TikTok goes dark in the US

NEW YORK (AP) — TikTok’s app was removed from prominent app stores on Saturday evening just before as a federal law that bans the popular social media platform went into effect.

By 10:50pm Eastern Standard Time, the app was not found on Apple and Google’s app stores, which are prohibited from offering the platform under a law that required TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, to sell the platform or face a U.S. ban.

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Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will go into effect Sunday morning, officials say

CAIRO (AP) — The ceasefire between Hamas and Israel will go into effect Sunday at 8:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT), mediator Qatar announced Saturday, as families of hostages held in Gaza braced for news of loved ones, Palestinians prepared to receive freed detainees and humanitarian groups rushed to set up a surge of aid.

But in a national address 12 hours before the ceasefire was to start, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country was treating the ceasefire as temporary and retained the right to continue fighting if necessary. He claimed he had the support of President-elect Donald Trump, who told NBC News that he told the prime minister to “keep doing what you have to do.”

Netanyahu also asserted that he negotiated the best deal possible, even as Israel’s far-right Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he and most of his party would resign from the government in opposition to it.

Netanyahu earlier warned that a ceasefire wouldn’t go forward unless Israel received the names of hostages to be released, as agreed. Israel had expected to receive the names from mediator Qatar. There was no immediate response from Qatar or Hamas.

The overnight approval of the ceasefire deal by Israel's Cabinet, in a rare meeting during the Jewish Sabbath, set off a flurry of activity and a fresh wave of emotions as relatives wondered whether hostages would be returned alive or dead. Families and thousands of others rallied once more Saturday night in Tel Aviv.

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Trump returns to Washington for celebrations ahead of inauguration

WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump returned to Washington Saturday evening to celebrate with family, supporters and political allies ahead of his second inauguration, a triumphant return for the Republican four years after he departed the city under the shadow of an attack by his supporters on the Capitol.

Trump marked his return to power with a celebration at his Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Virginia, about 30 miles outside Washington.

He addressed the crowd, giving shoutouts to Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, and declaring his Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff a “great negotiator.” Witkoff this past week helped negotiate a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that's scheduled to take effect on Sunday.

Soon after his remarks, Trump stepped out onto a clubhouse balcony while guests gathered on the patio below him for a fireworks display and performance by tenor Christopher Macchio.

Trump returned to Washington as organizers of Monday’s Inauguration Day ceremony were scrambling to move inside most of the outdoor events, including the swearing-in of president and vice president that traditionally takes place on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, due to forecasted frigid temperatures.

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Trump's family circle has a different look as he returns to the White House

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Donald Trump returns to the White House on Monday, his family circle will look a little different than it did when he first arrived eight years ago.

His youngest son, Barron, was in fifth grade back then. He's now a college freshman who towers over his 6-foot-plus (1.8-meter-plus) dad. Granddaughter Kai, who was 9 in 2017, is now an aspiring social media influencer and impressive golfer. Grandson Joseph, who posed in Trump's lap with a Lego model of the White House last time, is 11 now.

The most prominent relatives in Trump's political sphere, daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared, are in Florida this time around after working in his first administration.

Family members can provide presidents with a ready source of moral and sounding-board support, companionship and even relief from the world's problems. Not to mention creating headaches for the president at times, too.

“Family can do things that other people can’t, and they can be trusted in a way that other people also can’t,” said Tevi Troy, a former George W. Bush administration official and author of several books about the presidency. “Everyone needs someone they can talk to late at night when you let your hair down, so to speak.”

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Chicago prepares for deportation arrests targeting hundreds next week after Trump takes office

Federal immigration officers will target more than 300 people with histories of egregious, violent crimes after President-elect Donald Trump takes office Monday, an official said, marking his administration's initial attempt toward fulfilling his promise of large-scale deportations.

The operation will be concentrated in the Chicago area, according to the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because plans have not been made public. Arrests are expected all week.

U.S. Immigration and Customs and Enforcement arrests a fraction of its targets in such operations, though Trump is expected to cast a wider net than President Joe Biden, whose focus on picking up people away from the border was largely limited to those with serious criminal histories and national security threats. Trump aides have said they will arrest others, such as spouses or roommates, who are not targets but happen to be in the country illegally.

ICE and the Trump transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. The plan was reported earlier by The Wall Street Journal, which said the operation is expected to begin Tuesday.

Trump’s incoming border czar, Tom Homan, told Fox News that Chicago will be one of many places across the country where federal authorities plan to make arrests.

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Mahomes and Kelce help Chiefs to a 23-14 win over Texans and another AFC title game trip

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Patrick Mahomes has never lost in the divisional round of the playoffs with the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Houston Texans still have never won.

With the Chiefs' star quarterback hitting best buddy Travis Kelce seven times for 117 yards and a touchdown and a pass rush that dragged Houston quarterback C.J. Stroud to the ground eight times, Kansas City rolled to a 23-14 victory Saturday that sent the two-time defending Super Bowl champions to the AFC title game for the seventh consecutive season.

The Chiefs are the fourth team in NFL history to follow back-to-back Lombardi Trophies by advancing to the conference title game, and the three previous lost. They will try to change that at Arrowhead Stadium next weekend against the Bills or Ravens, who play on Sunday in Buffalo for a shot at dethroning the defending champs.

“It's been a special run,” said Mahomes, whose wife, Brittany, gave birth to their third child last Sunday. “I still remember moments from the World Series my dad played when I was 5 years old. These are the moments that I'll cherish my entire life.”

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1985 was the last time an inauguration was indoors. Ronald and Nancy Reagan felt they had no choice

Ronald and Nancy Reagan were disappointed.

That's what White House press secretary Larry Speakes told reporters on Jan. 18, 1985, after the Republican president and first lady decided to hold his second inauguration indoors because of an unusually cold weather forecast.

“They really felt they had no choice,” Speakes said two days before the ceremony, according to archived transcripts of press briefings housed at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in California.

President-elect Donald Trump's decision to take the oath of office in the Capitol Rotunda on Monday, when below-freezing temperatures are again expected, recalls the last time cold weather prompted a similar decision.

The transcripts from 1985 shed light on the Reagans' considerations.

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Extreme cold forecast for much of US in coming days

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Another blast of winter weather is expected in parts of the U.S. in the coming days, including bone-chilling wind in the Northern Plains and unusual snow and ice in the Gulf Coast area.

Cold weather forecasted for Monday for Washington, D.C., prompted President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural ceremony to be moved inside the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

Much of the U.S. from the Rockies into the Northern Plains will see colder than normal temperatures starting Sunday into the coming week, including forecasted wind chills down to minus 40 degrees F (minus 40 degrees C) or colder in the Dakotas and northern Minnesota, National Weather Service Meteorologist Marc Chenard said.

In such cold conditions, frostbite can develop on exposed skin in 10 minutes or less, so people should don coats, hats and gloves and minimize time outdoors, said Connor Smith, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Bismarck.

As happened earlier this month, this latest cold snap comes from a disruption in the polar vortex, the ring of cold air usually trapped about the North Pole.

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South Korea's impeached president is arrested over a martial law declaration as his supporters riot

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol was formally arrested early on Sunday, days after being apprehended at his presidential compound in Seoul. He faces possible imprisonment over his ill-fated declaration of martial law last month.

Yoon’s arrest could mark the beginning of an extended period in custody, lasting months or more.

The decision to arrest Yoon triggered unrest at the Seoul Western District Court, where dozens of his supporters broke in and rioted, destroying the main door and windows. They used plastic chairs, metal beams and police shields that they managed to wrestle away from officers. Some were seen throwing objects and using fire extinguishers, destroying furniture and glass doors. They shouted demands to see the judge who had issued the warrant, but she had already left.

Hundreds of police officers were deployed and nearly 90 protesters were arrested. Some injured police officers were seen being treated at ambulance vans. The court said it was trying to confirm whether any staff members were injured and assess the damage to its facilities.

Following eight hours of deliberation, the court granted law enforcement’s request for an arrest warrant for Yoon, saying he was a threat to destroy evidence. Yoon and his lawyers on Saturday appeared before the court and argued for his release.

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A look at the events that led up to the arrest of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korea’s impeached president, Yoon Suk Yeol, was formally arrested on Sunday, days after being apprehended in a massive law enforcement operation at his presidential compound in Seoul.

Yoon’s arrest could mark the beginning of a prolonged period in custody, lasting months or longer, as he faces the possibility of imprisonment on potential rebellion charges linked to his imposition of martial law on Dec. 3.

The National Assembly voided his short-lived declaration just hours after it was announced.

Yoon claimed he took the action because the liberal opposition, which has a legislative majority, was obstructing his agendas and even the approval of his budget. He described the opposition as North Korea sympathizers, “anti-state forces” responsible for “wreaking havoc" and the "main culprits of our nation’s downfall.”

Here is a timeline of events:

News from © The Associated Press, 2025