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Trump administration ignores judge’s order to turn deportation planes around: Sources

March 17, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — President Donald Trump’s administration made a calculated decision to ignore a judge’s directive to turn around two flights containing hundreds of alleged Venezuelan gang members, sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

The verbal order from the chief judge of the Washington, D.C., District Court, James Boasberg, explicitly told the government to turn around any aircraft that had already departed the country if it was still in the air.

“You shall inform your clients of this immediately any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States,” Boasberg said during a hearing on Saturday. “However that’s accomplished, turning around the plane, or not embarking anyone on the plane. … This is something that you need to make sure is complied with immediately.”

Finding the deportations would cause irreparable harm, Boasberg barred the Trump administration from deporting “all non-citizens who are subject to the AEA proclamation” for at least 14 days, imposing a temporary restraining order or TRO.

During that time, while the lawsuit makes its way through the courts, Immigration and Customs Enforcement is meant to keep the noncitizens in its custody.

However, top lawyers and officials in the administration made the determination that since the flights were over international waters, Boasberg’s order did not apply.

The administration said that the planes needed to land because of “operational” and “national security” reasons, sources told ABC News.

It was during the hearing that the two planes took off.

Sources said that the administration wanted to get these planes in the air and over international waters prior to any ruling from the judge.

However, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed on Sunday evening that the administration “did not ‘refuse to comply’ with a court order.”

She said the order was issued after the alleged gang members “had already been removed from U.S. territory,” arguing that “the written order and the administration’s actions do not conflict.”

“Federal courts generally have no jurisdiction over the President’s conduct of foreign affairs, his authorities under the Alien Enemies Act, and his core Article II powers to remove foreign alien terrorists from U.S. soil and repel a declared invasion,” Leavitt said in a statement.

Also on Sunday, the Trump administration asked the D.C. Circuit Court for a stay of Boasberg’s ruling.

Administration officials contend that Boasberg lacked jurisdiction to enter the TRO, which the administration describes in a filing to the appellate court as “unprecedented.”

“This Court should halt this massive, unauthorized imposition on the Executive’s authority to remove people that Defendants had determined to be members of TdA, a group the President and the Secretary of State have found to be a threat to national security. This Court should halt this unprecedented intrusion upon the Executive’s authority to remove dangerous aliens who pose grave threats to the American people,” wrote a Justice Department attorney in an emergency motion for a stay, referring to the passengers aboard the flight, whom the administration alleges are members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.

Trump announced on Saturday that he had signed a proclamation declaring that the Tren de Aragua gang was “conducting irregular warfare” against the U.S. and therefore would deport its members under the Alien Enemies Act of 1798.

The stay argued that Trump’s actions in invoking the AEA “are not subject to judicial review” and that there was “no lawful basis” for the court to enjoin the implementation of the president’s proclamation.

“If this TRO allowed to stand,” the DOJ wrote in the filing, “district courts would have license to enjoin virtually any urgent national-security action upon bare receipt of a complaint.”

The D.C. Circuit Court ordered a response to be filed by Tuesday at 5 p.m. by the attorneys representing the plaintiffs in the underlying case.

Democrats need to stop infighting ‘as quickly as we can’: Sen. Whitehouse

March 16, 2025 by WDNY Radio

Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., said Sunday that Republicans forced Democratic lawmakers to choose between supporting a continuing resolution or a government shutdown, which would have allowed them to further slash the federal government.

He told ABC News’ “This Week” co-anchor Martha Raddatz that in past shutdowns, the executive branch has advocated for the government to reopen, but President Donald Trump’s administration would have taken advantage of one.

“With these MAGA extremists in charge, they don’t necessarily want to come out of shutdown, and they have tools in shutdown contingencies and nonessentialness determinations and riffing and things like that that they can use to destroy the government, just like doggy DOGE is doing, except with a veneer of legitimacy, with the authority of shutdown powers,” Whitehouse said in an exclusive interview.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and nine others in the Democratic caucus voted with Republicans to pass the continuing resolution. Whitehouse voted against it.

Schumer’s support sparked backlash among Democrats, with many calling for a change in leadership.

Here are additional highlights from Whitehouse’s interview:

On the dangers of shutdown

“When you understand how dangerous a shutdown is, it’s even more, sort of, understandable why they would feel that way. And so I think what we need to do is stop the intramural fighting and bleeding as quickly as we can. We are in a fight for our democracy right now, and if we’re having a fight in our dugout, we’re not out on the field, and the other team is scoring runs.”

On what Democrats need to do

“They were both extremely, extremely dangerous options, and my view is that as Democrats, we need to stop the intramural quarreling about who voted what way and get back to work saving our democracy.”

On Democrats who voted for the continuing resolution

“I think that [Schumer] and the other nine colleagues of mine who made that decision made a very conscientious and principled decision after a lot of reflection. I’m not going to throw any of them under the bus for the choice that they made. When you understand how dangerous a shutdown is, it’s even more sort of understandable why they would feel that way.”

On House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries’ non-answer on Senate Democrats needing new leadership

“That is not my agenda. That is not a helpful narrative right now. I think that obviously there is a lot of distress, back and forth, between the House and the Senate. That is not unheard of before. And one can read Leader Jeffries’ answers as basically, ‘Look, move on, I’m not going to dwell on internal infighting among Democrats,’ and not necessarily like ‘I’m throwing Schumer under the bus.’ They’ve known each other a long time. They’re experienced politicians. We need to pull this back together and get back to work.”

US strikes ‘took out’ multiple Houthi leaders: National security adviser Mike Waltz

March 16, 2025 by WDNY Radio

The U.S. airstrikes that bombarded Yemen on Saturday targeted and “took out” multiple leaders of the Iranian-backed Houthis, White House national security adviser Mike Waltz said Sunday.

Speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” Waltz argued to co-anchor Martha Raddatz that these latest strikes differ from the countless strikes the Biden administration launched against the rebel group, which the Trump administration has designated a foreign terrorist organization.

“These were not kind of pinprick, back and forth — what ultimately proved to be feckless attacks,” Waltz said. “This was an overwhelming response that actually targeted multiple Houthi leaders and took them out. And the difference here is, one, going after the Houthi leadership, and two, holding Iran responsible.”

Waltz accused Iran of helping the Houthis attack U.S. warships and global commerce. Some 70% of global commerce is now diverting around South Africa to avoid the Houthis, resulting in higher shipping costs and supply chain issues, Waltz said.

“President Trump has found it unacceptable. What we inherited was — was a terrible situation, and this is one of what will be a sustained effort to right that wrong and to reopen global commerce,” Waltz said.

A source told ABC News Saturday that the strikes are not expected to be a single day event. On social media, President Donald Trump warned the Houthis that if their attacks do not stop, “HELL WILL RAIN DOWN UPON YOU LIKE NOTHING YOU HAVE EVER SEEN BEFORE!”

Trump also issued a warning to Iran, calling on the Islamic Republic to stop supporting the Houthis, and adding: “Do NOT threaten the American People, their President… or Worldwide shipping lanes. If you do, BEWARE, because America will hold you fully accountable and, we won’t be nice about it!”

Here are highlights from Waltz’s interview:

On the potential for U.S. military action against Iran

“Well, all actions are always on the table with the president. But Iran needs to hear him loud and clear. It is completely unacceptable and it will be stopped. The level of support that they’ve been providing the Houthis, just like they have Hezbollah, just like they have the militias in Iraq, Hamas and others. The difference here is the Houthis have incredibly sophisticated air defenses, and they also have anti-shipping cruise missiles, drones, sea skimming types of attack drones and other ballistic missiles even. They’ve launched dozens of attacks on multiple war ships, dozens of attacks, over 175 on global commerce, sank multiple ships. … We will hold not only the Houthis accountable, but we’re going to hold Iran, their backers, accountable as well. And if that means they’re targeting ships that they have put in to — to help their Iranian trainers, IRGC and others, that intelligence, other things that they have put in to help the Houthis attack the global economy, those — those targets will be on the table, too.”

On Trump urging Iran to engage in nuclear talks

“What the president has completely — has repeatedly said is that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. All options are on the table to ensure it does not have one. And that’s all aspects of Iran’s program. That’s the missiles, the weaponization, the enrichment. They can either hand it over and give it up in a way that is verifiable, or they can face a whole series of other consequences. But, either way, we cannot have a world with the ayatollahs with their finger on the nuclear button. We cannot have a situation that would result in an arms race across the Middle East in terms of nuclear proliferation. … Iran has been offered a way out of this to make sure that we don’t have a world that can be threatened by a radical regime, not only our ally Israel, but the entire world that would be threated with a – with – by a radical regime that could destroy, not only Israel, but its neighbors, and have the capability to hit the United States.”

On efforts to secure a ceasefire in Ukraine

“A fundamental aspect of the approach here from President Trump is that, you know, this has to be permanent. That’s what we continue to hear from the Ukrainians, that, you know, we cannot have a situation where this continues to break down. At the same time, we are engaging with the Russians. What we heard from President Putin was that he will absolutely consider a ceasefire. There are some other thing that he would like to see that President Trump’s national security team has — is considering over the coming days. So, this back and forth diplomacy is — is ongoing.”

On whether Ukraine will have to cede territory to Russia

“We have to ask ourselves, is it in our national interest? Is it realistic? We’ve talked to the Europeans about this, and the Ukrainians. Are we going to drive every Russian off of every inch of Ukrainian soil, including Crimea? And what the strategy of the Biden administration was, was, as long as it takes, as much as it takes, no matter what the timeline is, which is essentially endless warfare, in an environment that we are literally losing hundreds of thousands of people in a matter of months. And could escalate into World War III. … We can talk about what’s right and wrong. And we also have to talk about the reality of the situation on the ground. And that’s what we are doing through diplomacy, through shuttle diplomacy, through proximity talks.”

Iranian general raises prospect of response amid US strikes on Houthis

March 16, 2025 by WDNY Radio

LONDON — An Iranian general warned on Sunday of the potential for a “decisive and devastating” response to any executed threat, a day after the U.S. conducted strikes on Houthis in Yemen.

Gen. Hossein Salami also denied that Iran had backed the rebel group, which continues to wage a campaign against international ships in the Red Sea and off the Yemeni coast.

“We are not a nation to live in hiding. We are a valid and legitimate system in the world. We announce it if we attack anywhere,” Salami said in a speech broadcast in Farsi.

The general did not say Iran had been threatened, but that the country would offer a “decisive and devastating response to any threat” against it.

Salami’s words echoed those of President Donald Trump, who announced on Saturday he had ordered the U.S. military to launch a “decisive and powerful” strike against the Houthis in Yemen.

“They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft and drones,” Trump said. “We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective.”

A U.S. official confirmed to ABC News that U.S. air and naval assets hit dozens of Houthi targets in Yemen, including missiles, radars, and drone and air defense systems. The official characterized the attacks as an opening salvo against the Houthis, and it sends a strong message to Iran.

Yemeni health officials said the campaign had killed some 31 people, along with injuring another 101 people. Many of the wounded were “children and women,” the Ministry of Health in Sana’a said on Sunday morning.

National security adviser Mike Waltz told ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday morning that the U.S. strikes “took out” multiple Houthi leaders.

Waltz said the strikes were more significant than those conducted during former President Joe Biden’s time in office, which the national security adviser criticized as “feckless.”

“This was an overwhelming response that actually targeted multiple Houthi leaders and took them out. And the difference here is, one, going after the Houthi leadership, and two, holding Iran responsible,” Waltz added.

Asked if there was any chance of direct U.S. military action against Iran, Waltz replied, “All options are always on the table with the president, but Iran needs to hear him loud and clear.” Iranian support for the Houthis, militias in Iraq, Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon and other groups “is completely unacceptable” and “will be stopped,” Waltz said.

Trump has made clear that Iran “cannot have a nuclear weapon,” Waltz continued. “All options are on the table to ensure it does not have one, and that’s all aspects of Iran’s program. That’s the missiles, the weaponization, the enrichment. They can either hand it over and give it up in a way that is verifiable, or they can face a whole series of other consequences.”

“But either way, we cannot have a world with the ayatollahs with their finger on the nuclear button.”

ABC News’ Luis Martinez, Selina Wang, Kelsey Walsh, Hannah Demissie and Quinn Scanlan contributed to this report.

At least 59 killed in ‘catastrophic’ North Macedonia nightclub fire

March 16, 2025 by WDNY Radio

LONDON and BELGRADE — Dozens of people were killed in a fire at a nightclub in North Macedonia’s southern city of Kocani, local authorities said Sunday.

At least 59 people — all aged 18 to 23 — were killed, Pance Toshkovski, North Macedonian minister of interior, said during a news conference on Sunday. Among the victims was a police officer, who was in the nightclub on duty, Toshkovski said.

Dr. Kristina Serafimova, the head of the Kocani General Hospital, told ABC News that those who perished were killed by smoke inhalation, burns and a stampede triggered by the fire. Serafimova said there was only one exit from the nightclub.

Another 155 people were injured in the incident, all of whom are aged between 14 and 24, Serafimova and Toshkovski said. Around 10 of those injured are in critical condition and on respirators fighting for their lives, Serafimova said.

The most serious cases have all been transferred to hospitals in other parts of the country or abroad, Serafimova said.

Arrest warrants have been issued for four people, said Toshkovski, who declined to provide further information. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire and possible safety violations.

Toshkovski said the Ministry of Economy and Public Prosecutor’s Office are collecting documents related to the nightclub and those alleged to have been responsible for the tragedy.

A switchboard operator at one of the hospitals treating victims told ABC News, “It’s a catastrophic tragedy.”

The manager of the band DNK, which was performing at the nightclub when the fire broke out, told ABC News that the venue had a maximum capacity of 500 to 700 people.

The band, which consists of eight members, was performing at the time of the fire and some of them were among the injured, the manager said.

As more details of the incident emerged, the families of the young people who attended the concert — some of them underage — appealed for information on social media, sharing phone numbers and personal details in the hope that those still missing can be found.

Serafimova told ABC News that only around half of the victims were carrying identification. Family members of the missing have been asked to come to Kocani hospital to help identify their loved ones, she added.

The blaze began around 2:35 a.m. local time, according to Interior Minister Toshkovski, who said the venue’s roof was set on fire by pyrotechnics used by clubbers.

Toshkovski said police arrested one man, but did not give any further details.

North Macedonian Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski wrote on X, “The loss of so many young lives is irreparable, and the pain of the families, loved ones and friends is immeasurable.”

“The government is fully mobilized and will do everything necessary to deal with the consequences and determine the causes of this tragedy,” Mickoski added. “In these times of deep sadness, when our hearts are broken with pain due to this terrible tragedy, I call for unity, solidarity, humanity and responsibility.”

Among those offering condolences from abroad was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. “I wish those who were injured a speedy recovery,” he wrote in a post to X. “Ukraine mourns alongside our [North] Macedonian friends on this sad day.”

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said his nation was ready “to provide any assistance that may be needed.”

European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos said on X that she was “deeply saddened” by the “terrible tragedy.”

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Putin ‘prolonging’ Ukraine war, Zelenskyy says after Trump peace appeal

March 16, 2025 by WDNY Radio

LONDON — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “prolonging the war” and “ignoring” U.S.-led efforts to agree to a ceasefire, as a first step toward ending Moscow’s three-year-old invasion of its neighbor.

Recent weeks have seen Kyiv and Moscow frame each other as the main impediment to peace, maneuvering to win backing from President Donald Trump as the White House presses for an end to the conflict.

Zelenskyy on Saturday reported a massing of Russian troops along the border with Ukraine’s eastern Sumy region. “This indicates an intention to attack,” Zelenskyy said. “We are aware of this, and will counter it. I would like all partners to understand exactly what Putin is planning, what he is preparing for and what he will be ignoring.”

“The buildup of Russian forces indicates that Moscow intends to keep ignoring diplomacy,” the Ukrainian leader wrote on social media. “It is clear that Russia is prolonging the war. We are ready to provide our partners with all the real information on the situation at the front, in the Kursk region and along our border.”

Fierce fighting and long-range strikes continued despite the U.S. peace push. Ukraine’s air force said Russia launched 90 attack drones into the country on Saturday night. Forty-seven were shot down with 33 lost in flight, the air force said. “The Chernihiv, Kyiv, Kharkiv and Odessa regions were affected by the Russian attack,” it added.

Russia’s Defense Ministry, meanwhile, said its forces shot down 31 Ukrainian drones over four Russian regions.

Last week, Ukrainian and U.S. negotiators agreed to a 30-day ceasefire. Moscow was non-committal, Putin saying he was “for” the agreement but setting out additional conditions for its implementation.

In Russia’s western Kursk region — where Ukrainian forces seized ground in a surprise August 2024 offensive — Moscow is seeking to cut off and destroy Kyiv’s troops. Russian officials have said no peace deal is possible until Kursk is recaptured.

The fighting in the border region prompted Trump to warn of “a horrible massacre,” adding he had asked Putin to spare the lives of the Ukrainian soldiers still fighting there.

Zelenskyy, his officials and commanders denied the suggestion that Ukrainian troops were cut off.

“Our troops continue to hold back Russian and North Korean groupings in the Kursk region,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media on Saturday. “There is no encirclement of our troops.”

Trump last week touted “very good and productive” discussions between the U.S. and Russia, for which Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff traveled to Moscow and met with Putin. There is, Trump said, a “very good chance that this horrible, bloody war can finally come to an end.”

Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Saturday, according to a State Department readout. The two officials “discussed next steps to follow up on recent meetings in Saudi Arabia and agreed to continue working towards restoring communication between the United States and Russia,” the statement said.

It remains unclear whether Russia is willing to downgrade its long-held maximalist war goals. Trump has threatened to impose new sanctions and tariffs on Moscow if the Kremlin does not show a willingness to pursue a peace deal.

Yuri Ushakov, a senior foreign policy aide to Putin, said in an interview with state television aired on Sunday that Moscow views the proposed 30-day ceasefire an “an attempt to give a break to Ukrainian troops who are now enduring difficult times.”

“Russian troops are on the offensive on all fronts,” Ushakov said in comments that appear to have been recorded on Thursday when Witkoff was in Moscow. “And in this situation, we can view it as a sort of attempt to give time to Ukrainian troops time to rearm and regroup.”

Ukraine, meanwhile, appears to have somewhat repaired ties with the White House after a month of tensions culminated in a brief U.S. freeze on military aid and intelligence sharing.

Still, Zelenskyy has repeatedly stressed the need for lasting Western security guarantees backed by the U.S. — a commitment the Trump administration has so far dodged.

“Peace will be more reliable with the presence of European contingents on the ground, supported by the American side,” Zelenskyy wrote on social media on Saturday.

The Kremlin has dismissed the proposal, a stance Zelenskyy suggested should be ignored.

“It is also a very bad signal to listen to the opinion of the Russians regarding the contingent,” the president wrote. “The contingent should be stationed on Ukrainian soil. This is a guarantee of security for Ukraine and for Europe.”

“If Putin wants to introduce some foreign contingent into the territory of Russia, that is his business,” he added. “But it is not his business to decide something about the security of Ukraine and Europe.”

ABC News’ Patrick Reevell contributed to this report.

Trump orders attacks against Houthis in Yemen

March 15, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(SANA’A, Yemen) — President Donald Trump announced he ordered the U.S. military to launch “decisive and powerful military action” against the Houthis in Yemen.

“They have waged an unrelenting campaign of piracy, violence, and terrorism against American, and other, ships, aircraft, and drones,” Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social. “We will use overwhelming lethal force until we have achieved our objective.”

A U.S. official confirmed to ABC News that U.S. air and naval assets hit dozens of Houthi targets in Yemen, including missiles, radars and drone and air defense systems. The official characterized the attacks as an opening salvo against the Houthis and sends a strong message to Iran.

A spokesman for Yemen’s ministry of health said at least nine people have been killed in the strikes and another nine injured. He said most of the casualties were civilians, and the number of those killed and injured will be updated as rescue and recovery efforts continue.

The strikes are the largest and most significant military action that Trump has taken in his second term.

The Houthi attacks were carried out by fighter jets from the Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, now in the northern Red Sea, as well as Air Force attack planes and armed drones launched from bases in the region, according to a source familiar with the plan.

Trump approved the plan on Friday, the source added.

The strikes Saturday are the result of several high-level White House meetings this week with Trump and top national security aides, including Vice President J.D. Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Michael E. Kurilla.

The attacks could intensify in scope and scale depending on the Houthi reaction, a source familiar with the plan said.

The source stressed this is not expected to be a single day event and said that “this will be decisive.”

Earlier in March, the Houthis warned they would resume attacking shipping vessels if Israel’s blockade of aid in Gaza continued.

Trump also had a stark message for Iran, writing that its support for the Houthis must end “immediately.” The president redesignated the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization via an executive order in first days in office.

In a message to the Houthis, Trump threatened that if the attacks don’t stop, then “hell will rain down upon you like nothing you have ever seen before.”

The Biden administration also conducted multiple strikes against the Houthis as they disrupted international shipping lanes in the Red Sea with attacks.

The last U.S. airstrike in Yemen against the Houthis occurred on Jan. 8, while former President Joe Biden was still in office, when a precision strike targeted two underground ammunition bunkers. There had been no other airstrikes since then partly because the Houthis stopped attacking ships during the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.

Trump slammed his predecessor, writing, “Joe Biden’s response was pathetically weak, so the unrestrained Houthis just kept going.”

Since the October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, the Houthis have launched more than 100 attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, causing disruptions to global trade through one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. The Houthi rebels had initially framed their attacks as a way to pressure Israel to stop the war that was launched following the Oct. 7 terrorist attack. But as shippers began to avoid the regions of the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, the rebel strikes still continued.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Department of Education cuts expected to have ‘huge impacts’ on teachers

March 15, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Following the Department of Education’s gutting of nearly 50% of its workforce Tuesday evening, educators have expressed deep concern — not only for students’ futures but for their own as well.

Tara Kini, chief of policy and programs at the Learning Policy Institute, told ABC News on Friday the job cuts will have “huge impacts” on teachers.

She pointed to the loss of federal money that previously funded teacher training programs as particularly devastating, especially for programs for teachers of special needs, marginalized and multilingual students.

“The fact that those grants will be able to go out the door means that we’re going to have fewer teachers trained, particularly for high-need subject areas where there are shortages all over the country,” she said.

“We will lose counselors, social workers, behavior specialists — people who ensure safety and stability for students who need it most,” Robert Castleberry, a fifth grade teacher in Kansas and the American Federation of Teachers’ Kansas secretary, said in a statement to ABC News.

“I hope this change by the government doesn’t set educators back years while our states are working to try and figure out how to distribute all those funds,” said Michael Brix, an instructor at the Peoria Public Schools’ Woodruff Career and Technical Center in Illinois and a member of the Peoria Federation of Teachers.

As President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order proposing to return education power to states, senior Department of Education officials stressed the massive reforms on Tuesday are going to help the department get funding to states in a more cost-efficient way.

“What we are doing now is not working,” the officials said. “It’s just not, so it’s time for change and that’s what’s starting tonight.”

But Kini said the cuts this will exacerbate preexisting issues of teacher shortages and lack of funding that has already been prevalent in America.

“Our schools are already grossly underfunded in Connecticut,” said Jennifer Graves, special education teacher in New Haven, Connecticut, and vice president of New Haven Federation of Teachers. “We are really, really struggling already and constantly working in a deficit model to support not only general education students but especially our most vulnerable populations — our multilingual learners and our students with disabilities.”

As a result, teachers could become more overworked and struggle to accommodate student demands, with Kini speculating that classes could get combined and offer less individualized attention.

“Or they may cut some courses like electives altogether because they don’t have teachers to teach it,” she continued. “They may staff classes with substitute teachers or long-term substitute teachers … who aren’t trained for the job, and none of those options are good for student learning.”

Mike Carvella, a third grade math and science teacher in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, told ABC News during a rally on Friday how students with individualized education plans, or IEPs, can be denied by private schools, causing them to flood the public school system and subsequently affect teachers.

“That’s going to put more kids with IEPs into more underfunded public schools and put more pressure on public school teachers and public school districts to educate kids who are already marginalized and already have learning problems,” he said.

Kini noted the coronavirus pandemic in which teachers faced shortages and were forced to pick up “more of the burden” while simultaneously juggling their own responsibilities.

She also emphasized how vital federal funding programs are for allocating resources to marginalized students.

“The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) funds teacher training and professional development for special education teachers, and that’s a huge chunk of federal funding that’s going to be impacted. It’s going to impact the numbers of special education positions,” Kini said. “The same is true for Title 1 funding for low-income students and Title 3 funding for multilingual students.”

IDEA is a law that ensures free public education to children with disabilities, including special education and other resources.

The DOE promised that it would continue delivering all statutory programs, including funding for special needs and disadvantaged students, formula funding, student loans and Pell Grants for low-income students.

Yet sources told ABC News that most of the reduction in force affected the Offices for Civil Rights and Federal Student Aid, effectively terminating many of the department’s employees who are tasked with investigating discrimination within schools and helping the nation’s students achieve higher education.

Kini spoke to the job cuts at OCR, emphasizing that students will not be protected from unlawful discrimination and explaining how this would consequently force teachers to pick up an additional responsibility and “play more of that watchdog role.”

When asked about the future of teaching, Kini expressed a bleak outlook over the likelihood of young people seeking to pursue education as a career.

“It would be a little bit of speculation there, but I think it would be a reasonable conclusion for a young person today to look at what’s happening with the uncertainty in education, and particularly with the cuts to the U.S. Department of Education, and say, ‘You know what? That doesn’t seem like a stable career choice for me right now,'” Kini said.

Jim Ward, a retired educator and retired National Education Association employee who traveled from St. Louis, Missouri, to Washington, D.C., for Friday’s #EDMatters Rally outside the department’s headquarters, emphasized to ABC News how students remain the most important priority.

“All the dedicated educators that are here today are serving in those classrooms because they care about the needs of every single student, not just the ones that look like them — although their workforce is quite diverse, too — which you might not see in some of the more exclusive private schools,” Ward said.

Lori Stratton of Kansas also attended the rally, telling ABC News how “meaningful” it was for her to be present on Friday.

“I’ve been a teacher for 34 years. Most of my sons are in education. My husband’s in education. Most of my family’s in education. This is our business. You know, we are believers,” she said. “We have dedicated our lives to supporting students in public schools, and I feel like it’s an American value. I feel like there is not a bigger democratic American value than supporting education.”

At least 18 dead, dozens injured as severe storms hit multiple states

March 15, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(NEW YORK) — At least 18 people are dead after severe weather hit parts of Missouri, Texas and Arkansas overnight, officials said.

Eleven storm-related fatalities were reported in the Missouri counties of Ozark, Butler, Wayne and Jefferson, the state highway patrol said. Three people were confirmed dead in Independence County, Arkansas, the state’s emergency management division said.

Four were reported dead in Texas, officials said Saturday.

At least 29 people were injured in eight Arkansas counties, state emergency officials said.

Additionally, 238,792 customers are without power across five states — Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Texas and Arkansas, according to Poweroutage.us.

Millions of Americans across the country are on alert for severe weather with tornado watches in effect for eight states: Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio.

A new particularly dangerous situation tornado watch was issued Saturday across much of Mississippi, as well as portions of eastern Louisiana until 6 p.m. CT this evening. This includes cities such as Jackson, Tupelo, Meridian, Mississippi; and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

“A tornado outbreak appears imminent with the potential for multiple, intense to violent long-track tornadoes from mid-day through this evening,” according to the National Weather Service.

Another tornado watch remains in effect for portions southern Arkansas and northern Louisiana until 1 p.m. CT this afternoon. A line of severe storms is sweeping east across the region bringing the threat of strong tornadoes, damaging wind gusts, and large hail.

Any stronger, slow-moving storms bringing torrential rain could also trigger areas of dangerous flash flooding in the coming hours.

Emergency management was working through the damage Saturday morning, but Robert Myers with the Butler County Emergency Management Agency said daylight would give them a better idea of the amount of destruction.

The Black River Coliseum has been opened as shelter and Myers said that there are people with injuries in nearby hospitals but did not have an exact number.

There were 23 reported tornadoes overnight across four states – Missouri, Arkansas, Illinois and Mississippi as the severe weather outbreak continues into Saturday. Winds gusted up more than 80 mph causing damage in the Midwest from Missouri to Wisconsin.

The Storm Prediction Center said that numerous significant tornadoes, some of which could be long-track and potentially violent, are expected and cities in the high risk areas include Hattiesburg, Jackson, Tuscaloosa and Birmingham.

The most dangerous tornado threat should begin Saturday during the late morning to early afternoon hours in Louisiana and Mississippi before spreading into Alabama late afternoon into the evening, followed by the western Florida panhandle and into western Georgia through late Saturday night.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency effective noon Saturday in preparation for severe weather moving into the state this evening and into the morning.

The severe storms are expected to be weaker on Sunday as the storms reach the East Coast from Florida to the Mid-Atlantic.

Damaging winds, large hail and brief tornadoes on Sunday afternoon will be possible for the Southeast, while heavy rain and damaging wind threat will reach the Northeast Sunday evening into the overnight.

The severe weather outbreak is all part of a major cross-country storm system that is also prompting fire danger and red flag warnings across the Plains.

Judge grants temporary restraining order, halting removal of migrants under Alien Enemies Act

March 15, 2025 by WDNY Radio

(WASHINGTON) — Hours after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration in anticipation of the president invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order barring the Trump administration from deporting plaintiffs for two weeks.

The judge also set a hearing for Saturday at 5 p.m.

Although there has been no announcement of the act being invoked, the lawsuit claimed the ACLU and other representing parties have reason to believe President Donald Trump has invoked “or will imminently invoke” the Alien Enemies Act to speed up the administration’s mass deportation goals and target the Tren de Aragua Venezuelan gang.

As early as Friday, Trump was expected to soon invoke the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law that allows the president to detain or deport the natives and citizens of an enemy nation, as part of the efforts to carry out mass deportations, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the matter.

The ACLU is representing five plaintiffs it believes have been moved to detention centers in Texas intended to be “staging facilities to remove Venezuelan men under the AEA,” court documents show. Four of the five plaintiffs have been accused of being members of Tren de Aragua.

The ACLU claims they have been wrongfully accused of being gang members, some seemingly only based on their tattoos, despite the fact that some are seeking protection in the United States from the same gang they’re now accused of being a part of.

The AEA states that it can only be invoked when there is a war with or an invasion by a foreign government or nation. It allows the president to order all citizens of that foreign nation who are not naturalized in the U.S. to be arrested and removed “as alien enemies.”

In essence, members of that hostile nation could be swiftly removed from the country with little to no due process.

The ACLU argues that the government would be illegally invoking the act to target alleged members of Tren de Aragua because the gang is not a nation and there is no invasion as outlined by U.S. law.

“The Trump administration’s intent to use a wartime authority for immigration enforcement is as unprecedented as it is lawless. It may be the administration’s most extreme measure yet, and that is saying a lot,” said Lee Gelernt, deputy director of the ACLU’s Immigrants’ Rights Project and lead counsel.

The Department of Defense is not expected to have a role in the invoking of the authority, which could be used to deport some migrants without a hearing.

There have been discussions inside the administration about invoking the act, multiple sources said.

Trump had previously said on the campaign trail that he planned to invoke the act.

The act hasn’t been used since World War II, when it was used to detain Japanese Americans.

During World War II, the Alien Enemies Act was partially used to justify the internment of Japanese immigrants who had not become U.S. citizens. The broader internment of Japanese-Americans was carried out under executive orders signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt and not the Alien Enemies Act since the law does not apply to U.S. citizens.

ABC News’ Peter Charalambous contributed to this report.

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