March 19, 2025

MIDDLE EAST | Update from regional conflicts:

• Israel continued its resumption of airstrikes on Gaza overnight as part of renewed efforts to pressure Hamas into extending a cease-fire and releasing more hostages. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that going forward, all cease-fire talks would take place “under fire.” [more]

UKRAINE | Today is day 1119 of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Here are your updates:

• Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump agreed yesterday to a 30-day pause in attacks on energy infrastructure in the war between Russia and Ukraine. Putin, however, rejected a further cease-fire and said that Western military aid and intelligence sharing for Ukraine must stop as part of further agreements. Of note, neither Ukraine nor the European Union was involved with the talks between Putin and Trump. [more]
• Reports say both Russia and Ukraine carried out strikes on energy infrastructure overnight despite the agreement between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump. Talks on Ukraine will continue on Sunday in Saudi Arabia, according to U.S. officials. [more]

U.S. JUDICIARY | President Donald Trump yesterday called for the impeachment of U.S. District Court James Boasberg over Boasberg’s ruling blocking the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members under the 1798 Alien Enemies Act. Shortly after Trump’s statement, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts took the rare step of issuing a statement of his own rejecting calls for impeaching judges, saying ““For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.” [more]

U.S. MILITARY | U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes yesterday blocked enforcement of President Donald Trump's executive order banning transgender people from serving in the military, saying the order was likely unconstitutional. [more]

U.S. INTERNATIONAL AID | U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang yesterday indefinitely blocked Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency from taking further steps to dismantle the U.S. Agency for International Development, saying in his ruling that Musk and DOGE likely harmed the public interest by depriving elected lawmakers of their “constitutional authority to decide whether, when, and how to close down an agency created by Congress.” [more]

U.S. SOCIAL SECURITY | Social Security Administration officials said yesterday that U.S. Social Security recipients and applicants seeking to change their information with the agency and who are unable to verify their information online will no longer be able to do so over the phone and will, instead, be required to visit an agency field office in person to complete the verification process. Opponents of the move say the in-person requirement could negatively impact older Americans in rural areas, including those with disabilities, mobility limitations, those who live far from SSA offices, and have limited internet access. [more]

U.S. POPULATION | Preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicates that there were slightly over 3.6 million births in the U.S. in 2024 – up only about 22,250 from the number seen in 2023. Reports cite population researchers as saying the uptick should not be seen as evidence of a reversal of a long-term trend in birthrate declines. [more]

U.S. FEDERAL WORKFORCE | In court filings late Monday, Trump administration officials said they are working to rehire nearly 25,000 recently fired probationary workers at 18 federal agencies following a March 13 federal court ruling that the mass firings were carried out in an illegal manner. [more]

U.S. FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION | Two Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission – Commissioners Alvaro Bedoya and Rebecca Kelly Slaughter – were fired by President Donald Trump yesterday, with both saying they were fired illegally and that they would sue to block the dismissals. [more]

OHIO | A three-judge panel of Ohio’s 10th District Court of Appeals ruled yesterday that the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors is unconstitutional and ordered the law permanently blocked. Officials with the state attorney general’s office say they intend to appeal the decision. [more]

U.S. ENVIRONMENT | Reports cite agency officials as saying the Environmental Protection Agency plans to eliminate its scientific research offices and lay off more than 1,000 staff members as part of Trump administration and Department of Government Efficiency efforts to reduce government size and cut spending. [more]

UNITED NATIONS | According to a United Nations report released yesterday, there were 102 allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation in U.N. peacekeeping and political missions in 2024, with 82% of allegations being made against members of two U.N. peacekeeping missions, those in the Congo and the Central African Republic. [more]

TURKEY | Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu – a popular opposition leader and rival of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan – was arrested by Turkish police today as part of investigations into alleged corruption and terror links. Reports note that authorities also banned demonstrations in Istanbul for four days in an apparent attempt to prevent protests following Imamoglu’s arrest. [more]

E.U. SECURITY | European Union officials said today that arms purchases under a planned 150-billion-euro defense funding initiative would only be made from E.U. defense companies and those from other countries that have signed defense agreements with the bloc – a policy that would, for now, exclude U.S., U.K., and Turkish companies from participating. [more]

CANADA | Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced a $4.2 billion radar purchase from Australia yesterday to improve early-warning radar coverage in the Arctic circle. Carney also said his country would spend $294 million to expand its Arctic military operations, training, and personnel as part of efforts to heighten security and Arctic sovereignty. [more]

NIGERIA | President Bola Tinubu declared a state of emergency and suspended the governor of Nigeria’s oil-rich Rivers state yesterday amidst ongoing political tensions and a spike in vandalism to the country’s oil pipelines. [more]

AUTO INDUSTRY | The Vancouver International Auto Show announced yesterday that it removed Tesla as a participant in its industry convention, which begins today and runs through Sunday. Organizers cited safety concerns associated with protests against Tesla and its CEO Elon Musk as the reason for the move. [more]

DOG BREEDS | The French bulldog remains the most popular dog breed in the U.S., according to the American Kennel Club’s annual statistics, followed by Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, German shepherds, poodles, dachshunds, beagles, Rottweilers, bulldogs, and German shorthaired pointers. [more]

BASKETBALL | North Carolina beat San Diego State, 95-68, and Alabama State beat Saint Francis, 70-68, last night in the NCAA basketball tournament’s First Four matchups. [more]

TODAY IN HISTORY | On this date in 2003, U.S. President George W. Bush ordered air strikes on Baghdad, launching the Iraq War to oust dictator Saddam Hussein, who was believed to be manufacturing weapons of mass destruction – a contention later shown to be incorrect. [more history]