Signup to receive the Early Edition in your inbox here.
A curated weekday guide to major news and developments over the past 24 hours. Here’s today’s news:
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ACTIONS
Presidents might rightfully defy court orders in “extreme cases,” President Trump’s Solicitor General nominee D. John Sauer and former personal lawyer told the Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday during a confirmation hearing. Aaron Reitz, selected to lead the Office of Legal Policy, said that there is “no hard and fast rule about whether, in every instance a public official is bound by a court decision.” Erica Orden reports for POLITICO; Devlin Barrett reports for the New York Times.
Military leaders involved in the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan are “going to be largely gone,” President Trump said yesterday, in a sign of further incoming removals of top military officers. Paul McLeary reports for POLITICO.
The White House yesterday denied access to Trump’s first Cabinet meeting to Reuters, Associated Press, HuffPost, and Der Tagesspiegel, a German newspaper. Reuters, AP, and Bloomberg, traditionally the permanent members of the White House press pool, released a joint statement condemning the move. James Oliphant reports for Reuters.
Transgender service members will be separated from the U.S. Army unless they receive an exemption, according to a memo Pentagon lawyers filed in court yesterday. The move would essentially ban transgender troops from joining or serving in the military. Idrees Ali and Phil Stewart report for Reuters.
Federal agency leaders are to prepare plans for additional “large-scale reductions” in the federal workforce in March and April, according to a memo circulated to government leaders by Office of Management and Budget (OPM) Director Russell T. Vought and the OPM’s acting head, Charles Ezell. Chris Cameron reports for the New York Times.
Trump is expected to name his former top environmental attorney, Jeffrey Bossert Clark, to lead the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, sources say. Clark is facing the potential loss of his law licence over allegations he tried to overturn the 2020 election results. Robin Bravender reports for E&E News.
The Food and Drug Administration this week cancelled the meeting of a panel of scientific experts scheduled to discuss next year’s flu vaccines, a senior official said. Sheryl Gay Stolberg and Christina Jewett report for the New York Times.
The Trump administration is preparing to invoke the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to speed up its deportations of undocumented immigrants, according to multiple sources. Priscilla Alvarez and Alayna Treene report for CNN.
DOGE engineers are working on updating software that could automate the firing of federal workers across the government, sources say. Makena Kelly reports for WIRED.
OTHER U.S. DOMESTIC DEVELOPMENTS
Jeff Bezos yesterday said that the opinion section of the Washington Post, a newspaper owned by the billionaire, will focus on topics related to defending personal liberties and the free market. The move to narrow the Post’s traditionally broad scope prompted the newspaper’s Opinions Editor David Shipley to resign. Laurie Kellman reports for AP News.
The Justice Department is ending federal civil rights lawsuits accusing police and fire departments of discrimination based on tests given to applicants for jobs or promotions, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced yesterday, citing the Trump administration’s move away from recruitment based on “DEI quotas.” Josh Gerstein reports for POLITICO.
U.S. FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The Trump administration is planning to eliminate more than 90% of the U.S. Agency for International Development’s (USAID) foreign aid contracts and cut $60 billion in U.S. assistance around the world, according to an internal memo reviewed by AP News. Ellen Knickermeyer, Matthew Lee, and Mark Sherman report.
The Trump administration is giving thousands of USAID workers 15 minutes to clear out their desks across today and tomorrow, according to a notice posted on USAID’s website. Gary Fields reports for AP News.
U.S. and Russian officials will meet today in Istanbul to discuss restoring embassy staffing levels, Moscow’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said. Paul Sonne reports for the New York Times.
Trump yesterday said he would soon announce 25% tariffs on “cars and all of the things” from the European Union and that “overall” tariffs on Canada and Mexico will take effect on April 2. David Lawder and Andrea Shalal report for Reuters.
The Senate yesterday voted 56-43 to confirm Jamieson Greer as U.S. Trade Representative. Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) was the only Republican to oppose the nomination. Daniel Desrochers and Doug Palmer report for POLITICO.
Andrew and Tristan Tate have left Romania for the United States today, a source said. The British-American online influencers face criminal charges of human trafficking and money laundering in Romania. Isabella Kwai and Matei Barbulescu report for the New York Times.
RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR
The success of the United States-Ukraine minerals deal hinges on potential Friday talks with Trump, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said yesterday. The text of the agreement includes new language vaguely referring to security guarantees according to the New York Times. Olena Harmash, Tom Balmforth, and Yuliia Dysa report for Reuters; Andrew E. Kramer and Constant Méheut report.
Ukraine should look to Europe to provide security guarantees as the United States will not “provide security guarantees beyond very much,” Trump said yesterday. Speaking on his way to meet Trump in Washington today, United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer reiterated his call for a U.S. “backstop” to any European security solution to deter Russia. David E. Sanger reports for the New York Times; Chris Mason and Alice Thompson report for BBC.
Dozens of diplomats, including the ambassadors of France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, walked out of Russia’s speech to the U.N. Human Rights Council yesterday in support of Ukraine. Olivia Le Poidevin reports for Reuters.
North Korea has deployed an additional troop contingent of unknown size to Russia’s Kursk region, South Korean media reported yesterday, citing Seoul’s intelligence agency. Reuters reports.
ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR
Hamas yesterday turned over the bodies of four deceased Israeli hostages in exchange for the release of more than 600 Palestinian prisoners, the hostages’ families confirmed. In a statement released today, Hamas also reiterated it is ready to begin talks on the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire. George Wright reports for BBC News; Reuters reports.
Israel will not withdraw from the strategic Philadelphi corridor in Gaza as agreed in the ceasefire deal to prevent weapons smuggling, an Israeli official said today. There was no immediate comment from Hamas or key mediator Egypt. Mohammad Jahjouh, Wafaa Shurafa, and Natalie Melzer report for AP News.
Israel has shown “unprecedented disregard” for human rights and “consistently breached international law” during its Gaza campaign while Hamas committed war crimes by “indiscriminately fir[ing] projectiles” at Israel and “may have committed other breaches of humanitarian law in Gaza, including the intentional colocation of military objectives and Palestinian civilians,” U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said yesterday. Olivia Le Poidevin reports for Reuters.
OTHER GLOBAL DEVELOPMENTS
Thailand today deported 40 Uyghur asylum seekers to China, a move that the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees described as a “clear violation” of international law. Sui-Lee Wee and David Pierson report for the New York Times.
Iran is accelerating its production of near weapons-grade uranium, holding a sufficient amount of enriched uranium to potentially produce 6 atomic bombs, the International Atomic Energy Agency found in a report reviewed by AP News yesterday. Stephanie Lichtenstein reports.
Romanian prosecutors yesterday announced they launched a criminal investigation against Calin Georgescu, the far-right candidate in last year’s cancelled presidential election, over a range of accusations including acts against the constitutional order and campaign funding fraud. Reuters reports.
The U.N. World Food Programme has temporarily halted the distribution of food in Sudan’s famine-stricken Zamzam refugee camp amid escalating violence, warning that “thousands” could starve if security guarantees are not granted to humanitarian organizations. Michelle Nichols and Nafisa Eltahir report for Reuters.
SYRIA
More than 1,000 Syrians died in detention at a military airport in Damascus, killed by execution, torture, or maltreatment, according to a report by the Syria Justice and Accountability Centre set to be published today. Reade Levinson and Feras Dalatey report for Reuters.
Qatar is delaying providing the new Syrian government with funds to increase public sector pay due to uncertainty over whether the transfers would breach U.S. sanctions, sources say. Timour Azhari and Maya Gebeily report for Reuters.
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION LITIGATION
The Supreme Court yesterday issued an administrative stay pausing a deadline for the Trump administration to release $2 billion in frozen foreign aid imposed by a lower court until tomorrow to review the written arguments in the administration’s emergency appeal. John Fritze and Devan Cole report for CNN.
Head of the Office of Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger will stay in his role for at least three more days after a federal judge yesterday extended an order barring Trump from firing the chief protector of federal whistleblowers, and indicating that she will issue an opinion on the merits of the case by then. Ella Lee reports for the Hill.
Did you miss this? Stay up-to-date with our Litigation Tracker: Legal Challenges to Trump Administration Actions
