House Dems rally around Hamas sympathizer facing potential deportation: ‘Free Mahmoud Khalil’
House Democratic lawmakers reacted to the detention of anti-Israel activist and Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil amid outrage that he could potentially be deported. “Free Mahmoud Khalil!” Rep. Deila Ramirez, D-Ill., said at a news conference on Capitol Hill on Tuesday alongside Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., who has also been a vocal critic of the Trump administration’s decision to detain him. “The idea that this government believes that they can target people because they dare to dissent, and they don’t agree with what the president is doing for this specific. While we may not all we may not agree with everything he may or may have not said as a student at Columbia, I think you should be asking yourself, perhaps you don’t agree with me. I don’t agree with you. Or should you be criminalized for daring to speak up for what you believe is injustice?” Ramierz said following the news conference. FEDERAL JUDGE BLOCKS DETENTION OF COLUMBIA ANTI-ISRAEL PROTESTER YUNSEU CHUNG Other lawmakers told Fox News Digital that there is a need for due process regardless of Khalil’s stances. “We’ve done some letters and stuff,” Rep. Ami Bera said. “I think we’ve gotta give everyone due process rights, you know, especially folks that are legally here as the Columbia students. Obviously let’s uphold the law,” he added. Others, such as Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Fla., has expressed disagreements with Kahlil’s views but still believes that his detainment is cause for concern. “I don’t like his position. I don’t like what he has said. I don’t like the disruptive students trying to go to school, but I will say this: This is a country. We’re supposed to be a democracy. Freedom of speech is in our constitution,” she said. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY STUDENT PROTESTER SUES TRUMP ADMIN TO PREVENT DEPORTATION “And before anybody is arrested, you should have good probable cause. Absolutely before anybody is held and deported, there absolutely has to be full legal rights and due process,” she continued. Khalil, a 30-year-old green card holder married to a U.S. citizen, was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on March 8. In a court brief dated Sunday, the U.S. government outlined its arguments for keeping Khalil in custody while his removal proceedings continue. The department says Khalil fraudulently applied to change his immigration status without fully disclosing his “membership in certain organization,” which could be grounds for deportation. The Justice Department said Sunday that the fact he allegedly lied on his application provided an “independent basis” to deport him, overriding free speech rights. “Regardless of his allegations concerning political speech, Khalil withheld membership in certain organizations and failed to disclose continuing employment by the Syria Office in the British Embassy in Beirut when he submitted his adjustment of status application,” they said. “It is black-letter law that misrepresentations in this context are not protected speech.” President Donald Trump himself has backed the decision as a result of his administration’s crackdown, thanking Immigration and Customs Enforcement for taking Khalil into custody in a Truth Social post on March 10. COLUMBIA FACULTY HOLD ‘EMERGENCY VIGIL’ TO PROTEST UNIVERSITY RESPONSE TO TRUMP “Following my previously signed Executive Orders, ICE proudly apprehended and detained Mahmoud Khalil, a Radical Foreign Pro-Hamas Student on the campus of Columbia University. This is the first arrest of many to come. We know there are more students at Columbia and other Universities across the Country who have engaged in pro-terrorist, anti-Semitic, anti-American activity, and the Trump Administration will not tolerate it,” Trump posted. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “Many are not students, they are paid agitators. We will find, apprehend, and deport these terrorist sympathizers from our country — never to return again. If you support terrorism, including the slaughtering of innocent men, women, and children, your presence is contrary to our national and foreign policy interests, and you are not welcome here. We expect every one of America’s Colleges and Universities to comply. Thank you!” the president added. The Trump White House took away $400 million in federal funding for Columbia University as a result of its encampment-style protests that made waves last year, as the university is taking strides to earn the money back. Another alleged Columbia protester, Ranjani Srinivasan, self-deported back to India after having her student visa nixed, and Leqaa Kordia was arrested for allegedly overstaying their student visa. Fox News’ Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.
Democrats invoke children’s shows in bizarre defense of PBS, NPR: ‘Fire Elon, Save Elmo’
Democrats had some bizarre defenses for NPR and PBS in Wednesday’s House DOGE Subcommittee, with some representatives invoking characters from Sesame Street and The Muppets to attack Republican efforts to cut funding to public broadcasting. Both PBS and NPR have been heavily criticized for political bias and for advancing leftist ideologies like gender ideology, such as a PBS movie called “Real Boy,” which, according to PBS, follows a transgender-identifying teen as he “navigates adolescence, sobriety, and physical and emotional ramifications of his changing gender identity.” The hearing – titled “Anti-American Airwaves: Holding the heads of NPR and PBS Accountable” – was called by the DOGE Subcommittee Chair Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., to question public media leaders on why the “demonstrably biased news coverage they produce for an increasingly narrow and elitist audience should continue to be funded by the broad taxpaying public.” This comes after President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he would be “honored” to defund NPR, saying, “It’s been very biased. The whole group, I mean, a whole group of them.” EXCLUSIVE: HOUSE GOP FIREBRAND DRIVES DOGE COMMITTEE INVESTIGATION OF GOVERNMENT MEDIA AGENCY CORRUPTION Rep. Greg Casar, D-Texas, an adjunct member of the “Squad,” attempted to take shots at Trump and DOGE chief Elon Musk, asking, “Has Miss Piggy ever been caught trying to funnel billions of dollars in government contracts to herself and to her companies?” Sitting in front of a giant poster reading, “Fire Elon, Save Elmo,” Casar went on, “How about Arthur the Aardvark? Has he ever fired independent government watchdogs who are investigating his companies? The answer is no.” “I’m told we’re here to talk about government efficiency, but Daniel Tiger has not blown $10 million of taxpayer money to play golf with his friends. But Donald Trump has, just at the beginning of his administration. Miss Piggy hasn’t been caught funneling billions of dollars in government contracts to herself. But Elon Musk has, and Arthur has not fired independent government watchdogs investigating him and his companies. But Elon Musk has fired at least five,” Casar suggested that Republicans are using PBS and NPR as a “scapegoat” to “try to distract from the fact that Trump and Musk are robbing working people.” Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., also had a peculiar defense for NPR and PBS, asking PBS President Paula Kerger, “Is Elmo now or has he ever been a member of the Communist Party of the United States?” DEMOCRAT JASMINE CROCKETT LAUGHINGLY MOCKS DISABLED REPUBLICAN: ‘GOVERNOR HOT WHEELS’ Garcia went on to say that Elmo “has a very dangerous message about sharing and helping each other. He’s indoctrinating our kids, that sharing is caring. Now, maybe he’s part of a major socialist plot and maybe that’s why the chairwoman is having this hearing today.” He also indicated that Republicans are considering defunding PBS for using characters such as Big Bird to push for COVID-19 vaccines. “This is actually a tweet that Big Bird actually sent out about the COVID-19 vaccine, encouraging folks to actually get their vaccination, which of course we believe in vaccines,” he said. “Perhaps the reason why we’re having this hearing is because our chairwoman, Miss Green, has actually said some really negative things about getting vaccinations and that’s perhaps why we are here. And so, we support Big Bird being pro-vaccine and promoting vaccines across this country.” PAM BONDI THREATENS PROSECUTION AMID DOGE’S FINDINGS ABOUT FRAUD: ‘WE’RE COMING AFTER YOU’ He also brought up the characters Bert and Ernie, asking if they are “part of an extreme homosexual agenda,” as well as Cookie Monster, saying, “Now we know that Health Secretary RFK Jr. is coming out against fast food and baked goods. Are we silencing pro-cookie voters?” Garcia called the taxpayer funding for NPR and PBS a “tiny federal investment,” and said, “We need public media like PBS and NPR more than ever.” “The message I think today is very, very simple. If we’re going to get rid of any puppeteers, we should get rid of the one that’s actually controlling Donald Trump,” he said. “Fire Elon Musk and save Elmo.”
How Mike Johnson and Jim Jordan could hit back at judges blocking Trump’s agenda
Congressional Republicans are looking at a variety of options to stand up against what they see as “activist judges” blocking President Donald Trump’s agenda. Many of those options will likely be discussed at the House Judiciary’s hearing on the matter next week, which sources expect to be scheduled for April 1. Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., huddled privately with Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee Tuesday afternoon to coalesce lawmakers around a bill up for a vote next week that would limit federal district court judges’ ability to issue nationwide injunctions. One source familiar with discussions told Fox News Digital that Johnson suggested Republicans could look at other options as well, something conservatives are looking for. House Freedom Caucus member Rep. Ralph Norman, R-S.C., told Fox News Digital that the legislation was a “good start.” WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? The No Rogue Rulings Act has support from both the White House and House GOP leadership. It’s expected to get a House-wide vote Tuesday or Wednesday of next week. Led by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., the legislation would force most district court judges to narrow most orders to the most relevant scope, therefore blocking them from pausing Trump’s policies across the U.S. No Republican lawmaker has publicly expressed doubts about the bill, but conservatives have warned they want to see more from Congress on activist judges. Both Johnson and top members of the House Judiciary Committee have floated using Congress’ power of the purse to rein in activist courts. “We do have authority over the federal courts,” Johnson said at his weekly press conference. “We do have power over funding, over the courts, and all these other things. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and Congress is going to act.” But Congress controls government spending through several different mechanisms. Lawmakers have the power to set annual appropriations levels, to rescind that funding via a rescission package, and even leverage funding outside of Congress’ yearly appropriations via the budget reconciliation process. “I think we need to look at… funding scenarios. Now, that takes a little time; you’ve got to work through either the appropriations, rescissions or reconciliation process, depending on where it’s appropriate,” Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, chair of the House Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on the Constitution, told Fox News Digital last week – while stressing he was not “for or against” any specific scenario. Several Republicans have introduced resolutions to impeach various federal judges for blocking Trump’s agenda, but there appears to be little appetite within the House GOP to pursue that lane. Johnson signaled he was against the move during a closed-door meeting with Republicans on Tuesday morning, noting just 15 federal judges have been impeached in U.S. history. ‘WOEFULLY INSUFFICIENT’: US JUDGE REAMS TRUMP ADMIN FOR DAYS-LATE DEPORTATION INFO “There was some innuendo there that, you know, impeachment has been reserved for judges with high crimes and misdemeanors, not because you disagree with his decisions,” one House Republican said of Johnson’s message. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Conservatives could attempt to force House GOP leaders to act by classifying their impeachment legislation as a “privileged resolution,” meaning the House must hold at least a chamber-wide procedural vote on the measure within two legislative days. But it’s not clear that will be pursued, either. Two Republicans who filed such resolutions – Reps. Brandon Gill, R-Texas, and Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis. – said they did not have current plans to make their resolutions privileged. It’s not a totally dismissed option, however, as leaders, including House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, continue to insist nothing is off the table.
Trump admin declares the Atlantic’s Signal article a ‘hoax’ after it drops ‘war plans’ rhetoric
Trump administration officials say the Atlantic “conceded” that its article providing a firsthand account of a Signal group chat involving the nation’s top national security leaders discussing an attack on terrorists in Yemen did not contain “war plans.” “The Atlantic has conceded: these were NOT ‘war plans,’” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted to X Wednesday morning. “This entire story was another hoax written by a Trump-hater who is well-known for his sensationalist spin.” National security advisor Mike Waltz posted to X Wednesday, “No locations. No sources & methods. NO WAR PLANS. Foreign partners had already been notified that strikes were imminent. BOTTOM LINE: President Trump is protecting America and our interests.” TRUMP OFFICIALS ACCIDENTALLY TEXT ATLANTIC JOURNALIST ABOUT MILITARY STRIKES IN APPARENT SECURITY BREACH The Trump administration came under fire from Democrats and other critics Monday after the Atlantic magazine published an article revealing that top national security officials discussed a planned strike in Yemen against terrorist forces in a Signal group chat that also included the editor-in-chief of the Atlantic. The Atlantic’s Jeffrey Goldberg published a firsthand account Monday of what he read in the Signal group chat, called “Houthi PC Small Group,” after he was added to the chain March 13 alongside high-ranking federal officials stretching from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to Waltz and Trump chief of staff Susie Wiles. Monday’s article was headlined: “The Trump Administration Accidentally Texted Me Its War Plans.” Trump administration officials have repeatedly argued since the release of the article that no classified information was included in the Signal correspondence. On Wednesday morning, the Atlantic published a follow-up story that included direct texts from the Signal chat, but notably did not include the phrase “war plans” in its headline, instead characterizing the texts as “attack plans.” The phrase “war plans” was included in the Wednesday piece as quotes attributable to the administration pouring cold water that they shared classified information in the chat. HEGSETH FENDS OFF REPORTER’S QUESTIONS ABOUT SIGNAL CHAT LEAK: ‘I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I’M DOING’ A spokesperson for the Atlantic defended that the outlet did expose a “war plan” in its Wednesday report, pointing Fox News Digital to a screenshot included in the piece of Hegseth’s messages related to F-18s and drone strikes that were accompanied by timestamps for the operation. “If this information – particularly the exact times American aircraft were taking off for Yemen – had fallen into the wrong hands in that crucial two-hour period, American pilots and other American personnel could have been exposed to even greater danger than they ordinarily would face,” the report stated. The Department of Defense does not specifically define what constitutes a “war plan,” according to the U.S. Army War College, though war plans are understood as in-depth plans for an “overarching strategy.” “If we consider war to be a political act between two or more states, nations, or other polities, a war plan must consider the totality of those polities’ potential political objectives, industrial capabilities, and military options for the expected duration of the conflict,” the Army War College posted in 2020 in an explainer article headlined, “What’s in a War Plan?” “A war plan develops a concept to win a war militarily and politically; it is the detailed ways and means of an overarching strategy. A review of two historical examples of such planning offer approaches to overcome organizational and institutional obstacles to effective comprehensive war planning.” Officials with the Trump administration continued on X that the Atlantic’s report was a “hoax” for initially describing the chat as containing “war plans.” “So, let’s me get this straight. The Atlantic released the so-called ‘war plans’ and those ‘plans’ include: No names. No targets. No locations. No units. No routes. No sources. No methods. And no classified information. Those are some really s—– war plans. This only proves one thing: Jeff Goldberg has never seen a war plan or an ‘attack plan’ (as he now calls it). Not even close. As I type this, my team and I are traveling the INDOPACOM region, meeting w/ Commanders (the guys who make REAL ‘war plans’) and talking to troops. We will continue to do our job, while the media does what it does best: peddle hoaxes,” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth posted to his personal X account Wednesday. A Department of Defense memo from 2023 under the Biden administration detailed that while Signal was approved for some use by government officials, the platform could not be used to “access, transmit, process non-public DoD information.” The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the federal office in charge of ensuring cybersecurity at all levels of the government, published a “best practice” for “highly targeted” government officials in December 2024 advising “highly targeted” government officials to use Signal as an extra precaution against potential hackers. CISA’s “Mobile Communications Best Practice Guidance” defined as highly targeted individuals as high-ranking government officials or politicians who are “likely to possess information of interest to these threat actors.” The document specifically addressed high-targeted politicos and officials, though it noted the guide was “applicable to all audiences.” “Adopt a free messaging application for secure communications that guarantees end-to-end encryption, such as Signal or similar apps,” the guidance states. “CISA recommends an end-to-end encrypted messaging app that is compatible with both iPhone and Android operating systems, allowing for text message interoperability across platforms. Such apps may also offer clients for MacOS, Windows, and Linux, and sometimes the web. These apps typically support one-on-one text chats, group chats with up to 1,000 participants, and encrypted voice and video calls. Additionally, they may include features like disappearing messages and images, which can enhance privacy.” Signal’s popularity grew in the past few months, after it was discovered that Chinese-linked hackers were targeting cellphone data in the U.S., including data belonging to President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance during the campaign, Politico reported Tuesday. TRUMP NOT PLANNING TO FIRE WALTZ AFTER NATIONAL SECURITY TEXT CHAIN LEAK The texts released in
Cutting the ‘green tape’: Conservation group offers top 10 ways for Dept of Interior to streamline
EXCLUSIVE: A leading conservation group that champions collaboration over regulation is releasing its top 10 recommendations for the Department of the Interior to cut so-called “green tape” – as opposed to “red tape” – which seeks to streamline the agency’s work. The Montana-based Property and Environment Research Center (PERC), a nonpartisan leader in “market solutions” for conservation, will seek to triple the rate of endangered species’ recovery, double fee revenues for national parks without putting all the onus on visitors and eliminate regulations for Americans who voluntarily want to provide assistance in managing habitat restoration. PERC CEO Brian Yablonski told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that there is a $23 billion backlog in national parks’ infrastructure needs, conservation projects and wastewater management. As parks grow and visitor numbers hit record levels, the Interior Department needs a responsible way to fund the increased needs without burdening U.S. taxpayers or implementing restrictions, Yablonski said. AZ SENATE LEADER URGES BURGUM TO REVERSE BIDEN-OBAMA LAND GRAB AT URANIUM SITES “One way to address the needs of our national parks directly is to connect funding with demand,” Yablonski said. Doubling fee revenue does not mean doubling fees, he said, noting that in other countries, American visitors often pay a surcharge to that park system because they do not contribute any of the baseline taxes to park conservation. In that way, a visitor to Skyline Drive who hails from abroad should be charged a little more than a local Virginian going from Staunton to Front Royal who already pays into park coffers through taxation, he said. However, Yablonski underlined that the national park system is unique in that 80% of fee revenue collected at any particular park stays to support that park specifically. The other 20% goes elsewhere, including into general funds supporting parks that do not charge fees. It would also “depoliticize” park funding because fees are collected independently of Congress. Record increases in park visitors – according to the National Park Service (NPS) – have shown that people are willing to pay to enjoy America’s parkland. Therefore, an increase in the $80 America the Beautiful pass would be one area where there may not be much pain for eager park visitors. NPS reported nearly 332 million visits to parks in 2024, an increase of 6.3 million. TRUMP INTERIOR PICK FACES SENATE SCRUTINY The pass gets Americans into many national parks for free, allows entrance to Skyline Drive and also gives the bearer free parking at other park-owned properties, such as the Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, Amtrak station. Reducing obstacles to voluntary conservation is one of the best ways to cut ‘green tape’,” Yablonski said. Landowners seeking to aid voluntary conservation must currently go through an at-times costly and/or strung-out chronological process before they can formally assist the agency. “It can take up to a year to get those kind of agreements approved,” Yablonski said. “We just think there’s a way to streamline that and get those agreements approved sooner, especially if a landowner is taking measures to do voluntary conservation on his or her land,” he said. That “green tape” cut leads into PERC’s recommendations regarding the Endangered Species Act, Yablonski added. While the act has been effective in preventing extinction, it has not helped recover species listed as endangered. Only 3% of endangered species have recovered and been taken off the list, while 99% remain extant. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “That’s because the tools needed for both are different. A tool to prevent extinction might be a more regulatory-oriented tool to actually recover something and proactively improve. It is going to be more of a market-based incentive,” he said. “The problem is we’re using the regulatory tool when we should be using the incentive-based tool. And so the idea of cutting green tape is actually what are some of the new tools to take in endangered species recovery from a number like 3% and get it to 10%. And I think it’s important to set goals because there are folks that seem to be okay with 3% recovery in the environmental community, which to me is shocking. We should want to try something different, try new things, bring new tools to bear to increase endangered species recovery.” The full report will be available on PERC’s website on Wednesday. Fox News Digital reached out to the Interior Department for comment on its communications with PERC thus far.
Republican bills put taxpayer-funded junk food on the chopping block
Multiple Republican lawmakers are pushing proposals to ban the purchase of unhealthy foods through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which is meant to help low-income families. Sugary sodas are in the crosshairs in three separate proposals, though two of the bills would go further by also banning purchases of other junk foods. Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, introduced the Funding Is Zero for Zero Nutrition Options (FIZZ-NO) Act of 2025, which would block purchases of sodas with SNAP benefits — the text defines soda as “a carbonated beverage that contains more than 1 gram of added sugar, artificial sweetener, or flavoring per serving.” Three House Republicans have been listed as cosponsors on congress.gov. “Allowing taxpayer dollars to subsidize sugary sodas, which offer zero nutritional value and contribute to costly health conditions, is counterproductive. The FIZZ-NO Act is a common-sense solution to strengthen public health and reduce the financial burden on taxpayers,” Self said in a statement included in a press release. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., just put forward a measure that would implement an even broader prohibition on purchasing junk foods with SNAP benefits. GOP LAWMAKER EXPLAINS WHY HE CALLED TRANS DEM ‘MR. MCBRIDE’: ‘I DON’T HAVE TO PARTICIPATE IN HIS FANTASY’ The Nutritious SNAP Act of 2025 would put the kibosh on SNAP purchases of “any nonalcoholic beverage that is not water, cow’s milk, a milk-substitute beverage (such as almond milk, soy milk, and coconut milk), or 100 percent juice,” plus “snack and dessert food items,” described in the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service “Accessory Foods List.” That list includes various items such as potato and corn chips, pretzels, doughnuts, cookies, ice cream and more. “It makes no sense that taxpayer dollars are being used to fund an epidemic of obesity and diet-related illness in low-income communities. My bill ensures that this assistance program actually supports health and wellness, not chronic disease,” Paul said, according to a press release. TEXAS LAWMAKERS CONSIDER MEASURE PROHIBITING SNAP BENEFITS FROM BEING USED TO PURCHASE JUNK FOOD A group of GOP lawmakers in both chambers of Congress are pushing the Healthy SNAP Act of 2025. The measure would target “soft drinks, candy, ice cream, prepared desserts such as cakes, pies, cookies, or similar products,” and call for the Agriculture Secretary to “conduct a scientific review” of foods allowed under SNAP at least every 5 years. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and several other Republican senators are pushing the bill in the Senate, while Rep. Josh Brecheen, R-Ok., and a number of other House Republicans are pushing it in the lower chamber, according to congress.gov. SNAP RECIPIENTS MAY BE BARRED FROM JUNK FOOD PURCHASES UNDER NEW HOUSE GOP BILL CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP “American tax dollars should not be used to pay for junk food and endanger the health of the most vulnerable Americans,” Lee said, according to a press release. “The fastest way to Make America Healthy Again is to encourage balanced diets and stop subsidizing unhealthy food choices. The Healthy SNAP Act is a solid step forward in building a society where all families can be enjoy strength, health, and good nutrition.”
Ukraine, Russia trade accusations in wake US-brokered deal
Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of not being serious about peace talks as both sides traded blame for attacks on infrastructure. The renewed accusations on Wednesday came a day after the United States said Ukraine and Russia had agreed to halt military strikes on vessels in the Black Sea following separate negotiations in Saudi Arabia. The Ukrainian air force said 117 drones were launched from Russia during an overnight attack. At least 56 of the drones were downed, 48 were lost due to electronic warfare and no damage was caused, it added. However, the mayor of Mykolaiv said there were power outages due to the drones. In the city of Kryvyi Rih, a Russian attack caused fires and damaged buildings, but no casualties were reported. Buildings were also reportedly damaged in the border region of Sumy, which has come under heavy attack in recent days. The head of the military administration in Kryvyi Rih, Oleksandr Vilkul, described the drone attack as the most significant on the city, adding, “Apparently, this is how the occupiers ‘want peace’”. Advertisement Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned the overnight barrage of attacks and said it was a “clear signal to the whole world that Moscow is not going to pursue real peace”. “Since March 11, there has been a US proposal for a total ceasefire, a complete halt to strikes. And literally every night, through its attacks, Russia keeps saying ‘no’ to our partners’ peace proposal,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. Zelenskyy will meet French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Wednesday before a gathering of world leaders on Thursday that has been billed as a “coalition of the willing”, which plans to set out security guarantees for Ukraine in any peace deal. Last night, there were another 117 proofs in our skies of how Russia continues to drag out this war – 117 strike drones, most of them Shaheds. A significant number were shot down by our air defenders. Dnipro, Sumy, Cherkasy, and other regions came under Russian attack. There… pic.twitter.com/q4WTj87IHG — Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) March 26, 2025 For its part, the Russian Ministry of Defence said Ukraine carried out a drone attack on a gas storage facility on the Crimean Peninsula and a power installation in the Bryansk region, which sits on the border with Ukraine and its Sumy region. “The Kyiv regime, while continuing to damage Russia’s civilian energy infrastructure, is actually doing everything it can to disrupt the Russian-American agreements,” it wrote. Ukraine denied that it had targeted Russian energy infrastructure in the two regions. Advertisement Reporting from Moscow, Al Jazeera’s Dorsa Jabbari said further negotiations will be “difficult” as both sides continue to trade allegations. “Accusations back and forth illustrate how difficult and fragile the situation is between both sides in this conflict and how difficult the task the American officials have ahead of them,” Jabbari explained. In the meantime, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte warned in Warsaw on Wednesday that the Western defence alliance would respond with a “devastating” blow to any attack by Russia on Poland or another ally. On Tuesday, the US reached separate truce agreements with Ukraine and Russia in talks in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. US negotiators met separately with the Ukrainian and Russian delegations, both of which agreed to cease their attacks at sea. The two sides also agreed “to develop measures” for implementing an agreement to ban strikes against energy facilities, the White House said. The US also agreed to push for lifting some Western sanctions on Russian food, fertiliser and shipping in the Black Sea. The Kremlin said “a number of conditions” must be met before the Black Sea deal can be implemented, including restoring links between some Russian banks and the international financial system. However, a spokesperson for the European Union said on Wednesday that one of the main conditions to lift or amend Russian sanctions would be “the end of the Russian unprovoked and unjustified aggression in Ukraine and unconditional withdrawal of all Russian military forces”. Advertisement Separately on Wednesday, a court in the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don convicted 23 Ukrainians on “terrorism” charges in a trial that Kyiv denounced as a sham and a violation of international law. The defendants include 12 captured members of Ukraine’s elite Azov Brigade, which led the defence of the city of Mariupol in the early months of Russia’s war. Adblock test (Why?)
Veteran Dem senator demands Hegseth resign over Signal chat leak
Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., is calling on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to resign over the Houthi strikes group chat controversy. Kelly, a former astronaut and United States Navy pilot who served in combat, has been a vocal critic of Hegseth, including during the confirmation process. “Two months ago, on the day of Secretary Hegseth’s confirmation vote, I asked my colleagues if it was worth the risk to our servicemembers and our national security to confirm the most unprepared nominee for this job we’ve ever seen. This is what happens when you put unqualified people in important jobs where lives are on the line,” Kelly said in a statement on Wednesday morning. TRUMP HAS ‘RESTORED’ PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH: PETE HEGSETH “It’s fortunate this massive error didn’t result in American casualties, but for the safety of our servicemembers and our country, Secretary Hegseth needs to resign,” he added. Members of the administration are looking ahead after The Atlantic editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg was included in a group chat on Signal, an encrypted messaging app, about a strike against the Houthis in Yemen. Goldberg later went on to publish the messages on Wednesday. “I’m incredibly proud of the courage and skill of the troops, and they are ongoing and continue to be devastatingly effective,” Hegseth said in the wake of the story. “The last place I would want to be right now is a Houthi in Yemen who wants to disrupt freedom of navigation, so the skill and courage of our troops is on full display.” JEFFRIES BECOMES HIGHEST-RANKING DEM TO CALL FOR HEGSETH TO RESIGN “As I also stated yesterday, nobody’s texting war plans, and that’s all I have to say about that,” Hegseth added. Meanwhile, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz took ownership of the incident. “I take full responsibility. I built the group,” he said on “The Ingraham Angle” Tuesday. “It’s embarrassing. We’re going to get to the bottom of it.” Kelly is one of many Democratic members of Congress calling on Hegseth to step down, including Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies, D-N.Y. “When the stakes are this high, incompetence is not an option. Pete Hegseth should resign. Mike Waltz should resign,” Warner posted on Tuesday. ATLANTIC REPORTER PUBLISHES MORE TEXTS ABOUT ATTACK ON HOUTHI TARGETS Still, some have argued that there is a double standard from Democrats over military mishaps during the Biden administration. “You can acknowledge the Signal fiasco was a mistake while also refusing admonishment from people who A) slept with Chinese spies B) didn’t demand any resignations after 13 US Service members were killed in Afghanistan C) didn’t care that Lloyd Austin was MIA for 5 days,” conservative commentator Grace Curley posted. “This won’t be the first time [Kelly] calls on [Trump] officials to resign. He’s not interested in working with the administration to advance national or state interests; he’s doing whatever he can to try to embarrass the White House and stop their efforts to make America great again,” the Republican Party of Arizona posted. The Department of Defense did not respond in time for publication.
Ratcliffe says new Signal texts show he ‘did not transmit classified information’
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said the Signal chat texts published by The Atlantic Wednesday revealing the so-called “attack plans” targeting Yemen’s Houthi rebels prove he “did not transmit classified information.” Ratcliffe, speaking during a House Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats, told lawmakers “With regard to that article, I also would appreciate the opportunity to relay the fact that yesterday I spent four hours answering questions from senators as a result of that article that were intimating that I transmitted classified information because there were hidden messages.” “Those messages were revealed today and revealed that I did not transmit classified information, and that the reporter who I don’t know, I think intentionally intended it to indicate that,” Ratcliffe continued. “That reporter also indicated that I had released the name of an undercover CIA operative in that Signal chat. In fact, I had released the name of my chief of staff who was not operating undercover. That was deliberately false and misleading.” “I used an appropriate channel to communicate sensitive information. It was permissible to do so. I didn’t transfer any classified information. And at the end of the day, what is most important is that the mission was a remarkable success is what everyone should be focused on here, because that’s what did happen, not what possibly could have happened,” he also said. ATLANTIC REPORTER PUBLISHES MORE TEXTS ABOUT ATTACK ON HOUTHI TARGETS In messages published Wednesday, The Atlantic quoted Hegseth as saying in the Signal group text chat “TEAM UPDATE: TIME NOW (1144et): Weather is FAVORABLE. Just CONFIRMED w/CENTCOM we are a GO for mission launch. 1215et: F-18s LAUNCH (1st strike package). 1345: ‘Trigger Based’ F-18 1st Strike Window Starts (Target Terrorist is @ his Known Location so SHOULD BE ON TIME – also, Strike Drones Launch (MQ-9s),” Hegseth apparently wrote in a screenshot of a text message released Wednesday by The Atlantic. “1410: More F-18s LAUNCH (2nd strike package). 1415: Strike Drones on Target (THIS IS WHEN THE FIRST BOMBS WILL DEFINITELY DROP, pending earlier ‘Trigger Based’ targets). 1536 F-18 2nd Strike Starts – also, first sea-based Tomahawks launched,” Hegseth reportedly continued, before adding “we are currently clean on OPSEC [operational security]” and “Godspeed to our Warriors.” Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard vowed during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing Tuesday that there was “no classified material” in the messages. “My answer yesterday was based on my recollection, or the lack thereof on the details that were posted there. What was shared today reflects the fact that I was not directly involved with that part of the signal chat and replied at the end, reflecting the effects, the very brief effects that the national security advisor had shared,” Gabbard said Wednesday when asked about the matter. “So it’s your testimony that less than two weeks ago, you were on a Signal chat that had all of this information about F-18s and MQ-9 Reapers and targets on strike. And you, in that two-week period, simply forgot that that was there. That’s your testimony?” Ranking Member Jim Himes, D-Conn., asked her. TRUMP TEAM’S SIGNAL CHAT LEAK SPARKS DEBATE OVER SECURE COMMUNICATIONS “My testimony is I did not recall the exact details of what was included there,” Gabbard said. “That was not your testimony,” Himes responded. “Your testimony was that you were not aware of anything related to weapons, packages, targets and timing.” “As the testimony yesterday continued on, there were further questions, related to that, where I acknowledged that there was conversation about weapons,” Gabbard said. “And, I don’t remember the exact wording that I used, but I did not recall the specific details that were included.” At one point in Wednesday’s Senate hearing, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse, the director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said there were “operational details” in the Signal messages. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., and Rep. Jason Crow, D-Colo., also joined other Congressional Democrats calling for the resignation of Secretary of State Pete Hegseth over the leak. “There can be no fixes. There can be no corrections until there is accountability. And I’m calling on the administration to move forward with accountability,” Crow said.
Judge fighting Trump over El Salvador deportations assigned to lawsuit over Signal chat leak
A new lawsuit targeting President Donald Trump’s administration over leaked Pentagon plans in a Signal chat has been assigned to Judge James Boasberg, the same judge who ordered a halt to the administration’s deportation efforts. The government watchdog group American Oversight filed the lawsuit on Wednesday, alleging that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and others violated federal records laws by discussing Houthi attack plans in a Signal groupchat. The contest has now been randomly assigned to Boasberg, who serves on the U.S. District Court for Washington, D.C. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., condemned “rogue judges” like Boasberg in a statement to Fox News Digital on Wednesday. He has introduced legislation that would prohibit district-level judges from issuing nationwide injunctions like the one Boasberg used to block deportations. “These judges have proven they care more about unlawfully knee-capping President Trump’s agenda than accurately applying the facts to the law in each individual case. Congress can change that,” he said. Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., echoed Hawley in another statement to Fox, calling on Boasberg to recuse himself from the case. “The bias Judge Boesberg has already demonstrated toward President Donald Trump and his administration is unmistakable.It is not a random act that Boesberg has the case and I don’t expect him to recuse himself, but that would be the best arrangement for the integrity of the court,” Issa said. HEGSETH FENDS OFF REPORTER’S QUESTIONS ABOUT SIGNAL CHAT LEAK American Oversight says its lawsuit centers on the Federal Records Act, which “requires federal officials to preserve communications related to official government business.” “Generally, agencies ensure retention of messages sent on apps like Signal by setting policies requiring officials and personnel to forward them to official systems for proper archival or take other steps to preserve their content,” it continued. The lawsuit names Hegseth; Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard; CIA Director John Ratcliffe; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent; Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as the National Archives and Records Administration, as defendants. The lawsuit notes that Signal group chats can be set up to delete messages after a certain time threshold, leading to the possibility that certain records were illegally destroyed. JEFFRIES BECOMES HIGHEST-RANKING DEMOCRAT TO CALL FOR HEGSETH TO RESIGN Former federal prosecutor and legal analyst Andrew Cherkasky argued the assignment of the lawsuit to Boasberg is “legally provocative” and could discredit the D.C. District Court “for generations to come.” “With [Boasberg’s] prior outrageous rulings under review by the Circuit Court, I don’t think it is wise to allow him more Trump injunction cases,” Cherkasky told Fox News Digital. Former Trump lawyer Alina Habba also condemned the lawsuit in a statement to Fox News Digital on Wednesday. “This is another example of improper judicial political advocacy. The judicial system must not be weaponized any further to attempt to distract Americans from the amazing work of this Administration and our commitment to our National Security,” Habba said. Meanwhile, the White House has rejected claims that the groupchat’s members used the app for “war planning,” as has been described by various media outlets. Gabbard emphasized during a Wednesday House Intelligence Committee hearing that no classified information was shared in the chat. “It was a mistake that a reporter was inadvertently added to a signal chat with high-level national security principles, having a policy discussion about imminent strikes against the Houthis and the effects of the strike,” Gabbard said. “The national security advisor has taken full responsibility for this, and the National Security Council is conducting an in-depth review, along with tech technical experts working to determine how this reporter was inadvertently added to this chat.”