Trump administration asks Supreme Court to halt judge’s order to rehire probationary federal workers
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to halt a ruling ordering the rehiring of thousands of federal workers let go in mass firings across several agencies. In an emergency appeal filed Monday, the Republican administration argued the ruling should be put on hold because the judge didn’t have the authority to order some 16,000 probationary employees be hired back. The order came from U.S. District Judge William Alsup in San Francisco, who found the firings didn’t follow federal law. The judge required immediate offers of reinstatement be sent. The agencies are the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Defense, Energy, the Interior and the Treasury.
Trump assails judge who blocked deportations as the case heads to appeal
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is questioning the impartiality of the federal judge who blocked his plans to deport Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador. Trump’s criticisms come only hours before his administration will ask an appeals court to lift the judge’s order. Just after midnight on Monday, President Donald Trump posted a social media message calling for Chief Judge James Boasberg to be disbarred. The judge, meanwhile, refused Monday to throw out his original order before an appeals court hearing for the case. Boasberg ruled that the immigrants facing deportation must get an opportunity to challenge their designations as alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang.
Middle East latest: Israeli strikes kill scores in Gaza as Egypt offers new ceasefire proposal
Gaza’s Health Ministry says Israeli strikes have killed more than 60 Palestinians including women and children. The strikes overnight and Monday came nearly a week after Israel ended its ceasefire with Hamas with a surprise bombardment. Meanwhile, officials say Egypt has introduced a new proposal to try and get the Israel-Hamas ceasefire back on track. Under the proposal, Hamas would release five living hostages, including an American-Israeli, in return for Israel allowing humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip and a weekslong pause in the fighting. A Hamas official said the group had responded positively to the proposal.
US holds separate talks with Russians after meeting Ukrainians to discuss a potential ceasefire
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. negotiators are working with Russian representatives on a proposed partial ceasefire in Ukraine. Monday’s meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, came a day after the U.S. held separate talks with the Ukrainian team. Moscow and Kyiv have accused each other of undermining efforts to reach a pause in the 3-year-old war. Both countries agreed in principle Wednesday to a limited ceasefire after U.S. President Donald Trump spoke with their leaders. A major sticking point is what targets would be off-limits to strike. While the White House said “energy and infrastructure” would be covered, the Kremlin declared the agreement referred more narrowly to “energy infrastructure.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he wants to see railways and ports protected.
French actor Gérard Depardieu stands trial in Paris for alleged sexual assaults on film set
PARIS (AP) — French actor Gérard Depardieu is standing trial at a Paris courthouse on sexual assault charges. It is seen as a potential watershed for the #MeToo movement in France. The 76-year-old actor is accused of having groped a 54-year-old set dresser and a 34-year-old assistant director during filming in 2021 of the movie “Les Volets Verts” or “The Green Shutters.” The actor denies any wrongdoing. The trial was initially scheduled for October but was postponed until Monday because of Depardieu’s health.
Military veterans are becoming the face of Trump’s government cuts and Democrats’ resistance
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional lawmakers are scrambling to formulate a response to President Donald Trump’s slashing of the federal government as one group takes a front and center role: military veterans. Former service members have been acutely affected by the Republican president’s actions, including layoffs at the Department of Veterans Affairs and a Pentagon purge of archives that documented military diversity. Trump is determined to continue slashing the federal government, but the burden will only grow on veterans. Veterans make up roughly 30% of the federal workforce and often tap government benefits they earned with their military service. Democrats have zeroed in on protecting veterans, introducing legislation to shield them from mass layoffs.
Canada’s leader laments lost friendship with US in town that sheltered stranded Americans after 9/11
TORONTO (AP) — Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has lamented Canada’s lost friendship with the United States as he visited the town that sheltered thousands of stranded American airline passengers after the 9/11 attacks. Carney’s visit on the second day of the election campaign comes against the backdrop of a trade war and sovereignty threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. Gander, Newfoundland opened its arms to some 6,600 airline passengers diverted there when the U.S. government shut down airspace during 9/11. The town was overwhelmed by 38 planeloads of travelers, yet locals went to work in their kitchens and cleaned up spare rooms to offer space and food to the newcomers,
South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo reinstated as acting president after impeachment overturned
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has been reinstated as the acting president as the Constitutional Court overturned his impeachment. Han, South Korea’s No. 2 official, had become acting leader after President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached over his imposition of martial law in December. Han thanked the court after Monday’s ruling and said he would attend to urgent matters. He also called for national unity. The court ruled 7-1 that Parliament didn’t have a a quorum to pass the impeachment motion, that the accusations against Han weren’t against the law or that they weren’t serious enough to remove him from office. Many experts said the ruling on Han didn’t signal how the court would rule on Yoon’s impeachment.
Former Utah Rep. Mia Love, the first Black Republican woman elected to the US House, has died
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Mia Love of Utah, a daughter of Haitian immigrants who became the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress, died on Sunday. She was 49. Love had been undergoing treatment for brain cancer prior to her death. Her daughter posted March 1 on Love’s X account that the former lawmaker was no longer responding to treatment. Love entered politics in 2003 after winning a seat on the Saratoga Springs (Utah) City Council. She later became the city’s mayor. She narrowly lost a 2012 House race but came back two years later and won in a district that includes suburbs of Salt Lake City. She was edged out while seeking reelection in 2018.
Bold new rules have reshaped baseball. Could more changes save starting pitching?
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Bold decisions to change Major League Baseball’s longstanding rules quickened the pace of games and revived the popularity of stealing bases over the last few years. A similarly creative move may be needed to help starting pitching regain the relevance it enjoyed as recently as a decade ago. Thirty-four pitchers worked as many as 200 innings and all 30 major league teams got over 900 innings from their starters in 2014. Only four pitchers threw 200 innings last season and just four teams got as many as 900 innings from their starters.