Ceasefire takes

effect in Gaza

WADI GAZA, Gaza Strip (AP) — Tens of thousands of Palestinians headed back to the heavily destroyed northern Gaza Strip as a U.S.-brokered ceasefire came into effect on Friday.

The deal has raised hopes for ending the Israel-Hamas war, with all the remaining hostages taken in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack set to be released within days. Questions remain over who will govern Gaza as Israeli troops gradually pull back and whether Hamas will disarm, as called for in U.S. President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who unilaterally ended a ceasefire in March, hinted that Israel might renew its offensive if Hamas does not give up its weapons.

President Trump

undergoes physical

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump has visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for what he calls a “semiannual physical.” Trump left the White House around 10:45 a.m. Friday and returned to the grounds at 2:15 p.m., slightly ahead of schedule.

Trump did not answer questions from reporters upon his arrival. The White House has not indicated when it will release results or more information about Trump’s exams. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described the visit earlier this week as a “routine yearly checkup,” although the Republican president had his annual physical in April.

White House aides have declined to explain why Trump was getting another checkup. Trump told reporters Thursday he thinks he’s in great shape.

Loyola’s Sister

Jean dies at 106

CHICAGO (AP) — Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the beloved chaplain for Loyola Chicago’s men’s basketball team, has died at 106. The university announced her death on Thursday night.

She became an international celebrity during the team’s 2018 Final Four run and there was even a bobblehead of her likeness. Health issues led her to step down in August, but she remained an adviser.

Loyola President Mark C. Reed praised her as a source of wisdom and grace for over 60 years. Sister Jean published a memoir in 2023 sharing life lessons.

National Guard

stands down

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — National Guard troops are patrolling in Memphis for the first time, as part of President Donald Trump’s federal task force. The deployment comes a day after a federal judge in Illinois blocked troop deployment in the Chicago area for at least two weeks.

It was unclear Friday how many Guard members were on the ground in Memphis or were expected to arrive later.

In Illinois, two U.S. senators were denied access to an immigration enforcement building. Trump is pushing to deploy the Guard to several U.S. cities. His administration claims crime is rampant in those cities, despite statistics not always supporting that.