishing rods or shirtless -- hoping to gain enough downhill momentum to skim clear across the water. UPCOMING: 420 words, photos by 12:30 a.m.
LEGAL MARIJUANA-SOCIAL EQUITY -- Nearly a decade after some of the first legal marijuana stores in the U.S. opened in Washington state, the industry remains overwhelmingly white, having left behind minority communities that were most burdened by the drug war. A belated effort to diversify the ranks of pot shop owners is underway in Washington, but those granted coveted "social equity" licenses still face serious headwinds, from challenges finding a location where cities will let them operate to obtaining the money to do it. UPCOMING: 1,240 words, photos by 1 a.m.
TRUMP-NORTH CAROLINA -- Trump will hold a rally in Wilmington, NC. scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Text laydown moves at 12:01 a.m. Live, edits, photo coverage planned. T
TURKEY-ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS -- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said he would host Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh on Saturday. When asked what would be on their agenda, Erdogan refused to give details. Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry is also expected in Turkey to meet with counterpart Hakan Fidan to discuss the situation in Gaza. UPCOMING: Text, photos by 7 a.m. Monitoring for possible video edits.
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SUNDAY
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HAWAII WILDFIRES-VACATION RENTALS -- An acute housing shortage hitting fire survivors on the Hawaiian island of Maui is squeezing out residents even as they try to overcome the loss of loved ones, their homes and their community. The situation is prompting state lawmakers to consider giving counties the authority to phase out vacation rentals. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green got so frustrated that he blurted an expletive during a news conference. Last August's deadly wildfire burned the core of Lahaina's residential housing stock. Neighborhoods spared by the fire have a high percentage of vacation rentals. About half the housing in Napili, north of downtown Lahaina, is taken up by short-term rentals. UPCOMING: 970 words, photos by 1 a.m. Eds: This is the Monday Spotlight.
REL--WELLNESS-BLACK BUDDHIST LAMA -- Lama Rod Owens describes himself as a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. The Harvard Divinity school educated lama and yoga teacher blends his training in the Kagyu School of Tibetan Buddhism with experiences from his life as a Black, queer man, raised in the South by his mother, a pastor at a Christian church. Owens is seen as an influential voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers and is respected for his work focused on the intersection of social change, identity and spiritual practice. His latest book, "The New Saints," highlights Christian saint and spiritual warriors, Buddhist bodhisattvas and Jewish tzaddikim among those who have a desire to free other beings from suffering. UPCOMING: 1,190 words, photos, video by 8 a.m.
EARTH DAY-GROCERY SHOPPING -- Plastic is so ubiquitous it's impossible to shop for groceries without buying plastic packaging and products. Fresh produce and meats are wrapped in it, chips are bagged and drinks are bottled in it and trash bags and other household goods are made from it. Earth Day's global theme is Planet vs Plastics, with a call to reduce plastic production 60% by 2040. UPCOMING: 400 words, photos, video by 9 a.m.
ARGENTINA-TAKING-ON-NARCOS -- A river port city in Argentina was once well-known as the birthplace of soccer superstar Lionel Messi and revolutionary Eduardo "Che" Guevara. But in recent years it has grown notorious as a drug-trafficking hub with an escalating homicide rate five times the national average. The dangers reached new heights last month when narco-gangs went on a deadly rampage in Rosario targeting civilians in retaliation for government efforts to crack down on incarcerated kingpins. The wave of bloodshed presents an early test to the security agenda of populist President Javier Milei, who has tethered his success to saving Argentina's tanking economy and eradicating narco-trafficking violence. UPCOMING: 1,280 words, photos by 2 a.m.
ECUADOR SECURITY REFERENDUM --- Ecuadorians vote Sunday in a referendum on government-backed measures to tighten security and combat crime as the country faces a spiraling wave of gang-related criminality. UPCOMING: By 9 a.m. With photos, video, live.
MALDIVES-ELECTION -- Parliamentary elections in the Maldives slated for April 21 will be crucial for President Mohamed Muizzu, whose steps are keenly watched by regional powers India and China - both vying for influence in the tiny archipelago nation. Both countries see a foothold in the Maldives as critical for controlling the India Ocean. Muizzu was elected president last year on a campaign to remove Indian troops stationed in his county and since taking office has endeared himself to China distancing the closest neighbor, India. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos by 7 a.m.
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MONDAY
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EARTH-DAY-FLINT-YOUNG ACTIVISTS -- This former automaking center still struggles 10 years after an ill-fated decision to switch drinking-water sources set off a public health crisis from lead-contaminated water. It's dealing with population loss, crime, poverty and ongoing health and environmental problems, including thousands of lead pipes that remain in the ground. But the children of the water crisis - many now teenagers and young adults - aren't giving up on their city and have turned their experiences into activism. UPCOMING: 1,300 words, photos, video by 9 a.m. Eds: This is the Tuesday Spotlight.
REL--MEXICO-ELECTIONS AND RELIGION -- In June, Claudia Sheinbaum will most likely become Mexico's first female president. She would also be its first Jewish president How relevant is that in a country that's home to nearly 100 million Catholics. UPCOMING: 1,240 words, photos by 8 a.m.
TRUMP-HUSH-MONEY -- Donald Trump's hush money trial continues in New York. UPCOMING: 1,000 words, photos, live and edits by 1 a.m.
FINANCIAL-WELLNESS-EARNED-WAGE-ACCESS -- More people are using "earned wage access" apps to get money to pay bills and buy groceries in between paydays. The typical user earns less than $50,000 a year, according to the Government Accountability Office, and has experienced the pinch of two years of high inflation. Proponents say the service helps those living paycheck to paycheck balance their budgets. UPCOMING: 1,330 words, photos by 5 a.m.
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