AP News Digest 2:05 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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WEEKEND COVERAGE

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

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TOP STORIES

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ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS —Israeli strikes on the southern Gaza city of Rafah overnight killed 22 people, including 18 children, health officials say as the United States was on track to approve billions of dollars of additional military aid to its close ally. Israel has carried out near-daily air raids on Rafah, where more than half of Gaza’s population of 2.3 million has sought refuge from fighting elsewhere. By Mohammad Jahjouh and Samy Magdy. SENT: 820 words, photos, video, audio.

RUSSIA-UKRAINE-WAR — Ukrainian and Western leaders have welcomed a desperately needed aid package passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, as the Kremlin warned that passage of the bill would “further ruin” Ukraine and cause more deaths. Ukrainian leaders and analysts say the long-awaited $61 billion military aid package — including $13.8 billion for Ukraine to buy weapons — will help slow Russia’s incremental advances in the war’s third year — but that more will likely be needed for Kyiv to regain the offensive. By Samya Kullab and Elise Morton. SENT: 1,200 words, photos, audio. WITH: CONGRESS-UKRAINE — The House passes billions in aid for Ukraine and Israel after months of struggle. Next is the Senate (sent).

TRUMP-HUSH-MONEY-WHO’S-WHO — Donald Trump’s hush money criminal trial shifts to opening statements followed by the start of witness testimony. A jury of seven men and five women, plus six alternates, was picked last week. The trial centers on allegations the former president falsified his company’s internal records to obscure the true nature of reimbursement payments to his former fixer and lawyer Michael Cohen, who arranged hush money payments to bury negative stories about him during his 2016 presidential race. SENT: 890 words, photos, video.

ELECTION-2024-RNC-LAWSUIT — As President Joe Biden and Donald Trump step up their campaigning in swing states, a quieter battle is taking place in the shadows of their White House rematch. The Republican National Committee, newly reconstituted under Trump, has filed election-related lawsuits in nearly half the states. Recent lawsuits over voter roll maintenance in Michigan and Nevada are part of a larger strategy targeting various aspects of voting and election administration. By Christine Fernando. SENT: 1,220 words, photos, audio.

HAITI-SURVIVAL MODE — Life in Port-au-Prince has become a game of survival, pushing Haitians to new limits as they scramble to stay safe and alive while gangs overwhelm the police and the government remains largely absent. Some are installing metal barricades. Others press hard on the gas while driving near gang-controlled areas. The few who can afford it stockpile water, food, money and medication, supplies of which have dwindled since the main international airport closed in early March. By Dánica Coto. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.

HAWAII WILDFIRES-VACATION RENTALS — An acute housing shortage hitting fire survivors on the Hawaiian island of Maui is squeezing out residents even as they try to overcome the loss of loved ones, their homes and their community. The situation is prompting state lawmakers to consider giving counties the authority to phase out vacation rentals. By Audrey McAvoy. SENT: 990 words, photos, audio. Eds: This is the Monday Spotlight.

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ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

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MIDEAST-TENSIONS — Iran’s supreme leader on Sunday dismissed any discussion of whether Tehran’s unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel hit anything there, a tacit acknowledgment that despite launching a massive assault, few projectiles actually made through to their targets. SENT: 390 words, photo.

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MORE NEWS

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BIRTHDAY PARTY CRASH — A young brother and sister died and several people were injured, some of them seriously, when a vehicle driven by a suspected drunken driver crashed into a young child’s birthday party, a Michigan sheriff says. SENT: 240 words, photos.

FATAL-SHOOTING-MEMPHIS — Eight people were shot, including two men who were killed, at an unauthoritized public party over the weekend in a Memphis city park, police say. SENT: 250 words, audio.

OBIT-ANDREW-DAVIS — Andrew Davis, an acclaimed British conductor who was music director of the Lyric Opera of Chicago and orchestras on three continents, has died. He was 80. SENT: 600 words, photo.

ARKANSAS-OFFICERS-VIOLENT ARREST — A second former Arkansas law enforcement officer has pleaded guilty to violating the civil rights of a man he repeatedly punched during a violent arrest in 2022 that was caught on video and shared widely. SENT: 330 words, photo.

FILM-BOX-OFFICE — “Civil War,” Alex Garland’s ominous American dystopia, remained the top film in theaters in its second week of release. SENT: 610 words, photos.

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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

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REL-WELLNESS-BLACK-BUDDHIST-LAMA — Lama Rod Owens describes himself as a Black Buddhist Southern Queen. The Harvard Divinity school-educated lama and yoga teacher blends his training in Tibetan Buddhism with experiences from his life as a Black, queer man. He was raised in the South by his mother, a pastor at a Christian church. Owens is seen as an influential voice in a new generation of Buddhist teachers and is respected for his work on the intersection of social change, identity and spiritual practice. SENT: 1,130 words, photos, video.

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WASHINGTON

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ELECTION-2024-BIDEN-INSULIN-PRICES — President Joe Biden frequently cites insulin prices as he promotes a $35 price cap for Americans with diabetes who are on Medicare. Roughly 8.4 million people use insulin, and more than 1 million have Type 1 diabetes and could die without regular access to the medication. The White House says nearly 4 million older people qualify for the new lower price, which Biden says compares with up to $400 monthly before. SENT: 1,170 words, photos.

ELECTION-2924-BIDEN-TRAVEL — It’s no simple matter to move the commander in chief from point A to B, and it’s even more complicated when the president is seeking a second term. President Joe Biden recently spent three days in Pennsylvania, a pivotal state in the 2024 campaign, and he plans to be in Virginia and Florida this coming week. The Democratic incumbent is seeking an edge over Republican Donald Trump as he ramps up his travels around the country. SENT: 750 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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ILLICIT MARIJUANA OPERATIONS-MAINE — Federal law enforcement officials have brought charges against a man accused of creating an illicit marijuana-growing operation off the beaten path in rural Maine. The bust of the home marked the latest example of what authorities describe as a years-long trend of individuals trying to exploit U.S. state laws that have legalized cannabis to produce marijuana and sell it in states where it’s illegal. SENT: 640 words, photos.

SUPERBLOOM-EXPLAINER — Carpets of yellow, orange and gold flowers are beginning to cover stretches of Southern California’s vast deserts, the Bay Area’s dramatic bluffs and even the fields near Los Angeles International Airport. But they don’t quite make for a “superbloom” like the one seen across the Southwest last year. SENT: 580 words, photos.

CHEROKEES-MEDICAL-MARIJUANA — Medical marijuana can now be legally purchased in North Carolina with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians opening its long-planned dispensary this weekend on tribal land. SENT: 480 words.

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INTERNATIONAL

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ARGENTINA-TAKING-ON-NARCOS — A river port city in Argentina was once well-known as the birthplace of soccer superstar Lionel Messi and revolutionary Ernesto “Che” Guevara. But in recent years it has grown notorious as a drug-trafficking hub with an escalating homicide rate five times the national average. The dangers reached new heights last month when narco-gangs went on a deadly rampage in Rosario targeting civilians in retaliation for government efforts to crack down on incarcerated kingpins. The wave of bloodshed presents an early test to the security agenda of populist President Javier Milei. By Isabel Debre and Almudena Calatrava. SENT: 1,280 words, photos.

CAMBODIA-CHINA — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has arrived in Cambodia for a three-day official visit to reaffirm ties with Beijing’s closest ally in Southeast Asia. His visit is the last stop on a three-nation regional swing that also took him to Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. SENT: 680 words, photos.

BRITAIN-POLITICS — A British lawmaker who allegedly used campaign funds to pay off people who were holding him hostage said Sunday that he wouldn’t seek reelection after the governing Conservative Party found his behavior fell below the standard expected of members of Parliament. SENT: 500 words, photo.

ECUADOR SECURITY REFERENDUM — Ecuadorians have headed to the polls in a referendum touted by the country’s fledgling leader as a way to crack down on criminal gangs behind a spiraling wave of violence. SENT: 330 words, photos, video.

POLAND-ELECTION — Polish voters are casting ballots to choose mayors in hundreds of cities and towns where no candidate won outright in the first round of voting two weeks ago. SENT: 200 words, photos.

KOSOVO-SERBS-REFERENDUM — Residents of four Serb-majority municipalities are casting their votes on removing their ethnic Albanian mayors from office following last year’s mayoral elections, overwhelmingly boycotted by the Serb minority. SENT: 510 words, photos.

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CLIMATE

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EARTH-DAY-GROCERY-SHOPPING — The global theme for Earth Day on Monday is planet vs. plastic. The environmental movement is calling for “the end of plastics for the sake of human and planetary health.” People are increasingly breathing, eating and drinking tiny particles of plastic, and millions of tons of plastic wind up in the ocean each year. SENT: 1,040 words, photos, video.

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BUSINESS

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UAW-THE-SOUTH — The United Auto Workers’ overwhelming election victory at a Volkswagen plant in Tennessee is giving the union hope that it can make broader inroads in the South, the least unionized part of the country. The UAW won a stunning 73% of the vote at VW after losing elections in 2014 and 2019. It was the union’s first win in a Southern assembly plant owned by a foreign automaker. SENT: 840 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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LAKERS-NUGGETS — Nikola Jokic had 32 points and 12 rebounds, and the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets powered past LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 114-103 in their Western Conference playoff opener. Two other Nuggets posted double-doubles — Jamal Murray (22 points, 10 assists) and Aaron Gordon (12 points, 11 rebounds) — and Michael Porter Jr. came close with 19 points and eight boards. James scored 27 points for L.A. and Anthony Davis had 32 points and 14 rebounds, but the Lakers lost to the Nuggets for the ninth consecutive time and Denver handed James just his fourth loss in 17 first-round openers. SENT: 850 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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At the Nerve Center, Vincent K. Willis 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.

Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya crosses the finish line to win the women's race at the London Marathon in London, Sunday, April 21, 2024.(AP Photo/David Cliff)

Volkswagen automobile plant employee Vicky Holloway becomes emotional as she celebrates after employees voted to join the UAW union Friday, April 19, 2024, in Chattanooga, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Royal Canadian Navy Cmdr. Meghan Coates, center, speaks to Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, left, and Poland's President Andrzej Duda, right, in the operations room aboard the vessel HMCS Regina at Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt, in Esquimalt, British Columbia, Saturday, April 20, 2024. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

Neighbors raise a metal gate as they work to install it as a barricade against gangs, in the Petion-Ville neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, April 20, 2024. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)

A Chinese sailor stands guard at the entrance to the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA)'s naval submarine academy during a tour arranged for foreign journalists, a day before the opening of the West Pacific Naval Symposium in Qingdao in eastern China's Shandong province, Sunday, April 21, 2024. Established in 1953, the Academy has trained more than 100,000 naval officers and sailors for the Chinese navy and over 80 percent of submarine staff graduate or were trained here, according to China's official People's Daily. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

A woman holds a "Free Azov" sign during a rally aiming to raise awareness on the fate of Ukrainian prisoners of war in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, April 21, 2024. The U.S. House of Representatives swiftly approved $95 billion in foreign aid for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies in a rare Saturday session as Democrats and Republicans banded together after months of hard-right resistance over renewed American support for repelling Russia's invasion. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Relatives mourn over the body of a Palestinian man, draped in the Islamic Jihad militant group flags, during his funeral in the Nur Shams refugee camp, near the West Bank town of Tulkarem, Sunday, April 21, 2024. The Palestinian Red Crescent rescue service said 14 bodies have been recovered from the Nur Shams urban refugee camp since an Israeli military operation began in the area Thursday night. The Islamic Jihad militant group confirmed the deaths of three members. Another killed was a 15-year-old boy. The Israeli army said its forces killed 10 militants in the camp and surrounding areas while eight suspects were arrested. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

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)