AP News Digest 6:15 p.m.

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EDT. Find the AP’s top photos of the day in Today’s Photo Collection. 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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Adds: ELECTION-2024-TRUMP-THE-LATEST; SENATE-REPRODUCTIVE-CARE; TYRE-NICHOLS; KENTUCKY-INTERSTATE-SHOOTING; HAITIAN-IMMIGRANTS-SPRINGFIELD-PHOTO-ESSAY; ELECTION-2024-SUSPICIOUS-PACKAGES; ISRAEL-LEBANON-REMOTE-OPERATIONS; ELECTION 2024-RUSSIA; FBN-DOLPHINS-TAGOVAILOA; BRIDGE-COLLAPSE; COLORADO-SUPERMARKET-SHOOTING

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TOP STORIES

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LEBANON-ISRAEL-EXPLODING-PAGERS — Pagers used by hundreds of members of the militant group Hezbollah have exploded near simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, killing at least nine people – including an 8-year-old girl -- and wounding several thousand, officials said. Hezbollah and the Lebanese government blamed Israel for what appeared to be a sophisticated, remote attack. Among those wounded was Iran’s ambassador to Lebanon. By Bassem Mroue. SENT: 990 words, photos, videos, audio. With EXPLODING-PAGERS-WHAT-T0-KNOW; MIDEAST-TENSIONS-THE-LATEST; ISRAEL-LEBANON-REMOTE-OPERATIONS — Israel has a long history of pulling off complex attacks like the exploding pagers (sent).

ELECTION 2024-TRUMP — Florida law enforcement officials will launch their own criminal investigation into the apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump that will run parallel to the federal probe, Gov. Ron DeSantis announces. The governor said Florida prosecutors will pursue the most serious charges available under state law, including attempted murder, in the state-level investigation into Ryan Wesley Routh, who was charged Monday with federal firearms offenses. By Alanna Durkin Richer and Stephany Matat. SENT: 640 words, photos, videos, audio. With ELECTION-2024-TRUMP-THE-LATEST (sent).

ELECTION-2024 — Vice President Kamala Harris has struck a measured tone, even steering clear of mentioning Donald Trump by name in an interview with Black journalists that starkly contrasted with the former president’s own, highly contentious, recent appearance before the same group. By Will Weissert. SENT: 820 words, photos, audio. Trump event at 7 p.m.

ELECTION 2024-ELON MUSK — Social media posts by X owner Elon Musk are raising concerns that he will use his immense platform to question the legitimacy of the vote in the U.S. presidential election and perhaps call for resistance if Republican nominee Donald Trump loses. By Ali Swenson. SENT: 1,330 words, photo.

FRANCE-RAPE-TRIAL — A 71-year-old French man admitted in court that for nearly a decade, he repeatedly drugged his unwitting wife and invited dozens of men to rape her while she lay unconscious in their bed. His wife of 50 years, who has divorced him since his arrest, also got to speak, telling the court that she feels completely betrayed. By Diane Jeantet. SENT: 1,060 words, photos, videos, audio.

SEXUAL-MISCONDUCT-DIDDY — Sean “Diddy” Combs is headed to jail to await trial in his federal sex trafficking case, after a judge ordered him to be held without bail in a case that accuses him of presiding over a sordid empire of sexual crimes. The music mogul pleaded not guilty to racketeering conspiracy and sex trafficking. The indictment against him also refers obliquely to an attack on his former girlfriend, the R&B singer Cassie, that was captured on video. By Andrew Dalton, Michael R. Sisak and Larry Neumeister. SENT: 1,240 words, photos, videos, audio. With DIDDY-THINGS-TO-KNOW; SEXUAL-MISCONDUCT-SEAN-COMBS-TIMELINE; SEXUAL-MISCONDUCT-DIDDY-THE-LATEST.

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SPOTLIGHTING VOICES

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LITHIUM-DRILLING-ARIZONA-TRIBE — Members of an Arizona tribe are trying to persuade a federal judge to extend a temporary ban on exploratory drilling for a lithium project near lands they have used for religious and cultural ceremonies for centuries. The case is among the latest legal fights pitting Native American tribes and environmentalists against President Joe Biden’s administration as green energy projects encroach on lands that are culturally significant. By Scott Sonner and Gabriel Sandoval. SENT: 720 words, photos.

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MORE NEWS

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TYRE-NICHOLS — A former Memphis police officer has testified that he punched a “helpless” Tyre Nichols at least five times while two colleagues held his arms and said “hit him,” then lied to his supervisor about their use of force in a beating that proved fatal. SENT: 730 words, photos.

KENTUCKY-INTERSTATE-SHOOTING — Authorities shift their strategy while trying to track down an interstate highway shooter in Kentucky, pulling searchers from the woods to bolster patrols in communities near where the gunman opened fire, hitting a dozen vehicles and wounding five people. SENT: 890 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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ELECTION-2024-VANCE — Tensions flared last fall in western Wisconsin’s Chippewa Valley with news that several dozen refugees would be resettled in and around the city of Eau Claire, one of several midsize cities across the U.S. that has grappled with refugee resettlement. The city serves as a backdrop to a campaign rally Tuesday with Republican vice presidential nominee JD Vance, who has heavily focused on immigration and anti-immigrant rhetoric as he and former President Donald Trump campaign for the White House. SENT: 1,230 words, photos.

HAITIAN-IMMIGRANTS-SPRINGFIELD — Ohio have stationed state police at Springfield schools in response to a rash of bomb threats — the vast majority that officials said came from overseas —- after former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance falsely said legal Haitian immigrants in the small city were eating dogs and cats. SENT: 680 words, photos. With HAITIAN-IMMIGRANTS-SPRINGFIELD-PHOTO-ESSAY — Life continues for Ohio community after Trump falsely accused Haitians of eating pets (sent).

ELECTION-2024-HARRIS — Vice President Kamala Harris has decried Republican Donald Trump for inflammatory rhetoric about migrants in Springfield, Ohio, and on other topics, saying voters should make sure he “can’t have that microphone again.” SENT: 1,140 words, photos, video. With ELECTION-2024-HARRIS-ABORTION -- Vice President Kamala Harris says Donald Trump’s role in undoing national abortion rights is to blame for the death of Amber Thurman. (sent).

SENATE-REPRODUCTIVE-CARE — Republicans have blocked for a second time this year legislation to establish a nationwide right to in vitro fertilization, arguing that the vote is an election-year stunt after Democrats forced a vote on the issue. SENT: 680 words, photo, audio.

ELECTION 2024-RUSSIA — A new Microsoft report details how Russia-linked actors are now going full throttle in their covert influence efforts against Kamala Harris. SENT: 930 words, photo.

ELECTION-2024-SUSPICIOUS-PACKAGES — The FBI and U.S. Postal Service are investigating suspicious packages that have been sent to or received by elections officials in more than 10 states, but there were no immediate reports that any of the packages contained hazardous material. SENT: 810 words, photos.

CONGRESS-BUDGET — House Speaker Mike Johnson will move ahead with a temporary spending bill that would prevent a partial government shutdown when the new budget year begins on Oct. 1, despite the headwinds that prompted him to pull the bill from consideration last week. SENT: 610 words, photos.

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NATIONAL

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BRIDGE-COLLAPSE — The families of the six construction workers killed in the collapse of Maryland’s Francis Scott Key Bridge plan to file legal claims against the owner and manager of the container ship that lost power and struck the bridge. SENT: 870 words, photos.

COLORADO-SUPERMARKET-SHOOTING — The father of a mentally ill man who killed 10 people at a Colorado supermarket has testified at his murder trial that he thought his son may have been possessed by an evil spirit before the attack. SENT: 510 word, photo.

TITANIC-TOURIST-SUB — A key employee who labeled a doomed experimental submersible unsafe prior to its last, fatal voyage testified Tuesday that the tragedy could have been prevented if a federal safety agency had investigated his complaint. SENT: 1,060 words, photos, video, audio.

JEFFREY-EPSTEIN-MAXWELL-TRIAL — A U.S. court upheld disgraced British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell’s conviction on sex trafficking charges for helping the late financier Jeffrey Epstein abuse underage girls. SENT: 500 words, photo.

TROPICAL-WEATHER -- The Carolinas brace for a storm that forecasters warned could bring heavy rain — as much as 6 to 8 inches in some spots. But one narrow band got a “firehose” that dumped as much as 20 inches in a so-called 1,000-year flood that shocked many with its intensity. SENT: 850 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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KASHMIR-INDIA-ELECTION — In Indian-controlled Kashmir, many people boycotted elections for decades in protest against Indian rule. But in the run-up to the local election beginning Wednesday, many are willing to buck that trend and use their vote to deny Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party the power to form a local government in the disputed region. SENT: 1,060 words, photos.

MALI-EXPLOSIONS — Islamic militants have attacked a military training camp and other locations in Mali’s capital Tuesday, sparking deadly gunbattles and the temporary closure of a nearby airport before troops were able to subdue the assailants, officials said. No details of casualties were immediately released. SENT: 620 words, photos, audio.

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BUSINESS/ TECH

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INSTAGRAM-TEEN-ACCOUNTS -- Instagram is introducing separate teen accounts for those under 18 as it tries to make the platform safer for children amid a growing backlash against how social media affects young people’s lives. SENT: 1,010 words, photos. With SOCIAL MEDIA-PARENT TIPS -- Keeping children safe on social media: What parents should know to protect their kids. (sent-story originally moved on 6/17/24).

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ENTERTAINMENT

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ENT-MUSIC-WHITNEY-HOUSTON-CONCERT-FILM — Whitney Houston’s epic concert in South Africa staged after President Nelson Mandela’s landmark election will be hitting theater screens this fall. Houston’s performance in 1994 has been turned into a fully-remastered theatrical release called “The Concert for a New South Africa (Durban).” SENT: 500 words, photo.

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SPORTS

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FBN-DOLPHINS-TAGOVAILOA — The Miami Dolphins have placed Tua Tagovailoa on injured reserve after the quarterback was diagnosed with his third concussion in two years. Tagovailoa will be sidelined for at least four games. He will be eligible to return in Week 8 when the Dolphins host Arizona, but has to complete a series of tests and assessments required by the NFL’s concussion protocol before he can return to the field. SENT: 620 words, photos.

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HOW TO REACH US

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A man carries a fire extinguisher and seeks on the phone while a metalworking warehouse burns in Sever do Vouga, a town in northern Portugal that has been surrounded by forest fires, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Bruno Fonseca)

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (5) celebrates his touchdown with teammate Chris Lindstrom (63) during the second half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Smoke rises from fire in the environmentally protected area of Brasilia National Park during the dry season in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. The head of the agency that manages protected areas, Mauro Pires, told the local press that the fire is man-made and appears to have started near the edge of the presidency's official countryside residence. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A firefighter attempts to put out a forest fire spreading in the environmentally protected area of Brasilia National Park during the dry season in Brasilia, Brazil, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. Mauro Pires, the head of the agency that manages protected areas, told the local press that the fire is man-made and appears to have started near the edge of the presidency's official countryside residence. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A pipeline with a giant plume of fire burns Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in La Porte, Texas. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

A firefighter directs a line of water around a fire on a pipeline carrying liquified natural gas near Spencer Highway and Summerton on Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in La Porte, Texas. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via AP)

FILE - Israeli soldiers move next to destroyed buildings following Israeli strikes during a ground operation in the Gaza Strip, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Leo Correa, File)

Law enforcement officials work outside of the Trump International Golf Club after the apparent assassination attempt of Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

Weather forecasters sometimes warn of storms that unleash such unusual rain they are described as 100-year or even 500-year floods.

Here’s what to know about how scientists determine how extreme a flood is and how common these extreme events are becoming.

Scientists use math to help people understand how unusual a severe flood is and how to compare the intensity of one flood to another.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, one statistic scientists use is the percentage chance that a flood of a specific magnitude will happen. A 500-year flood means such an event has a 1 in 500 chance, or 0.2%, of occurring in a year.

Another concept scientists use is how frequently an event of a certain intensity is expected. For example, a meteorologist can look at the average recurrence interval of an anticipated flood and see that a similar event is only expected once every 25 years.

Agencies have preferred expressing the percent chance of a flood occurring rather than the recurrence interval because that statistic better represents the fact that rare floods can happen within a few years of each other. It's sort of like rolling a pair of dice and getting double six's twice in a row. It's rare, but statistically possible.

Another term people hear during an impending flood is that it could be a once-in-a-generation or once-in-a-lifetime event, a casual way of saying a flood could be unlike anything many people have experienced.

Houston, Texas, was struck by three 500-year flood events from 2015 through 2017, according to local officials at the time. The events included Hurricane Harvey, the heaviest recorded rainfall ever in the U.S. Homes and businesses were destroyed and cars were swept away by the floods.

Although math can calculate how often to expect floods of specific magnitudes, nature has its own plans, including irregularity. Many interconnected systems in the environment, such as local weather patterns and larger events like El Nino, can contribute to the changing likelihood of floods.

Since the early 1900s, precipitation events have become heavier and more frequent across most of the U.S. and flooding is becoming a bigger issue, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Gases emitted by humans, like carbon dioxide and methane, are warming the atmosphere, allowing it to hold more water vapor. For every 1 degree of Fahrenheit that the temperature warms, the atmosphere can hold nearly 4% more water, which is a 7% increase for every 1 degree Celsius, said Victor Gensini, professor of atmospheric sciences at Northern Illinois University. That vapor eventually falls back to the ground as rain or snow. “We’ve absolutely seen a shift in the probability distribution of heavy rainfall over the last three decades,” Gensini said.

Other regions have experienced drought due to changing precipitation patterns. According to NASA, major droughts and periods of excessive precipitation have been occurring more frequently. Globally, the intensity of extreme wet and dry events is closely linked to global warming.

This story has been corrected to show that the three 500-year flood events in Houston took place over three years, not 24 months. It has also been corrected to show that the origin of the calculations about 500-year flood events in Houston were from local officials, not researchers at the University of Chicago.

Seth Borenstein contributed to this report from Washington, D.C.

The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

FILE - Cars are submerged on a freeway flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey near downtown Houston, Texas, on Aug. 27, 2017. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel, File)