U.S. says Israel has agreed to the framework for a Gaza cease-fire. Hamas now must decide
RAFAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — A senior U.S. official says Israel has essentially endorsed a framework of a proposed Gaza cease-fire and hostage release deal, and it is now up to Hamas to agree to it. The Israelis “have more or less accepted” the proposal, the official said Saturday. It includes the six-week cease-fire in Gaza as well as the release by Hamas of hostages considered to be vulnerable. That includes the sick, the wounded, the elderly and women. The official briefed reporters on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing cease-fire talks.
US military aircraft airdrop thousands of meals into Gaza in emergency humanitarian aid operation
WASHINGTON (AP) — US military C-130 cargo planes have airdropped food and aid in pallets over Gaza. It’s the opening stage of an emergency humanitarian assistance authorized by President Joe Biden after more than 100 Palestinians who had surged to pull goods off an aid convoy were killed during a chaotic encounter with Israeli troops. Three planes from Air Forces Central dropped 38,000 meals into Gaza at 8:30 a.m. EST Saturday. The bundles were dropped in southwest Gaza, on the beach along the territory’s Mediterranean coast and U.S. officials said after the drops they were able to see civilians access the food. The airdrop was coordinated with the Royal Jordanian Air Force. The U.S. says the airdrop is expected to be the first of many.
A ship earlier hit by Yemen’s Houthi rebels sinks in the Red Sea, the first vessel lost in conflict
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — A ship attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels has sunk in the Red Sea after days of taking on water. The Rubymar had been drifting after the attack in February. It marks the first ship sunk by the Houthis in their monthslong attacks on shipping in the vital waterway. Yemen’s internationally recognized government, as well as a regional military official, confirmed Saturday the ship sank. Already, many ships have turned away from the route. The sinking could see further detours and higher insurance rates put on vessels plying the waterway — potentially driving up global inflation and affecting aid shipments to the region.
Republicans in Idaho, Missouri and Michigan get their chance to weigh in on the presidential race
More delegates are up for grabs Saturday as Donald Trump looks to get closer to clinching the Republican nomination and Nikki Haley continues seeking her first win. Trump is overwhelmingly favored to add to his delegate lead in Republican caucuses in Idaho and Missouri, as well as a convention in Michigan. There are no Democratic contests Saturday. The next contest is the GOP caucus in the District of Columbia on Sunday, followed two days later by Super Tuesday. That’s when 16 states and American Samoa will hold primaries on what will be the largest day of voting of the year outside of the November election.
How clean is the dirt on Hunter Biden? A key Republican source is charged with lying to the FBI
WASHINGTON (AP) — An FBI informant who was once held up by Republicans as a credible source of information about Hunter Biden now finds himself charged with lying to federal authorities. Alexander Smirnov is accused of fabricating a tale of bribery and espionage involving then-Vice President Joe Biden and a Ukrainian energy company. Smirnov also claims to have ties to Russian intelligence operatives. An Associated Press investigation into Smirnov details a businessman who operated a string of murky shell companies, ran with others who’ve been accused of fraud and boasted of his own ties to the FBI. His lawyers say inquiries about Smirnov’s past business dealings “only deflect from the important question of the accuracy of his prosecution.”
Firefighters face difficult weather conditions as they battle the largest wildfire in Texas history
STINNETT, Texas (AP) — Firefighters battling the largest wildfire in Texas history face increasingly difficult weather conditions. The National Weather Service says warm temperatures, strong winds and low humidity are expected Saturday and Sunday, allowing fires to grow and spread quickly and new fires to start. The Smokehouse Creek Fire that began Monday in the Texas Panhandle has killed at least two people, left a charred landscape, dead cattle and destroyed as many as 500 structures, including burned-out homes. The fire has burned more than 1,700 square miles and crossed the state line into western Oklahoma.
Peace, music and memories: As the 1960s fade, historians scramble to capture Woodstock’s voices
BETHEL, N.Y. (AP) — An estimated 450,000 people attended the Woodstock festival in August 1969. It was a haphazard event that now evokes memories about a society’s state of mind nearing the end of a tumultuous decade. Most of that crowd was composed of teenagers or young adults now in the twilight of their lives. That ticking clock is why the Museum at Bethel Woods, based at the site of the 1969 festival, is immersed in a five-year project traveling around the United States. They are recording the oral histories of people who were there to preserve the Woodstock memories before they fade away.
No twerking. No drinking. No smoking. But it’s still a party at this Christian nightclub
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Cove is a pop-up, 18-and-up Christian nightclub in Nashville, Tennessee. It was launched last year by seven Black Christian men in their 20s who sought to build a thriving community and a safe space for young Christians outside houses of worship. It comes at a post-pandemic time of dwindling church attendance, especially among Black Protestants that surveys say is unmatched by any other major religious group. Club rules: No twerking, no drinking, no smoking. But they still dance the night away to Christian hip-hop, bachata and reggaeton. Club founders hope to go on tour across America and inspire the creation of other dance and worship clubs for young people of faith across the world.
Blizzard ‘as bad as it gets’ hits California and Nevada. I-80 shuts as winds and snow whip mountains
RENO, Nev. (AP) — A powerful blizzard is dumping snow in the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada as gusty winds and heavy rain hit lower elevations. Tens of thousands of customers are without power early Saturday in California and Nevada and a 100-mile stretch of Interstate 80 remains closed indefinitely. The National Weather Service has issued a blizzard warning through Sunday for a 300-mile stretch of the mountain range, and authorities are urging people to take shelter and stay off the roads. Meteorologists predict more than 10 feet of snow could fall in higher elevations.
Where will you be for the April 8 total solar eclipse? There’s still time to grab a spot
NEW YORK (AP) — There are just a few weeks left to pick your spot to see the total solar eclipse on April 8 in North America. The eclipse first hits Mexico’s Pacific coast, cuts diagonally across the U.S. from Texas to Maine and exits in eastern Canada. Most of the rest of the continent will see a partial eclipse. For those who live inside the 115-mile-wide path of total darkness, it may be a matter of just stepping outside. For the millions outside the path, it means hitting the road with a game plan to experience the full spectacle.