AP News Digest 6 p.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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NEW & DEVELOPING
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Adds: SUPERDOME-SHOOTING, TV-JIMMY-FALLON,
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IRAN PLANE CRASH — Iran's Revolutionary Guard acknowledges that it accidentally shot down the Ukrainian jetliner that crashed earlier this week, killing all 176 people aboard, after the government had repeatedly denied Western accusations and mounting evidence that it was responsible. By Nasser Karimi and Joseph Krauss. SENT: 1,200 words, photos. WITH: AP ANALYSIS-IRAN PLANE CRASH — Iran's acknowledgement that it shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing 176 people, raises new challenges for the Islamic Republic. SENT: 1,025 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-IRAN — As the missiles flew in the Middle East, the anxiety was felt most clearly in places such as Monroe County, Michigan, which has buried young soldiers at a rate higher than most of the rest of the country and where matters of war and peace are personal. And political. This swing corner of a swing state is among a cluster of Rust Belt counties that helped put President Donald Trump in office in 2016. Its assessment of his performance as commander in chief could decide whether he stays there next year. By National Writer Claire Galofaro. SENT: 1,750 words, photos. A 1,020-word abridged version has also moved.
TRUMP-NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER — In a defining week for President Donald Trump on the world stage, national security adviser Robert O'Brien was a constant presence at the president's side as the U.S. edged to the brink of war with Iran and back again. The contrasts with O'Brien's predecessor along the way — in secret consultations at Trump's Mar-a-Lago result in Florida, in the Oval Office and in basement deliberations in the White House Situation Room — could not have been more stark. By Jonathan Lemire, Deb Riechmann and Aamer Madhani. SENT: 1,280 words, photos.
TRUMP-IMPEACHMENT-SENATE-WHAT TO WATCH — The votes are there. The rules and choreography are set, more or less. And now — hear ye, hear ye — the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump is nearly set to begin. A look at what to expect when the Senate puts the impeachment articles against Trump on trial, starting as early as this coming week. By Laurie Kellman. SENT: 1,190 words, photos.
REDRAWING AMERICA-2020 — The reins of political power in the U.S. for the next decade could be determined in this year's elections — not necessarily by who wins the presidency, but by thousands of lower-profile contests for state legislative seats across the country. By David A. Lieb. SENT: 1,700 words, photos. A 990-word abridged version has also moved. Eds: This story has moved as the Sunday Spotlight.
ROYAL RIFT — Queen Elizabeth II ended 2019 with a public plea for global harmony after a rocky year. She’s starting 2020 trying to heal disharmony within her own family after Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, decided to “step back” as senior royals —- and announced the news without consulting the monarch. By Jill Lawless. SENT: 1,075 words, photos.
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WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT
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TV-GOLDEN GLOBES-HOSTS — Tina Fey and Amy Poehler will share host duties for the Golden Globes ceremony in 2021. SENT: 195 words.
GATOR ATTACK — An alligator bit an 18-year-old college student who was hiking with a group at the Everglades National Park, officials said. SENT: 135 words.
GIRAFFE NAMING CONTEST — The zoo in Louisiana's capital city is asking for the public's help to name its newest male giraffe. SENT: 120 words.
HANUKKAH STABBINGS — The number of residents seeking to own handguns has risen sharply in a New York community shaken last month by a machete attack that injured five men during a Hanukkah celebration. SENT: 250 words.
SUPERDOME-SHOOTING — Two people trying to enter an unauthorized area near the Superdome were involved in a shootout with the venue's security officers before fleeing, New Orleans police say.
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TRUMP-TAKING CREDIT — It was wonderful news when researchers reported the largest-ever one-year decline in the U.S. cancer death rate during 2017. While the drop occurred during President Donald Trump's first year in office and was part of a long trend that began nearly three decades ago, he didn’t miss the chance to take a bow. While many presidents have acted as the cheerleader in chief for the good things that happened on their watch, Trump has taken the art of self-marketing to a whole new level. SENT: 820 words, photos.
ELECTION 2020-YANG — After months of running on unconventional campaign strategies, cool branding and novel ideas, entrepreneur Andrew Yang has arrived at a new point in the 2020 Democratic presidential race. It’s where conventional election rules take over and what matters most is a strategy for winning. The candidate powered by an online buzz is now trying to make it on the real, and often unhip, campaign trail through Iowa and New Hampshire. SENT: 1,280 words, photos. WITH: ELECTION 2020-NEVADA — Several Democratic presidential candidates descend on Nevada hoping to build relationships with Latino voters and win the coveted endorsement of the culinary workers union. SENT: 560 words, photos.
FACT CHECK-WEEK — President Trump systematically fabricated his record before boisterous supporters and the eyes of the world this past week. To a core question — did the U.S. killing of an Iranian general avoid an imminent attack on U.S. interests? — there is no definitive answer days after missiles flew. Trump and his officials said the U.S. attack achieved that result but have yet to prove it. In other matters, Trump offered distortion across the breadth of public policy. SENT: 2,850 words, photos. Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd
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OMAN — Oman's new ruler, Sultan Haitham bin Tariq Al Said, vowed to uphold his predecessor Sultan Qaboos bin Said's foreign policy approach, which steered the Arab country through choppy Persian Gulf waters by balancing close relations with both the United States and Iran. SENT: 1,300 words, photos. WITH: OMAN-OBIT-SULTAN QABOOS — Oman’s Sultan Qaboos bin Said has died at age 79. SENT: 1,380 words, photos.
TAIWAN-ELECTION — Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen has won a second term, signaling strong voter support for her tough stance against China. Tsai defeated two challengers in Saturday's election — Han Kuo-yu of the rival Nationalist Party and James Soong of the smaller People First Party. SENT: 845 words, photos.
AUSTRALIA-WILDFIRES —Two wildfires merged to form a massive inferno in southeastern Australia and a man suffered serious burns protecting a home, in a night of treacherous conditions during the nation’s unprecedented wildfire crisis, officials said. SENT: 690 words, photos.
AFGHANISTAN — Two U.S. service members were killed and two others injured when their vehicle was hit by a roadside bomb in southern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said in a statement. In keeping with defense department rules, the U.S. military did not identify the service members. SENT: 500 words.
KOREAS-US-NUCLEAR DIPLOMACY — A North Korean official says the U.S. and South Korea are dreaming if they think that President Donald Trump's sending a birthday message would get leader Kim Jong Un back to the negotiating table. SENT: 680 words, photos.
NORTHERN IRELAND — Northern Ireland has a government for the first time in three years after a deal was struck to restore the divided region’s mothballed power-sharing executive. SENT: 680 words, photos.
POLAND-EUROPEAN JUDGES — Judges from across Europe have marched silently in Warsaw in a show of solidarity with peers in Poland. Polish judges are protesting a bill that would allow the government to fire or fine judges who issue rulings officials don't like. SENT: 660 words, photos.
FRANCE STRIKES — The French prime minister informed the unions behind a crippling railway strike over pension reform Saturday that he is open to backing down on one of the most controversial proposals: raising the full pension eligibility age to 64. SENT: 265 words, photos.
RUSSIA-GERMANY — German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin have held talks in Moscow to discuss growing tensions in the Middle East and other issues. SENT: 340 words, photos.
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SEVERE STORMS — Authorities say at least nine people have died as severe storms sweep across parts of the U.S. South and Southwest, bringing high winds and unrelenting rain. SENT: 790 words, photos.
PUERTO RICO-EARTHQUAKE — A magnitude 6.0 quake shook Puerto Rico, causing further damage along the island’s southern coast, where previous recent quakes have toppled homes and schools. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit 8 miles south of Indios at a shallow depth of 6 miles. SENT: 490 words, photos.
GAMBLING MACHINE-STANDOFF — As part of an unfolding court battle, Gov. Tom Wolf's administration wants to outlaw proliferating cash-paying electronic game terminals and accuses them of siphoning more than $200 million in revenue last year from the Pennsylvania Lottery. An ally in the fight is Pennsylvania's competition-wary casino industry. The court fight comes down to whether Pennsylvania law prohibits the machines as an unlicensed slot machine, even if the outcome is supposedly based on skill, rather than chance. SENT: 825 words.
TOUGH COACH — A college swimming coach has endured a quadruple bypass after a heart attack, removal of cancerous tumors from his colon and wrists, and the amputation of part of his leg. But Husson University's Butch Babin is still on the pool deck. SENT: 280 words, photos.
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FILM-DE-AGING HOLY GRAIL — With Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” expected to battle “Once Upon a Time in… Hollywood” and “1917” for the best picture Oscar in February, all eyes are on the special effects team that made the sprawling crime epic possible. “The Irishman” unfolds over decades, with the 76-year-old Robert De Niro and his co-stars playing their characters from their 30s into retirement age, a feat that’s made the film one of 2019’s most acclaimed movies. SENT: 1,150 words, photos.
TV-JIMMY-FALLON — Jimmy Fallon is adding his first prime-time series to his his late-night empire. SENT: 110 words, photo.
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FBN--VIKINGS-49ERS — The San Francisco 49ers, with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback, play their first postseason game in six seasons, facing Kirk Cousins and the Minnesota Vikings. Cousins is coming off his biggest win, having thrown the winning touchdown pass in overtime against New Orleans. By Pro Football Writer Josh Dubow. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos. Game underway.
FBN-TITANS-RAVENS — The Ravens were the NFL’s best during the season. They went 14-2 behind Lamar Jackson, finishing with 12 straight wins to earn a bye. Next up is a Tennessee Titans team that jolted New England last weekend and now tries to contain the league’s most productive offense. By Pro Football Writer Barry Wilner. Game starts 8:15 p.m.
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HOW TO REACH US
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At the Nerve Center, Rob Jagodzinski 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(at)ap.org or call 877-836-9477.