AP News Summary at 11:17 p.m. EDT

Biden and Netanyahu speak as pressure's on Israel over planned Rafah invasion and cease-fire talks

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — The White House says U.S. President Joe Biden has again spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Pressure is building on Israel and Hamas to reach a deal that would free some Israeli hostages and bring a cease-fire in the war in Gaza. The White House says Biden reiterated his “clear position” as Israel plans to invade Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah despite global concern for more than 1 million Palestinians sheltering there. The U.S. opposes the invasion on humanitarian grounds. Israel is among the countries U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit as he returns to the Middle East on Monday.

College protesters want ‘amnesty.’ At stake: Tuition, legal charges, grades and graduation

Hundreds of students around the country are being arrested, suspended, put on probation and, in rare cases, expelled from their colleges for participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Many are still waiting to hear the full consequences. Their plight has become a central part of the protests this month, with students and a growing number of faculty demanding amnesty for the protesters. At issue is whether universities and law enforcement will clear the students of charges, or whether the suspensions and legal records will follow them into their adult lives.

Have you heard the one about Trump? Biden tries humor on the campaign trail

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is out to win some votes by scoring some laughs at the expense of Donald Trump. Biden is using mockery with the goal of getting under Trump's skin and reminding the country of Trump's blunders. Like a comic honing his routine, the Democratic president has been testing and expanding his jokes over the past few weeks. It started with jabs about his Republican opponent’s financial problems, and now Biden regularly jeers Trump’s coiffed hair, his pampered upbringing and much more. The jokes are the latest attempt to crack the code on how to clap back at Trump, whose own schtick has redrawn the boundaries of what’s acceptable in modern politics.

Donald Trump is running against Joe Biden. But he keeps bringing up another Democrat: Jimmy Carter

ATLANTA (AP) — Donald Trump is running against Joe Biden, but Trump keeps bringing up another Democrat, Jimmy Carter. Trump likes to cite the 99-year-old Carter as a measuring stick to belittle Biden. Trump calls Carter a happy man because, according to Trump, Biden's performance in office makes Carter's presidency look good in comparison. It was once common for Republicans to mock Carter, who lost in a landslide to Ronald Reagan in 1980 amid inflation, energy shortages and the Iran hostage crisis. Trump's implication is that Biden's economy makes Carter's look better. Federal figures show today's economy is stronger and more stable than in the late 1970s. And over the years, Carter's overall presidency has gotten stronger assessments from historians.

Tornadoes kill 4 in Oklahoma, leaving trail of destruction and thousands without power

SULPHUR, Okla. (AP) — Tornadoes have killed four people in Oklahoma and left thousands without power. The tornadoes began late Saturday night and left at least 100 people injured around Oklahoma. One tornado destroyed several downtown buildings in Sulphur, Oklahoma, flipping over cars and shearing rooftops off houses across a 15-block radius. Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt toured the destruction on Sunday and said every business in the town of Sulphur appeared to have been destroyed. Oklahoma's severe weather adds to the dozens of reported tornadoes that have wreaked havoc in the nation’s midsection since Friday. Authorities said Sunday that one person also died in Iowa because of the storms.

Putin likely didn’t order death of Russian opposition leader Navalny, US official says

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. intelligence officials have determined that Russian President Vladimir Putin likely didn’t order the death of imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny in February. An official says the U.S. intelligence community has found “no smoking gun” that Putin was aware of the timing of Navalny’s death or directly ordered it. The official says it’s believed Putin was ultimately responsible for the death of Navalny, who endured brutal conditions during his confinement. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. Navalny was Russia’s best-known opposition politician and died while serving a 19-year sentence on extremism charges that he called politically motivated. A month later, Putin won reelection.

Australian prime minister describes domestic violence as a 'national crisis' after protests

CANBERRA, Australia (AP) — Australia’s Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has described domestic violence as a national crisis after thousands rallied around the country against violence toward women. Thousands rallied in cities around Australia on Sunday to draw attention to the deaths of 27 women so far this year allegedly caused by acts of gender-based violence in a population of 27 million. Albanese said Monday the rallies were a call to action for all levels of the Australian government to do more to prevent gender-based violence. Albanese told Nine Network television: “The fact that ... a woman dies every four days on average at the hand of a partner is just a national crisis.”

Deforestation in Indonesia spiked last year, but resources analyst sees better overall trend

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A data analysis shows Indonesia had a 27% increase in primary forest loss in 2023. The losses were in protected national parks and in massive swaths of jungle cut down for palm oil and paper plantations and for mining. Despite that increase, the World Resources Institute said the analysis was generally good when compared to peak deforestation rates of several years ago. But others saw some cause for concern and tied some of the more recent deforestation to nickel mining. Indonesia has vast deposits of the metal that is crucial for the world's green energy transition.

Obstacles remain as women seek more leadership roles in America's Black Church

Throughout its long history, the Black Church in America has – for the most part – been a patriarchal institution, with men making up the vast majority of its ranks of clergy. These days, increasing numbers of Black women are attending seminary, and some women are carving out high-profile leadership roles. The African Methodist Episcopal Church says it has more than 1,000 female pastors. But obstacles remain. The founder of a group called Women of Color in Ministry estimates that less than one in 10 Black Protestant congregations are led by a woman.

Candace Parker, a 3-time WNBA champion and 2-time Olympic gold medalist, announces retirement

Three-time WNBA champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist Candace Parker has announced she’s retiring after 16 seasons. Parker wrote in a social media post on Sunday that she refuses to cheat the game and has decided to call it a career at 38 years old. Parker became the first player in WNBA history to be named Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the same season in 2008. She also is the only player in league history to win a championship with three different teams. She won gold medals in 2008 and 2012 and a second league MVP in 2013.