President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke for about an hour Wednesday morning a day after Trump spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 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.
Meanwhile, a federal judge has blocked enforcement of Trump's executive order banning transgender people from military service, the latest in a string of legal setbacks for his sweeping agenda.
Here's the latest:
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.
▶ Read more about Trump’s support among South Florida Latinos
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.
▶ Read more about the legal showdown over Trump’s deportations
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.
▶ Read more about Trump’s pressure on Columbia University
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.
▶ Read more about the financial markets
Greenland’s election took place with no signs of foreign influence, Denmark’s intelligence services say
The March 11 race attracted international attention following controversial remarks made by Trump about the strategic importance to the U.S. of the Arctic island, which is a self-governing region of Denmark.
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.
▶ Read more about Greenland’s recent election
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.
▶ Read more about the Democratic party’s identity crisis
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.”
▶ Read more about attacks against Tesla
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.
▶ Read more about the war in Ukraine
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.
Trump’s schedule today
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
The federal judge who ruled against Trump’s deportation plans and is now facing calls for his impeachment is no stranger to politically fraught cases — including ones involving the president.
In his 14 years on the federal bench, James “Jeb” Boasberg has resolved secret grand jury disputes that arose during the special counsel investigations into Trump, oversaw improvements after the Trump-Russia investigation in how the Justice Department conducts national security surveillance and handled his share of sentencings for rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
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.
▶ Read more about Judge Boasberg
Federal judge blocks Trump administration from banning transgender people from military service
A federal judge blocked enforcement of Trump’s executive order banning transgender people from military service on Tuesday, the latest in a string of legal setbacks for his sweeping agenda.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes in Washington, D.C., ruled that Trump’s order to exclude transgender troops from military service likely violates their constitutional rights. She was the second judge of the day to rule against the administration, and both rulings came within hours of an extraordinary conflict as Trump called for impeaching a third judge who temporarily blocked deportation flights, drawing a rare rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts.
Reyes, who was nominated by President Joe Biden, delayed her order until Friday morning to give the administration time to appeal.
Trump’s deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, posted about the ruling on social media, writing, “District court judges have now decided they are in command of the Armed Forces…is there no end to this madness?”
▶ Read more about the ruling on transgender troops
The Associated Press
