What to know:

• The U.S. Supreme Court recently let the civil verdict stand, clearing the way for the federal judge to release the money. A jury found Trump attacked E. Jean Carroll in 1996 in the dressing room of a luxury Manhattan department store, and defamed her after she described it publicly in a 2019 memoir. Trump called her allegations false. Trump’s lawyers said Wednesday they would continue to appeal and accused his political opponents of using the legal system against him.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• Trump’s plan for a triumphal arch in the nation’s capital is getting another review
   
• Trump flies partway home from Turkey in an old Air Force One, not the new Qatari-gifted jet 
  
  
• The Trump administration is ramping up pressure on states to change election practices 
  
  
• Judge sets February trial for man charged with planting pipe bombs on the eve of the Capitol riot
  
  
• Family demands an independent probe after ICE officer fatally shoots a man
  
  
• Judges deny request to return Trump’s name to Kennedy Center pending an appeal

POLITICS

Democrat Graham Platner says he plans to withdraw from Maine Senate race after sexual assault claim

He made the announcement Wednesday, after facing an allegation of sexual assault, shuttering an insurgent campaign that had withstood months of controversy. Read more.

Why this matters:

• Platner’s exit could imperil Democrats’ attempt to regain power in Washington. Maine is considered a key state for control of the narrowly divided Senate, and Democrats were desperate for a candidate capable of defeating Republican Sen. Susan Collins.
  
  

• His exit could exacerbate divisions between the party’s moderate and progressive factions, as Democrats debate who should replace him on the ballot. In an 11-minute video posted to social media, Platner said the process to replace him needs to be “open, transparent and democratic” and to reflect the will and values of people who supported him. He stressed that his decision was not an admission of guilt.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤

• WATCH: Platner announces his withdrawal
  
  
• What happens next in the Maine Senate race
  
  
• Republicans see their grip on Senate tighten amid Democrats’ dysfunction in Maine
  
  
• Kentucky Gov. Beshear asks Sen. McConnell to give a public update on his condition
  
  
• Most American Jews don’t feel supported by either party or President Trump, new AP-NORC poll finds

WORLD NEWS

What’s it like for a reporter on the ground in Ukraine when a missile or drone attack begins?

It’s a balance between personal safety and covering the news. We have a team on standby and when an attack begins, we take cover but keep in constant contact following developments. We document what we can from where we are and when we think it’s safe to deploy, our teams head out into the field to capture those essential images and witness accounts that show the ongoing impact of Russia’s invasion.

The AP has a robust presence on the ground in Ukraine, even as the war there has passed the four-year mark. How has our coverage of the war changed recently?

With the world’s attention often focused elsewhere, we concentrate on producing stories that show the war’s impact on Ukrainian society while explaining developments in ways that keep audiences engaged. At the same time, reporting from the front line has become even more dangerous due to the intensity of drone warfare, so a lot of security preparation goes into every deployment.