Was classified information shared? Senators overseeing military request probe into Signal leak
WASHINGTON (AP) — The top Republican and Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee requested an investigation Thursday into how Trump national security officials used the Signal app to discuss military strikes and a federal judge said he would order the preservation of the messages, ensuring at least some scrutiny on an episode President Donald Trump has dismissed as frivolous.
Sen. Roger Wicker, the Republican chair of the committee, and Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat, signed onto a letter to the acting inspector general at the Department of Defense for an inquiry into the potential “use of unclassified networks to discuss sensitive and classified information, as well as the sharing of such information with those who do not have proper clearance and need to know.”
The senators' assertion that classified information was potentially shared was notable, especially as Trump's Republican administration has contended there was no classified information on the Signal chain that had included Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine.
Later Thursday, U.S. District Judge James Boasberg said during a hearing for a lawsuit brought by a nonprofit watchdog, American Oversight, that he’ll issue a temporary restraining order barring administration officials from destroying messages.
Across Washington, the Signal leak presented a major test early in Trump's second term on the federal government's system of checks and balances meant to protect national security. Yet even as mechanisms for oversight and investigation sputtered to life, it was a halting effort as most Republicans seemed content to allow the controversy to blow over. Meanwhile, Democrats slammed the Signal chat as a reckless violation of secrecy that could have put service members in harm's way.
___
Another federal judge blocks Trump policy banning transgender troops in the military
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A U.S. judge in Washington state has blocked enforcement of President Donald Trump’s order banning transgender people from serving in the military, the second nationwide injunction against the policy in as many weeks.
The order Thursday from U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle in Tacoma came in a case brought by several long-serving transgender military members who say the ban is insulting and discriminatory, and that their firing would cause lasting damage to their careers and reputations.
In his 65-page ruling, Settle — an appointee of former President George W. Bush and a former captain in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General Corps — said the administration offered no explanation as to why transgender troops, who have been able to serve openly over the past four years with no evidence of problems, should suddenly be banned.
“The government’s arguments are not persuasive, and it is not an especially close question on this record,” Settle wrote. “The government’s unrelenting reliance on deference to military judgment is unjustified in the absence of any evidence supporting ‘the military’s’ new judgment reflected in the Military Ban.”
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C., similarly issued an order blocking the policy last week but then put her own ruling temporarily on hold pending the government's appeal. The U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia late Thursday told the parties that it would consider putting the ruling into effect if “any action occurs that negatively impacts" transgender service members.
___
Global automakers say Trump's tariffs will be painful for them and US consumers
FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — Whatever the U.S. gains from President Donald Trump's 25% tax on imported cars – and experts are skeptical – automakers around the world are bracing for a lot of pain.
In Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Canada and across Europe, automakers employ millions of people whose livelihoods depend on buyers in the U.S. that currently spend more than $240 billion annually on imported cars and light trucks.
The Trump tariffs — aimed at boosting U.S. jobs and tax revenues — will also affect imported auto parts, which were valued last year at $197 billion.
“The impact will be really huge and very disruptive,” said Sigrid de Vries, director general of the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association. Vries and others critics say American car shoppers will also be worse off, as tariffs push prices higher.
Policymakers around the world said Thursday they were weighing their next moves — namely, whether to retaliate or not, and if so, how. But they also expressed hope that negotiations with Washington could avert an escalating trade war, and the economic damage and global supply chain disruptions that would come with it.
___
Trump withdraws Rep. Elise Stefanik's nomination for UN ambassador, citing tight GOP House margin
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he was pulling Rep. Elise Stefanik's nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, a stunning turnaround for his Cabinet pick after her confirmation had been stalled for months over concerns about Republicans' tight margins in the House.
Trump confirmed he was withdrawing the New York Republican's nomination in a Truth Social post, saying that it was “essential that we maintain EVERY Republican Seat in Congress.”
“We must be unified to accomplish our Mission, and Elise Stefanik has been a vital part of our efforts from the very beginning. I have asked Elise, as one of my biggest Allies, to remain in Congress,” the president said. He did not say whom he would nominate to replace her and fill his last remaining Cabinet seat.
The abrupt withdrawal reflects growing concern among House Republicans, led by Speaker Mike Johnson, that their historically slim majority could be at risk, particularly ahead of two special elections in Florida next week. The loss of a mere handful of seats could swing the House majority to Democrats and derail their efforts to enact Trump’s sweeping agenda in the months ahead.
Johnson praised Stefanik, the former No. 4 House leader, as “selfless” and “patriotic" after Trump announced the move.
___
Suspected US strikes pummel Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Suspected U.S. airstrikes pummeled sites across Yemen controlled by the Houthi rebels early Friday, including neighborhoods in the capital, Sanaa.
The extent of the damage and possible casualties wasn't immediately clear, though the number of strikes appeared particularly intense compared to other days in the campaign that began March 15.
An Associated Press review has found the new American operation under President Donald Trump appears more more extensive than those under former President Joe Biden, as the U.S. moves from solely targeting launch sites to firing at ranking personnel as well as dropping bombs in cities.
Initial reports from the Houthis described at least seven people being hurt in the attacks Friday in Sanaa, Yemen's capital that the rebels have held since 2014. Other strikes hit around the Red Sea port city of Hodeida, the rebel's stronghold of Saada and in Yemen's al-Jawf, Amran and Marib governorates.
The Houthis did not immediately acknowledge what at those sites had been targeted, other than Sanaa International Airport, which is used for both civilian and military traffic. Neighborhoods in the capital also are home to military and intelligence service sites — as well as crowded with civilians.
___
The Associated Press, banned from White House press pool, renews request to court for reinstatement
WASHINGTON (AP) — A lawyer for The Associated Press asked a federal judge Thursday to reinstate the agency’s access to the White House press pool and other official events, saying the Trump administration’s ban is a fundamental attack on freedom of speech and should be overturned. The government insisted there was no evidence that AP had been harmed irreparably.
“AP has now spent 44 days in the penalty box," said Charles Tobin, speaking on behalf of the news agency.
After a full day's hearing, U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden adjourned the case without a decision.
The AP and the new administration are at odds over the White House’s removal of AP reporters and photographers from the small group of journalists who follow the president in the pool and other events. Last month, AP sued White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt and two other administration officials, demanding reinstatement.
The White House retaliated against the news outlet last month for not following President Donald Trump’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico.
___
Turkish student at Tufts University is latest Palestinian supporter swept up in US crackdown
BOSTON (AP) — A Turkish student detained by federal officers as she walked along a street in a Boston suburb is the latest supporter of Palestinian causes to be swept up in the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigrants who express their political views.
Rumeysa Ozturk, 30, a doctoral student at Tufts University, was swiftly moved out of Massachusetts, another case of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement sending immigrants taken into custody to detention centers or deporting them altogether before a federal judge has a chance to weigh in and possibly halt the actions.
Ozturk, who was detained Tuesday shortly after she left her home in Somerville, had been moved to an ICE detention center in Louisiana by the time her lawyer went to court and a judge ordered her to be kept in Massachusetts, U.S. government lawyers said in a court document Thursday. They said they made her lawyers aware that she was being moved and facilitated contact with her Wednesday night.
A senior Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said federal authorities detained Ozturk after an investigation found she had “engaged in activities in support of Hamas, a foreign terrorist organization that relishes the killing of Americans.” The department did not provide evidence of that support.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Trump administration has revoked the visas of at least 300 people, including Ozturk: “We do it every day."
___
Alleged leader of MS-13 street gang on the East Coast is arrested in Virginia
MANASSAS, Va. (AP) — The alleged leader of the violent MS-13 street gang on the East Coast has been arrested in Virginia, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Thursday.
Bondi lauded the the early morning arrest of the 24-year-old man from El Salvador, who was described as one of MS-13's top three leaders in the United States, as a major victory in the Trump administration’s effort to crack down on a gang known for brutal violence and extortion.
Henrry Josue Villatoro Santos was taken into custody in northern Virginia on an outstanding administrative immigration warrant, according to court papers, and was charged with illegal gun possession after agents found several firearms during the search of his home. Bondi said he was living in the U.S. illegally.
There was no attorney listed for him in the court docket. Telephone numbers for relatives could not immediately be found in public records.
The administration promoted the arrest as part of its effort to fulfill campaign promises to quash illegal immigration and eliminate gangs. MS-13 gang, or Mara Salvatrucha, was one of eight Latin American criminal organizations declared foreign terrorist organizations by the Trump administration last month.
___
Alabama makes March Madness record 25 3s and romps past BYU 113-88 to reach Elite Eight
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Alabama broke the 35-year-old March Madness record for 3-pointers with 25 and Mark Sears scored 30 of his 34 points on 3s, a relentless long-range spree that ushered the second-seeded Crimson Tide past BYU 113-88 on Thursday night in an NCAA Tournament East Region semifinal.
Alabama reached the Elite Eight in consecutive years for the first time in program history.
The Crimson Tide made 25 of 51 3-point attempts to break the record of 21 set by Loyola Marymount in a second-round game against Michigan in 1990. Sears, a first-team All-America guard, hit the record-breaking 22nd 3 late in the game to make it 97-66 and received a standing ovation from the Alabama fans when he checked out with 10 3s and more than four minutes left to play.
Sears and the Crimson Tide (28-8) showed they are no March fluke under coach Nate Oats. Riding a wave of 3s, Alabama set itself up for a date against either Duke or Arizona for a shot at the Final Four.
Richie Saunders scored 25 points to lead sixth-seeded BYU (26-10), which hasn't played in a regional final since 1981.
___
King Charles III briefly hospitalized for observation following side effects from cancer treatment
LONDON (AP) — King Charles III was briefly hospitalized for observation on Thursday after experiencing “temporary side effects’’ related to a scheduled cancer treatment, Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
His engagements for Thursday afternoon and Friday were canceled.
“His majesty has now returned to Clarence House and as a precautionary measure, acting on medical advice, tomorrow’s diary program will also be rescheduled,’’ the palace said. “His majesty would like to send his apologies to all those who may be inconvenienced or disappointed as a result.’’
The king's health has been closely watched ever since early last year when he announced that he had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer. Charles, 76, stepped away from public duties for about three months but continued fulfilling state duties, such as reviewing government papers and meeting with the prime minister.
Charles' cancer diagnosis has heaped pressure on the British monarchy, which is still evolving after the 70-year reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
The Associated Press
