Here are the top 10 news stories of 2018 according to an AP poll of US newsrooms

The Trump-Russia probe dominated headlines this year. The special counsel's team, led by Robert Mueller, continued its investigation into whether Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia ahead of the 2016 election. So far, the investigation has found that several Trump associates made contact with Russian agents. Several former Trump aides have been indicted for lying, including Paul Manafort and Michael Cohen.

The #MeToo movement began in 2017 but dominated news stories well into 2018. More powerful men were accused of sexual assault and harassment this year. Bill Cosby was sentenced to prison. Disgraced Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein was charged with rape. Les Moonves was ousted as top executive at CBS after a dozen women accused him of sexual misconduct.

There have been 307 mass shootings in the U.S. so far in 2018. Two months after the Parkland shooting, eight students and two teachers were killed at a school in Santa Fe, Texas. In June, five employees were shot dead at the Capital Gazette, a newspaper in Maryland. In October, 11 people were killed at a synagogue in Pittsburgh during Shabbat services. And in November, a Marine combat veteran shot dead 12 people at a bar in California.

Democrats flipped 41 seats in the House of Representatives and regained control of that chamber from Republicans. Several governorships around the country were also flipped. Republicans, on the other hand, boosted their majority in the Senate.

The U.S.-Mexico border has remained a permanent fixture in American news all year. President Trump deployed thousands of troops to the border as a caravan of migrants who traveled from Central America approached the country. Over the summer, more than 2,500 migrant children were separated from their families at the border. Trump's Muslim ban also continued making headlines, as well as his multiple attempts to get funding for a border wall.

Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh was narrowly confirmed to fill a vacancy left behind by Justice Anthony Kennedy. Kavanaugh was accused of sexual harassment and assault by various women who knew him during his high school and college years. Christine Blasey Ford, a college professor from California, said Kavanaugh attempted to rape her during a party when they were in high school. The allegations led to an explosive Senate hearing watched by millions of Americans on TV. Kavanaugh denied any wrongdoing, and was later confirmed by the Senate. He was sworn onto the court, giving its conservative bloc a 5-4 majority.

Wildfires consumed parts of America's most populous state, with devastating November fires occurring simultaneously 450 miles apart. The city of Paradise, California, was destroyed by the Camp Fire, killing at least 88 people — the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century. Nearly 14,000 homes and hundreds of businesses were destroyed. In Southern California, the Woolsey fired killed three people.

Natural disasters around the world increased attention on climate change. A global summit in Poland led delegates to negotiate an agreement on the next steps to minimize harm. A report released by the government in the U.S. warned of devastating impact, but it was pushed back by President Trump.

Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi was killed on Oct. 2 inside the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul. This came to light after weeks of denials by Saudi authorities. Khashoggi, a native of Saudi Arabia, was critical of the country's royal regime and the Saudi role in Yemen war. The murder has had major repercussions, particularly against the country's powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, who the CIA believe was involved in its planning. The U.S. Senate passed a measure blaming the crown prince for the death, a move opposed by President Trump as he tries to preserve close U.S.-Saudi ties.