Newsdesk

WATCH: Trump says he signed $1.3 trillion spending bill ‘as a matter of national security’

By Yamiche Alcindor, Joshua Barajas

President Donald Trump is expected to speak to the press at 1 p.m. ET Friday. Watch her remarks here.

Life support ends for ‘brain dead’ school shooting victim in Maryland

By Matthew Barakat and Brian Witte, Associated Press

A teenage girl was brain dead days after being shot when a classmate opened fire inside their Maryland high school and was to be removed from life support, her mother said Thursday.

Trump signs $1.3 trillion budget after threatening veto

By Lisa Mascaro, Alan Fram, Catherine Lucey and Jill Colvin, Associated Press

President Trump says he is “considering” a veto of a giant $1.3 trillion spending bill, citing concerns over “Dreamers” and border wall funding.

WATCH: Justice Department announces charges against 9 Iranians in massive hacking scheme

By Eric Tucker, Associated Press

The Justice Department on Friday announced charges against 9 Iranians in a government-sponsored hacking scheme that pilfered sensitive information from hundreds of universities, private companies and government agencies.

Support soars for stricter gun control laws, poll finds

By Steve Peoples and Emily Swanson, Associated Press

Support for tougher gun control laws is soaring in the U.S., according to a new poll that found a majority of gun owners and half of Republicans favor new laws to address gun violence.

3 dead, dozen injured in hostage situation in southern France

By Sylvie Corbet, Samuel Petrequin and Jean-Paul Bonincontro, Associated Press

An armed man went on rampage Friday in southern France, carjacking a vehicle, shooting at police and taking hostages in an hours-long standoff at a supermarket.

Facebook takes baby steps on privacy after scandal over user data collection

By Barbara Ortutay, Anick Jesdanun, Associated Press

But those steps don't get at what many outsiders see as bigger problems at Facebook: its rampant data collection from users, its embrace of political ads that target individuals, and its apparent inability to end malicious use of its service…

Defeated rebels begin leaving enclave near Syrian capital

By Bassem Mroue, Zeina Karam, Associated Press

Carrying their light arms, hundreds of defeated rebels began evacuating with their families Thursday from a devastated town in eastern Ghouta, an effective surrender under a deal with the government after a long siege and bombing campaign of the enclave…

Stock market plunges on fears of trade tensions between the U.S. and China

By Associated Press

Stocks plunged, sending the Dow Jones industrials down more than 700 points, as investors feared that trade tensions will spike between the U.S. and China.

Tillerson laments ‘mean-spirited’ Washington as he departs

By Associated Press

In a brief final farewell address to State Department employees on Thursday, Tillerson urged them to protect their personal integrity and to strive to respect one another.