AP News in Brief at 11:04 p.m. EST

Israel’s president taps opposition candidate Eisenkot to form a government, in setback for Netanyahu JERUSALEM (AP) — Israeli President Isaac Herzog said Saturday night that he was giving opposition candidate Gadi Eisenkot the first opportunity to form a governing coalition following elections on Oct. 27. Eisenkot, a former military chief who ran as the main challenger to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is now a step closer to ousting Israel’s longest-serving premier. “This is the time to establish a national emergency government. I will do anything possible to prove us worthy,” Eisenkot posted on his X account just after the presidential announcement. He has up to six weeks to form a coalition, a challenging task in a deeply divided country reeling from the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks and the three years of wars that have followed in Gaza and beyond. In discussions with the president this week, representatives from most of Israel’s main parties recommended Eisenkot be tasked with assembling a new government. But putting together the parliamentary majority needed remains fraught and any possible coalition would require candidates to make tough compromises that could outrage their own voters. UFC's Dana White says he will meet with Trump Monday over offer to be White House press secretary WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump said Saturday that he has offered the job of White House press secretary to his friend and UFC boss Dana White, an announcement unconventional even for the norm-busting president. White said Saturday that he plans to meet with Trump on Monday at the White House. Trump, while he was at his golf club in Florida, posted on social media that he made the offer to “the Great Dana White, a violent Fighter and Warrior” to become the Republican president's chief spokesperson. White, who was in London on Saturday for a boxing event, was asked at a news conference about Trump's post and responded by saying that he planned to fly to Washington right after and meet with Trump on Monday. When asked how he would balance the job with the current positions he has in the fighting world, White seemed confused by the question and then said, “Yeah, I got a lot of jobs already.” He declined to say what conversations he'd had with Trump but said, “I'm sure I'll have more to talk about after that.” Polish gunman who killed 6 people in Krakow has 'ultranationalistic' views, authorities say KRAKOW, Poland (AP) — A Polish man with far-right views drove into a busy central square in Krakow on Saturday and opened fire, killing six people and injuring 15 others before police shot and wounded him, authorities said. The attack, which Poland’s defense minister described as an “act of terror,” happened in Main Square, which is in the heart of Krakow’s Old Town and is a major tourist hub in the country’s second-largest city. The 25-year-old attacker drove to multiple spots in the square and opened fire at each stop with an automatic weapon, authorities said. Although they didn’t release his name, Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the man holds “very radical” and “ultranationalistic” views. "Everything indicates that he was fascinated by far-right ideologies,” Kierwiński said at a news conference. Hours after the attack, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said authorities found the bodies of three of the suspect's close family members — two women and a man — inside of his home in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, a city about 150 kilometers (93 miles) northeast of Krakow. Trump’s grip on his party is in question as Republicans reel from the midterm wipeout WASHINGTON (AP) — Republicans aren't holding back. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis described this week's elections as an “extinction-level event” for the GOP. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz likened it to a “Watergate-level repudiation.” Former Vice President Mike Pence called it a “reckoning.” For all the apocalyptic talk emerging from a midterm that relegated Republicans to their thinnest ranks on Capitol Hill in decades, there's little agreement on how the party should move forward. A return to the bedrock fiscal and national security conservatism that defined Republicans under President Ronald Reagan risks alienating the more hard-line conservatives welcomed into the party under President Donald Trump under the “Make America Great Again” banner. But leaning even further into Trump's coarse brand of politics could lead to more voter rejection. US military says it fired on commercial vessel in Gulf of Oman after it attempted to breach blockade JERUSALEM (AP) — U.S. Central Command said late Saturday it disabled a St. Kitts-flagged ship after it ignored multiple warnings and attempted to leave the region after visiting an Iranian port. U.S. forces have been enforcing a naval blockade on Iran for months in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial strategic waterway for global shipping, including of oil. The last confirmed U.S. strike on a cargo vessel was nearly a month ago in the Gulf of Oman. Saturday’s disclosure comes in the wake of at least two instances in which U.S. Central Command did not announce military strikes it has taken in the region and officials at the command declined to confirm strikes when asked about local reports of explosions. Iran state media also reported on Saturday evening the sound of explosions on Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as several explosions in the port of Jask. It wasn’t immediately clear what the cause of the explosions was and the U.S. military didn't immediately respond to an Associated Press request for comment. The Iranian military said late Saturday that two tankers had hit mines in the Hormuz area and caught fire. It did not identify the tankers’ flags or destinations. House Democrats will start their majority focused on boosting healthcare and ending the Iran war WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democratic leaders are placing an early emphasis on healthcare as they discuss their immediate priorities upon the swearing-in of the new Congress on Jan. 3. Early votes in the House next year are expected to focus on boosting Medicaid and restoring an enhanced tax subsidy that is designed to lower the cost of Affordable Care Act health plans for millions of enrollees. Democrats are also promising swift action on legislation to stop the war with Iran and to reverse some of President Donald Trump'strade tariffs. “We’re going to get out of the gate fast,” said New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader who is in line to become the next House speaker. The legislative flurry carries enormous stakes for Democrats as they seek to translate their sweeping victories in the midterms — their numbers will exceed 250 in the 435-member House — into achievements that deliver on their promises to lower the cost of living. Melania Trump and LSU announce $7.2 million to endow scholarships for former foster care students BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Melania Trump on Saturday announced that Louisiana State University has raised $7.2 million to provide scholarships through her “Fostering the Future” program to LSU students who were formerly in foster care. "This achievement will give young people from foster care an anchor of stability, a strong educational foundation and a chance to build a wonderful life,” she said at an event with LSU President Wade Rousse and some of the donors. The $7.2 million in private donations will fund a permanent endowment for the scholarships, speakers said. MMR Group Inc., an electrical contracting company based in Baton Rouge, committed $5 million, with members of the LSU Foundation raising an additional $2.2 million, they said. The first lady later attended a college football game between ranked regional rivals, No. 15 LSU and No. 9 Alabama, another participant in the scholarship program. “As adults, we have a moral obligation to our children, especially those in foster care. But, as you know, we must act to truly m