AP News Summary at 12:14 pm EST

Antisemitic celebrities Stoke fears of normalizing hate

A surge of anti-Jewish vitriol spread by celebrities is stoking fears that public figures are normalizing hate and ramping up the risk of violence. Former President Donald Trump hosted a Holocaust-denying white supremacist at Mar-a-Lago. The rapper Ye expressed love for Adolf Hitler in an interview. Basketball star Kyrie Irving appeared to promote an anti-Semitic film on social media. Those are just a few recent examples of influential people abusing their platforms to amplify antisemitism in a way that has been taboo for decades in the US Some people say the incidents harken back to a darker time in America when powerful people routinely spread conspiracy theories about Jews with impunity.

At Shanghai vigil, bold shout for change preceded crackdown

SHANGHAI (AP) — What started as an unplanned vigil last weekend in Shanghai by fewer than a dozen people grew hours later into a rowdy crowd of hundreds. The protesters expressed anger over China’s harsh COVID-19 policies that they believed played a role in a deadly fire on Nov. 24 in a city in the far west. Then, a woman defiantly shouted for Chinese leader Xi Jinping to resign, emboldening others. Before dawn, police moved in to break up the gathering. The Nov. 26 protest in Shanghai wasn’t the first or the largest. But it was notable for the bold calls for the leadership change — the most open defiance of the ruling Communist Party in decades.

Netherlands eliminates US in round of 16 at World Cup

AL RAYYAN, Qatar (AP) — Memphis Depay and Daley Blind scored in the first half and Denzel Dumfries added a late goal as the Netherlands eliminated the United States from the World Cup with a 3-1 victory that advanced the Dutch to the quarterfinals. Second-half substitute Haji Wright cut the US deficit to 2-1 in the 76th minute when Christian Pulisic’s cross hit his trailing foot and popped over goalkeeper Andries Noppert and into the net. Dumfries assisted on the first two goals and scored on a volley in the 81st. The Oranje extended their unbeaten streak to 19 games and face Argentina or Australia next.

Both sides see high stakes in gay rights Supreme Court case

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is being warned about the potentially dire consequences of a case next week involving a Christian graphic artist who objects to designing wedding websites for same-sex couples. Liberal groups say ruling for the designer will expose not only same-sex couples but also Black people, immigrants, Jews, Muslims and others to discrimination. Conservative groups argue that ruling against her will force artists to do work that is against their faith. Both sides have described for the court what lawyers sometimes call “a parade of horribles” that could result if the ruling doesn’t go their way. The case marks the second time in five years that the Supreme Court has confronted a similar issue.

Non-religious voters wield clout, tilt heavily Democratic

Voters with no religious affiliation supported Democratic candidates and abortion rights by staggering percentages in the 2022 midterm elections. The unaffiliated voted for Democratic House candidates nationwide over Republicans by more than a 2-1 margin. They voted against abortion restrictions in Kentucky in Michigan by 4-1 margins. They supported Democrats in other bellwether races by similarly lopsided margins. And the religiously unaffiliated are growing. Twenty-nine percent of US adults identified as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” in a 2021 report by the Pew Research Center. That’s up 10 percentage points in a decade.

Iowa caucuses, built on myth, lose place at head of the line

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa caucuses and their outsize importance have largely been an exercise in myth-making. The idea was that candidates could earn a path to the White House by meeting voters in person, and earnest, civic-minded Midwesterners would actually stand for their candidate. As the caucuses have played out, the flaws have become increasingly glaring. First, the state’s Democrats botched the count in 2020, leaving an embarrassing muddle. But there were more. Since 2008, the state’s political make-up has changed dramatically, from a reliable swing state to solidly Republican. And with the Democratic Party increasingly becoming a party of diversity, Iowa’s lack of it left the state without much of a rationale for leading the way.

Russia rejects $60-a-barrel cap on its oil, warns of cutoffs

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Russian authorities have rejected a price cap on the country’s oil set by Ukraine’s Western supporters and are threatening to stop supplying the nations that endorsed it. Australia, Britain, Canada, Japan, the United States and the 27-nation European Union agreed Friday to cap what they would pay for Russian oil at $60 per barrel. The limit is set to take effect Monday, along with an EU embargo on Russian oil shipped by sea. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Saturday that Russia needs to analyze the situation before deciding on a specific response but that it would not accept the price ceiling. Russia’s permanent representative in Vienna warned, “From this year, Europe will live without Russian oil.”

EXPLAINER: Can Ukraine pay for war without wrecking economy?

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Ukraine has won victories on the battlefield against Russia but faces a looming challenge on the economic front. The government has been relying on the central bank to print money to cover its huge deficits caused by the war. Tax revenue has fallen, and defense spending has soared for next year’s budget. Kyiv is looking for ways to pay for its war effort at least through next year. By then, hopes are that a price cap on Russian oil sales will put Moscow on the economic defensive. Until then, Ukraine is turning to its allies for more money to avoid worsening inflation that hurts ordinary people.

Defeated election conspiracists seek to lead Michigan GOP

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The Republicans who lost their races for Michigan’s top three statewide offices after promoting falsehoods about the 2020 presidential election are not planning to go quietly. Two of the candidates who denied President Joe Biden’s victory in the state have announced plans to run for the position that leads the state GOP, while the third has said she is considering a challenge for the top post. That is raising concerns within the party after it suffered a drubbing in Michigan, a perennial political battleground that is poised to play a pivotal role in the 2024 presidential race.

Molten lava on Hawaii’s Big Island could block main highway

HILO, Hawaii (AP) — Many people on the Big Island of Hawaii are bracing for major upheaval if lava from Mauna Loa volcano blocks the quickest route connecting two sides of the island. The molten rock could make the road impassable and force drivers to find alternate coastal routes in the north and south. That could add hours to commute times, doctor’s visits and freight truck deliveries. The lava is oozing slowly at a rate that could reach the road next week. But its path is unpredictable and could change course, or the flow could stop completely and spare the highway.