AP News Summary at 12:13 a.m. EST

Explosions sound in the Iranian capital and Jerusalem as war with US and Israel enters a fifth day

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Explosions are sounding in Iran's capital city and Jerusalem as its war with the U.S. and Israel enters a fifth day. Iranian state television reported explosions in Tehran at dawn Wednesday. And Israel said its air defenses were activated due to incoming missile fire from Iran. Five days into a war that U.S. President Donald Trump suggested could last a month or longer, nearly 800 people have been killed in Iran, including some Trump said he had considered as possible future leaders of the country. Air sirens also sounded in the morning across the island kingdom of Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet, and Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said Iran hit Al-Udeid Qatari Base with a missile, but didn’t cause casualties.

The Latest: Explosions heard in Tehran and Jerusalem on fifth day of war

Explosions are sounding in Iran’s capital city as its war with the U.S. and Israel enters a fifth day. Iranian state television reported explosions in Tehran at dawn Wednesday. In Israel, air defenses were activated due to incoming missile fire from Iran and explosions were heard over Jerusalem. Five days into a war that U.S. President Donald Trump suggested could last a month or longer, nearly 800 people have been killed in Iran, including some Trump said he had considered as possible future leaders of the country. Air sirens sounded in the morning across the island kingdom of Bahrain, home to the U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet. Qatar’s Ministry of Defense said Iran hit Al-Udeid Qatari Base with a missile, but didn’t cause casualties.

Lock step no more: Iran war shows cracks in Trump's conservative media support

NEW YORK (AP) — Some of the sharpest criticism that President Donald Trump has faced in the early days of the Iran war has come from once-loyal media figures more accustomed to singing his praises. The conservative media infrastructure has grown so influential and valuable to the president when everything runs smoothly that it's noticeable when there is discontent. Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Matt Walsh are among the notable figures to express some dismay, much of it centered around the influence of Israel. Walsh has also said the messaging around the war was muddled. Trump says that he knows MAGA best, and these objections do not reflect the views of his supporters.

Father who gave gun to Georgia school shooting suspect for Christmas is guilty of 2nd-degree murder

WINDER, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia man who gave his teenage son the gun he’s accused of using to kill two students and two teachers at a high school has been convicted of second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Colin Gray also was found guilty Tuesday of all other charges in the September 2024 shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder, northeast of Atlanta. Gray is one of several parents prosecuted after their children were accused in fatal shootings. Prosecutors said Gray gave his son access to a gun and ammunition despite “sufficient warning that Colt Gray would harm and endanger” other people.

John Cornyn and Ken Paxton advance to runoff in Republican primary for Texas US Senate seat

DALLAS (AP) — Texas Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton will compete in a May runoff for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate. Cornyn and Paxton were the top finishers in a three-way contest Tuesday with Rep. Wesley Hunt, who conceded. No candidate hit the 50% vote threshold needed to win outright, sending the race to a May 26 runoff. Cornyn’s campaign and allied super PACs spent heavily on television advertising, much of it criticizing Paxton. Senate Republican leaders are backing Cornyn. They argue that it will cost more to defend the seat in a general election if Paxton is the nominee. Paxton was acquitted in impeachment proceedings and has faced accusations of marital infidelity.

US soldiers who died in Iran war remembered as devoted parents and reservists

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Four of the six U.S. soldiers killed in the Iran war have been identified by the Pentagon as members of the Army Reserve. They're from different states, and worked in logistics and kept troops supplied with food and equipment. They died Sunday when a drone hit a command center in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait. They're identified as Capt. Cody Khork of Winter Haven, Florida; Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens of Bellevue, Nebraska; Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor of White Bear Lake, Minnesota; and Sgt. Declan Coady of West Des Moines, lowa.

Noem defends her portrayal of killed Minneapolis protesters as agitators, in her Senate hearing

WASHINGTON (AP) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has defended her agency in testimony and under questioning at a Senate hearing. She appeared before the Judiciary Committee on Tuesday as a backlash grows over deadly immigration enforcement actions tied to President Donald Trump's deportation push. It was her first congressional hearing since two protesters were killed in Minneapolis by Homeland Security officers in January. Noem's department sent hundreds of officers to Minnesota. Protesters marched and tracked enforcement activity. An ICE officer shot Renee Good. Border Protection officers shot Alex Pretti. The deaths led to demands for accountability. At the hearing, Noem blamed “violent protesters” for contributing to the chaos officers encountered.

Dow drops 400 after trimming an early plunge of 1,200 as oil prices climb even higher

NEW YORK (AP) — A sell-off for stocks wrapped around the world and hit Wall Street, while oil prices climbed even higher on worries about the widening war with Iran. But the big moves that rocked markets early Tuesday morning eased substantially as the day progressed. The S&P 500 finished with a loss of 0.9% after dropping as much as 2.5% on worries about how much damage the war will do to the economy. The Dow Jones Industrial Average pared its loss to 0.8%, and the Nasdaq composite fell 1%. More spikes for oil prices could grind down the global economy and sap corporate profits.

Minnesota launches investigation that could bring charges against federal immigration officers

A Minnesota county attorney may pursue charges against federal officers for alleged misconduct during an immigration crackdown in the Minneapolis area. The prosecutor says Monday her office is already investigating 17 incidents in the county, including a Jan. 21 case where Border Patrol official Greg Bovino threw a smoke canister at protesters, and a Jan. 7 arrest near a high school where officers used chemical irritants while students and staff were in the area. Her office may also sue the federal government for blocking requests for evidence in her investigations into the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. The Department of Homeland Security responded saying that states cannot prosecute federal officers.

Country by country, here's how the unfolding war is affecting the Middle East

JERUSALEM (AP) — The unfolding war in the Middle East has ricocheted across the region. Nearly every country has sustained damage from missile hits or shrapnel. Many have reported casualties, and key economic engines and passageways have been closing down. Airspace is closed in many places. Even in countries where airspace is at least partially open, airlines have canceled flights. The U.S. State Department has advised Americans in 14 countries in the region to leave, even as commercial flights are hard to come by.