Federal judge on Musk and USAID; Russia-Ukraine war : NPR

Good morning. You are studying the Up First e-newsletter. Subscribe right here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all of the information it is advisable begin your day.

In the present day’s high tales

Elon Musk and the Division of Authorities Effectivity possible violated the Structure once they successfully shut down the U.S. Company for Worldwide Improvement, a federal decide has dominated. President Trump is promising to appeal the decision.

• 🎧 A pair dozen USAID staff sued Musk and DOGE, saying they did not have the authority to close down the company as Musk is just not an appointed company head, NPR’s Fatma Tanis tells Up First. U.S. District Choose Theodore Chuang wrote a 68-page opinion, blocked Musk from additional USAID shutdowns and ordered DOGE to reinstate entry to emails and different digital programs for present workers. The ruling doesn’t restore the work that USAID was doing earlier than, as humanitarian and improvement help packages are nonetheless minimize.

Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin introduced a restricted ceasefire in Ukraine yesterday, the place the Kremlin agreed to stop targeting Ukraine’s energy facilities for 30 days. Nonetheless, hours after the announcement, Russia and Ukraine launched strikes focusing on one another’s infrastructure.

• 🎧 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy acknowledged that the truth that the assaults continued after Trump and Putin’s speak yesterday reveals that maximum pressure must be put on Russia. NPR’s Eleanor Beardsley says Zelenskyy does not belief Putin. Ukraine and Russia aren’t remotely shut on phrases of a ceasefire presently. Putin desires land his military does not management, and that may be a pink line for Ukraine.

Israeli airstrikes proceed in the present day in Gaza after Israel broke a virtually two-month ceasefire with Hamas yesterday. It was one of many deadliest days of the Gaza warfare, and greater than 400 folks had been killed. Included in these numbers are 5 Hamas officers and ladies and kids who had been killed of their properties in a single day.

• 🎧 Israel says it’s returning to warfare to stress Hamas to comply with new ceasefire phrases, which embrace releasing extra hostages earlier than starting finish of warfare talks, NPR’s Daniel Estrin says. Hamas mentioned their foremost calls for, which embrace returning to the unique ceasefire phrases, stay. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presently has to go a nationwide funds in two weeks or his authorities might collapse. Estrin says extra airstrikes on Gaza might final till the funds is handed as he works to strengthen his far-right coalition.

Deep dive

A buyer outlets for eggs at a grocery retailer on March 12 in Chicago. Wholesale egg costs are happening, nevertheless it might take a number of days earlier than grocery costs observe swimsuit.

Scott Olson/Getty Pictures

disguise caption

toggle caption

Scott Olson/Getty Pictures

Eggs are a ache for American pockets proper now. Nonetheless, reduction may lastly be on the way in which. On Friday, the U.S. Division of Agriculture reported that the nationwide common wholesale worth of eggs has been declining since late February. It is a constructive signal that the value for eggs on the grocery shops might drop in a couple of weeks. The decline within the wholesale worth is because of the absence of main fowl flu outbreaks to this point in March, which has allowed the egg supply to recover.

• 🍳 The eggs presently on cabinets had been bought by the retailer at a wholesale worth a few weeks in the past, so grocery retailer costs may not replicate this variation but. Nonetheless, Joseph Balagtas, a professor of agriculture economics at Purdue College, says costs might begin to ease inside days.
• 🍳 People on the lookout for egg alternate options could also be contributing to conserving egg costs from rising additional. Consultants advise prospects to not panic purchase eggs, which might enhance the fee.
• 🍳 It takes round six months to a 12 months for farms to recoup once they lose a flock of egg-laying hens to fowl flu.
• 🍳 Jadrian Wooten, an economics professor at Virginia Tech, says that, hopefully, farms could have model new hens by summer season — however this comes with the belief that fowl flu does not spike once more.

From our hosts

Demonstrators collect in New York Metropolis to indicate solidarity with pro-Palestinian activist Mahmoud Khalil and demand his fast launch from ICE detention. New York, U.S., March 15, 2025.

Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu by way of Getty Pictures

disguise caption

toggle caption

Mostafa Bassim/Anadolu by way of Getty Pictures

This essay was written by Leila Fadel, Up First and Morning Version host.

Noor Abdalla fell in love on a volunteer journey to Lebanon years in the past. She was boarding the bus to go train Syrian refugees and she or he met Mahmoud Khalil.

“He was making an attempt to assist different folks already,” she instructed me. “However I do not suppose that is what drew me to him.”

He was charismatic, calm and extroverted. In some ways he was the alternative to her, a self-described introvert who will get tremendous anxious. And possibly that is why she knew, she mentioned, she would marry him at some point.

“He is genuinely the one one that is aware of the right way to calm me down,” she instructed me.

However on Saturday, March eighth, that sense of consolation was ripped from her. Eight months pregnant, she watched plainclothes immigration brokers handcuff her husband within the foyer of their house constructing and whisk him away. Now, as a substitute of spending her final weeks of being pregnant preparing for the start of their first baby, she instructed me she’s combating to get her husband again.

The Columbia graduate pupil and authorized everlasting resident is at a Louisiana detention middle over his involvement in pupil protests in opposition to Israel’s warfare in Gaza. The federal government desires to deport him regardless of his authorized standing and his case is on the middle of a of a fierce debate over what sort of speech is protected underneath the First Modification. Many free speech advocates say if Khalil is deported for his place on the Israel-Gaza warfare then he’s being punished for protected political speech. The federal government has charged him with no crime and so they say they do not must underneath a not often used immigration provision.

“Exercising your First Modification rights is just not unlawful. That is all the time been the case,” Noor Abdalla instructed me. “The truth that you possibly can kidnap somebody principally from their dwelling for going to a protest is terrifying.”

As this performs out in federal courtroom, in protests and in nationwide headlines Noor simply desires her husband dwelling in time for the newborn’s start. Listen to our interview or read it here.

3 issues to know earlier than you go

On this picture taken from video supplied by NASA, a SpaceX capsule floats within the Gulf of Mexico, Tuesday, March 18, 2025, after touchdown off the coast of Florida with NASA astronauts Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore and Nick Hague, and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov.

AP/NASA

disguise caption

toggle caption

AP/NASA

1. Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, the 2 NASA astronauts who had been on the Worldwide Area Station for months, returned to Earth yesterday evening. They returned in a SpaceX Dragon capsule that splashed down off Florida’s Gulf Coast.
2. The South by Southwest competition is downsizing. Subsequent 12 months, will probably be two days shorter and won’t function a devoted music weekend. (by way of KUT News)
3. 1000’s of paperwork associated to the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy had been made public late yesterday. Presidential historians aren’t anticipating any bombshell revelations from the discharge.

This article was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.