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.

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NEW/DEVELOPING

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GERMANY-CHRISTMAS MARKET; BIDEN; TRUMP-EUROPE-TARIFFS; LYNCHED MEN INNOCENT-VIRGINIA; PERU-KICHWA COURT; MUSIC-GRAVY DAY;

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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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ONLY ON AP

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PRISON-TO-PLATE-ALABAMA — No state has a longer, more profit-driven history of contracting prisoners out to private companies than Alabama. Best Western, Bama Budweiser and Burger King are among the more than 500 businesses to lease incarcerated workers from one of the most violent, overcrowded and unruly prison systems in the U.S., The Associated Press found as part of a two-year investigation into prison labor. By Robin McDowell and Margie Mason. SENT: 3,430 words, photos. WITH: PRISON-TO-PLATE-TAKEAWAYS — Takeaways from The Associated Press’ reporting on prison labor in Alabama.

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TOP STORIES

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GERMANY-CHRISTMAS MARKET — A car plowed into a busy outdoor Christmas market in the eastern German city of Magdeburg on Friday, leaving at least two peoople dead and injuring at least 60 others in what authorities suspect was an attack. The driver of the car was arrested, German news agency dpa reported, citing unidentified government officials in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The suspect was not known to German authorities as an Islamic extremist, dpa reported, citing unidentified security officials. He is believed to be about 50 years old and to have come from Saudi Arabia. SENT: 450 words, photos, video.

CONGRESS-BUDGET — CONGRESS-BUDGET — Veering toward a midnight government shutdown, House Speaker Mike Johnson is proposing a new plan. It would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster relief for a few months, but punts President-elect Donald Trump’s demands for a debt limit increase into the new year. By Lisa Mascaro, Farnoush Amiri and Matt Brown. SENT: 1,050 words, photos, video, audio.

TRUMP-ECONOMY — Donald Trump seemed poised to inherit a relatively strong economy when he begins a second term in the White House in January. Then the Federal Reserve signaled that it would have fewer than expected interest rate cuts next year, sending the stock market tumbling, and Trump added to the uncertainty by blowing up a spending bill that House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Republican, had fashioned. By Josh Boak. SENT: 1,170 words, photos. Also SENT: TRUMP-EUROPE-TARIFFS — Trump threatens to add the European Union to the list of trade partners he’ll place tariffs on.

UNITEDHEALTHCARE-CEO KILLED-WHAT TO KNOW — What's next for the man accused of gunning down United Healthcare’s CEO outside a Manhattan hotel? He is now jailed in New York awaiting arraignment Monday on a state murder indictment. The Ivy League graduate, who prosecutors say inveighed against the health insurance industry and wealthy executives in his writings, was not required to enter a plea to federal charges of murder, stalking and firearms charges in the Dec. 4 killing of Brian Thompson. The state indictment charges Luigi Mangione, 26, with murder as a terrorist act. SENT: 700 words, photos.

HOLIDAY-TRAVEL — Drivers and airline passengers without reindeer and sleighs better make a dash for it: It’s beginning to look like another record for holiday travel in the U.S. The auto club AAA predicts that more than 119 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Saturday and New Year’s Day, which would top the previous holiday-season high set in 2019. The two weekends on either side of Christmas look to be some of the most crowded times on the road and at airports. By David Koening. SENT: 1,100 words, photos, video, audio.

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MIDEAST WARS

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UNITED STATES-SYRIA — The Biden administration has decided not to pursue a $10 million reward it had offered for the capture of a Syrian rebel leader whose forces led the ouster of President Bashar Assad earlier this month. The announcement follows a meeting in Damascus between Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was once aligned with al-Qaida, and the top U.S. diplomat for the Middle East. SENT: 670 words, photos, video, audio. WITH: MIDEAST-WARS-THE-LATEST

LEAVING-ISRAEL — Israelis are increasingly moving out of the country since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack shattered any sense of safety. Government statistics estimate that 40,600 people departed long-term during the first seven months of the year, a 59% increase over the same period in 2023. Some 33,000 people have moved into the country since the start of the war, about on-par with other years. Relocation experts say they’ve seen a sharp increase in emigration. By Laurie Kellman. SENT: 1,560 words, photos. An abridged version of 1,100 words is also available.

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — A Ukrainian attack on a town in Russia’s Kursk border region using U.S.-supplied missiles killed six people, including a child, a senior local official said. The attack came hours after Ukrainian authorities said a Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv killed at least one person and wounded 13. SENT: 800 words, photos, audio.

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MORE NEWS

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LYNCHED MEN INNOCENT-VIRGINIA — Three Black men who were lynched by mobs in Virginia during the 1800s and early 1900s have been declared innocent by a judge. SENT: 320 words.

CHILD-SEAT-RECALL — Nuna Baby Essentials is recalling nearly 609,000 child car seats because the harness adjuster can loosen and the seats may not restrain children. SENT: 150 words.

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YEAR END STORIES

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YE-2024-TWO-WARS -- For the world, 2024 was riven by conflict on two fronts. As the year ends, Gaza is in shambles and tens of thousands are dead. Meanwhile an adjacent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah is playing out across the Lebanon landscape as the year ends. A continent away, the Russia-Ukraine war, which began with Russia’s invasion in early 2022, rages on and evolves, claiming more casualties as it goes. SENT: 1,840 words, photos.

YE-TOP-SPORTS-MOMENTS -- Patrick Mahomes threw a walk-off pass to win the Super Bowl. Freddie Freeman hit a walk-off grand slam to win a World Series game. Stephen Curry said “nuit, nuit” to win an Olympic basketball title in Paris, Noah Lyles won 100-meter gold by about the smallest margin possible, and Sabrina Ionescu won a WNBA Finals game with a 30-foot heave. Sports are a collection of moments. This year, many moments were — once again — spectacular. By Tim Reynolds. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 1 p.m.

Find all of the AP’s year-end content in the 2024 Year In Review hub on AP Newsroom.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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TRUMP-COLLEGE-TRAVEL-ADVISORIES — Some U.S. colleges and universities are advising international students to return to campus before President-elect Trump is inaugurated. They’re worried he could declare travel bans like he did during his first presidency. Trump said while campaigning that he’ll impose ideological screening and revoke the visas of campus protesters. Classes begin at some schools before Trump takes office, so their students would be back anyway. SENT: 670 words, photos, audio.

TRUMP-TRANSITION —

BIDEN — President Joe Biden and his wife, Jill, bring some holiday cheer to patients and families at a children’s hospital in Washington. SENT: 250 words, photos, video.

MICHIGAN-SUPREME-COURT-JUSTICE — Justice Kyra Harris Bolden is the first Black woman to be elected to the Michigan Supreme Court. Her victory in November reaffirmed a liberal majority on a court where five of the seven justices now are women. She says her journey really began generations ago, when her great-grandfather was lynched in Tennessee and the family fled

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NATIONAL

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REL-YOUNG-NUNS — Less than 1% of nuns in the United States today are 30 or younger. That number has remained steady in the past decade but shows little signs of increasing. Between 100 and 200 young women enter into a religious vocation each year in the U.S., and not all of them will complete the process to become a nun. SENT: 1,840 words, photos. WITH: REL-YOUNG-NUNS-TAKEAWAYS — Takeaways from AP’s reporting on young nuns; REL-YOUNG-NUNS-TWO-JOURNEYS — Two diverse paths to a rare life of faith. (both sent).

SCHOOL-SHOOTING-WISCONSIN — The Wisconsin 15-year-old who shot and killed a teacher and a fellow student Monday was only in her first semester at the school but seemed to be settling in, a school official said Thursday as families of the victims remembered them as people of faith who had deep connections within the Christian school. UPCOMING: 800 words, photos by 4 p.m.

KWANZAA-EXPLAINER — Founded during the Black Freedom Movement of the 1960s, Kwanzaa is a non-religious holiday that is observed by millions of Americans. It has become a nationally recognized celebration of African culture and community in the United States that also is celebrated in countries with large African descendant populations. SENT: 710 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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CANADA-TRUDEAU — Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s chances of staying on in power have become more tenuous after the opposition party that backed his government for years said it’ll vote no confidence in the government when Parliament resumes. An embattled Trudeau reshuffled his Cabinet but whether he will step aside in the coming days or weeks remains an open question. SENT: 610 words, photos.

VANUATU-PACIFIC-EARTHQUAKE-RECOVERY — Efforts to recover bodies of people trapped in collapsed buildings continues in the earthquake-hit Pacific nation of Vanuatu. Hopes faded that more would be found alive three days after the magnitude 7.3 quake, with the official death toll of 10 likely to rise. UNICEF said drinking water, sanitation and forecast downpours were the biggest immediate threats. SENT: 780 words, photos.

PERU-KICHWA COURT — An Indigenous community in the Peruvian Amazon is celebrating a legal victory in the latest stage of its attempt to take back claimed ancestral rainforests. The Puerto Franco community of the Kichwa tribe say their territory was stolen to form the Cordillera Azul National Park in 2001 by companies such as Shell and TotalEnergies. SENT: 460 words, photo.

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BUSINESS

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CONSUMER-SPENDING — An inflation gauge that is closely watched by the Federal Reserve barely rose last month in a sign that price pressures cooled after two months of sharp gains. Prices rose just 0.1% from October to November. Excluding the volatile food and energy categories, prices also ticked up just 0.1%, after two months of outsize 0.3% gains. SENT: 690 words, photos, audio.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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MUSIC-GRAVY DAY — To many Australians, Saturday is more than just Dec. 21. It’s “Gravy Day,” all because of a lyric in one of the most unlikely Christmas songs ever written. “How to Make Gravy,” written by singer Paul Kelly, has become a holiday classic in Australia over the past few decades. It was cited this week by the nation’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, as he announced a decision to release five drug smugglers from prison, and is the subject of a new movie that creates a story behind the song. SENT: 920 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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FBC-CFP-INDIANA-NOTRE-DAME — Seventh-seeded Notre Dame will host the first College Football Playoff game at a campus site when it hosts 10th-seeded Indiana. The Fighting Irish won their final 10 regular season games to reach the playoff for the first time since 2021. The Hoosiers are making their first playoff appearance after winning a school record 11 games. UPCOMING: 700 words, photos. Game starts at 8 p.m.

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HOW TO REACH US

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At the Nerve Center, Richard A. Somma 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.

Syrians continue to celebrate the ousting of Bashar al-Assad's government, at Umayyad Square, in Damascus, Syria, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Emergency Service, firefighters work on the site of a damaged building after a Russian missile attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (Ukrainian Emergency Service via AP)

People walk along a Christmas Market set up in Manezhnaya Square decorated for the New Year and Christmas festivities, with the Historical Museum and the Kremlin in the background in Moscow, Russia, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

A girl rides a carousel at a Christmas fair opened prior to incoming Christmas and New Year festivities in St. Petersburg, Russia, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)

Palestinian women and girls struggle to reach for food at a distribution center in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Friday, Dec. 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks have no choice but to move forward.

After a disappointing loss to Green Bay allowed the Los Angeles Rams — who have the same record but own the tiebreaker advantage — to leapfrog them in the NFC West standings, the Seahawks are preparing to host another tough NFC North foe in the Minnesota Vikings.

While they no longer have the inside track to win their division, this game is crucial to the Seahawks' playoff chances. Seattle (8-6) has a 36% chance of making the postseason, according to the NFL, and that probability would increase to 52% with a victory.

Minnesota (12-2) features a resurgent Sam Darnold throwing to dynamic receivers Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, as well as one of the best run defenses in the NFL.

“They have really good players, a really good scheme, and they’re well-coached,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said. “They have some flexibility within their players too, where they can change up looks on you with the same people on the fields. That’s something you have to account for, and different personnel groups.”

The Vikings have a chance to clinch the No. 1 seed in the NFC if they win out, but players say they are only focused on the next game.

“It’s going to be a grind because these are really good football teams we’re going to play, whether it’s two on the road or hosting Green Bay here,” coach Kevin O’Connell said. “So a lot out in front of us, but we have to go back to work. That’s what this is all about and continuing to chase improvement.”

Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith is on track to play Sunday after he suffered a knee injury in the loss to Green Bay. Smith left in the third quarter, but he has been a full participant in this week's practices.

Seattle had some concerns at running back, with both Kenneth Walker III (calf) and Zach Charbonnet (oblique) sitting out earlier in the week. Walker missed the past two games, and Charbonnet performed well in his place, rushing for 134 yards and two touchdowns against Arizona, and scoring on a 24-yard run against Green Bay.

Walker was a full participant in Thursday's practice, while Charbonnet and center Olu Oluwatimi (knee, quad) were limited participants. None of the three have injury designations headed into the game, signaling they are available to play.

Sunday’s loss dropped the Seahawks to 3-5 at Lumen Field. It’s just the second time since 2009 that Seattle has had a losing record at home, and the loss to the Packers was interrupted several times by loud chants of “Go Pack Go” from Green Bay fans.

“I know the first quarter, second or third play of the game, it got crazy loud in there. I looked around, and it was a lot of Green Bay fans,” receiver DK Metcalf said. “So they did a great job traveling, but just wishing the 12s didn’t sell as many tickets as they did to make sure we kept the home advantage. But yeah, it would mean a lot just to take this last one home and finish off the season strong.”

In their victory last weekend, the Vikings allowed the Bears only one conversion on 12 third downs and one on three fourth downs. Though they’ve allowed the fourth-most passing yards in the league, the Vikings are delivering on defense when it counts. They rank fourth in the NFL in third-down conversion percentage and first on fourth down. They are 13th in red-zone touchdowns allowed and third in goal-to-go TDs allowed.

They’re tied for second with 28 takeaways and lead the league with 20 interceptions, and have allowed the fourth-fewest points per game (18).

“The team we have, the guys we have, the accountability we have in our room, we all hold each other to high standards and it’s showing up right now in the nitty-gritty of the season,” safety Josh Metellus said. “We’ve got guys doing their job exceptionally well. Everybody’s not trying to make hero plays. We know the plays are going to come. It’s all about just doing your job every single play.”

As opponents continue to stack up the secondary to try to keep Jefferson quiet, the Vikings have consistently found ways to take advantage, whether by handing the ball to Aaron Jones or exploiting single coverage against Addison and T.J. Hockenson.

Addison has 30 catches for 473 yards and five touchdowns in the last five games.

“Just the way that he’s been coming into work, he’s just been a pro,” Darnold said. “This whole entire year he’s been a pro, but to see it coming to fruition and see him just do well, it’s really fun to watch.”

AP Sports Writer Dave Campbell in Minneapolis contributed to this report.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald watches during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson catches a pass for a first down during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold (14) throws a pass during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Seattle Seahawks' Geno Smith throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Green Bay Packers Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)