AP News Summary at 11:23 p.m. EST | National

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Russia media say ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad has fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally. The reports came hours after a stunning rebel advance swept into Damascus to cheers and ended the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule. Thousands of Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire, joyful after a stifling, nearly 14-year civil war. But the swiftly moving events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region. The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country still split among armed factions. One rebel commander said “we will not deal with people the way the Assad family did.”

Analysis: Collapse of Syria’s Assad is a blow to Iran’s ‘Axis of Resistance’

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) — For Iran’s theocratic government, it keeps getting worse. Its decadeslong strategy of building an “Axis of Resistance” supporting militant groups and proxies around the region is falling apart. Hamas has been batttered by Israel’s campaign in Gaza. In Lebanon, Israeli bombardment has crippled Iran’s most powerful ally, Hezbollah, even as Israel has launched successful airstrikes openly inside of Iran for the first time. And now Iran’s longtime stalwart ally and client in Syria, President Bashar Assad, is gone.

Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syria’s Assad?

BEIRUT (AP) — Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader who led the stunning insurgency that toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image and that of his fighters. He renounced longtime ties to al-Qaida and depicts himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. The extent of that transformation from jihadi extremist to would-be state builder is now put to the test. The 42-year-old al-Golani is labeled a terrorist by the United States. He has not appeared publicly since Damascus fell early Sunday. But he and his insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, stand to be a major player in whatever comes next.

South Korean police considering overseas travel ban on President Yoon over martial law

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Media reports say police are considering placing an overseas travel ban on South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol. Yonhap new agency cited police as saying Monday that they are considering banning Yoon from leaving the country as they are investigating Yoon’s martial law imposition last week. Repeated calls to police were unanswered. South Korean prosecutors on Sunday detained former Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun who allegedly recommended the martial law imposition to Yoon. Yoon avoided an opposition-led bid to impeach him in parliament on Sunday, with most ruling party lawmakers boycotting a floor vote.

Juan Soto agrees to record $765 million, 15-year contract with Mets, AP source says

DALLAS (AP) — A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that star outfielder Juan Soto and the New York Mets have agreed to a record $765 million, 15-year contract. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement, first reported by the New York Post, was subject to a successful physical. Soto’s deal is the largest and longest in Major League Baseball history, topping Shohei Ohtani’s $700 million, 10-year contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Fernando Tatis Jr.’s $340 million, 14-year contract with San Diego. Soto’s deal does not include deferred money, the person said.

Second-warmest November on record means that 2024 is likely to be Earth’s hottest year, report says

A new report says Earth just experienced its second-warmest November on record — second only to 2023 — making it all but certain that 2024 will end as the hottest year ever measured. A report Monday by the European climate service Copernicus says 2024 also is expected to be the first calendar year in which the average temperature was more than 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial times. The world’s goal is to limit human-caused warming below that threshold. Scientists say the main driver is burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas.

Trump says he can’t guarantee tariffs won’t raise US prices and won’t rule out revenge prosecutions

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says he can’t guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers. And he’s suggesting once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. He also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.”

Lara Trump steps down as RNC co-chair and addresses speculation about Florida Senate seat

Lara Trump will step down as co-chair of the Republican National Committee. One of her potential next steps is replacing Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, whom Trump tapped to be the next secretary of state. If Rubio is confirmed, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will choose who takes the seat through the remainder of Rubio’s term, which expires in 2026. Lara Trump tells The Associated Press that filling a Senate vacancy is something she’d seriously consider. Elected as RNC co-chair in March, Lara Trump was a key figure in the Republicans retaking the White House and control of the Senate while maintaining a narrow House majority.

Trump taps his attorney Alina Habba to serve as counselor to the president

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump has announced that he is appointing one of his defense attorneys in the New York hush money case as counselor to the president. Alina Habba defended Trump earlier this year, also serving as his legal spokesperson. Habba has been spending time with the president-elect since the election at his Florida club Mar-a-Lago. In Trump’s first term, the position of counselor was held by Republican strategist Kellyanne Conway. Habba frequently accompanied Trump on the campaign trail and was one of the speakers at the late October rally in New York’s Madison Square Garden.

A timeline of the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and search for his killer

NEW YORK (AP) — The search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer has stretched into a fifth day — and beyond New York City. Police say it appears the man left the city on a bus soon after Wednesday’s shooting outside the New York Hilton Midtown. The suspect is seen on video at an uptown bus station about 45 minutes later. The FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction. Police believe that words found written on ammunition at the shooting scene, including “deny,” “defend” and “depose,” suggest a motive driven by anger toward the healthcare company. The words mimic a phrase used by insurance industry critics.