AP News Digest 6 p.m.

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EST. Find the AP’s top photos of the day in Today’s Photo Collection. For up-to-the-minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan in AP Newsroom.

————————————————

WEEKEND COVERAGE

————————————————

For weekend stories, please click here for the Weekend Lookahead digest.

——————————————

NEW/DEVELOPING

——————————————

TUSKEGEE-SHOOTING; T25-COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL; LIONS-TEXANS — HOUSTON; IRAN-BORDER-ATTACK; HAITI-PRIME-MINISTER; HAITI-PRIME-MINISTER

——————————

ONLY ON AP

——————————

ELECTION-2024-BLACK-AND-LATINO-MEN — Black and Latino voters moved toward Republican Donald Trump in this year’s presidential election, and some of the biggest shifts were among men under age 45, and that helped expand his margin over Democrat Kamala Harris. That’s according to AP VoteCast, a nationwide survey of more than 120,000 voters. By Matt Brown, Fernanda Figueroa, Hannah Fingerhut and Linley Sanders. SENT: 1,140 words, photos, video.

——————————

TOP STORIES

——————————

TRUMP-DAY-1 — Donald Trump has said he wouldn’t be a dictator — “except for Day 1.” According to his own statements, he’s got a lot to do on that first day in the White House. His list includes starting up the mass deportation of migrants, rolling back Biden administration policies on education, reshaping the federal government by firing potentially thousands of federal employees he believes are secretly working against him, and pardoning people who were arrested for their role in the riot at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. By Colleen Long and Dan Merica. SENT: 1,880 words, photos, audio.

MIDEAST-WARS — Israeli strikes have killed dozens of people including children on Sunday in Lebanon and isolated northern Gaza, as the world watched for signs of how the U.S. election might affect the wars between Israel and Iranian-backed militant groups Hamas and Hezbollah. By Wafaa Shurafa, Samy Magdy and Kareem Chehayeb. SENT: 970 words, photos, video, audio. With IRAN-BORDER-ATTACK — Militant attack on Pakistani border leaves 5 security forces dead, Iran says (sent).

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — A massive drone strike has rattled Moscow and its suburbs, injuring several people and temporarily halting traffic at some of Russia’s busiest airports, officials report. Meanwhile, a huge nighttime wave of Russian drones targeted Ukraine. By Susie Blann and Joanna Kolowska. SENT: 970 words, photos. With RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-KURAKHOVE — As Russian forces close in on Kurakhove, hundreds of residents remain in the front-line city (sent).

COP29-BANK-INVESTMENTS — International mega banks, funded by taxpayer dollars, are the biggest, fastest-growing source of climate finance for the developing world. They were a key reason why, in 2022, the world met a goal countries set together in 2009 to supply developing nations with $100 billion annually to address climate change. But the banks have also been criticized for continuing to fund fossil fuel projects, even as they invest more in green energy and in reducing countries’ emissions. By Mary Katherine Wildeman. SENT: 1,390 words, photos. With AFGHANISTAN-TALIBAN-CLIMATE-COP29 — The Taliban will attend a UN climate conference for the first time (sent).

TRUMP-SPORTS-DIPLOMACY — The two biggest events in world sports are coming to America. And if President-elect Donald Trump is not thinking about them yet, organizers of the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Los Angeles Olympics certainly are. The World Cup and the Summer Games are rare globally shared cultural moments but there are questions around issues like granting visas and providing security that will cross Trump’s desk. And that requires diplomacy. By Graham Dunbar. SENT: 1,290 words, photos.

BRITAIN-REMEMBRANCE-SUNDAY — King Charles III has led the nation in a two-minute silence in remembrance of fallen service personnel in central London as the Princess of Wales looked on, a further sign the royal family is slowly returning to normal at the end of a year in which two of the most popular royals were sidelined by cancer. By Danica Kirka. SENT: 870 words, photos, video, audio.

——————————

MORE NEWS

——————————

FILM-BOX-OFFICE — For the third weekend in a row, “Venom: The Last Dance” was the No. 1 movie at the box office, collecting $16.2 million in ticket sales in U.S. and Canadian theaters. SENT: 750 words, photos, audio.

CUBA-EARTHQUAKE — A 6.8 magnitude earthquake shakes eastern Cuba after weeks of hurricanes and blackouts that have left many on the island reeling. SENT: 330 words, photo.

ENT-EMS — The MTV EMAs will honor hip-hop legend Busta Rhymes with its Global Icon Award. SENT: 270 words, photo.

ELECTION-2024-SNL — “Saturday Night Live” to Trump: “We’ve been with you all along.” SENT: 710 words, photos, audio.

BBO-PETE-ROSE-VISITATION — Thousands of fans have streamed into Great American Ball Park despite steady rain to pay respects to Pete Rose, baseball’s career hits leader, who died Sept. 30 at the age of 83. SENT: 410 words, photos.

——————————————————

WASHINGTON/ POLITICS

——————————————————

TRUMP-OFFSHORE-WIND — Opponents of offshore wind energy projects expect President-elect Donald Trump to kill an industry he has vowed to end on the first day he returns to the White House. Whether he will succeed is unclear. Numerous offshore wind projects have approvals and at least three are operating. SENT: 1,030 words, photos.

ARMY RECRUITS-SECOND CHANCES — The Future Soldier Prep Course started as a trial program two years ago to provide additional instruction for recruits who couldn’t meet the Army’s physical and academic test standards. It’s now driving the Army’s enlistment comeback after years of dismal recruiting numbers. SENT: 910 words, photos, audio.

—————————

NATIONAL

—————————

TUSKEGEE-SHOOTING — An early shooting at Tuskegee University in Alabama has left one person dead and injured 16 others, 12 of them wounded by gunfire, authorities say. The victim of the shooting, an 18-year-old man, was not a university student, but some of those who were injured were. No arrests were immediately announced. SENT: 760 words, audio.

WILDFIRES — Fire crews on both coasts of the United States continued battling wildfires, including one in New Jersey that killed a parks employee and prompted health advisories in New York City because of smoky conditions. Out west, favorable weather on Sunday helped firefighters gain ground on a blaze that has destroyed more than 130 homes near Los Angeles and prompted thousands of residents to flee their neighborhoods. In Massachusetts, a fire fed by dry autumn leaves and fanned by gusty winds engulfed more than 200 acres in a park 10 miles north of Boston. SENT: 700 words, photos.

——————————————

INTERNATIONAL

——————————————

HAITI-PRIME-MINISTER — A transitionary council created to reestablish democratic order in Haiti signs a degreefiring the country’s interim Prime Minister Garry Conille and replacing him with Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, a businessman who was previously considered for the job. SENT: 310 words.

BANGLADESH-POLITICS — Rival political groups of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have thwarted a plan by her Awami League party to hold a rally in Bangladesh’s capital, seen as a potential first effort to make a comeback on the streets since she fled the country in August amid a mass uprising. SENT: 480 words, photos.

NETHERLANDS-ISRAEL-FAN-VIOLENCE — Police have detained dozens of people for taking part in a demonstration in central Amsterdam that had been outlawed following violence targeting fans of an Israeli soccer club. SENT: 410 words, photos. With FRANCE-ISRAEL-SOCCER-MATCH — Paris to deploy 4,000 police officers for France-Israel soccer match following violence in Amsterdam (sent).

SOUTH-CHINA-SEA — China has published baselines for a contested shoal in the South China Sea it had seized from the Philippines, a move that’s likely to increase tensions over overlapping territorial claims. SENT: 320 words, photo.

UN-IRAN-NUCLEAR — The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog says he will travel to Iran in the coming days to hold talks regarding the country’s nuclear program. The visit comes amid wider tensions gripping the Mideast over the Israel-Hamas war and uncertainty over how U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will approach Iran. SENT: 470 words, photo.

————————

BUSINESS

————————

SMALL-BUSINESS-VETREPRENEURS — Many veterans who’ve started small businesses tell a similar story: Their military service prepared them mentally for the task, but they were at a disadvantage when it came to the financial part. “Vetrepreneurs” – veterans that start small businesses -- own nearly 2 million small businesses that employ 5.5 million people in the U.S., according to the Small Business Administration. SENT: 910 words, photos.

ITALY-ALITALIA — Italy’s former national carrier Alitalia has started procedures for the collective dismissal of its remaining 2,059 employees, its administrators told unions. SENT: 170 words, photo.

—————————

SPORTS

—————————

T25-COLLEGE FOOTBALL POLL — Oregon is the No. 1 team in The Associated Press Top 25 college football poll for the fourth straight week as Penn State and Indiana climbed into the top five, Georgia and Miami dropped out of the top 10 and losses by four other ranked teams shuffled the rankings with a month left in the regular season. SENT: 720 words, photos.

LIONS-TEXANS — HOUSTON — Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions look to extend their winning streak to seven games when they visit C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans. By Kristie Rieken. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Game starts at 8:20 p.m.

——————————————

HOW TO REACH US

——————————————

At the Nerve Center, Jerome Minerva 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 AP Newsroom. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) lays out into the end zone to score a touchdown as Dallas Cowboys' Caelen Carson (21), Jourdan Lewis (2) and others defend in the first half of an NFL football game in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)

Venezuelan migrant Joana Acosta holds her son Eitan before boarding a bus toward the Costa Rican border, in Lajas Blancas, Panama, after crossing the Darien Gap in hopes of reaching the United States, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

A Turkish military ship patrols the Bosphorus during the 86th anniversary of Turkey's founding father Mustafa Kemal Ataturk's death near Dolmabahce palace in Istanbul, Turkey, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Emrah Gurel)

Veterans line up as they attend the Remembrance Sunday Service at the Cenotaph in London, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali, Pool)

A crow sits on a lamp post during sunset in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

A man rides on a bike in front of the mail office which was destroyed by a Russian airstrike in Kurakhove, Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Nov. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Anton Shtuka)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The FBI now says the New Orleans truck attacker acted alone in an “act of terrorism” when he drove a pickup truck into a crowd of New Year’s revelers early Wednesday, killing 15 people. The driver had posted videos on social media hours before the carnage saying he was inspired by the Islamic State group and expressing a desire to kill, President Joe Biden said.

The FBI identified the driver as 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar.

Officials have not yet released the names of the people killed in the attack, but their families and friends have started sharing their stories. About 30 people were injured.

Here is the latest:

The FBI has received more than 400 tips from the public, some from New Orleans and others from other states, Christopher Raia, deputy assistant director of the FBI’s counter-terrorism division, said at a news conference on Thursday.

U.S. President Joe Biden said Wednesday evening the FBI was looking into whether an explosion outside a Las Vegas hotel owned by President-elect Donald Trump was connected to the New Orleans attack.

Fireworks and camp fuel canisters were found in a Tesla Cybertruck that blew up outside the Trump International Hotel early Wednesday, killing a suspect inside the vehicle.

The person who died in the explosion was an active-duty U.S. Army soldier who spent time at the base formerly known as Fort Bragg, three U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Thursday. The officials also spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to disclose details of his service.

The truck explosion came hours after a driver, 42-year-old Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, rammed a truck into a crowd in New Orleans. Jabbar, a U.S. Army veteran, also spent time at Fort Bragg, a massive Army base in North Carolina that is home to Army special forces command. An official told the AP that there is no apparent overlap in their assignments there.

The investigation so far has not shown the incidents are related, and authorities don’t think the men knew each other, two law enforcement officials said. The officials were not authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

▶ Read more about the Las Vegas Cybertruck explosion

The FBI says it recovered the black banner of the Islamic State group from the truck that smashed into New Year’s partygoers. The investigation is expected to look in part at any support or inspiration that driver Shamsud-Din Jabbar may have drawn from that violent Middle East-based group or from any of at least 19 affiliated groups around the world.

Routed from its self-proclaimed caliphate in Syria and Iraq by a U.S. military-led coalition more than five years ago, IS has focused on seizing territory in the Middle East more than on staging massive al-Qaida-style attacks on the West.

But in its home territory, IS has welcomed any chance to behead Americans and other foreigners who come within its reach. The main group at peak strength claimed a handful of coordinated operations targeting the West, including a 2015 Paris plot that killed 130 people. It has had success, although abated in recent years, in inspiring people around the world who are drawn to its ideology to carry out ghastly attacks on innocent civilians.

▶ Read more about IS and what attacks it has inspired

Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry will be joined at the news conference by officials from the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Louisiana State Police and the New Orleans Police Department.

The conference is scheduled to begin around 10:15 a.m. CST.

“The Superdome is completely secure,” Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry said on Fox News. “Again, the FBI continues to pour resources into the state.”

Landry said he plans to attend Thursday afternoon’s college football playoff game between the University of Georgia and the University of Notre Dame.

“We need not let fear paralyze us,” Landry added. “That’s the problem in this country. When we do that, the terrorists win.”

ROME — A telegram of condolences, addressed to Archbishop Gregory Aymond, said Francis was saddened to learn of the attack in New Orleans and was spiritually close to the city.

Francis “prays for healing and consolation of the injured and bereaved,” said the telegram, which was signed by the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Separately, Italian President Sergio Mattarella also sent condolences to President Joe Biden, whom he will see during Biden’s visit to Rome next week, saying all of Italy was mourning the loss of life.

“At this time of sorrow for the American people, I would like to reaffirm the firm resolve of the Italian Republic to oppose in the strongest terms all forms of terrorism, on the basis of those values of civilization, democracy and respect for human life that have always been shared with the United States,” he said in a statement.

The College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl between Georgia and Notre Dame was postponed by a day because of the truck attack, which unfolded about a mile away.

The game, originally scheduled for 7:45 p.m. CST at the 70,000-seat Superdome on Wednesday, was pushed back to 3 p.m. Thursday. The winner advances to the Jan. 9 Orange Bowl against Penn State.

“Public safety is paramount,” Sugar Bowl CEO Jeff Hundley said at a media briefing alongside federal, state and local officials, including Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry and New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “All parties all agree that it’s in the best interest of everybody and public safety that we postpone the game.”

The decision to postpone the game meant numerous traveling fans with tickets would not be able to attend. Ticket prices online plummeted in some cases to less than $25 as fans with plans to depart on Thursday tried to unload them.

The Superdome was on lockdown for security sweeps on Wednesday morning. Both teams spent most of the day in their hotels, holding meetings in ballrooms.

▶ Read more about the decision to postpone the Sugar Bowl

Officials have not yet released the names of the 15 people killed in the New Orleans New Year’s Day truck attack, but their families and friends have started sharing their stories.

Here’s a look at some of what we know:

▶ Read more about the victims of the New Orleans truck attack

Authorities say the driver of a pickup truck sped through a crowd of pedestrians gathered in New Orleans’ bustling French Quarter district early on New Year’s Day, killing at least 15 people and injuring about 30 others. The suspect was killed in a shootout with police.

The FBI is investigating the attack as an act of terrorism and said it does not believe the driver acted alone.

Wednesday’s attack unfolded on Bourbon Street, known worldwide as one of the largest destinations for New Year’s Eve parties. Large crowds had also gathered in the city ahead of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl, which had been scheduled for later Wednesday at the nearby Superdome. The game was postponed until Thursday afternoon following the attack.

▶ Catch up on what we know about the New Orleans truck attack

EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - Emergency personnel work the scene on Bourbon Street after a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans' Canal and Bourbon Street, Wednesday Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

The FBI investigates the area on Orleans St and Bourbon Street by St. Louis Cathedral in the French Quarter where a suspicious package was detonated after a person drove a truck into a crowd earlier on Bourbon Street on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)

Matthias Hauswirth of New Orleans prays on the street near the scene where a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans' Canal and Bourbon streets, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

A bouquet of flowers stands at the intersection of Bourbon Street and Canal Street during the investigation after a pickup truck rammed into a crowd of revelers early on New Year's Day, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)

An officer walks along Conti Street after a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans' Canal and Bourbon streets, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Law enforcement officers stand behind a SWAT vehicle near a location in Houston, Texas, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, where police personnel investigate the place suspected to be associated with an attacker in a deadly rampage in New Orleans. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Investigators work the scene after a person drove a vehicle into a crowd earlier on Canal and Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Neighbors stand and watch outside the police lines surrounding a location in Houston, Texas, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, where police personnel investigate the place suspected to be associated with an attacker in a deadly rampage in New Orleans. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Police officers stand near the scene where a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans' Canal and Bourbon streets, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Neighbors embrace as they stand outside the police lines surrounding a location in Houston, Texas, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, where police personnel investigate the place suspected to be associated with an attacker in a deadly rampage in New Orleans. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)