AP News in Brief at 11:04 p.m. EST

The president moved quickly to sign the bill after the House approved it with a 217-214 vote.

“This bill is a great victory for the American people,” Trump said.

The vote Tuesday wrapped up congressional work on 11 annual appropriations bills that fund government agencies and programs through Sept. 30.

Passage of the legislation marked the end point for one funding fight, but the start of another. That's because the package only funds the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks, through Feb 13, at the behest of Democrats who are demanding more restrictions on immigration enforcement after the shooting deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis.

US shoots down Iranian drone that 'aggressively' approached an aircraft carrier, military says

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. Navy fighter jet shot down an Iranian drone that was approaching the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea, U.S. Central Command said Tuesday, threatening to ramp up tensions as the Trump administration warns of possible military action to get Iran to the negotiating table.

The drone “aggressively approached” the aircraft carrier with “unclear intent” and kept flying toward it "despite de-escalatory measures taken by U.S. forces operating in international waters,” Central Command spokesman Capt. Tim Hawkins said in a statement.

The shootdown occurred within hours of Iranian forces harassing a U.S.-flagged and U.S.-crewed merchant vessel that was sailing in the Strait of Hormuz, the American military said.

The developments could escalate the heightened tensions between the longtime adversaries as President Donald Trump has threatened to use military action first over Iran’s bloody crackdown on nationwide protests and then to try to get the country to make a deal over its nuclear program. Trump's Republican administration has built up military forces in the region, sending the aircraft carrier, guided-missile destroyers, air defense assets and more to supplement its presence.

The Shahed-139 drone was shot down by an F-35C fighter jet from the Lincoln, which was sailing about 500 miles (800 kilometers) from Iran’s southern coast, Hawkins said. No American troops were harmed, and no U.S. equipment was damaged, the military’s statement noted.

Judge: Deal reached to protect identities of Epstein victims in documents release

NEW YORK (AP) — A deal was reached between lawyers for victims of Jeffrey Epstein and the Justice Department to protect the identities of nearly 100 women whose lives were allegedly harmed after the government began releasing millions of documents last week, a lawyer told a federal judge on Tuesday.

Judge Richard M. Berman in Manhattan cancelled a hearing scheduled for Wednesday after he was notified by Florida attorney Brittany Henderson that “extensive and constructive discussions” with the government had resulted in an agreement.

Henderson and attorney Brad Edwards had complained to Berman in a letter Sunday that “immediate judicial intervention” was needed after there were thousands of instances when the government had failed to redact names and other personally identifying information of women sexually abused by Epstein.

Among eight women whose comments were included in the lawyers' Sunday letter, one said the records' release was “life threatening” while another said she'd gotten death threats and she was forced to shut down her credit cards and banking accounts after their security was jeopardized.

The lawyers had requested that the Justice Department website be temporarily shut down and that an independent monitor be appointed to ensure no further errors occurred.

Signs of forced entry found at Arizona home of 'Today' show host Savannah Guthrie's mother

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Investigators found signs of forced entry at the Arizona home of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie's mother, a person familiar with the investigation said Tuesday, as the host asked for prayers to help bring back the 84-year-old, who is believed to have been taken against her will.

The host described her mother, Nancy Guthrie, as “a woman of deep conviction, a good and faithful servant” in a social media post late Monday. She asked supporters to "raise your prayers with us and believe with us that she will be lifted by them in this very moment. Bring her home.”

The Pima County sheriff and the Tucson FBI chief held a news conference Tuesday and urged the public to offer tips, but they revealed few new details about the investigation. The sheriff said they don't have credible information indicating Guthrie's disappearance was targeted.

Sheriff Chris Nanos has said Guthrie needs daily medication and could die without it. Asked whether officials were looking for her alive, he said, “We hope we are.”

DNA samples have been gathered and submitted for analysis as part of the investigation. “We’ve gotten some back, but nothing to indicate any suspects,” Nanos said.

Immigration agents draw guns and arrest activists following them in Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Immigration officers with guns drawn arrested activists who were trailing their vehicles on Tuesday in Minneapolis, while education leaders described anxiety and fear in Minnesota schools from the ongoing federal sweeps.

Both are signs that tension remains in the Minneapolis area after the departure of high-profile commander Greg Bovino of U.S. Border Patrol and the arrival of Trump administration border czar Tom Homan, which followed the fatal shooting of protester Alex Pretti.

“There’s less smoke on the ground,” Gov. Tim Walz said, referring to tear gas and other irritants used by officers against protesters, “but I think it’s more chilling than it was last week because of the shift to the schools, the shift to the children.”

At least one person who had an anti-ICE message on clothing was handcuffed while face-down on the ground. An Associated Press photographer witnessed the arrests.

Federal agents in the Twin Cities lately have been conducting more targeted immigration arrests at homes and neighborhoods, rather than staging in parking lots. The convoys have been harder to find and less aggressive. Alerts in activist group chats have been more about sightings than immigration-related detainments.

Disney parks chief Josh D’Amaro will take over for Bob Iger as CEO

Disney has named its parks chief Josh D’Amaro to succeed Bob Iger as the entertainment giant's top executive.

D’Amaro will become the 9th CEO in the more than 100-year-old company's history. He has overseen the company’s theme parks, cruises and resorts since 2020. The Experiences division has been a substantial moneymaker for Disney, with $36 billion in annual revenue in fiscal 2025 and 185,000 employees worldwide.

The 54-year-old takes over a time when Disney is flush with box-office hits like “Zootopia 2” and “Avatar: Fire and Ash” and its streaming business is strong. At the same time, Disney has seen a decline in foreign visitors to its domestic theme parks. Tourism to the U.S. has fallen overall during an aggressive immigration crack down by the Trump administration, as well as clashes with almost all of country's trading partners.

D'Amaro will be tasked with tapping into Disney's vast collection of intellectual property to help create successful movies and theme park additions, while also pushing for streaming growth and continuing to build up its sports business.

The decision on the next chief executive at Disney comes almost four years after the company's choice to replace Iger went disastrously, forcing Iger back into the job.

Defense objects to showing videos of Charlie Kirk's killing in murder case, claims bias

PROVO, Utah (AP) — Graphic videos showing the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk while he spoke to a crowd on a Utah college campus quickly went viral, drawing millions of views.

Screenshots from such videos were offered Tuesday as evidence in the murder case against Tyler Robinson, the man charged in Kirk’s killing. But the full videos were not shown in court, after defense attorneys objected out of concern that the footage would undermine Robinson's right to a fair trial.

Legal experts say the defense team’s worries are real: Media coverage in high-profile cases like Robinson's can have a direct “biasing effect” on potential jurors, said Cornell Law School Professor Valerie Hans.

“There were videos about the killing, and pictures and analysis (and) the entire saga of how this particular defendant came to turn himself in,” said Hans, a leading expert on the jury system. “When jurors come to a trial with this kind of background information from the media, it shapes how they see the evidence that is presented in the courtroom.”

Defense attorneys also want to oust TV and still cameras from the courtroom, arguing that “highly biased” news outlets risk tainting the case.

Judge seems skeptical of legal justification for Pentagon's punishment of Sen. Mark Kelly

WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge said Tuesday that he knows of no U.S. Supreme Court precedent to justify the Pentagon's censuring of a sitting U.S. senator who joined a videotaped plea for troops to resist unlawful orders from the Trump administration.

Sen. Mark Kelly had a front-row seat in a courtroom as his attorneys urged U.S. District Judge Richard Leon to block the Pentagon from punishing the Arizona Democrat, a retired U.S. Navy pilot. Leon didn't immediately rule from the bench on Kelly's claims that Pentagon officials violated his First Amendment free speech rights.

But the judge appeared to be skeptical of key arguments that a government attorney made in defense of Kelly's Jan. 5 censure from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

“You're asking me to do something the Supreme Court has never done,” the judge told Justice Department attorney John Bailey. “Isn't that a bit of a stretch?”

Bailey argued that Congress decided that retired military service members are subject to the same Uniform Code of Military Justice that applies to active-duty troops.

Lawyers for patients of UCLA doctor say clients shaken by court overturning his sex abuse conviction

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Two years after a former University of California, Los Angeles, gynecologist was convicted of sex abuse and sentenced to 11 years in prison, an attorney working to prepare an appeal of the case stumbled across an astounding find for the defense counsel.

A note by the jury’s foreperson, a designated spokesperson for the jury, had been sent to the judge expressing concern that one of the jurors did not have sufficient English to carry out his duties and deliberate. The juror was an alternate who was brought in after another juror had a medical issue and two days before the verdict. The judge never shared that information with the prosecution or defense attorneys.

“That note was never turned over to us ever,” said Leonard Levine, the defense attorney of Dr. James Heaps. “We were shocked.”

A California appeals court on Monday found the mistake violated Heaps' Sixth Amendment rights and ordered the case to be retried. Lawyers for patients who accused Heaps say the decision to overturn his conviction has left them devastated, and legal experts say they are puzzled by the type of judicial error that transpired. Levine said he believes Heaps will be exonerated when retried.

“In my 30 years of trial and appeals work, excluding the defense from a jury question is unheard of,” said Dmitry Gorin, a former prosecutor and criminal defense specialist.

Doberman pinscher named Penny wins best in show at the 150th annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show

NEW YORK (AP) — A Doberman pinscher named Penny won best in show Tuesday night at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, netting U.S. show dogs’ most coveted prize.

Penny bested six other finalists at New York’s Madison Square Garden.

Each dog is judged according to how closely it matches the ideal for its breed.

The winner gets a trophy, ribbons, bragging rights and the distinction of winning the milestone 150th annual Westminster show.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.