This news lookahead offers a look at major events and stories through the weekend and beyond. All times EDT and plans are subject to change. Find our latest plans in AP Coverage Plan.
-------------------------------------
WEEKEND TOP STORIES
-------------------------------------
------------------
SATURDAY
------------------
CALIFORNIA-WILDFIRES-MOOD -- Like any morning in Los Angeles, pedestrians strode by the famed Chateau Marmont hotel, customers lined up at Starbucks on Sunset Boulevard and horns bleated from cars tangled in gridlocked intersections. But overhead was a thick dome of wildfire smoke that turned daybreak into an eerie dusk. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 12:30 a.m.
EUROPE-TRUMP-LAND-GRABS -- Donald Trump tossed rhetorical hand grenades this week by arguing that the frontiers of American power need to be extended into Greenland, Canada and the Panama Canal. Trump's words suggest that international borders can be redrawn -- by force if necessary. That's a problem for European leaders and especially Ukraine, because they have been saying the exact opposite to Russia, and defending that idea at huge human and financial cost. UPCOMING: 1,110 words, photos by 2 a.m.
EDUCATION-RELIGION-IN-SCHOOLS -- Conservative lawmakers across the country are pushing to introduce more Christianity to public school classrooms, testing the separation of church and state by inserting Bible references into reading lessons and requiring teachers to post the Ten Commandments or keep Bibles in their classrooms. While the federal government is barred from directing states on what to teach, President-elect Trump can indirectly influence curriculum -- and his election may embolden state-level activists. UPCOMING: 1,070 words, photos by 12:30 a.m.
-----------------
SUNDAY
-----------------
STATES-IN-2025-EXPLAINER -- As President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office, in many cases elected officials in Republican and Democratic states are preparing to either aid or oppose his policies. From immigration to education to transgender rights, a red-state-blue-state divide has become common in U.S. For example, Republican state officials are pledging to aid Trump's deportation efforts while many Democratic state officials remain wary or vocally resistant. UPCOMING: 1,180 words, photos by 1 a.m.
BLUE-ORIGIN-NEW-ROCKET -- Blue Origin to launch its massive New Glenn rocket on first flight. UPCOMING: 500 words, photos by 2 a.m. Eds: Three-hour launch window opens at 1 a.m.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-NORTH-KOREAN-TROOPS -- North Korean troops have been deployed to bolster Russian forces in the Kursk border region with Ukraine, where they are gaining battlefield experience despite initial heavy losses. Their involvement marks a deepening alliance between Pyongyang and Moscow as Russia struggles to maintain troop numbers in its nearly three-year war against Ukraine. UPCOMING: 1,200 words, photos by 12:30 a.m.
CROATIA-ELECTIONS -- Second round of presidential elections with incumbent Zoran Milanovic having gained most votes in the first round. UPCOMING: 600 words, photos by 2 a.m.
-----------------
MONDAY
------------------
AP-POLL-DEMOCRATS (ONLY ON AP) -- A new AP-NORC poll looks at Democrats' mood as Trump prepares to take office for the second time. UPCOMING: 900 words, photos by 10 a.m.
BIDEN-DOMESTIC-RECORD -- President Joe Biden is ending his term with a gulf between his domestic policy record and his public reputation. The Democrat spent so much of his time focused on long-term priorities that many voters felt he did not adequately deal with more immediate problems facing the country. A block text look at his record on major domestic issues ranging from infrastructure to immigration. UPCOMING: 1,200 words, photos by 2 p.m.
TRUMP-HEGSETH-IN-HIS-OWN-WORDS -- Pete Hegseth will try to convince members of the Senate Armed Services Committee that he should be the next secretary of defense. It comes after weeks of meetings with lawmakers who peppered him with questions about his character and his views on a range of military issues. As an author of several books and a former Fox News host, Hegseth has been forced to defend himself against a long record of his own public comments UPCOMING: 1,370 words, photos by 9 a.m.
ANTI-CRIME INITIATIVES-STATES -- Among his first actions after taking the oath of office, new Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe on Monday was expected to issue a variety orders targeting crime. The tone-setting move reflects a national trend. After a period of relaxed sentencing laws, a tough-on-crime approach is back in political favor. Voters in several states recently embraced stricter penalties for crimes ranging from shoplifting to deadly drug dealing. And Democrats and Republicans alike are promoting anti-crime initiatives as a new year of lawmaking gets underway in state capitols. UPCOMING: 1,200 words, photos by 1 a.m.
--------------------------------
HOW TO REACH US
---------------------------------
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.
