Despite momentous ceasefire, the path for lasting peace and rebuilding in Gaza is precipitous

WASHINGTON (AP) — On Monday, the fragile ceasefire in Gaza led to freedom for Israeli hostages and the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel. It was the culmination of a long and tortuous process — but it may, in the end, have been the easier part.

The coming weeks, months and years will require more than just rebuilding from the devastation that has left much of Gaza in ruins. Key details of the peace plan may remain unsettled. Granular details will need to be negotiated to keep the plan moving forward and prevent the resumption of fighting. The path to long-term peace, stability and eventual rebuilding will be a long and very precipitous route.

“The first steps to peace are always the hardest,” President Donald Trump said as he stood with foreign leaders in Egypt on Monday for a summit on Gaza’s future. He hailed the ceasefire deal he brokered between Israel and Hamas as the end of the war in Gaza — and start of rebuilding the devastated territory.

And while Trump expressed optimism that the most challenging part was over — “Rebuilding is maybe going to be the easiest part. I think we’ve done a lot of the hardest part because the rest comes together" — others were more tentative about the intricacies that lie ahead.

“Peace has to start somewhere," said Mona Yacoubian, director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. She called it an important and “euphoric moment."

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After hostages and prisoners are freed, complex issues remain for Israel-Hamas ceasefire

JERUSALEM (AP) — Israel and Hamas moved ahead on a key first step of the tenuous Gaza ceasefire agreement on Monday by freeing hostages and prisoners, raising hopes that the U.S.-brokered deal might lead to a permanent end to the two-year war that ravaged the Palestinian territory.

But thornier issues such as whether Hamas will disarm and who will govern Gaza — and the question of Palestinian statehood — remain unresolved, highlighting the fragility of an agreement that for now only pauses the deadliest conflict in the history of Israel and the Palestinians.

For Israelis, the release of the 20 remaining living hostages brought elation and a sense of closure to a war many felt they were forced into by Hamas, although many pledged to fight on for the return of deceased hostages still in Gaza. But with the living hostages freed, the urgency with which many were driven to call for an end to the war will likely diminish, easing pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advance the next phases of the agreement.

Four deceased hostages were returned to Israel on Monday, and another 24 are supposed to be turned over as part of the first phase of the ceasefire, which also requires Israel to allow a surge of food and other humanitarian aid into Gaza.

While there was an outburst of joy in Gaza for prisoners returning from Israel and hope that the fighting may wind down for good, the torment drags on for war-weary Palestinians. Gaza has been decimated by Israeli bombardment; there is little left of its prewar economy, basic services are in disarray and many homes have been destroyed. It remains unclear who will pay for reconstruction, a process that could take years.

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Egyptian president says Trump's Mideast proposal is 'last chance' for peace in the region

SHARM EL SHEIKH, Egypt (AP) — The Egyptian president told a summit of world leaders Monday that U.S. President Donald Trump’sMideast proposal represents the “last chance” for peace in the region and reiterated his call for a two-state solution, saying Palestinians have the right to an independent state.

The summit in Egypt's Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh was aimed at supporting the ceasefire reached in Gaza, ending the Israel-Hamas war and developing a long-term vision for governing and rebuilding the devastated Palestinian territory.

The gathering appeared designed to rally international support behind the Trump vision for putting an end to the war. Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah el-Sissi, the co-chair of the summit, told Trump “only you” can bring peace to the region.

Trump’s plan holds out the possibility of a Palestinian state, but only after a lengthy transition period in Gaza and a reform process by the internationally recognized Palestinian Authority. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes Palestinian independence. Trump made no mention of a two-state solution at the summit.

In his own address to the summit, Trump called for a new era of harmony in the Middle East, saying that the region has “a once-in-a-lifetime chance to put the old feuds and bitter hatreds behind us.” He urged leaders “to declare that our future will not be ruled by the fights of generations past.”

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Dallas ICE facility shooter feared radiation exposure and practiced shooting, records show

The parents of the 29-year-old gunman who opened fire on a Dallas immigration facility in September told police their son was “completely normal” before he moved to Washington state and returned home several years ago believing he had radiation sickness, according to newly released records.

Joshua Jahn had begun wearing cotton gloves to avoid contact with plastic and practiced target shooting with a newly purchased rifle in Oklahoma a month before the deadly rooftop attack on a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building, according to a report written by a Fairview Police Department officer.

Jahn killed two detainees and wounded another before taking his own life in the Sept. 24 shooting.

The records, obtained by The Associated Press through an open records request, reveal no clues about what may have motivated the attack. Federal authorities said previously that Jahn wrote “ANTI-ICE” on a bullet and left handwritten notes indicating he wanted to ambush and terrorize ICE agents.

The new records show that on the day of the shooting, Jahn’s parents told the FBI he would “occasionally discuss current events” with his mother but rarely engaged in conversations. His parents said he was a “loner” who was “obsessed” with artificial intelligence technology. The parents, Andrew and Sharon Jahn, did not immediately respond Monday to text and phone messages from the AP.

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China and the US have long collaborated in 'open research.' Some in Congress say that must change

WASHINGTON (AP) — For many years, American and Chinese scholars worked shoulder to shoulder on cutting-edge technologies through open research, where findings are freely shared and accessible to all. But that openness, a long-standing practice celebrated for advancing knowledge, is raising alarms among some U.S. lawmakers.

They are worried that China — now considered the most formidable challenger to American military dominance — is taking advantage of open research to catch up with the U.S. on military technology and even gain an edge. And they are calling for action.

“For far too long, our adversaries have exploited American colleges and universities to advance their interests, while risking our national security and innovation,” said Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican and chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. He has introduced legislation to put new restrictions on federally funded research collaboration with academics at several Chinese institutions that work with the Chinese military, as well as institutions in other countries deemed adversarial to U.S. interests.

The House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party makes it a priority to protect American research, having accused Beijing of weaponizing open research by converting it into a “pipeline of foreign talent and military modernization.”

The rising concerns on Capitol Hill threaten to unravel deep, two-generations-old academic ties between the countries even as the world's two largest economies are moving away from each other through tariffs and trade barriers. The relationship has shifted from engagement to competition, if not outright enmity.

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New York Times, AP, Newsmax among news outlets who say they won't sign new Pentagon rules

News organizations including The New York Times, The Associated Press and the conservative Newsmax television network said Monday they will not sign a Defense Department document about its new press rules, making it likely the Trump administration will evict their reporters from the Pentagon.

Those outlets say the policy threatens to punish them for routine news gathering protected by the First Amendment. The Washington Post, The Atlantic and Reuters on Monday also publicly joined the group that says it will not be signing. AP confirmed Monday afternoon that it would not sign.

"Reuters is bound by its commitment to accurate, impartial and independent news," the agency said in a statement. “We also steadfastly believe in the press protections afforded by the U.S. Constitution, the unrestricted flow of information and journalism that serves the public interest without fear or favor. The Pentagon’s new restrictions erode these fundamental values.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reacted by posting the Times' statement on X and adding a hand-waving emoji. His team has said that reporters who don't acknowledge the policy in writing by Tuesday must turn in badges admitting them to the Pentagon and clear out their workspaces the next day.

The new rules bar journalist access to large swaths of the Pentagon without an escort and say Hegseth can revoke press access to reporters who ask anyone in the Defense Department for information — classified or otherwise — that he has not approved for release.

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North Carolina GOP announce plans to vote on new House map amid nationwide redistricting battle

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Republican legislative leaders announced plans Monday to vote next week on redrawing the state's U.S. House district map, taking up President Donald Trump’s call to secure more GOP seats nationwide and resist rival moves by Democrats.

The push to retool already right-leaning boundaries for the ninth-largest state comes amid a major party battle spanning several states to revamp district lines to partisan advantage ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

North Carolina Republicans created a map in 2023 that resulted in GOP candidates winning 10 of the state’s 14 U.S. House seats in 2024. That compared to a 7-7 seat split between Democrats and the GOP under the map used in 2022.

Now only one of the House districts –- the 1st District currently represented by Democratic Rep. Don Davis –- is considered a true swing district and could be targeted by the GOP for an 11th seat. Davis won a second term last year by less than 2 percentage points, so shifting slightly portions of the district covering more than 20 northeastern counties could help a Republican candidate in a strong GOP year. But it could weaken districts held by GOP incumbents.

The state's top Republican legislators said their planned action follows Trump’s "call urging legislatures across the country to take action to nullify Democrat redistricting efforts.” Davis wasn't mentioned by name in their news release.

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Zelenskyy to visit Washington this week seeking long-range weapons and a Trump meeting

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Monday he will travel to the United States this week for talks on the potential U.S. provision of long-range weapons, a day after U.S. President Donald Trump warned Russia he may send Kyiv long-range Tomahawk missiles

A meeting between Zelenskyy and Trump could take place as early as Friday, the Ukrainian president said, adding that he also would meet with defense and energy companies and members of Congress.

“The main topics will be air defense and our long-range capabilities, to maintain pressure on Russia,” Zelenskyy said.

He spoke at a meeting with EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas. He said he also would seek further U.S. assistance to protect Ukraine’s electricity and gas networks, which have faced relentless Russian bombardment. The U.S. visit follows what Zelenskyy described as a “very productive” phone call with Trump on Sunday. Trump later warned Russia that he may send Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles if Moscow doesn’t settle its war there soon. The missiles would allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russian territory.

Moscow has expressed “extreme concern” over the U.S. potentially providing Tomahawk cruise missiles to Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin himself has previously suggested that the U.S. supplying long-range missiles to Ukraine would seriously damage relations between Moscow and Washington.

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Snell spectacular and Dodgers barely hold on in 9th to beat Brewers 2-1 in NLCS opener

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Blake Snell allowed one baserunner in eight shutout innings before Los Angeles' bullpen barely held on as the Dodgers opened the National League Championship Series with a 2-1 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night.

Blake Treinen struck out Brice Turang with the bases loaded to end the game. Freddie Freeman hit a solo homer for Los Angeles to break a scoreless tie in the sixth.

The Dodgers led 2-0 when they handed the ball to rookie Roki Sasaki in the ninth after Snell struck out 10 batters and threw 103 pitches. Sasaki had worked 5 1/3 scoreless innings while adjusting to a bullpen role in the NL Division Series against Philadelphia, but he wasn't nearly as sharp Monday.

Isaac Collins drew a one-out walk and Jake Bauers hit a ground-rule double that bounced over the center-field wall. Jackson Chourio hit a sacrifice fly that scored Collins and advanced pinch-runner Brandon Lockridge to third. Christian Yelich walked on a 3-2 pitch low and outside.

That's when Dodgers manager Dave Roberts removed Sasaki and brought in Treinen.

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SpaceX launches the 11th test flight of its mega Starship rocket with another win

SpaceX launched another of its mammoth Starship rockets on a test flight Monday, successfully making it halfway around the world while releasing mock satellites like last time.

Starship — the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built — thundered into the evening sky from the southern tip of Texas. The booster peeled away and made a controlled entry into the Gulf of Mexico as planned, with the spacecraft skimming space before descending into the Indian Ocean. Nothing was recovered.

“Hey, welcome back to Earth, Starship,” SpaceX's Dan Huot announced as employees cheered. “What a day.”

It was the 11th test flight for a full-scale Starship, which SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk intends to use to send people to Mars. NASA’s need is more immediate. The space agency cannot land astronauts on the moon by decade's end without the 403-foot (123-meter) Starship, the reusable vehicle meant to get them from lunar orbit down to the surface and back up.

Instead of remaining inside Launch Control as usual, Musk said that for the first time he was going outside to watch — “much more visceral.”

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