AP News in Brief at 12:04 a.m. EDT

The oversight hearing in the Senate Finance Committee was a chance for senators to seek answers from Kennedy on recent high-profile departures at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the appointment of vaccine critics to an influential federal advisory committee and changes to COVID-19 vaccine recommendations that will make it harder for many Americans to get the shots.

Both Democrats and Republicans came out swinging. They questioned whether he would keep his earlier promise that he wouldn’t block vaccines for Americans who wanted them. A frustrated Kennedy dismissed those arguments but also sowed doubt on vaccine safety and effectiveness from the prominent perch on Capitol Hill.

Here are some key takeaways from the hearing:

Kennedy repeatedly disputed the account of fired CDC director Susan Monarez, who was abruptly removed from her post last week after less than a month on the job. Monarez was nominated by President Donald Trump, endorsed for the job by Kennedy and confirmed by a Senate vote in July.

DC lawsuit challenges Trump's National Guard deployment as a forced 'military occupation'

WASHINGTON (AP) — The District of Columbia on Thursday challenged President Donald Trump’s use of the National Guard in Washington, asking a federal court to intervene even as he plans to send troops to other cities in the name of driving down crime.

Brian Schwalb, the district's elected attorney general, said in a lawsuit that the deployment, which now involves more than 1,000 troops, is an illegal use of the military for domestic law enforcement.

“No American jurisdiction should be involuntarily subjected to military occupation,” Schwalb wrote.

The White House said deploying the Guard to protect federal assets and assist law enforcement is within Trump's authority as president.

“This lawsuit is nothing more than another attempt — at the detriment of D.C. residents and visitors — to undermine the President’s highly successful operations to stop violent crime in D.C.,” spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said.

Justice Department probes mortgage fraud claims against Lisa Cook of Federal Reserve, AP source says

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department has begun examining mortgage fraud allegations against Lisa Cook, the Federal Reserve governor who is challenging a Trump administration effort to remove her from her job in a move she says is designed to erode the central bank's independence.

Investigators have issued subpoenas as part of an inquiry into Cook that was spawned by a criminal referral from the country's top housing regulator, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss the probe and spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press.

A Justice Department spokesperson declined to comment on the probe, which was earlier reported by The Wall Street Journal.

“Predictably and recognizing the flaws in challenging their illegal firing of Governor Cook, the administration is scrambling to invent new justifications for its overreach. This Justice Department — perhaps the most politicized in American history — will do whatever President Trump demands,” Cook's lawyer, Abbe David Lowell, said in a statement.

News of the investigation comes amid a high-stakes legal fight over President Donald Trump's announcement last month that he was ousting Cook, an action she has said is being undertaken so that he can seize control over a central bank that is typically shielded from political pressure and tasked with making decisions about whether to raise or lower interest rates.

Florida's vaccine mandate removal: What it means for public health

As the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis prepares to make Florida the first state to remove school vaccine mandates, deep concern is spreading among doctors, parents and public health workers for the safety of children and others who might be vulnerable in a disease outbreak.

They fear that dreaded diseases, held in check for decades by vaccines, could flare up again if too many people in Florida aren't immunized. Here's what to know:

While states traditionally follow federal vaccine guidance, school mandates are set by state health departments. Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo announced Wednesday that the Health Department would take steps to eliminate these mandates, calling them “immoral” intrusions that hamper parents’ ability to make health decisions for their children.

“We’re going to end it,” Ladapo said, without providing details or a timeline.

The Health Department also did not immediately respond to questions about other vaccine requirements, such as for certain workplaces. Many such requirements are enshrined in state law and would require legislative approval. DeSantis appointed Ladapo and his wife Casey DeSantis to a commission that's drafting a broader “medical freedom” measure expected to be introduced in the next legislative session.

Giorgio Armani, who dressed the powerful and famous from boardroom to Hollywood, dies at 91

MILAN (AP) — Giorgio Armani, the iconic Italian designer who turned the concept of understated elegance into a multibillion-dollar fashion empire, died Thursday, his fashion house confirmed. He was 91.

Armani died at home, "peacefully, surrounded by his loved ones," the fashion house said. “Indefatigable to the end, he worked until his final days, dedicating himself to the company, the collections and the many ongoing and future projects."

Armani, one of the most recognizable names and faces in the global fashion industry, missed Milan Fashion Week in June 2025 for the first time during the previews of Spring-Summer 2026 menswear to recover from an undisclosed condition.

He was planning a major event to celebrate 50 years of his signature Giorgio Armani fashion house during Milan Fashion Week this month.

A public viewing will be held in the Armani Theater where he unveiled his ready-to-wear collections on Saturday and Sunday. The funeral will be held privately, and no details were released.

Trump will seek 'Department of War' rebrand for Pentagon

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order Friday to rebrand the Department of Defense as the Department of War, his latest effort to project an image of toughness for America's military.

The Republican president can't formally change the name without legislation, which his administration would request from Congress. In the meantime, Trump will authorize the Pentagon to use “secondary titles" so the department can go by its original name.

The plans were disclosed by a White House official, who requested anonymity ahead of the public announcement, and detailed in a White House fact sheet.

The Department of War was created in 1789, the same year that the U.S. Constitution took effect. It was renamed by law in 1947, two years after the end of World War II.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth posted “DEPARTMENT OF WAR” on social media after the executive order was initially reported by Fox News.

Northwestern University president says he will resign following tenure marked by White House tension

Northwestern University President Michael Schill said Thursday that he will resign, ending a three-year tenure marked by the freeze of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding by the Trump administration and heated criticism from House Republicans over the university's response to campus protests.

The funding freeze and uncertainty over its finances contributed to Northwestern’s decision to lay off around 200 people over the summer.

In a statement announcing his resignation, Schill acknowledged the pressure from the White House.

“It is critical that we continue to protect the University’s research mission and excellence while preserving academic freedom, integrity, and independence,” he said.

Northwestern emerged as a prominent target of President Donald Trump's campaign to reshape elite colleges he has derided as hotbeds of liberalism and antisemitism. In April, the administration froze $790 million in federal funding for the private school in Evanston, Illinois, one of dozens of colleges under investigation over claims they did not do enough to protect Jewish students.

US designates 2 more gangs in Latin America as foreign terrorist groups

QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — The United States is designating two Ecuadorian gangs as foreign terrorist organizations, marking the Trump administration’s latest step to target criminal cartels in Latin America.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made the announcement Thursday while in Ecuador as part of a trip to Latin America overshadowed by an American military strike against a similarly designated gang, Venezuela's Tren de Aragua. That attack has raised concerns in the region about what may follow as President Donald Trump's government pledges to step up military activity to combat drug trafficking and illegal migration.

“This time, we’re not just going to hunt for drug dealers in the little fast boats and say, ‘Let’s try to arrest them,’” Rubio told reporters in Quito, Ecuador’s capital. “No, the president has said he wants to wage war on these groups because they’ve been waging war on us for 30 years and no one has responded.”

The Defense Department said late Thursday that two Venezuelan military aircraft flew near a U.S. Navy vessel in international waters, calling it “a highly provocative move” and warning President Nicolás Maduro’s government against further actions.

Los Lobos and Los Choneros are Ecuadorian gangs blamed for much of the violence that began during the COVID-19 pandemic. The terrorist designation, Rubio said, brings “all sorts of options” for Washington to work in conjunction with the government of Ecuador to crack down on these groups.

Portuguese investigators search for cause of Lisbon streetcar crash that killed 16

LISBON, Portugal (AP) — Investigators sifted through the wreckage of a streetcar in downtown Lisbon on Thursday, trying to determine why the popular tourist attraction derailed during the busy summer season, killing 16 people and injuring 21, five of them seriously.

Portugal’s attorney-general’s office said eight victims have been identified so far: five Portuguese, two South Koreans and a Swiss person.

There is “a high possibility,” based on recovered documents and other evidence, that the victims also include two Canadians, one American, one German and one Ukrainian, according to the head of the national investigative police, Luís Neves. Three remain to be identified.

Among the injured are Spaniards, Israelis, Portuguese, Brazilians, Italians and French people, the executive director of Portugal’s National Health Service, Álvaro Santos Almeida, said.

The nationalities appeared to confirm suspicions that the Elevador da Gloria was packed with tourists as well as locals when it came off its rails during the evening rush hour Wednesday. Lisbon hosted around 8.5 million tourists last year, and long lines of people typically form for the streetcar's short and picturesque trip a few hundred meters up and down a city street.

Caitlin Clark to miss the rest of the Fever’s season because of a right groin injury

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Caitlin Clark will miss the rest of the Indiana Fever’s season because of a right groin injury.

“I had hoped to share a better update, but I will not be returning to play this season,” Clark said in a statement. “I spent hours in the gym every day with the singular goal of getting back out there, disappointed isn’t a big enough word to describe how I am feeling. I want to thank everyone who had my back through all the uncertainty.

“This has been incredibly frustrating, but even in the bad, there is good. The way the fans continued to show up for me, and for the Fever, brought me so much joy and important perspective. I am so proud of how this team has only gotten stronger through adversity this year. Now it’s time to close out the season and claim our spot in the playoffs.”

Clark was injured late in a July 15 game against the Connecticut Sun, and later sustained a bone bruise. The former Iowa star averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5.0 rebounds in 13 games in her second season in the WNBA.

“Caitlin has worked so hard throughout this time, doing everything possible to recover and return to the court but, ultimately, time is not on our side,” Fever COO and GM Amber Cox said in a statement. ”While we will continue working with Caitlin and provide her with every resource we have available, there is not enough time left in our season for her to safely return, and her long-term health and well-being remains our top priority. We are looking forward to having her back at full strength to start the 2026 season.”