AP News Digest 6 p.m.

Here are the AP’s latest coverage plans, top stories and promotable content. All times EST. 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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FBN--COMMANDERS-DANIELS; ELECTION-2024-TRUMP-CASES; ELECTION-2024-TRUMP-PHOTO-GALLERY; CALIFORNIA-WINDS-WILDFIRES; DEATH-PENALTY-ALABAMA; TRUMP; ELECTION-2024-VOTING; SOUTH-AFRICA-PRINCE-WILLIAM; BBO-FERNANDO-VALENZUELA-FUNERAL; GERMANY-POLITICS; MED-BRITAIN-MPOX; ELECTION-2024-DEMOCRATS; ELECTION-2024-HARRIS-CONCESSION-SPEECH:-PHOTO-COLLECTION; ELECTION 2024-DEMOCRACY; ELECTION 2024-SUPREME COURT; ELECTION 2024-GENDER GAP.

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TOP STORIES

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ELECTION-2024 — Donald Trump was elected the 47th president of the United States, an extraordinary comeback for a former president who refused to accept defeat four years ago, sparked a violent insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, was convicted of felony charges and survived two assassination attempts. By Zeke Miller, Michelle L. Price, Will Weissert and Jill Colvin. SENT: 1,740 words, photos, videos, audio. Also sent: ELECTION-2024-THE-LATEST; TRUMP-CERTIFICATION — Donald Trump’s presidential win is going to be certified in Congress in January by Vice President Kamala Harris; TRUMP-MAKING-HISTORY — Four ways Donald Trump’s reelection is historic; ELECTION-2024-TRUMP-CASES — Special counsel evaluating how to wind down two federal cases against Trump after presidential win; TRUMP — Trump receives post-election congratulatory calls and an invitation to the White House; ELECTION-2024-VOTING — Trump reverted to familiar playbook, sowing doubts about the voting until results showed him winning; ELECTION-2024-TRUMP-PHOTO-GALLERY. Find a selection of election photos in AP Newsroom.

HARRIS — Kamala Harris says that “we must accept the results of this election” as she encouraged supporters to continue fighting for their vision of the country after her loss to Donald Trump. The Democratic vice president said the battle would continue “in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square.” By Chris Megerian. SENT: 790 words, photos. Also sent: ELECTION-2024-HARRIS-CONCESSION-SPEECH:-PHOTO-COLLECTION.

ELECTION 2024-CONGRESS — Republicans have taken control of the U.S. Senate and are fighting to keep their majority in the U.S. House, which would produce a full sweep of GOP power in Congress alongside President-elect Donald Trump in the White House. A unified Republican grip on Washington would set the course for Trump’s agenda. Or if Democrats wrest control of the House, it would provide an almost certain backstop, with veto power over the White House. By Lisa Mascaro and Mary Clare Jalonick. SENT: 1,170 words, photos, video, audio.

ELECTION-2024-TRUMP-POLICY — Donald Trump has promised sweeping action in a second administration. But his proposals are more complicated than that sounds and often lack specifics. For example, his approach would not only crack down on illegal immigration but curtail immigration overall. He rails against federal rules, but his policies could often lead to more rather than less federal power. By Bill Barrow. SENT: 1,710 words, photos. Also sent: ELECTION-2024-CLIMATE-POLICY — The election of Donald Trump as president for a second time and the Republican takeback of the U.S. Senate could undo many of the national climate policies.

ELECTION-2024-MIDEAST-WARS — Donald Trump will return to the presidency at a time of unprecedented conflict and uncertainty in the Middle East. He has vowed to fix it. While he has a history of strong support for Israel, his insistence during the campaign that the war in Gaza should end quickly, the isolationist forces in the Republican party and Trump’s penchant for unpredictability all raise a mountain of questions over how his second presidency will affect the region at this pivotal moment. By Tia Goldenberg. SENT: 1,200 words, photos. Also sent: MIDEAST-WARS — Lebanese rescuers pulled 30 bodies out of the rubble; MIDEAST-WARS-THE-LATEST.

FINANCIAL-MARKETS — U.S. stocks stormed to records as investors bet on what Donald Trump’s return to the White House will mean for the economy and the world. The S&P 500 jumped 2.5% Wednesday for its best day in nearly two years. The Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 1,500 points, and the Nasdaq composite gained 3%. Big bank stocks led the way on expectations that Trump’s policies will lead to stronger economic growth and less regulation. Bitcoin also jumped to a record, while Treasury yields ran higher amid worries about bigger U.S. government borrowing and higher inflation. The U.S. dollar jumped against other currencies. By Stan Choe. SENT: 1,160 words, photos, audio.

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ONLY ON AP

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ELECTION-2024-VOTECAST-TRUMP — A disaffected electorate wanted former President Donald Trump to return to the White House, a blatant rejection of Vice President Kamala Harris and her nearly four years with President Joe Biden. The Republican’s victory came from a public so put off by America’s trajectory that they welcomed his brash and disruptive approach. By Josh Boak And Linley Sanders. SENT: 1,080 words, photos, video. Also sent: ELECTION 2024-GENDER GAP — Kamala Harris had the advantage among women, winning 53% to Trump’s 46%, but that margin was somewhat narrower than Joe Biden’s in 2020.

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RUSSIA UKRAINE WAR

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ELECTION-2024-UKRAINE — Soldiers in a Ukrainian artillery battery on the front lines in the country’s east are only vaguely aware of American election results pointing to Donald Trump’s victory. But they were firm in their hopes for the next president of the United States. SENT: 1,120 words, photos.

RUSSIA-NORTH KOREA-TREATY — The upper house of Russian parliament has ratified a treaty with North Korea envisioning mutual military assistance. The move came as the U.S. has confirmed the deployment of 10,000 North Korean troops to Russia. SENT: 350 words, photos.

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MORE NEWS

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BB0-FERNANDO-VALENZUELA-FUNERAL — Dodgers star Fernando Valenzuela remembered for having ‘the heart of a lion’ at his funeral. SENT: 520 words, photos.

GERMANY-POLITICS — Germany’s center-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz announces he is firing Finance Minister Christian Lindner, which could undermine the ruling three-party coalition that relies on Lindner’s pro-business party. SENT: 260 words, photos.

MED-BRITAIN-MPOX — British health officials say they have identified four cases of the new, more infectious version of mpox that first emerged in Congo, marking the first time the variant has caused a cluster of illness outside of Africa. SENT: 320 words, photo.

BRITAIN-FAKE-VACCINE-POISONING — A British doctor who was disgruntled about his inheritance and tried to kill his mother’s boyfriend by injecting him with a fake COVID-19 vaccine that was poison is sentenced to 31 years in prison. SENT: 390 words, photos.

POLAND-HISTORIC-CAR -- The very first car produced in Soviet-era Poland after World War II has gone on display near Warsaw after it was tracked down in Finland. SENT: 460 words, photos.

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WASHINGTON/POLITICS

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ELECTION 2024-DEMOCRACY — Some of Donald Trump’s promises go to the core of democracy as Americans know it. Voters have delivered power to the presidential candidate who gave them fair warning he might upend basic practices, protections and institutions. SENT: 1,500 words, photos. An abridged version is also available.

ELECTION-2024-WOMEN-VOTERS —Voters had the chance this election to break the highest glass ceiling in American politics by electing Kamala Harris the nation’s first female president. Instead, they returned Donald Trump to the White House, a comeback that relied on significant -- even somewhat improved – support among women. SENT: 1,510 words, photos.

ELECTION-2024-DEMOCRATS — Democrats spent billions of dollars warning American voters that Donald Trump posed an imminent threat to democracy, that his economic policies would benefit only his wealthy friends, that he was literally a fascist. In the end, voters didn’t care — or if they did, it didn’t matter. And now, after Kamala Harris’ decisive loss, Democrats enter a second Trump presidency with no clear leader, no clear plan and no agreement on what caused them to be so wrong about the 2024 election. SENT: 1,200 words, photos.

ELECTION 2024-SUPREME COURT — Donald Trump has already appointed three Supreme Court justices, and he could have a chance to name two more, creating a high court with a Trump-appointed majority that could serve for decades. SENT: 710 words, photo.ele

For more AP election coverage plans, click here. For comprehensive explanatory coverage around the election, click here.

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NATIONAL

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CALIFORNIA-WINDS-WILDFIRES — California was lashed by powerful winds Wednesday that fed one fast-moving wildfire near multimillion-dollar properties along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu while hundreds of residents fled another fire further north as forecasters warned of the potential for “extreme and life-threatening” blazes. SENT: 860 words, photos.

DEATH-PENALTY-ALABAMA — A judge has refused to stop the nation’s third scheduled execution by nitrogen gas that is set to take place in Alabama later this month. U.S. District Judge R. Austin Huffaker Jr. denied a preliminary injunction request to block Alabama from executing Carey Dale Grayson on Nov. 21 using the same nitrogen gas protocol. SENT: 470 words, photos.

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INTERNATIONAL

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TROPICAL-WEATHER — Rafael has strengthened into a powerful Category 3 hurricane ahead of its expected landfall in western Cuba, where it was forecast to bring “life-threatening” storm surges, winds and flash floods. SENT: 720 words, photos.

IRAN-US — Iran’s currency fell to an all-time low as Donald Trump clinched the U.S. presidency again, signaling new challenges ahead for Tehran as it remains locked in the wars raging in the Middle East. The rial traded at 703,000 rials to the dollar, traders in Tehran said, breaking through the record before recovering slightly later in the day to 696,150 to $1. SENT: 600 words, photos, audio.

SPAIN-FLOODS — Jorge Tarazona is mourning the loss of his 3-month-old niece and sister-in-law in last week’s catastrophic flooding in eastern Spain. They were caught along with his brother in a traffic jam when the wave of water hit. His brother survived after he managed to get out of the car and cling to a fence. But his brother’s wife and their newborn child were found dead in the mangled vehicle. SENT: 750 words, photos, video.

SOUTH-AFRICA-PRINCE-WILLIAM — Prince William wore white biodegradable sneakers as he walked the “green carpet” at his Earthshot Prize awards ceremony in Cape Town, the centerpiece of a four-day environment-focused trip to South Africa by the heir to the British throne. SENT: 580 words, photos.

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SPORTS

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FBN--COMMANDERS-DANIELS — Jayden Daniels has not thought much about his rookie season. The rest of the NFL has plenty to say about it. Daniels has quarterbacked the Washington Commanders to their first 7-2 start since 1996 and is now not only the favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year but in the conversation as league MVP. And it’s not all that surprising for those who knew the Southern California native at Arizona State and LSU, where he blossomed into the Heisman Trophy winner and second pick in the draft. SENT: 1,330 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.

Venezuelan migrant Jonathan Morales Aguilar appeals for humanitarian aid for people of a migrant caravan walking along the Huixtla highway, in southern Mexico, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, hoping to reach the country's northern border and ultimately the United States. (AP Photo/Moises Castillo)

A kite surfer is silhouetted during a surfing session on the Mediterranean sea, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Supporters arrive before Vice President Kamala Harris delivers a concession speech after the 2024 presidential election, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, on the campus of Howard University in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

People protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a day after he dismissed his defence minister Yoav Gallant, near the Knesset, Israel's parliament in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

A worker adjusts the flags on stage ahead of an election night watch party for Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Police use water cannon to clear a group of people during a protest after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed his defense minister Yoav Gallant in a surprise announcement in Tel Aviv, Israel, early Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

A protester holds an Israeli flag as Israelis light a bonfire during a protest after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dismissed his defense minister Yoav Gallant in a surprise announcement in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Palestinians gather to receive aid distributed by UNRWA, the U.N. agency helping Palestinian refugees, in Nusairat refugee camp, Gaza, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Supporters of Florida's Amendment 4, which would have enshrined abortion rights in the state, react after the amendment's defeat, during a watch party for the Yes On 4 campaign, on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell)

Supporters watch as results come in at an election night campaign watch party for Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, on the campus of Howard University in Washington. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump smiles at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

A young girl holds a "Black Voters for Harris-Walz" sign outside of Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris' election night watch party at Howard University, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Terrance Williams)

Supporters of Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump, Stephanie Smith, left, Sandi Steinbeck, center, and Thomas Brewer, right, cheer during a GOP election watch party at the Ahern Hotel, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, in Las Vegas. (Steve Marcus/Las Vegas Sun via AP)

MOORPARK, Calif. (AP) — California was lashed by powerful winds Wednesday that fed a fast-moving wildfire that destroyed homes and forced hundreds of residents to flee while another fire burned near multimillion-dollar properties along the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu as forecasters warned of the potential for “extreme and life-threatening” blazes.

Northwest of Los Angeles, the Mountain Fire exploded in size and prompted evacuation orders for suburban communities, ranches and agricultural areas near Santa Paula in southern Ventura County. A thick plume of smoke rose hundreds of feet into the sky, blanketing whole neighborhoods and limiting visibility for firefighters and evacuees.

At around 9:15 a.m. the blaze was mapped at just under 250 acres (100 hectares), and by 1:45 p.m. it was more than 35 times larger at over 14 square miles (36 square kilometers).

The erratic winds grounded fixed-wing aircraft because of “very dangerous” conditions caused by gusts topping 61 mph (98 kph), said weather service meteorologist Bryan Lewis. He said pilots could encounter turbulence capable of bringing a plane down, as well limited visibility from the smoke. Water-dropping helicopters were still flying.

Several people were injured and taken to hospitals, the Ventura County Fire Department said, but it was not immediately clear how they got hurt. The blaze crossed State Route 118 and spread to the Camarillo Heights neighborhood, prompting additional evacuations.

Aerial footage from KTLA-TV showed at least 20 houses in flames across several Camarillo neighborhoods as embers were whipped from home to home. Other footage captured horses trotting alongside evacuating vehicles and golf carts.

Andrew Dowd, a county fire spokesperson, said he did not have details of how many structures had been damaged.

“We know that there have been a number of structures impacted,” he told The Associated Press. “It’s a very unfortunate day.”

Gus Garcia, who owns a ranch south of the fire, said he's waiting to see whether conditions will change to decide if he should evacuate his horses and cattle. Around 12:30 p.m., his animals were still safe and he was trying to stay out of the way as others got their livestock out.

His ranch is surrounded by others with horses and alpaca, and Garcia said his neighbors in the canyon did not seem panicked.

"The horse community, they prepare for this because it’s always a possibility up here,” he said.

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, in a statement posted to the social platform X, said multiple state agencies are “all in close communication to coordinate and support needs in Ventura County.”

Meanwhile to the south, Los Angeles County Fire Department crews scrambled to contain a wildfire near Malibu’s Broad Beach as authorities briefly shut down the famous seaside roadway. Residents were urged to shelter in place while aircraft dropped water on the 50-acre (20-hectare) Broad Fire. It was 15% contained around 12:30 p.m. with forward progress stopped. Fire officials said two structures burned.

Tens of thousands of people had their power shut off across the state as a precaution.

The National Weather Service office for Los Angeles amended its red flag warning for increased fire danger with a rare “particularly dangerous situation” label.

With predicted gusts between 50 mph (80 kph) and 100 mph (160 kph) and humidity levels as low as 8%, parts of Southern California could experience conditions ripe for “extreme and life-threatening” fire behavior into Thursday, the weather service said.

Officials in several counties urged residents to be on watch for fast-spreading blazes, power outages and downed trees amid the latest round of notorious Santa Ana winds.

"Those in canyon, mountain, and foothill communities should be ready to evacuate at a moment’s notice," the LA County Office of Emergency Management said on X. Some canyon roads were closed as a precaution and fire departments positioned resources in areas prone to fires.

To the south in Orange County, fire officials said ash and debris were being kicked up from the Airport Fire, which tore through the area earlier this year due to high winds, but no active fires were reported there Wednesday. Gusts whipped through coastal cities, bringing down tree branches and toppling large trash bins.

Forecasters also issued red flag warnings until Thursday from California's central coast through the San Francisco Bay Area and into counties to the north. Sustained winds of 30 mph (48 kph) are expected in many areas, with possible gusts topping 55 mph (88 kph) along mountaintops, according to the weather service office in San Francisco.

More than 20,000 customers in 17 Northern California counties were without electricity Wednesday morning after Pacific Gas & Electric shut off power to prevent its equipment from sparking fires amid dry and windy conditions.

Southern California Edison has shut off power to more than 65,000 customers in Southern California in an effort to prevent wildfires amid high winds. Power shutoffs are being considered for more than 250,000 customers due to the risk, the company said on its website.

Utilities in California began powering down equipment during high winds and extreme fire danger after a series of massive and deadly wildfires in recent years were sparked by electrical lines and other infrastructure.

The Broad Fire was burning in the same area where in 2018 the Woolsey Fire killed three people and destroyed 1,600 homes. That blaze was sparked by Edison equipment that scorched dry grasslands and burned across the Santa Monica Mountains all the way to the Malibu coast.

Dazio and Weber reported from Los Angeles. Associated Press journalists Ryan Pearson in Los Angeles, Amy Taxin in Orange County, California, and Olga Rodriguez in San Francisco contributed to this report.

Firefighters spray water on a burning structure during the Mountain Fire, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, near Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Flames engulf a structure during the Mountain Fire, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, near Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

Firefighters spray water on a burning structure during the Mountain Fire, Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, near Camarillo, Calif. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope)

In this aerial still image provided by KABC-TV, shows Los Angeles County Fire Department crews scrambled to contain a small blaze fed by erratic wind gusts that pushed flames through dry brush near Broad Beach along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (KABC-TV via AP)

In this aerial still image provided by KABC-TV, shows Los Angeles County Fire Department crews scrambled to contain a small blaze fed by erratic wind gusts that pushed flames through dry brush near Broad Beach along Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024. (KABC-TV via AP)

Powerful winds and low humidity raise wildfire risk across California

Los Angeles city workers remove the remains of a fallen tree blown over by intense winds that crushed a fence in a city park on Monday, Nov. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

Powerful winds and low humidity raise wildfire risk across California