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BC-UNITED STATES-SYRIA-THE LATEST
The Latest: US, Turkey agree to cease-fire in Syria
ANKARA, Turkey (AP) — The U.S. and Turkey have agreed to a cease-fire in the Turks' deadly attacks on Kurdish fighters in northern Syria, requiring the Kurds to vacate the area in an arrangement that largely solidifies Turkey's position and aims in the weeklong conflict.
The deal includes a conditional halt to American economic sanctions.
After negotiations with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is hailing the five-day cease-fire as the way to end the bloodshed caused by Turkey's invasion.
Pence remains silent on whether the agreement amounts to a second abandonment of America's former Kurdish allies in the fight against the Islamic State group.
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TRUMP-IMPEACHMENT-THE LATEST
The Latest: Mulvaney says Ukraine remarks were misconstrued
WASHINGTON (AP) — Acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney says his comments about the Trump administration's decision to hold up military aid to Ukraine have been misconstrued.
Mulvaney issued his statement after the president's outside legal counsel tried to distance itself from Mulvaney's earlier comments at a press briefing.
Mulvaney now says there was "no quid pro quo" between Ukrainian military aid and that country's willingness to investigate the 2016 U.S. election.
Mulvaney adds that Trump never told him to withhold money until the Ukrainians took action related to a server Democrats used in the 2016 election.
At an earlier briefing, Mulvaney had directly cited questions about the DNC server as a reason that money for Ukraine was being held up.
Trump, for his part, says he still has "a lot of confidence" in Mulvaney.
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OBIT-CUMMINGS-THE LATEST
The Latest: House observes moment of silence for Cummings
BALTIMORE (AP) — The House has observed a moment of silence in honor of Maryland Rep. Elijah Cummings, who died Thursday.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, a fellow Maryland Democrat, said Cummings was a quiet man who did not seek the limelight but "was not afraid to step out into the arena and fight hard for the causes in which he believed strongly."
Hoyer said those causes include justice, equality, opportunity, civil rights, education and children. Cummings liked to say that "children are the message we send to a future we will never see."
Hoyer said Cummings, of Baltimore, was beloved by his constituents and his congressional colleagues alike.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., called Cummings "a respected adversary" and said he was tough but fair. Cummings was a popular figure among Republicans.
TRUMP-G-7 SUMMIT
White House says next G-7 to be held at a Trump golf resort
WASHINGTON (AP) — The White House says it has chosen President Donald Trump's golf resort in Miami as the site for next year's Group of Seven summit.
The announcement Thursday comes as the president has accused Joe Biden's family of profiting from public office because of Hunter Biden's business activities in Ukraine when his father was vice president.
The idea of holding the event June 10-12 at Trump's resort has been criticized by ethics watchdogs.
Trump has said the resort is close to the airport and offers plenty of hotel rooms and separate buildings for every delegation.
When the United States has hosted the summit before, it has been held in Puerto Rico; Williamsburg, Virginia; Houston; Denver; Sea Island, Georgia; and Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland.
TRUMP-THE LATEST
The Latest: Trump imagines easier 2020 win by popular vote
DALLAS (AP) — President Donald Trump, who lost the popular vote in 2016 by nearly 3 million votes, claims it would be easier for him win the next presidential election if the U.S. did away with the Electoral College.
Trump says the beautiful thing about the Electoral College is "you go everywhere."
He says winning the popular vote would be much easier: "I'd go to four states and relax."
Trump is recounting his election victory at a campaign rally in Dallas.
Trump carried the GOP stronghold by 9 points in 2016. But Democrats have pointed to Republican Sen. Ted Cruz's close reelection in 2018 as evidence that the state could soon be in play.
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BREXIT-THE LATEST
The Latest: EU lawmakers might not OK Brexit deal by Oct. 31
BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Parliament's chief Brexit official says the EU legislature will take its full time to carefully examine and approve any divorce deal for Britain.
Belgian lawmaker Guy Verhofstadt tells The Associated Press that could well spill past the Oct. 31 date that Britain is now scheduled to leave the bloc on.
He said EU lawmakers will only start their work once the U.K. Parliament has passed a fully binding Brexit deal. If that slips past the European plenary session next week, it could well have to be picked up in the session that begins on Nov. 13.
Any EU-U.K. Brexit withdrawal deal needs the official backing of both the British and European Parliaments.
Verhofstadt said the parliament "will only start its work from the moment that we are 100% sure that the British Parliament will adopt this deal." The U.K. parliament meets Saturday to vote on the Brexit deal, but the outcome is highly uncertain.
TRUMP-IMPEACHMENT-UKRAINE-SONDLAND-THE LATEST
The Latest: House committees set more impeachment interviews
WASHINGTON (AP) — Three House committees investigating impeachment have tentatively scheduled at least eight closed-door interviews next week, including one with Bill Taylor, the current top official at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine.
That's according to a person familiar with the schedule who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the developing plans.
But it's unclear whether the witnesses will appear, given that the White House is opposing the inquiry.
The schedule includes a mix of State Department officials and White House aides who lawmakers believe can shed light on President Donald Trump's dealings with Ukraine.
Taylor is scheduled for a deposition on Tuesday. Also invited to testify later in the week are two National Security Council officials, Alexander Vindman and Timothy Morrison. Officials from the Defense Department and White House's Office of Management and Budget are invited, too.
—Associated Press writer Mary Clare Jalonick
CLOSING RIKERS ISLAND-THE LATEST
The Latest: NYC to close Rikers Island jail complex by 2026
NEW YORK (AP) — New York City lawmakers have approved a plan to close the notorious Rikers Island jail complex and replace it with four smaller jails.
The City Council voted Thursday to build the new jails and close Rikers by 2026.
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson called Rikers Island "a symbol of brutality and inhumanity." He said the city must move away from "The failed policies of mass incarceration."
Mayor Bill de Blasio and other Democrats support the plan. They say falling crime rates and criminal justice reforms mean the city will only need cells for about 3,300 prisoners per day by 2026.
That's less than half the 7,000 prisoners now housed daily in city jails, and way down from the 22,000 incarcerated in 1991.
This item has been corrected to show that the City Council voted to close Rikers Island jail complex by 2026, not 2016.
POLICE SHOOTING IN HOME-COMMUNITY
Fort Worth police shooting shatters community trust
FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The killing of a black woman in her home by a white Fort Worth officer has shattered the trust police have been trying to build with communities of color.
The Texas city has long had complaints of unjustified shootings and racially unequal policing.
Experts warn that Atatiana Jefferson's death could set off a vicious circle: The mistrust leads community members to stop reporting crimes and cooperating with officers. That, in turn, makes the police less effective and produces more mistrust.
Yashunn Hale says he is less likely to dial 911 since the deadly shooting over the weekend. He says he's not scared of the police, but "you just don't know who you're going to catch on the wrong day."
CHIEFS-MAHOMES HURT
Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes injures right knee against Broncos
DENVER (AP) — Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes injured his right knee injury on a sneak Thursday night against the Denver Broncos.
Mahomes stayed down on the field for quite some time after picking up a first down on fourth-and-short in the second quarter. He put an arm around each trainer as he made his way off the field. Mahomes, who entered the game with a sore ankle, then slowly made his way into the locker room.
The reigning MVP has thrown 15 touchdown passes and one interception this season.
Matt Moore replaced Mahomes.
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