Trump Deportation Flights and Putin-Trump Talks – 3/17/2025

United States

  • Illegal migrant crossings at the U.S. southern border dropped to a decades-low in February, per Axios
  • Dan Bongino reportedly takes oath as FBI deputy director
  • Senator Jim Banks calls for probes into J6 committee members like Kinzinger and Cheney after Trump voids their pardons, citing autopen use
  • Conor McGregor speaks at White House: “Our money is being spent overseas, things that have nothing to do with the Irish people. Illegal immigration is ravaging our country.”
  • Trump admin explores resettling Gaza Palestinians in Syria, approaches Sudan and Somalia, per CBS
  • MSNBC’s Symone Sanders Townsend exits Democratic Party, upset over Schumer’s GOP-aligned spending vote
  • NBC poll shows 44% of Americans now see the country on the right path, up from 27% in November, highest since 2004
  • CNN and NBC polls reveal Democratic Party favorability at historic lows—29% and 27%, respectively, unseen since the early 1990s
  • Wholesale egg prices fall $2.70 in a week, marking three weeks of declines, per ABC
  • DHS’ Kristi Noem announces Trump admin to restart building 7 miles of southern border wall, per Fox
  • Forever 21 has reportedly filed for bankruptcy and plans to shutter all U.S. stores, per CNBC
  • Treasury Secretary Bessent warns that the White House is averting a certain financial crisis
  • Schumer cancels book tour amid intense backlash from fellow Democrats
  • Record numbers of Americans are seeking UK citizenship, per FT
  • Tom Homan on Trump’s deportation flights targeting Tren de Aragua gang members under the Alien Enemies Act: “I don’t care what the judges think,” per The Hill
  • Most American voters back Ukraine over Russia, though nearly half suspect Trump leans toward Russia, with the rest seeing him as neutral, per NBC News poll
  • Energy Department, EPA, and NOAA rehire many probationary staff let go last month, per Axios
  • Hakeem Jeffries says he and Chuck Schumer align on the “overwhelming majority of issues,” per The Hill
  • U.S. retail spending edged up 0.2% in February, a slight recovery from January’s 1.2% plunge, as economic unease grows, per AP
  • An active-duty airman was arrested Friday for allegedly murdering a 21-year-old woman at a South Dakota air base, per ABC
  • Trump admin’s push to reclaim $20 billion in Biden-era climate grants sparks Justice Department turmoil, threatening clean-energy initiatives, per WSJ

International

  • Slovakia’s Prime Minister declares no financial or military support for Ukraine missions
  • Kremlin confirms Putin and Trump scheduled to talk tomorrow
  • Mexican President Sheinbaum reveals her phone and email were compromised by hackers
  • OECD slashes Germany’s economic outlook again, with only Mexico faring worse
  • Japan reports 9 million empty homes amid a shrinking, aging population
  • Emerging market equities poised for their strongest month in half a year, driven by a Chinese stock surge tied to new fiscal policies, per Bloomberg Economics
  • Canada’s Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre vows to eliminate the carbon tax on major polluters if he wins the upcoming election, per Bloomberg Economics
  • Princess Kate returned to a cherished St. Patrick’s Day custom Monday, her first since last year’s absence due to health concerns, per ABC
  • Mozambique opposition leader Venâncio Mondlane urges a Tuesday shutdown to honor “true heroes,” including protesters killed since October’s elections, per Bloomberg Economics