AP News Summary at 11:58 p.m. EDT

Trump downplays national security team texting military operation plan on Signal as a minor 'glitch'

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is downplaying the texting of attack plans to a group chat that included a journalist as “the only glitch in two months” of his administration. Trump told NBC News on Tuesday it “turned out not to be a serious one.” Top national security officials including Trump’s defense secretary texted plans for upcoming military strikes in Yemen to a group chat in a secure messaging app that included the editor-in-chief for The Atlantic. This was reported by the magazine Monday. The National Security Council says the text chain “appears to be authentic.” Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg says two hours after he received the details of the attack on March 15, the U.S. began launching airstrikes.

America's allies alarmed by a leaked group chat about attack plans

LONDON (AP) — Allies of the United States see a group chat about attack plans by top U.S. officials that accidentally included a journalist as a jaw-dropping security breach. Some say it casts doubt on intelligence-sharing with Washington and the security of joint military operations. “Scary” and “reckless” was the verdict of one European diplomat. A security expert called it “pretty shocking.” In public, European officials insisted all was well in the trans-Atlantic relationship. Behind the scenes, there was alarm at the widening chasm between the U.S. and its erstwhile allies. Former State Department official Max Bergmann says “there’s a real sense of divorce" among European nations.

Trump signs order seeking to overhaul US elections, including requiring proof of citizenship

NEW YORK (AP) — President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping executive action to overhaul elections in the United States. Tuesday's order demands documentary proof of citizenship be added as a requirement for federal voter registration. It also requires that all ballots be received by Election Day throughout the country. The move is consistent with Trump's long history of railing against election processes. He often claims elections are being rigged, even before the results are known, and has waged battles against certain voting methods since he lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden and falsely blamed it on widespread fraud. Trump said Tuesday that more election actions would be taken in coming weeks.

Consumer confidence is sliding as Americans' view of their financial futures slumps to a 12-year low

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. consumer confidence continued its sharp 2025 decline as Americans’ views about their financial futures fell to a 12-year low, driven by rising concerns over tariffs and inflation. The Conference Board reported Tuesday that its consumer confidence index fell 7.2 points in March to 92.9, the fourth straight monthly decline. The Conference Board’s report Tuesday said that the measure of Americans’ short-term expectations for income, business and the job market fell 9.6 points to 65.2. That's the lowest reading in 12 years and well below the threshold of 80, which the Conference Board says can signal a potential recession in the near future.

Appeals court allows Trump administration to suspend approval of new refugees amid lawsuit

WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court has allowed the Trump administration to stop approving new refugees for entry into the U.S. as a lawsuit plays out over the president’s executive order halting the nation’s refugee admissions system. Refugees conditionally approved before President Donald Trump took office must still be processed under the Tuesday order from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, but it allows the Republican administration to suspend new approvals. The appeals court panel halted a ruling from U.S. District Judge Jamal Whitehead in Seattle. Whitehead found that Trump could not nullify the law passed by Congress establishing the program. Whitehead said the president does have substantial discretion to suspend refugee admissions but the authority is not limitless.

US Vice President JD Vance to join his wife in Greenland on Friday

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance says he’s joining his wife on a Friday trip to Greenland, suggesting in an online video that global security is at stake. Vance says in a video posted Tuesday to social media, “Speaking for President Trump, we want to reinvigorate the security of the people of Greenland because we think it’s important to protecting the security of the entire world." President Donald Trump irked much of Europe by suggesting that the United States should in some form control the self-governing, mineral-rich territory of American ally Denmark.

Gunman who killed 23 in racist attack at Texas Walmart is offered plea deal to avoid death penalty

The gunman who killed 23 people in a racist attack at an El Paso Walmart in 2019 in one of the the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history has been offered a plea deal to avoid the death penalty. The decision was announced Tuesday by El Paso County District Attorney James Montoya. It marks an abrupt end to years of efforts by prosecutors to see that 26-year-old Patrick Crusius face execution by lethal injection. Crusius has already been sentenced to 90 consecutive life sentences at the federal level after pleading guilty in 2023 to hate crime charges. Additionally he was charged in state court with capital murder.

US holds separate talks with Russians after meeting Ukrainians to discuss a potential ceasefire

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. negotiators are working with Russian representatives on a proposed partial ceasefire in Ukraine. Monday's meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, came a day after the U.S. held separate talks with the Ukrainian team. Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of undermining efforts to reach a pause in the 3-year-old war. Both countries agreed in principle Wednesday to a limited ceasefire after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with their leaders. A major sticking point is what targets would be off-limits to strike. While the White House said “energy and infrastructure” would be covered, the Kremlin declared the agreement referred more narrowly to “energy infrastructure.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he wants to see railways and ports protected.

Wildfires ravage southern South Korea, killing 18 people and destroying a 1,300-year-old temple

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Wind-driven wildfires that were among South Korea’s worst ever were ravaging the country’s southern regions, killing 18 people, destroying more than 200 structures and forcing 27,000 people to evacuate. The wildfires have burned 43,330 acres and injured 19 people. A 1,300-year-old Buddhist temple, houses, factories and vehicles were among the structures destroyed. Officials in several southeastern cities and towns had ordered residents to evacuate Tuesday as firefighters struggled to contain multiple blazes. South Korea's acting president said crews were struggling to extinguish the wildfires because strong winds swept the areas overnight. About 4,650 firefighters, soldiers and other personnel were working Wednesday to extinguish the wildfires.

Russell Wilson is heading to the New York Giants, AP source says

Russell Wilson has agreed on a one-year contract with the New York Giants, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press. The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity Tuesday because the signing hasn’t been finalized, said Wilson’s deal is worth up to $21 million with $10.5 million guaranteed. The Giants signed veteran Jameis Winston to a two-year contract last week and have the third pick in next month’s NFL draft. The 36-year-old Wilson  joins his fourth team in five years.