Trump launches strikes on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, killing 24: Live updates
President Donald Trump launched military strikes against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, reportedly killing at least 24 people.
The Houthi-run health ministry said that 13 civilians were killed in the capital Sanaa, Reuters reports. At least 11 others were killed in the northern province of Saada, according to the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.
Trump said the strikes would continue until the Houthis stopped their attacks on shipping vessels off the coast.
“Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom,” Trump said in a social media post Saturday. “No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.”
Meanwhile, a federal judge temporarily blocked the administration from carrying out deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which the president invoked against members of a Venezuelan gang earlier Saturday.
Chief Judge James Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order on deportations under wartime law on Saturday night. This order blocks the deportation of any non-citizens in custody and facing removal under the Alien Enemies Act for at least 14 days.
Key Points
Judge temporarily blocks Trump’s deportations under Alien Enemies Act
What is the Alien Enemies Act of 1798? The wartime law that Trump invoked to speed up deportations
Trump orders strikes on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and issues new warning to Iran
Voice of America journalists put on administrative leave
South African ambassador expelled from US called a ‘race-baiting politician’ by Marco Rubio
U.S. military strikes in Yemen reportedly kill at least 24
03:26 , Graeme Massie
President Donald Trump launched military strikes against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, reportedly killing at least 24 people.
Reuters reported that the Houthi-run health ministry said that 13 civilians were killed in the capital Sanaa. At least 11 others were killed in the northern province of Saada, according to the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.
Trump said the strikes would continue until the Houthis stopped their attacks on shipping vessels off the coast.
“Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom,” the president said in a social media post on Saturday. “No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.”
White House releases pictures of Trump watching Yemen strikes
03:15 , Graeme Massie
“President Trump is taking action against the Houthis to defend US shipping assets and deter terrorist threats,” the White House posted on X.
“For too long American economic & national threats have been under assault by the Houthis. Not under this presidency.”
COMMENT: How a Meta exposé reveals a disturbing truth about Mark Zuckerberg
03:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Chris Blackhurst writes:
There is no greater proponent of freedom of expression than Mark Zuckerberg. The Meta boss sits atop a digital empire used by 3 billion worldwide or, as the company likes to say, “empowers them to share ideas and offer support”. His domain covers Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp. Truly, he is a king of the age.
Enabling folk to say what they want is at the heart of his success. It’s how he has amassed his fortune, providing platforms and networks for the exchange of views, thoughts, experiences, opinions. They’re monitored, but he tries to keep the checks and balances down – otherwise users would look elsewhere. Every time regulators try to impose something heavier, there is kickback. Increasingly, thanks to his new pal, Donald Trump – Zuckerberg was given star billing at the inauguration along with the other tech bros and he was co-host at that evening’s presidential ball – he is in his pomp, an untouchable global master.
Read more:
How a Meta exposé reveals a disturbing truth about Mark Zuckerberg
VOICES: Putin has given Trump a clear message – he still wants to win
02:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Jon Sopel writes:
Tuning into some Fox News coverage the other day, there was a British commentator who lives in the US proclaiming that whatever the latest apparent snafu from Donald Trump, people should have no doubts. He is a chess grandmaster, the man who can see around corners, the tactician supreme.
There is of course another view, and that is that the president is a clueless blowhard who makes it up as he goes along – a man of endless tactical manoeuvres with no overarching strategy.
When it comes to Ukraine, I can’t decide. The démarche with Zelensky in the White House was hideous; the pressure the US put on Ukraine has been so asymmetric. In his call with Putin the other week, Trump says you can keep the land you’ve got, we won’t let Ukraine join NATO, we’ll look at easing sanctions and we’ll stop cyber-ops against you. With Kyiv he beats them around the head, stops defence assistance and intelligence cooperation until they surrender to his wishes.
Read more:
Putin has given Trump a clear message – he still wants to win
SpaceX finally launches after scrubbing mission days ago to replace astronauts who have been in space for months
01:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Following a scrubbed launch on Wednesday, NASA and SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station Friday evening.
The Crew-10 mission lifted off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.
The mission includes NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos’ Kirill Peskov. They have already boarded the Dragon capsule.
“Take two,” McClain wrote in a post on social media before the launch.
Read more from Julia Musto:
SpaceX launches after scrubbing mission to replace Crew-9 astronauts
Who is Mark Carney, former central banker, who is replacing Justin Trudeau as prime minister of Canada?
00:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Mark Carney, Canada’s newly elected prime minister and head of the country’s Liberal Party, faces a war on two fronts.
To the south, the former governor of the UK’s Bank of England has to contend with the Trump administration, which has threatened then postponed crippling 25 percent tariffs on Canada, as well as taunted the country with the outlandish possibility of making it the 51st U.S. state.
Internally, Carney faces likely imminent federal elections, where he will need to convince Canadians he is different enough from his Liberal predecessor Justin Trudeau, but remains the best person, affiliated with the best party, to helm the country.
Here’s Josh Marcus and Millie Cooke:
Who is Mark Carney, former central banker replacing Justin Trudeau?
Judge temporarily blocks Trump’s deportations under Alien Enemies Act after he invoked it against Venezuelan gang
Saturday 15 March 2025 23:58 , Katie Hawkinson
A federal judge has temporarily blocked Donald Trump’s administration from carrying out deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which the president invoked against members of a Venezuelan gang earlier Saturday.
Chief Judge James Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order on deportations under the wartime law on Saturday night. This order blocks the deportation of any non-citizens who are in custody and facing removal under the Alien Enemies Act for at least 14 days.
The decision comes in response to a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union and Democracy Forward challenging Trump’s order, which was filed hours before he signed it.
Keep reading:
Judge blocks Trump’s deportations under Alien Enemies Act
Trump administration demands Columbia make sweeping changes – or have funding cut
Saturday 15 March 2025 23:00 , Gustaf Kilander
The Trump administration has issued an unprecedented ultimatum to Columbia University, threatening to permanently revoke federal funding unless the institution relinquishes control of its international studies department and enacts sweeping policy changes.
In a letter sent on Thursday night, federal officials demanded Columbia immediately place its Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies Department under "academic receivership for a minimum of five years."
The administration also stipulated a ban on masks intended to conceal identity or intimidate others, the adoption of a new definition of antisemitism, and the abolishment of the university's current student disciplinary process.
These demands, described as "preconditions," are necessary, the letter stated, to initiate "formal negotiations regarding Columbia University's continued financial relationship with the United States government."
Jake Offenhartz has more:
Trump administration demands Columbia make sweeping changes – or have funding cut
‘He’s underwater on everything:’ Fox News host breaks down latest Trump approval polling
Saturday 15 March 2025 22:00 , Gustaf Kilander
President Donald Trump is “underwater on everything” when it comes to his approval ratings, a Fox News host declared Thursday.
Jessica Tarlov pointed to a new Quinnipiac poll released this week that found 53 percent of voters disapprove of the president’s second term performance.
Voters responded to questions about trade policies with China and Canada, immigration issues, foreign policies, military issues and Trump’s handling of the economy and federal workforce.
Michelle Del Rey has more:
‘He’s underwater on everything:’ Fox News host breaks down Trump approval polling
What is the Alien Enemies Act of 1798? The wartime law that Trump invoked to speed up deportations
Saturday 15 March 2025 21:15 , Gustaf Kilander
The Trump administration invoked a wartime law on Saturday to speed up the pace of deportations.
The Alien Enemies Act of 1798 gives the president broad authority to remove undocumented immigrants, but it’s only ever been invoked during actual wartime, and legal experts have said that President Trump would likely face pushback.
Venezuelan organized crime group Tren de Aragua, which is present in the U.S. and other countries, is the top target for deportation under the law, the White House said Saturday. President Donald Trump has already instructed his administration to designate the group as a foreign terrorist organization and wants to use the law to remove its members.
“I proclaim that all Venezuelan citizens 14 years of age or older who are members of TdA, are within the United States, and are not actually naturalized or lawful permanent residents of the United States are liable to be apprehended, restrained, secured, and removed as Alien Enemies,” the invocation on the White House site states.
Read more:
What is the Alien Enemies Act of 1798? The wartime law that Trump invoked
Trump invokes 18th century law to declare invasion by gangs and speed deportations
Saturday 15 March 2025 21:03 , AP
Claiming the United States was being invaded by a Venezuelan gang, President Donald Trump on Saturday invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a sweeping war time authority that allows the president broader leeway on policy and executive action, to speed up mass deportations of people in the country illegally — potentially pushing his promised crackdown on immigration into higher gear.
Trump’s declaration targets Tren de Aragua, contending it is a hostile force acting at the behest of Venezuela’s government. The declaration comes the same day that a federal judge in Washington barred the administration from deporting five Venezuelans under the expected order, a hint at the legal battle brewing over Trump’s move.
Donald Trump stares down reporter after microphone hits his face
Saturday 15 March 2025 21:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Donald Trump stared down a reporter whose microphone hit him in the face as he spoke to journalists before departing for Mar-a-Lago on Friday, 14 March.
The president was speaking about Gaza to a group of press at Joint Base Andrews when a boom microphone made contact with his face.
Mr Trump looked towards the group of journalists before raising his eyebrows at the incident.
The Republican remarked, "She just became a big story tonight," seemingly referring to the reporter.
Holly Patrick has more:
Donald Trump stares down reporter after microphone hits his face
WATCH: JD Vance booed at Kennedy Center concert
Saturday 15 March 2025 20:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Why do fake Elon Musk ads keep appearing around London and on the Tube?
Saturday 15 March 2025 19:00 , Gustaf Kilander
“Tesla: The Swasticar”, reads a poster at a bus stop opposite Sadler’s Well Theatre. “Autopilot for your car. Autocrat for your country.”
First appearing around Clerkenwell in February, London has since been plastered with guerrilla advertisements comparing Elon Musk to a Nazi over recent weeks.
It was a satirical swipe at the multi-billionaire Tesla owner and world’s richest man. “We are holding Elon to account,” the group behind the poster said.
Read more from Alexander Butler:
Why do fake Elon Musk ads keep appearing around London and on the Tube?
Trump orders strikes on Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and issues new warning to Iran
Saturday 15 March 2025 18:57 , AP
President Donald Trump said he ordered a series of airstrikes on Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, on Saturday, promising to use “overwhelming lethal force” until Iranian-backed Houthi rebels cease their attacks on shipping along a vital maritime corridor.
“Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom,” Trump said in a social media post. “No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.”
He also warned Iran to stop supporting the rebel group, promising to hold the country “fully accountable” for the actions of its proxy.
The Houthis reported a series of explosions in their territory Saturday evening. Images circulating online show plumes of black smoke over the area of the Sanaa airport complex, which includes a sprawling military facility. The extent of the damage was not yet clear.
The airstrikes come a few days after the Houthis said they would resume attacks on Israeli vessels sailing in waters off Yemen in response to Israel’s blockade on Gaza. There have been no Houthi attacks reported since then.
The United States, Israel and Britain have previously hit Houthi-held areas in Yemen. Israel’s military declined to comment.
“These relentless assaults have cost the U.S. and World Economy many BILLIONS of Dollars while, at the same time, putting innocent lives at risk,” Trump said.
Grimes calls out Elon Musk again for putting their kids in the spotlight: ‘I’ve tried legal recourse’
Saturday 15 March 2025 18:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Grimes has once again called on her former partner Elon Musk to keep their children out of the public eye.
“I have tried begging the public and my kids’ dad to keep them offline, and I've tried legal recourse,” she wrote in a post on X, adding that she feels it’s “insane to me that there’s no way to deal with this.”
The Canadian musician, 36, shares three children with the Tesla CEO, 53, who is reportedly a father of 14.
Grimes was responding to a viral fake tweet on Musk’s social media platform, X, when she was asked by another user what she was doing to “protect her children” from misinformation.
Here’s Kevin E G Perry:
Grimes calls out Elon Musk again for putting their kids in the spotlight
Voice of America journalists put on administrative leave
Saturday 15 March 2025 17:03 , Gustaf Kilander
South African ambassador expelled from US called a ‘race-baiting politician’ by Marco Rubio
Saturday 15 March 2025 17:00 , Gustaf Kilander
The United States has expelled South Africa’s ambassador, after accusing him of being a “race-baiting politician” who hates America and President Donald Trump.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday that the envoy was “no longer welcome in our great country.”
“Ebrahim Rasool is a race-baiting politician who hates America and hates @POTUS. We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA.”
Mr Rubio re-posted an article from the right-wing website Breitbart that quoted the envoy saying in a webinar that Trump was leading a white “supremacist” movement.
Bryony Gooch has the story:
South African ambassador expelled from US called a ‘race-baiting politician’
Protesters gathered outside Tesla dealership call for boycott
Saturday 15 March 2025 16:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Protesters gathered outside a Tesla dealership in London have called for people to boycott the Elon Musk owned electric car maker.
Organisers are encouraging Tesla owners to sell their cars and for people to dump stock.
The electric car giant has already seen shares plunge since the start of the year as the firm comes under pressure from Chinese rivals amid calls for a boycott over Musk’s close ties with US President Donald Trump and far-right causes.
George Lithgow has the story:
Protesters gathered outside Tesla dealership call for boycott
How Trump’s ‘America First’ MAGA movement turned the Republican Party into an ‘arm of the Kremlin’
Saturday 15 March 2025 15:00 , Gustaf Kilander
Donald Trump’s Oval Office attack on Ukraine’s president last month appeared to mark a very public realignment of America’s sympathies - away from Europe and towards Russia in a manner that few could have imagined during the Cold War years.
The Republican Party, now dominated by Trump’s “America First” MAGA movement, once considered the former Soviet Union “the evil empire” under Ronald Reagan and relished its collapse.
Today, the GOP stands accused of parroting Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric and some even refuse to admit the plain fact that Moscow began the war by invading its neighbor.
Joe Sommerlad has more:
How ‘America First’ MAGA turned the Republican Party into an ‘arm of the Kremlin’
ICYMI: White House asked for update after ‘retaliatory’ arrest of Columbia grad Mahmoud Khalil, his lawyers say
Saturday 15 March 2025 14:00 , Alex Woodward
An agent honored by Donald Trump during his address to Congress in 2019 was one of the officers who arrested Mahmoud Khalil in New York City, according to attorneys for the Columbia University student and lawful permanent resident who is now facing deportation for his role in pro-Palestine campus protests.
When Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents took Khalil’s biometrics after his arrest, an agent said “the White House is requesting an update,” lawyers wrote in a court filing in Manhattan on Thursday.
More details from Khalil’s arrest and detention in the latest court filings:
White House wanted update after ‘retaliatory’ arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, lawyers say
ICE is $2 billion in the hole
Saturday 15 March 2025 13:00 , Alex Woodward
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is reportedly already $2 billion short to keep up its current pace of operations through the end of this fiscal year, as it races to keep up with the Trump administration’s promises to rapidly deport millions of undocumented migrants.
Josh Marcus reports:
ICE is $2 billion in the hole – even as Trump wants to increase deportation efforts
Pete Hegseth shutters Pentagon office that helped military leaders plan for possible future wars
Saturday 15 March 2025 12:00 , Alex Woodward
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has moved to shutter the Pentagon office that helped military leaders plan for possible future wars.
A memo signed by Hegseth dated March 13 reportedly said that civil employees in the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment will be reassigned to other “mission critical positions” as it is dismantled. The office is often referred to as the Pentagon’s internal think tank.
After reports of the memo were published, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell issued a statement about the “restructuring.”
Rhian Lubin reports:
Hegseth shutters Pentagon office that helped leaders plan for possible future wars
Nancy Mace sued for defamation by man she named in floor speech and accused of abuse
Saturday 15 March 2025 11:00 , Alex Woodward
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina is being sued for defamation by one of the four men she publicly accused of sexual abuse in a speech she made on the floor of the House of Representatives last month.
Ariana Baio reports:
Nancy Mace sued for defamation by man she named in floor speech and accused of abuse
Full story: Rubio declares South African ambassador to US persona non grata over speech criticizing Trump, Musk and Vance
Saturday 15 March 2025 10:00 , Alex Woodward
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is seeking to expel South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S. Ebrahim Rasool after the official criticized Donald Trump during a forum on Thursday.
Josh Marcus reports:
South African ambassador declared persona non grata after comments criticizing Trump
Arlington Cemetery scrubs info on famous Black, Hispanic, and female veterans to comply with Trump orders
Saturday 15 March 2025 09:00 , Alex Woodward
Arlington National Cemetery has purged dozens of pages of information about famous Black, Hispanic and female veterans from its website to comply with Donald Trump’s executive order purging diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the federal government.
Rhian Lubin reports:
Arlington Cemetery scrubs info on famous Black, Hispanic, and female veterans
Law launching deportation of Columbia student was condemned in 1996 by a judge – Donald Trump’s sister
Saturday 15 March 2025 07:00 , Alex Woodward
The White House has said that Mahmoud Khalil, who is not formally accused of breaking any laws, is deportable because a rarely used portion of the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act lets the Secretary of State deport people deemed to risk “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”
Khalil’s lawyers and supporters, meanwhile, argue he is being unlawfully targeted for exercising his First Amendment rights.
Thirty years ago, another figure voiced concerns over the same provision at issue today: Donald Trump’s sister, federal judge Maryanne Trump Barry.
Law fueling arrest of Columbia student was slammed by Trump’s judge sister in 1996
Analysis: Democrats revolt against Chuck Schumer’s cave to Republicans
Saturday 15 March 2025 06:00
With a majority of his caucus revolting against him and activists furious, the longtime Democratic leader faces calls to step aside or have a primary challenge, Eric Garcia writes:
Democrats revolt against Chuck Schumer’s cave to Republicans
ICYMI: Trump says he asked Putin to spare Ukrainian lives in ‘good and productive’ talks
Saturday 15 March 2025 04:00 , Alex Woodward
Trump on Friday said he’s asked Russian president Vladimir Putin to order his troops not to commit a massacre of Ukrainian soldiers who they are attempting to dislodge from the Kursk region after months of occupation by Kyiv’s forces.
Trump says he asked Putin to spare Ukrainian lives in ‘good and productive’ talks
Full story: Trump accuses the press of ‘illegal’ reporting in Justice Department remarks
Saturday 15 March 2025 03:00 , Alex Woodward
Trump continued his assault on the press in front of the nation’s top federal law enforcement officials on Friday while taking a victory lap against a justice system that failed to hold him to account.
He suggested that press coverage that criticized judges influenced their decisions in cases against him and should be “illegal.” Trump himself, however, continues to rage against judges that have blocked parts of his agenda, while his allies call for their impeachment and removal from the bench.
Newspapers “are really no different than a highly paid political operative,” Trump said.
“And it has to stop. It has to be illegal,” he said. “It’s influencing judges. It’s really changing law. And it just cannot be legal. I do not believe it is legal.”
Trump accuses the press of ‘illegal’ reporting in Justice Department remarks
ICYMI: Bomb-sniffing dogs are the latest DOGE casualty
Saturday 15 March 2025 03:00 , Alex Woodward
K-9 bomb sniffer dog units have become the latest victims of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, just as the White House celebrated a national day honoring the heroic animals.
Mike Bedigan reports:
Bomb sniffing K-9s become latest DOGE victims as Trump shares 2019 pic with hero dog
DOJ to investigate Columbia and its students for terrorism, top official says
Saturday 15 March 2025 01:12 , Josh Marcus
The Department of Justice announced it will investigate recent events at Columbia University for potential terrorism offenses that occurred over the last two years during campus protests over the Israel-Hamas war.
Keep reading:
DOJ to investigate Columbia and its students for terrorism, top official says
Appeals court lifts block on Trump's DEI order
Saturday 15 March 2025 01:03 , Katie Hawkinson
An appeals court lifted a block on President Donald Trump’s executive orders ending diversity, equity and inclusion programs throughout the government Friday, the Associated Press reports.
This means the orders can be enforced even while a lawsuit challenging them plays out.
Read the full story:
Appeals court lifts blocks on Trump's orders restricting diversity, equity and inclusion programs
‘He’s underwater on everything:’ Fox News host breaks down latest Trump approval polling
Saturday 15 March 2025 01:00 , Alex Woodward
Trump is “underwater on everything” when it comes to his approval ratings, a Fox News host declared Thursday.
‘He’s underwater on everything:’ Fox News host breaks down Trump approval polling
Advocacy group slams spending bill passage
Saturday 15 March 2025 00:33 , Katie Hawkinson
Robert Weissman and Lisa Gilbert, co-presidents of the non-profit Public Citizen, condemned the Senate’s passage of the spending bill today.
“The CR is a harmful, partisan slush-fund bill for Trump and Musk,” the statement reads. “Public Citizen fought this bill tooth and nail, and we are incredibly disappointed at the refusal of Leader Schumer and Senate Democrats to hold the line and oppose the bill.“
“The GOP’s long-term CR is not the clean continuation of previous funding commitments that we need,” the statement continues. “Instead, it enables Trump and Musk to claim much greater authority to violate the separation of powers and refuse to spend appropriated funds. In fact, Vice President Vance has made clear that the administration intends to do this.”
“While no one wanted a shutdown, a temporary lapse in funding in fact would have been better than a devastating CR. This bill is a disgrace."
Read the full story on the government spending bill from The Independent’s Eric Garcia:
Senate clears path to avoid a government shutdown despite Democratic opposition
California Democrat believes Trump and his allies are creating a ‘civil war’
Saturday 15 March 2025 00:00 , Alex Woodward
Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters of California encouraged her colleagues and the public to fight back against President Donald Trump’s attempts to remake the government in his vision through nonviolence – believing the president is “on the edge of creating a civil war.”
California Democrat believes Trump and his allies are creating a ‘civil war’
A deadline for federal agencies to submit DOGE firings has passed. Nobody knows what’s in the plans
Friday 14 March 2025 23:30 , Alex Woodward
Federal agencies were required to submit downsizing plans by Thursday night as part of the DOGE plan to carry out mass firings across the government — but it’s unclear what comes next.
Katie Hawkinson reports from Washington, D.C.:
A deadline for agencies to submit DOGE firings has passed. Nobody knows what’s next
Law behind Mahmoud Khalil's deportation was condemned by a judge in 1996: Donald Trump’s sister
Friday 14 March 2025 23:00 , Alex Woodward
The White House has said that Mahmoud Khalil, who is not formally accused of breaking any laws, is deportable because a rarely used portion of the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act lets the Secretary of State deport people deemed to risk “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences for the United States.”
Khalil’s lawyers and supporters, meanwhile, argue he is being unlawfully targeted for exercising his First Amendment rights.
Thirty years ago, another figure voiced concerns over the same provision at issue today: Donald Trump’s sister, federal judge Maryanne Trump Barry.
Josh Marcus reports:
Law fueling arrest of Columbia student was slammed by Trump’s judge sister in 1996
Just in: Senate approves spending bill, sending to Trump to sign
Friday 14 March 2025 22:45 , Alex Woodward
Only two Democratic senators — Jeanne Shaheen and Angus King — gave final approval to a spending bill that is now headed to Donald Trump’s desk.
The Senate voted 54 to 46, largely on party lines.
Senate clears path to avoid a government shutdown despite Democratic opposition
Arlington Cemetery scrubs info on famous Black, Hispanic, and female veterans to comply with Trump orders
Friday 14 March 2025 22:30
Arlington National Cemetery has purged dozens of pages of information about famous Black, Hispanic and female veterans from its website to comply with Donald Trump’s executive order purging diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives across the federal government.
Rhian Lubin reports:
Arlington Cemetery scrubs info on famous Black, Hispanic, and female veterans
Analysis: Democrats revolt against Chuck Schumer’s cave to Republicans
Friday 14 March 2025 22:21 , Alex Woodward
With a majority of his caucus revolting against him and activists furious, the longtime Democratic leader faces calls to step aside or have a primary challenge, Eric Garcia writes:
Democrats revolt against Chuck Schumer’s cave to Republicans
Full story: Rubio declares South African ambassador to US persona non grata over speech criticizing Trump, Musk and Vance
Friday 14 March 2025 22:03 , Alex Woodward
Secretary of State Marco Rubio is seeking to expel South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S. Ebrahim Rasool after the official criticized Donald Trump during a forum on Thursday.
Josh Marcus reports:
South African ambassador declared persona non grata after comments criticizing Trump
Watch: New Canadian prime minister Mark Carney rejects Trump's claim Canada should become 51st state
Friday 14 March 2025 22:00 , Alex Woodward
The Democrats who joined Republicans to avert a government shutdown
Friday 14 March 2025 21:54 , Eric Garcia
The Senate voted to advance a spending bill to keep the government open until September 30, despite dozens of congressional Democrats urging their Senate colleagues to reject it.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced late on Thursday that he would support the legislation, but that did little to quell the opposition against the bill, as more senators came out to oppose it. In the end, only nine Democratic Senators voted to advance the legislation when the Senate invoked cloture and prevented a filibuster.
-Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (New York)
-Brian Schatz (Hawaii)
-Catherine Cortez Masto (Nevada)
-Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin
-Angus King (Independent-Maine)
-Kirsten Gillibrand (New York)
-Gary Peters (Michigan)
-John Fetterman (Pennsylvania)
-Maggie Hassan (New Hampshire)
-Jeanne Shaheen (New Hampshire)
South Africa ambassador 'persona non grata' in US, Rubio says
Friday 14 March 2025 21:38 , Alex Woodward
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called South Africa's Ambassador to the United States Emrahim Rasool “a race-baiting politician who hates America” and Trump
He is “no longer welcome” in the country, Rubio said.
“We have nothing to discuss with him and so he is considered PERSONA NON GRATA,” he added.
“I think what Donald Trump is launching is an assault on incumbency, those who are in power, by mobilizing a supremacism against the incumbency, at home, and ... abroad as well,” Rasool said in recent remarks.
“We see it in the domestic politics of the USA, the MAGA movement ... as a response not simply to a supremacist instinct, but to very clear data that shows great demographic shifts in the USA in which the voting electorate in the USA is projected to become 48 percent white. And that the possibility of a majority of minorities is looming on the horizon.”
That future “needs to be factored in, so that we understand some of the things that we think are instinctive, nativist, racist things,” he added.
Nancy Mace sued for defamation by man she named in floor speech and accused of abuse
Friday 14 March 2025 21:30 , Alex Woodward
Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina is being sued for defamation by one of the four men she publicly accused of sexual abuse in a speech she made on the floor of the House of Representatives last month.
Ariana Baio reports:
Nancy Mace sued for defamation by man she named in floor speech and accused of abuse
Just in: Senate clears path to avoid a government shutdown despite Democratic opposition
Friday 14 March 2025 21:13 , Alex Woodward
The Senate passed key procedural vote to keep the government open despite the majority of Senate Democrats objecting to the legislation as an overly partisan bill.
All but one Republican senator, Rand Paul voted for the bill, along with 10 Democrats, which proved to be enough to break a filibuster.
Eric Garcia reports from Washington, D.C.:
Senate avoids a government shutdown despite Democratic opposition
Donald Trump claims news outlets that are critical of him are 'illegal'
Friday 14 March 2025 21:00 , Alex Woodward
In his remarks in front of federal prosecutors and Justice Department officials, Trump claimed that news outlets that “literally write 97.6 percent bad about me” are “political arms of the Democratic party.”
“In my opinion they’re really corrupt and they’re illegal. What they do is illegal,” he said.
Newspapers “are really no different than a highly paid political operative,” he said.
“And it has to stop. It has to be illegal,” he said. “It’s influencing judges. It’s really changing law. And it just cannot be legal. I do not believe is is legal.”
He also listed off a list of what he called “fake news” outlets including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal and baselessly alleged they are conspiring with Democratic officials to smear him.
“It’s totally illegal what they do,” he said.
JD Vance says TikTok will 'almost certainly' land American deal
Friday 14 March 2025 20:30 , Ariana Baio
Vice President JD Vance told NBC News aboard Air Force Two that there will, “almost certainly be a high-level agreement” that “satisfies our national security concerns” for TikTok and an American company.
“There will almost certainly be a high-level agreement that I think satisfies our national security concerns, allows there to be a distinct American TikTok enterprise,” he said Friday.
“Typically, some of these deals that are much smaller and involve much less capital take months to close,” said Vance, who worked in venture capital before entering politics as a Senator from Ohio. “We’re trying to close this thing by early April. I think that the outlines of this thing will be very clear. The question is whether we can get all the paper done.”
Full story: Trump tells Justice Department his win gives ‘mandate’ for ‘far reaching investigation’ into Democrats and news organizations
Friday 14 March 2025 20:23
Trump on Friday delivered a scathing condemnation of the Department of Justice’s efforts to enforce criminal laws against him and his friends in his remarks to the Justice Department — lashing out at previous leaders and commanding his hand-picked team of loyalists to launch investigations into his political opponents.
Andrew Feinberg reports from Washington, D.C.:
Trump says his win gives ‘mandate’ for ‘far reaching investigation’ into Democrats
From the halls of where the charges were approved, Trump calls cases against him 'bull****'
Friday 14 March 2025 20:17 , Alex Woodward
Donald Trump praised District Judge Aileen Cannon, who he appointed in 2020, for dismissing the classified documents case against him.
“The case against me was bullshit, and she correctly dismissed it,” he said.
He called his criminal defense attorneys Todd Blanche and Emil Bove — now top Justice Department officials — “warriors” for him in his criminal cases.
Trump also attacked Norm Eisen, an attorney and legal analyst.
“He’s been vicious and violent,” he said.
Turning to Justice Department prosectors, he said that lawyers who have opposed his agenda are “horrible people, they’re scum, and you have to know that.”
Pete Hegseth shutters Pentagon office that helped military leaders plan for possible future wars
Friday 14 March 2025 20:00 , Alex Woodward
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has moved to shutter the Pentagon office that helped military leaders plan for possible future wars.
A memo signed by Hegseth dated March 13 reportedly said that civil employees in the Pentagon’s Office of Net Assessment will be reassigned to other “mission critical positions” as it is dismantled. The office is often referred to as the Pentagon’s internal think tank.
After reports of the memo were published, chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell issued a statement about the “restructuring.”
Rhian Lubin reports:
Hegseth shutters Pentagon office that helped leaders plan for possible future wars
Trump delivers campaign-style remarks to Justice Department in stunning reversal of law enforcement independence
Friday 14 March 2025 19:59 , Alex Woodward
In his remarks at the Department of Justice, Trump assailed his political rivals with a campaign-style speech loaded with grievances against Joe Biden and the multiple investigations against him.
“We must be honest about the lies and abuses that have occurred within these walls,” Trump said.
The agency is now staffed with his personal counsel and criminal defense attorneys in top roles, erasing the independence of federal law enforcement while accusing his predecessor of “weaponizing” it against him.
Biden officials and Democratic lawyers “did everything within their power to prevent me from becoming” president, he claimed.
Trump officials previewed the speech as his remarks on “law and order” but has largely focused his speech on himself and attacks against the previous administration.
Trump and Bondi arrive at the Justice Department
Friday 14 March 2025 19:39 , Alex Woodward
As the strains of Elvis Presley’s “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” played over loudspeakers as a crowd waited for their remarks, Donald Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi arrived together at the Department of Justice for remarks from the president, a stunning and rare appearance that dissolves the invisible line between the White House and the nation’s ostensibly independent federal law enforcement arm.
Two more Columbia students deported, Homeland Security says
Friday 14 March 2025 19:30 , Alex Woodward
The Department of Homeland Security reports that two more Columbia University students have been deported following the Trump administration’s targeting of pro-Palestine demonstrations on the campus.
But unlike Mahmoud Khalil, neither student was a lawful permanent resident, though officials baselessly accused them of supporting Hamas or terrorism, without evidence, because they supported demonstrations against Israel’s U.S.-backed devastation in Gaza.
Legaa Kordi, who is from the West Bank, overstayed her student visa and didn’t apply to change her status.
Ranjani Srinivasan — a national from India who received a Fulbright scholarship and had previously taught at New York University and had a master’s in design from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design — self-deported to Canada via the CBP Go App on March 11.
She reportedly missed two court summons for obstructing traffic and failing to disperse during a protest.
“It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States of America,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a statement. “When you advocate for violence and terrorism that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country. I am glad to see one of the Columbia University terrorist sympathizers use the CBP Home app to self-deport.”
ICE is $2 billion in the hole – even as Trump wants to increase deportation efforts
Friday 14 March 2025 19:10 , Alex Woodward
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is reportedly already $2 billion short to keep up its current pace of operations through the end of this fiscal year, as it races to keep up with the Trump administration’s promises to rapidly deport millions of undocumented migrants.
Josh Marcus reports:
ICE is $2 billion in the hole – even as Trump wants to increase deportation efforts
Amy Klobuchar grows growing number of Democrats rejecting procedural vote on Trump-backed spending plan
Friday 14 March 2025 18:51 , Alex Woodward
Democratic Senator Amy Klobuchar has joined a growing list of Democrats rejecting a procedural vote to move forward with a spending plan that would avert a government shutdown, if approved by midnight:
She said in a statement: “I support the[31-day] short-term extension to keep the government open to complete bipartisan negotiations on the actual budget. I will not support the partisan proposal in part because it does not include Minnesota infrastructure projects, undercuts medical care and research, and makes major changes to reduce veterans’ health care, including for those exposed to burn pits.”
Watch: Trump delivers remarks at the Department of Justice
Friday 14 March 2025 18:29 , Alex Woodward
Another Democratic senator backs Republican spending plan
Friday 14 March 2025 18:15
Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto will vote yes on a Republican-authored spending bill, putting Republicans a few votes shy of a vote that will open the voting process for the measure in the Senate.
Her statement follows an announcement from fellow Nevada Senator Jacky Rosen, who is voting against the measure.
Democratic House leader won't say whether Chuck Schumer should be out of Senate leadership
Friday 14 March 2025 17:52 , Alex Woodward
House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries did not answer whether Democrats need new leadership in the Senate, after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said he would back a Republican-endorsed plan to keep the government funded.
Asked whether he believes Schumer has “acquiesced” to Trump, Jeffries said “that's a question that is best addressed by the Senate.”
“The House Democratic position is very clear,” he said. “We strongly oppose any efforts to cut the healthcare of the American people, veterans benefits and nutritional assistance, all of which are in the partisan Republican bill.”
Trump is trying to take a “chainsaw” to Social Security and federal health programs, he said.
Asked if he believes the Senate needs new Democratic leadership, he replied: “Next question.”
Fire-up Democratic senator calls on colleagues to reject spending bill
Friday 14 March 2025 17:45 , Alex Woodward
Democratic Senator Patty Murray, the top Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee, is urging her colleagues to vote against the Republican-drafted spending bill.
She called the “CR” — a continuing resolution — a "Complete Resignation.”
"If you refuse to put forward an offer that includes any Democratic input, you don't get Democratic votes," she said in remarks on the Senate floor before today’s vote. “We are going to keep fighting for the America we love.”
Bomb sniffing K-9s become latest DOGE victims – hours after Trump shared 2019 pic with hero dog
Friday 14 March 2025 17:30 , Alex Woodward
K-9 bomb sniffer dog units are the latest victims of the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, just as the White House celebrated a national day honoring the heroic animals.
Mike Bedigan reports:
Bomb sniffing K-9s become latest DOGE victims as Trump shares 2019 pic with hero dog
Dozens of House Democrats call on Senate colleagues to block spending bill
Friday 14 March 2025 17:15 , Alex Woodward
Dozens of House Democrats sent a letter to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to express their “strong opposition” to his support for Republican stopgap spending bill they call a “partisan continuing resolution that legitimizes President Trump and the Republican party’s dismantling of government.”
“If Republicans in Congress want to pass this bill, they should do so with their own votes. However, since they cannot, Republicans must work with Democrats to pass a clean [continuing resolution],” said the letter, which was signed by more than 50 House lawmakers.
“The American people sent Democrats to Congress to fight against Republican dysfunction and chaos,” they wrote.
White House asked for update after ‘retaliatory’ arrest of Columbia grad Mahmoud Khalil, his lawyers say
Friday 14 March 2025 17:00 , Alex Woodward
After a brief court appearance this week, Mahmoud Khalil’s attorneys are now asking a judge to bring him back to New York after he was moved to a detention center in Louisiana, and for an order that blocks the Trump administration from similarly threatening noncitizens from removal from the country over support for Palestine.
A new filing fleshes out details from his arrest and detention, suggesting that Trump himself played a significant role overseeing the operation.
White House wanted update after ‘retaliatory’ arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, lawyers say
Nancy Pelosi calls on Democrats to reject spending bill
Friday 14 March 2025 16:47 , Alex Woodward
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi decries a Republican-led spending bill as “a false choice between a government shutdown or a blank check” for Donald Trump and Elon Musk “that makes a devastating assault on the well-being of working families across America.”
She calls on Democrats to reject the resolution, defying her colleague Chuck Schumer. Pelosi argued Democrats should “ “listen to the women” and support a competing measure from Democratic appropriations committee officials Rosa DeLauro and Patty Murray.
White House press secretary slams 'unconstitutional' orders reinstating fired federal workers
Friday 14 March 2025 16:30 , Alex Woodward
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the Trump administration will appeal and use the full force of the White House counsel’s office to fight a pair of court rulings that temporarily blocked mass firings of thousands of federal workers.
“You cannot have a low-level district court judge filing an injunction to usurp the executive authority of the president,” she told reporters Friday. “That is completely absurd.”
Trump and his allies, of course, repeatedly sought injunctions from “low-level district court judges” to block actions from his political opponents. His allies have repeatedly and baselessly accused judges across the ideological spectrum of trying to derail his agenda in rulings that have struck against key agenda items.
Leavitt called them “judicial activists.”