AP News Digest 6 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.

————————————————-

WEEKEND COVERAGE

————————————————-

For weekend stories, please click here for the Weekend Lookahead digest.

ADDS: UNITED-STATES-CHINA-BLINKEN; MORGAN-WALLEN-ARRESTED, COACHELLA-MUSIC-FESTIVAL-PHOTO-GALLERY; OBIT-GABRIEL; CONGRESS-UKRAINE-GLANCE; OBIT-DAVID PRYOR

————————————————

NEW & DEVELOPING

—————————————————

——————————

TOP STORIES

——————————

CONGRESS-UKRAINE — The House has approved a $95 billion package of foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies after months of turmoil on Capitol Hill. Congressional leaders pushed aside opposition from hard-right conservatives to complete the bill in a rare Saturday session. The whole package will go to the Senate, which could pass it as soon as Tuesday. By Stephen Groves and Lisa Mascaro. SENT: 1,070 words, photos. With CONGRESS-UKRAINE-GLANCE (sent)

CONGRESS-TIK-TOK — The House passes legislation that would ban TikTok in the United States if the popular social media platform’s China-based owner doesn’t sell its stake within a year, but don’t expect the app to go away anytime soon. By Mary Clare Jalonick and Haleluya Hadero. SENT: 900 words, photos.

MIDEAST-TENSIONS-MILITARY-MIGHT — Israel demonstrated its military dominance over Iran in its apparent precision strikes, meeting little significant challenge from Iran’s defenses and providing the world with new insights into both militaries’ capabilities. Experts note that Iran did not bring to the battle its allied armed groups in the region that could strain Israel’s defenses in a multifront conflict. By Ellen Knickmeyer. SENT: 970 words, photos.

BIDEN-GLOBAL-CHALLENGES -- President Biden can perhaps breathe a bit easier given that Israel and Iran seem to have stepped back for now from tipping the Middle East into all-out war. But the situation situation remains a delicate one for Biden as he gears up his reelection effort in the face of headwinds in the Middle East, Russia and the Indo-Pacific. All are testing the proposition that the Democrat made to voters during his 2020 campaign that a Biden White House would bring a measure of calm and renewed respect for the United States on the world stage. By Aamer Madhani. SENT: 1,270 words, photos.

SUPREME-COURT-HOMELESS-CAMPING-BANS -- The most significant case in decades on homelessness has reached the Supreme Court as record numbers of people in America are without a permanent place to live. The justices on Monday will consider a challenge to rulings that found punishing people for sleeping outside when shelter space is lacking amounts to unconstitutional cruel and unusual punishment. A political cross-section of cities in California and across the West argue the decision has restricted them from “common sense” measures intended to keep homeless encampments from taking over public parks and sidewalks. SENT: 910 words, photos.

EDUCATION-UNIVERSAL-PRESCHOOL — No state has a more ambitious plan for universal preschool than California, which plans to extend eligibility for “transitional kindergarten” to all 4-year-olds by fall 2025. But not all schools hosting transitional kindergarten offer child care before or after instruction. By Cheyanne Mumphrey. SENT: 1,090 words, photos. Eds: This is the Sunday Spotlight.

————————————————

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

————————————————

ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS — Gaza hospital officials say an Israeli airstrike on a home in the territory’s southernmost city of Rafah has killed at least nine people, six of them children. SENT: 820 words, photos, video, audio.

MIDEAST-TENSIONS — Iraqi authorities say they are investigating an explosion that struck a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, overnight, killing one person and injuring eight. Militia officials initially described the explosion at the Kalsu military base north of Babylon - a former US base that was handed over to the Iraqi military in 2011 - as an airstrike, blaming it on U.S. forces. SENT: 320 words, photos. WITH: MIDEAST-TENSIONS-SATELLITE -- Satellite image analyzed by AP shows damage after Iranian attack on Israeli desert air base. SENT: 400 words, photos.

—————————————————

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR

—————————————————

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Ukraine has launched a barrage of drones across Russia overnight in attacks that appeared to target the country’s energy infrastructure. SENT: 500 words, photos.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR-KHARKIV ATTACKS — Russia is exploiting air defense shortages in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region by targeting civilian infrastructure and communities to drive away residents. Some believe Moscow is preparing for a summer offensive in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city. SENT: 1,070, photos, video.

———————————

MORE NEWS

———————————

OBIT-GABRIEL — Roman Gabriel, the former North Carolina State quarterback who was the 1969 NFL MVP with the Los Angeles Rams, has died. SENT: 200 words.

COACHELLA-MUSIC-FESTIVAL-PHOTO-GALLERY — Thousands of fans flocked to the Southern California desert town of Indio this year for the Coachella Valley Music Festival, now on its second of two weekends. SENT: 190 words, photos.

FINLAND-AI-COFFEE — An artisan roastery based in the Finnish capital has introduced a coffee blend that has been developed by artificial intelligence. SENT: 460 words, photos.

POND-SKIMMING — The wacky spring tradition of pond skimming is happening this month at ski resorts across the country. People ski in pajamas, dressed as movie characters, holding fishing rods or shirtless, hoping to gain enough downhill momentum to skim clear across the water. SENT: 420 words, photos.

MARYLAND-BRIDGE-COLLAPSE — A third temporary channel for boats to access the Port of Baltimore has opened as workers keep removing debris from the Francis Scott Key Bridge. SENT: 260 words, photo.

MORGAN-WALLEN-ARRESTED — Country music star Morgan Wallen says he’s “not proud” of his behavior and accepts responsibility after being charged following accusations that he threw a chair off the rooftop of a six-story bar. SENT: 320 words, photos.

BBA-YANKEES-STERLING — John Sterling was honored during an on-field ceremony following his retirement as a New York Yankees broadcaster for 36 seasons. SENT: 390 words, photos.

———————————————————

WASHINGTON/POLITICS

———————————————————

CONGRESS-FBI-SURVEILLANCE — The U.S. Senate has voted to reauthorize a key U.S. surveillance law after divisions over whether the FBI should be restricted from using the program to search for Americans’ data nearly forced the statute to lapse. SENT: 880 words, photos.

TRUMP-HUSH-MONEY-COCOON — Donald Trump was forced to sit inside a frigid New York courtroom and listen to a parade of potential jurors in his criminal hush money trial share their unvarnished assessments of him. It’s been a dramatic departure for a former president accustomed to spending his days in a cocoon of cheering crowds and constant adulation. SENT: 1,340 words, photos.

ELECTION-2024-TRUMP -- On a weekend reprieve from the courtroom, Donald Trump plans a rally in North Carolina as he juggles his legal troubles and his rematch against President Joe Biden. SENT: 710 words, photos. Trump expected to speak at 7 p.m.

MELANIA-TRUMP-FUNDRAISER — Former first lady Melania Trump is making a return to her husband’s presidential campaign with a rare political appearance after months of being absent from Donald Trump’s latest run for the White House. SENT: 540 words, photos.

UNITED-STATES-CHINA-BLINKEN — Secretary of State Antony Blinken will travel to China this coming week as Washington and Beijing try to keep ties on an even keel despite major differences on issues from the path to peace in the Middle East to the supply of synthetic opioids that have heightened fears over global stability. SENT: 570 words, photos.

ELECTION-2024-HOUSE -- Mark Houck’s campaign to unseat Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick in Pennsylvania’s GOP primary could offer hints about swing-district party sentiment in a heated presidential election year. SENT: 1,250 words, photos.

ELECTION 2024-REPUBLICANS-WYOMING — Republicans in Wyoming have awarded former President Donald Trump all 29 of their national delegates in a presidential preference poll. SENT: 190 words, photos.

OBIT-DAVID PRYOR — David Pryor, a former Arkansas governor and U.S. senator who was one of the state’s most beloved and active political figures, has died at the age of 89. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.

—————————

NATIONAL

—————————

REL-PASSOVER-EXPLAINER -- Passover is a major Jewish holiday, celebrated over seven or eight days each year. It commemorates the exodus of ancient Israelites from slavery in Egypt, as recounted in the Bible. This year, for many Jews, the holiday’s mood will be impacted by somber factors related to Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and the rise of antisemitic incidents elsewhere. SENT: 630 words, photo.

RECORD-STORE-DAY-EXPLAINER — Record Store Day celebrates independent retail music sellers who have endured long after megastores like Tower Records closed. The holiday invented at a gathering of independent record store owners and employees in 2007 will be observed Saturday. SENT: 1,000 words, photos, video.

VOTING RIGHTS-NEW YORK — A new voting rights law in New York is already having a dramatic effect, with lawsuits in several local communities seeking to reverse decades of minority voter disenfranchisement. The cases help dispel a long-standing narrative that racial voting discrimination happens only in the South or in deeply Republican states. SENT: 1,130 words, photos.

LEGAL-MARIJUANA-SOCIAL-EQUITY — A major argument for legalizing the adult use of cannabis after 75 years of prohibition was to stop the harm caused by disproportionate enforcement of drug laws in Black, Latino and other minority communities. But efforts to help those most affected participate in the newly legal sector have been halting. Legal adult use has spread to 24 states.. SENT: 1,230 words, photos, video.

—————————————

INTERNATIONAL

—————————————

MEXICO-SERIAL-KILLER? — Mexico City police say they are investigating a murder suspect as a possible serial killer after bones, a saw, blood and the ID cards of missing women were found at a room he rented. Mexico City prosecutors did not identify the suspect by name but said late Friday that he was being held over for trial on charges of murder and attempted murder of two women. SENT: 410 words.

THAILAND-MYANMAR — Officials in Thailand say about 1,300 people have fled from eastern Myanmar into Thailand as fresh fighting erupted at a border town that has recently been captured by ethnic guerillas. SENT: 410 words, photos.

HAITI-CAPITAL-REVIVAL — Haiti’s former capital seeks to revive its hey-day as gang violence consumes Port-au-Prince. SENT: 880 words, photos.

————————

BUSINESS

————————

PREGNANT-WORKERS-WHAT-TO-KNOW -- Pregnant workers have the right to a wide range of accommodations under new federal regulations for enforcing the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission adopted an expansive view of conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth in its proposed regulations. SENT: 1,250 words, photos.

———————

SPORTS

———————

NHL-COMES-TO-UTAH — It may look like an NHL team has just fallen into Salt Lake City’s lap. But local organizers say the Arizona Coyotes’ relocation to Utah is the product of a yearslong effort to beckon professional hockey and other elite sports to the capital city. SENT: 880 words, photos.

———————————————

HOW TO REACH US

———————————————

The Nerve Center 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.

Volkswagen automobile plant employee Robert Crump, left, hi-fives fellow employee Kelvin Allen as they watch the results of a UAW union vote, late Friday, April 19, 2024, in Chattanooga, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, left, is challenged by Cadiz's Javi Hernandez during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Cadiz and Barcelona in Cadiz, Spain, Saturday, April 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

Pope Francis arrives for an audience with pilgrims coming from various Italian dioceses on the occasion of the bicentenary of the death of Pope Pius VII, in the Paul VI Hall, at the Vatican, Saturday, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)

A Palestinian man sits while mourning his relative killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip at the morgue of the Kuwaiti Hospital in Rafah refugee camp, southern Gaza Strip, early Saturday, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ismael Abu Dayyah)

Barcelona's Salma Paralluelo reacts after failing to score during the women's Champions League semifinals, first leg, soccer match between FC Barcelona and Chelsea FC at the Olympic Stadium, in Barcelona, Spain, Saturday, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)

PHOENIX (AP) — A judge on Friday rejected an effort by GOP lawmakers to use the term “unborn human being” to refer to a fetus in the pamphlet that Arizona voters will use to weigh a ballot measure that would expand abortion access in the state.

Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Christopher Whitten said the wording the legislative council suggested is “packed with emotion and partisan meaning” and asked for what he called more “neutral” language. The measure aims to expand abortion access from 15 weeks to 24 weeks – the point at which a fetus can survive outside the womb.

It would allow exemptions to save the woman’s life or to protect her physical or mental health. It would also prevent the state from adopting or enforcing laws that would forbid access to the procedure.

Arizona House Speaker Ben Toma, who is a co-chair of the legislative council, said the group will appeal the court’s decision to the state Supreme Court.

“The ruling is just plain wrong and clearly partisan,” said Toma, a Republican.

The State Supreme Court has until Aug. 27 to rule on the appeal for the language to be changed.

Aaron Thacker, communications director for Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, noted that the final decision on the ballot itself remains in the air.

“There’s still a lot of scenarios at play," he said. "Even after the secretary certifies the signatures, the courts have to decide if counties can put it on the ballot or not."

Arizona for Abortion Access, the organization leading the ballot measure campaign, sued the council earlier this month over the suggested language and advocated for the term “fetus,” which the council rejected.

Attorney General Kris Mayes wrote in a motion to submit an amicus brief that “fetus" and “pregnancy” are both neutral terms that the council could adopt.

“It’s incredibly important to us that Arizona voters get to learn more about and weigh our measure in objective and accurate terminology,” said Dawn Penich, communications director for the abortion access group.

Democrats have centered abortion rights in their campaigns in this year’s elections. Organizers in five other states have also proposed similar measures that would codify abortion access in their state constitutions: Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Nevada and South Dakota.

Arizona organizers submitted more than double the amount of signatures needed for the measure to appear on the ballot.

FILE - Arizona abortion-rights supporters deliver over 800,000 petition signatures to the capitol to get abortion rights on the November general election ballot July 3, 2024, in Phoenix. A judge on Friday, July 26, rejected an effort by GOP lawmakers to use the term “unborn human being” to refer to a fetus in the pamphlet that Arizona voters will use to decide on a ballot measure that would expand abortion access in the state. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File)