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.

————————————————-

WEEKEND COVERAGE

————————————————-

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

———————————

TOP STORIES

———————————

MIDEAST-WARS — Palestinian medical officials say Israeli strikes across the Gaza Strip have killed at least 16 people. A strike on a school housing displaced people in Gaza City killed at least six people, including four children, according to the Civil Defense, first responders affiliated with the Hamas-run government. By Wafaa Shurafa. SENT: 440 words, photo. With MIDEAST-WARS-YEMEN — Two U.S. Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in apparent “friendly fire” incident, U.S. military says — SENT.

GAZA-WINTER — Nearly 2 million displaced Palestinians in Gaza are struggling to protect themselves from the coming winter. This comes as Israel’s 14-month-old war with Hamas drags on. The prices of blankets, wood, and winter clothing have skyrocketed amid shortages. The tents many people live in are growing increasingly tattered. Aid workers say nearly a million people need winterization supplies and that thousands of tents, blankets and mattresses are stuck awaiting delivery into Gaza in part because of Israeli restrictions. By Wafaa Shurafa and Fatma Khaled. SENT: 790 words, photos.

GERMANY-CHRISTMAS MARKET — A German government office says it received a warning last year about the suspected perpetrator in a car attack at a Christmas market. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees said it received a tip in the late summer of last year. But the office also noted that it is not an investigative authority and that it referred the information to the responsible authorities, following the procedure in such cases. German authorities say the five people who died in the attack were a 9-year-old boy and four women aged between 45 and 75. By Michael Probst and Vanessa Gera. SENT: 500 words, photos, videos, audio. With GERMANY-CHRISTMAS MARKET-EXPLAINER — What we know about the deadly Christmas market attack in Germany; GERMANY-CHRISTMAS-MARKET-PHOTO-COLLECTION — SENT

TRUMP-BUDGET — After days of threats and demands, Donald Trump had little to show for it once lawmakers passed a budget deal. The president-elect successfully pushed House Republicans to jettison some spending. But he failed to achieve his central goal of raising the debt limit. It’s clear that despite his decisive election win and frequent promises of retribution, many members of his party are willing to openly defy him. By Chris Megerian, Stephen Groves, Jill Colvin and Josh Boak. SENT: 1,240 words, photos, video. With CONGRESS-BUDGET — Biden signs bill that averts a government shutdown and brings a close to days of Washington upheaval; CONGRESS-BUDGET- TAKEWAYS — Shutdown saga exposes new fault lines for Speaker Johnson and tests his grip on the gavel; TRUMP-TRANSITION — Trump taps “Apprentice” producer, Mark Burnett, as special envoy to the United Kingdom — SENT.

OBIT-HENDERSON — Baseball Hall of Famer and stolen base king Rickey Henderson has died. He was 65. Known as baseball’s “Man of Steal,” Henderson had a lengthy list of accolades and accomplishments over his nomadic 25-year career. He was an MVP, 10-time All-Star selection, two-time World Series champion and Gold Glove winner. But it was stealing bases where Henderson made his name. He broke Lou Brock’s single-season record of 118 by stealing 130 bases in 1982 and led the league in steals for seven straight seasons and 12 overall. By Josh Dubow. SENT: 1,290 words, photos. With OBIT-HENDERSON-QUOTE BOX — Reactions to the death of baseball’s stolen base king Rickey Henderson — SENT.

SYRIA-ASSAD-HOMETOWN — On the walls of the palatial mausoleum built to house the remains of former Syrian President Hafez Assad, whose son Bashar Assad was ousted two weeks ago, vandals have sprayed variations of the phrase, “Damn your soul, Hafez.” While the Assads lived in luxury, most residents of the ousted president’s hometown of Qardaha survived on manual labor, low-level civil service jobs and farming to eke out a living. Many, like Assad, are members of the Alawite minority sect. By Abby Sewell. SENT: 1,040 words, photos, video. With MIDEAST-WARS-SYRIA — Iran’s supreme leader says Syrian youth will resist incoming government — SENT.

—————————————————

SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

—————————————————

SOUTH-SUDAN-FLOODING — Flooding is becoming a yearly disaster in South Sudan. The World Bank has described the nation as “the world’s most vulnerable country to climate change and also the one most lacking in coping capacity.” Seasonal flooding has long been part of the lifestyle of pastoral communities around the Sudd, the largest wetland in Africa. But the swamp keeps growing, submerging villages, ruining farmland and killing livestock. Residents describe wading for hours to the nearest clinic through waters where poisonous snakes are a risk. By Florence Miettaux. SENT: 890 words, photos.

THAILAND-SEA NOMADS — The Moken, a group of indigenous people from Thailand and Myanmar, once sailed freely between the archipelago of 800 islands off the coast of the two countries. Colloquially known as sea nomads, they lived aboard boats called kabangs for months at a time, and got sustenance from the sea. They became known to the world when they saved tourists from the powerful Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004. Today, with strict borders and limited ability to make the kabangs that are so central to their identity, the Moken are working to hold onto their traditions against powerful forces of change. By Huizhong Wu and Jintamas Saksornchai. SENT: 1,460 words, photos, video. An abridged version is available.

SEASON-CANCELED-GIRLS-BASKETBALL — Nebraska’s third-largest high school decided not to play varsity girls basketball this year after no juniors or seniors went out for the sport. But Grand Island is not alone. Participation in girls high school basketball is down roughly 20% over the past two decades. At the same time, volleyball, soccer and track and field all have been surging in popularity. So it seems the highly touted Caitlin Clark effect has yet to take hold. More people than ever are watching women’s college and pro games, but that hasn’t translated into more players in high school. By Josh Funk. SENT: 1,080 words, photos.

——————————

MORE NEWS

——————————

USYK-FURY — Oleksandr Usyk successfully defends his boxing heavyweight belt with a unanimous decision over Tyson Fury. SENT: 570 words, photos.

CELTICS-TATUM — Jayson Tatum’s big night: first 40-plus point triple-double for Celtics since Larry Bird in 1992. SENT: 390 words, photos.

PHOTOS-NEW-YORK-CHRISTMAS — The iconic and unconventional sides of Christmas in New York. SENT: 28 photos, 190 words.

—————————————————

YEAR END STORIES

—————————————————

YE-GOODBYE-TO-THE-AMATEUR — When the page turns on the year 2024, we will say goodbye, once and for all, to the amateur athlete. In practice, these amateurs have already been gone for years. In theory, the concept clung on in the form of the quaint and now bygone notion that college athletes still played only for pride and a scholarship. UPCOMING: 1,280 words, photos by 10 a.m.

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

——————————————————

WASHINGTON/POLITICS

——————————————————

SENATE-LARA-TRUMP — Lara Trump, the daughter-in-law of President-elect Donald Trump, says she’s removing herself from consideration to be a Florida senator. That ends speculation she could replace Sen. Marco Rubio, who has been tapped to be the incoming administration’s secretary of state. SENT: 270 words, photos.

———————

NATIONAL

———————

TEXAS-MALL-POLICE-SHOOTING — A pickup truck driver fleeing police careened through the doors of a JCPenney store in Texas and continued through a busy mall, injuring five people before he was fatally shot by officers, authorities said. SENT: 300 words, photos.

CHICAGO-TRANSIT-TRUMP — Chicago officials are racing before President Biden leaves office to lock up federal funding for the largest project in the history of the city’s elevated train system, a $3.6 billion investment aimed at connecting an impoverished and isolated community on the far South Side. SENT: 840 words, photos, video.

CHILD-BEHEADED — Northern California authorities say a man has been arrested on suspicion of beheading his 1-year-old son. The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office says in a Friday statement that deputies responded to a family disturbance at a home in the northern part of the county. It says they were taking 28-year-old Andrey Demskiy into custody when they discovered the child’s severed head. SENT: 160 words.

INMATE DEATH-NEW YORK — New York’s governor has ordered more than a dozen state prison staffers fired over the fatal beating of an inmate earlier this month. Gov. Kathy Hochul said she has directed the state’s corrections department commissioner to begin the process of terminating 14 workers involved in the fatal attack at the Marcy Correctional Facility. SENT: 450 words, photo.

————————————

INTERNATIONAL

————————————

NIGERIA-CHRISTMAS-STAMPEDE — The death toll from stampedes during two Christmas charity events in Nigeria has increased from 13 to 32, police said. The victims, including at least four children, collapsed during crowd surges as people grew desperate for food items amid the country’s worst cost-of-living crisis in a generation. SENT: 260 words.

CHINA-TAIWAN-US — The Chinese government is protesting the latest American announcements of military sales and assistance to Taiwan, warning the United States that it is “playing with fire.” SENT: 200 words, photo.

ECUADOR-POWER-CUTS — As Christmas approaches and people decorate their homes with lights, Ecuadoreans are getting some relief from the severe power cuts that have hounded the country this year with President Daniel Noboa saying there will be no power rationing for residential areas, for the time being. SENT: 640 words, photos.

———————————————

HEALTH & SCIENCE

———————————————

NASA-FLYBY — A NASA spacecraft is about to make the closest approach to the sun. The Parker Solar Probe was launched in 2018 to get a close-up look at the sun. On Tuesday, Parker will pass within a record-breaking 3.8 million miles of the sun’s surface. That’s nearly seven times closer to the sun than previous spacecraft. UPCOMING: 300 words, photo by 9 a.m.

————————

SPORTS

————————

WARRIORS-TIMBERWOLVES — Steph Curry scored 11 straight points in the fourth quarter and 31 for the night as the Golden State Warriors beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 113-103. SENT: 280 words, photos.

CFP-CLEMSON-TEXAS — Jaydon Blue ran for 146 yards and two touchdowns, the last a 77-yard burst in the fourth quarter, and Texas beat Clemson 38-24 in the first round of the expanded College Football Playoff. SENT: 710 words, photos.

CFP-TENNESSEE-OHIO STATE — Will Howard threw two touchdown passes to freshman Jeremiah Smith and Ohio State routed Tennessee 42-17 in a first-round College Football Playoff game, setting up a New Year’s Day rematch with No. 1 Oregon at the Rose Bowl. SENT: 320 words, photos.

——————————————

HOW TO REACH US

——————————————

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.

Jorge Barroso, dressed as Santa Claus, is received by young residents after arriving on a boat to distribute Christmas gifts to children who live in the riverside communities of the Amazon, in Iranduba, Brazil, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Edmar Barros)

Boxers Britain's Tyson Fury, right, and Ukraine's Oleksandr Usyk compete during their WBA, WBO, and WBC world heavyweight title fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

The Christmas market, where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening, in Magdeburg, Germany, is empty on Saturday evening , Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Women smoke water pipe as they sit on a lookout area at the mount Qasioun in Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

A Syrian man Mohammed Salam, 32, poses for a picture with his family in front of his destroyed house which destroyed during the civil war in the neighbourhood of Jobar, in Damascus, Syria, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

The grandchildren of Reda Abu Zarada sit by a fire at a camp by the sea in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Reda Abu Zarada, 50, displaced from Jabaliya in northern Gaza, warms up by a fire with her grandchildren at a camp in Khan Younis, Gaza Strip, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

MAGDEBURG, Germany (AP) — Four women and a 9-year-old boy were killed and 200 people were injured when a Saudi doctor drove into a Christmas market teeming with holiday shoppers in the German city of Magdeburg — an attack that has left Germans mourning the victims and with a shaken sense of security.

At first, Thi Linh Chi Nguyen thought the loud bangs were fireworks. The 34-year-old manicurist from Vietnam, whose salon is near the Christmas market, was on the phone during a break when she heard the noise just after 7 p.m. on Friday. Then she saw a car drive through the market at high speed. People screamed and a child was thrown into the air by the car.

The woman recalled seeing the car bursting out of the market and turning right onto Ernst-Reuter-Allee street and then coming to a standstill at a tram stop where the suspect was arrested.

The market stood empty and cordoned off by police tape, with armed officers deployed around it. Nearby, people stopped Sunday to light candles or leave flowers at a growing makeshift memorial.

Police say the dead are four women, aged 45, 52, 67 and 75, and a boy aged 9. Authorities said 200 people were injured, including 41 in serious condition. They were being treated in multiple hospitals in Magdeburg, which is about 130 kilometers (80 miles) west of Berlin, and beyond.

Prosecutors said the suspect, a 50-year-old Saudi doctor, is under investigation on suspicion of murder, attempted murder and bodily harm. In a closed-door hearing on Saturday evening, a judge ordered that he be kept in custody pending a possible indictment.

Several German media outlets identified the suspect as Taleb A., withholding his last name in line with privacy laws, and reported that he was a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy. He has lived in Germany since 2006, practicing medicine in Bernburg, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Magdeburg.

The suspect's X account describes him as a former Muslim. It is filled with tweets and retweets focusing on anti-Islam themes and criticism of the religion, while sharing congratulatory notes to Muslims who left the faith. He was critical of German authorities, saying they had failed to do enough to combat the “Islamification of Europe.” He has also voiced support for the far-right and anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party.

Some described Taleb as an activist who helped Saudi women flee their homeland. Recently, he seemed focused on his theory that German authorities have been targeting Saudi asylum-seekers.

Investigators are trying to understand what motivated the man to drive his black BMW into a crowd in the eastern German city. Prosecutors said the motive may have been “dissatisfaction with the treatment of Saudi refugees in Germany.”

Investigators have to analyze computers, mobile devices and other evidence, “and at the end of the day we will know, or at least hope to know, what drove him to this act.”

Germany’s Federal Office for Migration and Refugees acknowledged Sunday it had received a warning about the suspect last year, and said it “was taken seriously.” The office also noted that it is not an investigative authority and that it referred the information to the responsible authorities.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is facing criticism about security lapses that allowed the attack to happen, and was heckled by some bystanders during a visit to Magdeburg on Saturday.

The violence shocked Germany and the city, prompting several other German towns to cancel their weekend Christmas markets as a precaution, and out of solidarity with Magdeburg’s loss. Berlin kept its markets open but increased the police presence.

Germany has suffered several extremist attacks in recent years, including a knife attack that killed three people and wounded eight at a festival in the western city of Solingen in August. Friday’s attack came eight years after an Islamic extremist drove a truck into a crowded Christmas market in Berlin, killing 13 people and injuring many others.

Those attacks have led cities to beef up security at Christmas markets and other events.

The horror triggered by yet another act of mass violence in Germany make it likely that migration will remain a key issue as German heads toward an early election on Feb. 23.

It is the latest in a string of incidents around the world in which vehicles have been used as weapons by jihadi attackers, far-right extremists and others whose motives were unclear.

A woman stands next to flowers and candles laid down near the Magdeburg Cathedral, after a car drove into a crowd of a Christmas Mark on Friday evening, in Magdeburg, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

People lay flowers and light candles on concrete blocks that protect the Christmas market, where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening, in Magdeburg, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

The Christmas market, where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening, in Magdeburg, Germany, is empty on Saturday evening , Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

People have lit candles at the Christmas Market in Magdeburg, Germany on Saturday evening , Dec. 21, 2024, where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening, . (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

People lay flowers and light candles on concrete blocks that protect the Christmas market in Magdeburg, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024, where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

The Christmas market, where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening, in Magdeburg, Germany, is empty on Saturday evening , Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Flowers and candles laid down in front of the Johannis church close to the Christmas market, where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening, in Magdeburg, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)

A couple embrace each other in front of flowers and candles laid down at the Johannis church close to the Christmas market, where a car drove into a crowd on Friday evening, in Magdeburg, Germany, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi)