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

Palestinians awaited the release of hundreds of prisoners held by Israel. U.S. President Donald Trump was arriving in the region along with other leaders to discuss the U.S.-proposed deal and postwar plans. A surge of humanitarian aid was expected into famine-stricken Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people have been left homeless.

While major questions remain about the future of Hamas and Gaza, the exchange of hostages and prisoners marked a key step toward ending the deadliest war ever between Israel and the militant group.

Major Israeli TV stations were airing special overnight broadcasts ahead of the hostages' release as anticipation grew. People began to gather near a large screen in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv before dawn.

The hostages' return caps a painful chapter for Israel. Since they were captured in the October 2023 Hamas attack that ignited the war, newscasts have marked their days in captivity and Israelis have worn yellow pins and ribbons in solidarity. Tens of thousands have joined their families in weekly demonstrations calling for their release.

Trump sets off for the Mideast to mark a ceasefire deal and urge Arab leaders to seize the moment

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump set off for Israel and Egypt on Sunday to celebrate the U.S.-brokered ceasefire and hostage deal between Israel and Hamas and urge Middle East allies to seize the opportunity to build a durable peace in the volatile region.

It's a fragile moment with Israel and Hamas only in the early stages of implementing the first phase of the Trump agreement designed to bring a permanent end to the war sparked by the Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas-led militants.

Trump thinks there is a narrow window to reshape the Mideast and reset long-fraught relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors. “The war is over, OK?” Trump told reporters traveling with him to the region ahead of the expected release of hostages from Gaza.

“I think people are tired of it," he said, emphasizing that he believed the ceasefire would hold because of that.

It is a moment, the Republican president says, that has been helped along by his administration's support of Israel's decimation of Iranian proxies, including Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Trump warns Russia he may send Ukraine long-range Tomahawks if Moscow doesn't settle war soon

ABOARD AIR FORCE ONE (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday warned Russia that he may send Ukraine long-range Tomahawk missiles if Moscow doesn’t settle its war there soon — suggesting that he could be ready to increase the pressure on Vladimir Putin's government using a key weapons system.

“I might say, ’Look: if this war is not going to get settled, I’m going to send them Tomahawks,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One as he flew to Israel. “The Tomahawk is an incredible weapon, very offensive weapon. And honestly, Russia does not need that.”

Trump also said, "I might tell them that if the war is not settled -- that we may very well." He added, "We may not, but we may do it. I think it’s appropriate to bring up.”

His comments came after Trump spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Trump said he mentioned possibly sending Tomahawks during that conversation.

“Do they want to have Tomahawks going in that direction? I don’t think so,” Trump said of Russia. “I think I might speak to Russia about that.” He added that “Tomahawks are a new step of aggression.”

Vance warns 'deeper' cuts ahead for federal workers as shutdown enters 12th day

Vice President JD Vance on Sunday said there will be deeper cuts to the federal workforce the longer the government shutdown goes on, adding to the uncertainty facing hundreds of thousands who are already furloughed without pay amid the stubborn stalemate in Congress.

Vance warned that as the federal shutdown entered its 12th day, the new cuts would be “painful," even as he said the Trump administration worked to ensure that the military is paid this week and some services would be preserved for low-income Americans, including food assistance.

Still, hundreds of thousands of government workers have been furloughed in recent days and, in a court filing on Friday, the Office of Management and Budget said well over 4,000 federal employees would soon be fired in conjunction with the shutdown. The effects of the shutdown also grew Sunday with the Smithsonian announcing its museums, research centers and the National Zoo are temporarily closed going forward for lack of funding.

“The longer this goes on, the deeper the cuts are going to be,” Vance said on Fox News' “Sunday Morning Futures.” “To be clear, some of these cuts are going to be painful. This is not a situation that we relish. This is not something that we’re looking forward to, but the Democrats have dealt us a pretty difficult set of cards.”

Labor unions have already filed a lawsuit to stop the aggressive move by President Donald Trump ’s budget office, which goes far beyond what usually happens in a government shutdown, further inflaming tensions between the Republicans who control Congress and the Democratic minority.

New Jersey declares emergency as nor'easter approaches, while Alaska flooding carries away homes

A nor’easter churned its way up the East Coast on Sunday, washing out roads and prompting air travel delays as heavily populated areas of the Northeast experienced excessive rain, lashing winds and coastal flooding. Across the continent in western Alaska, the remnants of Typhoon Halong brought hurricane-force winds and catastrophic flooding to coastal communities, pushing entire houses off their foundations.

Rescue aircraft were sent to the tiny Alaskan villages of Kipnuk and Kwigillingok, where there were reports of up to 20 people possibly unaccounted for, said Jeremy Zidek, spokesperson for the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

“We have received reports that people’s homes have floated away and that people were potentially in those homes,” Zidek told The Associated Press.

At least eight homes were swept away in Kipnuk and at least four homes were swept away in nearby Kwigillingok, Zidek said.

He said Sunday evening that search efforts were continuing, and that they were still trying to determine exactly how many people hadn't been accounted for.

Shooting at packed South Carolina bar kills 4 and injures at least 20 others

ST. HELENA ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — A mass shooting early Sunday at a crowded bar on an idyllic island considered to be the largest Gullah community on the South Carolina coast has left four people dead and at least 20 injured, officials said.

A large crowd was at Willie's Bar and Grill on St. Helena Island when sheriff's deputies arrived and found many people with gunshot wounds. An estimated 5,000 or more Gullah people living on the island trace their ancestry back to enslaved West Africans who once worked rice plantations in the area before being freed by the Civil War.

Bar owner Willie Turral was inside the establishment, which was packed for a high school alumni event, when he heard shots going off “in bursts” outside. He described the scene: "Screaming and panic and fear."

The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement on the social platform X that many people ran to nearby businesses seeking shelter from the gunfire.

“This is a tragic and difficult incident for everyone," the statement said. "We ask for your patience as we continue to investigate this incident. Our thoughts are with all of the victims and their loved ones."

Community near site of deadly Tennessee plant blast recalls the lives of the 16 killed

NUNNELLY, Tenn. (AP) — Just miles from a rural Tennessee plant leveled by a devasting explosion, the congregants of Maple Valley Baptist Church devoted Sunday's service to the 16 deceased victims and their families.

Several of the dozens of people praying at the small church knew someone who worked at the plant owned by Accurate Energetic Systems, which supplies and researches explosives for the military and is a well-known employer in the area.

“There’s a somber kind of vibe right now in the community just because it’s so many lives that have been affected by it,” said Pastor Jimmy Andrews of the church in Nunnelly. “It’s family and friends just trying to hold each other up during this most difficult time.”

Churches across many of the area's small close-knit communities, including another one attended by Gov. Bill Lee on Sunday, did the same through vigils and services as many tried to make sense of the devastation.

“The losses are staggering,” Lee told reporters after surveying the damage by helicopter and attending Compassion Church in nearby Waverly.

China vows to stand firm against Trump's tariff threat. He urges Beijing to be less confrontational

BEIJING (AP) — China signaled on Sunday that it would not back down in the face of a 100% tariff threat from President Donald Trump and urged the United States to resolve differences through negotiations instead of threats. Trump responded by taking a less confrontational approach without retreating from his demands, while his vice president seemed to warn Beijing not to react aggressively.

“China’s stance is consistent,” the Commerce Ministry said in a statement posted online. “We do not want a tariff war but we are not afraid of one.”

It was China's first official comment on Trump's threat to jack up the tax on imports from China by Nov. 1 in response to new Chinese restrictions on the export of rare earths, which are vital to a wide range of consumer and military products.

Hours later, Trump used his Truth Social platform to send a message to Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

“Don't worry about China, it will all be fine!” the Republican president wrote. “Highly respected President Xi just had a bad moment. He doesn’t want Depression for his country, and neither do I. The U.S.A. wants to help China, not hurt it!!!”

Mexico looks for missing people and rushes to help after torrential rains killed at least 47

POZA RICA, Mexico (AP) — The death toll from Mexico’s torrential rains rose to 47 on Sunday as the fallout mounted from flooding and landslides in different states around the country, as the authorities were rushing to help affected residents, look for missing people and try to clean several areas.

Days after heavy rains drenched several parts of Mexico, the country saw over the weekend the extension of devastation in some states, where the flooding swept away vehicles and destroyed houses and roads.

President Claudia Sheinbaum traveled to some of the states and said the government will begin a census among affected people to distribute aid.

Mexico's Civil Protection agency said as of Sunday night, the heavy rains had killed 18 people in Veracruz state on the Gulf Coast and 16 people in Hidalgo state, north of Mexico City. At least 12 people were killed in Puebla, east of Mexico City. Earlier, in the central state of Querétaro, a child died being caught in a landslide.

That toll could still rise as rescue workers continued to dig through sodden villages clogged with mud and debris on Sunday.

No. 3 Indiana has its highest ranking ever in AP Top 25, Texas, USC back in the rankings

Indiana moved up to No. 3 in The Associated Press college football poll Sunday for its highest ranking in program history and Texas was among five teams entering the Top 25 after eight ranked teams, three of them previously unbeaten, lost over the weekend.

Ohio State and Miami remained the top two teams while the Hoosiers earned a four-spot promotion for their 10-point win at then-No. 3 Oregon. No. 4 Texas A&M and No. 5 Mississippi traded places after the Aggies' 17-point home win over Florida and the Rebels' three-point home win over Washington State.

The Buckeyes strengthened their hold on No. 1 with a solid road win against then-No. 17 Illinois and received 50 first-place votes, 10 more than last week. Miami, which was idle, earned 13 first-place votes and Indiana got the other three.

Alabama moved up two spots to No. 6 and was followed by Texas Tech, Oregon, Georgia and LSU. Oregon dropped five spots and has its lowest ranking in 20 polls since it was No. 8 in September 2024.

Indiana’s groundbreaking run under second-year coach Curt Cignetti has been one of the biggest stories in college football since last season. The Hoosiers went into the Oregon game 0-46 on the road against top-five teams and, before Sunday, had never been ranked higher than No. 4. Their three first-place votes are their most in a poll since they got the same number when they were ranked No. 6 on Nov. 5, 1945.