AP News Digest 6:10 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.

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NEW/DEVELOPING

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ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS; TRUMP HUSH MONEY-TRIAL; SEVERE-WEATHER; ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-CAMPUS-PROTESTS; FRANCE-CHINA; FRANCE-CHINA-COGNAC; PULITZER-PRIZES; PULITZERS-IMMIGRATION-AP-PHOTOGRAPHY; PULITZER-ARTS; MIDEAST TENSIONS-BIDEN; UNITED STATES-RUSSIA-SOLDIER ARRESTED; ARIZONA BOWL-SNOOP DOGG; MISSING STUDENTS; YOUTH CENTER ABUSE-ILLINOIS; COLORADO-FUNERAL HOME RULES; SOCIAL SECURITY-MEDICARE REPORT; BIDEN-CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS; ELECTION 2024-TRUMP-ANTISEMITISM; CHAD-ELECTION; ALZHEIMER’S GENE; MET GALA; MET GALA-EXHIBIT; PHILANTHROPY-DEBT-GALA; NCAA-COMPENSATING ATHLETES-EXPLAINER.

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TOP STORIES

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ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — Hamas announced its acceptance of an Egyptian-Qatari cease-fire proposal, but Israel said the deal did not meet its “core demands” and that it was pushing ahead with an assault on the southern Gaza town of Rafah. Still, Israel said it would continue negotiations. By Sam Mednick, Josef Federman and Bassem Mroue. SENT: 1,150 words, photos, videos, audio, graphic. With MIDEAST-TENSIONS-THE LATEST. See more on the Israel-Hamas war below.

TRUMP HUSH MONEY-TRIAL — The judge presiding over Donald Trump’s hush money trial fined him $1,000 and warned of jail time for future gag order violations. Jurors heard testimony from Jeffrey McConney, the former Trump Organization controller, explaining how the company reimbursed payments meant to suppress embarrassing stories during the 2016 presidential campaign. By Michael R. Sisak, Jennifer Peltz, Eric Tucker and Jake Offenhartz. SENT: 1,240 words, video, photos, audio. With TRUMP-HUSH-MONEY-THE-LATEST.

SEVERE-WEATHER — Floodwaters in the Houston area began to recede, allowing residents to begin returning to their homes and assess damages after days of heavy rainfall that pummeled the area and led to hundreds of rescues — including people who were stranded on rooftops. By Juan A. Lozano. SENT: 620 words, photos, videos, audio. With SEVERE WEATHER-SOUTHERN PLAINS — Millions of people across Oklahoma, southern Kansas at risk of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-CAMPUS-PROTESTS — Columbia University canceled its large university-wide commencement ceremony following weeks of pro-Palestinian protests that have roiled its campus and others across the U.S., but said students will still be able to celebrate at a series of smaller, school-based ceremonies this week and next. By Karen Matthews. SENT: 980 words, photos, video, audio. With ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-CAMPUS-PROTESTS-TIMELINE.

FRANCE-CHINA — French President Emmanuel Macron held talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping that focused on trade disputes — including lifting immediate tariff threats on Cognac exports — and Ukraine-related diplomatic efforts. By Sylvie Corbet. SENT: 850 words, photos, video, audio. With FRANCE-CHINA-COGNAC — France offered China’s Xi a special drink, in a wink at their trade spat; HUNGARY-SERBIA-CHINA-INVESTMENT — Hungary and Serbia’s autocratic leaders to roll out red carpet for China’s Xi during Europe tour.

PULITZER-PRIZES — The New York Times and The Washington Post were awarded three Pulitzer Prizes apiece for work in 2023 that dealt with everything from the war in Gaza to gun violence, and The Associated Press won in the feature photography category for coverage of global migration to the U.S. By National Writer Hillel Italie. SENT: 950 words, photos, audio. With PULITZERS-IMMIGRATION-AP-PHOTOGRAPHY — AP images of migrants’ struggle are recognized with a Pulitzer Prize; PULITZER-ARTS — Jayne Anne Phillips’ novel “Night Watch,” Eboni Booth’s drama “Primary Trust” among Pulitzer winners. Also see MISSING STUDENTS below.

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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

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BALTIMORE-TWO ANTONIOS — Two kids named Antonio grew up together in the streets of east Baltimore surrounded by poverty and gun violence. One would make it out alive. Their disparate fates highlight the sometimes insurmountable challenges facing young Black men from Baltimore’s poorest neighborhoods, where rampant violence often draws an arbitrary line between life and death. By Lea Skene. SENT: 2,200 words, photos. An abridged version of 960 words is also available.

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ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

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MIDEAST TENSIONS-BIDEN — President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke before Israeli forces begin striking targets on the southern Gaza city of Rafah. SENT: 800 words, photos, audio.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS-FAMINE-EXPLAINER — The head of the United Nations World Food Program says northern Gaza has entered “full-blown famine” after nearly seven months of war between Israel and Hamas. SENT: 1,010 words, photos.

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR — Russia threatened to strike British military facilities and said it would hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons amid sharply rising tensions over comments by senior Western officials about possibly deeper involvement in the war in Ukraine. SENT: 920 words, photos.

UNITED STATES-RUSSIA-SOLDIER ARRESTED — An American soldier has been arrested in Russia and accused of stealing, according to U.S. officials. Staff Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, was stationed in South Korea and was in the process of returning home to Texas. Instead, he traveled to Russia. SENT: 300 words, photo.

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MORE NEWS

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MERCURY-GRINER’S-JOURNEY — Brittney Griner still adjusting after Russian prison ordeal. WNBA star details experience in book. SENT: 810 words, photos.

MUSIC-RANDY-TRAVIS — With help from AI, Randy Travis got his voice back. Here’s how his first song post-stroke came to be. SENT: 840 words, photos.

JOHNNY CASH-STATUE — Statues of civil rights leader Daisy Bates and singer Johnny Cash to replace Arkansas statues at the U.S. Capitol. SENT: 740 words, photos, video, audio.

ARIZONA BOWL-SNOOP DOGG — After Barstool Sports sponsorship fizzles, Snoop Dogg brand is attached to Arizona Bowl. SENT: 200 words, photo.

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NATIONAL

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MISSING STUDENTS — Four months after The Associated Press wrote about an Atlanta family struggling to enroll in school, all of the children — in a complete turnaround — returned to class last month. The project was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist. SENT: 1,130 words, photos.

YOUTH CENTER ABUSE-ILLINOIS — Child sexual abuse at Illinois juvenile detention centers was pervasive and systemic for decades, according to disturbing accounts in a lawsuit filed Monday by 95 men and women housed at the youth centers as children. SENT: 1,070 words, photos.

COLORADO-FUNERAL HOME RULES — Colorado lawmakers passed a bill to overhaul the state’s lax funeral home oversight, joining a second measure aimed at regulating the industry that passed last week. SENT: 380 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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SOCIAL SECURITY-MEDICARE REPORT — The go-broke dates for Medicare and Social Security have been pushed back as an improving economy has contributed to changed projected depletion dates. SENT: 630 words, photos.

BIDEN-CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS — House Republicans plan to move forward next week with holding Attorney General Merrick Garland in contempt of Congress over his refusal to turn over unredacted materials related to the special counsel probe into Biden’s handling of classified documents. SENT: 500 words, photo.

ELECTION 2024-TRUMP-ANTISEMITISM — Trump accuses Biden of offering a weak response to antisemitism, as the presumptive Republican nominee seeks to make a campaign issue out of the clashes on colleges campuses over the war in Gaza. UPCOMING: 750 words, photos by 7 p.m.

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

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INTERNATIONAL

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CHAD-ELECTION — Chad held its long delayed presidential election following three years of military rule under the interim president, Mahamat Deby Itno, a vote that analysts widely expected the incumbent to win. SENT: 830 words, photos, video.

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HEALTH/SCIENCE

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ALZHEIMER’S GENE — For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene. By Medical Writer Lauran Neergaard. SENT: 820 words, photo.

BOEING-ASTRONAUT LAUNCH — Boeing counted down for its first astronaut launch after years of struggle. SENT: 180 words, photos, audio. UPCOMING: Developing from 10:34 p.m. scheduled launch.

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BUSINESS

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AIRBUS VERSUS BOEING — In the latest round of their decades-long battle for dominance in commercial aircraft, Europe’s Airbus established a clear sales lead over Boeing even before the American company encountered more fallout from manufacturing problems and ongoing safety concerns. By Business Writer David McHugh. SENT: 1,100 words, photos.

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ENTERTAINMENT

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MET GALA — Attention all you fashionistas: It’s Met Gala time. Yes, the first Monday in May is upon us and this year’s green-tinged carpet is open with early A-listers including party czar Anna Wintour. By Entertainment Writer Leanne Italie. SENT: 640 words, photos, videos. With MET GALA-EXHIBIT — Sleeping Beauty would wake up for these gowns; PHILANTHROPY-DEBT-GALA — “Sleeping baddies” tackle medical debt at the Debt Gala’s pajama party.

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SPORTS

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NCAA-COMPENSATING ATHLETES-EXPLAINER — A settlement being discussed in an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA and major college conferences could cost billions and pave the way for a new compensation model for college athletes. By College Sports Writer Ralph D. Russo. SENT: 860 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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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.

Antonio Lee's mother is comforted while mourning her son at a vigil, Friday, Aug. 18, 2023, in Baltimore. Lee, 19, was shot and killed while squeegeeing in Baltimore. Lee and childhood friend Antonio Moore grew up together in the streets of east Baltimore, surrounded by poverty and gun violence. But only one would make it out alive. Moore is a successful real estate investor and marketing consultant. Lee was shot and killed last summer, four months before his 20th birthday. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

McLaren driver Lando Norris, of Britain, is lifted after winning the Miami Formula One Grand Prix auto race Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Miami Gardens, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Alvaro Trevino pulls a canoe with Jennifer Tellez and Ailyn, 8, after they checked on their home on Sunday, May 5, 2024, in Spendora, Texas. The family has lived on the property in a rental trailer for two years. "It's really bad," said Tellez, who says they stayed dry during the most recent flooding in February. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via AP)

People visit the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem, Sunday, May 5, 2024. The annual Israeli memorial day for the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust of World War II begins at sundown on Sunday. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

The office of late Al Jazeera network journalist Shireen Abu Akleh is decorated with memorial items, inside the network's office, in the West Bank city of Ramallah Sunday, May 5, 2024. Israel ordered the local offices of Qatar's Al Jazeera satellite news network to close Sunday, escalating a long-running feud between the broadcaster and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's hard-line government as Doha-mediated cease-fire negotiations with Hamas hang in the balance. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Israeli soldiers drive a tank at a staging ground near the border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

AP News Digest 3:10 a.m.

A Palestinian woman mourns her relative, 7-month old baby Hani Qeshta, who was killed in an Israeli bombardment on a residential building with Qeshta's family, at the morgue of Al Najjar hospital in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, Sunday, May 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Ismael Abu Dayyah)

AP News Digest 3:10 a.m.

JACUMÉ, México (AP) — Near the towering border wall flanked by a U.S. Border Patrol vehicle, botanist Sula Vanderplank heard a quail in the scrub yelp “chi-ca-go,” a sound the birds use to signal they are separated from a mate or group.

Then silence.

A quail on the Mexican side called back, triggering a back-and-forth soundtrack that was both fitting and heartbreaking in an ecosystem split by an artificial barrier.

Vanderplank was among several botanists and citizen scientists participating in the Border Bioblitz near the Mexican community of Jacumé, about 60 miles (100 kilometers) east of Tijuana.

Roughly 1,000 volunteers armed with the iNaturalist app on their smartphones are documenting as many species as possible along the U.S.-Mexico border in May. Uploading photos to the app helps identify plants and animals, and records the coordinates of the location.

The hope is the information could lead to more protections for the region's natural richness, which is overshadowed by news of drug trafficking and migrant smuggling.

On a recent day, Bioblitz volunteers scrutinized a bright yellow blooming carpet of common Goldfields, a sharp contrast to the imposing steel bollards of the border wall topped with rolls of razor wire. Some navigated their way around piles of empty water jugs, a gray hoodie and empty cans of tuna fish left under the branches of native flora like the Tecate Cypress.

“There’s a fabulous amount of biodiversity here that’s traditionally been overlooked,” Vanderplank, of the binational program Baja Rare, said.

The efforts started in response to former President Donald Trump adding hundreds of miles of border walls that toppled untold numbers of saguaro cactuses in Arizona and passed through the biodiversity hotspot of Baja California.

“When the border wall construction began, we realized how little hard data we had, especially when it came to plants and small organisms,” Vanderplank said. “We don’t know what all we could lose.”

Since then, there has been a groundswell of initiatives to document the borderland’s flora and fauna as climate change coupled with habitat loss, pollution and development have hammered the world’s biodiversity. One estimate in 2019 warns that a million plant and animal species face extinction within decades, a rate of loss 1,000 times greater than expected.

The United Nations is expected hold a high-level meeting in Colombia of signatories to the Convention on Biological Diversity in October aiming to protect 30% of land, freshwater and oceans considered important for biodiversity by 2030, known as 30 by 30. Representatives from nearly 200 countries are expected to present plans on how they will meet conservation targets agreed upon in 2022.

Currently, 17% of terrestrial and 10% of marine areas are protected.

Baja California peninsula, which borders California and is home to Tijuana with one of Mexico's highest homicide rates, has more than 4,000 species of plants. A quarter of them are endemic and at least 400 plants are considered rare with little to no protection.

Flora and fauna that have gone extinct or are in danger of disappearing in the U.S., like the California red-legged frog, are thriving south of the border, producing specimens that are being used to bring back populations.

But the region’s crime deters many U.S. scientists from crossing the border. Mexico also is restricting permits for botanists and not allowing seeds to be collected, further curtailing the work, scientists say.

Bioblitz organizers work with local communities and say they take people only to areas deemed safe.

“You have to be really careful because of the violence,” said Jon Rebman, a curator of botany at the San Diego Natural History Museum, who has named 33 new plants for science from the southern California and Baja California region.

“It’s scary from that standpoint, yet those are the areas where we really need more information because there’s hardly any protected area on the south side,” he said.

Using the museum’s collection, Rebman made a list of 15 plant species endemic to Baja California and not seen since being collected nearly a century ago. He created a binational team to find them. So far, they have located 11.

Rebman also discovered two new plants to science in 2021 in a canyon off a Tijuana highway: the new species, Astragalus tijuanensis, and a new variety of the Astragalus brauntonii named lativexillum.

“I was worried they would go extinct before we even got them named,” Rebman said. “That tells you what type of area we’re working in.”

Tijuana-based botanist Mariana Fernandez of Expediciones Botánicas periodically checks on the plants. Working with Rebman, she is pushing Baja California to adopt more protections for its native plants. Currently only a fraction are on Mexico’s federal protection list.

She hopes the state will step in, while she also tries to build support by taking Tijuana residents and Baja officials on hikes.

“People are amazed that these things exist in Tijuana, and I hope to show more and more people so they can see the beauty, because we need that,” Fernandez said. “It’s important to not be impeded by the barriers that humans create.”

As border security increases with the number of people being displaced by natural disasters, violence and wars at record levels worldwide, more migrants are traipsing out to areas like the stretch near Jacumé. The tiny community of about 100 families includes members of the Kumeyaay tribe and sits across the border from an equally sparsely populated desert near the California town of Jacumba Hot Springs. Population: about 1,000.

The area has seen thousands of asylum seekers who wait for an opportunity to cross, usually in the cloak of darkness, and then camp again on the U.S. side after turning themselves in to U.S. Border Patrol agents.

Fernandez was among the botanists helping Bioblitz volunteers on the Mexican side near a crumbling crossing station from the 1920s.

“I never would have thought that there would be so much biodiversity on the border,” said Jocelyn Reyes, a student of Fernandez at La Universidad Autónoma de Baja California who stopped every few feet to hover over a plant and photograph its details. “It’s so interesting and makes you realize there’s so much worth saving.”

A California Horned Lizard is temporary held for classification during a botanical expedition with Universidad Autonoma de Baja California college students documenting native plants and species along the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday, April 19, 2024, in the Ejido Jacume in the Tecate Municipality of Baja California, Mexico. Botanists and citizen scientists armed with the iNaturalist app on their smartphones are recording the biodiversity along the U.S.-Mexico border in May. Called the Border Bioblitz, more than 1,000 volunteers are recording as many species as possible. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Horses walk close to the US Mexico border Friday, April 19, 2024, in the Ejido Jacume in the Tecate Municipality of Baja California, Mexico. Botanists and citizen scientists armed with the iNaturalist app on their smartphones are recording the biodiversity along the U.S.-Mexico border in May. Called the Border Bioblitz, more than 1,000 volunteers are recording as many species as possible. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Dr. Georges Seingier, Prof. Marine and Environmental Sciences at Baja California Autonomous University joins a botanical expedition with Universidad Autonoma de Baja California college students to document native plants along the U.S.- Mexico border on Friday, April 19, 2024, in the Ejido Jacume in the Tecate Municipality of Baja California, Mexico. The group near the Mexican community of Jacume, about (60 miles) 100 kilometers east of Tijuana, is one of several participating in the Border Bioblitz in which more than 1,000 volunteers throughout May record as many species as possible along the U.S.-Mexico border, a region plagued by drug trafficking and migrant smuggling that have overshadowed its natural richness. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

College students, members of Baja California's conservation organization Baja Rare, lead a botanical expedition to document native plants along the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday, April 19, 2024, in the Ejido Jacume in the Tecate municipality of Baja Calif., Mexico. The Baja California peninsula, which borders California and is home to Tijuana, one of the deadliest cities in the world, has more than 4,000 species of plants. According to scientists, a quarter of them are not found anywhere else, and some 200 plants are considered rare with little to no protection. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

A college student joins members of the California's Baja Rare conservation project leading a botanical expedition to document native plants along the U.S.- Mexico border on Friday, April 19, 2024, in the Ejido Jacume in the Tecate Municipality of Baja Calif., Mexico. Since then there has been a groundswell of initiatives to document the borderland's flora and fauna as climate change coupled with habitat loss, pollution and development have hammered the world's biodiversity, with one estimate in 2019 warning that a million plant and animal species face extinction within decades, a rate of loss 1,000 times greater than expected. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Dr. Georges Seingier, Prof. Marine and Environmental Sciences at Baja California Autonomous University leads a botanical expedition with Universidad Autonoma de Baja California botanists and citizen scientists to document native plants along the U.S.- Mexico border on Friday, April 19, 2024, in the Ejido Jacume in the Tecate Municipality of Baja California, Mexico. Since then there has been a groundswell of initiatives to document the borderland's flora and fauna as climate change coupled with habitat loss, pollution and development have hammered the world's biodiversity, with one estimate in 2019 warning that a million plant and animal species face extinction within decades, a rate of loss 1,000 times greater than expected. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Members of the Baja California's conservation Baja Rare project lead a botanical expedition with college students to document native plants along the U.S.-Mexico border on Friday, April 19, 2024, in the Ejido Jacume in the Tecate Municipality of Baja Calif., Mexico. The group near the Mexican community of Jacume, about (60 miles) 100 kilometers east of Tijuana, is one of several participating in the Border Bioblitz in which more than 1,000 volunteers throughout May record as many species as possible along the U.S.-Mexico border, a region plagued by drug trafficking and migrant smuggling that has overshadowed its natural richness. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Lichen grows on native tree branches along the US-Mexico border on Friday, April 19, 2024, in the Ejido Jacume in the Tecate Municipality of Baja California, Mexico. Botanists and citizen scientists armed with the mobile cellphone iNaturalist app are recording the biodiversity along the U.S.-Mexico border in May. The Border Bioblitz has more than 1,000 volunteers recording as many species as possible. Flora and fauna that have gone extinct or are in danger of disappearing in the U.S. have been found to be thriving in remote spots south of the border, producing specimens that can then be used to bring back populations, scientists say. But the region's crime has deterred many U.S. scientists from crossing the border. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Botanists and citizen scientists armed with the iNaturalist app on their smartphones record the biodiversity along the U.S.-Mexico border as bright yellow blooms carpet the ground, a sharp contrast to the imposing steel bollards of the border wall topped with rolls of razor wire as members of the California's Baja Rare project lead a botanical expedition with college students to document native plants along the US Mexico border on Friday, April 19, 2024, in the Ejido Jacume in the Tecate Municipality of Baja Calif., Mexico. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Tijuana-based field botanist Mariana Fernandez of Expediciones Botanicas leads a botanical expedition with college students to document native plants along the U.S.- Mexico border on Friday, April 19, 2024, in the Ejido Jacume in the Tecate Municipality of Baja California, Mexico. Flora and fauna that have gone extinct or are in danger of disappearing in the U.S. have been found to be thriving in remote spots south of the border, producing specimens that can then be used to bring back populations, scientists say. But the region's crime has deterred many U.S. scientists from crossing the border. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Botanists and citizen scientists armed with the iNaturalist app on their smartphones record the biodiversity along the U.S.-Mexico border as bright yellow blooms carpet the ground, a sharp contrast to the imposing steel bollards of the border wall topped with rolls of razor wire along the US Mexico border on Friday, April 19, 2024, near Botanists and citizen scientists armed with the iNaturalist app on their smartphones record the biodiversity along the U.S.-Mexico border as bright yellow blooms carpet the ground, a sharp contrast to the imposing steel bollards of the border wall topped with rolls of razor wire as members of the California's Baja Rare project lead a botanical expedition with college students to document native plants along the US Mexico border on Friday, April 19, 2024, near the Ejido Jacume in the Tecate Municipality of Baja Calif., Mexico. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Bright yellow blooms carpet the ground, a sharp contrast to the imposing steel bollards of the border wall topped with rolls of razor wire as members of the California's Baja Rare conservation project lead a botanical expedition with botanists and citizen scientists to document native plants along the U.S.- Mexico border on Friday, April 19, 2024, in the Ejido Jacume in the Tecate Municipality of Baja Calif., Mexico. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)