AP News Digest 6:30 p.m.

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. For up-to-the-minute information on AP’s coverage, visit Coverage Plan in AP Newsroom.

——————————————-

NEW/DEVELOPING

——————————————

OREGON-POWERBALL-WINNER; PLASTIC-POLLUTION-TREATY; FRANCE-ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-CAMPUS-PROTESTS; JASON-KELCE-ESPN; INTERNATIONAL-COURT-GAZA-EXPLAINER; OFFICERS-SHOT-CHARLOTTE; TRANSGENDER-RIGHTS-LAWSUIT

——————————

TOP STORIES

——————————

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — The United States has stepped up pressure for a cease-fire deal in Gaza as the secretary of state said a new proposal had been put to Hamas, whose officials were in Cairo talking to Egyptian mediators. Israeli airstrikes killed 26 people in Gaza’s southernmost town of Rafah, according to hospital records. By Samy Magdy and Lee Keath. SENT: 1,010 words, photos, video, audio. With MIDEAST-US-BLINKEN — Blinken says Israel must still do more to boost humanitarian aid to Gaza; MIDEAST-TENSIONS-THE-LATEST (both sent),

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-CAMPUS-PROTESTS — Colleges around the U.S. implored pro-Palestinian student protesters to clear out tent encampments with rising levels of urgency Monday, as police made more arrests at the University of Texas and Columbia University said it was beginning to suspend students who defied an ultimatum to leave the encampment there by an afternoon deadline. By Cedar Attanasio, Jake Offenhartz and Jonathan Mattise. SENT: 1,150 words, photos, video, audio. With ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-CAMPUS-PROTESTS-GLANCE, CAMPUS PROTESTS-ECHOES OF 1968 and FRANCE-ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-CAMPUS-PROTESTS.

OFFICERS-SHOT-CHARLOTTE — Police say three law enforcement officers serving a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm were killed and five other officers were wounded in a shootout at a Charlotte, North Carolina, home. Charlotte-Mecklenburg authorities said the officers were shot at as they approached the home Monday afternoon. They returned fire at a suspect in the front yard, and more shots came from inside the home. One suspect was found dead in the front yard and two other people were found in the home. Authorities say they believe there were two shooters. By Erik Verduzco and Peter Smith. SENT: 620 words, photos.

SEVERE-WEATHER — Sheila Hilliard Goodman hunkered down inside Raina’s Sport Lounge with about 30 other customers when a monster nighttime tornado came roaring into the southern Oklahoma town of Sulphur over the weekend. The roof of the bar collapsed. Family members later learned Goodman was the only one not to survive. In all, 4 people died when tornadoes swept across Oklahoma towns. Now the clean up begins. By Graham Lee Brewer. SENT: 780 words, photos, video, audio.

MED-WELLNESS-ALCOHOL — Moderate drinking was once thought to have benefits for the heart. But better research methods have thrown cold water on that idea. A growing number of public health experts say if you choose to drink alcohol, you should drink as little as possible. The reevaluation of alcohol’s perceived benefits comes as researchers identify shortcomings of prior studies. By Medical Writer, Carla K. Johnson. SENT: 640 words, photo, video, audio. Click here for more on our wellness series.

——————————————————

SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

——————————————————

HONG KONG-TRANSGENDER ID — A Hong Kong transgender activist on Monday received a new ID card reflecting his gender change, after a yearslong legal battle to change the document, and he vowed to continue working for equality for the LGBTQ+ community. SENT: 390 words, photos, video.

GOLDMAN-ENVIRONMENTAL-PRIZE — A professor who helped save Europe’s largest saltwater lagoon is one of this year’s winners of the Goldman Environmental Prize, known as the “Green Nobel.” The prize honors grassroots environmental activists and leaders around the world for their efforts to protect the natural world. SENT: 700 words, photos, video.

————————————————

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

————————————————

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-AID-PORT — A U.S. Navy ship and several Army vessels involved in an American-led effort to bring more aid into the besieged Gaza Strip are offshore of the enclave and building out a floating platform for the operation, which the Pentagon said Monday will cost at least $320 million. SENT: 810 words, photos.

INTERNATIONAL-COURT-GAZA-EXPLAINER — Israeli officials sound increasingly concerned that the International Criminal Court could issue arrest warrants for the country’s leaders more than six months into the Israel-Hamas war. SENT: 670 words, photos.

MIDEAST-TENSIONS — A suspected missile attack by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has damaged a ship in the Red Sea, authorities said, the latest assault in their campaign against international shipping in the crucial maritime route. SENT: 540 words, photo.

——————————————————

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

——————————————————

RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR — NATO countries haven’t delivered what they promised to Ukraine in time, the alliance’s chief says, allowing Russia to press its advantage while Kyiv’s depleted forces wait for military supplies to arrive from the U.S. and Europe. SENT: 860 words, photos, audio.

———————————

MORE NEWS

———————————

KENYA-DAM-BURSTS — Flash floods and a landslide swept through houses and cut off a major road in Kenya, killing at least 45 people and leaving dozens missing, the Interior Ministry says. SENT: 390 words, photos, video, audio.

FRANCE-DEPARDIEU — Actor Gérard Depardieu will be tried for alleged sexual assaults on a film set, prosecutors say. SENT: 370 words, photos.

OREGON-POWERBALL-WINNER — Winner of $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot is an immigrant from Laos now living in Oregon who has cancer. SENT: 330 words, photos.

MUSIC-THE-ROLLING-STONES-TOUR — The Rolling Stones show no signs of slowing down as they begin their latest tour with Texas show. SENT: 520 words, photos.

———————————-

WASHINGTON

———————————

ELECTION-2024-INDIANA-CONGRESS — U.S. Rep. Victoria Spartz, the first and only Ukrainian-born member of Congress, emerged early on as a natural advocate for supporting her native country in its war with Russia. But when $61 billion in additional support for the war effort came up for a vote in the House recently, she voted against it. SENT: 980 words, photos.

Find the AP’s latest Election 2024 coverage plans in The Daily Rundown, which includes candidate schedules, live video and text plans, explanatory journalism and highlights from previous cycles. The Rundown publishes around 10 a.m. EDT Monday through Friday.

—————————

NATIONAL

—————————

DISUNITED-METHODISTS — United Methodist delegates are heading into the homestretch of their first legislative gathering in five years — one that appears on track to make historic changes in lifting their church’s longstanding bans on same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy. SENT: 920 words, photos, video.

TRANSGENDER-HEALTH-COVERAGE — West Virginia’s and North Carolina’s refusal to cover certain health care for transgender people with government-sponsored insurance is discriminatory, a federal appeals court ruled Monday in a case likely headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. SENT: 845 words, photos.

TRANSGENDER-RIGHTS-LAWSUIT — Several Republican state attorneys general are challenging a federal regulation that seeks to protect the rights of transgender students in the nation’s schools by banning blanket policies that bar transgender students from school bathrooms aligning with their gender, among other provisions. SENT: 800 words, photos.

HAWAII-MACADAMIA-NUTS — For decades, tourists to Hawaii have brought home gift boxes of the islands’ famous chocolate-covered macadamia nuts for friends and family. But these days many of the kernels in the package might not be Hawaii-grown. This little-known fact is surfacing at the state Legislature as lawmakers wrestle over legislation that would force macadamia-nut processors to disclose whether their products contain nuts from outside the islands. SENT: 830 words, photos.

—————————————

INTERNATIONAL

—————————————

PAKISTAN-AFGHAN REFUGEES — For more than 1 million Afghans who fled war and poverty to Pakistan, these are uncertain times. Since Pakistan announced a crackdown on migrants last year, some 600,000 have been deported and at least a million remain in Pakistan in hiding. They’ve retreated from public view, abandoning their jobs and rarely leaving their neighborhoods out of fear they could be next. By Riazat Butt and Adil Jawad. SENT: 920 words, photos.

PLASTIC-POLLUTION-TREATY — For the first time, negotiators from most of the world’s nations are discussing the text of what is supposed to become a global treaty to end plastic pollution. SENT: 900 words, photos.

—————————

BUSINESS

—————————

FEDERAL-RESERVE-WEALTH-EFFECT — Older Americans are fueling a sustained boost to the U.S. economy, and much of their spending is going toward higher-priced services like travel, health care and entertainment, thereby putting further upward pressure on those prices — and on inflation. SENT: 1,380 words, photo.

SELF-DRIVING-TRUCKS — Within three or four years, Aurora Innovation Inc. and its competitors expect to put thousands of self-driving trucks on America’s public freeways. But safety advocates warn that with almost no federal regulation, it will be mainly up to the companies themselves to determine when the semis are safe enough to operate without humans on board. SENT: 1,590 words, photos, video. An abridged version is available.

——————————————

HEALTH/SCIENCE

—————————————-

VAMPIRE FACIAL-HIV TRANSMISSION-EXPLAINER — Three women were diagnosed with HIV after getting “vampire facial” procedures at an unlicensed New Mexico medical spa, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said in a report last week, marking the first documented cases of people contracting the virus through cosmetic services using needles. SENT: 780 words, photo.

SLEEP-MACHINES — Medical device maker Philips has said it will pay $1.1 billion to settle hundreds of personal injury lawsuits in the U.S. over its defective sleep apnea machines, which have been subject to a massive global recall. SENT: 340 words, photo, audio.

—————————————-

ENTERTAINMENT

—————————————

FBN-CBS-STUDIO-SHOW — Matt Ryan, who retired last week after 15 years in the NFL, will join CBS Sports as a studio analyst on “The NFL Today” and Phil Simms and Boomer Esiason will leave after long runs on the show, the network announces. SENT: 360 words, photo.

MUSIC-TAYLOR-SWIFT — Taylor Swift continues to dominate in the week following the release of her 11th album, “The Tortured Poets Department.” The 31-track album has hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, tying Swift with Jay-Z for second-most No. 1 albums at 14. Only The Beatles, with 19 No. 1 albums, have had more. SENT: 240 words, photos.

———————

SPORTS

———————

JASON-KELCE-ESPN — Jason Kelce will join ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” after retiring from the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this year, according to a person with knowledge of the deal. SENT: 400 words, photos.

———————————————

HOW TO REACH US

———————————————

At the Nerve Center, Jerome Minerva can be reached at 800-845-8450 (ext. 1600). For photos, ext. 1900. For graphics and interactives, ext. 7636. Expanded AP content can be obtained from AP Newsroom. For access to AP Newsroom and other technical issues, contact apcustomersupport@ap.org or call 844-777-2006.

Daniil Medvedev of Russia returns the ball to Sebastian Korda of the U.S. during the Mutua Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

A building of the Odessa Law Academy is on fire after a Russian missile attack in Odessa, Ukraine, Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Victor Sajenko)

People try to clear the area after a dam burst, in Kamuchiri Village Mai Mahiu, Nakuru County, Kenya, Monday, April 29, 2024. Kenya's Interior Ministry says at least 45 people have died and dozens are missing after a dam collapsed following heavy rains. (AP Photo/Patrick Ngugi)

A demonstrator holds up a flare during a protest calling for the release of the Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip by the Hamas militant group, in Tel Aviv, Monday, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

A man transports wreaths on the back of a motorcycle cab in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A man swims from a submerged church compound, after the River Tana broke its banks following heavy rains at Mororo, border of Tana River and Garissa counties, North Eastern Kenya, Sunday, April. 28, 2024. Heavy rains pounding different parts of Kenya have led to dozens of deaths and the displacement of tens of thousands of people, according to the U.N. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

A woman sells toys in front of a building with windows protected by sandbags in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A Palestinian flag flutters in the wind during a pro-Palestinian encampment, advocating for financial disclosure and divestment from all companies tied to Israel and calling for a permanent cease-fire in Gaza, inside Columbia University Campus on Sunday, April 28, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)

Sean Thomas Sledd salvages items from his room after it was hit by a tornado the night before in Sulphur, Okla., Sunday, April 28, 2024. Sledd sought shelter at Oklahoma School for the deaf. (Bryan Terry/The Oklahoman via AP)

HONG KONG (AP) — Asian stocks were mostly higher on Wednesday after a rally on Wall Street that took the Nasdaq composite index to a record high.

A report Tuesday showed that prices remain stubbornly high at the wholesale level in the United States, before many price changes are passed along to consumers, with the producer price index reading for April reaching 0.5%, higher than forecast.

The rate of inflation has been ticking higher in 2024, raising concerns that the Federal Reserve could have a hard time taming inflation to its goal of 2%.

But investors were reassured by comments made by Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Speaking at a panel discussion in Amsterdam on Tuesday, he reaffirmed that the U.S. central bank won’t likely raise its key interest rate to respond to stubborn inflation. But he also said that his confidence that inflation will ease is “not as high as it was” because price increases have been persistently hot in the first three months of this year.

A bigger test for markets comes later Wednesday, when the U.S. will release its monthly update on consumer prices, or inflation faced by households. Economists expect the consumer price index to ease to 3.4% in April on a year-over-year basis.

In Asian trading, Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index climbed 0.1% to 38,385.73 and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 advanced 0.4% to 7,753.70.

In China, the Shanghai Composite index slipped 0.5% to 3,129.81 after the central bank kept a key lending rate unchanged Wednesday, signaling Beijing’s focus on maintaining monetary stability.

Elsewhere, Taiwan’s Taiex gained 0.8% and in Bangkok the SET lost 0.4%.

Markets in South Korea and Hong Kong were closed for a holiday.

On Tuesday, the S&P 500 index rose 0.5% to 5,246.68, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.3% to 39,558.11.

The Nasdaq composite, which is heavily influenced by technology stocks, jumped 0.8% to 16,511.18. The tech sector has been a driving force for much of the broader market's gains this year.

Several “meme” stocks, including GameStop and AMC Entertainment, raced higher in a reprise of the social-media driven frenzy of three years ago. GameStop jumped 60.1% and AMC rose 32%. Both stocks gave back much of their gains from earlier in the day.

Bond yields edged lower. The yield on the 10-year Treasury slipped to 4.43% Wednesday from 4.49% late Monday.

Investors have been curtailing their expectations for the speed and frequency of interest rate cuts this year as inflation remains hotter than expected. Traders are betting on one or two rate cuts this year, according to data from CME Group.

Wall Street is still hoping the Fed can pull off its “soft landing,” where high interest rates work to cool inflation without slowing the economy into a recession. The economy remains strong, but consumers might be showing signs of fatigue under the weight of stubborn inflation. Economists expect a retail sales report on Wednesday to show that consumer spending softened in April, just as it has over the last several months.

In other trading, benchmark U.S. crude added 55 cents to $78.57 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent crude, the international standard, rose 51 cents to $82.89 a barrel.

In currency trading, the U.S. dollar slipped to 156.37 Japanese yen from 156.42 yen. The euro cost $1.0826, up from $1.0820.

The front of the New York Stock Exchange is adorned with signs for the tool maker DeWalt in honor of the 100th year anniversary of the company on Tuesday, May 14, 2024. Markets on Wall Street inched slightly higher ahead of the release of more inflation data from the U.S. government. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)

A person stands in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A person looks at an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

A person on a bicycle pauses in front of an electronic stock board showing Japan's Nikkei 225 index at a securities firm Wednesday, May 15, 2024, in Tokyo. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)