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.
—————————
TOP STORIES
—————————-
CAPITOL RIOT-INVESTIGATION — The House Jan. 6 committee wraps up its investigation into the violent 2021 U.S. Capitol insurrection. At a final meeting scheduled for Monday, the panel’s seven Democrats and two Republicans are poised to recommend that the Justice Department consider criminal charges against former President Donald Trump. Such a recommendation could also target associates who helped Trump launch a multifaceted pressure campaign to try to overturn the 2020 election. By Mary Claire Jalonick. SENT: 980 words, photos.. WITH: CAPITOL RIOT INVESTIGATION-WHAT TO WATCH (sent).
SOC-WCUP-FINAL — Lionel Messi finally won the biggest prize in soccer as Argentina beat France 4-2 in a penalty shootout to claim a third World Cup title despite Kylian Mbappé scoring the first hat trick in a final in 56 years. Gonzalo Montiel scored the clinching penalty as Argentina won after a 3-3 draw. Lionel Messi’s once-in-a-generation career is complete now that he is finally a World Cup champion. By Steve Douglas. SENT: 510 words, photos.
CAPITOL RIOT-PROUD BOYS — Jury selection is expected to get underway Monday in the seditious conspiracy trial of former Proud Boys national chairman Enrique Tarrio and four other members of the extremist group. They are charged in the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Defense attorneys have denied that the Proud Boys leaders planned or led an attack on the Capitol. Tarrio and four of his lieutenants are heading to trial in Washington just weeks after two leaders of another extremist group, the Oath Keepers, were convicted of seditious conspiracy. Their case was seen as a major victory for the Justice Department’s extensive Jan. 6 prosecution. By Michael Kunzelman and Alanna Durkin Richer. SENT: 660 words, photos.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Multiple drones have targeted Ukraine’s capital in an attack before dawn, as Russian President Vladimir Putin prepares to visit ally Belarus. The drone attack Monday came three days after what Ukrainian officials described as one of Russia’s biggest assaults on Kyiv since the war started and as Moscow presses on with its effort to torment Ukraine from the air. By Hanna Arhiorova and Vasilisa Stepanenko. SENT: 750 words, photos. WITH: RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-KHERSON VOLUNTEERS (sent); RUSSIA-CHINA-DRILLS (sent).
TWITTER-MUSK — More than half of 17.5 million users who responded to a poll that asked whether billionaire Elon Musk should step down as head of Twitter voted yes when the poll closed on Monday. There was no immediate announcement from Twitter, or Musk, about whether that would happen, though he said that he would abide by the results. Musk has clashed with some users on multiple fronts and on Sunday, he asked Twitter users to decide if he should stay in charge of the social media platform after acknowledging he made a mistake in launching new speech restrictions that banned mentions of rival social media websites.. By AP Technology Writer Matt O'Brien. SENT: 850 words, photos.
BIODIVERSITY CONFERENCE — Negotiators reached a historic deal at a U.N. biodiversity conference early Monday that would represent the most significant effort to protect the world’s lands and oceans and provide critical financing to save biodiversity in the developing world. China, which holds the presidency at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference, or COP15, released a draft framework that was approve by governments and calls for restoring 30% of land and water considered important for biodiversity be conserved by 2030. Currently, 17% of terrestrial and 10% of marine areas are protected. It also calls for a redoubling of efforts to conserve threatened species, minimize the impacts of climate change and reduce pollution. By Michael Casey. SENT: 800 words, photos.
———————————————-
MORE ON WORLD CUP
——————————-—————-
SOC-WCUP-ARGENTINA-MESSI-THE GREATEST? — Lionel Messi made his strongest case yet to be considered soccer’s greatest player of all time after finally winning the World Cup. SENT: 730 words, photos.
SOC—WCUP-FINAL-ARGENTINA-MESSI — What’s in store for Lionel Messi after the World Cup final? (sent).
SOX-WCUP-FINAL-MBAPPE — Mbappé electrifies in World Cup epic, ends up on losing side (sent)
————————-
TRENDING
—————————
REL-VATICAN-US PRIEST — The Vatican has defrocked an anti-abortion U.S. priest, Frank Pavone, for what it says were “blasphemous communications on social media” as well as “persistent disobedience” of his bishop. SENT: 620 words, photos.
AMAR'E STOUDEMIRE-ARREST — Former NBA star Amar’e Stoudemire is facing a misdemeanour battery charge after police say he punched his teenage daughter in the face. SENT: 330 words, photo.
————————
NATIONAL
————————
HAWAII FLIGHT TURBULENCE — Severe turbulence rocked a flight from Phoenix to Honolulu Sunday, seriously injuring 11 people in what an Hawaiian Airlines official called an isolated and unusual event. Jon Snook, the airline’s chief operating officer, says the flight was full, carrying 278 passengers and 10 crew members. SENT: 650 words, photos.
OHIO FAMILY KILLED — A man convicted in the killings of eight people from another southern Ohio family faces the possibility of life in prison without parole when he’s sentenced. A judge may hear Monday from relatives of the victims before deciding whether to give 31-year-old George Wagner the possibility of parole. Wagner denied any knowledge of his family’s involvement in the 2016 shootings of seven adults and a teenager from the Rhoden family. Prosecutors say Wagner, his brother and their parents plotted the killings amid a dispute over custody of Wagner’s niece. His brother and mother reached plea deals. His father pleaded not guilty and awaits trial. SENT: 490 words, photos.
WINTER WEATHER — Forecasters are warning of treacherous holiday travel and life-threatening cold for big parts of the nation, an arctic air mass blows into the already-frigid southern United States. SENT: 850 words, photos.
————————————-
INTERNATIONAL
—————————————-
VIRUS OUTBREAK-CHINA — Chinese health authorities have reported the nation’s first COVID-19 deaths in more than two weeks. The two deaths occurred in Beijing and come as the illness is surging after China eased the strict “zero-COVID” approach it’s credited with keeping its toll low. Though the official statistics are changing very little, families and funeral workers say deaths tied to COVID-19 have been increasing. SENT: 600 words, photos.
THAILAND-SHIP-SINKING — Thai navy ships and helicopters are searching for more than two dozen sailors still missing more than 12 hours after a warship sank in rough seas overnight in the Gulf of Thailand. The navy said 75 sailors had been rescued and 31 were still in the water. SENT: 350 words, photos.
CANADA SHOOTING — Canadian police say five people have been shot and killed in a condominium unit a Toronto suburb and the gunman has been killed by police. Chief James MacSween of York regional police says one of his officers and shot and killed the suspect at a condo unit in Vaughan, Ontario. MacSween says another person shot by the suspect is in the hospital and expected to survive. SENT: 200 word, photos.
IRAN-SAUDI ARABIA-STALLED TALKS — Baghdad-mediated diplomatic talks between regional rivals Iran and Saudi Arabi have come to a halt, largely because Tehran claims the Sunni kingdom has played a role in alleged foreign incitement of mass anti-government protests in Iran, multiple Iraqi officials said. The talks had been lauded as a breakthrough that would ease regional tensions. SENT: 950 words, photos.
NETHERLANDS-SLAVERY — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is set to deliver a speech in response to a report into the country’s historical role in the global slave trade, amid reports it could include a formal government apology. Rutte has so far said only that his speech Monday at the National Archive in will be a “meaningful moment,” without elaborating. News of a possible apology has upset some activist groups in the Netherlands and its former colonies. They believe that an apology should be delivered next year on the July 1 anniversary of the abolition of slavery 160 years ago. SENT: 550 words.
SOUTH AFRICA-ANC LEADERSHIP — South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has won reelection as leader of the ruling African National Congress party. Ramaphosa has faced calls to step down over a damning report saying he may have broken anti-corruption laws by hiding undeclared cash. SENT: 500 words, photos.
KOREAS-TENSION — North Korea says it fired a test satellite in an important final-stage test for the development of its first spy satellite. That’s a key military capability coveted by its leader Kim Jong Un. The North’s state media said Monday the test was done to assess the satellite’s photography and data transmission systems. SENT: 950 words, photos.
MIGRATION-BRITAIN-RWANDA: Judges at Britain’s High Court say the U.K. government’s controversial plan to send asylum-seekers on a one-way trip to Rwanda is legal. But two judges also ruled Monday that the government failed to consider the circumstances of the individuals it tried to deport. The ruling is a partial victory for the government but is likely to face further legal challenges. SENT: 720 words, photos.
JORDAN — Jordanian police say a shootout that erupted in the country’s south during an arrest raid in the case of the slaying of a police commander left three officers and the suspect dead. Police said that eight other suspects in the killing of a senior policeman last week were arrested. SENT: 170 words, photo.
GREECE-POLICE SHOOTING — A Greek court has decided that a police officer accused of fatally injuring a Roma teenager during a car chase over an allegedly unpaid gas station bill should be released on bail pending trial. SENT: 245 words.
———————
BUSINESS
———————
EUROPE-META-ANTITRUST — The European Union has accused Facebook parent Meta of breaching the bloc’s antitrust rules by distorting competition in the online classified ads business. The bloc’s executive commission said Monday that it “takes issue” with the tech company tying its online classified ad business, Facebook Marketplace, to Facebook. The European Commission says that means Facebook users automatically have access to Marketplace “whether they want it or not.” SENT: 150 words.
FINANCIAL MARKETS — Global stock markets have fallen for another day as investors wrestle with fears the Federal Reserve and European central banks might be willing to cause a recession to crush inflation. SENT: 450 words, photos.
EUROPE ENERGY — European Union ministers are trying again to finalize a long-awaited deal to implement a natural gas price cap that they hope can help households and businesses better weather excessive price surges. The ministers have previously failed to overcome their differences at five previous so-called emergency meetings. SENT: 650 words, photos.
—————————
SPORTS
—————————
FBN--PATRIOTS-RAIDERS
LAS VEGAS — Defensive end Chandler Jones grabbed a bizarre, unnecessary lateral by New England’s Jakobi Meyers out of the air on the final play and returned it 48 yards for a touchdown, giving the Las Vegas Raiders a 30-24 victory. WITH: FBN--PATROITS-MISTAKES. (Sent).
FBN—ON FOOTBALL-SHAKY WINS — Joe Burrow wasn’t satisfied after throwing four touchdown passes in the second half to rally the Bengals to a comeback victory over Tom Brady and the Buccaneers. Week 15 was a struggle not only for the Bengals but several playoff-bound teams. By AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi. UPCOMING: 670 words, photos by 6 a.m. EST.
————————————————-
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 http://newsroom.ap.org. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.
