DOGE official to take USAID leadership role despite department helping to dismantle it

Trump-Putin phone call gave the Kremlin leader a chance to pivot away from the war in Ukraine

They talked about the fighting in Ukraine, of course. But the U.S. and Russian presidents also chatted about improving relations between Washington and Moscow, peace in the Middle East, global security and even hockey games.

During the more than two-hour chat — the longest such call between the countries’ leaders in years — Trump and Putin covered a range of topics. And importantly for Putin, the conversation gave him a chance to pivot away from the war in Ukraine and engage more broadly about global issues, drawing a line under Washington’s past efforts to cast him as an international pariah.

Tuesday’s phone call appeared to reflect both leaders’ interest in mending the U.S.-Russian ties that have plummeted to their lowest point since the Cold War amid the 3-year-old conflict in Ukraine. The Kremlin and the state-controlled Russian media praised it as a long-sought launch of an equal dialogue between the two nuclear superpowers.

Fed keeps interest rate unchanged, sees slower growth, slightly higher inflation ahead

The Federal Reserve kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged Wednesday and signaled it still expects to cut rates twice this year, though more policymakers forecast fewer cuts.

The Fed also now expects the economy to grow more slowly this year and next than it did three months ago, according to a set of quarterly economic projections also released Wednesday. It also expects the unemployment rate to tick higher, to 4.4%. Policymakers also expect inflation will pick up slightly by the end of this year, to 2.7% from its current level of 2.5%. Bother are above the central bank’s 2% target.

“Uncertainty around the economic outlook has increased,” the Fed said in a statement released after its two-day meeting.

Trump suggests to Zelenskyy that US should take ownership of Ukrainian power plants for security

Trump made the suggestion during Wednesday’s call with Zelenskyy.

Trump told Zelenskyy the U.S could be “very helpful in running those plants with its electricity and utility expertise,” according to a White House statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz.

Trump added that “American ownership of those plants could be the best protection for that infrastructure.”

Trump administration suspends $175M in federal funding for Penn over transgender swimmer

The administration suspended the money for the University of Pennsylvania over the participation of a transgender athlete in its swimming program, the White House said Wednesday.

The Ivy League school has been facing an Education Department investigation focusing on in its swimming program. That inquiry was announced last month immediately after Trump signed an executive order intended to ban transgender athletes from competing in girls and women’s sports.

But the federal money was suspended in a separate review of discretionary federal money going to universities, the White House said. The money that was paused came from the Defense Department and the Department of Health and Human Services.

A Penn spokesperson said the school hadn’t received any notification or details of the action.

Trump warns Yemen’s Houthis ‘will be completely annihilated’

The president on Wednesday stepped up his rhetoric regarding Yemen’s Houthi rebels as the U.S. military launched more airstrikes against the group, warning they “will be completely be annihilated.”

Trump made the comment on his website Truth Social. He claimed, without offering evidence, Iranian military support to the rebels “has lessened” but said it needed to entirely stop.

“Let the Houthis fight it out themselves,” he wrote. “Tremendous damage has been inflicted upon the Houthi barbarians, and watch how it will get progressively worse — It’s not even a fair fight, and never will be. They will be completely annihilated!”

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 the Houthi threat.

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 “the very best of America.”

She said Trump “looks forward to welcoming Butch and Suni to the Oval Office when they are recovered.”

New York’s transit authority responds to the transportation secretary’s funding threat

The MTA’s policy chief says he’s happy to tell Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy how the transit system is working with police to reduce crime.

John McCarthy says “the good news is numbers are moving in the right direction: crime is down 40%” compared to right before the pandemic. And he said this year’s major crime numbers are better than any non-pandemic year ever.

Duffy gave the MTA until month’s end to explain exactly how it’s addressing assaults and other crimes, or possibly lose federal funding. The MTA’s $68 billion capital plan anticipates $14 billion in federal grants and funds.

EU wants to break its security dependency on the US and buy more European weapons

The European Union’s executive branch unveiled its “Readiness 2030” security strategy with the threat of Russian aggression at the forefront of concerns. NATO intelligence estimates suggest Russia could be capable of launching an attack in Europe again in three to five years.

Last month, the Trump administration signaled that U.S. security priorities lay elsewhere — on its own borders and in Asia — and that Europeans would have to fend for themselves and Ukraine in the future. That was as Europe’s 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 — 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.

Defense Department webpage on Jackie Robinson’s military service suddenly missing amid DEI purge

Wednesday’s development comes after pages honoring a Black Medal of Honor winner and Japanese American service members were taken down — the Pentagon said that was a mistake — amid the department’s campaign to strip out content singling out the contributions by women and minority groups, which the Trump administration considers “DEI.”

According to Internet Archive, the page on Robinson previously included biographical information about his Army service during World War II, which occurred prior to his famously breaking baseball’s color barrier in 1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers. When that page’s address was entered Wednesday, a message showed up saying it “might have been moved, renamed, or may be temporarily unavailable.” The letters “dei” 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.

DOGE official is taking a leadership role at USAID, an email obtained by the AP says

A senior official at Elon Musk’s 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’ll serve as the State Department’s head of foreign assistance.

Marocco wrote that Secretary of State Marco Rubio will “effective immediately” 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’s efforts at USAID and other federal agencies.

Trump’s deportation efforts find support among South Florida Latinos

In Hialeah, Florida, a city that’s 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.

Trump’s doubling of immigration arrests and ramping up of deportations could have a disproportionate effect on South Florida, home to some of the nation’s largest communities of Cubans, Venezuelans and other Latin Americans. But reaction here to Trump’s 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.

Pianist and conductor András Schiff cancels US appearances for 2025-26 season in response to Trump

It’s 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.

“Due 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,” he said in a statement. “Some people might say, ‘just shut up and play.’ I cannot, in good conscience, do that.”

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 “align both Russia and Ukraine in terms of their requests and needs” as he seeks to bring about a ceasefire between the two countries.

“We are very much on track,” 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’s Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek on Wednesday to express concern about the agency’s 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’s “my Social Security” online service, will be required to visit an agency field office in person to complete the verification process.

“Requiring 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,” the letter reads. “We strongly urge you to consider the individuals who may be harmed.”

Legal showdown as Justice Department resists judge’s demand for more details on deportation flights

In response to the federal judge’s demand for more information about flights that took deportees to to El Salvador, the Justice Department argued Wednesday that the court should end its “continued intrusions” into the authority of the executive branch.

It’s the latest development in a showdown between the Trump administration and the judge who temporarily blocked deportations under an 18th century wartime declaration. President Trump has called for the judge’s impeachment as the Republican escalates his conflict with a judiciary after a series of court setbacks over his executive actions.

U.S. District Judge Jeb Boasberg, 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’ takeoff and landing times, and the number of people deported under Trump’s proclamation.

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’s leaders face a grim decision: They can yield to the Trump administration’s demands over alleged antisemitism — ceding extraordinary control to the federal government — or they can fight back, potentially risking even more debilitating cuts in an escalating clash.

However it responds, Columbia carries tremendous weight. It’s the first school to face such aggressive intervention from the Trump administration, but dozens of others have been put on notice they’re next if they defy the president’s orders on issues around antisemitism, diversity programs or transgender women in girl’s sports.

“People in the academy around the country are looking to see what Columbia does here,” 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.

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 “technical teams would meet in Riyadh in the coming days to focus on implementing and expanding the partial ceasefire President Trump secured from Russia.”

It wasn’t 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’s war on Ukraine, but Putin did not agree to Trump’s 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’re seeking to prevent their removal and stop Elon Musk’s 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 weeks of sharp and scary swings for the U.S. stock market. Uncertainty is high about how much pain President Trump will allow the economy to endure in order to remake the system as he wants. He’s said he wants manufacturing jobs back in the United States and far fewer people working for the federal government.

Trump’s barrage of announcements on tariffs and other policies have created so much uncertainty that economists worry U.S. businesses and households may freeze and cut back on their spending.

Greenland’s election took place with no signs of foreign influence, Denmark’s intelligence services say

The pro-business Demokraatit party, which favors a slow path to independence from Denmark, won a surprise victory in the parliamentary election, outpacing the two left-leaning parties that formed the last government.

The Danish Defence Intelligence Service 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 Trump’s effort to take control of the island, saying Greenlanders must be allowed to decide their own future as it moves toward independence.

Democrats are searching for a way out of their party’s identity crisis

They’ve been sniping at each other in public since Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer helped pass a Republican spending bill 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 ideology, policy and messaging as they urgently try to address what went wrong in last year’s election.

“I think we’re in a place internally where we’re having these family discussions and figuring out what the path forward is,” said Rep. Maxwell Frost, a Florida Democrat and, at age 28, the youngest member of Congress.

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 Elon Musk’s 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’s been a clear uptick since Trump took office and empowered Musk to oversee a new Department of Government Efficiency that’s slashing government spending. Experts on domestic extremism say it’s 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 “domestic terror” and has threatened retribution, warning that those who target the company are “going to go through hell.”

Transportation secretary: NYC subway could lose federal funding unless it cleans up dirt and crime

“If you can’t keep your subway safe … we’re going to pull your money,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, adding that it’s not just New York City that’s at risk.

Subway systems in Chicago and Washington could lose the federal dollars they depend on to stay afloat if they also don’t clean up, he said.

Duffy, in the “Fox & Friends” interview, said, “just good government would dictate we have good, clean subways.”

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’ll talk with Trump later in the day

He said he expects to hear more about Trump’s 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 “very much at odds with reality” following an overnight barrage of drone strikes across Ukraine.

“Even last night, after Putin’s 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,” Zelenskyy said at a news conference in Helsinki with Finnish President Alexander Stubb.

Russia said it had halted its targeting of Ukraine’s energy facilities and accused Kyiv of attacking equipment near one of its pipelines.

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 “next couple days.”

Duffy said the system is safe “but we’re seeing the cracks of age.”

Interviewed Wednesday on Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” Duffy said speed is “the key” and that “Congress has to give us all the money upfront.”

He didn’t provide a cost estimate but said he’d discuss the issue soon with Trump, share details with Congress and “hope we get the money quick.”

Air travelers have been spooked by a deadly mid-air collision over the Potomac River in Washington, other plane crashes and near-misses on airport runways.

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 Trump’s deportations and is now facing calls for impeachment

A former homicide prosecutor in the nation’s 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 — 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.