Senate extends surveillance powers

WASHINGTON ( — Congress has approved a short-term renewal of a controversial surveillance program used by U.S. spy agencies just days before it was set to expire.

A bill extending the program until April 30 cleared the Senate by voice vote Friday as Congress raced to send it to President Donald Trump for his signature. Lawmakers turned to a short-term extension of the program after an attempt to pass a five-year renewal failed in a late-night House vote. The short-term fix sets the stage for another showdown in a matter of weeks. The program permits key national security agencies to collect and analyze vast amounts of overseas communications without a warrant.

Pope urges youth to resist migration

DOUALA, Cameroon — Pope Leo XIV is encouraging young people in Cameroon to resist the temptation to migrate and to stay at home and fight corruption.

Leo delivered the twin messages during a meeting with students at the Catholic University of Central Africa. They’re themes Leo has highlighted during his visit to Cameroon, the second leg of his four-nation African trip. He leaves Saturday for Angola, another country blessed with oil and other natural resources, but where a third of the population lives on less than $2.15 a day.

Chief of staff meets with AI CEO

WASHINGTON — White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has met with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to discuss the company’s new AI model, Mythos. The model has gained attention for its advanced capabilities and potential use by the federal government.

A White House official says the administration is engaging with AI labs about their models. The meeting Friday follows tensions between the Trump administration and Anthropic over the use of AI technology in federal agencies. Anthropic has limited the Mythos model’s use to select customers due to its ability to surpass human cybersecurity experts in finding vulnerabilities.

Court gives win to oil, gas industries

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court is handing a win to oil and gas companies fighting lawsuits over coastal land loss and environmental degradation in Louisiana. The unanimous procedural decision gives the companies a new day in federal court after a state jury ordered Chevron to pay upward of $740 million to clean up damage to the state’s coastline, one of multiple similar lawsuits.

The companies were backed by the Trump administration and argued that the case belongs in federal court because they began oil production and refining during World War II as U.S. contractors. Louisiana’s coastal parishes have lost more than 2,000 square miles of land over the past century.

Kirk suspect wants no court cameras

PROVO, Utah (AP) — Defense witnesses in the prosecution of the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk say conjecture about the case is making it impossible to have a fair trial. The testimony came as attorneys for Tyler Robinson on Friday urged a Utah a judge to ban cameras from the courtroom.

Media organizations, prosecutors and Kirk’s widow want cameras allowed and say they promote transparency.

Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty for Robinson if he is convicted in the Sept. 10 shooting of Kirk. The conservative activist had been addressing a crowd of thousands on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem.

The Associated Press