AP-Newswatch

The Latest: Zelenskyy says Trump is key to ending Russia-Ukraine conflict

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he will only agree to meet in person with Russian leader Vladimir Putin after a common plan is negotiated with U.S. President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy also said he believes Trump is the key to ending the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and said the U.S. president gave him his telephone number before Friday’s opening of the Munich Security Conference. Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance will meet with Zelenskyy later on for talks about how to negotiate a settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

Treasury watchdog begins audit of Musk DOGE team’s access to federal government’s payment system

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department’s Office of Inspector General says it’s launching an audit of the security controls for the federal government’s payment system. That’s after Democratic senators raised red flags about the access provided to Trump aide Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency. The audit will also review the past two years of the system’s transactions as it relates to Musk’s assertion of “alleged fraudulent payments.” That’s according to a letter from Treasury’s deputy inspector general obtained Friday by The Associated Press. The audit marks part of the broader effort led by Democratic lawmakers and federal employee unions to provide transparency about DOGE’s activities under President Donald Trump’s Republican administration.

Zelenskyy to Vance: Ukraine wants ‘security guarantees’ as Trump seeks to end Ukraine-Russia war

MUNICH (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says his country wants “security guarantees” before any talks to end the Ukraine-Russia war. Zelenskyy made his remarks Friday during a meeting with U.S. Vice President JD Vance. The two met at the Munich Security Conference. Many observers, particularly in Europe, are hoping Vance will shed at least some light on U.S. President Donald Trump’s ideas for a negotiated settlement to the war.

Where US adults think the government is spending too much, according to AP-NORC polling

WASHINGTON (AP) — Many U.S. adults believe the federal government is overspending. But polling also shows many Americans, including Republicans, think the country is spending too little on major government programs like Social Security. The polls from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research come as President Donald Trump and adviser Elon Musk push for extensive cuts throughout the federal government, slashing funding for humanitarian aid and turning their attention to the Department of Education and the military. The polls suggest Americans may not agree with where the Republican administration’s cuts should fall. A January AP-NORC poll shows about two-thirds of Americans say the government is spending “too little” on Social Security and education.

Philadelphia turns green on Valentine’s Day to celebrate Super Bowl champions

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Philadelphia Eagles fans are perched in trees and atop ladders to get a glimpse of their Super Bowl champion Eagles. Screams and cheers broke out Friday when MVP quarterback Jalen Hurts hoisted the Vince Lombardi Trophy at the start of the team’s victory parade through the City of Brotherly Love. Fans camped out along the team’s parade route overnight. Some huddled under blankets and inside tents early Friday to secure prime spots near the Philadelphia Museum of Art where the Eagles will take the stage. There’s a large police presence along the parade route, including dump trucks and heavy equipment blocking many side streets.

Rwanda-backed rebels claim to have seized second Congo airport in advance towards Bukavu

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Rwanda-backed rebels in eastern Congo have claimed that they have seized a second airport in the region following a days-long advance towards Bukavu city. Meanwhile the U.N. warned that the recent escalation of fighting with government forces has left 350,000 internally displaced people without shelter. The Associated Press could not immediately confirm if the Kavumu national airport was under the control of the M23 rebels or government forces. Government officials and civil society leaders did not immediately comment. Locals told the AP the rebels have surrounded the area around the airport.

Prosecutors see an Islamic extremist motive in the Munich car-ramming attack

MUNICH (AP) — Authorities say the suspect in the car-ramming attack in Munich that left more than 30 people injured appears to have had an Islamic extremist motive, but there’s no evidence that he was involved with any radical network. The 24-year-old Afghan, who arrived in Germany as an asylum-seeker in 2016 and lived in Munich, was arrested after driving his Mini Cooper into the back of a labor union demonstration in the Bavarian city on Thursday. Police officers pulled him out of the car after firing a shot at the vehicle, which didn’t hit him, and arrested him. A prosecutor said Friday that the suspect said “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is great,” to police and then prayed after his arrest.

Pope Francis is hospitalized to treat bronchitis and undergo tests as weekend events are canceled

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has been hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli Polyclinic to continue his ongoing treatment for bronchitis and to undergo tests. The Vatican canceled his events through Monday. Since being diagnosed with bronchitis last Thursday, the 88-year-old pope has continued his activities and audiences indoors at Casa Santa Marta, the Vatican residence where he lives, with a public appearance on Sunday. Francis has long battled health problems, including long bouts of bronchitis. He uses a walker or cane when moving around his apartment and recently fell twice, hurting his arm and chin.

Hamas names 3 Israeli hostages set to be released Saturday to uphold shaky Gaza ceasefire

JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas militants have named the next three Israeli male hostages to be released as part of a fragile ceasefire deal that had teetered in recent days amid a major dispute that raised the specter of fighting resuming in the devastated Gaza Strip. Under the terms of the ceasefire, Israel would release hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in return for the hostages. The exchange scheduled for Saturday will be the sixth such swap since the start of the ceasefire, which had appeared dangerously close to collapse in recent days.

Southern California hit by destructive debris flows caused by heavy rains

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Debris flows brought on by the strongest atmospheric river of the season swept a car off a southern California highway and into the ocean and left roads submerged in sludge. While the heavy rains from the storm hitting the region have begun to ease, the risk of rock and mudslides on wildfire-scarred hillsides continues Friday since dangerous slides can strike even after rain stops. There is particular risk in scorched areas where vegetation that helps keep soil anchored has burned away. To the north, snow and ice caused major pileups on highways in Oregon and Washington, injuring at least 10 people. The West Coast storms are just the latest in a week of bad weather across the U.S.