Israel says it is ramping up attacks on Gaza as the fragile ceasefire hangs in the balance. Trump officials discredit institutions that have long served as checks on the presidency. And two NASA astronauts who were in space for over nine months are finally headed home.
Here’s what to know today.
Israeli strikes kill hundreds in Gaza as ceasefire hangs in balance
The Israel Defense Forces struck Hamas targets throughout the Gaza Strip overnight, with the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying “from now on, Israel will act against Hamas with increasing military force.”
The strikes were the heaviest bombardment in Gaza since the ceasefire deal was reached in January and brought a pause to fifteen months of fighting that killed more than 48,500 people in Gaza, with much of the infrastructure across the enclave destroyed. Hamas says the new Israeli strikes violate the agreement.
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The health ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza, whose figures the World Health Organization has previously said it considers to be reliable, said hospitals across the enclave said that at least 326 people had been killed, with hundreds of others injured. It added that people were still buried under rubble, with recovery efforts underway.
International negotiators have been engaging in talks in hopes of strengthening the ceasefire deal. Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East, said last weekend that he dismissed a recent proposal by Hamas.
Follow live updates here.
Trump officials raise the stakes in showdowns with judges
In a tense hearing yesterday, federal judge James Boasberg pressed a Justice Department lawyer over why the Trump administration didn’t reverse deportations under the Alien Enemies Act and halt the deportation of hundreds of Venezuelans to El Salvador, as he had ordered. Boasberg summarized the government’s position as: “We don’t care, we’ll do what we want.”
It’s not the first time the Trump administration didn’t compy with a federal court. And beyond the courts, Trump is claiming a nearly limitless power through a campaign to delegitimize institutions that have long acted on checks on the presidency. He has closed congressionally approved agencies, fired thousands of federal workers, paused legally appropriated funding for an array of federal programs and discredited universities and nonpartisan media.
But when it comes to battling the judiciary, the Trump administration could face its ultimate opponent: the Supreme Court — that is, if justices rule against administration.
Legal experts expressed worry about what happens if the executive branch keeps defying court orders. Trump’s critics have no power to force him to follow a judge’s orders, and his allies have taken to frequently criticizing judges who have ruled against him and, in some cases, have called for their removal.
More politics news:
- A national NBC News poll found 49% of registered voters think DEI programs in the workplace should be eliminated, while 48% say the programs should continue.
- Trump said he is terminating Secret Service protection for Joe Biden’s two adult children, Hunter and Ashley Biden.
More immigration news:
- A mixed-immigration status family that was deported to Mexico — including a 10-year-old girl who is a U.S. citizen and is recovering from brain surgery — alleged they faced “deplorable conditions” while in detention, according to a civil rights complaint.
- A professor at Brown University’s medical school, who was sent back to Lebanon despite having a valid visa, allegedly told customs agents that she had attended the funeral of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, the Department of Homeland Security said.
- A German national who is a legal permanent U.S. resident has been detained at an ICE facility, his family said, adding that they have no idea why he was arrested.
NASA astronauts are on a long-awaited journey to Earth
After more than nine months in space, NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are finally coming home. The two are among four people headed back to Earth aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule, which departed from the International Space Station overnight and is expected to splash down off the coast of Florida this afternoon, around 5:57 p.m. ET.
Williams and Wilmore’s journey back to Earth closes out an unusual and closely watched chapter in spaceflight history. They became household names after launching on the first crewed test flight of Boeing’s Starliner capsule in June. After they encountered problems with the vehicle’s thrusters, their anticipated week in space ended up lasting the better part of a year.
Read All About It
- The family of missing college student Sudiksha Konanki asked police in the Dominican Republic to declare her dead.
- Cellphone records indicate Betsy Arakawa, the wife of actor Gene Hackman, was alive for longer than previously thought.
- A midwife in Texas was arrested and charged with performing illegal abortions in what could be the first case of a health care provider being charged since the state’s ban.
- It’s too soon to tell if the U.S. is truly in a recession. While waiting, economists monitor some of these key numbers to gauge the health of the economy.
- Here are the best pro basketball prospects to watch during March Madness (besides Duke star Cooper Flagg).
Staff Pick: The Tesla owners who want to ditch their cars
A bumper sticker protesting Tesla CEO Elon Musk is shown on a Tesla car on March 12 in California.Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
In the eyes of some progressive Tesla owners, Elon Musk’s transformation from a CEO they perceived as “focused on the environment, sustainability and space travel,” as one person put it, to a divisive political figure in the Trump administration is off-putting. It’s so distasteful, in fact, that some are rethinking whether it’s worth keeping their electric vehicles. “Do I like representing an Elon Musk vehicle? Hell, no,” a San Diego-area Tesla owner said. Reporter Curtis Bunn spoke to owners across the country who have sold their cars, hit their breaking points or resorted to adoring their car with magnets or bumper stickers expressing their disdain for Musk. But some concede that getting rid of their EV isn’t in the cards. — Elizabeth Robinson, newsletter editor
NBCU Academy : How photojournalists capture the heart of a news story
Photojournalism is more than taking pictures. It can illustrate the joy, surprise or devastation at the heart of a story. “I don’t have any right to their story or to their picture,” said photojournalist Mark Abramson. “It’s a privilege. It’s an honor. They’re granting me this access.”
NBCU Academy recently shadowed Abramson and NBC News senior photo director Zara Katz as they photographed a family whose relatives were killed in the Eaton Fire in Altadena, California. See how they captured the family’s story with empathy and care.
NBCU Academy is a free, award-winning education program for developing new skills and advancing careers in journalism, media and tech.
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
La Roche-Posay has recalled its popular Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Treatment after an FDA announcement that 95 skin care products on the market containing benzoyl peroxide may be at risk for contamination. So NBC Select editors searched to find the best acne spot treatment alternatives. Plus, here are the best dog food brands, all of which have been tested by our editors’ furry friends.
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