AP News Digest 7 a.m.

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EST. For up-to-the minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan at https://newsroom.ap.org.

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TOP STORIES

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ZELENSKYY WASHINGTON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is making his way to Washington for a summit with President Joe Biden and to address Congress on Wednesday. The trip will be his first known trip outside the country since Russia’s invasion began in February. The highly sensitive trip is taking place after 10 months of the brutal war that has seen tens of thousands killed and wounded on both sides of the conflict, along with devastation for Ukrainian civilians. As Zelenskyy visits, U.S. lawmakers are set to vote on a year-end spending package that includes about $45 billion in emergency assistance to Ukraine and as the Pentagon prepares to send Patriot surface-to-air missiles to the country. By Zeke Miller, Lisa Mascar and E. Eduardo Castillo. SENT: 1,400 words, photos, video. WITH: RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-DEVELOPMENTS (sent); RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR-MILITARY AID: US to send $1.8 billion in aid, Patriot battery, to Ukraine. (sent). RUSSIA UKRAINE WAR-HOLIDAYS (sent).

TRUMP TAXES — A congressional panel says the IRS failed to pursue mandatory audits of Donald Trump on a timely basis during his presidency. The finding raises questions about statements by the former president and leading members of his administration who claimed he could not release his tax filings because of the ongoing reviews. A report released Tuesday by the Democratic majority on the House Ways and Means Committee indicates the Trump administration may have disregarded an IRS requirement dating back to 1977 that mandates audits of a president’s tax filings. By Josh Boak, Brian Slodysko, Lisa Mascaro and Meg Kinard. SENT: 1, 200 words, photos.

MIGRANT-ASYLUM BAN — Migrants along the U.S. border with Mexico sought shelter from the cold early Wednesday as restrictions that prevented many from seeking asylum in the U.S. remained in place beyond their anticipated end. The Biden administration on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court not to lift the limits before Christmas. The restrictions had been slated to expire Wednesday. The federal government acknowledged that ending the restrictions will likely lead to “disruption and a temporary increase in unlawful border crossings.” But the government asked the court to reject efforts by a group of conservative-leaning states to maintain a measure that allows officials to expel many but not all asylum-seekers. By Morgan Lee, Giovanna Dell'Orto and Rebecca Santana. SENT: 1,200 words, photos, video. ASYLUM BAN-WHAT'S NEXT? (sent).

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-THE HUNTED — About a week after the first Russian bombs struck Ukraine, Andrii Kuprash, the head of a village north of Kyiv, got a threatening call from an unknown number. “We will find you,” the man said in Russian. The hunt was on. In a deliberate, widespread campaign, Russian forces systematically targeted influential Ukrainians, nationally and locally, to neutralize resistance through detention, torture and executions, an Associated Press investigation has found. The strategy appears to violate the laws of war and could help build a case for genocide. Russian troops hunted Ukrainians by name, using lists prepared with the help of their intelligence services. In the crosshairs were government officials, journalists, activists, veterans, religious leaders and lawyers. By Erika Kinetz. SENT: 3,800 words, photos. An abridged version is also available. WITH: RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-THE HUNTED-PORTRAITS (sent).

THE AP INTERVIEW-LEAHY — Sen. Patrick Leahy is wrapping up a 48-year career representing Vermont. The longest-serving Senate Democrat tells The Associated Press that he’s leaving with a mixture of resignation and resolve. Leahy laments the hyperpartisanship gripping Congress, but he’s also hopeful that the institution can return to the one he got to know when he arrived in 1975. Back then, Leahy says, most senators could hold starkly different views but still find ways “to get things done.” Without that, he warns, the country will be “severely damaged.” Leahy counts among his achievements helping to establish what is now the nearly $60 billion organic food industry. Closer to home, he’s helped put millions of dollars toward cleaning up Lake Champlain. By Wilson Ring. SENT: 1,200 words, photos, video.

WINTER WEATHER — A large swath of the U.S. braced for a dangerous mix of sub-zero temperatures, howling winds and blizzard conditions already hammering the Northwest and expected to disrupt plans for millions of holiday travelers. Texas officials hope to avoid what happened in early 2021 when millions lost power in a winter storm. Temperatures could dip to freezing in parts of Florida by the weekend. By Margaret Stafford, Josh Funk and Juan Lozano. SENT: 1,050 words, photos, audio. WITH: HOLIDAY TRAVEL WEATHER (sent); HAWAII-WINTER WEATHER (sent).

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TRENDING

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MUSK TWITTER — Musk says he’ll be Twitter CEO until a replacement is found. SENT: 250 words, photos.

WCUP-ARGENTINA-PLAYERS RETURN — Millions jam Buenos Aires streets to celebrate World Cup win. SENT: 1,400 words, photos.

CALIFORNIA-FAMED MOUNTAIN LION — Famed LA cougar P-22 euthanized following health problems. SENT: 750 words, photos.

CANADA TEENAGE GIRLS STABBING DEATH: 8 teen girls charged with murder in Toronto stabbing death. SENT: 660 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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CALIFORNIA EARTHQUAKE — Tens of thousands remain without power after a powerful earthquake rocked a rural stretch of the Northern California coast. Twelve injuries have been reported from the magnitude 6.4 earthquake that hit early Tuesday near Ferndale. By Adam Beam and John Antczak. SENT: 1,200 words, photos, videos.

NURSE-SEXUAL ASSAULTS — A proposed class action lawsuit is being filed against the owners of a Colorado hospital where a nurse is suspected of sexually assaulting patients while they were unconscious and recording them on his phone for his “Dexter collection.” The lawsuit brought by two unidentified victims alleges there could be hundreds, if not thousands, of victims dating back to when Christopher Lambros first began working there a decade ago. SENT: 550 words, photos.

SEXUAL MISCONDUCT-HARVEY WEINSTEIN — Only one accuser at the Los Angeles trial of Harvey Weinstein convinced jurors unanimously that she had been raped and sexually assaulted. Weinstein was convicted of one count of rape and two other sex assault counts involving the model and actress known during the trial as Jane Doe 1. One juror says the woman’s story was “very convincing” and voted guilty in her case because unlike others she had no further dealing with Weinstein after the incident. Some jurors were not convinced by the other three women Weinstein was charged with assaulting. They acquitted him on one count and could not reach verdicts on three others. SENT: 1,000 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON

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CAPITOL RIOT-ELECTION LIES-EXPLAINER — The executive summary of the U.S. House Jan. 6 committee’s report documents how former President Donald Trump was repeatedly warned by those closest to him that claims he had lost his re-election due to fraud were false. But Trump went ahead and spread those lies anyway

ELECTIONS 2022-ARIZONA GOVERNOR — Kari Lake has claimed for weeks that her loss in the race for Arizona governor was illegitimate. The former television anchor gets her long-sought opportunity to make her case to a judge this week during a two-day trial scheduled to begin on Wednesday.

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INTERNATIONAL

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BRITAIN STRIKES — Thousands of ambulance workers in Britain are staging a 24-hour strike, with unions and the government swapping accusations of blame for putting lives at risk. The government is telling people not to play contact sports, take unnecessary car trips or get drunk in order to reduce their risk of needing an ambulance on Wednesday. SENT: 500 words, photos.

ETHIOPIA TIGRAY CRISIS CALLING HOME — For a year and a half, phone calls to people trying to survive one of the world’s worst conflicts didn’t go through. Now, as phone lines are restored to parts of Ethiopia’s Tigray region after a fragile peace deal, some Tigrayans are relieved while others grieve. SENT: 780 words, photos.

VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHINA — A Chinese health official said that the country would only count those who died from pneumonia or respiratory failure in the official COVID death toll, a narrow definition that would certainly limit the numbers of deaths reported, as the outbreak surged in the country’s rapid reopening. SENT: 450 words, photos.

PERU-POLITICAL CRISIS — Peru’s congress has tentatively endorsed a plan to hold early elections in 2024 in a bid to defuse a political crisis marked by deadly unrest after lawmakers ousted President Pedro Castillo. SENT: 700 words, photos.

POLAND INFLATION — Prices are surging in Poland, making it among the European Union nations with one of the highest inflation rates. The state statistics office registered inflation of 17.5% in November compared to the previous year. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.

INDIA-MOTORBIKE AMBULANCE-PHOTO GALLERY — Motorbike ambulances are helping women give birth in a remote region of India that has one of the highest rates of pregnancy-related deaths for mothers. SENT: 850 words, photos.

CHINA AUSTRALIA — Australia’s foreign minister is in China for talks seeking to mend a long break in high-level ties that have prompted trade sanctions and political frictions. SENT: 450 words, photos.

ISRAEL PALESTINIANS — Israel’s defense minister says the remains of a Palestinian prisoner who died a day earlier from lung cancer will not be released for burial. SENT: 300 words, photos.

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BUSINESS

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FTX-BANKMAN-FRIED — Sam Bankman-Fried will have a hearing Wednesday in a Bahamian court on his possible extradition U.S. in the coming days to face criminal charges related to the collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX. SENT: 250 words, photos.

YE-CLIMATE-RENEWABLES — The past year saw major governments around the world green lighting ambitious renewable energy policies. Experts say the task is now to build on this momentum in 2023, strengthen energy grid infrastructure and resolve issues which curtail distribution and transmission of clean energy. SENT: 965 words, photos.

FINANCIAL MARKETS — World shares are mostly higher after modest gains on Wall Street. Trading was quiet in the absence of major data releases. Benchmarks rose in Europe after a mixed session in Asia. U.S. futures advanced and oil prices also were higher. Tokyo’s benchmark slipped 0.2% a day after the Bank of Japan gave in to pressure on the yen by expanding the cap on the yield of the 10-year Japanese government bond to 0.50%. SENT: 550 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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FBN-OBIT-HARRIS — Hall of Fame running back Franco Harris has died. He was 72. Harris’ heads-up thinking authored “The Immaculate Reception.” It is considered the most iconic play in NFL history. Harris ran for 12,120 yards and won four Super Bowl rings with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s. The team’s dynasty began in earnest when Harris decided to keep running during a last-second heave by Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw in a playoff game against Oakland in 1972. His catch and run off a deflected pass gave the Steelers their first-ever playoff win and is forever immortalized as the “Immaculate Reception.” SENT:1,000 words, photos.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL-OLDER VS YOUNGER: Young women’s basketball teams lik UCLA face tough tests in a sport that has grown older following the COVID-19 pandemic. The women’s game has long has players stick around compared to men’s players making frequent early exits to the professional ranks. Now there are more fifth- and sixth-year players thanks to extra eligibility granted amid the pandemic, making a tougher adjustment for first-year players. Upcoming.

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HOW TO REACH US

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