AP News Digest 7 a.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.

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WEEKEND COVERAGE

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

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TOP STORIES

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ELECTION 2024-CONGRESS-HOUSE — After one of the most chaotic and least productive U.S. House sessions in modern history, voters made a surprising choice in elections: they overwhelmingly stuck with the status quo. Republicans and Democrats have each flipped seven seats, and just eight incumbents nationwide have lost their races. By Stephen Groves. SENT: 860 words, photos. WITH: IRAN-MUSK — Iran’s U.N. ambassador met Monday in New York with Elon Musk in a step that appeared aimed at easing tensions with President-elect Donald Trump. SENT: 640 words, photo; TRUMP-PRESS SECRETARY — Trump names Karoline Leavitt as youngest ever White House press secretary. SENT: 450 words, photo, audio; ELECTION-2024-THE-LATEST — Trump tests Congress with his controversial Cabinet picks. (Sent.)

TRUMP-CENTRAL-EUROPE — Conservative lawmakers in the Polish parliament exulted at Donald Trump’s victory. They stood and chanted his name over and over. The prospect of a second Trump term has excited people on the populist right across Central Europe who share his anti-immigrant views and disdain for international organizations. For others the result brought new fears to a region already on edge because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Many fear Trump could abandon Ukraine and force Kyiv into a peace deal that ends up emboldening Russia further. Another fear is that Trump could weaken NATO or pull the U.S. out of the alliance altogether, leaving their fates to an aggressive Russia. By Vanessa Gera. SENT: 960 words, photos.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-DRONE-FACTORY — At a secretive factory in Russia’s central grasslands, engineers are manufacturing hundreds of decoy drones meant to overwhelm Ukrainian defenses as they try to protect against a horrific new weapon, an Associated Press investigation has found. The plant at Russia’s Alabuga Special Economic Zone recently started churning out thermobaric drones alongside the decoys. The thermobaric warheads create a vortex of high pressure and heat that can penetrate thick walls. They suck out all the oxygen in their path and cause injuries even outside the initial blast site. By Emma Burrows, Hanna Arhirova and Lori Hinnant. SENT: 1,560 words, photos. WITH: RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-DRONE-FACTORY-TAKEAWAYS — Takeaways from AP investigation. SENT: 850 words, photos; RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-1000-DAYS-PHOTO-GALLERY — A thousand days of war in Ukraine have been captured in stunning images. SENT: 330 words, photos; RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Japan’s foreign minister arrived in Kyiv on Saturday to discuss North Korea’s deepening military alliance with Russia. SENT: 300 words, photo.

BIDEN-XI — President Joe Biden is expected to use his final meeting with China’s President Xi Jinping to urge him to dissuade North Korea from further deepening its backing of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Saturday’s talks on the sidelines of an international summit come with about two months to go before Biden leaves office. By Aamer Madhani. SENT: 980 words, photos.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-HOSTAGE-FAMILY — Some families of the 101 hostages held in Gaza are hoping a drastically different political landscape will reignite the momentum to bring their loved ones home, though the impacts of Donald Trump’s election victory, a hard-line new defense minister in Israel, Qatar’s exit from negotiations and the ongoing war in Lebanon remain unknown. The family of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander has met with President Joe Biden and president-elect Trump to plead with them to work together to bring home the hostages. By Melanie Lidman. SENT: 940 words, photos.

COP29 — Hundreds of activists formed a human chain Saturday outside one of the main plenary halls at the United Nations climate summit on what is traditionally their biggest protest day during the two-week talks. The demonstration in Baku, Azerbaijan, will be echoed at sites around the world in a global “day of action” for climate justice that has become an annual event. It comes as negotiators at the venue try to hammer out a deal, but progress has been slow and observers say the direction of any deal is still unclear. By Melina Walling, Sibi Arasu and Seth Borenstein. SENT: 660 words, photos. WITH: COP29-COLOMBIA — In Colombia, the government has been seeking a shift away from fossil fuels since leftist President Gustavo Petro took office in 2022. SENT: 950 words, photos; COP29-CLIMATE-CANADA-POLAR-BEAR-INTERACTION — Churchill is a remote Canadian town that loves living with the predator next door: polar bears. SENT: 1,200 words, photos, video.

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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

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CHAD-SUDAN-REFUGEES-AND-EXPLOITATION — Some women who fled the war in Sudan say they face sexual exploitation as refugees in Chad. They say men in displacement sites including humanitarian workers and local security forces have offered them money, easier access to assistance and jobs. Such sexual exploitation during large humanitarian crises is not uncommon as vulnerable women and girls struggle to support themselves. Women and girls say they fear the possible repercussions of reporting the exploitation, which is a crime in Chad. By Sam Mednick. SENT: 1,030 words, photos.

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MIDEAST-WARS

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MIDEAST WARS — Lebanon’s caretaker prime minister on Friday asked Iran to help secure a cease-fire in the war between Israel and Hezbollah and appeared to urge it to convince the militant group to agree to a deal that could require it to pull back from the Israel-Lebanon border. SENT: 980 words, photos. WITH: MIDEAST-WARS-THE-LATEST. (Sent.)

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MORE NEWS

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CANADA-US-BORDER-DEATHS — Two men are accused of helping illegally smuggle Indian nationals across the U.S.-Canada border into Minnesota, including four members of an Indian family who froze to death in 2022. Their federal trial is set to start Monday. The men are accused of being part of a sophisticated human smuggling operation feeding a fast-growing population of Indians living illegally in the U.S. SENT: 1,190 words, photos, video.

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WASHINGTON/ POLITICS

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KENNEDY-HEALTH-WHAT HE’D DO — If confirmed as Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. would control the world’s largest public health agency and its $1.7 trillion budget. Kennedy for years has condemned how that agency does business, putting him on a direct collision course with some of the 80,000 HHS scientists, researchers, doctors and other officials. SENT: 1,280 words, photos, video.

TRUMP-ALASKA-EXPLAINER — Political leaders in Alaska have welcomed President-elect Donald Trump’s pledges to expand oil production. They hope he will undo restrictions imposed by the Biden administration on vast swaths of Alaska’s petroleum-rich North Slope, as well as pursue drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. SENT: 930 words, photos.

ELECTION-2024-RUBEN-GALLEGO — Building authentic connections with working-class voters can help Democrats find their way back to power in Washington, incoming Democratic Sen.-elect Ruben Gallego of Arizona said Friday. SENT: 610 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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THE-NEW-EXURBS — Communities on the outskirts of metro areas were some of the fastest-growing last year. The U.S. Census Bureau says it’s an after-effect of the pandemic. Rising housing costs drove people further from cities and remote working allowed many to do their jobs from home. Despite longer commutes and cultural changes, some residents say the exurbs are worth it. SENT: 780 words, photos.

EDUCATION-GRADUATION EXAMS — When Massachusetts voters decided to ditch the state’s high school graduation exams, they joined a growing trend that has steadily chipped away at the use of high-stakes tests for the past two decades. The vote leaves just seven states with mandated graduation exams, a number that could dwindle again in coming years. SENT: 740 words, photo.

SCHOOL-SEX-ABUSE-ARRESTS — A school district in northwest Oregon has put its superintendent and high school principal on leave, accepted the school board chair’s resignation and temporarily canceled classes in response to an uproar over the arrests of a teacher and former teacher on sexual abuse charges. SENT: 480 words.

ARIZONA-POLITICIAN-FATAL-COLLISION — John McLean, a Democratic candidate for the Arizona state Senate, was killed when his vehicle was hit by a suspected drunk driver Friday morning, a day after he conceded the race to his GOP rival. SENT: 380 words.

BULLET HITS PLANE-DALLAS — A bullet struck the body of a Southwest Airlines airplane preparing for departure from a Dallas airport, forcing the cancellation of the Friday evening flight. The airline says no injuries were reported and law enforcement was contacted after the bullet struck the right side of the aircraft just under the flight deck at Dallas Love Field Airport. SENT: 170 words, photo.

CLIMATE-ACTIVIST-SENTENCED — A climate change activist who dumped red powder on a case containing the original copy of the U.S. Constitution was sentenced on Friday to two years in prison for his role in the vandalism earlier this year at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. SENT: 460 words.

MEXICAN-WOLF-DIES — A federally protected female Mexican wolf was found dead in an area near the northern Arizona city of Flagstaff, alarming environmentalists who worry someone may have deliberately killed the animal. SENT: 430 words.

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INTERNATIONAL

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ARGENTINA-MILEI-UN — The country casting the sole vote against a United Nations resolution that denounced violence against women and girls on Thursday took the world by surprise: Argentina, long considered one of Latin America’s most socially progressive countries. Unleashing an avalanche of criticism across the political spectrum on Friday, the "no" vote by Buenos Aires marked the latest in a series of dramatic foreign policy shifts under President Javier Milei. SENT: 930 words, photo.

INDIA-HOSPITAL-FIRE-NEWBORNS — A fire tore through a neonatal intensive care unit in a hospital in northern India, killing 10 newborn babies and injuring 16 others, authorities said. SENT: 300 words, photos.

GABON-REFERENDUM — Gabon is holding a referendum Saturday on whether to adopt a new constitution, more than one year after mutinous soldiers overthrew the country’s long-time president and seized power in the oil-rich Central African nation. SENT: 300 words, photo.

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HEALTH & SCIENCE

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BE-WELL-NOVEMBER-PROJECT — The November Project gets people outside to exercise and socialize together all winter long. SENT: 750 words, photo.

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BUSINESS

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AUSTRIA-RUSSIA-NATURAL-GAS — Russia’s state-owned natural gas company Gazprom stopped supplies to Austria early Saturday, according to the Vienna-based utility OMV after it said it would stop payments for the gas following an arbitration award. SENT: 240 words, photo.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-DIDDY — Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs has tried to reach out to prospective witnesses and influence public opinion from jail in a bid to affect potential jurors for his upcoming sex trafficking trial, prosecutors claimed in a court filing late Friday urging a judge to reject his latest bail request. SENT: 540 words, photo.

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SPORTS

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BOX-TYSON-PAUL — Jake Paul won a unanimous decision over Mike Tyson as the hits didn’t match the hype in a fight between a young YouTuber-turned-boxer and the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion. All the hate from the pre-fight buildup was gone, with Paul even stopping to pay homage with a bow to Tyson before the final bell sounded at the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys. SENT: 820 words, photos, audio. WITH: TYSON-PAUL-NETFLIX — Netflix experiences streaming delays leading up to Tyson-Paul fight. SENT: 180 words, photo; TYSON-PAUL:-PHOTO-COLLECTION — Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul. (Sent.)

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HOW TO REACH US

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The Nerve Center 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.

Jake Paul hits Mike Tyson during their heavyweight boxing match, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

FILE - Music mogul and entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs arrives at the Billboard Music Awards, May 15, 2022, in Las Vegas. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

FILE - A worker sits on his water tank truck next to the business tower Lakhta Centre, the headquarters of Russian gas monopoly Gazprom in St. Petersburg, Russia, April 27, 2022. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky, File)

Argentina's President Javier Milei arrives to speak before President-elect Donald Trump during an America First Policy Institute gala at his Mar-a-Lago estate, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The newly-constructed The Brightly Apartments rises from what was formally a citrus grove nearby Haines City, Florida Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Schneider)

FILE - A border marker, between the United States and Canada is shown just outside of Emerson, Manitoba, on Thursday, Jan. 20, 2022. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP, File)

Varda Ben Baruch, whose grandson Edan Alexander is held hostage in the Gaza Strip by Hamas militants, gestures to a Torah scroll in his bedroom at home in Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo)

Arizona Democratic Senate candidate Rep. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., waves to the crowd as he leaves the stage his wife Sydney Gallego after speaking during a watch party on election night Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

FILE- Edwin Solomon, 18, at right, stands in the wind and snow while filling up a truck with regular gas at a price of $7.50 a gallon, Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024, in Kaktovik, Alaska. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson, File)

FILE - Robert F. Kennedy Jr., speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign event Nov. 1, 2024, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash, File)

A woman who fled war in Sudan and requested anonymity because she feared retribution after reporting sexual exploitation, holds her baby in a refugee camp in Adre, Chad, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)

Activists participate in a demonstration against fossil fuels at the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

President Joe Biden listens during a trilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Japan Shigeru Ishiba and the President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol in Lima, Peru, Friday, Nov. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

A Ukrainian officer shows a thermobaric charge of a downed Shahed drone launched by Russia in a research laboratory in an undisclosed location in Ukraine Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

FILE - People cheer as US President Donald Trump delivers a speech at Krasinski Square at the Royal Castle, July 6, 2017, in Warsaw. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

FILE - Adviser Dan Scavino takes photos as Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump greets supporters at a campaign stop in Londonderry, N.H., Jan. 23, 2024. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

PARIS (AP) — Seven-time French champion Lyon risks relegation to the second tier at the end of the season and has been hit with a transfer ban because of financial irregularities.

The decision to provisionally relegate Lyon to Ligue 2 followed an audit of the club's finances by the French league's soccer watchdog, known as DNCG.

The DNCG decided that Lyon's financial situation must improve by the end of the season, and no signings can be made in the January transfer window. The DNCG will also oversee the players' salaries.

Lyon is owned by American businessman John Textor, who also has stakes in Premier League team Crystal Palace and Brazil’s Botafogo.

Textor had sounded confident after presenting the club’s case to the DNCG on Friday afternoon, reportedly saying that “the meeting went well” and “I am confident in our figures.”

Fifth-place Lyon reported earlier this month that it has a financial debt of 505 million euros ($532.6 million), and it means the former Champions League semifinalist may have to sell some of its best players, such as 21-year-old midfielder Rayan Cherki, in January.

High earners, such as club stalwarts Alexandre Lacazette and Corentin Tolisso, may also have to leave.

The DNCG ruled in July last year that Lyon did not provide sufficient financial guarantees, and Textor hit back at the DNCG's decision to monitor the club’s transfer activities last season.

Lyon's situation echoes what happened to Bordeaux, another storied club. The six-time French champion is now languishing in the fourth tier of French soccer.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Fans of Lyon celebrate victory after the French League One soccer match between Lyon and Saint-Etienne at the Groupama stadium in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Lyon's Georges Mikautadze reacts during the French League One soccer match between Lyon and Saint-Etienne at the Groupama stadium in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Lyon's Rayan Cherki during the French League One soccer match between Lyon and Saint-Etienne at the Groupama stadium in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)

Lyon's Nicolas Tagliafico during the French League One soccer match between Lyon and Saint-Etienne at the Groupama stadium in Decines, outside Lyon, France, Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Laurent Cipriani)