AP News Summary at 11:45 p.m. EDT

Trump to order a plan to shut down the US Education Department

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order calling for the shutdown of the U.S. Education Department. His plan, expected to be announced Thursday, was disclosed by a White House official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity before an announcement. Trump has derided the agency as wasteful and polluted by liberal ideology. However, finalizing its dismantling is likely impossible without an act of Congress, which created the department in 1979. A White House fact sheet said the order would direct Secretary Linda McMahon “to take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure” of the Department of Education.

Legal showdown as Justice Department resists judge's demand for more details on deportation flights

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department is resisting a federal judge’s demand for more information about flights that took deportees to El Salvador. The government is arguing that the court should end its so-called “continued intrusions” into the authority of the executive branch. It’s the latest development in a showdown between the Trump administration and the judge who temporarily blocked deportations under an 18th century wartime declaration. The judge later is now giving the administration until Thursday at noon to either provide the requested information or to make a claim that it must be withheld because it would harm “state secrets.”

Zelenskyy and Putin have agreed to a limited ceasefire, but implementation is work in progress

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle to a limited ceasefire after President Donald Trump spoke with the countries’ leaders this week, though it remains to be seen when it might take effect and what possible targets would be off limits to attack. The tentative deal to partially rein in the grinding war came after Russian President Vladimir Putin rebuffed Trump’s push for a full 30-day ceasefire. After a roughly hourlong call with Trump on Wednesday that both leaders said went well, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reporters that “technical” talks in Saudi Arabia this weekend would seek to resolve what types of infrastructure would be protected under the agreement.

Israeli troops advance in Gaza to retake part of a corridor dividing north from south

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Israel says its troops retook part of a corridor that bisects Gaza, and its defense minister warned that attacks would intensify until Hamas frees dozens of hostages and gives up control of the territory. The military said Wednesday it had retaken part of the Netzarim Corridor that divides northern Gaza from the south. It had previously withdrawn from the area as part of a ceasefire that began in January. That truce was shattered Tuesday by Israeli airstrikes that the Gaza Health Ministry says killed more than 400 Palestinians, mostly women and children. Early Thursday, air raid sirens sounded in Israel and the military said a missile launched from Yemen was intercepted before reaching Israeli airspace.

What to know about Greenpeace after the Dakota Access protest case decision

A North Dakota jury has found Greenpeace must pay hundreds of millions of dollars to a pipeline company in connection with protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline. The independent global campaigning network has been fighting for a wide array of environmental issues for more than half a century. It has a long history of contentious legal battles. It was founded in Vancouver, Canada, in 1971. The network’s first action was to stop more nuclear weapons tests on Amchitka Island in southwest Alaska. The U.S. later opted to abandon their nuclear testing grounds on the island, marking Greenpeace’s first major victory.

Malaysia approves a new search for MH370 more than a decade after the plane disappeared

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s government has given final approval for a Texas-based marine robotics company to renew the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, which is believed to have crashed in the southern Indian Ocean more than a decade ago. Cabinet ministers agreed to a “no-find, no-fee” contract with Texas-based Ocean Infinity to resume the seabed search operation at a new area. Transport Minister Anthony Loke said Ocean Infinity will be paid $70 million only if wreckage is discovered. The plane vanished on March 8, 2014, after turning from its flight path and heading south to the far-southern Indian Ocean, where it is believed to have crashed. Previous searches found some debris in far away areas but no clues to its exact location.

30 years after deadly Tokyo subway gassing, survivors and victims' families still seeking closure

TOKYO (AP) — Thirty years on from the fatal sarin nerve gas attack in Tokyo’s subway network, survivors and families who lost loved ones are still seeking justice. Thirteen people were killed and thousands were sickened when cult members released sarin nerve gas in the capital’s subway trains on March 20, 1995. The attack remains one of Japan’s most shocking crimes. The cult, Aum Shinrikyo or Supreme Truth, has since disbanded. Its founder, Shoko Asahara, and 12 of his disciples were executed in 2018. But 1,600 former members still operate under renamed groups and have ignored an order to pay damages to survivors and bereaved families.

Researchers find a hint at how to delay Alzheimer's symptoms. Now they have to prove it

An experimental treatment appears to postpone Alzheimer's symptoms in some people genetically destined to get the disease at a young age. Researchers reported Wednesday that people who had a sticky gunk named amyloid removed from their brains for an average of eight years saw their risk of developing Alzheimer's symptoms cut in half — at least for now. Washington University in St. Louis is continuing the study in hopes of finding proof. Participating families worry that needed funding is caught in delays at the National Institutes of Health.

Pentagon restores histories of Navajo Code Talkers, other Native veterans after public outcry

PHOENIX (AP) — The Pentagon has restored some webpages highlighting the wartime contributions of Navajo Code Talkers and other Native American veterans. The move Wednesday came after tribes across the country objected to the removal of their histories. The Pentagon scrubbed some content as part of a broader sweep of information that promoted diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI. Defense Department officials said Wednesday the Navajo Code Talker material was erroneously erased. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren says he's pleased with the resolution. Hundreds of Navajos served as Code Talkers with the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, transmitting coded messages based on their Native language. The Japanese never broke the code.

Can AI help you win your March Madness bracket? One disruptor bets $1 million on 'yes' (and Houston)

DENVER (AP) — Perhaps the surest sign that artificial intelligence really is taking over the world will come the day it wins your favorite March Madness bracket pool. The day could be coming soon. A successful CEO-turned-disruptor is running a $1 million March Madness bracket challenge that pits his AI programmers’ picks against those belonging to one of the world’s best-known sports gamblers. 4C Predictions CEO Alan Levy says he's willing to wager the million because he's convinced the data crunching his AI programmers can do is better than what gambler Sean Perry can produce. Levy's AI program picks Houston to win it all. Perry is going with Duke.