Here are the AP's top stories and promotable content. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP's coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan.
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Here are the AP's top stories and promotable content. All times U.S. Eastern. For up-to-the minute information on AP's coverage, visit AP Newsroom’s Coverage Plan.
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NATIONAL
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Investigators sift through wreckage after a deadly Pennsylvania nursing home explosion
SUMMARY: Crews are using construction equipment to clear the rubble of a Pennsylvania nursing home after a powerful explosion killed two people and hospitalized 20 others. The blast happened Tuesday at the Bristol Health & Rehab Center, northeast of Philadelphia. Bristol Police Chief Charles Winik said Wednesday that searchers accounted for everyone who had been thought to be missing. Authorities say a utility crew was responding to reports of a gas odor when the explosion occurred. Investigators are examining whether a gas leak caused the blast. Emergency responders evacuated residents amid flames, a strong gas odor and a second explosion. On Wednesday, workers were clearing sections of collapsed roof and walls to help investigators gain better access.
WORDS: 640 - MOVED: 12/24/2025 3:13 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSNursingHomeExplosionndLdWritethru/177e76bc77732de1de24c5d0f2e30623/text___
What are the 10 largest US lottery jackpots ever won?
SUMMARY: The Powerball jackpot is growing to an estimated $1.7 billion for Wednesday night’s drawing after lottery officials said no ticket matched all six numbers drawn Monday night. The U.S. has seen more than a dozen lottery jackpot prizes exceed $1 billion since 2016. The record prize was $2.04 billion in November 2022. The winning ticket was purchased at a Los Angeles-area gas station. California has been the luckiest state, producing multiple huge winners, but other big wins have been recorded in Florida, Missouri, Texas, Tennessee, South Carolina, Maine, Illinois, Michigan, Oregon and New Jersey.
WORDS: 273 - MOVED: 12/11/2025 2:18 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSLargestJackpotsBytheNumbersthLdWritethru/ec46e188305c9425cb555eef00a89d37/text___
Powerball’s $1.7B jackpot could make Christmas Eve unforgettable for a lucky winner
SUMMARY: The Powerball jackpot now stands at an estimated $1.7 billion and is one of the largest lottery prizes in U.S. history. The lottery group will be drawing the 4th-largest jackpot ever on Christmas Eve. The record U.S. jackpot is $2.04 billion from back in 2022. The odds of winning Wednesday's jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million. One math professor says those odds are equivalent to selecting one marked dollar bill from a stack 19 miles high. Those unfavorable odds are by design to help the lottery create billion-dollar jackpots. There are still other million-dollar prizes that players can win.
WORDS: 829 - MOVED: 12/24/2025 5:13 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSPowerballJackpotndLdWritethru/289d1c7e4d43986b0984e70d4ca33ef3/text___
'60 Minutes' segment on Trump immigration policy accidentally airs online
SUMMARY: A news segment critical of the Trump administration's immigration policy was pulled from “60 Minutes” but is now circulating online. The segment featured interviews with migrants sent to a notorious Salvadoran prison under President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. The segment was removed from Canada's Global Television Network but still appeared on its app. Copies are now circulating online while CBS tries to take them down. CBS News chief Bari Weiss said the story did not “advance the ball” and wanted more effort to include the administration's perspective. The journalist behind the story defended its accuracy and said it was cleared by lawyers and for standards. The incident raised questions about CBS's editorial direction.
WORDS: 435 - MOVED: 12/23/2025 5:55 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSMinutesLeakrdLdWritethru/fb69fbf4c92d578300b174453428d2b4/text___
Explosion at a Pennsylvania nursing home kills at least 2, governor says
SUMMARY: Pennsylvania's governor says an explosion at a nursing home just outside Philadelphia killed at least two people. The explosion Tuesday collapsed a part of the building and happened just as a utility crew had been on site at Bristol Health & Rehab Center in Bristol Township looking for a gas leak. The extent of the casualties was unclear several hours later. Bucks County officials say a portion of the building collapsed. Fire officials said they were in “rescue mode” five hours later, with rescuers still digging by hand and using search dogs, earth-moving equipment and sonar to locate potential victims.
WORDS: 798 - MOVED: 12/23/2025 8:45 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSNursingHomeExplosionthLdWritethru/5d44b3f1bbd272563743abd9e8cdc612/text___
Six dead and a family left reeling after Mexican Navy medical flight crashes in Texas
SUMMARY: Mexico's president says air traffic controllers lost communication for 10 minutes with a small Mexican Navy plane on a medical mission before it crashed off the Texas coast. The crash killed at least five people. Authorities initially believed it had landed safely in Galveston before learning it had gone down Monday afternoon. The U.S. Coast Guard says at least five aboard had died. A search-and-rescue operation pulled two survivors from the wreckage, while one person remained missing. The cause of the crash is under investigation. Heavy foggy blanketed the area at the time of the crash.
WORDS: 1142 - MOVED: 12/23/2025 4:05 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTexasPlaneCrashthLdWritethru/8150a7f25c6644163d9080ceb2fd5050/text___
California drivers warned to reconsider Christmas travel plans ahead of storms
SUMMARY: California officials are urging holiday travelers to avoid the roads on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. A series of powerful winter storms is expected to douse California with relentless rain, heavy winds, and snow this week. Much of the state will see heavy rains and gusts that could lead to flooding, mudslides and rockslides. The Sacramento Valley and San Francisco Bay Area are under flood and high wind warnings through Friday. The Sierra Nevada will see heavy snow and strong winds, making travel nearly impossible. Southern California could see its wettest Christmas in years and warned about mudslides and debris flows. Some 380 particularly vulnerable households were ordered to leave.
WORDS: 699 - MOVED: 12/23/2025 7:45 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSCaliforniaStormsthLdWritethru/31f4d77881d7580659c6df6764ae52ee/text___
Former Nebraska US Sen. Ben Sasse reveals advanced pancreatic cancer diagnosis
SUMMARY: Former Nebraska U.S. Senator Ben Sasse has announced his diagnosis of advanced pancreatic cancer. He shared the news on social media, revealing he learned of the disease last week. The 53-year-old Sasse resigned from the Senate in January 2023 to become the president of the University of Florida. He was a vocal critic of former President Donald Trump and one of seven Republican senators to vote for Trump's conviction after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack. Sasse expressed determination to fight the disease, highlighting advancements in immunotherapy and other treatments as part of his hope.
WORDS: 356 - MOVED: 12/23/2025 4:42 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSFormerSenatorCancerthLdWritethru/40621aba0181385c950c0958e6231ddc/text___
A look at aging baby boomers in the United States
SUMMARY: The oldest baby boomers are turning 80 in 2026. This generation known as a cultural and political vanguard is now contributing to America's aging population. By the end of this decade, all baby boomers will be 65 or older. Driven by longer life spans and lower birth rates, the U.S. population will begin shrinking in five years without any immigration. During the baby boom from 1946 to 1964, about 76 million Americans were born. Now they're the second-largest age group and the influence of these octogenarians will continue to impact America's society and economics.
WORDS: 1068 - MOVED: 12/23/2025 5:01 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSBoomersTurnthLdWritethru/ad275e223615952ce73d52ed714d24b0/text___
Camp Mystic's reopening plans in Texas has drawn outrage, but some families want to return
SUMMARY: Nearly six months after a roaring flood killed 25 girls and two counselors at Camp Mystic in central Texas, the 100-year-old camp will begin enrolling new campers in January. The decision is dividing families who've sent their children there. Fast-rising waters swept away two cabins next to the Guadalupe River over the July Fourth weekend. The campers who are expected to start arriving in May will bunk on higher ground. Some families say their daughters' return to Camp Mystic will be a key step in their healing. But others who lost their daughters in the floods say the decision to reopen is insensitive.
WORDS: 975 - MOVED: 12/23/2025 12:12 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSTexasFloodsCampMysticndLdWritethru/bf341b806663ba341b172619931b9c51/text___
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WASHINGTON/POLITICS
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Medicaid paid more than $207 million for dead people. A new law could help fix that
SUMMARY: A new Department of Health and Human Services report reveals Medicaid programs made over $200 million in improper payments to health care providers between 2021 and 2022 for people who had already died. The inspector general report, released Tuesday, suggests that a new mandate in Republicans’ One Big Beautiful Bill could help reduce these kind of payments. The bill requires states to audit Medicaid beneficiary lists against the Social Security Administration’s Death Master File. Privacy laws currently restrict access to this file. The report recommends states comply with the new mandate to conduct quarterly death checks to prevent further improper payments.
WORDS: 455 - MOVED: 12/23/2025 12:05 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSMedicaidPaymentsrdLdWritethru/3d40bf698ab845859e3ad6bb4131e8e7/text___
Voluminous new Epstein document release includes multiple Trump mentions, but little revelatory news
SUMMARY: The U.S. Justice Department has released tens of thousands more documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, a tranche that included multiple mentions of President Donald Trump but added little new revelatory information to the long-anticipated public file on the disgraced late financier. The documents also contain apparent correspondence between an Epstein co-conspirator and the U.K.'s former Prince Andrew. Many of the mentions of Trump come from news clippings. There is also an email from a prosecutor pointing out flights Trump took on Epstein’s private jet. The Justice Department said one of the letters in the file was fake, but had been included for reasons of transparency.
WORDS: 1341 - MOVED: 12/23/2025 7:29 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSJusticeDepartmentJeffreyEpsteinTakeawaysrdLdWritethru/101ba03107c32ba88869bc37e1d01849/text___
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INTERNATIONAL
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Explosion in Moscow kills 3 people. Official says Ukrainian intelligence was behind it
SUMMARY: Russian investigators say that an explosion in Moscow has killed three people, including two police officers. Wednesday's blast comes days after a car bomb killed a high-ranking general not far away. An official from Ukraine’s military intelligence told The Associated Press that the attack had been carried out as part of an agency operation. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Russian authorities did not comment on who may be behind the attack. A spokesperson from Russia's Investigative Committee said that two traffic police officers were approaching a suspicious individual when a device detonated. The officers and another person standing nearby died from their injuries.
WORDS: 530 - MOVED: 12/24/2025 8:05 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEURussiaExplosionthLdWritethru/dfe6caee0f0087ff5866dd9df1d85edd/text___
Turkey recovers black boxes from jet crash that killed top Libyan military officials
SUMMARY: Search teams in Turkey have recovered the cockpit voice and flight data recorders from a jet crash that killed eight people, including Libya’s military chief. The private jet carrying Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad and others crashed on Tuesday after taking off from Ankara. Libyan officials say a technical malfunction caused the crash. The delegation was returning to Tripoli after defense talks in Ankara. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya says wreckage is scattered over a large area, complicating recovery efforts. Libya has declared three days of national mourning. An investigation into the crash is underway.
WORDS: 786 - MOVED: 12/24/2025 7:01 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUTurkeyLibyaPlanethLdWritethru/f6cad15a9472a6c750513bf841b1f4ff/text___
Thousands flock to Bethlehem to revive Christmas spirit after 2 years of war in Gaza
SUMMARY: After two years of subdued Christmas celebrations due to war in Gaza, thousands of people have flocked to Bethlehem's Manger Square on Christmas Eve. The giant Christmas tree returned, and scouts groups marched and played festive music. Bethlehem canceled celebrations the past two years due to the Israel-Hamas war. The city where Christians believe Jesus was born relies heavily on tourism that has been severely impacted. Residents are hopeful as domestic tourism slowly returns. Christmas has always been crucial for Bethlehem's economy. Many are thrilled to celebrate Christmas again, hoping for a brighter future and lasting peace.
WORDS: 896 - MOVED: 12/24/2025 12:44 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APChristmasEveGlobalrdLdWritethru/ffa3e7842d1843899d580322d97a7e9c/text___
Pro-Russian hackers claim cyberattack on French postal service
SUMMARY: French prosecutors say a pro-Russian hacking group has claimed responsibility for a major cyberattack on France’s national postal service. The attack halted package deliveries just days before Christmas. French intelligence agency DGSI has taken over the investigation. The cybercrime group, known as Noname057, has been linked to other cyberattacks in Europe. Central computer systems at La Poste were knocked offline Monday in a distributed denial of service attack. Postal workers couldn’t track packages, and online payments were disrupted. France and European allies accuse Russia of waging “hybrid warfare” to undermine support for Ukraine.
WORDS: 236 - MOVED: 12/24/2025 9:07 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUFranceCyberattackstLdWritethru/09bd0156aae99e14e619051756574853/text___
US and Ukraine reach consensus on key issues aimed at ending the war but territorial disputes remain
SUMMARY: The United States and Ukraine have reached a consensus on several critical issues to end the nearly four-year conflict with Russia. However, sensitive issues around territorial control in Ukraine’s eastern industrial region and the management of the Zaporizhzhia Nnclear power plant remain unresolved. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke as the U.S. presented a 20-point plan to Russian negotiators. A response from Moscow is expected on Wednesday. Zelenskyy briefed journalists on the plan on Tuesday. The draft proposal intertwines political and commercial interests to safeguard security while boosting economic potential.
WORDS: 1251 - MOVED: 12/24/2025 9:13 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEURussiaUkraineWarthLdWritethru/d0c476bfa9ec218da5c8d5ff0c1d25c9/text___
Libya's military chief and 7 others are killed in a plane crash after takeoff from Turkey
SUMMARY: A private jet carrying Libya’s military chief and four other military officers has crashed after takeoff from Turkey’s capital, Ankara, killing all on board. Three crew members also died. Turkey said the Libyan delegation was in Ankara on Tuesday for high-level defense talks aimed at boosting military cooperation between the two countries. Libyan Prime Minister Abdul-Hamid Dbeibah confirmed the death of Gen. Muhammad Ali Ahmad al-Haddad and the others, saying in a statement on Facebook that the “tragic accident” took place as the delegation was returning home and called it a “great loss” for Libya. It wasn't immediately clear how many crew members were on board when the plane crashed.
WORDS: 599 - MOVED: 12/23/2025 7:25 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEUTurkeyPlanethLdWritethru/0ff39d90fea5798a276efd3122ff8d78/text___
Ukraine's own 'Dancing with the Stars' is back on for a special episode with wartime heroes
SUMMARY: Ukraine's own "Dancing with the Stars" show is back on, just for one special episode. This time, the stars are the country's wartime heroes, underscoring the nation's resilience in tough times. Before the war, the Ukrainian version of the international franchise was hugely popular. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — then an actor — won the dance competition in 2006, its debut year. Today, dancers in the show perform with prosthetic limbs, showcasing their strength in overcoming adversity. Like the whole country, the show has to deal with wartime challenges such as power outages or generators failing. Creative producer Volodymyr Zavadiuk says "Tantsi z zirkamy" — as the show is known in Ukrainian — is creating something special during tough times.
WORDS: 711 - MOVED: 12/23/2025 1:19 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEURussiaUkraineWarDancingWiththeStarsrdLdWritethru/d6267c29665ebde73b9a36e19c26ed48/text___
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BUSINESS
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Wall Street hovers near record levels and will close early
SUMMARY: Wall Street remains largely unchanged midday Wednesday as markets hover near their record levels. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 0.4%, the S&P 500 is up less than 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite is down 0.1%. Markets will close early for Christmas Eve and will remain closed for Christmas Thursday. The S&P 500 is up nearly 15% this year, driven by optimism about artificial intelligence and deregulatory policies. Investors focus on the U.S. economy's direction and Federal Reserve interest rates. Unemployment claims fell last week, indicating a still-healthy labor market. Dynavax Technologies soared 38% after Sanofi announced its acquisition.
WORDS: 526 - MOVED: 12/24/2025 5:06 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APFinancialMarketsthLdWritethru/5f45b74c3fa380ead5251e63f854e651/text___
S&P 500 closes at another record, beating the high it set earlier this month
SUMMARY: Wall Street closed at another record following a surprisingly strong report on economic growth over the summer. The S&P 500 rose 0.5% Tuesday, beating the all-time high it reached earlier this month. More gains for big tech stocks drove the index higher, even as most stocks in the index fell. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite rose 0.6%. Novo Nordisk jumped after U.S. regulators approved a pill version of the blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy, the first daily oral medication to treat obesity. Treasury yields rose in the bond market.
WORDS: 793 - MOVED: 12/23/2025 6:15 AM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APFinancialMarketsthLdWritethru/4b8f8a005685de8afd4c780307173832/text___
US drivers are seeing lower gas prices this holiday season
SUMMARY: This holiday season, many U.S. drivers are getting the gift of lower gas prices. According to data from motor club AAA, December has been the cheapest month for prices at the pump this year. The national average for unleaded gasoline has stayed below the $3 mark since Dec. 2, falling to its lowest level of about $2.85 a gallon on Monday. Relief at the pump is welcome for consumers who have been feeling higher prices in other parts of their budgets — as worries about the costs of goods ranging from groceries to holiday gifts rise amid ongoing inflation and U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs on foreign imports.
WORDS: 409 - MOVED: 12/23/2025 4:55 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APUSHolidayGasPricesstLdWritethru/798b09f83a5716e9172bd3102b40c33d/text___
Resilient US consumers drive strongest economic expansion in 2 years
SUMMARY: The U.S. economy economy expanded at a strong 4.3% annual rate from July through September as consumer spending, exports and government spending all grew. Tuesday’s report from the Commerce Department said U.S. gross domestic product — the economy’s total output of goods and services — up from its 3.8% growth rate in the April-June quarter. Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast growth of 3% in the period. However, inflation remains higher than the Federal Reserve would like. The Fed’s favored inflation gauge — called the personal consumption expenditures index, or PCE — climbed to a 2.8% annual pace last quarter, up from 2.1% in the second quarter.
WORDS: 988 - MOVED: 12/23/2025 1:41 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APEconomyGDPthLdWritethru/c660fb571421c48d2e91fa18bf4633d7/text___
Consumer confidence slumps to lowest level since the US rolled out tariffs in April
SUMMARY: U.S. consumers were less confident in the economy in December as Americans remain anxious about still-high prices and the impact of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs. The Conference Board said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell 3.8 points to 89.1 in December from November’s upwardly revised reading of 92.9. That reading was 85.7 in April, when Trump rolled out his import taxes on U.S. trading partners. A measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for their income, business conditions and the job market remained stable at 70.7, but remains well below 80, the marker that can signal a recession ahead. It was the 11th straight month that reading has come in under 80.
WORDS: 435 - MOVED: 12/23/2025 3:14 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APConsumerConfidencethLdWritethru/55a603a497c5885745b87de8fc5f7821/text___
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HEALTH/SCIENCE
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'The best gift ever': Baby is born after the rarest of pregnancies, defying all odds
SUMMARY: Doctors say just 1 in 30,000 pregnancies occur in the abdomen instead of the uterus. And Ryu Lopez is among the rare cases. He developed outside his mom’s womb, hidden by a basketball-sized ovarian cyst. It's a dangerous situation so uncommon that his doctors at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles are planning to write about the case for a medical journal. Ryu was born in August, weighing in at 8 pounds. Doctors removed the cyst during the same surgery. Ryu's parents say they feel blessed that their son defied all odds.
WORDS: 763 - MOVED: 12/24/2025 2:00 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APMEDBabyRarePregnancy/f0232c1d9a3eb7a819345c17b10e9b83/text___
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ENTERTAINMENT
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How Christian artists are winning over listeners and entering pop's mainstream
SUMMARY: Christian music is growing in popularity while other genres struggle to grow new listenership. Experts and artists say there are a variety of reasons why this religious music is connecting. Social media and streaming are factors. So is the music's hopeful lyricism, which has evolved to reflect real life. Christian music has also begun embracing many different genres of music and industry professionals say the quality as improved. Certain Christian artists have also begun to crossover into mainstream music, like Lauren Daigle and Brandon Lake. The latter has a Grammy-nominated song in “Hard Fought Hallelujah” with the country singer Jelly Roll. They hope this isn't just a trend but a movement.
WORDS: 1163 - MOVED: 12/24/2025 3:14 PM PST
https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/APENTMusicGrammywatchChristianMusic/2803f1a0b600f39455e2954b24a1f919/text___
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