AP News Digest 2 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.

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ONLY 0N AP

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TEENAGE-BUDHIST-LAMA-BIRTHDAY-PARTY — A U.S.-born Buddhist lama celebrated his 18th birthday with an elaborate enthronement ceremony. Hundreds attended the event at the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota. It’s the last big party for Jalue Dorje before he joins a monastery in the Himalayan foothills — thousands of miles from his home in suburban Minneapolis. By Luis Andres Henao. SENT: 1,120 words, photos, video.

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TOP STORIES

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — The Kremlin warns that President Joe Biden’s decision to let Ukraine strike targets inside Russia with U.S.-supplied longer-range missiles adds “fuel to the fire” of the war and would escalate international tensions even higher. By Samya Kullab and Illia Novikov. SENT: 1,180 words, photos, video, audio. With RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-MISSILES-EXPLAINER — What does Biden’s decision to allow Ukraine to use longer-range US weapons mean?; HUNGARY-UKRAINE — Hungarian official criticizes Biden decision allowing Ukraine to use US weapons to strike Russia (both sent).

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-1000-DAYS-FLAGS — After 1,000 days of war, a makeshift memorial has grown in the heart of Kyiv with thousands of blue-and-yellow flags honoring soldiers who died defending Ukraine. Created by people in the absence of an official government memorial, the site has become a place of grief and remembrance. The memorial, set in the historic Independence Square, has become not only a tribute to the dead but also a symbol of the price the country is paying in the war. By Hanna Arhirova. SENT: 670 words, photos, video.

MIDEAST-WARS-THE-LATEST — Israeli airstrikes targeted a neighborhood in the heart of Lebanon’s capital late Monday evening, slamming into an area near the Parliament, several embassies and the U.N. headquarters, according to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency. SENT: 2,530 words, photos. With MIDEAST-WARS — Israeli airstrike hits central Beirut near key government buildings and embassies; MIDEAST-WARS-YEMEN — Suspected attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels targets ship in the Red Sea; UNITED STATES-WEST BANK-SANCTIONS — US sanctions group that builds illegal West Bank settlements, with close ties to Israeli government (all sent).

TRUMP-HEGSETH-WOMAN-IN-COMBAT — President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has reignited a debate that many thought had been long settled: Should women be allowed to serve their country by fighting on the front lines? By Lolita C. Baldor SENT: 1,050 words, photos, audio. With WOMEN-IN-COMBAT-BY-THE-NUMBERS — A look at the number of women in military combat roles (sent).

CLIMATE-COP29-YOUTH — As leaders and negotiators grapple with big questions of money and power, youth COP attendees and activists from around the world grapple with their own questions about how much their voices matter. Behind their protests, speeches and presence at COP, they feel real pain about the climate impacts they have experienced as children. By Melina Walling. SENT: 680 words, photos. With CLIMATE-COP29 — Negotiators are urged to get down to business as climate talks in Baku enter second week; (sent).

BRAZIL-RIO-G20 — Brazil pushed for concerted action to alleviate hunger Monday as it hosted a summit of the Group of 20 leading economies amid global uncertainty over two major wars and incoming U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. By Eléonore Hughes, Mauricio Savarese and David Biller. SENT: 1,020 words, photos, video.

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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

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CHINA-BOOKSTORE-CRACKDOWN — Independent bookstores have become a new battleground in China. The Associated Press found that at least a dozen bookstores in the world’s second largest economy have been shuttered or targeted for closure in the last few months alone. The crackdown has had a chilling effect on China’s publishing industry. Yu Miao is the owner of a bookstore that recently relocated from Shanghai to Washington. He says he wanted “to live without fear.” By Fu Ting. SENT: 1,260 words, photos, video.

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MORE NEWS

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STEVE-BANNON-BORDER WALL — Steve Bannon’s trial in a border wall charity scheme case delayed until February. SENT: 240 words, photos.

BEYONCE-CHRISTMAS-DAY-GAME — Beyoncé will perform at halftime of Ravens-Texans Christmas Day game on Netflix. SENT: 220 words, photo.

TEN-DAVIS-CUP-NADAL — Rafael Nadal and Spain’s captain won’t say whether he’ll play at the Davis Cup. SENT: 750 words, photo. With TEN-DAVIS-CUP-NADAL-NUMBERS — Rafael Nadal will retire after the Davis Cup with plenty of records and big numbers by his name; TEN-NADAL-SLAM-TITLES (both sent).

GLF-TRUMP-PGA-TOUR — Trump thinks he can fix golf’s mess. He starts by playing golf with PGA Tour commissioner. SENT: 730 words, photo.

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WASHINTON/POLITICS

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TRUMP-ARAB-AMERICANS — Just a week after winning several of the nation’s largest Arab-majority cities, President-elect Donald Trump has filled top administration posts with staunch Israel supporters, including an ambassador to Israel who has claimed “there is no such thing as Palestinians.” By Joey Cappelletti. SENT: 940 words, photos.

TRUMP-TREASURY-TARIFFS — President-elect Donald Trump’s decision on a treasury secretary is about far more than whose name will be printed on America’s money. The choice of how to fill his highest-profile outstanding Cabinet selection will be the clearest indication yet of how he intends to wield import tariffs in his new administration. SENT: 1,080 words, photos.

CAPITOL RIOT-SENTENCING — A former U.S. Army soldier who was court-martialed for fatally shooting a handcuffed civilian in Iraq two decades ago is sentenced to more than four years in prison for his role in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. SENT: 510 words, photo.

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NATIONAL

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NEWTOWN-SHOOTING-INFOWARS — A company affiliated with conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has asked a federal judge to disqualify a bid by the satirical news outlet The Onion to buy Jones’ Infowars at a bankruptcy auction, alleging fraud and collusion. SENT: 830 words, photos.

CANADA-US-BORDER-DEATHS — Nearly three years after a couple from India and their two young children froze to death while trying to cross the border from Canada into the U.S., two men will face trial on human smuggling charges, accused of being part of a criminal network that stretched around the world. SENT: 570 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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INDIA-AIR POLLUTION — Authorities in India’s capital have shut schools, halted construction and banned nonessential trucks from entering the city after air pollution shot up to its worst level this season. Residents of New Delhi woke up to thick, toxic smog enveloping the city of some 33 million. SENT: 490 words, photos.

ASIA-TYPHOON — Typhoon Man-yi left at least seven people dead in a landslide, destroyed houses and displaced large numbers of villagers before blowing away from the northern Philippines, worsening the crisis wreaked by multiple back-to-back storms, officials said Monday. SENT: 630 words, photos. With PHILIPPINES-ASIA-STORM:-PHOTO-COLLECTION (sent).

VATICAN-US-ABUSE — Survivors of clergy sexual abuse have urged the Vatican on to adopt the same zero-tolerance policy that it approved for the U.S. Catholic Church in 2002, arguing that there’s no reason why children around the world shouldn’t be kept just as safe from predator priests. SENT: 560 words, photos.

SENEGAL-ELECTION — Senegal’s governing party is poised to win a parliamentary majority as main opposition leaders conceded defeat Monday in an election determining whether newly elected President Bassirou Diomaye Faye can carry out ambitious reforms he promised during his campaign. SENT: 350 words, photo.

PHILIPPINES-US-INTELLIGENCE-SECURITY-PACT — The United States and the Philippines have signed an agreement to secure the exchange of highly confidential military intelligence and technology in key weapons the U.S. would provide to Manila. SENT: 530 words, photos.

HONG-KONG-ACTIVISTS-EXPLAINER — Dozens of prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activists are scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday in the biggest case under a national security law that critics say has crushed political activism in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. SENT: 820 words, photos.

NEW ZEALAND-TREATY LAW-EXPLAINER — Thousands of people are marching the length of New Zealand in protest of a proposed law that would redefine the country’s founding agreement between Indigenous Māori and the British Crown. The bill would set concrete definitions for the treaty’s principles and specify that those rights should apply to all New Zealanders. Detractors say it would drastically reverse Indigenous rights. SENT: 700 words, photos.

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BUSINESS

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THANKSGIVING MEALS-PRICE WARS — With Thanksgiving less than two weeks away, Walmart, Target, Aldi and other grocers are competing for a place on holiday tables with turkey dinner deals and other promotions to tempt Americans who haven’t recovered from recent food price inflation. SENT: 1,110 words, photos, video.

SPIRIT-AIRLINES-BANKRUPTCY — Spirit Airlines says it has filed for bankruptcy protection and will attempt to reboot as it struggles to recover from the pandemic-caused swoon in travel, stiffer competition from bigger carriers, and a failed attempt to sell the airline to JetBlue. SENT: 760 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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BBO-HALL-OF-FAME — Outfielder Ichiro Suzuki and pitcher CC Sabathia are among 14 new candidates on the Hall of Fame ballot, joining 14 holdovers led by reliever Billy Wagner. SENT: 620 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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At the Nerve Center, Vincent K. Willis 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.

FILE - Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, center, listens to Albert Abbas, owner of The Great Commoner, left, as Massad Boulos looks on during a visit to the cafe, Nov. 1, 2024, in Dearborn, Mich. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, File)

Yu Miao, owner of JF Books, speaks to The Associated Press in his bookstore in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

People pose for a picture with the Baku Olympic Stadium in the background during the COP29 U.N. Climate Summit, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)

U.S.-born Buddhist lama, Jalue Dorje, right, waits in a private room before making an entrance at his 18th birthday and enthronement ceremony that hundreds attended in Isanti, Minn., on Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Jessie Wardarski)

Brazilian honor guard wait for the start of a welcoming ceremony prior to the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Rescue workers search for victims at the site of an Israeli airstrike in Beirut, Lebanon, Monday, Nov. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters extinguish the fire following a Russian rocket attack that hit a multi-storey apartment building in Sumy, Ukraine, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

Spirit Airlines said Monday that it has filed for bankruptcy protection and will attempt to reboot as it struggles to recover from the pandemic-caused swoon in travel, stiffer competition from bigger carriers, and a failed attempt to sell the airline to JetBlue.

Spirit, the biggest U.S. budget airline, filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition after working out terms with bondholders. The airline has lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020 and faces looming debt payments totaling more than $1 billion in 2025 and 2026.

The airline said it expects to continue operating normally during the bankruptcy process. Spirit told customers Monday they can book flights and use frequent-flyer points as they ordinarily would, and said employees and vendors would continue getting paid.

The airline said it received commitments for a $350 million equity investment from existing bondholders and will convert $795 million of their debt into stock in the restructured company. The bondholders will also extend a $300 million loan that, combined with Spirit’s remaining cash, will help the airline get through the restructuring.

The airline's shares dropped 25% on Friday, after The Wall Street Journal reported that the airline was discussing terms of a possible bankruptcy filing with its bondholders. Spirit, based in Miramar, Florida, missed a deadline for filing its third-quarter financial results but announced that its operating margin would indicate a bigger loss than the company had in the same quarter last year.

Those were just the latest in a series of blows that have sent the stock crashing down by 97% since late 2018 — when Spirit was still making money.

CEO Ted Christie confirmed in August that Spirit was talking to advisers of its bondholders about the upcoming debt maturities. He called the discussions a priority, and said the airline was trying to get the best deal it could as quickly as possible.

People are still flying on Spirit Airlines. They’re just not paying as much.

In the first six months of this year, Spirit passengers flew 2% more than they did in the same period last year. However, they are paying 10% less per mile, and revenue per mile from fares is down nearly 20%, contributing to Spirit’s red ink.

It’s not a new trend. Spirit failed to return to profitability when the coronavirus pandemic eased and travel rebounded. There are several reasons behind the slump.

Spirit’s costs, especially for labor, have risen. The biggest U.S. airlines have snagged some of Spirit’s budget-conscious customers by offering their own brand of bare-bones tickets. And fares for U.S. leisure travel — Spirit’s core business — sagged this summer because of a glut of new flights.

The premium end of the air-travel market has surged while Spirit’s traditional no-frills end has stagnated. So this summer, Spirit decided to sell bundled fares that include a bigger seat, priority boarding, free bags, internet service and snacks and drinks. It also dropped cancellation fees after rival Frontier Airlines did so.

Those were huge changes from Spirit’s longtime strategy of luring customers with rock-bottom fares and forcing them to pay extra for things such as bringing a carry-on bag or ordering a soda.

In a highly unusual move, Spirit planned to cut its October-through-December schedule by nearly 20%, compared with the same period last year, which analysts said should help prop up fares. But that would help rivals more than it would boost Spirit.

Analysts from Deutsche Bank and Raymond James say that Frontier, JetBlue and Southwest would benefit the most because of their overlap with Spirit on many routes.

Spirit has also been plagued by required repairs to Pratt & Whitney engines, which is forcing the airline to ground dozens of its Airbus jets. Spirit has cited the recall as it furloughed pilots.

The aircraft fleet is relatively young, which has made Spirit an attractive takeover target.

Frontier tried to merge with Spirit in 2022 but was outbid by JetBlue. However, the Justice Department sued to block the $3.8 billion deal, saying it would drive up prices for Spirit customers who depend on low fares, and a federal judge agreed in January. JetBlue and Spirit dropped their merger two months later.

U.S. airline bankruptcies were common in the 1990s and 2000s, as airlines struggled with fierce competition, high labor costs and sudden spikes in the price of jet fuel. PanAm, TWA, Northwest, Continental, United and Delta were swept up. Some liquidated, while others used favorable laws to renegotiate debts such as aircraft leases and keep flying.

The last bankruptcy by a major U.S. carrier ended when American Airlines emerged from Chapter 11 protection and simultaneously merged with US Airways in December 2013.

FILE - Airline passengers self check in at the Spirit airlines counter at Orlando International Airport on July 3, 2024, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

FILE - The Spirit Airlines logo is seen at the ticket counter at Manchester Boston Regional Airport, on June 2, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

FILE - Passengers wait in a line for help at the Spirit Airlines ticket counter at the Tampa International Airport Thursday, June 1, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)

FILE - A Spirit Airlines 319 Airbus approaches Manchester Boston Regional Airport for a landing, Friday, June 2, 2023, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)