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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CALIFORNIA-WILDFIRES; TRUMP-HOTEL-FIRE-LAS VEGAS; TRUMP-TRANSITION-TAKEAWAYS; TRUMP-GULF OF MEXICO; TRUMP; JIMMY-CARTER-WASHINGTON-JANUARY-7-PHOTO-COLLECTION; CHINA NEPAL EARTHQUAKE: PHOTO COLLECTION; UNITED STATES-LEBANON; CALIFORNIA-FRATERNITY-MEMBERS-CHARGED; US-SUDAN; FINANCIAL-WELLNESS-MEDICAL-DEBT-CREDIT-REPORTING; CES-TECHNOLOGY-AI-ENTERTAINMENT; UNITED STATES-GUANTANAMO-9/11; GREENLAND-EXPLAINER; HARRIS-TRIP.; SANTA ANA WINDS-EXPLAINER; FRANCE-LE PEN-KEY-DATES; NEW ORLEANS-RESILIENCE.

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ONLY ON AP

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AP-POLL-TOP-ISSUES-2025 — More Americans say immigration should be a top focus for the U.S. government in 2025, as the country heads toward a new Republican administration in which President-elect Donald Trump has promised the mass deportations of migrants and an end to birthright citizenship. By Linley Sanders, Humera Lodhi and Jonathan J. Cooper. SENT: 960 words, photos.

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TOP STORIES

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CALIFORNIA-WILDFIRES — Firefighters scrambled to corral a fast-moving wildfire in the Los Angeles hillsides dotted with celebrity homes as a potentially “life-threatening, destructive” windstorm hit Southern California, fanning the blaze seen for miles while roads were clogged with cars as residents tried to flee. By Christopher Weber. SENT: 990 words, photos, video, audio. With SANTA ANA WINDS-EXPLAINER — What are California’s Santa Ana winds?

TRUMP-TRANSITION — President-elect Donald Trump says he will not rule out the use of military force to seize control of the Panama Canal and Greenland, as he declares U.S. control of both to be vital to American national security. Trump’s intention marks a rejection of decades of U.S. policy. By Will Weissert and Zeke Miller. SENT: 1,000 words, photos, video, audio. WITH: TRUMP-TRANSITION-TAKEAWAYS — Trump amps up some of his most audacious claims and promises; GREENLAND-EXPLAINER — Remote but resource-rich Greenland occupies a key position in a warming world; GREENLAND-VISIT-TRUMP-JR — Donald Trump Jr. arrives in Greenland with a message from his dad: “we’re going to treat you well”; TRUMP-GULF OF MEXICO — Trump says he will try to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America”; TRUMP — Trump announces an Emirati company’s $20 billion investment into building data centers in the U.S. (all sent).

TRUMP-SPECIAL COUNSEL — A federal judge temporarily blocks the public release of special counsel Jack Smith’s report on investigations into Donald Trump as an appeals court weighs a challenge to the disclosure of a much-anticipated document. By Eric Tucker. SENT: 670 words, photos. With TRUMP-HUSH MONEY — A New York appeals court judge Trump’s latest bid to delay this week’s sentencing in his hush money case (sent).

WINTER BLASTS — The plunging polar vortex brought subfreezing temperatures to some of the southernmost points of the U.S., threatening to dump snow on parts of Texas and Oklahoma in the coming days and contributing to a power outage in Virginia’s capital that made the water unsafe to drink. By Hannah Fingerhut and Ben Finley. SENT: 1,050 words, photos, videos, audio. WITH: CLIMATE-VORTEX-EXPLAINER — Why more frequent cold blasts could be coming; CLIMATE-WINTER-BLASTS-SHELTER — In Cincinnati, recreation center is a lifesaver from nation’s Arctic blast.

JIMMY-CARTER-FUNERAL — Nearly 44 years after Jimmy Carter left the nation’s capital in humbling defeat, the body of the 39th president returned to Washington for three days of state funeral rites. By Bill Barrow. SENT: 790 words, photos, video, audio. WITH: CARTER-TRUMP — Trump’s praise of Carter in death after jeering him in life deepens a contradictory relationship; JIMMY-CARTER-PHILANTHROPY — Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter left behind enduring nonprofits as part of their legacy of giving back; JIMMY-CARTER-WASHINGTON-JANUARY-7-PHOTO-COLLECTION (all sent).

CHINA-NEPAL-EARTHQUAKE — A strong earthquake shook a high-altitude region of western China and areas of Nepal, damaging hundreds of houses, littering streets with rubble and killing at least 126 people in Tibet. Many others were trapped as dozens of aftershocks shook the remote region. By Ken Moritsugu. SENT: 550 words, photos, graphic, audio. WITH: CHINA-EARTHQUAKE-GLANCE; CHINA NEPAL EARTHQUAKE: PHOTO COLLECTION (all sent)

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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

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ORANGE BOWL-BLACK COACHES — In college basketball, the scene of an African-American coach cutting down nets to celebrate a national title is nothing new. College football is behind that curve by 41 years and counting, with a chance to finally reach that milestone this year. By Sports Writer Eddie Pells. SENT: 1,160 words, photos.

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MIDEAST WARS

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SYRIA-MACHINE-OF-DEATH — The system of detention, torture and death run by Syria’s former ruler, Bashar Assad, is starting to come out into the open. SENT: 1,680 words, photos, videos. An abridged version of 990 words is also available. WITH: MIDEAST-WARS-THE-LATEST; UNITED-STATES-LEBANON — U.S. shifts $100 million in military aid from Israel and Egypt to Lebanon to bolster ceasefire

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MORE NEWS

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CALIFORNIA-FRATERNITY-MEMBERS-CHARGED — San Diego State University frat members charged after pledge set on fire at party, prosecutors say. SENT: 480 words, photo.

CES-2025-NVIDIA TAKEAWAYS -- Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang unveiled a suite of new products, services and partnerships at CES 2025. SENT: 400 words, photos.

SUBWAY-BURNING — Suspect in NYC subway burning told police “that’s me” when shown video, transcript says, shortly after entering a plea of not guilty to burning a sleeping woman to death inside a New York City subway train. SENT: 730 words, photos, video, audio.

MARS-SAMPLE RETURNS — NASA is pitching a cheaper and quicker way of getting rocks and soil back from Mars. SENT: 430 words, photos.

TESLA-SUMMON-CRASHES — U.S. regulators open another Tesla probe, latest focused on tech that remotely returns car to driver. SENT: 450 words, photo.

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WASHINGTON/ POLITICS

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UNITED STATES-GUANTANAMO-9/11 — The Biden administration asked a federal appeals court to block a plea agreement for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two co-defendants in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. SENT: 500 words, photo. (Replaces UNITED STATES-GUANTANAMO-EXPLAINER from 2 p.m. News Digest.)

TRUMP-INAUGURATION-SECURITY — Donald Trump’s inauguration is coinciding with an unprecedented string of high-stakes security events in the nation’s capital, including former President Jimmy Carter’s state funeral on Thursday. SENT: 840 words, photos.

BIDEN — Dangerously high winds force President Joe Biden to cancel a trip to the Eastern Coachella Valley to announce the creation of two new national monuments. SENT: 870 words, photo.

HARRIS-TRIP — Vice President Kamala Harris plans to close out her term with a trip to Singapore, Bahrain and Germany. SENT: 340 words, photo.

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NATIONAL

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TRUMP-HOTEL-FIRE-LAS VEGAS — The highly decorated soldier who exploded a Tesla Cybertruck outside the Trump hotel in Las Vegas used generative AI including ChatGPT to help plan the attack, Las Vegas police said. SENT: 680 words, photos.

NEW ORLEANS-RESILIENCE — New Orleans has faced tragedy again and again and always seems to bounce back, maintaining its reputation for jazz and joyfulness. SENT: 1,390 words, photos. video, audio.

BATTLE-FOR-BONHOEFFER — Shortly before he was hanged by the Nazis in 1945 at age 39, Dietrich Bonhoeffer reportedly told a fellow prisoner: “This is the end — for me the beginning of life.” It was — more than he knew. SENT: 1,390 words, photos. WITH: BONHOEFFER EXPLAINER —Who was Dietrich Bonhoeffer? (sent).

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INTERNATIONAL

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EUROPE-MUSK — Fresh from pouring his money and energies into helping Donald Trump win re-election, Elon Musk has trained his sights on Europe. SENT: 1,000 words, photos, audio. WITH: SOC-LIVERPOOL-MUSK — Elon Musk’s father says his billionaire son has expressed interest in buying English soccer club Liverpool. (sent).

US-SUDAN —The Biden administration said that a Sudanese paramilitary group and its proxies are committing genocide in a civil war with the country’s military that has killed tens of thousands of people, leveling sanctions on the group’s leader and affiliated companies. SENT: 490 words, photos. graphic.

FRANCE-OBIT-LE-PEN — Jean-Marie Le Pen, the founder of France’s far-right National Front who was known for fiery rhetoric against immigration and multiculturalism that earned him both staunch supporters and widespread condemnation, has died. He was 96. SENT: 1,370 words, photos, video, audio. WITH: FRANCE-LE PEN-KEY-DATES (sent). Find a selection of related Le Pen photos in AP Newsroom.

VENEZUELA-POLITICS — Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo González, who claims to have defeated President Nicolás Maduro in last year’s presidential election, says that his son-in-law has been kidnapped in Venezuela’s capital. SENT: 720 words, photos.

FRANCE-ATTACKS-ANNIVERSARY — A decade after gunmen stormed the offices of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in a deadly assault that shook France to its core, the nation is pausing to honor the victims and grapple with the evolving challenges of free expression and terrorism. SENT: 630 words, photos. WITH: FRANCE-CHARLIE-HEBDO-10-YEARS-ON-PHOTO-GALLERY.

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BUSINESS

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META-FACT-CHECKING — Facebook and Instagram owner Meta says it’s scrapping its third-party fact-checking program and replacing it with “community notes” written by users similar to the model used by Elon Musk’s social platform X. SENT: 1,040 words, photos, video, audio. WITH: META-DANA-WHITE — Meta’s new board includes UFC boss Dana White, a familiar figure in Trump’s orbit. (sent).

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FINANCIAL WELLNESS

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FINANCIAL-WELLNESS-MEDICAL-DEBT-CREDIT-REPORTING — How removing unpaid medical bills from credit reports could help consumers. SENT: 950 words, photo.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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OBIT-PETER YARROW — Peter Yarrow, the singer-songwriter best known as one-third of Peter, Paul and Mary, the folk-music trio whose impassioned harmonies transfixed millions as they lifted their voices in favor of civil rights and against war, has died. He was 86. SENT: 1,270 words, photos, audio.

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HOW TO REACH US

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At the Nerve Center, Randy Herschaft and Jerome Minerva can be reached at 800-845-8450, ext. 1600. For photos, Donald E. King 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.

Todd Blanche, attorney for President-elect Donald Trump departs court, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

FILE -Residents try to use mobile phone to call their missing relatives as they search for survivors amonst the rubble of a collapsed building in Dujiangyan, southwest China's Sichuan Province, May 15, 2008. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)

President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

With the U.S. Capitol in the background the flag-draped casket of President Jimmy Carter moves toward the U.S. Capitol on a horse-drawn caisson at Constitution Avenue on Capitol Hill, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025, in Washington. Carter died Dec. 29, at the age of 100. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

A residence burns as a firefighter battles the Palisades Fire in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Eugene Garcia)

People walk and play at a park decorated for the New Year and Christmas festivities with an Orthodox Church in the background in Moscow, Russia, on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Homes stand in flood water after the Grand Union Canal burst its banks in Loughborough, England, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)

Palestinians walk through the destruction in the wake of an Israeli air and ground offensive in Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Yu Xiaofeng leaps as she jumps into a pool carved from ice on the frozen Songhua river in Harbin in northeastern China's Heilongjiang province, Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

ROME (AP) — An Italian journalist detained in Iran for three weeks, whose fate became intertwined with that of an Iranian engineer wanted by the United States, was freed Wednesday and is heading home, Italian officials said.

A plane carrying Cecilia Sala, 29, left Tehran after “intensive work on diplomatic and intelligence channels,” Premier Giorgia Meloni’s office said, adding that the Italian premier had personally informed Sala's parents of the news.

Iranian media acknowledged the journalist’s release, citing only the foreign reports. Iranian officials offered no immediate comment.

Sala, a reporter for the Il Foglio daily, was detained in Tehran on Dec. 19, three days after she arrived on a journalist visa. She was accused of violating the laws of the Islamic Republic, the official IRNA news agency said.

Italian commentators had speculated that Iran detained and held Sala as a bargaining chip to ensure the release of Mohammad Abedini, who was arrested at Milan’s Malpensa airport three days before on Dec. 16, on a U.S. warrant.

The U.S. Justice Department accused Abedini and another Iranian of supplying the drone technology to Iran that was used in a January 2024 attack on a U.S. outpost in Jordan that killed three American troops. He remains in detention in Italy.

Sala’s release was met with cheers in Italy, where her plight had dominated headlines, as lawmakers hailed the successful negotiations to bring her home.

It came after Meloni made a surprise trip to Florida last weekend to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump at his Mar-a-Lago estate.

Meloni tweeted Sala’s return in a statement on X in which she thanked “all those who helped make Cecilia’s return possible, allowing her to reembrace her family and colleagues.”

Sala's fate became intertwined with that of Abedini as each country's foreign ministries summoned the other's ambassador to demand the prisoners' release and decent detention conditions. The diplomatic tangle was particularly complicated for Italy, which is a historic ally of Washington but maintains traditionally good relations with Tehran.

Members of Meloni's cabinet took personal interest in the case given the geopolitical implications. Foreign Minister Antonio Tanaji and Defense Minister Guido Crosetto hailed the diplomatic teamwork involved to secure Sala's release, which amounted to a significant victory for Meloni.

Since the 1979 U.S. Embassy crisis, which saw dozens of hostages released after 444 days in captivity, Iran has used prisoners with Western ties as bargaining chips in negotiations with the world.

In September 2023, five Americans detained for years in Iran were freed in exchange for five Iranians in U.S. custody and for $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets to be released by South Korea.

Western journalists have been held in the past as well. Roxana Saberi, an American journalist, was detained by Iran in 2009 for around 100 days before being released.

Also detained by Iran was Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian, who was held for more than 540 days before being released in 2016 in a prisoner swap between Iran and the U.S.

Both cases involved Iran making false espionage accusations in closed-door hearings.

Elisabetta Vernoni, mother of Cecilia Sala an Italian journalist who was detained on Dec. 19 as she was reporting in Iran, leaves Palazzo Chigi after meeting with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, in Rome, Thursday Jan. 2, 2025. (Mauro Scrobogna/LaPresse via AP)