Prepared for the Office of Public Affairs (OPA)
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Editorial Note: The DHS Daily Briefing is a collection of news articles related to Department’s mission. The inclusion of particular stories is not intended to reflect their importance, nor is it intended to endorse the political viewpoints or affiliations included in news coverage.

The Wall Street Journal [3/4/2025 12:07 AM, Gavin Bade, Santiago Pérezy and Vipal Monga] reports President Trump’s 25% tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico took effect Tuesday, after the president declared there was “no room left” for negotiations with America’s neighbors. “Tomorrow, tariffs—25% on Canada, and 25% on Mexico—and that will start tomorrow,” Trump said Monday at the White House. “So they’re going to have a tariff, and what they have to do is build their car plants, frankly, and other things, in the United States, in which case you have no tariffs.” The 25% tariffs will apply to all imports from Mexico and Canada, with the exception of energy products like crude oil and natural gas, which will be tariffed at 10%. Canada said Monday night that it would impose retaliatory tariffs. U.S. stocks fell in afternoon trading after Trump said the tariffs would move forward. Trump previously delayed the tariffs for a month after those countries agreed to help address fentanyl-smuggling and migration, but his team has indicated he wasn’t yet satisfied with the progress of efforts to halt drug-smuggling, despite weeks of talks across the three governments. Trump imposed an additional 10% in tariffs on goods from China, on top of 10% duties he imposed in February, and other tariffs already in place on the world’s second-largest economy. China said it will take countermeasures to protect its interests, a Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said Tuesday morning Beijing time. Trump’s Monday announcement appeared to cap off a flurry of negotiations between the North American governments over how to avoid the tariffs. Canadian officials met in Washington last week with U.S. border czar Tom Homan and members of Congress to press their case that Canada was tightening border security in response to Trump’s concerns about fentanyl and migration. They left unsure what Trump wants, said Canada’s immigration minister, Marc Miller. “It’s a moving target, and that’s frustrating,” he said. The New York Times [3/4/2025 12:17 AM, Ana Swanson, Ian Austen and Simon Romero, 145325K] reports that the tariffs will make good on President Trump’s campaign promise to rework America’s trade relations, and they are likely to encourage some manufacturers who want to sell to American customers to set up factories in the United States, instead of other countries. But by altering the terms of trade between the United States and its largest economic partners, the tariffs will also probably rattle supply chains, strain some of the country’s most important diplomatic relationships and add significant costs for American consumers and manufacturers. Canada, Mexico and China are the three largest trading partners of the United States, accounting for more than 40 percent of both U.S. imports and exports last year. The three countries supply the bulk of crude oil, beer, copper wire, toilet paper, hot-rolled iron, cucumbers and chocolate imported by the United States, as well as a dizzying array of other products. The tariffs came as somewhat of a surprise, given that Mexico and Canada have gone to great lengths in recent weeks to convince the president that they were stepping up enforcement of their borders. The president initially threatened in November to impose the tariffs, saying that the three countries were not doing enough to halt the flow of drugs and migrants into the United States. The AP [3/4/2025 3:16 AM, Josh Boak, Paul Wiseman and Rob Gillies, 1682K] reports that the Canada and Mexico tariffs were supposed to begin in February, but Trump agreed to a 30-day suspension to negotiate further with the two largest U.S. trading partners. The stated reason for the tariffs is to address drug trafficking and illegal immigration, and both countries say they’ve made progress on those issues. But Trump has also said the tariffs will only come down if the U.S. trade imbalance closes, a process unlikely to be settled on a political timeline. The New York Times [3/4/2025 3:41 AM, Ana Swanson, Simon Romero and Ian Austen, 330K] reports that leaders from Canada and Mexico have been scrambling to convince Mr. Trump to change his mind by devoting more resources to policing the border. Canada, Mexico and China account for more than 40 percent of U.S. imports, and economists have said that stiff tariffs could send the Canadian and Mexican economies into a recession. Mr. Trump’s announcement sent stock markets tumbling, with the S&P 500 falling 1.8 percent, its worst one-day drop so far this year. “So much for tariffs being just bluster and a bargaining tool,” said Eswar Prasad, a professor of trade policy at Cornell University. “U.S. trading partners are clearly going to face monumental challenges in appeasing Trump and getting him to back off from using tariffs as a broad tool to influence their policies.” Reuters [3/3/2025 10:07 AM, David Lawder, Andrea Shalal, and Steve Holland 41523K] reports that the tariffs are scheduled to take effect at 12:01 a.m. EST (0501 GMT) on Tuesday, the Trump administration confirmed in Federal Register notices. At that point, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency will begin collecting 25% on Canadian and Mexican goods, with a 10% duty for Canadian energy.

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Washington Post [3/3/2025 6:30 PM, David J. Lynch, Amanda Coletta, and Mary Beth Sheridan, 31735K]
AP [3/3/2025 5:54 PM, Zeke Miller, Josh Boak and Rob Gillies, 10355K]
CBS Austin [3/3/2025 10:29 AM, Alexx Altman-Devilbiss, 602K]
CNN [3/4/2025 3:03 AM, Elisabeth Buchwald, 908K]
FOX News [3/4/2025 12:01 AM, Eric Revell, 10702K]
Newsweek [3/3/2025 4:52 PM, Sonam Sheth, 52220K]

FOX News [3/4/2025 12:32 AM, Landon Mion, 52868K] reports Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced 25% tariffs on American goods in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs that are going into effect on Canadian imports at midnight on Tuesday. The retaliatory tariffs Canada is imposing on $155 billion of U.S. goods take effect Tuesday at 12:01 a.m. Trump signed an executive order authorizing an additional 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on Chinese imports. Energy imported from Canada, including oil, natural gas and electricity, would be taxed at an additional 10%. China has since imposed tariffs on U.S. goods and Mexico has vowed retaliatory tariffs. The Trump administration agreed last month to a 30-day delay in imposing the 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods. Officials from both countries have carried out negotiations with the Trump administration in recent weeks, but there has been no agreement to reduce the tariffs. Trudeau said Monday "there is no justification for these actions," pointing to the White House’s argument that the flow of drugs, including fentanyl, into the U.S. warranted the tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China, though the amount of fentanyl coming across the northern border is very low. The AP [3/3/2025 9:35 PM, Staff, 48304K] reports the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on unjustified U.S. tariffs against Canada: "While less than 1 per cent of the fentanyl intercepted at the U.S. border comes from Canada, we have worked relentlessly to address this scourge that affects Canadians and Americans alike. We implemented a $1.3 billion border plan with new choppers, boots on the ground, more co-ordination, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl. We appointed a Fentanyl Czar, listed transnational criminal cartels as terrorist organizations, launched the Joint Operational Intelligence Cell, and are establishing a Canada-U.S. Joint Strike Force on organized crime. Because of this work – in partnership with the United States – fentanyl seizures from Canada have dropped 97 per cent between December 2024 and January 2025 to a near-zero low of 0.03 pounds seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.” "Canada will not let this unjustified decision go unanswered. Should American tariffs come into effect tonight, Canada will, effective 12:01 a.m. EST tomorrow, respond with 25 per cent tariffs against $155 billion of American goods – starting with tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods immediately, and tariffs on the remaining $125 billion on American products in 21 days’ time. Our tariffs will remain in place until the U.S. trade action is withdrawn, and should U.S. tariffs not cease, we are in active and ongoing discussions with provinces and territories to pursue several non-tariff measures. While we urge the U.S. administration to reconsider their tariffs, Canada remains firm in standing up for our economy, our jobs, our workers, and for a fair deal.” "Because of the tariffs imposed by the U.S., Americans will pay more for groceries, gas, and cars, and potentially lose thousands of jobs. Tariffs will disrupt an incredibly successful trading relationship. They will violate the very trade agreement that was negotiated by President Trump in his last term.”

FOX News [3/3/2025 6:09 PM, Andrea Margolis, 46189K] reports the White House announced Monday that China will face increased tariffs, citing the ongoing fentanyl crisis in the U.S. as the main reason for the decision. In a post on X, the Rapid Response 47 account shared the text of an executive order (EO) signed by President Donald Trump on Monday. The Chinese government will now face 20% tariffs "over their failure to address the fentanyl pouring into our country," the EO stated. The tariffs against China, which were originally only 10%, will go into effect on Tuesday. In Monday’s order, Trump said that the Chinese government has failed "to blunt the sustained influx of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, flowing from [their country]," and that such failure constitutes an "unusual and extraordinary threat.". Trump also said that the crisis jeopardizes the "national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States.". "I have determined that the [People’s Republic of China] has not taken adequate steps to alleviate the illicit drug crisis through cooperative enforcement actions, and that the crisis described in Executive Order 14195 has not abated," the order read. "In recognition of the fact that the PRC has not taken adequate steps to alleviate the illicit drug crisis, section 2(a) of Executive Order 14195 is hereby amended by striking the words ‘10 percent’ and inserting in lieu thereof the words ‘20 percent’.". The Trump administration is already imposing 25% tariffs on Canadian and Mexican goods, which were announced last month and will also go into effect on Tuesday. Reuters [3/4/2025 3:13 AM, Muralikumar Anantharaman, 41523K] reports China will play along to the end if the United States was bent on waging a trade or tariff war, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Tuesday. China on Tuesday swiftly retaliated against fresh U.S. tariffs, announcing 10%-15% hikes to import levies covering a range of American agricultural and food products. It also placed 25 U.S. firms under export and investment restrictions on national security grounds. China’s countermeasures are to protect its own rights and interests, ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular press conference on Tuesday, urging the U.S. to return to dialogue and cooperation as soon as possible.

New York Times [3/4/2025 3:43 AM, Keith Bradsher, 145325K] reports that, minutes after President Trump’s latest tariffs took effect, the Chinese government said on Tuesday that it was imposing its own broad tariffs on food imported from the United States and would essentially halt sales to 15 American companies. China’s Ministry of Finance put tariffs of 15 percent on imports of American chicken, wheat, corn and cotton and 10 percent tariffs on other foods, ranging from soybeans to dairy products. In addition, the Ministry of Commerce said 15 U.S. companies would no longer be allowed to buy products from China except with special permission, including Skydio, which is the largest American maker of drones and a supplier to the U.S. military and emergency services. Lou Qinjian, a spokesman for China’s National People’s Congress, chastised the United States for violating the World Trade Organization’s free trade rules. “By imposing unilateral tariffs, the U.S. has violated W.T.O. rules and disrupted the security and stability of the global industrial and supply chains,” he said. President Trump has contended his tariffs are essential to stopping the flow into the United States of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths through overdoses. But the U.S. imposition of tariffs, “will deal a heavy blow to counternarcotics dialogue and cooperation,” said Lin Jian, a spokesman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said at a news briefing. Mr. Trump has now tagged almost all goods from China with an extra 20 percent in tariffs since taking office in January. He announced 10 percent tariffs on Feb. 4 and another round on Tuesday. Mr. Trump also moved ahead on 25 percent tariffs on Mexico and Canada on Tuesday, after a monthlong delay. China had responded to the February tariffs by immediately announcing that it would start collecting, six days later, additional tariffs on liquefied natural gas, coal and farm machinery from the United States. But those tariffs combined hit only about a tenth of American exports to China, making them much narrower than Mr. Trump’s comprehensive tariffs. China’s action on Tuesday was much broader. China is the top overseas market for American farmers, wielding considerable influence over prices and demand in the commodities markets of the Midwest.

Reported similarly:
Wall Street Journal [3/4/2025 3:19 AM, Hannah Miao and Liza Lin]

AP [3/3/2025 7:43 PM, Berny Araya and Javier Córdoba, 52868K] reports Costa Rica and Panama are coordinating to expedite southbound migrant transit through their countries along the same route that carried hundreds of thousands north in recent years, officials said Monday. Both countries have struggled to find their footing in recent weeks in the new reality of migrants heading south, turned back by the closure of the United States border to asylum seekers since U.S. President Donald Trump took office in January. The security ministers from both countries met Monday in Peñas Blancas, a border post between Nicaragua and Costa Rica where southbound migrants will board buses to a Costa Rican government facility at the Panama border. From there Panama will bus them to its Darien province, which borders Colombia. Costa Rican Security Minister Mario Zamora said that the effort will focus on Colombians, Venezuelans and Ecuadorians who are trying to reach their countries. He said that by organizing the transportation they hope to protect migrants from human traffickers. His Panamanian counterpart, Frank Ábrego, said the idea is to offer a more regulated transit across Costa Rica and Panama.

FOX News [3/3/2025 3:59 PM, Michael Lee Fox, 46189K] reports the Trump administration has made deals across Latin America to assist in the U.S. effort to deport migrants who have entered the country illegally, with migrants being shipped to and held in several Central American countries. The comments come as multiple reports over the last week have detailed President Donald Trump’s push for deportations, with the Associated Press reporting that the administration has struck deals with Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama, and Venezuela that have allowed the U.S. to move migrants away from its southern border. The move has caused Central America to become a "dumping ground" for migrants, according to a report in the Guardian, which pointed to countries such as Panama and Costa Rica which have taken in migrants from the Middle East and Asia.

Newsweek [3/3/2025 3:25 PM, Sean O’Driscoll, 3973K] reports that the Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in a case in which Mexico is suing U.S. gun companies to cover the cost of dealing with Mexican gang and cartel violence. The case could have a far-reaching effect on the American gun industry. The case will test legislation that shields gun companies from lawsuits, which experts say could lead to many more lawsuits if successful. Mexico is also seeking for the U.S. to implement much more stringent gun laws. According to a Supreme Court filing by the gun makers, they say the Mexican government is seeking "billions of dollars in damages, plus far-reaching injunctive relief that would reshape the landscape of American firearms regulation—from a ban on what it calls "assault weapons" to a court- enforced system of universal background checks." Newsweek sought email comment on Monday from attorneys representing the Mexican government and the Smith & Wesson gun company. The Mexican government is suing Smith & Wesson; Barrett; Beretta; Glock and leading U.S. firearms companies, seeking to hold them liable for harms inflicted by Mexican drug cartels.

FOX News [3/3/2025 12:40 PM, Cameron Arcand, 46189K] reports that an Arizona proposal seeks to investigate the healthcare costs of illegal immigrants as the impact on taxpayers and hospitals recently rocked California. State Senate Bill 1268 would make it state law to ask somebody for their immigration or citizenship status on hospital forms, including if they are in the country illegally. In addition, it would have hospitals and the state government keep track of costs that may have to be covered by taxpayers because of somebody’s immigration status. "This is a bill that I have run to promote accountability. It in no way compromises a person’s ability to be served and treated at a hospital," Republican state Sen. Wendy Rogers, the bill’s sponsor, said last week during a floor speech. "The information does not get passed to other agencies, and if they show up in need of care irrespective, they will be treated. This bill is to enable Americans to know where their tax dollars are going," she continued. However, critics of the bill believe it will act as a deterrent for some seeking medical care and could have broader negative impacts. "Under the leadership of [President Donald Trump] & [Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem], Feb 2025 saw just 8,326 encounters at the Southwest border—the lowest documented by U.S. Border Patrol," CBP posted Saturday. "The mission is clear: secure the border, enforce the law, and protect American sovereignty."

Roll Call [3/3/2025 5:07 PM, Chris Johnson, 503K] reports Congress for years backed additional immigration judges to address a yearslong backlog of deportation and asylum cases, but the sharply different views of two of the newest members of the Senate Homeland Security panel show a consensus on that approach has fractured. Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., said in an interview about joining the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee there are more than 3 million pending cases and only about 680 immigration judges who "would not be able to get through that backlog in a decade." Kim said he brought up the strategy of adding more immigration judges with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem prior to her confirmation to "try to get a sense of whether or not we can keep that on the table as something that we can engage on." But Sen. Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, said in a separate interview that he will push for legislation he introduced to limit asylum claims and "save a fortune not having to go out hiring hundreds of judges."

The Hill [3/3/2025 12:06 PM, Rebecca Beitsch, 12829K] reports that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) quietly updated a privacy impact assessment on its efforts to email all federal workers, stripping language indicating that responses from the staffers were "explicitly voluntary." The Friday update came ahead of a second email spearheaded by Elon Musk demanding federal workers provide a list of five bullet points recapping what they accomplished the week prior. OPM prepared a privacy impact assessment after it was sued for its creation of a database of federal employees using the hr@opm.gov email. Now gone is language indicating employees have no obligation to respond, while leaving unclear whether failure to do so will be taken as a "resignation" like Musk previously said. "Individual federal government employees can decline to provide information by not responding to the email. The consequences for failure to provide the requested information will vary depending on the particular email at issue," the document states. The document still concludes that "there is a risk that individuals will not know their information is being collected, maintained, and distributed through the [government-wide email system].". While some agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security kicked off an internal process for listing their accomplishments, others still directed employees to send their responses to the OPM email. Other agencies, like the State Department, are still advising employees not to respond.

CBS Austin [3/3/2025 12:45 PM, Austin Denean, 602K] reports that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has directed the Pentagon’s civilian employees to cooperate with a second email from the Elon Musk-led Department of Government Efficiency asking them to list five things they’ve accomplished in the last week, reversing guidance from the initial email. The directive to comply with providing a list of achievements is a turnaround from the first batch sent out last month from the Office of Personnel Management, essentially the government’s human resources department, that was met with resistance from multiple agency heads over concerns about sensitive information being distributed over email. A second round of emails started hitting employees’ inboxes going into the weekend, asking them what they accomplished last week and that they would be expected to submit a response each week by the following Monday at 11:59 p.m. Eastern. Hegseth signed a memorandum on Friday directing all civilian employees to comply with the email that would hit their inboxes on Monday. In a video statement that was sent to the department’s civilian workforce, he said their work was important to its mission and that replying to the email will support that.

CBS News [3/3/2025 2:11 PM, Caitlin Yilek, 51661K] reports that two top Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee have launched an investigation into the Justice Department for seeking to dismiss charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams. In a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi on Sunday, Reps. Jamie Raskin of Maryland and Jasmine Crockett of Texas accused the Justice Department of attempting to cover up an alleged quid pro quo to drop the corruption charges against Adams if he assisted the Trump administration in carrying out its immigration policies. "Last month, troubling reports emerged about the Trump Administration’s demand that federal prosecutors move to dismiss the serious public corruption charges against New York City Mayor Eric Adams as part of a blatant and illegal quid pro quo to secure the Mayor’s loyal assistance in executing the Trump Administration’s mass arrest and deportation policies," the letter said. "Not only did the Department of Justice (DOJ) attempt to pressure career prosecutors into carrying out this illegal quid pro quo, it appears that Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove was personally engaged in a cover-up by destroying evidence and retaliating against career prosecutors who refused to follow his illegal and unethical orders," it continued. "We write to demand that you immediately put an end to the cover-up and retaliation and provide documents and information about these disturbing accounts to Congress." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Newsweek [3/3/2025 6:23 PM, Aila Slisco, 52220K] reports North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) was forced to scramble fighter jets three times over President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in South Florida on Saturday after airplanes violated restricted airspace. Newsweek reached out to the White House via email for comment on Monday. NORAD is a joint United States-Canada air defense force with duties that include enforcing Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) airspace restrictions. Temporary airspace restrictions are put into place over Mar-a-Lago when Trump is present. A number of high-profile plane crashes and incidents shortly after Trump began his second term on January 20 prompted critics to accuse his administration, including Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, of dismantling safety infrastructure at the FAA. NORAD said in a news release shared with Newsweek that F-16 fighter jets intercepted three general aviation aircraft—typically smaller planes operated by private pilots—over Palm Beach, Florida, on Saturday. All three violations of the restricted airspace occurred within two hours, with the first incident occurring at 11:05 a.m. ET and the last incident at 12:50 p.m. Flares were fired during two of the intercepts to warn the pilots. There was no indication that any airspace violations were intentional or that Trump or his residence were in danger at any point. "During two of the intercepts, NORAD aircraft dispensed flares, which may have been visible to the public," the NORAD release states. "The flares were used to draw attention from or communicate with the pilot.".

New York Times [3/3/2025 5:16 PM, Remy Tumin, 145325K] reports that extreme winds and possible storms expected on Tuesday have forced the cancellation of Mardi Gras parades in Jefferson Parish, La., as officials in neighboring New Orleans moved up parade starting times because of the forecast. The National Weather Service is warning that strong winds, with gusts reaching up to 60 miles per hour, will begin early in the morning, creating potentially hazardous conditions for parade floats and spectators. “I’m going to cut to the chase with very disappointing news,” the Jefferson Parish president, Cynthia Lee Sheng, said at a news conference on Monday. “Tomorrow’s weather, especially the gusty winds, is severe enough that we have no other choice other than to cancel our scheduled parades for tomorrow.” There are two parades in Jefferson Parish on Mardi Gras. The Krewe of Argus was scheduled to roll with 20 floats through Metairie, La., followed by the Krewe of Elks Jeffersonians with 43 floats. Collin Arnold, the director of New Orleans Homeland Security, told New Orleans’s Fox affiliate that strong winds could create a public safety hazard for the floats, riders and spectators in the early part of the day, with the potential for tornadoes and thunderstorms later in the afternoon. The New Orleans Police Department said on social media that it was adjusting the starting times of its Zulu and Rex parades, with Zulu set to begin earlier at 7 a.m., and Rex starting around 9 a.m. Both would be slightly pared down, with “no additional elements,” officials said.

Axios [3/3/2025 7:20 AM, Monica Eng, 13163K] reports dropping sanctuary rules in Chicago would trigger big changes, according to both supporters and opponents. The city and state are facing intense scrutiny from the Trump administration and a federal lawsuit for our local policies. The issue will be thrust into a national spotlight Wednesday when Mayor Brandon Johnson defends the policies before the U.S. House oversight committee, along with mayors from Denver, Boston and New York. Prohibit local law enforcement from participating in federal immigration law, except when federal agents present a criminal warrant issued by a judge. Bar police from arresting or holding anybody based on immigration status, an ICE warrant or a hold request. Ensure that everyone, regardless of immigration status, can access city services including education, medical care and police protections. These laws don’t prohibit local law enforcement from arresting anyone suspected of violating state or local laws. Sanctuary city supporters say removing protections would hurt the city, not just the individuals involved, because it would discourage local undocumented people from reporting crime and cooperating with police; going to school, work and doctors appointments; supporting businesses; and getting things like car insurance. It’s difficult to gauge how much school attendance has already been affected by recent threats. A Chicago Public Schools official told Axios by phone the district doesn’t have weekly and daily attendance information and the CPS FOIA officer also denied Axios’ open records request for the data. We’d likely see "emboldened ICE operations and explicit profiling, as well as increasing mistrust between immigrant communities and local police," Fred Tsao of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights tells Axios. "It would feed into an atmosphere of fear rather than being welcoming. That said, local police could still choose not to prioritize ICE cooperation, but if the feds require police to cooperate, local police won’t have a choice."

Houston Chronicle [3/3/2025 3:11 PM, Benjamin Wermund, 1769K] reports a Catholic nonprofit coordinating federal refugee resettlement programs across Texas says the Trump administration is withholding some $36 million owed to it, even after a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump’s freeze on federal grants. The funding freeze has spurred nonprofits across the state to layoff nearly 750 employees as of the end of February — a 64% decline in staffing that the lawsuit says is growing daily. Tens of thousands of refugees in Texas from countries like Afghanistan, Cuba and Ukraine have not received federal assistance in weeks, leading to evictions in some cases, according to a lawsuit Catholic Charities of Fort Worth filed Monday. Catholic Charities has tried 14 times to get the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to release the grants, according to the statement, which said the agency has "unlawfully continued withholding the financial support allocated under existing grant agreements." The group says it has racked up $36 million in pending, unpaid reimbursements for services already rendered to eligible refugees across Texas, and it says it is accruing millions more each week.

Reported similarly:
CBS News [3/3/2025 5:13 PM, Steven Rosenbaum, 51661K]

Yahoo! News [3/3/2025 9:00 AM, Adam Mahoney, 52868K] reports that for two months, hundreds of workers have cleared smoldering, toxic ashes in Altadena, California, removing what remains of a historic Black neighborhood. All the while, many don’t know how much longer they’ll be in the country. Since Hurricane Katrina, undocumented immigrants have been the backbone of America’s disaster recovery system, trailing nature’s fury from hurricanes to wildfires. Yet, despite their crucial role, they often face exploitation, unsafe conditions, deportation, and even death. The growing need for disaster recovery underscores how migrant and Black communities are interconnected. Black neighborhoods have been destroyed and disproportionately hit by these disasters. Yet they also struggle to access the funds and jobs related to recovery. With Black workers making up just 6% of the construction industry, these long-standing barriers worsen after disasters. Now, as California and other states rebuild from the recent record number of disasters, the Trump administration is threatening mass immigration raids. Experts warn that cracking down on immigrant labor could stall reconstruction and leave Black communities like Altadena even more vulnerable to extreme weather, especially without a plan to grow the American workforce. To address these gaps, experts and community leaders are advocating for protecting immigrant workers and improving access for Black workers.

San Diego Union-Tribune [3/3/2025 8:58 PM, David Garrick, 3973K] reports San Diego has joined San Francisco and several other cities in fighting Trump administration efforts to withhold federal grant money from local governments that don’t cooperate with federal immigration enforcement. The move comes shortly after the City Council bolstered San Diego’s power to legally fight Trump by streamlining the process City Attorney Heather Ferbert must follow to join litigation filed by other cities and states. The lawsuit San Diego is joining was initially filed Feb. 7 by San Francisco and Santa Clara County. It seeks to block Trump from withholding federal funds from so-called sanctuary cities. The addition of San Diego and several other cities brings the list of plaintiffs to 16 in the suit, which contends that Trump’s efforts are unconstitutional because he can’t withhold federal grants without congressional authority. Ferbert said in a news release that she’s trying to preserve millions in grants San Diego gets from the U.S. Justice Department for law enforcement efforts like crime control, forensic evidence processing and special task forces. Because San Diego faces a large budget deficit, losing that grant money “would cause significant harm to San Diego residents,” Ferbert said. “This is about protecting and preserving the vital services that San Diegans rely on every day.” Ferbert said. “By joining this lawsuit alongside 15 other local jurisdictions, we’re making it clear to the Administration that we won’t back down in the face of their threats and we will defend our residents while upholding the state and federal laws that protect them.” Ferbert said that San Diego, like several of the other plaintiffs, is a “welcoming city,” rather than use the term “sanctuary city.” She stressed that San Diego places no restrictions on its police force on immigration enforcement beyond those imposed by state law, but she also referred to “non-cooperation policies.” Ferbert said such policies allow local resources to be focused on local priorities, such as providing services to vulnerable populations and carrying out traditional law enforcement activity to protect local public safety. Those policies also prohibit the federal government’s commandeering of local government resources to carry out civil immigration enforcement, which is a federal responsibility, she added.

San Diego Union Tribune [3/3/2025 8:01 PM, Alex Riggins, 1682K] reports a San Diego drug trafficker who described himself as the "king of coke" and who prosecutors said recruited Mexican cartel hitmen to act as enforcers in San Diego was sentenced Monday to 17 years and six months in federal prison. Rodolfo "Rudy" Benjamin Silva, 44, previously pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, admitting that he trafficked in cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl, according to his plea agreement. Silva admitted as part of his plea that "he made a credible threat to use violence or directed the use of violence against at least one other" person. "Silva assisted in bringing assassins known as ‘sicarios’ from Mexico into the San Diego area for cartel enforcement operations," the San Diego-area U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement, citing arguments made Monday in court by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Goff. "On one occasion, Silva hired a sicario from Mexico to come to San Diego where that individual attempted to fatally shoot one of Silva’s rivals.". Few details about that shooting were included in publicly available court documents. But early last year, a federal magistrate judge denied Silva’s request for pre-sentencing release, citing the shooting as one reason. Judge Barbara Major wrote that, according to what prosecutors had argued, Silva "directed the shooting of another individual in the San Diego area who was associated with a stolen load of drugs and utilized a hitman from Mexico to make that attempt.". Major wrote that prosecutors had also argued that Silva "otherwise assisted in facilitating similar enforcement operations in the United States and Mexico for cartels." And she wrote that prosecutors had presented evidence of Silva selling firearms to individuals in Mexico.

Bloomberg [3/3/2025 7:01AM, Staff, 1492K] reports Canada is bracing to see whether U.S. President Donald Trump follows through on his threats of economy-wide tariffs — or whether another last-minute pause materializes, averting a North American trade war. Trump’s executive order to implement 25 per cent tariffs on all Canadian products, with a lower 10 per cent levy on energy, was delayed until Tuesday after Canada agreed to introduce new security measures at the border. Despite boosted border efforts and a weeks-long diplomatic push by Canadian officials in Washington, Trump said last Thursday the steep duties would move forward. It remains unclear what Canada could do to persuade the U.S. president to drop the tariff threats for good. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said if the levies go into force, Ottawa will revive its previously announced plan for retaliatory tariffs. Those were to begin with an initial 25 per cent levy on $30 billion in U.S. products, with duties on another $125 billion worth of goods three weeks later. In an interview broadcast Sunday on Fox News, U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said tariffs would be levied Tuesday against Canada and Mexico, but the levels remained to be seen. “Exactly what they are, we’re going to leave that for the president and his team to negotiate,” Lutnick said. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Border Report [3/3/2025 5:54 PM, Sandra Sanchez, 117K] reports a South Texas sheriff is warning visitors who cross the border into the Mexican state of Tamaulipas about potential violence after two high-ranking cartel members from Los Zetas were recently extradited to the United States. He "advises travelers to be mindful of safety issues and strongly suggests that local residents take heightened precautions," according to the statement obtained Monday by Border Report. Cuellar issued the statement after the extradition last week of brothers Miguel Angel Treviño-Morales, aka "Z-40," and Oscar Omar Treviño-Morales, aka "Z-42."

CNN [3/4/2025 4:00 AM, John Fritze, 22131K] reports that, as President Donald Trump pressures Mexico to address the flow of migrants and drugs heading north into the United States, the Supreme Court is set to hear arguments Tuesday in a major appeal about one thing that’s crossing the border toward Mexico: guns. Mexico sued Smith & Wesson and six other major US gun makers in 2021 for $10 billion in damages, alleging that the companies design and market their guns specifically to drug cartels that then use them in the "killing and maiming of children, judges, journalists, police, and ordinary citizens throughout Mexico.” The Supreme Court agreed to review the case last October, a month before Trump was elected to a second term. Since then, US-Mexican relations have been upended as Trump threatens tariffs – including a new round set to take effect on Tuesday – to pressure the Mexican government. The case does not center on the Second Amendment, but gun-control and gun rights groups are nevertheless closely engaged in the fight. "The gun industry defendants are trying to use this case to rewrite the law and dramatically expand their immunity to include actions that break the law," David Pucino, legal director with the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence told CNN. "The Supreme Court should reject that dangerous invitation to shut the courthouse door on victims of gun violence.” The Mexican government argues that between 70% and 90% of guns recovered at crime scenes in its country are made in the United States. There is only one gun store in all of Mexico, its lawyers said, and "yet the nation is awash in guns.” Gun rights groups, including the National Rifle Association, say that the lawsuit is an effort to "destroy" the American firearms industry by making it easier to sue for huge sums, despite a 2005 law meant to protect gun makers from an increasing number of lawsuits filed by Democratic governors and mayors nationwide. The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act generally shields gunmakers from liability for crimes committed with their products. An exception permits those suits when there’s a close connection between the harm – in this case, the use of guns in Mexico – and the companies’ actions. "Mexico has extinguished its constitutional arms right," the NRA told the Supreme Court in a brief. "Now (it) seeks to extinguish America’s.” A win for Mexico would allow its case to move forward in federal court.

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CBS News [3/3/2025 4:06 PM, Melissa Quinn, 51661K]

New York Times [3/4/2025 5:04 AM, Abbie VanSickle, 145325K] reports the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on Tuesday morning to determine whether the Mexican government can proceed with a $10 billion lawsuit against U.S. gun makers. Mexico sued U.S. gun makers and one distributor in 2021, arguing that the companies fueled violence across the border by sending an “iron river” of military-style weapons to cartels. The unusual lawsuit comes before the justices at a time of heightened tension between the two countries, with tariffs imposed by the Trump administration set to take effect early Tuesday. A majority of the justices may view the case skeptically — the 6-to-3 conservative supermajority has worked to expand gun rights in recent years. But the case has allowed the Mexican government an avenue to make its argument that U.S. companies share in the blame for violence by drug cartels. Access to guns is tightly controlled in Mexico, and it is nearly impossible for civilians to legally obtain the kinds of military-style weapons favored by the cartels. In their legal filings, lawyers for Mexico cited statistics showing that a majority of guns from Mexican crime scenes — between 70 and 90 percent — come from the United States. They also contend that gun dealers in the states that border Mexico sell twice as many weapons as dealers in other parts of the United States. The argument before the court is focused on a threshold issue: whether a 2005 federal law prevents such a suit by Mexico against the gun makers. The law, the Protection of Lawful Arms in Commerce Act, was passed after a growing number of lawsuits aimed to hold the gun industry liable in mass shootings in the United States. It prohibits many types of lawsuits against gun manufacturers and sellers — but it allows claims to proceed if plaintiffs can show that their injuries were directly caused by knowing violations of firearms laws. A federal trial judge in Boston had dismissed Mexico’s lawsuit, finding that it was barred by the 2005 legislation. The judge, F. Dennis Saylor IV, wrote that the law “bars exactly this type of action from being brought in federal and state courts.” A unanimous three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit disagreed. The appeals court determined that Mexico’s case should be allowed to proceed because its argument that the companies had aided and abetted illegal gun sales in Mexico fit the law’s carve-out for suits.

Newsweek [3/3/2025 2:32 PM, Gabe Whisnant and Jesus Mesa, 52220K] reports that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Monday that her administration is closely monitoring whether U.S. President Donald Trump follows through on his threat to impose 25 percent tariffs on Mexican imports. "We have a plan B, C, D," Sheinbaum said during a news conference on Monday, without providing details of the plans. Trump is set to impose a 25 percent tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico on Tuesday and double his levies on Chinese products to 20 percent. The tariffs, announced in a White House fact sheet, are part of Trump’s broader strategy to curb the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigration into the United States. "The extraordinary threat posed by illegal aliens and drugs, including deadly fentanyl, constitutes a national emergency," the statement said, justifying the economic measures under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act. Trump initially threatened the tariffs in February but suspended them at the last minute after Mexico deployed 10,000 National Guard troops to curb drug trafficking and illegal immigration at the border. Trump delayed the measures for a month, but the latest developments suggest that Mexico’s efforts were not enough to satisfy him. Mexican officials are considering alternative economic strategies, with Sheinbaum stating on Monday that the country has "Plan B, C, and D" ready if diplomacy fails.

Yahoo! News [3/3/2025 1:07 PM, Tatyana Tandanpolie, 52868K] reports that Ali Herischi, a Washington, D.C.-based human rights lawyer, has very limited contact with his dozen or so clients trapped in legal limbo in Panama. He, like the other lawyers attempting to represent the more than 100 migrants deported to the Central American country from the United States earlier this month, has largely been kept from communicating with them directly. To contact them, Herischi said he’s occasionally able to reach them through the single, hidden cell phone they share but has mostly had to go through their families in Iran instead. Their situation is untenable. They felt unsafe staying in the San Vincente migrant reception center on the outskirts of the dense Darién Gap jungle they were hauled to, so they protested and were permitted to stay on benches outside the camp, Herischi told Salon in a phone interview. That’s where they’ve remained since Feb. 20, receiving little water and stale food as they swelter in the Panamanian heat. To make matters worse, he said, their fates are uncertain — they received no formal documentation of their removal or prevention of entry from the U.S. and have no records of entry or detention in Panama. A spokeswoman for the Department of Homeland Security previously told The New York Times that none of the migrants captured at the border and removed to Panama "asserted fear of returning to their home country at any point during processing or custody." Instead, they "were properly removed from the country."

AZCentral [3/3/2025 6:41 PM, Elvia Díaz, 4457K] reports President Trump was never going to give Mexico and Canada a break, and now American farmers and consumers will pay the price. Trump said he’s moving ahead with 25% tariffs against Mexico and Canada, America’s most important trading partners, though both countries did all Trump asked for. Trump has been using the threat of tariffs to arm-twist Mexico into stopping what he hailed as a "border invasion" of asylum seekers and drug traffickers. By all accounts, the militarization of the U.S.-Mexico border on both sides has brought illegal immigration to a halt and fentanyl-related deaths down significantly. Mexico even turned notorious drug kingpins over to the U.S. Yet, Trump won’t have it. He’s still punishing Mexico and Canada, saying there’s no last-minute deals to avoid his tariffs. does Trump want, then? The border invasion was a hoax, or at least a pretext to spread a deep anti-immigrant ideology and pursue his imperialistic scheme. Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have given Trump everything he asked for, except a complete takeover of their respective countries. "The tariffs, you know, they’re set," Trump said of the 25% tariffs on Mexican and Canadian exports and an additional 10% on Chinese goods. "They go into effect tomorrow.". What does Trump think will happen next if he does move ahead with tariffs? A "little pain," he said, for American consumers. But trade between the three countries is estimated to be $1.8 trillion worth of goods and services. That "little pain" would hit entire sectors, from automakers, restaurants and beer makers to fruit and vegetable farmers, warehouses, and packaging and distribution networks. Canada almost certainly with impose a tit-for-tat tariff against American goods. Mexico has indicated that it, too, would retaliate. The repercussions of this trade war are much worse than just a "little pain." It could send Mexico into an economic recession and hit Canada hard.

Washington Post [3/3/2025 5:21 PM, Colin Ahern and Mark Montgomery, 31735K] reports on the heels of the stunning Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky comes the news of a shocking — and shockingly misguided — reversal of long-standing U.S. national security policy regarding Russian cyber operations. In an alleged bid to bring Russian President Vladimir Putin to the negotiating table, the Trump administration has reportedly ordered both the Defense Department’s Cyber Command and the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to stand down from monitoring and countering Russian cyberthreats. Although the administration asserts the stand-down is only a pause during negotiations, it is nevertheless an ill-advised approach that violates two fundamental principles of international relations and cybersecurity.

Houston Chronicle [3/3/2025 2:50 PM, Rohnnie Shaw, 1769K] reports that every day, Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) troopers put their lives on the line to protect our communities. Nowhere is this more evident than along the Texas-Mexico border, where Texas and federal officials have warned of escalating cartel violence, and where human trafficking and the relentless flow of drugs continue. It’s a critical job and we must ensure we have the funding to do it well. In January, law enforcement officers were fired upon from across the border. An internal memo alerted law enforcement at the border that cartels are targeting them more aggressively than ever, utilizing weaponized drones and improvised explosive devices. These violent organizations are emboldened, operating with military-grade weapons and a complete disregard for human life. President Donald Trump has rightly designated these cartels as terrorist organizations — a necessary step in combating the severe threat they pose to the public safety of every Texan, and truly, every American. Gov. Greg Abbott has directed DPS to deploy tactical strike teams to coordinate with Homeland Security agencies. These teams are tasked with tracking down and arresting thousands of illegal immigrants with active warrants across Texas, aiming to ensure that those who pose the greatest threat to public safety are removed from our communities swiftly.

Bloomberg [3/3/2025 6:00 AM, Alicia A. Caldwell, Elena Mejía, and Jason Kao, 16228K] reports President Donald Trump’s immigration detentions ticked down after a fast start in his first few days in office. Detentions totaled 8,200 during the two weeks ending Feb. 22, according to federal data published last week. That compared with about 10,000 in the previous two-week period, which roughly corresponded with the beginning of the Trump administration. The pace of detentions has frustrated senior officials, prompting shakeups within Immigration and Customs Enforcement even as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and other leaders have touted their get-tough approach. Shortly after Trump took office Jan. 20, ICE invited media crews and television personality Phil McGraw, better known as Dr. Phil, to accompany agents on immigration raids. Still, detentions during the new administration’s first month more than doubled compared with the average during the final year of the Biden administration. The data analyzed by Bloomberg covers people held in detention facilities, which doesn’t account for all arrests. As of Feb. 22, ICE held 43,759 people in detention facilities. That’s 5.4% higher than the funded capacity of 41,500 beds, reflecting the stepped-up detentions so far under the Trump administration. Trump has vowed to carry out the largest deportations in US history and strengthen immigration enforcement. A steadily higher pace of detentions may take time to materialize as officials plan more enforcement operations, which can take days or weeks to prepare for. The administration has also deployed active-duty military troops to the border and deputized agents from the Justice Department, Internal Revenue Service and elsewhere to work with ICE on deportations. Trump has also dispatched military planes to carry out deportation flights to Central and South America, and to ferry detainees to the US naval station at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Under Trump, ICE has blamed leaks about planned raids for stymieing efforts to ramp up detentions. Administration officials have said they’re arresting and deporting the “worst of the worst” of people with criminal records, while declining repeated requests for a complete list of the names of those arrested and details of their alleged offenses.

CNN [3/3/2025 10:32 AM, Priscilla Alvarez and Renée Rigdon, 52868K] reports that President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to deport millions of undocumented immigrants residing in the United States, but so far, the pace of deportations has held steady compared to last year, according to a CNN analysis of deportation flight data. The data, provided by Thomas Cartwright of the advocacy group Witness at the Border, which tracks publicly available information on ICE flights, reveals that the number of deportation flights so far are similar to those under the Biden administration. Trump administration officials have put a spotlight on their immigration enforcement efforts, frequently sharing images of arrests as well as migrants boarding flights to be sent back to their home countries. The Trump administration has also continued to remove people across the US southern border to Mexico as part of its implementation of strict asylum restrictions, fueling the number of removals even though they don’t occur on flights. A Homeland Security official told CNN that the number of flights was slightly higher, at 145 flights. The passenger count on each flight during the Biden and Trump administrations was not immediately available.

Telemundo Amarillo [3/3/2025 4:25 PM, Alek LaShomb, 2K] reports nine people were arrested during an ICE raid at a pine tree processing plant in upstate New York, our sister station WCAX reported. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents showed up at the Tupper Lake Pine Mill on Tuesday. A company spokesman said officers arrived without any warrant or warning and detained nine employees. People associated with the company, which is based in Quebec, Canada, said they believed all the detained employees were authorized to work legally in the United States, saying they went through the I-9 verification process, known as E-Verify, which confirms the identity and status of people who are hired. They now say they are cooperating with ICE in the investigation but, they say, have not been able to contact the workers.

Yahoo! News [3/3/2025 10:50 AM, Dan Mount, 52868K] reports that a 34-year-old Ogdensburg man is facing child pornography charges after being arrested by New York State Police. On Friday, February 28, the New York State Police Troop B Computer Crime Unit arrested Lee Griffith on one count each of promotion of a sexual performance by a child and possession of a sexual performance by a child. The investigation was started by two social media platforms reporting to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The investigation alleged that child exploitation material had been sent through the reporting platforms in September and October 2024. Griffith was arraigned in the City of Ogdensburg Court and was released. He is to reappear in the City of Ogdensburg Court on Tuesday, March 25. The investigation is still ongoing according to authorities. The Troop B Computer Crime Unit was assisted by the Ogdensburg Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations.

NBC News [3/3/2025 10:32 AM, David Chang, Lauren Mayk, Siobhan McGirl, and Claudia Vargas, 44742K] reports that a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson released a statement on the detainment of the owners of a popular New Jersey restaurant amid outrage from local community leaders and residents. Last Tuesday, ICE officers raided the Jersey Kebab restaurant in Haddon Township and arrested the owners, Emine Emanet and her husband, Celal Emanet. "During the investigation, ICE administratively arrested two Turkish citizens, Emine and Celal Emanet, who are present in the United States illegally. ICE authority under Title 8 of the U.S. Code enables the agency to investigate and enforce immigration laws, particularly in cases where immigration violations intersect with national security, public safety and transnational crime," the ICE spokesperson wrote in a statement on Friday. "The Emanets were served a notice to appear before an immigration judge and place in removal proceedings." Celal Emanet was released from custody with an ankle monitor and spoke with NBC10 on Tuesday. His wife remains in custody at an ICE detention center in North Jersey. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Miami Herald [3/3/2025 7:37 AM, Mark Price, 3973K] reports a man surreptitiously followed a store customer home, slipped inside as the family slept and stole a single piece of clothing, according to investigators in the Florida Panhandle It happened before sunrise Saturday, March 1, in Port St. Joe and a foreign national has been arrested, the Port St. Joe Police Department said in a March 2 news release. “The victim had woken up and realized there had been a intruder in the home while the family slept,” police said. “With the help of the victims’ (and) neighbors’ security cameras and FLOCK cameras a suspect was developed. ... The suspect confessed to stalking the victim from a local store to the residence.” Once the family went to sleep, the man found an unlocked window, cut the screen off and slipped inside to rummage through the home, police said. In one instance, he entered a room “with a sleeping victim” and took a piece of the victim’s clothing, officials said. Investigators did not disclose what the man is accused of taking, or where he was captured. He is charged with stalking and burglary of an occupied dwelling, police said. He is also being held for deportation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, officials said. Port St. Joe is on the state’s Gulf Coast, about a 105-mile drive southeast from Tallahassee.

WFTV [3/3/2025 5:31 PM, Beatriz Oliveira] reports the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, has arrested a group of individuals involved in a series of residential burglaries. According to detectives, the group, comprised of Colombian nationals, was specifically targeting the homes and apartments of business owners while they were at work. Deputies said it is believed this group is responsible for several residential burglaries in both Osceola and Orange counties. Investigators said the group is suspected to have been operating in multiple western states and is linked to numerous burglaries across the country. According to a news release, Osceola County detectives arrested two additional suspects. All five suspects are facing charges of criminal mischief, grand theft, and third-degree burglary of a dwelling. Deputies said it was discovered at the jail that two of the suspects had Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation warrants.

Yahoo! News [3/3/2025 11:10 AM, Bethany Bruner, 52868K] reports that an increase in immigration enforcement at the Franklin County courthouse has prompted the Common Pleas Court judges to issue new rules barring arrests within the courthouse. On Friday, the 17 Franklin County Common Pleas Court judges announced two local rules, the regulations governing how operations at the courthouse are handled, related to the activities of Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. The judges said in a release that there has been increased activity within the courthouse grounds since President Donald J. Trump took office in January. "Courts have a unique Constitutional responsibility to protect due process and access to justice on behalf of the entire public. That mission is jeopardized when victims, witnesses and defendants are afraid to come to the courthouse to testify and participate in ongoing cases, fearing civil arrest and deportation," the judges said in a release. "That jeopardy affects the fairness of trials and other court proceedings for citizens and non-citizens alike.". The two rules bar any civil arrests without a judicial warrant — meaning signed by a judge — within the courthouse grounds and prohibit arrests, even if there is a judicial warrant, within courtrooms unless there has been written approval from a Franklin County judge. The rules passed on Friday also say the rules are intended for people having business at the courthouse and are "not intended to be a safe haven to avoid civil arrests for the public at large."

Yahoo! News [3/3/2025 1:41 PM, Ava Agoranos, 52868K] reports that the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations Task Force executed search warrants at Elegant Massage, as well as the business owner’s private residence as part of an ongoing human trafficking investigation on March 3. The massage parlor, located at 3735 Old Columbus Road NW in Carroll was suspected of illegal activities including human trafficking, labor exploitation and other criminal offenses which led to an extensive investigation, according to the press release. During the searches, the deputies collected evidence, including financial records, electronic devices and other materials. Deputies also found some individuals located inside the business who are believed to be victims of trafficking. Sheriff Alex Lape emphasized the department’s commitment to combating human trafficking and holding those responsible accountable, according to the press release. "Human trafficking is a heinous crime that exploits vulnerable individuals for profit," said Lape in the release. "Our office, along with our law enforcement partners, is dedicated to dismantling these illegal operations and ensuring justice for victims." So far, no arrests have been made as the investigation is still ongoing.

FOX News [3/3/2025 10:54 AM, Peter Pinedo, 46189K] reports that in response to the killing of an elderly South Texas rancher and U.S. citizen by a suspected cartel explosive, the Trump administration is promising to continue being "ruthlessly aggressive" in responding to cartel threats to Americans. After 74-year-old U.S. citizen Antonio Céspedes Saldierna was killed in the blast, National Security Council spokesperson Brian Hughes told Fox News Digital that the administration will be relentless in working to fully secure the border. He said that President Donald Trump’s recent designation of eight cartels – including MS-13, Venezuelan criminal group Tren de Aragua and several Mexican cartels – as foreign terrorist organizations, "makes clear his intention to treat violent cartel members exactly as they should be treated – as terrorists." Hughes did not offer any specifics on whether the administration is considering a military response to the suspected cartel killing but noted that the "administration has proven to be ruthlessly aggressive in pursuing criminal gangs that threaten our homeland." He said that "President Trump will stop at nothing to secure our border, protect our communities, and dismantle terrorist organizations."

Yahoo! News [3/3/2025 7:01 AM, Jake Goldstein-Street, 52868K] reports a "no trespassing" sign outside of Northwest ICE Processing Center. (Grace Deng/Washington State Standard). Attorneys for a former Armenian refugee held in the federal immigrant detention center in Tacoma say he has been unable to get medical treatment for months, leaving his family worried he could soon die. Oganes Doganyan’s lawyers have petitioned a federal judge for his release from the Northwest ICE Processing Center so he could get treatment for a rare disorder that has caused excessive bleeding. This is the latest in a monthslong effort to get care for Doganyan, 52. "This is an individual who is going to die," said his attorney Greg Russell. "It’s only a matter of time.” Allegations about lack of access to medical care have been rampant in the private detention center for years. And the center’s critics have worried about worsening conditions as the Trump administration ramps up deportations nationwide. The Tacoma facility is one of the biggest in the country, with 1,575 beds. The facility houses both detained locals as well as people taken into custody in other states before deportation, like Doganyan. Immediately after President Donald Trump took office, weekly flights through Boeing Field to the detention center spiked in size, carrying 90 or 100 detainees each week. Last week, just two people got off the plane for detention, according to the advocacy group La Resistencia which monitors the flights. Last Tuesday, no one was flown into the facility, a possible signal of the population constraints at the for-profit center operated by The Geo Group. GEO last week announced a roughly $1 billion, 15-year contract with the federal government to provide additional space for detained immigrants at a 1,000-bed facility in New Jersey. Before 2020, the Tacoma facility was often near capacity, but that plummeted to just a few hundred people during the pandemic. In recent years, the number of people held at the site has stabilized but was still far below 1,000. As of last week, over 1,350 people were detained there, said Matt Adams, the legal director for the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project. "It is clear that they will be going back to filling up the beds in their effort to make a statement," Adams said in an email. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in recent weeks have publicized several strings of arrests in Washington. Yearslong concerns about conditions at the detention center have resulted in calls for state inspections and increased regulation, leading to legal back-and-forths still playing out in court. In March 2024, Charles Leo Daniel, 61, died there after years in solitary confinement. The Pierce County Medical Examiner later said Daniel died of natural causes. Still, the incident led to calls for a federal audit of health care services at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facilities. In October, Jose Manuel Sanchez-Castro, was experiencing fentanyl withdrawal when he died in the detention center.

AZCentral [3/3/2025 10:34 AM, Thao Nguyen, 4457K] reports four men have been charged with operating a criminal organization that allegedly smuggled thousands of people without legal status from Guatemala to the U.S. over five years, federal authorities announced Monday. Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally called the criminal network "one of the largest human smuggling rings in the nation," during a news conference Monday. Prosecutors claimed that the organization transported about 20,000 people into Los Angeles and Phoenix from 2019 through July 2024. The organization is also accused of holding some of the immigrants hostage in stash houses and is responsible for the deaths of seven people — including a 4-year-old child — who were killed in a November 2023 car crash in Oklahoma, according to prosecutors. All four defendants were identified as Guatemalan nationals who resided in Los Angeles-area neighborhoods, including Westlake, downtown Los Angeles, and South Los Angeles. They were all in the country without legal permission at the time of the alleged crimes, prosecutors said. The four defendants were charged with one count of conspiracy to illegally bring people to the U.S., transporting people illegally in the U.S., and harboring people without legal status in the U.S. for private financial gain and resulting in death, according to prosecutors. The defendants each face a maximum sentence of death or life imprisonment if convicted on all charges. "These smuggling organizations have no regard for human life and their conduct kills," McNally said in a statement. "Their members pose a danger to the public and law enforcement ... The indictment and arrests here have dismantled one of the country’s largest and most dangerous smuggling organizations.”

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CBS Los Angeles [3/3/2025 5:08 PM, Chelsea Hylton, 51661K]
CNN [3/3/2025 5:00 PM, Zoe Sottile]

Los Angeles Times [3/3/2025 4:49 PM, Brittny Mejia, 13342K] reports that federal authorities in Los Angeles have arrested and charged two alleged leaders of a criminal organization said to have smuggled a little more than 20,000 undocumented immigrants from Guatemala to the U.S. over five years — including seven who died in a car crash in 2023. Eduardo Domingo Renoj-Matul, a.k.a. "El Jefe" and "Turko," and Cristobal Mejia-Chaj were arrested last week and have pleaded not guilty to a slew of charges related to smuggling migrants across the U.S border. A federal judge ordered the men, who are in the country illegally, jailed without bond. The men face up to life in prison and the possibility of the death penalty, acting U.S. Atty. Joseph T. McNally said during a Monday news conference announcing the charges. Attorneys for Renoj-Matul and Mejia-Chaj did not immediately respond to a request for comment. "The offenses alleged in the indictment show a criminal group that acted with callous disregard for our nation’s immigration laws and no regard for the immigrants that they smuggled," McNally said. U.S. Border Patrol provided around 50 agents for operations last Friday tied to the human smuggling case. The arrests on Friday prompted fears of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement "raid" in Los Angeles. Yasmeen Pitts O’Keefe, an ICE spokeswoman, previously said there was an "ongoing investigation on human smuggling."

Reported similarly:
AP [3/3/2025 6:11 PM, Staff]

Reuters [3/3/2025 11:43 AM, Nate Raymond, 41523K] reports that immigrant rights groups filed a lawsuit on Monday challenging the Trump administration’s decision to end temporary protections against deportation for thousands of Haitian and Venezuelan migrants living in the United States. The lawsuit in Boston federal court is the first legal challenge to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s February 20 decision to speed up the expiration of deportation protections and work permits for 521,000 Haitians covered by the temporary program so that they will end in August. The decision reversed a move by Democratic former President Joe Biden’s administration last year to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haiti through February 2026. TPS was first granted to Haiti in 2010 following a devastating earthquake and has been renewed several times since. Earlier in February, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had similarly moved to accelerate the end date for TPS for Venezuela from October 2026 to as early as April 2, an action that is already being challenged in two other lawsuits. That decision means about 348,000 Venezuelans could face deportation and the loss of work permits next month. The rest of the roughly 600,000 Venezuelans in the program could lose the legal status and associated benefits in September.

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Univision [3/3/2025 2:08 PM, Patricia Clarembaux, 5325K]

FOX News [3/3/2025 11:00 AM, Adam Shaw, 46189K] reports that the number of immigrants protected from deportation by a controversial decades-old immigration program nearly quadrupled under the Biden administration, according to a new House report obtained by Fox News Digital. The House Judiciary Committee report looks at the use of Temporary Protected Status under the previous administration. The program was implemented in the 1990s and grants protection from deportation and allows work permits for nationals living in the U.S. from countries deemed unsafe for them to be returned, due to armed conflict or natural disasters. The first Trump administration moved to limit the number of migrants protected by the program, but it then expanded massively under the Biden administration, with more than 1.4 million aliens from 16 different countries granted TPS as of January. The report found that the Biden-Harris administration added one million aliens in four years, after just 410,000 benefiting from TPS at the end of the first Trump administration. "What was intended by Congress to be a temporary status has become, over time, a permanent, automatically renewed designation, with some countries being designated for TPS for decades despite changed country conditions," the report says. "The Biden-Harris Administration vastly expanded this de facto amnesty to hundreds of thousands of new aliens, many of whom are in the country illegally." The report found that roughly 725,000 of those with TPS initially entered during the Biden administration, with the majority from Haiti and Venezuela.

Newsweek [3/3/2025 11:56 AM, Dan Gooding, 52220K] reports that President Donald Trump’s proposed Gold Card visa for the rich could offer a tax incentive that other immigration pathways currently don’t, experts say. The $5 million "Green Card plus," as Trump and his Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick touted in the Oval Office last week, would allow holders to avoid paying U.S. tax on their overseas income—an option not currently open to citizens or immigrants in the country. Newsweek reached out to the Departments of Commerce and the Treasury via email for comment. The president’s announcement was the first legal immigration policy announcement of his second term in the White House. It is solely aimed at the world’s wealthiest businesspeople. Some experts have been skeptical about how popular the Gold Card could be among investors if they don’t see their $5 million fee ever again. Trump said at the White House last Tuesday that those who participated in the Gold Card program would "be paying a lot of taxes" and employing a lot of people, while also stating that "they won’t have to pay any tax on income outside of the United States." With so few details on the program currently, experts are cautious about this being an official policy if the Gold Card is implemented. Rahul Soni, a partner at immigration services provider Fragomen, told Newsweek that to create the Gold Card with this tax loophole, something will need to be changed within the immigration system itself to create "a differentiating factor" between this visa and other Green Card options.

AP [3/4/2025 12:00 AM, Tim Sullivan and Rebecca Boone, 12335K] reports the Trump administration is touting an immigration crackdown that includes putting shackled immigrants on U.S. military planes, expanding agents’ arrests of people here illegally and abandoning programs that gave some permission to stay. One tool that’s conspicuously absent from President Donald Trump’s efforts to reduce illegal immigration: Going after the businesses that hire workers who are in the U.S. illegally. A nearly 30-year-old government system called E-Verify makes it easy to check if potential employees can legally work in the U.S. The program has had high-profile backers. Project 2025, the far-right blueprint for Trump’s second term, called for it to be mandatory. Yet it remains largely voluntary and rarely enforced. Trump’s own hotels and golf courses were slow to adopt E-Verify. The debate over workplace enforcement is, in many ways, a reflection of America’s complex views on immigration, its economic dependence on immigrant labor and a quietly bubbling Republican divide. “There are only so many people you can round up and deport” who are criminals or fugitives, said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which advocates for reduced immigration and has close ties to the Trump administration. “To make a deep reduction in the illegal population it has to be done at least in part through workplace enforcement.” Trump’s order declaring a national emergency at the southern border used dark terms, describing a country in chaos due to an immigrant “invasion” He has linked illegal immigration to violent crime and claimed countries are emptying prisons, mental institutions and “insane asylums” to send dangerous people to the U.S. The reality is often far more prosaic. Many immigrants living here illegally areworking. They’re fixing roofs and cars, putting up drywall and running hotels. They’re making sure shoppers have lettuce, milk and apples.

NPR [3/3/2025 6:00 AM, Arielle Zionts, 29983K] reports a growing number of states have made it easier for doctors who trained in other countries to get medical licenses, a shift supporters say could ease physician shortages in rural areas. The changes involve residency programs — the supervised, hands-on training experience that doctors must complete after graduating medical school. Until recently, every state required physicians who completed a residency or similar training abroad to repeat the process in the U.S. before obtaining a full medical license. Since 2023, at least nine states have dropped this requirement for some doctors with international training, according to the Federation of State Medical Boards. More than a dozen other states are considering similar legislation. About 26% of doctors who practice in the U.S. were born elsewhere, according to the Migration Policy Institute. They need federal visas to live in the U.S., plus state licenses to practice medicine. Proponents of the new laws say qualified doctors shouldn’t have to spend years completing a second residency training. Opponents worry about patient safety and doubt the licensing change will ease the doctor shortage. Lawmakers in Republican- and Democratic-leaning states have approved the idea at a time when many other immigration-related programs are under attack. They include Florida, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin. The changes come as President Trump moves to tighten many immigration rules, although he has defended a federal H-1B visa program that many foreign doctors rely on. Supporters of the new licensing laws include Zalmai Afzali, an internal medicine doctor who finished medical school and a residency program in Afghanistan before fleeing the Taliban and coming to the U.S. in 2001. He said most physicians trained elsewhere would be happy to work in rural or other underserved areas. "I would go anywhere as long as they let me work," said Afzali, who now treats patients who live in rural areas and small cities in northeastern Virginia. "I missed being a physician. I missed what I did.” It took Afzali 12 years to obtain copies of his diploma and transcript, study for exams, and finish a three-year U.S.-based residency program before he could be fully licensed to practice as a doctor in his new country. But a commission of national health organizations questions whether loosening residency requirements for foreign-trained doctors would ease the shortage. Doctors in these programs could still face licensing and employment barriers, it wrote in a report that makes recommendations without taking a stance on such legislation.

FOX News [3/3/2025 10:31 PM, Greg Wehner, 46189K] reports New York City officials are making it easier for illegal aliens to acquire a city residency ID card, in turn making it easier for them to obtain housing and free healthcare, according to reports. City Council members passed a change backed by Mayor Eric Adams that opens up 23 additional types of IDs that immigrants can provide to obtain a New York City residency card. The New York Post reported that some of the examples of identification that immigrants can provide include an expired driver’s license; documents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or the Federal Bureau of Prisons; and about 100 other forms of identification to obtain an IDNYC card. Former Mayor Bill de Blasio’s administration first introduced the city IDs in 2015 to help migrants access free healthcare, enroll in school, open accounts at banks and more. The program is open to all New Yorkers who are 10 and older, no matter what their immigration status is. To date, nearly 1.7 million people have acquired the ID card. Last year there were 132,054 IDs handed out, while the previous year there were 127,859, according to the city. Not everyone thinks it is a good idea to ease the process for obtaining a city ID. In fact, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., told The Post it was a "terrible idea.” "To provide a legitimate government ID to individuals in the country illegally then gives them access to government buildings and services is just another incentive [to come here]," she told the publication. "Most disturbing is that there is no vetting, no process to ensure documents provided to prove identity are not fake and, to boot, they destroy these documents that could be helpful in an investigation.” Still, a representative from the city told The Post they vigorously vet applicant backgrounds for criminal issues. In an Op-Ed published in Harlem World Magazine, Adams highlighted his administration’s accomplishments with immigration. "New York City is a city built by immigrants, and we are not just stronger because of our diversity – we are the greatest city on the globe because of it," he said.

Axios [3/3/2025 7:20 AM, Monica Eng, 13163K] reports that, last week, the Trump administration ordered all undocumented people in the U.S. to register with the Department of Homeland Security or face criminal penalties. Illinois is home to an estimated 400,000 unauthorized immigrants whose presence here constitutes a civil, not criminal, violation. This order may force them to choose between criminal charges for not registering or registration followed by deportation. DHS secretary Kristi Noem told Fox News last week that those who comply with the order "can avoid criminal charges and fines and we will help them relocate right back to their home country." The order stands in contrast to border czar Tom Homan’s plan for ICE to focus deportations on "the worst of the worst" rather than undocumented people with no criminal record. ICE officials have, so far, failed to show how many individuals they apprehended in Illinois during January raids had criminal records. On Jan. 31, Axios filed an open records request to ICE seeking the names and criminal records of Illinois arrestees. The agency has yet to deliver the data. Homan continues to threaten sanctuary cities, and last week Acero Charter Network officials reported that a parent was apprehended during school drop-off. Yet Axios analyses show no significant spikes in arrests or removals in the first weeks of the deportation campaign. Noem says an official registration form will soon be posted on a DHS site and potential registrants should start creating a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services profile. Immigrant advocacy groups, including the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, tell Axios they’re currently "urging people to wait until we have more clarity."

NBC News [3/3/2025 5:42 PM, Curtis Bunn, 44742K] reports three organizations filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to block the Trump administration’s attempt to put an early end to Temporary Protected Status for people from Haiti and Venezuela living in the U.S. Last month, President Donald Trump’s administration rescinded the TPS extension until February 2026 that was granted under President Joe Biden, requiring Haitians to return to their country by Aug. 3 and Venezuelans by April 2. Lawyers for Civil Rights, which is representing the groups and four people who are in the country under TPS, said the suit was the first filed on behalf of Haitians in the U.S. under TPS. Two lawsuits were quickly filed to challenge the administration’s decision on behalf of Venezuelans last month. The lawsuit contends that the administration does not have the authority to "revoke an extension that has already been granted."

Yahoo! News [3/3/2025 7:45 PM, Josh Marcus, 52868K] reports the number of migrants apprehended crossing the U.S.-Mexico border unlawfully between official ports of entry sank to its lowest level in 25 years in February, as the Trump administration’s restrictive immigration policies began to take effect on the ground. Roughly 8,450 people were caught last month during Trump’s first full month in office, according to preliminary government data obtained by CBS News, the lowest level since at least 2000. Newsweek [3/3/2025 3:44 PM, Dan Gooding, 52220K] reports President Donald Trump claimed Saturday that arrests along the United States’ border with Mexico hit a record low of just over 8,300 in February, but official data is yet to be released. In the post on Truth Social, Trump said that "the invasion of our country is over", after monthly illegal crossings peaked at around 300,000 in December 2023 under former President Joe Biden. If confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and its agency on the border – U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) – then the 8,326 figure given by Trump would make February 2025 the lowest monthly figure since CBP records began in 2000. By comparison, February 2024 saw 140,641 arrests between official ports of entry. The last time February saw a dip below 20,000 was in 2017, just after Trump entered the White House the first time. Two months later, arrests hit a low of 11,127. CBS Austin [3/3/2025 9:29 AM, Staff, 602K] reports that the decline in border crossings is attributed to stricter enforcement measures. "There’s no big surprise here. If there’s a consequence for breaking the law, you’re going to have less people breaking the law. And so we’re providing that consequence. And in doing so, it’s driven those numbers down," said U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks. This enforcement has reportedly led to a "reverse migration," with some individuals returning through the perilous Darién Gap to countries they initially fled. Meanwhile, the Pentagon plans to deploy an additional 3,000 troops to bolster border security, a move that has drawn criticism from some Democrats. They argue that such actions could signal to adversaries that the U.S. military is less capable, potentially compromising national safety. In another aggressive move, the Trump administration has repurposed facilities like Delaney Hall in Newark, New Jersey, to detain individuals arrested within the country. Additionally, the Mexican government recently extradited 29 high-level cartel leaders to the U.S., including one sought by American officials for over 40 years. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Reported similarly:
Washington Examiner [3/3/2025 4:00 PM, Anna Giaritelli, 2296K]
Washington Examiner [3/3/2025 10:09 AM, Paul Bedard, 2296K]

New York Times [3/3/2025 4:41 AM, Annie Correal and Alejandro Cegarra, Annie Correal reports from the U.S. and Latin America for The Times., 145325K] reports that on the eve of President Trump’s deadline to impose tariffs on Mexico, one thing is hard to miss on the Mexican side of the border: The migrants are gone. In what were once some of the busiest sections along the border — Ciudad Juárez, Tijuana, Matamoros — shelters that used to overflow now hold just a few families. The parks, hotels and vacant buildings that once teemed with people from all over the world stand empty. And on the border itself, where migrants once slept in camps within feet of the 30-foot wall, only dust-caked clothes and shoes, rolled-up toothpaste tubes and water bottles remain. “All that is over,” said the Rev. William Morton, a missionary at a Ciudad Juárez cathedral that serves migrants free meals. “Nobody can cross.” Last week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security secretary, Kristi Noem, announced that Customs and Border Protection had apprehended only 200 people at the southern border the Saturday before — the lowest single-day number in over 15 years. Mr. Trump has credited his crackdown on illegal immigration for the plunging numbers, even as he has also announced he will send thousands more combat forces to the border to stop what he calls an invasion. But according to analysts, Mexico’s own moves to restrict migration in the last year — not just at the border but throughout the country — have yielded undeniable results.

CBS Austin [3/3/2025 8:58 AM, Darian Trotter, 602K] reports that the Pentagon announced the deployment of 3,000 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border over the next several weeks. The Defense Department confirmed the deployment of a Stryker brigade combat team and a general support aviation battalion. The deployment is in addition to the thousands of U.S. soldiers and Marines already stationed at the southern border and is part of the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. "These forces will arrive in the coming weeks, and their deployment underscores the department’s unwavering dedication to working alongside the Department of Homeland Security to secure our southern border and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity and security of the United States under President Trump’s leadership," Pentagon Press Secretary Sean Parnell announced Saturday. The White House states the deployment will reinforce and expand current border security operations. The Defense Secretary warned Mexican officials that the U.S. would take unilateral action if they did not secure the border themselves. Mexico has deployed 10,000 of its troops to the border in an effort to comply with the president’s border demands. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

FOX News [3/3/2025 2:58 PM, Brooke Taylor, 46189K] reports the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, now recognized as a national security threat under the Trump administration, began in El Paso. For years, the FBI and Border Patrol have been sounding alarms, warning that this ruthless gang was on the rise. Their concerns fell on deaf ears until the gang’s reach began to infiltrate cities across the U.S. For the first time, Fox News sat down in El Paso with leaders from Border Patrol and the FBI, who were the first to discover and identify TdA.

Yahoo! News [3/3/2025 10:28 AM, Jorge Ventura, 52868K] reports that the Texas Department of Public Safety is employing cutting-edge technology to turn the tide on border-smuggling operations: drones. NewsNation exclusively joined DPS officials on the Lone Star State’s border in the small town of Roma, Texas. Separated from Mexico by the Rio Grande, the area is a hotbed for cartels looking to move people or drugs across the border. Texas state trooper Sgt. Guadalupe Casarez was one of the officials using drones to monitor potential smuggling activity along the river. From Roma, Casarez said he can see cartel scouts patrolling the border on foot, in vehicles and in the air — using their own drones to spot Border Patrol agents and troopers — as they look for landing points for the small rafts carrying migrants into the United States. One cartel guide had no idea that Casarez’s eye in the sky could see his every move. He brought two migrants from the bushes and made a run into a residential neighborhood. "It’s an overall operation for them on their side," Casarez said, explaining the process and planning needed to get people into the U.S. without detection. The migrants believed they had made it into the U.S. undetected by authorities, and the smuggler thought his job was finished. But Texas troopers operating the drones had already called back to Border Patrol agents patrolling nearby — and the pursuit was on. Border patrol agents rushed to the scene and arrested a female migrant. In most cases, the Texas DPS works to determine if it can file state charges against those they encounter and charge them with smuggling people across the border. In other cases, U.S. Border Patrol officials file federal charges for human smuggling.

Border Report [3/3/2025 12:06 PM, Mia Morales, 117K] reports that the United States Border Patrol arrested a man who was allegedly attempting to smuggle migrants. According to a news release from the U.S. Border Patrol, at approximately 8 p.m. on Feb. 24, agents attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a black Fiat near McColl Road in Hidalgo. When the vehicle failed to yield, they released a vehicle immobilization device that caused the car to come to a complete stop. Agents found two women and two men, who were Mexican nationals, inside the vehicle. Agents say the man was a Mexican citizen with DACA status. The suspect will be charged with bringing in and harboring migrants, the release added. The suspect’s DACA status can be revoked for criminal activity.

Border Report [3/3/2025 5:58 PM, Dave Burge, 117K] reports a Venezuelan national was arrested in El Paso on criminal charges related to his alleged fraudulent use and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas said. According to court documents, Alcides Jose Urrivari-Arape was pulled over by an El Paso County Sheriff’s Office deputy on Feb. 24. After the deputy requested assistance from U.S. Border Patrol, Urrivari-Arape allegedly presented a fraudulent U.S. Social Security card to the Border Patrol agent, claiming that the ID allowed him to remain in the country legally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. He allegedly admitted to paying $690 for the false document, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. If convicted, Urrivari-Arape faces up to 10 years in federal prison. The U.S. Border Patrol and El Paso County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.

Newsweek [3/3/2025 5:44 AM, Billal Rahman, 52220K] reports Border Patrol agents in the Tucson Sector have arrested three suspected cartel scouts and a foot guide linked to the Los Memos transnational criminal organization, a faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, CBP officials said. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order designating Mexican drug cartels and other Latin American gangs as terrorist organizations. Trump’s order states that these groups "threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere." Designating cartels as terrorist groups will make it easier for the U.S. to use military action against them and disabling their scout networks will help to combat them. The president has previously floated the possibility of deploying U.S. troops into Mexico to combat the country’s powerful crime syndicates and said it "could happen." The first arrest took place on Monday, February 26, near Maricopa, Arizona, where Border Patrol agents encountered a Mexican national in possession of communication and observation equipment. These tools are commonly used by cartel scouts to monitor law enforcement activity and assist in smuggling operations. The suspect was taken into custody and transported to the Casa Grande Border Patrol Station for further processing. On Tuesday, February 27, agents patrolling the Silverbell Mountains northwest of Marana identified two more individuals suspected of working as cartel scouts. The suspects, one from Mexico and the other from Guatemala were found in possession of communication devices, surveillance equipment, and solar panels used to power their operations in remote areas. Their arrest dealt another blow to the cartel’s ability to monitor border enforcement activities. Later that same day, Border Patrol agents operating near Pisinemo Village, a remote area on the Tohono O’odham Nation, apprehended two more Mexican nationals. One of the individuals admitted to working as a foot guide for the Los Memos faction of the Sinaloa Cartel, responsible for leading smuggling groups through rugged terrain to avoid detection by authorities. All five individuals were transported to the Casa Grande Border Patrol Station for processing. While all face charges related to illegal entry into the United States, three of them have been charged with human smuggling and conspiracy under 8 U.S.C. 1324.

UPI [3/3/2025 6:12 PM, Chris Benson, 1890K] reports during a traffic stop, U.S. border patrol agents in southern California seized nearly 50 pounds of cocaine valued at more than $800,000, it was announced Monday. "Rest assured that the agents of San Diego Sector are out there around the clock protecting the American people," San Diego Sector Acting Chief Patrol Agent Jeffrey D. Stalnaker wrote in a release. On Thursday, agents from the CBP’s San Clemente Station stopped a sedan traveling northbound on Interstate 5 near Camp Pendleton at around 5:45 p.m. local time. Agents requested a K-9 unit response after a brief interview with the unnamed adult male suspect behind the wheel where, after inspection, some 19 packages of what appeared to be cocaine were located hidden inside the trunk. "We will do everything within our power to stop those who would do us harm, and to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law," Stalnaker vowed. Border agents took possession of two white trash bags filled with cellophane-wrapped packages that officials say is "consistent with drug smuggling.". "The packages tested positive for the characteristics of cocaine," CBP officials said, adding that agents then transported the vehicle and narcotics to a nearby border patrol station. It weighed in at 47.51 pounds, with DEA experts stamping an estimated street value of nearly $810,000 on the payload.

CNBC [3/3/2025 10:58 AM, Staff, 35355K] reports that Megan Cassella speaks with Jonathan Wilkinson, Canadian Energy Minister, to discuss expectations for tariffs, the potential impact to the energy sector, and more. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Border Report [3/3/2025 7:31 PM, Julian Resendiz, 117K] reports released from immigration custody last Saturday, "Javier" had but one plan when he stepped back on Mexican soil. "Going home to Torreon," the Mexican migrant told reporters at the Stanton Street International Bridge between El Paso and Juarez, Mexico. "I will not try it (cross illegally into the United States) again. It’s too hard. You cannot cross right now.” Dominic Alfaro, another Mexican released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Saturday, had a take on things. "We will try again until we cross. The border got difficult, but we will cross," said Alfaro, a native of Michoacan, Mexico. The two deportees said they spent several days in ICE custody in El Paso but met others who have been detained far longer. Contrary to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processing facilities, which reportedly had 153 migrants in custody as of Monday, the migrants said they saw several hundred, perhaps 1,000, in custody in the ICE facilities. The claim could not be immediately verified. The trickle of removed migrants – not the mass deportation President Trump promised – is not deterring the Mexican government from keeping open nine large welcoming centers part of the Mexico Embraces You program in border cities like Juarez. "Mexico Embraces You has received very few people," Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo said on Monday. But "they will remain there to support Mexican citizens as long as repatriations are ongoing. At the end of the month, we will evaluate if it’s necessary to keep all 10.” The 10th "center" is the Mexico City Felipe Angeles International Airport. Mexican officials say the Trump administration has removed 19,663 foreign nationals to Mexico since Jan. 20. Of those, 15,611 were Mexicans. On Sunday, only 313 deportations were recorded from Tijuana to Matamoros and at airports in Mexico City, Tabasco and Chiapas, Sheinbaum said.

USA Today [3/3/2025 8:16 PM, Michael Loria, 75858K] reports a woman was stung at an airport in Boston Sunday evening when she picked up her luggage at baggage claim, according to local reports. The woman, age 40, was stung at around 7:30 p.m. at Boston Logan International Airport, according to Massachusetts State Police. She was taken immediately to a hospital. She was on a return flight from Mexico, according to WCVB-TV. State police did not respond to questions about the woman’s condition, but scorpion stings rarely put lives at risk, according to the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control. When reached for comment by USA TODAY, airport authorities referred all questions about the incident to state police. It’s not clear what kind of scorpion injured the woman or how it got to the airport. Scorpions are not usually found in the Boston area. In the United States, they mainly inhabit the Southwest, according to the Mayo Clinic. Over 2,000 species exist worldwide. They typically live in deserts.

Yahoo! News [3/3/2025 9:05 AM, Kenzie Finch, 52868K] reports that a Portsmouth man was sentenced after trying to take a gun through Transportation Security Administration at Norfolk International Airport, and then providing an ID with a fake name. On May 2, 2024, a Transportation Security Officer saw an object in the shape of a gun in the backpack of 28-year-old Wayman Randall, according to court documents. Norfolk International Police Department were notified and Randall was taken to a private screening room. Randall provided officers with a false Virginia ID that showed his picture but with the name Ethan Walker — the same name that matched his ticket for American Airlines. Randall admitted there was a firearm in his bag and gave his real name, date of birth and social security number. Police found a loaded, stolen handgun. Randall had been convicted previously of receiving stolen goods, use or display of a firearm in commission of a felony, robbery and prohibited criminal street gang participation. As a felon, Randall cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. Randall was sentenced to four years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

CBS Austin [3/3/2025 5:43 PM, Jessica A. Botelho, 602K] reports a man and woman from Florida were arrested for allegedly forcing their way through airport security at Miami International Airport -- and one of them threw coffee in a staff member’s face, according to reports. The Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office told PEOPLE Rafael Seirafe-Novaes and Beatriz Rapoport De Campos Maia were apparently late for a flight to Mexico on Sunday morning. In an effort to board the plane, they tried to push themselves through security, the media outlet noted. According to reports, Seirafe-Novae fought with a gate attendant, with one of the suspect’s throwing coffee on someone. Police were then called, and he and Rapoport De Campos Maia taken into custody. Seirafe-Novaes and Rapoport De Campos Maia were each charged with two counts of battery and trespassing on property after warning, while Seirafe-Novaes was also charged with resisting arrest, booking records note.

Houston Chronicle [3/3/2025 12:03 PM, Ralph Green, 1769K] reports that Houston airports expect millions of fliers as spring break starts next week, bringing the first travel surge of the year. George Bush Intercontinental Airport and William P. Hobby Airport will see record demand with around 2.3 million travelers over 12 days of spring break, from March 6 – 17, Houston Airport Systems officials said in a Monday news release. “Houston is a global gateway, and our airports fuel the city’s economy by connecting millions to the world,” said Jim Szczesniak, director of aviation for Houston Airports, in the release. Szczesniak pointed out that the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Galveston’s cruise terminal and beaches along the Texas coast make Houston a top spring break destination. The upcoming travel surge represents a 6% increase from last year, the release states. Houston airports expect more than 200,000 travelers each day with a high of 226,000 passengers on Friday, March 7. IAH travelers have already begun using a new Terminal E ticketing lobby, the Chronicle previously reported. With improvements exclusive to United Airlines passengers, travelers will now see 11 lanes at the departure curb and 10 TSA security lanes. United passengers at Terminal E will no longer need to check in at Terminal C, according to the Houston Airport System.

Washington Post [3/3/2025 3:05 PM, Matthew Cappucci and Ian Livingston, 31735K] reports that March has arrived and with it, tornado season. Through Wednesday, there’s a risk of tornadoes across the Lower 48 — part of the same overarching storm system set to unleash fierce blizzard conditions over the central and northern Plains and “extremely critical” fire danger in New Mexico and west Texas. A band of strong to severe thunderstorms is expected to form late Monday from Oklahoma to Dallas and will spend the next 48 hours marching east. On Tuesday, a tornado risk stretches from Kansas City to the Lower Mississippi Valley and Gulf Coast. By Wednesday, the storm risk moves to the East Coast. Blizzard warnings, meanwhile, blanket much of northeastern Colorado, western Kansas and the Sand Hills of Nebraska. Snow on the storm system’s back end will be met with damaging winds gusting 50 to 70 mph at times. Kansas City is at the highest risk. The area is threatened by the prospect of tornadoes on Tuesday, then heavy snow Tuesday night and a possible blizzard with damaging winds during the morning commute Wednesday. There are signs that the second half of March could feature several additional storm systems with a greater-than-average tornado risk. The storm is a quickly deepening, or intensifying, low pressure system. That means it’s inhaling air while swirling counterclockwise. The low is stationed over eastern Colorado and Kansas and will shift east-northeast toward the Great Lakes into the midweek.

Newsweek [3/3/2025 11:08 AM, Joe Edwards, 52220K] reports that winter weather-related warnings were in place for 15 states from the National Weather Service Monday morning, with up to 30 inches of snow forecast for some parts of the country. Frigid temperatures pose health risks, particularly for vulnerable groups such as infants and older adults. Winter storms can trigger power outages, while heavy snowfall may hinder travel and create hazardous driving conditions. At the time of writing, winter weather advisories were in place in parts of California, Utah, Arizona and Montana. These are issued "for any amount of freezing rain, or when two to four inches of snow (alone or in combination with sleet and freezing rain), is expected to cause a significant inconvenience, but not serious enough to warrant a warning." While forecast snowfall varied across the country, in Nevada’s Ruby Mountains the NWS said up to 30 inches of heavy snow could be expected. It warned that travel would be "extremely difficult to nearly impossible" and said the Monday morning commute would be impacted. Up to 15 inches would also be possible for parts of Lander and Eureka counties, said the weather service. There were also winter storm watches in effect in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota and Wyoming.

Bloomberg [3/3/2025 7:59 AM, Brian K Sullivan, Lauren Rosenthal, and Mary Hui, 16228K] reports a rainy autumn followed by a dry winter is raising wildfire risks for the US Great Plains and Texas. Wet weather in November has helped grasses to grow and thrive across the Plains, but since then nature’s spigot has turned off, leaving dried-out plants that are potential fuel for blazes, said Brad Rippey, a meteorologist with the US Department of Agriculture. All that’s needed is a spark and high winds, and a situation could develop similar to the devastating fires that killed 29 people and devastated neighborhoods across Southern California in January, he said. The western half of Oklahoma and most of Texas are among the places at above-average risk of “significant” wildfires going into March, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Roughly a year ago, Texas was scorched by its largest fire in history. The Smokehouse Creek blaze in the state’s Panhandle left two people dead and destroyed homes and livestock. Parts of the Southwest, Southern California around Los Angeles and the US South are also at high risk of severe wildfires. About 80% of Texas is abnormally dry and “exceptional” drought conditions are gripping some of its westernmost counties, according to the US Drought Monitor. The drought extends into neighboring Oklahoma. The High Plains region is parched, too: Wyoming, Colorado, the Dakotas, Nebraska and Kansas are abnormally dry and close to 60% of the area is in drought. Very dry conditions are raising concerns about the health of the US wheat crop. Topsoil across the Plains is lagging normal levels heading into spring. The US Department of Agriculture downgraded winter wheat in Oklahoma last week, rating only 34% of the crop in good or excellent condition. That compares to 40% at the start of the month. “Rain will soon be needed for the crop breaking dormancy,” Rippey said.

FOX News [3/3/2025 7:27 AM, Stephen Sorace, 46189K] reports firefighters across North and South Carolina battled more than 175 wildfires that erupted over the weekend in windy and dry conditions and forced residents to evacuate some neighborhoods. South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster declared a state of emergency on Sunday as more than 175 fires burned over 4,200 acres in the state. The largest wildfire was reported in the Carolina Forest area, about 10 miles west of the coastal city of Myrtle Beach. That blaze scorched 1,600 acres and was 30% contained as of Sunday evening, according to the South Carolina Forestry Commission. Residents had been ordered to evacuate several neighborhoods near that wildfire, but by late Sunday afternoon, the evacuation order was lifted, Horry County Fire Rescue said. No structures were destroyed, and no injuries were reported as of Sunday evening. In North Carolina, the U.S. Forest Service said fire crews were working to contain multiple wildfires burning in four forests across the state on Sunday. The largest, about 400 acres, was at Uwharrie National Forest, about 50 miles east of Charlotte. The Forest Service said Sunday afternoon that it had made progress on the fire, reaching about one-third containment. Meanwhile, a brush fire in the Blue Ridge Mountains, about 40 miles south of Asheville, is between 400 and 500 acres and is 0% contained, as of Sunday afternoon, according to the North Carolina Forest Service. The Melrose Fire, burning in the Saluda and Tryon communities, was caused by a downed power line, according to Saluda Fire & Rescue. The fire rapidly spread up the mountain, threatening multiple structures and forcing some residents to evacuate.

NBC News [3/3/2025 7:56 PM, Dennis Romero, 44742K] reports firefighters in the Carolinas appeared to be getting the upper hand on a bloom of wildfires that erupted over the weekend, even as a few new ones started amid the region’s ongoing dry spell. In hard-hit South Carolina, a 1,600-acre blaze in the Carolina Forest community just outside Myrtle Beach city limits was at least 30% contained, the South Carolina Forestry Commission said in a statement. Imagery from the Myrtle Beach region Monday morning showed a shroud of smoke enveloping parts of the low-lying terrain and creating a wall of low visibility. Horry County Fire Rescue, the fire agency with local jurisdiction, said residents should beware of low visibility caused by smoke through Tuesday morning. State and local firefighters were aided by two Blackhawk helicopters and one Chinook from the South Carolina National Guard, the guard said. The aircraft have dropped an estimated 60,000 gallons of water on the Carolina Forest fire, it said. Residents who evacuated were allowed to return Sunday evening, Horry County Fire Rescue, said in a statement. They had to contend with smoke so thick and dangerous that motorists were advised by the agency to stay off roads in the fire zone. South Carolina Gov. Henry D. McMaster, who declared a fire-related state of emergency on Sunday, counted the state’s battle with wildfire as a victory. "The report that I’ve received so far, there have been no buildings lost and no lives lost," he said. "It was a great performance.". The state was also the site of four other active wildfires, two of which started Monday in Williamsburg County, about 50 miles west of Myrtle Beach, according to an email from Doug Wood, spokesperson for the forestry commission. A state summary of fires shows 108 blazes have been reported and 4,357 acres burned in the last seven days. Wood previously said the vast majority of dry weather blazes broke out Saturday, when gusts stronger than 25 mph were reported in the Myrtle Beach area and temperatures reached into the mid-70s, according to National Weather Service data.

ABC News [3/3/2025 4:56 PM, Bill Hutchinson, 34586K] reports after a rash of wildfires broke out over the weekend, scorching thousands of acres in South and North Carolina, firefighters on Monday reported making significant progress in extinguishing the blazes that prompted mass evacuations and threatened numerous homes, officials said. At one point on Saturday and into Sunday, 175 wildfires erupted in South and North Carolina, fueled by high winds and extremely dry conditions, officials said. The fires prompted South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster to declare a state of emergency on Sunday and issue a statewide burning ban. On Monday, the South Carolina Forestry Commission said firefighters had either extinguished or contained most of the fires. More than 400 firefighters -- aided by firefighting aircraft, including two South Carolina National Guard helicopter crews making water drops -- prevented the fire from spreading to homes in the area, officials said. While some homes were damaged, none have been destroyed, officials said. No injuries were reported from any of the blazes. The cause of the Carolina Forest fire remained under investigation.

CBS Austin [3/3/2025 7:18 AM, Caroline Surface, 602K] reports smoky conditions persist in Carolina Forest Monday morning as crews work to contain the 1600-acre fire. ‘Heavy, low-hanging smoke’ is across Carolina Forest limiting visibility, according to Horry County Fire Rescue. Officials said to avoid the Carolina Forest Boulevard area if possible as public safety agencies work. The South Carolina Forestry Commission estimated Sunday evening that the blaze had burned 2.5 square miles with 30% of it contained. International Drive remains closed at the fire gates as of Sunday. Officials said drivers should plan to use alternate routes on Highways 501, 22 and 31. Law enforcement will remain in the area until these roads fully reopen. So far, no structures have succumbed to the blaze and no injuries have been reported. Gov. Henry McMaster warned Saturday during the statewide burn ban that anyone starting a fire outdoors "can and will go to jail." "Our first responders and firefighters are risking their lives to contain many fires across South Carolina tonight," McMaster added. Evacuation orders were lifted Sunday evening. However, some shelters are still operating. The Carolina Forest Recreation Center will reopen on a delay Monday at noon.

USA Today [3/3/2025 9:28 AM, Christopher Cann, 75858K] reports firefighters in the Carolinas made gains against blazes that erupted over the weekend as weather officials on Monday warned of "extremely critical fire conditions" in the central U.S. Over 175 wind-fueled brush fires broke out in the Carolinas beginning Saturday, burning over 6.5 square miles of land and prompting authorities to evacuate residents and open emergency shelters. By Sunday night, fire officials announced they had gained momentum in extinguishing the blazes as winds slowed. The largest of the blazes, the Covington Lane Fire, torched 1,600 acres in Carolina Forest, South Carolina, a small community west of Myrtle Beach. The fire department in Horry County announced Sunday that residents who were evacuated in over a half dozen neighborhoods were being allowed back into their homes. The fire was 30% contained as of Sunday night. An evacuation order was still in place in Polk County, North Carolina, where firefighters were establishing containment lines around a 500-acre blaze that burned near the South Carolina border, about 40 miles southeast of Asheville. Polk County Emergency Management said the fire was 30% contained and the "decision to lift the evacuation order will be made tomorrow after back burn operations are complete.” South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued a state of emergency to unlock funds and resources for the wildfire response and recovery effort. A statewide ban on outdoor burning remains in effect. As fire officials grappled with the remaining blazes in the Carolinas, forecasters warned about high winds, low humidity and dry conditions that could quickly spread wildfires throughout the southern Plains, including southeastern Arizona, New Mexico, western Texas and Kansas. The National Weather Service said wind gusts could reach up to 60 mph in Texas, where some areas in the south are seeing dryness more comparable to the summer’s peak fire season than early March. Winds of 20 to 40 mph were expected across much of the region.

Washington Examiner [3/3/2025 11:17 AM, Jack Birle, 2296K] reports that North Carolina is still rebuilding after Hurricane Helene’s devastation, but a key piece of infrastructure partially reopened over the weekend. In the western part of the Tar Heel State, parts of various roadways vital for interstate travel and commerce, including Interstate-40, were washed away during flooding caused by the storm in September 2024. While the Tennessee portion of the interstate reopened in October, on Saturday, the North Carolina portion through the Pigeon River Gorge corridor reopened with one lane going in each direction. The North Carolina Department of Transportation announced that the highway would be open with narrow lanes, a reduced speed limit of 35 miles per hour, and an emergency-only lane on the eastbound side of the road. Other temporary modifications will be in effect as the road continues to be rebuilt. "We are happy to have this open for the people who depend on a connected transportation system between North Carolina and Tennessee," NCDOT Division 14 Engineer Wanda Payne said in a statement ahead of the reopening. "This opening improves the flow of people, goods and services between our two states and between locations far beyond Haywood County."

Yahoo! News [3/3/2025 7:44 PM, Killian Baarlaer, 52868K] reports a Floyd County man has died as the effects of severe weather and flooding persist in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear announced Monday. "Please join me in praying for his family during this difficult time," he wrote on social media. The commonwealth had gone nearly a week without an increase in the death toll from recent flooding prior to Monday’s announcement. Beshear announced a Graves County man died from floodwaters last week, making the total 23. Several inches of rain were dumped on all corners of Kentucky over the weekend of Feb. 15, with the highest totals falling on the southwest to central portion of the commonwealth, according to the National Weather Service. The storm prompted the NWS to issue 30 flood warnings and 47 flash flood warnings. Winter weather conditions followed the widespread rain, leaving 3-5 inches of snow in parts of Kentucky just days after the flooding started. Last week, President Donald Trump approved a major disaster declaration for Kentucky, enabling individuals, state and local government agencies and some nonprofit organizations to access federal relief funds. Beshear announced Monday that Estill, Simpson and Johnson counties are now eligible for individual assistance. Other eligible counties include Breathitt, Clay, Floyd, Harlan, Knott, Lee, Letcher, Martin, Owsley, Perry and Pike.

Yahoo! News [3/3/2025 5:42 PM, Jessica Gauthier, 52868K] reports a statewide wildfire advisory remains in effect, and the Alabama Forestry Commission has restricted all burn permits through Tuesday, March 4. The AFC says anyone who burns a field, grassland, or woodland without a burn permit may be subject to prosecution for committing a Class B misdemeanor. The commission warns, ahead of tomorrow’s storm system, relative humidities remain low, and gusty winds will result in erratic fire behavior, and anyone who has burned in the last few days should check their fires to make sure they are properly extinguished. Smoking piles immediately adjacent to flammable vegetation have the chance to rekindle and spread under these conditions. On Saturday, AFC firefighters responded to around 96 wildfires, and as of today, 41 fires have been reported.

Washington Examiner [3/3/2025 11:04 AM, Annabella Rosciglione, 2296K] reports that Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) proclaimed a state of emergency in California ahead of peak wildfire season to bypass some regulations. The governor’s office said the proclamation would "cut bureaucratic red tape" to bypass some environmental regulations, which slows down "critical" forest management projects. The proclamation comes nearly two months after fires devastated Los Angeles County, destroying thousands of homes and entire communities. "This year has already seen some of the most destructive wildfires in California history, and we’re only in March. Building on unprecedented work cutting red tape and making historic investments – we’re taking action with a state of emergency to fast-track critical wildfire projects even more," the governor said in a statement. "These are the forest management projects we need to protect our communities most vulnerable to wildfire, and we’re going to get them done," Newsom continued. The proclamation will temporarily suspend the California Environmental Quality Act, which requires public agencies to assess the environmental effect of their projects, and the Coastal Act, which serves as a guideline for how the land along the California coast is developed.

Reported similarly:
KTLA [3/3/2025 3:11 PM, Iman Palm]

The Center Square [3/3/2025 4:58 PM, Bethany Blankley] reports the Center to Advance Security in America has sued the Department of Homeland Security to compel bureaucrats to release records related to Secret Service staff possibly colluding with Democratic members of Congress to strip then presidential candidate Donald Trump of his Secret Service detail. In July, CASA’s director, James Fitzpatrick, filed Freedom of Information requests with DHS inquiring if DHS Legislative Affairs’ and Secret Service’s staff were involved with House Democrats who filed a bill to strip Trump of his USSS detail in the event that he were sentenced to prison, The Center Square exclusively reported. After more than six months of not receiving a response, CASA sued DHS on Monday. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. It states that it filed two FOIA requests last July and did not receive the requested information. It cites federal law, arguing DHS violated its FOIA obligations. It requests the court to require DHS to comply with federal FOIA requirements, provide the requested information and cover its attorney fees. Even though there’s a new administration, a new DHS secretary and new USSS director, the information has yet to be released and the public has a right to know, CASA argues.

Bloomberg [3/3/2025 10:08 AM, Cam Baker and Josh Saul, 16228K] reports that a wind turbine off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts was struck by lightning, according to the US Coast Guard. It was the same one that sent shards of debris onto beaches after a blade failure last year. While the lightning strike late last week may have affected the already broken blade, there’s no sign of damage to the structure or fresh debris, Vineyard Wind, the turbine’s operator, said in a statement Monday. Shards of fiberglass, foam and other materials from the broken blade forced the temporary closing of Nantucket beaches last summer and stirred up local opposition to wind farms. The US offshore wind industry has struggled with inflation and project cancellations in recent years. Future development is in question after the election of President Donald Trump, who routinely criticizes wind turbines. The industry’s challenging economics are also leading some companies to pull back, including GE Vernova Inc., which manufactured the broken blade in Nantucket.

Yahoo! News [3/3/2025 6:54 PM, Timothy Nazzaro, 52868K] reports highway officials closed a North Shore drawbridge during the Tuesday afternoon commute to make emergency repairs and let vessels pass underneath. According to a MassDOT spokesperson, the U.S. Coast Guard required the Chelsea Drawbridge to close from 4:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. to move three vessels and to allow bridge crews to make emergency repairs to damaged fiber optic cables. The closure caused severe traffic delays in the area.

AP [3/3/2025 10:37 AM, Bruce Shipkowski, 34586K] reports that the historic, aging ocean liner that a Florida county plans to turn into the world’s largest artificial reef has completed the first leg of its final voyage. The SS United States, a 1,000-foot (305-meter) vessel that shattered the trans-Atlantic speed record on its maiden voyage in 1952, arrived early Monday in Mobile, Alabama, nearly two weeks after departing from south Philadelphia’s Delaware River. The ship was due to arrive at a repair facility in Mobile later Monday. Crews will spend about six months cleaning and preparing the ship before it is eventually sunk off Florida’s Gulf Coast. The 1,800-mile (2,897-kilometer) move south started on Feb. 19, about four months after a years-old rent dispute was resolved between the conservancy that oversees the ship and its landlord. Plans to move the vessel last November were delayed over U.S. Coast Guard concerns about whether the ship was stable enough to make the trip. Officials in Okaloosa County on Florida’s coastal Panhandle hope the ship will become a barnacle-encrusted standout among the county’s more than 500 artificial reefs and a signature diving attraction that could generate millions of dollars annually in local tourism spending for scuba shops, charter fishing boats and hotels. Officials have said the deal to buy the ship could eventually cost more than $10 million.

Yahoo! News [3/3/2025 5:45 AM, Kristen Lawrence, 52868K] reports that, in late January, the Greek shipping company Eurobulk pleaded guilty to illegally discharging oily bilge water from one of its vessels and was met with a massive fine and probation. As KRIS 6 News reported, the company admitted to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships and falsifying records, according to U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. A U.S. District judge in Texas ordered Eurobulk to pay a $1.125 million criminal fine and serve four years’ probation for violating the APPS during a port call in Corpus Christi. "It is crucial that we strive to eliminate threats to our waters through holding overseas corporations accountable," Ganjei told gCaptain. The case involved the Good Heart, a Liberia-flagged vessel operated by Eurobulk, from which crew members made illegal oily water discharges and gave false records to the U.S. Coast Guard to cover up their environmental crimes. Court documents revealed that the Good Heart’s former chief engineer, Christos Charitos, told crew members on at least two occasions to dump oily waste overboard from the ship’s duct keel — a pipe that runs from the engine room and underneath cargo holds — without using the required oily water separator. The Maritime Executive reported that Charitos pleaded guilty to the crimes in September and was ordered to pay a $2,000 fine and serve one year of probation. Eurobulk was also required to pay a $375,000 community service penalty to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. "This outcome directly reflects our dedication to holding those who violate laws designed to prevent pollution of the marine environment accountable," Rear Adm. David Barata, commander of the USCG’s 8th District, told the news outlet. "The Coast Guard and our partners remain resolute in our mission to protect our waters, and we encourage the public to continue reporting any suspicious activities as every report is essential in our ongoing effort to preserve the health of our marine ecosystems.” Bilge water is wastewater that collects in the lowest compartment of a ship and contains a mixture of water, grease, oil, and other pollutants. When companies dump these chemicals into oceans, they can poison or kill marine animals, damage fragile habitats such as coral reefs and seagrass beds, reduce oxygen levels, and contaminate beaches.

Border Report [3/3/2025 3:00 PM, Anna Ashcraft, 117K] reports the United States Coast Guard and U.S. Customs and Border Protection took 21 migrants into custody off the coast of San Diego this week. The U.S. Coast Guard reports a 25-foot boat with 21 people aboard who are believed to be migrants was intercepted in the Pacific Ocean 20 miles off the coast of Point Loma in San Diego on Friday. The Coast Guard Cutter Haddock, a Coast Guard Sector San Diego crew, Coast Guard Cutter Forrest Rednour, and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations patrol aircraft intercepted the boat. The 21 people were transferred from the Coast Guard to U.S. Border Patrol custody.

Reuters [3/3/2025 2:46 PM, Austin Manes and Nicholas Tonckens, 41523K] reports that six weeks after President Trump returned to the Oval Office, there remains considerable uncertainty about how his administration will approach privacy and cybersecurity policy. The President has yet to name several top cybersecurity officials, and neither his campaign platform nor The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, from which the President has distanced himself, provides policy prescriptions. This makes it difficult to predict whether we can expect the cancellation, continuation, or modification of the prior administration’s initiatives, such as President Biden’s Jan. 17 executive order, "On Strengthening and Promoting Innovation in the Nation’s Cybersecurity," which has been removed from the White House website but not rescinded. President Trump’s only significant actions in this area since retaking office have involved two independent review boards, the Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB) and the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board (PCLOB). The termination of all CSRB members, appointed by the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), may slow or halt their investigation into the Salt Typhoon hack of U.S. telecommunications systems. The dismissal of the Democratic members of the PCLOB, which oversees key intelligence programs, may also affect international data transfers.

The AP [3/3/2025 6:50 PM, Lolita C. Baldor and David Klepper, 5269K] reports Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has paused offensive cyberoperations against Russia by U.S. Cyber Command, rolling back some efforts to contend with a key adversary even as national security experts call for the U.S. to expand those capabilities. A U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations, on Monday confirmed the pause. Hegseth’s decision does not affect cyberoperations conducted by other agencies, including the CIA and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. But the Trump administration also has rolled back other efforts at the FBI and other agencies related to countering digital and cyber threats. The Pentagon decision, which was first reported by The Record, comes as many national security and cybersecurity experts have urged greater investments in cyber defense and offense, particularly as China and Russia have sought to interfere with the nation’s economy, elections and security. Republican lawmakers and national security experts have all called for a greater offensive posture. During his Senate confirmation hearing this year, CIA Director John Ratcliffe said America’s rivals have shown that they believe cyberespionage — retrieving sensitive information and disrupting American business and infrastructure — to be an essential weapon of the modern arsenal. “I want us to have all of the tools necessary to go on offense against our adversaries in the cyber community,” Ratcliffe said. Cyber Command oversees and coordinates the Pentagon’s cybersecurity work and is known as America’s first line of defense in cyberspace. It also plans offensive cyberoperations for potential use against adversaries. Hegseth’s directive arrived before Friday’s dustup between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the Oval Office. It wasn’t clear if the pause was tied to any negotiating tactic by the Trump administration to push Moscow into a peace deal with Ukraine. The Hill [3/3/2025 2:20 PM, Julia Shapero, 12829K] reports that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), a civilian cyber defense agency that is separate from Cyber Command, emphasized Sunday that there "has been no change in our posture." "CISA’s mission is to defend against all cyber threats to U.S. Critical Infrastructure, including from Russia," the agency wrote on X. "There has been no change in our posture. Any reporting to the contrary is fake and undermines our national security." Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) slammed the Trump administration on Sunday, calling the move a "critical strategic mistake." The Washington Examiner [3/3/2025 1:28 PM, Mike Brest, 2296K] reports that tthe Department of Homeland Security has disputed reporting that the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has decided not to follow or report on Russian cyber threats. "The memo referenced in the Guardian’s ‘reporting’ is not from the Trump Administration, which is quite inconvenient to the Guardian’s preferred narrative," DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said. "CISA remains committed to addressing all cyber threats to U.S. critical infrastructure, including from Russia. There has been no change in our posture or priority on this front."

CyberScoop [3/4/2025 12:00 PM, Tim Starks] reports the Department of Homeland Security said that its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency will continue to pay attention to Russian cyber threats, contrary to media reports suggesting the opposite. The Guardian reported last week that a recent CISA memo setting out priorities for the agency didn’t list Russia among them, while including Chinese threats and critical infrastructure protection. It further reported that analysts at the agency were verbally told not to follow or report on Russian cyber threats. “The memo referenced in the Guardian’s ‘reporting’ is not from the Trump Administration, which is quite inconvenient to the Guardian’s preferred narrative,” said Tricia McLaughlin, DHS spokesperson. “CISA remains committed to addressing all cyber threats to U.S. critical infrastructure, including from Russia. There has been no change in our posture or priority on this front.” Washington Post also reported that some CISA experts had been directed to focus on adversaries other than Russia. DHS also told the Post its posture had not changed. The two stories came as the Trump administration is seeking to improve relations with Moscow, and as the administration has reportedly paused cyber offensive operations against Russia. The notion of ceasing attention on Russian cyber threats is a poor one, some cyber experts have observed. “The biggest procedural issue with ‘stop tracking Russian cyber threat actor groups’ (though there are many other issues) is that we don’t know until the end of the attribution lifecycle which data corresponds to which nations,” wrote Jacob Williams, a former vulnerability analyst at the Defense Department and now vice president of research and development at Hunter Strategy. “Given all the administration focus on ‘efficiency’ this makes no sense. Under the current framework, an analyst would have to throw away their analysis if they reach the conclusion that a threat they’re tracking is a Russian threat actor.” Congressional Democrats have criticized the reported shift. “I am deeply concerned by reports that the Administration does not see Russia as a significant cyber threat and is halting actions to counter Russian cyber activity,” said Mississippi Rep. Bennie Thompson, the top Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee, who is requesting a panel hearing on the subject. “To capitulate now, as we appear to bail on our allies in Ukraine, is an inexplicable dereliction of duty that puts American critical infrastructure at risk.”

Reuters [3/3/2025 9:01 PM, Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali, 41523K] reports Democratic lawmakers are demanding an explanation from the Pentagon over an order to pause offensive cyber operations against Russia during negotiations aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. The pause in such cyber operations, which is not unusual during sensitive diplomatic initiatives, was first reported by The Record and was confirmed to Reuters by two sources familiar with the matter, speaking on condition of anonymity. Offensive cyber operations, which disrupt or disable rivals’ computer networks, are distinct from cyberespionage, which is aimed at intercepting data. The details of the pause have not been made public, but it has further rattled Democratic lawmakers disturbed by President Donald Trump’s administration’s conciliatory approach toward Moscow. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the move. "It is a critical strategic mistake for Donald Trump to unilaterally disarm against Putin," Schumer said on X on Sunday. "The best defense is always a strong offense, and that’s true for cybersecurity too," he added. Representative Adam Smith, the top Democrat in the House Armed Services Committee, said on Monday the Pentagon owed Congress an explanation, including about the scope of the order and the expected impact on U.S. allies. Smith also asked "whether any risk assessment was made in advance of the order or is currently underway as a result of the order.". The Pentagon declined to comment. "Due to operational security concerns, we do not comment nor discuss cyber intelligence, plans, or operations," a senior U.S. defense official said.

Reported similarly:
Yahoo! News [3/3/2025 10:08 AM, Edward Helmore, 52868K]

Bloomberg [3/3/2025 8:26 PM, Tony Capaccio, 3973K] reports the Pentagon has denied media reports that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth had ordered a halt in offensive cyber operations against Russia, according to a senior defense official. Hegseth has neither canceled nor delayed any cyber operations directed against malicious Russian targets and there has been no stand-down order whatsoever from that priority, said the official who was granted anonymity to discuss internal decisions. The denial came after The Record, a cybersecurity publication, reported that Hegseth had ordered the U.S. Cyber Command to stand down from all planning against Russia, including offensive digital actions. The story was followed by Washington Post and New York Times that added their own confirmations from unnamed officials. The reported halt drew angry responses from Democrats including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who said the Trump administration was giving "a free pass as Russia continues to launch cyber operations and ransomware attacks against critical American infrastructure.” The reports about the halt said it had occurred before Trump and Zelenskyy openly clashed in the Oval Office on Friday. It was characterized as an effort to get Russia to agree to negotiations on ending the Ukraine conflict. Asked about the earlier reports on the cessation of operations, the Pentagon declined to comment but said Hegseth has no greater priority than the safety of U.S. troops. The U.S. Cyber Command oversees 135 "cyber mission force" teams, or its "action arm," the command says on its website. The units involved in offensive operations are Cyber Combat Mission Teams. Separately, Trump has ordered a pause to all military assistance to Ukraine until Trump determines the country’s leaders demonstrate a good-faith commitment to peace, according to a senior Defense Department official, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations. The official said all U.S. military equipment not currently in Ukraine would be paused, including weapons in transit on aircraft and ships or waiting in transit areas in Poland.

USA Today [3/3/2025 8:36 AM, N’dea Yancey-Bragg, 75858K] reports the number of hate crimes reported to police in the nation’s largest cities fell slightly in 2024 – an unprecedented and unexpected decline in an election year when experts predicted such crimes would rise, according to preliminary data from the Crime and Justice Research Alliance shared first with USA TODAY. At least 3,268 hate crimes were reported across 42 major cities including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, Portland, Ore., Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia last year, a decrease of about 2.7% from the record high hit in 2023, the data shows. The report found the 10 most populous cities saw an even larger decline, but anti-Jewish and anti-Muslim incidents continued to rise amid the Israel-Hamas war. "This is the first time since modern record keeping started in ‘91 nationally, that an election year was down, but we had an unusual increase the year before, because of an unexpected international conflict," said Brian Levin, a research analyst from the Crime and Justice Research Alliance and professor emeritus at California State University, San Bernardino. Hate crimes have been on the rise in the United States over the past decade, Levin said, and he and other experts previously warned they would likely continue to rise in 2024. But unlike in 2016 when there was an "explosion" of hate crimes in the month of the election, some major cities saw a "significant decline" in hate crimes in the last months of 2024, Levin said. Levin said this could have happened because some people felt emboldened to express their bigotry in ways that wouldn’t constitute a crime, particularly as social media platforms loosened curbs on hate speech. "I think a lot of people were expressing their prejudice in other ways, at rallies or online, and venting their frustrations," Levin said. Levin said it’s not clear the decline will persist. The number of people killed by extremists in America in 2025 has already exceed last year’s death toll and is expected to rise even higher, according to data provided exclusively to USA TODAY by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism last month. "It’s not that crisis has declined ... this may be a coiled spring, where the prejudicial stereotypes that are now so widely circulated, one of them is going to spark something," Levin said. Anti-Muslim hate crimes increased 18% across 28 cities, while hate crimes against Jews rose by about 11% in 35 cities and are projected to reach another consecutive record, according to Levin’s data. This data reflects trends observed by advocacy organizations for both groups.

The Washington Post [3/3/2025 4:02 PM, Susan Berger, 31735K] reports that nearly three years after seven people were killed while attending a Fourth of July parade in suburban Chicago, Robert E. Crimo III pleaded guilty on Monday to dozens of counts of murder and attempted murder. “Is this what you want to do today, plead guilty?” Lake County Judge Victoria A. Rossetti asked Crimo. “Yes,” Crimo, 24, responded. Wearing a black suit and white shirt, Crimo stared straight ahead as his guilty plea to 69 criminal counts was read. His mother, Denise Pesina, objected, and an officer was about to remove her before Rossetti intervened. Crimo’s sentencing is scheduled for April 23, but Rossetti said Crimo would serve life in prison and would not be eligible for parole. “I think there was a huge collective sigh of relief,” said Ashbey Beasley, who said she and her son attended the 2022 parade and “ran for [their] lives” when the shooting began. “We wanted justice.” Law enforcement officials have said Crimo planned the attack in Highland Park, Illinois, for weeks. He allegedly opened fire from a rooftop overlooking a Fourth of July parade with an AR-style rifle and then fled the scene disguised in women’s clothing. He drove around the college town of Madison, Wisconsin, where he contemplated another mass shooting, according to prosecutors. The Washington Examiner [3/3/2025 1:15 PM, Annabella Rosciglione, 2296K] reports that Robert "Bobby" E. Crimo III pleaded guilty on Monday to 21 counts of first-degree murder and 48 counts of attempted murder stemming from the July 4, 2022, mass shooting in the affluent Chicago suburb of Highland Park, Illinois. Crimo killed Stephen Straus, 88; Nicolas Toledo-Zaragoza, 78; Eduardo Uvaldo, 69; Katherine Goldstein, 64; Jacquelyn Sundheim, 63; and married couple Kevin McCarthy, 37, and Irina McCarthy, 35. After the shooting, Crimo made it home, where he then took his mother’s car and drove about two hours north to Madison, Wisconsin. There, he allegedly considered staging another massacre at another July Fourth gathering. He was arrested upon returning to Illinois. Prosecutors turned over around 10,000 pages of evidence and a videotaped interrogation, evidence in which police say Crimo confessed to the mass shooting. Reuters [3/3/2025 2:09 PM, Staff, 41523K] reports that a judge set Crimo’s sentencing hearing for April 23. Under law, Crimo will receive a life prison sentence, the newspaper reported. Crimo is accused of climbing on to the roof of a building in downtown Highland Park, a suburb 25 miles (40 km) north of Chicago, and opening fire on spectators and participants at the parade. A synagogue teacher, a Mexican grandfather, and the parents of a two-year-old were among the victims.

Washington Examiner [3/3/2025 1:14 PM, Jack Birle, 2296K] reports that DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence application, has raised concerns among lawmakers, with two members of the House of Representatives imploring governors to act as they attempt regulation at the federal level. Reps. Darin LaHood (R-IL) and Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), both members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, have proposed legislation banning DeepSeek on federal government devices. Now, they are taking their plea to governors. The two congressmen wrote to governors across the country imploring them to ban DeepSeek on government devices at the state level. "By using DeepSeek, users are unknowingly sharing highly sensitive, proprietary information with the [Chinese Communist Party] — such as contracts, documents, and financial records. In the wrong hands, this data is an enormous asset to the CCP, a known foreign adversary. The CCP has made it abundantly clear that it will exploit any tool at its disposal to undermine our national security, spew harmful disinformation, and collect data on Americans," the lawmakers said in the letter. "The U.S. has been a leader in raising concerns on companies tied to the CCP, most notably Huawei and Byte Dance, that pose a direct threat to our national security. Now, we have deeply disturbing evidence that the CCP could use DeepSeek to steal the sensitive data of U.S. citizens," the letter continued.

FOX News [3/3/2025 6:18 PM, Diana Stancy, 46189K] reports momentum is building among some Republicans and SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk to withdraw the U.S. from NATO amid stalled negotiations to end the war in Ukraine. While President Donald Trump reportedly privately floated pulling the U.S. from the alliance during his first term, Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has publicly backed such efforts in recent weeks and said it’s "time to leave" the alliance after NATO countries held an emergency meeting with Ukraine in London without the U.S. Lee said in an X post on Sunday that if "NATO is moving on without the U.S.," the U.S. should "move on from NATO." Lee also suggested various names for the movement on Monday. "What should we call the movement to get America out of NATO? AmerExit? NATexit?" Lee said in an X post on Monday, referencing Brexit, the term used to describe the U.K.’s withdrawal from the European Union. "It’s a good thing our NATO allies give us such favorable trade terms based on the fact that we provide a disproportionate share of their security needs Oh wait ….They don’t," Lee said in another Monday post on X. Lee isn’t the only lawmaker expressing such sentiments. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said Sunday in a post on X that "NATO is a Cold War relic that needs to be relegated to a talking kiosk at the Smithsonian.". The push to pull out of NATO coincides with stalled negotiations to end the war in Ukraine as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has sought for Ukraine to become a NATO member after Russia invaded his country in 2022. But Trump kicked Zelenskyy out of the White House on Friday after meeting to secure a deal, saying Zelenskyy was welcome back when he was ready for peace. Pulling the U.S. from NATO would require Congressional approval. A bipartisan provision included in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Bill requires that the executive branch would need support from 60 senators, or passage of legislation in Congress, to pull out of the alliance. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., and then-Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who is now Trump’s Secretary of State, spearheaded the provision.

New York Times [3/4/2025 3:41 AM, Lisa Friedman, 330K] reports President Trump has promised to “drill, baby, drill.” Now, he also wants to log. On Saturday, Mr. Trump directed federal agencies to examine ways to bypass endangered species protections and other environmental regulations to ramp up timber production across 280 million acres of national forests and other public lands. The move appears aimed at increasing domestic supply as the president considers tariffs on timber imports from Canada, Germany, Brazil and elsewhere. Environmental groups say increased logging would decimate American forests, pollute air and water and devastate wildlife habitats. And because trees absorb and store carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, cutting them down releases it back into the atmosphere, adding to global warming. “Trump’s order will unleash the chain saws and bulldozers on our federal forests,” said Randi Spivak, the public lands policy director for the Center for Biological Diversity, an environmental group. “Clearcutting these beautiful places will increase fire risk, drive species to extinction, pollute our rivers and streams, and destroy world-class recreation sites,” she said. As part of his executive order, Mr. Trump directed the Commerce Department to investigate whether other countries were dumping lumber into American markets. The inquiry could result in tariffs on Canada, the top supplier of lumber into the United States. In 2021, the United States imported 46 percent of its forest products from Canada and 13 percent from China, according to the U.S. International Trade Commission. But the country is also a timber exporter, sending nearly $10 billion worth of forest products to Canada. A companion directive signed by Mr. Trump said that “onerous” federal policies have prevented the United States from developing a sufficient timber supply, increasing housing and construction costs and threatening national security. Mr. Trump called for the convening of a committee of high-level officials nicknamed the God Squad because it can override the landmark Endangered Species Act so that development or other projects can proceed even if they might result in an extinction. The committee has rarely been convened since it was created, in 1978, through an amendment to the endangered species law to allow for action during emergencies like hurricanes and wildfires.

Yahoo! News [3/4/2025 1:18 AM, Staff, 52868K] reports the administration of US President Donald Trump is temporarily suspending US military aid for Ukraine, the White House confirmed on Monday. Trump had made it unmistakably clear his focus was on peace, the White House told dpa. The move comes just days after Trump clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office. New York Times reported support would be resumed once Trump had determined Ukraine was committed to peace negotiations with Russia. The suspension takes effect immediately, impacting more than $1 billion worth of weapons and ammunition already ordered or in the process of being delivered, according to the report. Washington Post reported that the decision was made during a White House meeting on Monday, where Trump discussed the matter with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. During his election campaign, Trump had questioned the necessity of US aid to Ukraine. After a tense exchange with Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday, he openly threatened to withdraw all US support. Earlier on Monday, Trump warned that Washington’s patience with Kiev may be running out. His remarks came in response to Zelensky’s comments in London, where the Ukrainian leader told reporters that a peace deal to end the war remained "very, very far away.” "This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!" He went on to accuse Zelensky of deliberately prolonging the conflict, adding, "It is what I was saying, this guy doesn’t want there to be peace as long as he has America’s backing.” "Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the US - Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?" Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.

CNN [3/3/2025 4:58 PM, Alayna Treene, Natasha Bertrand, and Kevin Liptak, 908K] reports that top Trump Cabinet secretaries and national security officials are holding meetings this week to discuss the administration’s next steps on Ukraine – including the prospect of suspending military aid – following the spectacular collapse of Friday’s Oval Office meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz, among others, planned to meet Monday as they map out how to move forward with peace talks, a Trump administration official and a State Department official told CNN. "We’re going to have a broad discussion on what’s next," Waltz told CNN on Monday. There was little evidence the ill will between Washington and Kyiv was waning three days after the Oval Office blow up. Trump and top advisers continued to harshly criticize Zelensky for his demeanor and outlook on the war, refusing to rule out the notion he should resign. Trump on Monday slammed Zelensky’s remarks to reporters that the end to the war "is still very, very far away." "This is the worst statement that could have been made by Zelenskyy, and America will not put up with it for much longer!" Trump posted on Truth Social. "[T]his guy doesn’t want there to be Peace as long as he has America’s backing and, Europe, in the meeting they had with Zelenskyy, stated flatly that they cannot do the job without the U.S. – Probably not a great statement to have been made in terms of a show of strength against Russia. What are they thinking?"

FOX News [3/3/2025 6:36 AM, Staff, 46189K] reports Michael Allen, former special assistant for national security, joined ‘Fox & Friends First’ to discuss what’s next after President Donald Trump’s explosive meeting with Zelenskyy and Israel’s acceptance of a deal to extend the ceasefire with Hamas. [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

Newsweek [3/3/2025 11:22 PM, Adeola Adeosun, 3973K] reports Vice President JD Vance delivered a pointed message to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Fox News’ Hannity on Monday, following Friday’s heated White House meeting: "My message to Ukrainians, to President Zelensky, is when you’ve lost Lindsey Graham, that means you need to come to the negotiation table and recognize Donald Trump is the only game in town." This statement comes as President Donald Trump has ordered a pause on all military aid to Ukraine, according to reports from Bloomberg and the Associated Press. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last week entered its fourth year, with the U.S. previously providing billions in military and humanitarian support. The Trump administration has significantly shifted America’s approach to the conflict, suggesting Ukraine might bear responsibility for the war and describing Zelensky as a "dictator" who should hold new elections. This policy reversal could fundamentally alter Ukraine’s defense capabilities at a critical moment in the conflict. Friday’s controversial Oval Office meeting was initially scheduled for Trump and Zelensky to sign a minerals deal and discuss potential paths to end the Russia-Ukraine war. The meeting deteriorated when Vance confronted Zelensky about a September visit to a munitions plant in Scranton, Pennsylvania. "You went to Pennsylvania and campaigned for the opposition in October. Offer some words of appreciation for the United States of America and the president who is trying to save your country," Vance said during the meeting. Republicans allege that Zelensky’s Pennsylvania visit was improper campaign support for then-Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Kamala Harris, despite Zelensky’s insistence that the visit was diplomatic in nature. Zelensky had also previously described Vance as "too radical" in a New Yorker interview, further straining relations. The reference to Senator Lindsey Graham by Vance is particularly significant, as the South Carolina Republican has been among Ukraine’s most vocal and consistent GOP supporters since the 2022 invasion, frequently advocating for increased military aid and stronger sanctions against Russia. But Graham ripped Zelensky on Fox News following the Oval Office discord: "This was a missed opportunity, and the question for me for the Ukrainian people: I don’t know if Zelensky can ever get you to where you want to go with the United States. Either he dramatically changes, or you need to get somebody new." [Editorial note: consult video at source link]

USA Today [3/3/2025 6:10 PM, Cybele Mayes-Osterman and Francesca Chambers, 75858K] reports that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said he is "ready to sign" a deal to grant the U.S. access to his country’s rare earth minerals, days after President Donald Trump publicly berated him at the White House. In an Oval Office clash before the press corps on Friday with shockwaves that reverberated worldwide, Trump admonished Zelenskyy for "gambling with World War III." His vice president, JD Vance, demanded he thank Trump more for U.S. support. Trump, who’d been expected to sign a deal, abruptly sent Zelenskyy packing, saying in a social media post that the Ukrainian president could "come back when he is ready for Peace." Zelenskyy stated on Sunday he was still prepared to sign the agreement. "I just want the Ukrainian position to be heard," he told reporters, through a translator, in London, where European leaders convened a hasty meeting after the blowup. "I think our relationship will continue," Zelenskyy said of the U.S. "I do not think it’s right when such discussions are totally open." The shouting match between Trump, Vance and Zelenskyy left the deal, and U.S. military support for Ukraine, in the air, as Europe scrambled to cobble together a separate peace plan. Since he took office, Trump has made an about-face in the country’s financial support for Ukraine, first demanding economic payback in the form of the mineral deal, then signaling after Friday’s fight that additional U.S. military assistance could be on the line. The Ukrainian president has said he would sign the minerals deal, but he wants a clear commitment from the U.S. about protection for his country.

New York Times [3/3/2025 9:48 PM, Marc Santora, 145325K] reports that President Volodymyr Zelensky returned to Ukraine on Monday after a whirlwind diplomatic mission that included both humiliation, by President Trump, and a warm embrace, from European leaders. He vowed to use all diplomatic avenues to pursue an end to Ukraine’s war with Russia, but acknowledged there was “a long way to go.” Russia has given no indication that it will accept any terms other than Ukrainian capitulation and permanent conquest of a large swath of Ukraine — and Mr. Trump makes clearer by the day that his intent is to stand with Moscow. Ukrainians have insisted they will not lay down their arms unless they receive security guarantees, supported by the United States, that would prevent the Kremlin from regrouping and attacking again. After a disastrous meeting with Mr. Trump on Friday, in which the American president and Vice President JD Vance berated him as being ungrateful, Mr. Zelensky received a show of support from Europe’s democracies on Sunday, which pledged to work with Ukraine to come up with a peace plan that it could then present to the United States. Mr. Zelensky has said American buy-in for a peace plan is important and seemed to go further in his efforts to smooth things over with the White House. “We are grateful for all the support we have received from the United States,” he said in his address to the nation Sunday night. “There hasn’t been a single day when we haven’t felt grateful.” “There will be diplomacy for peace,” Mr. Zelensky said. “And for the sake of all of us standing together — Ukraine, the whole of Europe, and necessarily America.”

Washington Examiner [3/3/2025 11:09 AM, Haisten Willis, 2296K] reports that the minerals deal offered to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky would benefit the world for a generation, national security adviser Mike Waltz claimed Monday. "He could have been left with an economic guarantee that would have benefited Ukraine and, I think, the world for a generation," Waltz said at the White House. "So, it’s really confounding to us why we had such hostility coming into [the meeting on Friday]." That meeting between Zelensky and President Donald Trump ended with the minerals deal unsigned and a scheduled press conference canceled as the Ukrainian leader headed to Europe. The Trump administration said the minerals deal includes de facto security benefits because the United States would have a stake in the country’s economy that can only survive in peace. Still, Zelensky is pushing for a full-scale security guarantee, a disagreement that underpinned the Oval Office shouting match last Friday. Zelensky has since been talking with supportive European leaders who may try to forge their own deal, something Waltz said the U.S. supports. "We welcome the Europeans taking a lead in European security," he said. "We welcome Europe stepping up for Europe, but they have to also invest in the capabilities to do so."

NBC News [3/3/2025 2:35 PM, Daniel Arkin, 44742K] reports that President Donald Trump has said Ukraine — not Russia — started the war. He’s called Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy — not Vladimir Putin — a dictator. Meanwhile, Trump’s administration is standing down on a suite of tough anti-Kremlin policies. In just over a month, Trump has executed a startling realignment of American foreign policy, effectively throwing U.S. support behind Moscow and rejecting the tight alliance with Kyiv cultivated by former President Joe Biden. The extraordinary pivot has upended decades of hawkish foreign policy toward Russia that provided a rare area of bipartisan consensus in an increasingly divided nation. Trump’s recent moves have drawn international attention, unsettling U.S. allies in Europe and thrilling conservative populists who favor a turn away from Zelenskyy. The new posture was put in stark relief on Friday during a tense Oval Office meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy. The leaders clashed in front of the press, raising questions about the future of American support for Kyiv, more than three years after Russia opened the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. In recent weeks, U.S. officials have made a series of policy changes that seem to herald a more cooperative stance with Russia: In late February, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the U.S. Cyber Command to cease offensive cyber operations and information operations against Russia, a U.S. official familiar with the matter told NBC News. It’s unclear how long the order will last.

Newsweek [3/3/2025 12:30 PM, Maya Mehrara, 3973K] reports that amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) has alleged in its Sunday assessment that the Kremlin is "trying to sabotage" the rare earths deal between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Newsweek reached out to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation for comment via email outside of business hours. If the Kremlin is "trying to sabotage" the rare earths deal between the U.S. and Ukraine, it could jeopardize Kyiv’s ability to come out of peace negotiations with territorial integrity following Moscow’s February 2022 invasion. Russia’s alleged efforts could have ramifications on Ukraine’s economy for decades to come, depending on the outcome of the rare earths deal. In its Sunday assessment, the ISW, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, wrote that "recent Russian official statements in response to the proposed US-Ukraine mineral deal indicate that the Kremlin is trying to sabotage the deal through narratives targeting Ukrainian and American audiences. The Kremlin is claiming that this mineral deal does not benefit Ukraine while also claiming that Russia can make a better offer to the United States, indicating that Moscow sees the deal as harmful to its objectives.". The ISW’s allegation is based on several Russian figures pushing the idea that Ukraine will "sell out" the country by pursuing the deal with the U.S.

CBS News [3/3/2025 8:13 AM, Staff, 51661K] reports a stabbing in the northern Israeli city of Haifa left one person and the attacker dead, authorities said Monday, in the first such fatal incident since the Gaza ceasefire began in January. The knife attack came just one day after Israel blocked aid to the Gaza Strip amid an impasse with Hamas over how to extend the ceasefire in the decimated Palestinian territory. The six-week first phase of the truce ended on Saturday. It had enabled the entry of vital food, shelter and medical assistance for the roughly 2 million people living in Gaza and the return of 33 Israeli hostages, both dead and alive. But there was nothing immediately agreed upon to keep the relative peace. Negotiations for a second phase of the deal have not started yet as intended, and Israel insisted over the weekend on an intermediary measure it has attributed to the Trump administration, which would significantly change the rough terms of the agreement that were initially discussed. The Israeli decision to halt the entry of all aid to Gaza drew a call from the United Nations and many Arab nations in the region for an immediate restoration of the truck convoys. Monday’s attack happened at a bus and train station in Haifa, a large coastal city in northern Israel that is home to a mixed Jewish and Arab population. Israel’s Magen David Adom emergency service said it had pronounced dead a man aged about 70 and treated four other wounded people. Police called it a terrorist attack and said the perpetrator was killed, but there were unconfirmed reports suggesting the man could have been inadvertently hit by a bullet fired by Israeli security forces responding to the knife attack. After Israel launched its war in Gaza in response to Hamas’ unprecedented terrorist assault, repeated attacks — often involving knives — saw people killed or wounded in Israel. Until Monday, however, the Gaza ceasefire had coincided with a halt to such attacks within Israel, as violence largely subsided in Gaza after more than 15 months of war between Israel and Hamas. Police identified the assailant on Monday as a member of Israel’s Druze Arab minority who had recently returned from another, unspecified country. Hamas lauded the attack in Haifa, calling it a response to purported Israeli crimes "in the West Bank, Gaza and Jerusalem, including killing, destruction and displacement in the northern West Bank, the siege on Gaza, projects to displace Palestinians from the Jordan Valley, and the desecration of Al-Aqsa Mosque."

New York Times [3/4/2025 5:04 AM, Vivian Yee, 145325K] reports that, when leaders of every Arab country meet for an emergency summit in Cairo on Tuesday, they will face pressure to come up with something that has proved elusive for decades: a comprehensive Arab vision for Gaza, just as the Israel-Hamas cease-fire is teetering and Israel, buoyed by President Trump’s backing, holds the upper hand. “Arab Summit: Rescue mission,” read the stark headline on Saturday in Al-Ahram, Egypt’s state-owned flagship newspaper, over an article outlining the “uphill task” facing Arab leaders. The summit was originally called in response to Mr. Trump’s proposal last month to expel Palestinians from Gaza, send them to Egypt and Jordan and turn the territory into a tourism hub, an idea much of the world has rejected as ethnic cleansing. Egypt, Jordan and Arab allies have pushed back on the plan, saying it would destroy any remaining hope of a Palestinian state, threaten their national security and destabilize the entire region. Mr. Trump appeared to soften his position recently, saying in an interview that he was “not forcing it.” But the Arab world remains deeply concerned about Gaza, especially now that the cease-fire that has paused the bloodshed there for six weeks and seen Israel and Hamas exchange Palestinian prisoners for Israeli hostages is in doubt. In the latest crisis to shake the agreement, Israel began blocking all aid and goods from entering Gaza on Sunday, attempting to strong-arm Hamas into delaying a permanent end to the war. Israel also recently drove tens of thousands of Palestinians from their homes in the West Bank and ruled out allowing them to return, intensifying Arab fears that an Israel emboldened by Mr. Trump’s support will attempt to annex the West Bank. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has haunted the Middle East for decades. But recent events have brought the question of how to resolve it to a head, forcing Arab countries to scramble over the last few weeks to respond to Israel’s actions and come up with a counter proposal to Mr. Trump’s. Beyond insisting on Palestinian statehood and rejecting forcible displacement, Arab countries have not yet agreed on an alternative vision for Gaza — let alone one that Palestinian political factions, Israel, the United States and other countries would sign on to. The leaders of Egypt, Jordan and Gulf Arab states met last month in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to strategize ahead of Tuesday’s summit in Cairo, which will include all 22 members of the Arab League as well as the United Nations secretary-general and the European Council’s president.

VOA News [3/4/2025 12:46 AM, Fatima Tlis, 2913K] reports the United States may become the second country after Australia to ban China’s DeepSeek artificial intelligence on government devices. U.S. Representatives Josh Gottheimer and Darin LaHood introduced a bipartisan bill proposing the ban. In their letter to 47 U.S. governors and the mayor of Washington, the congressmen warned that DeepSeek could pose security risks to sensitive government data and cybersecurity and Americans’ privacy, NBC News reported on March 3. China denies the allegations. However, concerns highlighted by the U.S. lawmakers and state officials are not without merit, experts say. The Chinese government has reportedly also used AI models like DeepSeek for mass surveillance, including the collection of biometric data and social media listening models that report to China’s security services and the military, as well as for information attacks on U.S. and Chinese dissidents abroad. At least three leading Chinese surveillance and security companies — TopSec, QAX and NetEase — announced the integration of DeepSeek to enhance their services. All three companies provide services to the Chinese government, and some made it clear that DeepSeek will improve their cyber censorship and surveillance capabilities. This includes AI-driven biometric data capturing, face recognition and surveillance technologies such as "smart cities," the Skynet Project, and the Xueliang Project, which can monitor all aspects of an individual’s public life, Wenhao Ma of VOA’s China Division reported. In January, Canadian cybersecurity firm Feroot Security uncovered a code imbedded in DeepSeek’s login processes that shares user information with Chinese state-owned communication company China Mobile, AP reported. The Associated Press described the code as a “heavily obfuscated computer script that when deciphered shows connections to computer infrastructure owned by China Mobile.” The U.S. banned China Mobile in 2019 following intelligence reports that it serves as the Chinese military’s spy arm.

New York Times [3/4/2025 3:51 AM, Alexandra Stevenson, 145325K] reports China signaled on Tuesday that it is willing to go further than before in its trade tit-for-tat with President Trump by hitting a top American biotechnology company. China’s Ministry of Commerce said it would ban Illumina, a San Diego company, from importing its gene-mapping products in China. Illumina is the world’s leading producer of gene-sequencing machines and counts on China for 7 percent of its sales. Beijing also said it took action against dozens of other companies from the United States as part of a volley of action against Washington in retaliation for another of tariffs. Chinese officials singled out 15 companies, including the drone maker Skydio, for punitive trade measures to “safeguard national security and interests.” It also said it added another 10 American companies to what it calls an “unreliable entities list” preventing them from doing any business in China. Both blacklists have increasingly become go-to tactics for Beijing in striking back at Washington in their escalating trade war. But in the past, Beijing has taken narrower action, targeting defense companies related to arms sales with Taiwan and companies with little to no presence in China. This time Beijing went further and banned Illumina from doing business in China, accusing it of violating market transaction rules and discriminating against Chinese companies. Beijing put the company on a blacklist last month, together with PVH, the clothing maker behind Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. Illumina said it was assessing Beijing’s action “to fully understand the impact on our operations in China,” but that it would continue to serve its customers in China. “We respect and abide by Chinese laws and regulations, and we are committed to operating in compliance with the latest guidelines from the Ministry of Commerce,” an Illumina spokeswoman said in a statement. Up until now, China has been reluctant to take retaliatory swipes that would affect American companies’ businesses for fear of spooking foreign investors. Even after targeting Illumina, Chinese officials sought to pre-empt concerns.

Washington Post [3/3/2025 5:00 PM, Michael Birnbaum, Cat Zakrzewski, and Matt Viser, 31735K] reports that the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. announced plans Monday alongside President Donald Trump to invest $100 billion in U.S. chips manufacturing over the next four years, as the president seeks to move manufacturing jobs into the United States from abroad. The investment will bolster U.S. production of cutting-edge chips, a goal shared by both Democratic and Republican administrations after decades in which most manufacturing has moved to Asia. The company said that the money came on top of its previously announced investments of $65 billion in factories in Arizona. Trump on Monday credited his threats to impose tariffs on imported semiconductor chips as the spur for the investment, an assertion that prompted a smile by TSMC’s chairman and chief executive, C.C. Wei, who joined the president at the White House for the announcement. TSMC is the world’s leading semiconductor manufacturer. It fabricates chips for clients including Apple and Nvidia that are used for cellphones, artificial intelligence, high-tech military hardware and more. The company has previously limited production of its most advanced chips to its home facilities in Taiwan, and U.S. leaders have increasingly viewed the concentration of chip manufacturing on the island as an economic and security vulnerability for the United States.

Newsweek [3/4/2025 3:31 AM, Ryan Chan, 52220K] reports Japan, a United States ally in the Indo-Pacific region, reportedly sent a warship to a contested waterway between China and the self-ruled island of Taiwan in early February. Newsweek has emailed the Chinese and Taiwanese defense ministries for comment. The Japanese military did not immediately respond to a written request for comment. China has long claimed that it has "sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction" over the 110-mile-wide Taiwan Strait, a strategic waterway that links the East China Sea with the South China Sea, where China has territorial disputes with its neighboring countries. According to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a state’s sovereignty ends after the 12 nautical miles of its territorial sea. The U.S. and its allies have deployed their navies to the Taiwan Strait to assert the freedom of navigation in international waters. Citing a government source in Tokyo, Japan’s Kyodo News Agency reported on Saturday that JS Akizuki, a Japanese destroyer, passed through the Taiwan Strait after a joint naval drill on February 5 in the South China Sea with the U.S., Australia, and the Philippines. This is the second Taiwan Strait transit carried out by the Japanese navy since September 2024, when destroyer JS Sazanami navigated the waterway with Australian and New Zealand vessels, becoming Japan’s first warship to transit the strait since World War II. The Asahi Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper, reported that Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba made the "final decision" with regard to the Akizuki’s passage through the Taiwan Strait. The transit was a countermeasure to the Chinese navy’s increased activities around Japan’s southwestern islands, a Japanese government official told the newspaper, adding that the voyage, which was first revealed on Saturday, was a "political message" to China.

Newsweek [3/3/2025 8:10 AM, Ryan Chan, 3973K] reports Newsweek’s map shows that the Chinese navy continues its possible circumnavigation of Australia, a United States ally in the South Pacific, as it is near the country’s west coast. The Chinese Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Why It Matters China, which has the largest navy in the world by hull count with more than 370 vessels, is expanding its global military reach and presence, including in the South Pacific Ocean, challenging America’s naval dominance as they are jostling for influence in the region. The Chinese naval presence near the Australian west coast, which faces the Indian Ocean, comes as a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine, USS Minnesota, armed with cruise missiles and torpedoes, docked at an Australian naval base in Western Australia on February 25. What To Know According to the Australian Defense Force, which has deployed warships and aircraft to track the Chinese three-ship flotilla, the Chinese ships were operating 305 nautical miles southeast of Perth, the capital city of Western Australia, as of Monday morning local time. The Chinese naval task group, comprised of destroyer CNS Zunyi, frigate CNS Hengyang, and replenishment ship CNS Weishanhu, continued sailing off the Australian mainland’s southern coast westward since it arrived from the eastern seaboard on February 27. The latest location puts the Chinese ships within Australia’s 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off its southwest coast. They have remained outside Australia’s territorial waters that extend 12 nautical miles from its shores during this deployment. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which establishes a regime of law and order in the world’s oceans and seas, states that all countries enjoy the freedom of navigation in the EEZ as it covers the waters beyond the territorial sea of any country. Roger Cook, the premier of Western Australia, warned on Monday that the westernmost state of Australia hosts "some of our most important and strategic industries," adding that Western Australia has demanded more warships to be stationed on the nation’s west coast.

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