AP News Summary at 8:20 a.m. EST

By The Associated Press

Trump raced to pick many Cabinet posts. He took more time to settle on a treasury secretary

WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump launched a blitz of picks for his Cabinet, but he took his time settling on billionaire investor Scott Bessent as his choice for treasury secretary. The Republican not only wanted someone who jibes with him, but an official who can execute his economic vision and look straight out of central casting while doing so. With his Yale University education and pedigree trading for Soros Fund Management before establishing his own funds, Bessent will be tasked with a delicate balancing act. Trump expects him to help reset the global trade order, enable trillions of dollars in tax cuts, ensure inflation stays in check, manage a ballooning national debt and still keep the financial markets confident.

Voters rejected historic election reforms across the US, despite more than $100M push

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Election reform advocates had hoped for a big year at the ballot box. That’s because a historic number of states were considering initiatives for ranked choice voting or to end partisan primaries. Instead, voters dealt them big losses in the November elections. Voters in Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and South Dakota all rejected proposed changes to their voting systems. In Alaska, a proposal to repeal ranked choice voting appears to have narrowly fallen short. The losses in many states came even though election reform supporters raised more than $100 million, easily outpacing opponents. Supporters say they aren’t giving up but plan to retool their efforts.

The week that upped the stakes of the Ukraine war

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — This past week has seen the most significant escalation in hostilities Ukraine has witnessed since Russia’s full-scale invasion and marks a new chapter in the nearly three-year war. It began with U.S. President Joe Biden reversing a longstanding policy by granting Kyiv permission to deploy American longer-range missiles inside Russian territory and ended with Moscow striking Ukraine with a new experimental ballistic weapon that has alarmed the international community and heightened fears of further escalation.

At least 11 killed and dozens injured in Israeli strikes in Beirut as diplomats push for cease-fire

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Lebanese officials say Israeli airstrikes have killed at least 11 people and injured dozens in central Beirut as diplomats scramble to broker a cease-fire. The Lebanese Health Ministry said Saturday’s death toll could rise as emergency responders dug through the rubble looking for survivors. DNA tests are being used to identify the victims. The ministry said 63 people were wounded in the fourth wave of strikes in the Lebanese capital in less than a week. Strikes also continued in Gaza on Saturday. AP reporters and Nasser Hospital officials say at least six people, half of them children and including two women, were killed in the southern city of Khan Younis.

Fighting between armed sectarian groups in restive northwestern Pakistan kills at least 33 people

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — A senior Pakistani police officer says fighting between armed sectarian groups in the country’s restive northwest has killed at least 33 people. The overnight violence was the latest to rock Kurram, a district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and comes days after a deadly gun ambush killed 42 people. The senior police officer said Saturday armed men torched shops, houses and government property overnight. Gunfire is ongoing between rival tribes. Although Sunnis and Shiites generally live together peacefully in Pakistan, tensions remain in some areas, especially Kurram.

Storm dumps record rain in Northern California, while US Northeast deals with winter storms

HEALDSBURG, Calif. (AP) — A major storm continues to drop heavy snow and record rain in California, causing small landslides and flooding some streets. Meanwhile on the opposite coast blizzard or winter storm warnings were in effect Saturday for areas spanning from the Northeast to central Appalachia. The storm on the West Coast arrived in the Pacific Northwest earlier this week, killing two people and knocking out power to hundreds of thousands, before moving through Northern California. Forecasters predicted that both coasts would begin to see a reprieve from the storms as the system in the northeast moves into eastern Canada and the one in the West heads south.

Laos government pledges justice in mass alcohol poisoning case that has killed 6 tourists

VANG VIENG, Laos (AP) — The Laotian government on Saturday officially acknowledged the mass poisoning that has killed at least six tourists, pledging it would bring perpetrators to justice. Two Australian teenagers and a British woman died from suspected methanol poisoning after drinking tainted alcohol in Laos. An American man and two Danes also died, though their exact causes of death have not been released. A New Zealander also has been sickened. In a short statement released to the media, the Lao government said it was “profoundly saddened over the loss of lives of foreign tourists” in the town Vang Vieng and offered its condolences to the families of the victims.

Doctor at the heart of Turkey’s newborn baby deaths case says he was a ‘trusted’ physician

ISTANBUL (AP) — The Turkish doctor at the center of an alleged fraud scheme that led to the deaths of 10 babies says he was a “trusted” physician. Dr. Firat Sari is one of 47 people on trial accused of transferring newborn babies to neonatal units of private hospitals, where they were allegedly kept for prolonged and sometimes unnecessary treatments in order to receive social security payments. Sari said patients were referred to him because people trusted him and he did not bribe anyone involved with Turkey’s emergency medical phone line. Sari, said to be the plot’s ringleader, faces up to 583 years in prison.

Pressure ramps up at UN talks to reach a deal for cash to curb and adapt to climate change

BAKU, Azerbaijan (AP) — The United Nations’ annual climate talks pushed into overtime Saturday as negotiators pressed on to get a deal on money for developing nations to curb and adapt to climate change. Several countries were left angry and disappointed at the latest proposed deal from the talks on Friday afternoon. That draft pledged $250 billion annually by 2035, more than double the previous goal of $100 billion set 15 years ago but far short of the annual $1 trillion-plus that experts say is needed.

Hydrate. Make lists. Leave yourself time. And other tips for reducing holiday travel stress

Travel, especially during the holiday season, can be stressful. But following some tips from the pros as you prepare for a trip can make for a smoother, less anxious experience. One expert traveler suggests making a list a week before you go of things you need to do and pack. Cross off each item as you complete it during the week. Another tip: Carry your comfort zone with you. That could mean noise-cancelling headphones, playlists meant to soothe airport travelers, entertainment and snacks from home. Carry a change of clothes and a phone charger in case of delays. Stay hydrated. Leave extra time. And know your airline’s rules. Downloading the airline’s app can help with that.