Today in one sentence: A federal judge blocked Trump’s executive order banning transgender people from serving in the military; the Trump administration froze $175 million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania over its policies allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports; Israel resumed ground operations in Gaza after breaking a two-month ceasefire with heavy airstrikes; a federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to dismiss Mahmoud Khalil’s deportation challenge, ruling that his case must be heard in New Jersey; Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to a 30-day ceasefire with Russia; Trump fired the only two Democratic commissioners on the Federal Trade Commission, consolidating Republican control over the agency that enforces antitrust and consumer protection laws; the Social Security Administration will eliminate phone-based verification and instead require millions of Americans to verify their identity online or in person before claiming benefits; the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged at 4.25%-4.5%; 56% of federal workers believe the Trump administration will hurt government operations; and 49% of voters approve of Trump’s job performance, while 48% disapprove.

1/ A federal judge blocked Trump’s executive order banning transgender people from serving in the military. U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ruled that the ban – which would have disqualified transgender troops and removed those diagnosed with gender dysphoria from military service – violates the Constitution’s equal protection clause, calling it “soaked in animus” and based on “derogatory language” rather than legitimate military concerns. Reyes, however, delayed her injunction until March 21 to allow the administration time to appeal. The Justice Department criticized the ruling, calling it an example of “judicial overreach,” while LGBTQ advocates praised it as a necessary protection for transgender service members. (NBC News / Politico / Associated Press / New York Times / CNN / Washington Post)

2/ The Trump administration froze $175 million in federal funding to the University of Pennsylvania over its policies allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports. The move follows a Trump executive order directing the government to withhold funding from schools that allow transgender women in female sports, stating it “deprives women and girls of fair athletic opportunities.” The White House added, “Promises made, promises kept.” Penn officials, however, said they hadn’t received formal notification and noted that the university follows NCAA and Ivy League regulations. (New York Times / NBC News / Washington Post / Bloomberg)

3/ Israel resumed ground operations in Gaza after breaking a two-month ceasefire with heavy airstrikes. The ceasefire collapsed after Hamas rejected a Trump administration-backed proposal to extend talks instead of moving to a permanent truce, which would have included releasing all remaining hostages. In response, Israel blocked aid to Gaza and launched airstrikes, arguing Hamas was rearming, while Hamas insisted it remained committed to the original ceasefire terms. The Israel Defense Forces, meanwhile, said troops retook parts of the Netzarim corridor, which splits northern and southern Gaza. Defense Minister Israel Katz warned that civilian evacuations would resume, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said negotiations with Hamas would continue “under fire” until hostages were freed. Palestinian officials reported at least 436 deaths, including women and children, since the renewed offensive began. (ABC News / NBC News / Bloomberg / Wall Street Journal)

4/ A federal judge rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to dismiss Mahmoud Khalil’s deportation challenge, ruling that his case must be heard in New Jersey, where he was initially detained. Khalil, a Palestinian activist and Columbia graduate, called himself a “political prisoner” and accused the administration of targeting him “as part of a broader strategy to suppress dissent.” The Trump administration claims he “led activities aligned to Hamas,” and is seeking to deport Khalil under a rarely used provision of the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act, arguing that his presence in the U.S. could have “serious adverse foreign policy consequences.” Khalil’s lawyers, however, argue the government is retaliating against him for his pro-Palestinian activism at Columbia University. Judge Jesse Furman wrote that Khalil’s allegations “warrant careful review,” keeping his order in place to block deportation. Meanwhile, Khalil’s wife, Noor Abdalla, who is eight months pregnant, said, “My husband should be home, not locked away, awaiting the birth of our first child.” (The Guardian / USA Today / Reuters / Axios / NPR / NBC News / Associated Press / Politico / Wall Street Journal)

5/ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed to a 30-day ceasefire with Russia. The agreement, which Trump brokered after speaking with Putin and Zelensky, aims to prevent attacks on power plants and civilian infrastructure, though Russian strikes continued after Putin’s supposed order. Trump also proposed that the U.S. take control of Ukraine’s electrical and nuclear power facilities, an idea Ukrainian officials dismissed as unfeasible. Meanwhile, U.S. military aid to Ukraine, which had been paused, will resume, and Washington will help Kyiv acquire additional air defense systems. Ukrainian officials expressed skepticism about Putin’s commitment, noting continued Russian drone and missile attacks overnight. (New York Times / Washington Post / ABC News / Politico / Wall Street Journal)

6/ Trump fired the only two Democratic commissioners on the Federal Trade Commission, consolidating Republican control over the agency that enforces antitrust and consumer protection laws. “The president just illegally fired me,” Alvaro Bedoya said, calling the move “corruption plain and simple.” Rebecca Slaughter warned the decision violated Supreme Court precedent and accused Trump of fearing what she might “tell the American people.” The White House claimed the firings were within Trump’s constitutional authority, despite a 1935 Supreme Court ruling that protects independent regulators from removal without cause. (Bloomberg / Politico / Washington Post / The Guardian / Wall Street Journal / New York Times / The Verge / Axios / Reuters)

7/ The Social Security Administration will eliminate phone-based verification and instead require millions of Americans to verify their identity online or in person before claiming benefits. The agency claims the change, effective March 31, is necessary to combat fraud, but it comes as the Trump administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency have closed 47 Social Security offices and cut 7,000 jobs. The new rule are expected to delay benefits for seniors and disabled Americans who lack internet access or mobility, effectively making it harder to access Social Security. Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek defended the policy as a “common sense measure,” but acknowledged the disruptions and noted that in-person identity verification would increase the number of visitors to field offices by between 75,000 and 85,000 people per week. (CNN / New York Times / Associated Press / Bloomberg / Washington Post)

8/ The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged at 4.25%-4.5% – sticking to its plan for two cuts later this year despite rising inflation and slowing growth. Officials raised their 2025 inflation forecast to 2.7% from 2.5%, and lowered their GDP growth estimate to 1.7% from 2.1%. Fed Chair Jerome Powell cited uncertainty from Trump’s economic policies, including tariffs, deregulation, and federal job cuts. Powell also warned that while Trump’s tariffs are already pushing prices higher, their inflationary impact may be temporary. (Wall Street Journal / CNBC / CNN / Bloomberg / New York Times / Washington Post)

poll/ 56% of federal workers believe the Trump administration will hurt government operations, while 32% are optimistic. 67% disapprove of Musk’s approach to the federal government, and 33% approve. 81% say they are unlikely to leave their jobs voluntarily in the next year, and 80% aren’t actively job hunting. 63% don’t expect to be affected by further cuts, while 35% do. 63% also doubt the government will honor deferred resignation payments, while 36% trust it will. (Politico)

poll/ 49% of voters approve of Trump’s job performance, while 48% disapprove. 49% say the U.S. is on the wrong track, Trump’s economic approval is negative at 47%-49%, and 41% say their personal financial situation is worsening. Cost of living (41%) and jobs/the economy (29%) are voters’ top concerns. (Echelon Insights)

The midterm elections are in 594 days.

✏️ Notables.

  1. The U.S. Institute of Peace sued to block the Department of Government Efficiency from taking over its headquarters, calling it an unlawful “takeover by force.” The lawsuit alleges that DOGE, assisted by the FBI and D.C. police, forcibly entered the building and removed USIP President George Moose after Trump replaced most of its board members. A federal judge scheduled an emergency hearing, questioning why law enforcement was used against a nonprofit created by Congress. (NBC News / Washington Post / NPR / Democracy Docket)

  2. The Trump administration is considering deep cuts to domestic HIV prevention funding, including potentially eliminating the CDC’s HIV Prevention Division. The move would contradict Trump’s 2019 pledge to end the HIV epidemic in the U.S. by 2030. (Wall Street Journal / Politico / NBC News / New York Times)

  3. Trump released over 63,000 pages of previously classified documents related to the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy. The records, published by the National Archives, include CIA files detailing Cold War-era intelligence operations and surveillance of Lee Harvey Oswald before the assassination. Experts say the documents mostly contain previously redacted material and have not fundamentally changed the official conclusion that Oswald acted alone. Historians and researchers are still reviewing the files, but no “smoking gun” has been found. The release doesn’t include all promised documents, as thousands remain withheld due to national security and legal restrictions. (Washington Post / USA Today / Bloomberg / CNN / Associated Press / Reuters)

  4. Minnesota Republican state Sen. Justin Eichorn was arrested for allegedly soliciting a minor for prostitution, hours after introducing a bill to classify “Trump derangement syndrome” as a mental illness. Police say Eichorn believed he was communicating with a 17-year-old girl, but was actually speaking with an undercover detective. Despite being told the girl was underage, he allegedly requested explicit photos, discussed prices for sex acts, and arranged a meeting, where officers arrested him. The Minnesota Republican Party and Senate leadership have called for his immediate resignation. Eichorn, who is married with four children, has not yet publicly responded. “Trump Derangement Syndrome” is a term used by Trump supporters to describe what they see as irrational or extreme opposition to him. (Minnesota Public Radio / Fox 9 / The Guardian / USA Today / Minnesota Star Tribune)

  5. The past decade was Earth’s hottest on record, with 2024 surpassing the 1.5°C warming limit for the first time in a single year, according to a U.N. report. The World Meteorological Organization attributed rising temperatures to human activity and El Niño, noting record-high ocean heat, sea levels, and glacier retreat. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called for urgent action, warning, “Our planet is issuing more distress signals.” (Associated Press)

  6. A global democracy watchdog warned that the U.S. could lose its status as a democracy by next year. The Varieties of Democracy report compared Trump’s tactics to those of authoritarian leaders like Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey, Viktor Orbán in Hungary, and Narendra Modi in India. In the past week, for instance, Trump attempted to void Biden’s pardons, threatened universities, and used an 18th-century war law to deport Venezuelan migrants in possible defiance of a court order. Trump’s recent Justice Department speech called for media prosecutions while labeling his adversaries as “scum.” (CBC)

Last year today: Day 1155: "Further chaos."
Four years ago today: Day 59: "Wasting time."
Five years ago today: Day 1155: "Nobody knew."
Six years ago today: Day 789: A little longer.
Seven years ago today: Day 424: Brilliant and courageous.
Eight years ago today: Day 59: Collusion.