Senate works to prevent a government shutdown as Democrats divide ahead of the midnight deadline
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate finds itself in a familiar position, working to avoid a partial government shutdown with just hours to spare. Democrats confront two painful options Friday as a midnight deadline looms. They can allow passage of a bill they believe gives President Donald Trump vast discretion on spending decisions. Or they can vote no and let funding lapse. The top Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, said Democrats really didn’t have a choice because a shutdown would have far worse consequences for Americans. Many Democrats are livid and prefer a fight. But Trump said Schumer’s move “took guts.” The legislation would fund the federal government through the end of September.
Hamas says it will release a US-Israeli hostage and 4 bodies but Israel expresses immediate doubt
JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas says it has accepted a proposal from mediators to release one living American-Israeli hostage and the bodies of four dual-nationals, hostages who had died in captivity. The militant group did not immediately specify Friday when the release of soldier Edan Alexander and the four bodies would occur, or what it expected to receive in return. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office immediately cast doubt on the offer. The office accused Hamas of using manipulation to sabotage the ongoing talks in Qatar on the next stage of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Its first phase ended two weeks ago.
Trump will visit the Justice Department, months after his criminal prosecutions were dismissed
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is set to visit the Justice Department to rally support for his administration’s tough-on-crime agenda. Friday’s appearance is expected to double as a victory lap after Trump emerged legally and politically unscathed from two federal prosecutions that were dismissed after his election win last fall. The venue for Trump’s speech underscores the control the Republican president is seeking to exert on the department in his second term, following investigations that shadowed his first four years in office and subsequent campaign. The visit brings Trump into an institution he has long disparaged and has sought to reshape by installing loyalists and members of his personal defense team in top leadership positions.
Hundreds of federal offices could begin closing this summer at DOGE’s behest, AP reveals
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is listing all the federal real estate leases it is ending, but new records obtained by The Associated Press show when those cancellations are expected to take effect. The documents from inside the General Services Administration, the U.S. government’s real estate manager, list dozens of federal office and building leases expected to end by June 30, with hundreds more slated over the coming months. The rapid pace of cancellations has raised alarms, with some agencies and lawmakers appealing to DOGE to exempt specific buildings. Several agencies are facing 20 or more lease cancellations in all, including the IRS, the Social Security Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Geological Survey.
More than 50 universities face federal investigations as part of Trump’s anti-DEI campaign
WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 50 universities are being investigated for alleged racial discrimination as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs his officials say exclude white and Asian American students. The Education Department announced the new investigations Friday, a month after issuing a memo warning America’s schools and colleges they could lose federal money over “race-based preferences” in admissions, scholarships or any aspect of student life. Most of the inquiries focus on colleges’ partnerships with the PhD Project, a nonprofit that helps students from underrepresented groups get degrees in business with the goal of diversifying the business world. The PhD Project hasn’t responded to a message seeking comment.
US envoy is taking Putin’s comments on Ukraine ceasefire proposal to Trump, Kremlin official says
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov says Russian President Vladimir Putin met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff to discuss details of the American proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in the war with Ukraine. Putin said Thursday he supported a truce in principle but set out issues that need to be addressed before it is agreed. In a post on his Truth Social site Friday, U.S. President Donald Trump said “that there is a very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end.” Ukraine, under severe military pressure on parts of the front line three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, has already endorsed the proposal. Russia’s army has gained battlefield momentum, and analysts say Putin likely will be reluctant to rush into a ceasefire.
Big March storm system threatens US with tornadoes, blizzards and wildfire risk
A sweeping storm system moving across the U.S. threatens to bring tornadoes, blizzards and possibly wildfires to different regions of the country. The National Weather Service says an outbreak of severe storms ramping up Friday afternoon could spawn tornadoes, with the greatest risk in Missouri and Illinois as well as portions of Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee and Arkansas. Heavy snow and high winds in the Great Plains could make travel treacherous in the Dakotas and parts of Minnesota. Forecasters say strong winds and warm, dry weather farther south pose a critical risk of wildfires in northwest Texas, Oklahoma and a portion of southeast Kansas. Severe weather threats are expected to persist into the weekend.
How much sleep do you really need? Experts say it depends
Most people spend a third of their lives sleeping, but you may need more or less than eight hours a night. The amount of sleep we need changes throughout our lives. Experts say when you’re trying to figure out how much sleep you need, it’s important to listen to your body. Most of the population gets between seven to nine hours — and that particular category has the lowest association with health problems. If you’re getting the recommended amount of sleep every night but you’re still waking up feeling tired, that can be a sign to get checked out by a professional.
Millions of people celebrate Holi, the Hindu festival of colors
NEW DELHI (AP) — Millions of people in South Asia are celebrating Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, by smearing each other with brightly colored powder, dancing to festive music and feasting on traditional sweets prepared for the occasion. Across India and Nepal, people dressed in all white clothes celebrated the festival by hurling colored powder at each other. Others flung water balloons filled with colored pigment at passers by. Groups of young men also used water guns to chase down people, in public parks and on the roads, while others danced on the streets to music blaring from speakers. The raucous spring festival, which is also celebrated in other South Asian countries and among the Indian diaspora, signifies the end of winter and the triumph of good over evil.
Former reality TV star Jessie Holmes wins longest-ever Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska
NOME, Alaska (AP) — Former reality TV star Jessie Holmes has won the longest-ever Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race in Alaska. Holmes was first to the finish line Friday in the Gold Rush town of Nome, on the Bering Sea coast. The race began March 3 in Fairbanks after a lack of snow forced changes to the route and starting point. That made the normally 1,000-mile race a staggering 1,129 miles across the wilderness. Holmes was competing for the eighth time. He previously finished in the top 10 five times, including third last year and in 2022. In his first Iditarod in 2018, his seventh-place finish earned him Rookie of the Year honors.
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