AP News Summary at 12:41 a.m. EDT

Iran threatens tourism sites and US sends more Marines to Middle East as Trump hints at wind-down

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran is threatening recreational and tourist sites worldwide and insisting it is still building missiles three weeks into an escalating war in the Middle East. The United States is deploying more warships and another 2,500 Marines to the region. However President Donald Trump said on social media that his administration in fact was considering “winding down” military operations. The mixed messages came after another climb in oil prices plunged the U.S. stock market. The Trump administration also said it will lift sanctions on Iranian oil loaded on ships, a move intended to wrangle soaring fuel prices. The war, meanwhile, has shown no signs of abating. Iran launched more attacks on Israel and energy sites in neighboring Gulf Arab states after Israel pounded Tehran.

High oil prices knock down stocks and erase Wall Street's hopes for a cut to interest rates

NEW YORK (AP) — Another climb for oil prices shook stock markets, as hopes collapsed for a possible cut to interest rates this year by the Federal Reserve. The S&P 500 fell 1.5% Friday to close its fourth straight losing week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1%, and the Nasdaq composite sank 2%. The losses deepened after oil prices erased an early loss and accelerated in the afternoon. Stocks fell by similar amounts across Europe. Treasury yields jumped as traders speculated the Fed won’t be able to cut rates this year because of how high oil prices have climbed.

DEA names Colombian president 'priority target' as US prosecutors probe ties to drug traffickers

NEW YORK (AP) — Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been designated a “priority target” by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration as federal prosecutors in New York probe his alleged ties to drug traffickers, according to people familiar with the matter and records seen by The Associated Press. DEA records show Petro has surfaced in multiple investigations dating to 2022, many based on interviews with confidential informants. Petro has denied all ties to drug traffickers. Prosecutors in Brooklyn and Manhattan in recent months have been questioning drug traffickers about their ties to Petro and specifically about allegations the Colombian president’s representatives solicited bribes to block their extradition to the United States, said one of the people familiar with the inquiry.

Chuck Norris, martial arts master and actor whose toughness became internet lore, dies at 86

The martial arts grandmaster and action star Chuck Norris has died. His roles in “Walker, Texas Ranger” and other television shows and movies made him an iconic tough guy, sparking internet parodies and adoration from presidents. He was 86. Norris died Thursday, in what his family described as a “sudden passing.” They didn't release details about his death. Before he would become a star in movies and on TV, Norris was wildly successful in competitive martial arts. His toughman image became the stuff of legend, sparking “Chuck Norris Facts” memes. He was also outspoken about his Christian beliefs and his support for gun rights, and backed political candidates for years.

CBS News shutters its storied radio news service after nearly a century, ending an era

NEW YORK (AP) — CBS News says it's shutting down its radio news service after nearly a century of operation as part of a round of layoffs at the company. When it began operation in September 1927, the radio service was a precursor to the entire CBS network. It gave young executive William S. Paley his start and was the home of legendary broadcaster Edward Murrow’s reports from London during World War II. Today it is primarily known for its top-of-the-hour news roundups delivered to about 700 stations across the country. CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss said it will stop operating in May.

White House urges Congress to take a light touch on AI regulations in new legislative blueprint

WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House is laying out a new framework that it wants Congress to use to shape national rules for artificial intelligence without curbing growth in the sector. It wants Congress to “preempt” state laws is sees as too burdensome. The focus is on protecting children, preventing electricity costs from surging, respecting intellectual property rights, preventing censorship and educating Americans on using the technology. It comes as state governments have forged ahead on their own regulations. Civil liberties and consumer rights groups have lobbied for more regulations on the powerful technology. But the industry and the White House say a patchwork of rules would hurt growth.

Trump administration sues Harvard, saying it violated civil rights law and seeking to recover funds

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has filed a new lawsuit against Harvard University, accusing it of failing to address antisemitism on campus. The lawsuit, filed Friday, seeks to freeze existing grants and recover money already paid to the university. This is part of a long-standing conflict between the Trump administration and Harvard. The government claims Harvard has not protected Jewish and Israeli students from discrimination during pro-Palestinian demonstrations. Harvard insists it is committed to fighting bias. It argues the administration is violating its First Amendment rights by trying to limit campus activism and change some of its practices for hiring and enrollment. Negotiations have stalled, with the administration demanding large payments to restore funding.

230 people are rescued as flash flooding hits Hawaii and officials warn 120-year-old dam could fail

HONOLULU (AP) — More than 200 people were rescued Friday as heavy rains pummeled the Hawaiian island of Oahu and triggered the worst flooding the island has in 20 years. Hawaii Gov. Josh Green says the damage could top $1 billion. Muddy floodwaters from severe rains have inundated communities and prompted evacuation orders for more than 5,500 people in towns north of Honolulu. Officials are warning about the possible failure of a 120-year-old dam. Officials have been watching dam levels since a storm last week dumped heavy rain across the state, which led to catastrophic flooding that washed away roads and homes.

Feds move to dismiss charges against officers accused of falsifying warrant in Breonna Taylor raid

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to drop the charges against two Louisville officers tied to the 2020 raid that killed Breonna Taylor. The officers have been charged with falsifying parts of the warrant used to enter Taylor’s apartment. Judges have twice reduced a felony charge against each to a misdemeanor, saying prosecutors did not show a direct link between the false information and Taylor’s death. Police shot Taylor after they broke down her door serving a no-knock warrant and her boyfriend fired at the men. Lawyers for Detective Joshua Jaynes and former Sgt. Kyle Meany say they are happy with the development and are ready to move on with their lives. Taylor's mother called the decision “utterly disrespectful.”

Judge sides with New York Times in challenge to policy limiting reporters’ access to Pentagon

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a policy limiting news reporters’ access to the Pentagon, ruling that key portions of the new rules are unlawful. U.S. District Judge Paul Friedman in Washington, D.C., sided with The New York Times and ruled that the Pentagon policy illegally restricts the press credentials of reporters who walked out of the building rather than agree to the new rules. The New York Times sued the Pentagon and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in December, claiming the credentialing policy violates the journalists’ constitutional rights to free speech and due process. A Pentagon spokesperson says it is "pursuing an immediate appeal.”