AP News Summary at 11:44 p.m. EDT

Myanmar quake death toll rises to 1,644 as resistance movement announces partial ceasefire

BANGKOK (AP) — A unilateral partial ceasefire to facilitate earthquake relief efforts has been announced by Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government. The resistance movement coordinates the popular struggle against the ruling military. The country’s death toll from the disaster soared to 1,644. The announcement issued Saturday night by the opposition National Unity Government said that its armed wing will implement a two-week pause in offensive military operations starting Sunday in earthquake-affected areas. It said it would “collaborate with the U.N. and nongovernmental organizations to ensure security, transportation and the establishment of temporary rescue and medical camps” in the areas it controls.

Trump says military force not off the table for Greenland after Danish FM scolds his administration

NUUK, Greenland (AP) — The Danish foreign minister has scolded the Trump administration for its “tone” in criticizing Denmark and Greenland, saying his country is already investing more into Arctic security and remains open to more cooperation with the U.S. Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen's remark posted on social media Saturday came after U.S. Vice President JD Vance’s visit to the strategic island to meet troops on Pituffik Space base. Later Saturday, though, President Donald Trump maintained an aggressive tone, telling NBC News that “I never take military force off the table” in regards to acquiring Greenland.

Trump says he won't 'fire people' over Signal messages, reiterates support of national security team

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — President Donald Trump is making his clearest commitment to not fire anyone over an embarrassing accidental leak of his administration’s plans for an airstrike against the Houthis in Yemen. In an interview Saturday with NBC News, Trump says he doesn't “fire people because of fake news and because of witch hunts.” He also said that he had confidence in Mike Waltz, his national security adviser, and Pete Hegseth, his Pentagon chief. Waltz inadvertently added Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic magazine, to a group text using the Signal encrypted messaging service where top officials were discussing plans to attack the Houthis. The internal exchange, later published by The Atlantic, has shocked the national security establishment.

Hamas says it accepts a new Gaza ceasefire proposal but Israel makes a counter-offer

CAIRO (AP) — The Hamas militant group says it has accepted a new Gaza ceasefire proposal from mediators Egypt and Qatar. But Israel says it has made a counter-proposal in “full coordination” with the third mediator, the United States. Egypt early in the week made a proposal to get the troubled ceasefire back on track, following Israel’s surprise resumption of fighting. It was not immediately clear whether the proposal changed before the leader of Hamas in Gaza announced it had been accepted. The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave no details about Israel’s counter-proposal a day after Netanyahu held consultations.

Trump increasingly asks the Supreme Court to overrule judges blocking key parts of his agenda

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's administration has increasingly turned to the use of emergency appeals to the Supreme Court as it faces more than 130 lawsuits over his executive orders. Many of those legal challenges have been filed in liberal-leaning parts of the country as the court system becomes ground zero for pushback to Trump's agenda. The administration wants the Supreme Court, which Trump helped shape by nominating three justices, to not only rule in its favor but also to send a message to federal judges. Trump and his allies claim those lower court judges are overstepping their authority.

Trump's election order creates much confusion before the next federal election in 2026

ATLANTA (AP) — President Donald Trump’s sweeping executive order seeking to change how elections are run in the U.S. is creating uncertainty for state and local election officials and worries about voter confusion before the next federal election, the 2026 midterms. Potential major changes include a new voter registration requirement, decertification of certain voting systems and stricter ballot deadlines for many states. Under the order, people will need to show documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when they register to vote. Voting rights groups say millions of Americans don't have easy access to their birth certificates, only about half have U.S. passports, and married women would need multiple documents if they've changed their name.

Protests against Elon Musk's purge of US government swarm Tesla showrooms

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Crowds have protested billionaire Elon Musk’s purge of the U.S. government under President Donald Trump outside Tesla dealerships throughout the U.S. and in some cities in Europe. Saturday's demonstrations are the latest attempt to dent the fortune of the world’s richest man. The protesters are trying to escalate a movement targeting Tesla dealerships and vehicles in opposition to Musk’s role as the head of the newly created Department of of Government Efficiency, where he has gained access to sensitive data and shuttered entire agencies as he attempts to slash government spending. Most of Musk’s estimated $340 billion fortune consists of his stock in the electric vehicle company.

At least 1 dead after plane crashes into home in Minneapolis suburb of Brooklyn Park

BROOKLYN PARK, Minn. (AP) — Authorities say at least one person has died after a small plane traveling from Iowa to Minnesota crashed into a house in a Minneapolis suburb. A Brooklyn Park spokesperson says the dead person was aboard the plane. The residents of the home were not injured. But the house was destroyed. The Federal Aviation Administration says it is not yet known how many people were aboard the single-engine SOCATA TBM7 when it went down Saturday. The plane departed from the Des Moines International Airport. Its destination was to be the Anoka County-Blaine Airport in another Minneapolis suburb. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating.

Scientists hope hungry weevils from Louisiana can tackle South Africa's invasive water plants

HARTBEESPOORT, South Africa (AP) — South Africa is unleashing weevils imported from the United States in a bid to fight off the sprouting growth of Salvinia minima, an alien species of aquatic plant native to South America that is choking up dams and rivers. Scientists will release the weevils at sites across northern South Africa while also setting up breeding plants to increase their numbers. They hope the weevils and their larvae munch their way through the salvinia and damage it so it sinks. Researchers have warned that the invasive plant, which stops oxygen getting to the water and hurts ecosystems, is now threatening to invade neighboring countries like Zimbabwe, Botswana and Mozambique.

Plastics are seeping into farm fields, food and eventually human bodies. Can they be stopped?

KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — Around the world, plastics are finding their way into farm fields. Some farmers say agricultural plastic, already a necessity for many crops, is becoming even more necessary as climate change fuels extreme weather. And plastics from other industries end up in fields, too, and eventually the food grown there as well as waterways. Scientists, farmers and consumers all worry about how the plastics that enter the food supply affect health, and research is continuing to show that it’s ending up in human bodies. Researchers are looking for solutions, but industry experts say despite attempts to tackle the plastic problem, it’s difficult to know where plastic ends up or get rid of it completely, even with the best intentions of improving reuse and recycling programs.