AP News Summary at 11:37 p.m. EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — An appeals court has lifted a block on executive orders seeking to end government support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, handing the Trump administration a win after a string of setbacks defending President Donald Trump’s agenda against dozens of lawsuits. The decision from a three-judge panel allows the orders to be enforced as a lawsuit against them plays out. The judges halted a nationwide injunction from U.S. District Judge Adam Abelson in Baltimore. Two of the judges on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals acknowledged the anti-DEI orders could raise concerns about First Amendment rights, but said the judge’s sweeping block went too far. Abelson had found the orders violated free-speech rights and are unconstitutionally vague.

Senate approves funding bill hours before shutdown deadline, sending to Trump for signature

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Senate has passed a Republican-led six-month spending bill hours before a government shutdown, overcoming sharp Democratic opposition to the measure. The bill now goes to President Donald Trump to be signed into law. The vote was 54-46. Democrats were frustrated that Republicans went ahead with a measure they said included little input from them and one they viewed as shortchanging key priorities such as health care and housing assistance. But in the end, some of them viewed a shutdown as a worse outcome, and nine of them followed Democratic leader Chuck Schumer’s effort to allow the bill to come to a final vote.

More than 50 universities face federal investigations as part of Trump's anti-DEI campaign

WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 50 universities are being investigated for alleged racial discrimination as part of President Donald Trump’s campaign to end diversity, equity and inclusion programs his officials say exclude white and Asian American students. The Education Department announced the new investigations Friday, a month after issuing a memo warning schools and colleges they could lose federal money over “race-based preferences” in admissions, scholarships or any aspect of student life. Most of the inquiries focus on colleges’ partnerships with the PhD Project, a nonprofit that helps students from underrepresented groups get degrees in business.

Federal judge considers blocking DOGE from accessing Social Security data of millions of Americans

BALTIMORE (AP) — A federal judge is considering whether to temporarily block Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency from accessing Social Security Administration systems that hold sensitive data on millions of Americans. A group of labor unions and retirees has sued the Trump administration and asked the court to issue an emergency order limiting DOGE access to the agency and its vast troves of personal data. They say DOGE’s “nearly unlimited” access violates privacy laws and presents massive information security risks. The administration has said DOGE is targeting waste and fraud in the federal government.

Trump pledges to 'expose' his enemies in political speech at Justice Department

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump used a visit to the Justice Department on Friday to air a litany of grievances about the criminal investigations that threatened to torpedo his political career. He decried his adversaries in often profane terms and cast himself as a victim of unfair and biased prosecutions. He vowed retribution for what he described as the “lies and abuses that have occurred within these walls.” The speech was meant to rally support for Trump’s tough-on-crime agenda. But it also functioned as victory lap after he emerged legally and politically unscathed from two federal prosecutions that were dismissed after his election win last fall.

Big March storm fans wildfires and kills 3 as forecasters fear weekend tornado outbreak

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A sprawling storm system crossing the U.S. has caused deadly crashes, damaged buildings and fanned more than 100 wildfires in several central states, prompting evacuation orders in some communities. More than a dozen tornadoes touched down Friday in Missouri and Arkansas, and threats of more loomed for the Mississippi Valley into the night and the Deep South on Saturday. The National Weather Service predicted extreme weather across a vast swath of the country that is home to more than 100 million people. Powerful winds gusting up to 80 mph were forecast from the Canadian border to Texas.

Hamas says it will release a US-Israeli hostage and 4 bodies, but Israel expresses immediate doubt

JERUSALEM (AP) — Hamas says it has accepted a proposal from mediators to release one living American-Israeli hostage and the bodies of four dual nationals who had died in captivity. The militant group didn't immediately specify Friday when the release of soldier Edan Alexander and the four bodies would occur or what it expected to receive in return. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office immediately cast doubt on the offer. The office accused Hamas of using manipulation to sabotage the ongoing talks in Qatar on the next stage of the Israel-Hamas ceasefire. Its first phase ended two weeks ago.

SpaceX launches a new crew to the space station to replace NASA's stuck astronauts

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The replacements for NASA's two stuck astronauts are on their way to the International Space Station. SpaceX launched the new crew from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on Friday night. The four astronauts should reach the space station the next day. That will pave the way for next week's return of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. The two have been living at the space station since June, ever since their Boeing Starliner capsule malfunctioned and had to leave without them. What should have been a weeklong test flight turned into a nine-month mission with a SpaceX ride home.

Wall Street rallies to its best day in months, but that’s not enough to salvage its losing week

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. stocks rallied to their best day since November's election, but that wasn't enough to keep Wall Street from a fourth straight losing week. The S&P 500 rose 2.1% Friday, a day after closing more than 10% below its record for its first “correction” since 2023. The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped 1.7%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 2.6%. Ulta Beauty helped lead the market after the beauty products retailer reported stronger profit for its latest quarter than analysts expected. Worries have been rising that U.S. consumers may cut back on their spending because of uncertainty around tariffs.

Thousands converging on Serbia's capital for a major rally that tests Vucic's populist government

BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Tens of thousands of people have swarmed the streets in Serbia’s capital Belgrade. They're staging a euphoric prelude to a major anti-government rally on the weekend and dealing a major blow to populist President Aleksandar Vucic. The citizens of Belgrade came out Friday to welcome thousands of university students who converged to Belgrade from across the country for a rally planned for Saturday that is expected to draw even more people. Saturday’s protest is seen as a culmination of months of anti-graft demonstrations in the Balkan country that have posed the biggest challenge so far for Vucic’s decade-long firm grip on power in Serbia.