A senior official at Elon Musk鈥檚 Department of Government Efficiency is taking a leadership role at the U.S. Agency for International Development, giving DOGE direct authority over an agency it has worked to dismantle, according to an email obtained by The Associated Press.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy a In a social media post, Trump said the call was to 鈥渁lign both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs鈥� as he seeks to bring about a ceasefire between the two countries.
Here's the latest:
Trump warns Yemen鈥檚 Houthis 鈥榳ill be completely annihilated鈥�
The president on Wednesday stepped up his rhetoric regarding Yemen鈥檚 Houthi rebels as the U.S. military launched more airstrikes against the group, warning they 鈥渨ill be completely be annihilated.鈥�
Trump made the comment on his website Truth Social. He claimed, without offering evidence, Iranian military support to the rebels 鈥渉as lessened鈥� but said it needed to entirely stop.
鈥淟et the Houthis fight it out themselves,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淭remendous damage has been inflicted upon the Houthi barbarians, and watch how it will get progressively worse 鈥� It鈥檚 not even a fair fight, and never will be. They will be completely annihilated!鈥�
Despite more than a year of U.S. strikes and naval patrols, experts say commercial shipping will likely continue to stay out of the waters off Yemen because of .
Trump looks forward to welcoming recently returned astronauts to the White House
NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams returned to Earth on Tuesday after an unexpected nine-month stay in space.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said their splashdown off the coast of Florida represented 鈥渢he very best of America.鈥�
She said Trump 鈥渓ooks forward to welcoming Butch and Suni to the Oval Office when they are recovered.鈥�
New York鈥檚 transit authority responds to the transportation secretary鈥檚 funding threat
The MTA鈥檚 policy chief says he鈥檚 happy to tell Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy how the transit system is working with police to reduce crime.
John McCarthy says 鈥渢he good news is numbers are moving in the right direction: crime is down 40%鈥� compared to right before the pandemic. And he said this year鈥檚 major crime numbers are better than any non-pandemic year ever.
Duffy gave the MTA until month鈥檚 end to explain exactly how it鈥檚 addressing assaults and other crimes, or possibly lose federal funding. The MTA鈥檚 $68 billion capital plan anticipates $14 billion in federal grants and funds.
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EU wants to break its security dependency on the US and buy more European weapons
The European Union鈥檚 executive branch unveiled its 鈥淩eadiness 2030鈥� security strategy with the threat of Russian aggression at the forefront of concerns. NATO intelligence estimates suggest could be capable of launching an attack in Europe again in three to five years.
Last month, the Trump administration that U.S. security priorities lay elsewhere 鈥� on its own borders and in Asia 鈥� and that Europeans would have to fend for themselves and Ukraine in the future. That was as Europe鈥檚 biggest land war in decades entered its fourth year.
Under the strategy, member countries will be urged to buy much of their military equipment in Europe, working mostly with European suppliers 鈥� in some cases with EU help to cut prices and speed up orders. They should only purchase equipment from abroad when costs, performance or supply delays make it preferable.
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Defense Department webpage on Jackie Robinson鈥檚 military service suddenly missing amid DEI purge
Wednesday鈥檚 development comes after pages honoring a Black Medal of Honor winner and Japanese American service members were taken down 鈥� the Pentagon said 鈥� amid the department鈥檚 campaign to strip out content singling out the contributions by women and minority groups, which the Trump administration considers 鈥淒EI.鈥�
According to Internet Archive, on Robinson previously included biographical information about his Army service during World War II, which occurred prior to his famously breaking baseball鈥檚 color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. When that page鈥檚 address was entered Wednesday, a message showed up saying it 鈥渕ight have been moved, renamed, or may be temporarily unavailable.鈥� The letters 鈥渄ei鈥� were also automatically added to the URL.
The page included an anecdote about Robinson refusing to move to the back of an Army bus in 1944, prompting the driver to call military police. Robinson was court martialed but acquitted.
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DOGE official is taking a leadership role at USAID, an email obtained by the AP says
A senior official at Elon Musk鈥檚 Department of Government Efficiency is taking a leadership role at the U.S. Agency for International Development, giving DOGE direct authority over an agency it has worked to dismantle, according to an email obtained by The Associated Press.
Pete Marocco, a Trump administration political appointee who was serving as deputy head of USAID, disclosed the change in the email to State Department staff. It comes after Marocco and DOGE oversaw the gutting of 83% of USAID contracts, shifting the remaining programs under the State Department.
Marocco said in his email that he鈥檒l serve as the State Department鈥檚 head of foreign assistance.
Marocco wrote that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will 鈥渆ffective immediately鈥� designate Jeremy Lewin as deputy administrator for policy and programs at USAID and as chief operating officer. Lewin is a DOGE official who has worked with Musk鈥檚 efforts at USAID and other federal agencies.
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罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 deportation efforts find support among South Florida Latinos
In Hialeah, Florida, a city that鈥檚 95% Hispanic, only three residents showed up at a recent city council meeting to speak against a partnership with the federal government to enforce immigration laws.
The police departments in Hialeah, where three out of four people were born abroad, and Coral Gables, with a majority of Hispanics mostly of Cuban descent, have entered into agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with very little visible pushback.
罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 and ramping up of deportations could have a disproportionate effect on South Florida, home to some of the nation鈥檚 largest communities of Cubans, Venezuelans and other Latin Americans. But reaction here to 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 crackdown has been far more muted than during his first term, reflecting both the rightward shift of Latino voters and a belief among some that restrictive border measures are necessary.
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Pianist and conductor Andr谩s Schiff cancels US appearances for 2025-26 season in response to Trump
It鈥檚 a move that follows a similar decision by violinist Christian Tetzlaff.
Schiff, a 71-year-old British citizen who was born in Hungary, said Wednesday he called off a recital tour for next October and concerts with the Philadelphia Orchestra and New York Philharmonic scheduled in May 2026.
鈥淒ue to the recent and unprecedented political changes in the United States, I feel morally obligated to withdraw from all engagements in the U.S. for the 2025-26 season,鈥� he said in a statement. 鈥淪ome people might say, 鈥榡ust shut up and play.鈥� I cannot, in good conscience, do that.鈥�
Schiff was made a knight in 2014 by Queen Elizabeth II.
Trump says he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke for about an hour
In a social media post, Trump said the call was to 鈥渁lign both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs鈥� as he seeks to bring about a ceasefire between the two countries.
鈥淲e are very much on track,鈥� Trump added, saying he asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio and National Security Advisor Michael Waltz to provide more details on the conversation in a forthcoming statement.
House Democrats write to SSA Acting Commissioner over decision to end phone service
A group of 62 House Democrats wrote to the Social Security Administration鈥檚 Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek on Wednesday to express concern about the agency鈥檚 plan to end identify verification services over the phone to new applicants and existing recipients.
The agency announced Tuesday that beginning March 31, those who cannot properly verify their identity over the agency鈥檚 鈥渕y Social Security鈥� online service, will be required to visit an agency field office in person to complete the verification process.
鈥淩equiring beneficiaries to seek assistance exclusively online, through artificial intelligence, or in person at SSA field offices would create additional barriers, particularly for those who live far from an office,鈥� the letter reads. 鈥淲e strongly urge you to consider the individuals who may be harmed.鈥�
Legal showdown as Justice Department resists judge鈥檚 demand for more details on deportation flights
In response to the federal judge鈥檚 demand for more information about flights that took to El Salvador, the Justice Department argued Wednesday that the court should end its 鈥渃ontinued intrusions鈥� into the authority of the executive branch.
It鈥檚 the latest development in a showdown between the Trump administration and the judge who temporarily blocked deportations under an . President Trump has called for the judge鈥檚 impeachment as the Republican escalates his conflict with a judiciary after a series of court setbacks over his executive actions.
, who was nominated to the federal bench by Democratic President Barack Obama, had ordered the Trump administration to answer several questions under seal, where the information would not be publicly exposed. There were questions about the planes鈥� takeoff and landing times, and the number of people deported under 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 proclamation.
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Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have begun their call
White House deputy chief of staff Dan Scavino said in a post on X that Trump was conducting the call from the Oval Office.
Under pressure from Trump, Columbia plans its next move with other colleges watching closely
Confronted with huge cuts to its funding, Columbia University鈥檚 leaders face a grim decision: They can yield to the Trump administration鈥檚 demands over alleged antisemitism 鈥� ceding to the federal government 鈥� or they can fight back, potentially risking even more debilitating cuts in an escalating clash.
However it responds, Columbia carries tremendous weight. It鈥檚 the first school to face such aggressive intervention from the Trump administration, but dozens of others have been put on notice they鈥檙e next if they defy the president鈥檚 orders on issues around antisemitism, or .
鈥淧eople in the academy around the country are looking to see what Columbia does here,鈥� said Samuel Bagenstos, a law professor at the University of Michigan.
The Trump administration is acting quickly to make an example of Columbia as it demands stronger action against allegations of anti-Jewish bias on college campuses.
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White House says US and Russian technical teams to hold talks soon in Saudi Arabia
White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said in a social media post that he spoke with his Russian counterpart, Yuri Ushakov. and the two have agreed that their 鈥渢echnical teams would meet in Riyadh in the coming days to focus on implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire President Trump secured from Russia.鈥�
It wasn鈥檛 immediately clear who was part of the delegations or if Ukrainian officials were also invited to take part in the coming talks.
Trump and Putin spoke by phone Tuesday and agreed to a pause in attacks on energy infrastructure in Russia鈥檚 war on Ukraine, but Putin did not agree to 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 proposal for a broader 30-day ceasefire.
Trump was scheduled to speak by phone Wednesday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
US Institute of Peace and many of its board members have sued the Trump administration
They鈥檙e seeking to prevent their removal and stop Elon Musk鈥檚 Department of Government Efficiency from taking over and accessing the building and systems of the independent nonprofit.
The lawsuit filed late Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Washington describes the lengths institute staff resorted to, including calling the police, in an effort to prevent DOGE representatives from accessing its Washington headquarters.
An executive order last month from Trump targeted the institute and three other agencies for large-scale reductions.
The lawsuit accused the White House of illegally firing members of the board by email and said the remaining board members also ousted USIP President George Moose.
Stocks drift higher as Wall Street awaits Fed announcement on where interest rates may be heading
The S&P 500 was up 0.3% in early trading Wednesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 129 points, or 0.3%, as of 9:35 a.m. ET, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.5% higher.
The modest moves are a respite following of and swings for the U.S. stock market. Uncertainty is high about pain will allow the economy to endure in order to remake the system as he wants. He鈥檚 said he wants manufacturing jobs back in the United States and far fewer people working for the federal government.
罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 of on tariffs and other policies have created so much uncertainty that economists worry U.S. and households may freeze and cut back on their spending.
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Greenland鈥檚 election took place with no signs of foreign influence, Denmark鈥檚 intelligence services say
The March 11 race attracted international attention following controversial remarks made by , which is a .
The pro-business Demokraatit party, which favors a slow path to independence from Denmark, in the parliamentary election, outpacing the two left-leaning parties that formed the last government.
and the Danish Police Intelligence Service said in a news release published Tuesday that their monitoring of the election did not show any evidence of a foreign government or foreign intelligence service attempting to influence the results through systematic and coordinated campaigns.
Jens-Frederik Nielsen, the likely new prime minister, has rejected 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 effort to take control of the island, saying Greenlanders must be allowed to decide their own future as it moves toward independence.
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Democrats are searching for a way out of their party鈥檚 identity crisis
They鈥檝e been sniping at each other in public since Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer that prevented a government shutdown. But the divisions in their party hardly began there.
For months, Democrats have been struggling to coalesce behind a political strategy as they confront President Trump and the Republican majorities in the House and the Senate. Behind closed doors at party retreats, think tank meetings and strategy sessions, Democrats have been having tense and searching conversations about as they urgently try to address what went wrong in last year鈥檚 election.
鈥淚 think we鈥檙e in a place internally where we鈥檙e having these family discussions and figuring out what the path forward is,鈥� said Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Florida Democrat and, at age 28, the youngest member of Congress.
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Violent attacks on Tesla dealerships spike as Musk takes prominent role in Trump White House
Cybertrucks set ablaze. Bullets and Molotov cocktails aimed at Tesla showrooms.
Attacks on property carrying the logo of electric-car company are cropping up across the U.S. and overseas. While no injuries have been reported, Tesla showrooms, vehicle lots, charging stations and privately owned cars have been targeted.
There鈥檚 been a clear uptick since Trump took office and empowered Musk to oversee a new Department of Government Efficiency that鈥檚 . Experts on domestic extremism say it鈥檚 impossible to know yet if the spate of incidents will balloon into a long-term pattern.
The White House has thrown its weight behind Musk. Trump has said Tesla vandalism amounts to 鈥渄omestic terror鈥� and has threatened retribution, warning that those who target the company are 鈥済oing to go through hell.鈥�
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Transportation secretary: NYC subway could lose federal funding unless it cleans up dirt and crime
鈥淚f you can鈥檛 keep your subway safe ... we鈥檙e going to pull your money,鈥� Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, adding that it鈥檚 not just New York City that鈥檚 at risk.
Subway systems in Chicago and Washington could lose the federal dollars they depend on to stay afloat if they also don鈥檛 clean up, he said.
Duffy, in the 鈥淔ox & Friends鈥� interview, said, 鈥渏ust good government would dictate we have good, clean subways.鈥�
Trump recently talked about crime in the subways of New York City, where he lived for most of his life.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he鈥檒l talk with Trump later in the day
He said he expects to hear more about 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 call with Putin about a ceasefire and to discuss the next steps.
But Zelenskyy said a vow by Putin not to attack energy infrastructure was 鈥渧ery much at odds with reality鈥� following an overnight barrage of drone strikes across Ukraine.
鈥淓ven last night, after Putin鈥檚 conversation with ... Trump, when Putin said that he was allegedly giving orders to stop strikes on Ukrainian energy, there were 150 drones launched overnight, including on energy facilities,鈥� Zelenskyy said at a news conference in Helsinki with Finnish President Alexander Stubb.
Russia said it had halted its targeting of Ukraine鈥檚 energy facilities and accused Kyiv of attacking equipment near one of its pipelines.
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Details on an upgraded air traffic control system coming soon, transportation secretary says
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said an announcement about upgrades to the decades-old system could come in the 鈥渘ext couple days.鈥�
Duffy said the system is safe 鈥渂ut we鈥檙e seeing the cracks of age.鈥�
Interviewed Wednesday on Fox News Channel鈥檚 鈥淔ox & Friends,鈥� Duffy said speed is 鈥渢he key鈥� and that 鈥淐ongress has to give us all the money upfront.鈥�
He didn鈥檛 provide a cost estimate but said he鈥檇 discuss the issue soon with Trump, share details with Congress and 鈥渉ope we get the money quick.鈥�
by a deadly mid-air collision over the Potomac River in Washington, other plane crashes and near-misses on airport runways.
罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 schedule today
According to the White House press office, Trump will receive an intelligence briefing at 11 a.m. ET.
Later this afternoon, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt will hold a press briefing at 1 p.m. ET.
A look at the judge who blocked 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 deportations and is now facing calls for impeachment
The federal judge who ruled against and is now facing is no stranger to politically fraught cases 鈥� including ones involving the president.
In his 14 years on the federal bench, James 鈥淛eb鈥� Boasberg has that arose during the special counsel investigations into Trump, in how the Justice Department conducts national security surveillance and handled his share of who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
A former homicide prosecutor in the nation鈥檚 capital who played basketball at Yale University, where he also earned his law degree, Boasberg has cultivated a reputation among colleagues as a principled jurist with bipartisan respect 鈥� he was appointed to the federal bench in 2011 by President Barack Obama but was named a decade earlier to a seat on the D.C. Superior Court by President George W. Bush.
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Federal judge blocks Trump administration from banning transgender people from military service
A federal judge blocked enforcement of 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 executive order service on Tuesday, the latest in a string of legal setbacks for his sweeping agenda.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C., ruled that 罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 order to exclude transgender troops from military service likely violates their constitutional rights. She was the second judge of the day to rule against the administration, and both rulings came within hours of an extraordinary conflict as Trump called for impeaching a third judge who temporarily blocked deportation flights, from Chief Justice John Roberts.
Reyes, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, delayed her order until Friday morning to give the administration time to appeal.
罢谤耻尘辫鈥檚 deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, posted about the ruling on social media, writing, 鈥淒istrict court judges have now decided they are in command of the Armed Forces鈥s there no end to this madness?鈥�
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The Associated Press
