Trump launches strikes on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, killing 24: Live updates

Jocelyn Gecker writes:

In the span of a week, a hush has descended on higher education in the United States.

International students and faculty have watched the growing crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University with apprehension. Some say they are familiar with government crackdowns but never expected them on American college campuses.

The elite New York City university has been the focus of the Trump administration's effort to deport foreigners who took part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at colleges last year.

Federal immigration agents have arrested two foreigners — one of them a student — who protested last year at Columbia. They've revoked the visa of another student, who fled the U.S. this week. Department of Homeland Security agents also searched the on-campus residences of two Columbia students on Thursday but did not make any arrests there.

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The head of Donald Trump’s task force on antisemitism has shared a white nationalist’s quip about the president revoking “Jew cards.”

The startling share comes even as Trump threatens to deport or arrest university students protesting on behalf of war-torn Gaza, implying such actions are antisemitic.

Former Fox News contributor Leo Terrell, who now heads the Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, shared the post by white nationalist Patrick Casey earlier this week chortling that Trump can “revoke someone’s Jew card.”

Read more from Mary Papenfuss:

President Donald Trump launched military strikes against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, reportedly killing at least 24 people.

Reuters reported that the Houthi-run health ministry said that 13 civilians were killed in the capital Sanaa. At least 11 others were killed in the northern province of Saada, according to the Houthi-run Al-Masirah TV.

Trump said the strikes would continue until the Houthis stopped their attacks on shipping vessels off the coast.

“Our brave Warfighters are right now carrying out aerial attacks on the terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore Navigational Freedom,” the president said in a social media post on Saturday. “No terrorist force will stop American commercial and naval vessels from freely sailing the Waterways of the World.”

“President Trump is taking action against the Houthis to defend US shipping assets and deter terrorist threats,” the White House posted on X.

“For too long American economic & national threats have been under assault by the Houthis. Not under this presidency.”

Chris Blackhurst writes:

There is no greater proponent of freedom of expression than Mark Zuckerberg. The Meta boss sits atop a digital empire used by 3 billion worldwide or, as the company likes to say, “empowers them to share ideas and offer support”. His domain covers Facebook, Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp. Truly, he is a king of the age.

Enabling folk to say what they want is at the heart of his success. It’s how he has amassed his fortune, providing platforms and networks for the exchange of views, thoughts, experiences, opinions. They’re monitored, but he tries to keep the checks and balances down – otherwise users would look elsewhere. Every time regulators try to impose something heavier, there is kickback. Increasingly, thanks to his new pal, Donald Trump – Zuckerberg was given star billing at the inauguration along with the other tech bros and he was co-host at that evening’s presidential ball – he is in his pomp, an untouchable global master.

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Jon Sopel writes:

Tuning into some Fox News coverage the other day, there was a British commentator who lives in the US proclaiming that whatever the latest apparent snafu from Donald Trump, people should have no doubts. He is a chess grandmaster, the man who can see around corners, the tactician supreme.

There is of course another view, and that is that the president is a clueless blowhard who makes it up as he goes along – a man of endless tactical manoeuvres with no overarching strategy.

When it comes to Ukraine, I can’t decide. The démarche with Zelensky in the White House was hideous; the pressure the US put on Ukraine has been so asymmetric. In his call with Putin the other week, Trump says you can keep the land you’ve got, we won’t let Ukraine join NATO, we’ll look at easing sanctions and we’ll stop cyber-ops against you. With Kyiv he beats them around the head, stops defence assistance and intelligence cooperation until they surrender to his wishes.

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Following a scrubbed launch on Wednesday, NASA and SpaceX launched four astronauts to the International Space Station Friday evening.

The Crew-10 mission lifted off from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center on board a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.

The mission includes NASA’s Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos’ Kirill Peskov. They have already boarded the Dragon capsule.

“Take two,” McClain wrote in a post on social media before the launch.

Read more from Julia Musto:

Mark Carney, 颁补苍补诲补’蝉 newly elected prime minister and head of the country’s Liberal Party, faces a war on two fronts.

To the south, the former governor of the UK’s Bank of England has to contend with the Trump administration, which has threatened then postponed crippling 25 percent tariffs on Canada, as well as taunted the country with the outlandish possibility of making it the 51st U.S. state.

Internally, Carney faces likely imminent federal elections, where he will need to convince Canadians he is different enough from his Liberal predecessor Justin Trudeau, but remains the best person, affiliated with the best party, to helm the country.

Here’s Josh Marcus and Millie Cooke:

A federal judge has temporarily blocked Donald Trump’s administration from carrying out deportations under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, which the president invoked against members of a Venezuelan gang earlier Saturday.

Chief Judge James Boasberg issued a temporary restraining order on deportations under the wartime law on Saturday night. This order blocks the deportation of any non-citizens who are in custody and facing removal under the Alien Enemies Act for at least 14 days.

The decision comes in response to a lawsuit from the American Civil Liberties Union and Democracy Forward challenging Trump’s order, which was filed hours before he signed it.

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The Trump administration has issued an unprecedented ultimatum to Columbia University, threatening to permanently revoke federal funding unless the institution relinquishes control of its international studies department and enacts sweeping policy changes.

In a letter sent on Thursday night, federal officials demanded Columbia immediately place its Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies Department under "academic receivership for a minimum of five years."

The administration also stipulated a ban on masks intended to conceal identity or intimidate others, the adoption of a new definition of antisemitism, and the abolishment of the university's current student disciplinary process.

These demands, described as "preconditions," are necessary, the letter stated, to initiate "formal negotiations regarding Columbia University's continued financial relationship with the United States government."

Jake Offenhartz has more: