AP News in Brief at 11:04 p.m. EDT

Supreme Court allows Trump to deport Venezuelans under wartime law, but only after judges’ review

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Monday allowed the Trump administration to use an 18th century wartime law to deport Venezuelan migrants, but said they must get a court hearing before they are taken from the United States.

In a bitterly divided decision, the court said the administration must give Venezuelans who it claims are gang members “reasonable time” to go to court.

But the conservative majority said the legal challenges must take place in Texas, instead of a Washington courtroom.

The court’s action appears to bar the administration from immediately resuming the flights that last month carried hundreds of migrants to a notorious prison in El Salvador. The flights came soon after President Donald Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act for the first time since World War II to justify the deportations under a presidential proclamation calling the Tren de Aragua gang an invading force.

The majority said nothing about those flights, which took off without providing the hearing the justices now say is necessary.

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China says it will ‘fight to the end’ after Trump threatens to impose still more tariffs

BEIJING (AP) — China said Tuesday it would “fight to the end” and take countermeasures against the United States to safeguard its own interests after President Donald Trump threatened an additional 50% tariff on Chinese imports.

The Commerce Ministry said the U.S.‘s imposition of “so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’” on China is “completely groundless and is a typical unilateral bullying practice.”

China has taken retaliatory tariffs and the ministry hinted in its latest statement that more many be coming.

“The countermeasures China has taken are aimed at safeguarding its sovereignty, security and development interests, and maintaining the normal international trade order. They are completely legitimate,” the ministry said. “The U.S. threat to escalate tariffs on China is a mistake on top of a mistake and once again exposes the blackmailing nature of the US. China will never accept this. If the US insists on its own way, China will fight to the end.”

Trump’s threat Monday of additional tariffs on China raised fresh concerns that his drive to rebalance the global economy could intensify a financially destructive trade war. Stock markets from Tokyo to New York have become more unstable as the tariff war worsens.

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Japan’s Nikkei 225 stock index up 5.5% as world markets gyrate under tariffs uncertainty

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian markets opened higher on Tuesday, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 share benchmark up 5.5% after it fell nearly 8% a day earlier.

The rebound followed a wild day on Wall Street as U.S. stocks careened after President Donald Trump threatened to crank his double-digit tariffs higher.

The Nikkei 225 had jumped to 32,819.08 a half-hour after the market in Tokyo opened.

South Korea’s Kospi gained 2% and markets in New Zealand and Australia also were higher.

Asian markets plunged on Monday, with stocks in Hong Kong diving 13.2% for their worst day since 1997, during the Asian financial crisis.

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Trump threatens more tariffs on China as global markets shudder over how much pain economy can take

WASHINGTON (AP) — Undeterred by a panicked stock market, President Donald Trump threatened additional tariffs on China on Monday, raising fresh concerns that his drive to rebalance the global economy could intensify a financially destructive trade war.

Trump’s threat came after China said it would retaliate against U.S. tariffs he announced last week.

“If China does not withdraw its 34% increase above their already long term trading abuses by tomorrow, April 8th, 2025, the United States will impose ADDITIONAL Tariffs on China of 50%, effective April 9th,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Additionally, all talks with China concerning their requested meetings with us will be terminated!”

The U.S. president has shown few signs of backing down on tariffs despite the mounting pressure in the financial markets. His commitment to tariffs could have devastating effects for the global economy, even though Trump is banking that it will ultimately pay off with manufacturing jobs.

Asked Monday if he would consider a pause on his widespread tariffs, Trump said, “We’re not looking at that.” The U.S. president said he was open to negotiations “if we can make a really fair deal and a good deal for the United States.” Trump added that it’s possible to have both negotiated settlements with other countries and permanent tariffs.

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Swollen rivers are flooding towns in the US South after a prolonged deluge of rain

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — Days of unrelenting downpours swelled rivers to near record levels across Kentucky on Monday, submerging neighborhoods and threatening a famed bourbon distillery in the state capital.

Inundated rivers posed the latest threat from persistent storms that have killed at least 23 people since last week as they doused the region with heavy rain and spawned destructive tornadoes. At least 157 tornadoes struck within seven days beginning March 30, according to a preliminary report from the National Weather Service. Though the storms have finally moved on, the flood danger remains high in several other states, including parts of Tennessee, Arkansas and Indiana.

Cities ordered evacuations, and rescue crews in inflatable boats checked on residents in Kentucky and Tennessee, while utilities shut off power and gas in a region stretching from Texas to Ohio. Floodwaters forced the closure of the historic Buffalo Trace Distillery, close to the banks of the swollen Kentucky River near downtown Frankfort.

Salon owner Jessica Tuggle watched Monday as murky brown water approached her Frankfort business. She and her friends had moved her salon gear to a nearby taproom.

“Everybody was just, ‘Stop raining, stop raining,’ so we could get an idea of what the worst situation would be,” she said.

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‘Little suns in the classroom’: Ukrainian city mourns children killed by Russian missile

KRYVYI RIH, Ukraine (AP) — Anger and outrage gripped the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Monday as it held funerals for some of the 20 people, including nine children, killed by a Russian missile that tore through apartment buildings and blasted a playground.

More than 70 were wounded in the attack last Friday evening on Kryvyi Rih. The children were playing on swings and in a sandbox in a tree-lined park at the time. Bodies were strewn across the grass.

“We are not asking for pity,” Oleksandr Vilkul, the head of the city administration, wrote on Telegram as Kryvyi Rih mourned. “We demand the world’s outrage.”

The U.N. Human Rights Office in Ukraine said it was the deadliest single verified strike harming children since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022. It was also one of the deadliest attacks so far this year.

Ukraine has consented to a ceasefire proposed weeks ago by Washington. But Russia is still negotiating with the United States its terms for accepting a truce in the more than three-year war.

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Trump says the US will hold direct talks with Iran; Tehran says they’ll be indirect negotiations

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. will hold direct talks with Iran about its nuclear program, while warning the Iranians they would be in “great danger” if the talks don’t succeed in persuading them to abandon their nuclear weapons program. For its part, Tehran confirmed talks would happen but insisted they would be indirect discussions through a mediator.

Trump, in comments to reporters after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said the talks will start Saturday. He insisted Tehran can’t get nuclear weapons.

“We’re dealing with them directly and maybe a deal is going to be made,” Trump said. He added that “doing a deal would be preferable to doing the obvious.”

Asked if he would commit to military action against Iran should his negotiators be unable to come to terms with Tehran, Trump responded, “Iran is going to be in great danger, and I hate to say it.”

“If the talks aren’t successful, I think it’s going to be a very bad day for Iran,” Trump said.

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Colleges around the US say some international students’ visas are being revoked

WASHINGTON (AP) — Colleges around the country are reporting some of their international students’ visas are being revoked unexpectedly, expressing alarm over what appears to be a new level of government scrutiny.

Visas can be canceled for a number of reasons, but college leaders say the government has been quietly terminating students’ legal residency status with little notice to students or schools. That marks a shift from past practice and leaves students vulnerable to detention and deportation.

The list of colleges that have discovered students have had their legal status terminated includes Harvard, Stanford, Michigan, UCLA and Ohio State University.

The Trump administration has targeted students who had been involved with pro-Palestinian activism or speech, with a few high-profile detentions of students including Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder who was a leader of protests at Columbia University.

But more schools are seeing visas stripped from students with no known connection to protests. In some cases, past infractions such as traffic violations have been cited. Some colleges say the reasons remain unclear to them — and they are seeking answers.

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RFK Jr. says he plans to tell CDC to stop recommending fluoride in drinking water

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Monday said he plans to tell the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to stop recommending fluoridation in communities nationwide. Kennedy said he’s assembling a task force of health experts to study the issue and make new recommendations.

Also on Monday, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced it is reviewing “new scientific information” on potential health risks of fluoride in drinking water. The EPA sets the maximum level allowed in public water systems.

Kennedy told The Associated Press of his plans after a news conference with EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin in Salt Lake City.

Kennedy cannot order communities to stop fluoridation, but he can direct the CDC to stop recommending it and work with the EPA to change the allowed amount.

Utah last month became the first state to ban fluoride in public drinking water, pushing past opposition from dentists and national health organizations who warned the move would lead to medical problems that disproportionately affect low-income communities.

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March Madness wraps in Florida-Houston matchup pitting tourney’s best defense vs best clutch player

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The national title game between Florida and Houston could come down to the NCAA Tournament’s best clutch player against the country’s best clutch defense.

Walter Clayton Jr., leads the Gators into Monday night’s final against a long-armed Cougars defense that has snuffed out every team it has seen over this run to its first title game since 1984. That was the end of the “Phi Slama Jama” era that featured Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon.

Houston (35-4) has never won a title.

The Gators (35-4) are one win away from their third championship and first since they went back-to-back in 2006-07. Clayton, a high school football star who chose basketball in college, scored 34 points in Florida’s semifinal win against Auburn.

He has averaged 24.6 points over five wins in the tournament. In two of those wins, he scored 13 points down the stretch in each to help Florida pull out close games against UConn and Texas Tech.

The Associated Press