REUTERS AMERICA EVENING NEWS PLAN FOR FRIDAY DEC 23/ SATURDAY DEC 24

LATEST AND PLANNED U.S. NEWS COVERAGE (ALL TIMES ET)

Top stories as of 5:30 p.m. on Friday.

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TOP STORY

U.N. Security Council denounces Israeli settlements, U.S. abstains

UNITED NATIONS - The United States on Friday allowed the U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolution demanding an end to Israeli settlements, defying pressure from President-elect Donald Trump, Israel and some U.S. lawmakers who urged Washington to wield its veto. (ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS/UN (UPDATE 7, PIX), moving shortly, by Michelle Nichols, 1063 words)

Trump 'arms race' comment sows more doubt on nuclear policy

WEST PALM BEACH, Florida - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump sowed more doubt about his position on nuclear proliferation on Friday, reportedly welcoming an arms race even as his spokesman insisted that an atomic weapons build-up was not likely to happen. (USA-TRUMP/NUCLEAR (UPDATE 4), moved at 12:22 p.m., by Melissa Fares, 576 words)

FBI probes FDIC hack linked to China's military - sources

WASHINGTON - The FBI is investigating how hackers infiltrated computers at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. for several years beginning in 2010 in a breach senior FDIC officials believe was sponsored by China's military, people with knowledge of the matter said. (USA-CYBER/CHINA (UPDATE 1, EXCLUSIVE, PIX, TV), moved at 1:36 p.m, by Dustin Volz and Jason Lange, 1018 words)

Berlin truck attack suspect shot dead by police in Italy

MILAN - Italian police shot dead the man believed responsible for this week's Berlin Christmas market truck attack, killing him after he pulled a gun on them during a routine check in the early hours of Friday. (GERMANY-TRUCK/ (UPDATE 5, TV, PIX), moved at 11:10 a.m., by Emilio Parodi and Antonella Cinelli, 849 words)

Malta hijack ends peacefully as Gaddafi loyalists surrender

VALLETTA - Hijackers armed with what were probably replica weapons forced an airliner to land in Malta on Friday before freeing all their hostages unharmed and surrendering, having declared loyalty to Libya's late leader Muammar Gaddafi. (LIBYA-AIRPLANE/ (UPDATE 8, PIX, TV), moved at 1:28 p.m., by Chris Scicluna, 525 words)

TRUMP

Trump's nuclear remarks test bid to improve Russia ties

WEST PALM BEACH - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump upped the stakes on Friday in a back-and-forth exchange with President Vladimir Putin over nuclear weapons that tested the Republican's promises to improve relations with Russia. (USA-TRUMP/PUTIN (WRAPUP 1, PIX, TV, GRAPHIC), moved at 3:50 p.m., by Melissa Fares and Andrew Osborn, 753 words).

Trump, taking a break from White House prep, tees off with Tiger Woods

WEST PALM BEACH - U.S. President-elect Donald Trump on Friday took a break from preparing to take office to engage in a pastime beloved by presidents since Dwight Eisenhower: playing 18 holes of golf. (USA-TRUMP/GOLF (PIX), moved at 2:40 p.m., by Melissa Fares, 460 words)

WASHINGTON

U.S. Justice Dept. orders whistleblower to testify in Wells Fargo probe

The U.S. Department of Justice has subpoenaed a high-profile whistleblower in its criminal investigation into Wells Fargo & Co's opening of accounts without customer permission. (WELLS FARGO-ACCOUNTS/WHISTLEBLOWER, moved at 3:20 p.m., by Sarah N. Lynch, 413 words)

U.S. hits Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank with toxic debt penalties

ZURICH/FRANKFURT - Credit Suisse and Deutsche Bank have been hit with a combined penalty of more than $12 billion over the sale of U.S. toxic debt, further hampering two of Europe's leading investment banks as they struggle with weak earnings. (EUROPE-BANKS/PENALTY (UPDATE 2), moved at 11:10 a.m., by Michael Shields and Arno Schuetze, 642 words)

OTHER U.S. NEWS

Illinois loses budget head as FY 2017 spending plan expires

CHICAGO - Illinois will lose its budget director just as the state's temporary fiscal 2017 spending plan expires, the governor's office said on Friday. (ILLINOIS-BUDGET/, moved at 4:19 p.m., 298 words)

Massachusetts Muslim cemetery to go ahead after year-long fight

BOSTON - A proposed Muslim cemetery in rural central Massachusetts will go forward after the town that fought the idea for most of the year and the Islamic society that proposed the plan reached a deal, the two sides said on Friday. (MASSACHUSETTS-ISLAM/CEMETERY, moved at 1:46 p.m., by Scott Malone, 424 words)

LGBT individuals more likely to be incarcerated

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual individuals are disproportionately incarcerated, mistreated and sexually victimized in U.S. jails and prisons, researchers say. (HEALTH-LGBT/INCARCERATION-USA, moved at 1:47 p.m., by Carolyn Crist, 715 words)

Ex-lottery official accused of rigging Wisconsin Megabucks drawing

A former security director of the group that runs the popular U.S. Mega Millions lottery has been charged with rigging another lotto game, allowing him and a friend to win $783,000, prosecutors in Wisconsin said on Friday. (WISCONSIN-LOTTERY/, moved at 3:48 p.m., by Alex Dobuzinskis, 371 words)

Arizona man arrested for plotting Islamic State-inspired attack

PHOENIX - An Arizona man authorities described as an avowed Jihadist was arrested for plotting an Islamic State-inspired lone-wolf attack in the state. (ARIZONA-ARREST/PLOT, moved at 3:49 p.m., by David Schwartz, 385 words)

Holiday forecast more naughty than nice for U.S.

Heavy snow, freezing rain and wind gusts will make holiday travel treacherous in parts of the northern United States. (USA-WEATHER/ (PIX), moved by 4:04 p.m., by Brendan O'Brien and Eric M. Johnson, 346 words)

Fort Worth officer in viral arrest video was 'rude not racist' - chief

AUSTIN - The white Fort Worth police officer seen on viral video wrestling to the ground and arresting a black woman who called police to report a neighbor choking her son is not a racist, the city's police chief said on Friday. (TEXAS-POLICE/, moved at 4:32 p.m., by Jon Herskovitz, 397 words)

Singaporean blogger detained by U.S. immigration officials

CHICAGO - A Singaporean blogger who has stirred controversy in his home country is being detained by U.S. immigration officials, the Department of Homeland Security said on Friday. (USA-SINGAPORE/BLOGGER, moved at 4:47 p.m., by Timothy Mclaughlin and Renita D. Young, 327 words)

SPECIAL REPORT

How a great-grandmother's body ended up in a U.S. Army blast test

SURPRISE, Arizona - The story of how an Arizona grandmother's remains came to be used in a Pentagon experiment shines a spotlight on a growing but little-known industry: the trade in human cadavers and body parts. (USA-BODYBROKERS/INDUSTRY (SPECIAL REPORT), moved at 9:58 a.m., by John Shiffman, 3225 words)

MIDDLE EAST

Aleppo sees shelling, air strikes again as Assad urges peace talks

BEIRUT - Syrian rebels shelled Aleppo and air strikes resumed around the city on Friday as Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his allies said the insurgents' withdrawal from the city could pave the way toward a political solution for the country. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-ALEPPO (UPDATE 2), moved at 4:15 p.m., by Lisa Barrington and Angus McDowall , 628 words) See also: MIDEAST-CRISIS/SYRIA-WATER (UPDATE 1), moved at 3:33 p.m., 158 words.

U.S. forces embedding more to help Iraqis retake Mosul - commander

MAKHMOUR - U.S. forces assisting Iraqi troops to retake Mosul from Islamic State are embedding more extensively, a senior commander said on Friday, a move that could accelerate a two month-old campaign which has slackened after quick initial advances. (MIDEAST-CRISIS/IRAQ-MOSUL (INTERVIEW, PIX, TV), moved at 11:35 a.m., by Stephen Kalin, 597 words)

WORLD

New Mexico nuclear waste site could restart operations in January

The United States' only permanent nuclear waste disposal site got the go-ahead on Friday to resume operations nearly three years after a radiation leak shut down the New Mexico facility. (NEW MEXICO-NUCLEAR/, moved at 2:36 p.m., by Alex Dobuzinskis, 319 words)

Corruption probe clouds survival of Brazil's transition leader

BRASILIA - Corruption allegations implicating Brazilian President Michel Temer and his party are casting doubt on his ability to remain in office and causing the first cracks in his coalition amid growing calls for early elections. (BRAZIL-TEMER/ (PIX), moved at 1:24 p.m., by Anthony Boadle, 869 words)

Venezuela's claim of victim status in bribery case unlikely to convince U.S.

MARACAIBO - A legal strategy switch by Venezuela's state-owned oil giant PDVSA to portray itself as a victim in a massive bribery scheme detected by the U.S. government is unlikely to lead to compensation and may even backfire. (VENEZUELA-USA/CORRUPTION (ANALYSIS, PIX), moved at 11 a.m., by Alexandra Ulmer and Mircely Guanipa, 730 words)

HEALTH AND SCIENCE

Summer may be the most fattening time of year for kids

Children are more likely to become overweight or obese during summer vacation than during the school year, a U.S. study suggests. (HEALTH-CHILDREN/SUMMER-OBESITY, moved at 12:12 p.m., by Lisa Rapaport, 681 words)

Listerine may hold promise in fight against gonorrhea

Antiseptic mouthwashes may someday be a tool in the fight against the sexually transmitted infection known as gonorrhea, but more research is needed, according to a new study from Australia. (HEALTH-STD/GONORRHOEAE-LISTERINE, moved at 1:42 p.m., by Andrew M. Seaman, 678 words)

Migraine drugs may repeat rheumatoid arthritis success

Nearly two decades ago, several drugs to treat rheumatoid arthritis hit the shelves in rapid succession, opening up a huge market for the treatment of the autoimmune joint disorder. (MIGRAINE-MARKET/, moved at 1:51 p.m., by Natalie Grover, 666 words)

ENTERTAINMENT AND LIFESTYLE

Actress Carrie Fisher suffers 'cardiac episode' on flight - L.A. Times

LOS ANGELES, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Actress Carrie Fisher suffered a "cardiac episode" on Friday during an airline flight from London to Los Angeles and was rushed to a hospital in critical condition after landing, the Los Angeles Times reported, citing emergency officials. (PEOPLE-FISHER/ (URGENT, PIX), moved at 4:59 a.m., 120 words)

"Clean Bandit" pop trio claim UK Christmas number one single

LONDON - Clean Bandit, a group that fuses classical, electronic and pop music, took the coveted Christmas number one spot on the UK singles chart with their song "Rockabye", on Friday. (BRITAIN-MUSIC/CHARTS, moved at 1:01 p.m., 229 words)

One man's vast Beatles hoard to go up for auction in France

PARIS - Jacques Volcouve was a little boy when he first heard 'A Hard Day's Night'. Now aged 60 and a self-styled "Beatles historian," he is preparing to auction off a collection of 15,000 items he has amassed on the legendary band over half a century. (FRANCE-BEATLES/AUCTION (TV), moved at 1:35 p.m., 141 words)

BUSINESS AND MARKETS

Wall St rises, Dow racks up 7th straight weekly gain

Wall Street ended the week on a positive note on Friday as investors doubled down on a rally fueled by optimism that President-elect Donald Trump's policies will boost economic growth. (USA-STOCKS/ (UPDATE 6), last updated at 4:37 p.m., by Noel Randewich, 467 words)

U.S. housing, consumer confidence data bolster economic outlook

WASHINGTON - New U.S. single-family home sales rose more than expected in November and consumer sentiment hovered near a 13-year high this month, strengthening the view that the economy will gain further momentum next year. (USA-ECONOMY/ (WRAPUP 2), moved at 1:04 p.m., by Lucia Mutikani, 676 words)

Cardinal settles with U.S. over suspicious painkiller shipments

NEW YORK - Cardinal Health Inc said on Friday it has agreed to pay $44 million to resolve claims it failed to alert the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration to suspiciously large orders of addictive painkillers. (CARDINAL HEALTH-LAWSUIT/ (UPDATE 3), moved at 12:04 p.m., by Nate Raymond, 375 words)

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