5 things to know for March 25: Yemen group chat, Deportations, FEMA, USPS, Director assaulted

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The Trump administration has revoked at least 68 grants to researchers studying the health of sexual minorities. The grants funded research focusing on the health of LGBTQ people over 50, HIV prevention, cancer and youth suicide. Termination letters claimed the research was “unscientific” or did “nothing to enhance the health of many Americans.”

Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

In one of the most shocking national security blunders, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth shared a war plan detailing weapons, targets and timing with a journalist just hours before the attack occurred. According to Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, President Donald Trump’s national security team was discussing possible military strikes on the Houthis in Yemen in an unclassified group chat — and national security adviser Michael Waltz apparently added him to the chain inadvertently. An after-action chat following the strikes was also made accessible. Goldberg discussed the “obvious security breach” Monday night on “The Source With Kaitlan Collins.”

Although the Trump administration acknowledged the messages — which were sent over the nongovernmental chat app Signal — appeared authentic, some Republicans tried to downplay the disclosure of national defense plans outside of approved classified government systems.

A federal judge attempting to discern if the Trump administration violated a pair of temporary restraining orders he issued to halt the deportation of hundreds of migrants was told that the information was no longer accessible to him. Top Justice Department officials wrote in a filing that the administration is invoking the state secrets privilege, and claims any further disclosure about the deportation flights from the US to El Salvador would pose a danger to national security. “The Court has all of the facts it needs to address the compliance issues before it,” the officials wrote to US District Judge James Boasberg. The administration had previously invoked wartime power to justify deporting the migrants it accused of being members of a Venezuelan gang.

As President Trump plans deep staff cuts at FEMA and works to eliminate the agency, new data shows that 2024 was one of the worst years for natural disasters. According to a new analysis from the International Institute for Environment and Development, there were 90 declarations of “major disasters” in the US last year — or one every four days. August was the worst month, with 10 major weather-related disasters active at the same time, including Hurricane Debby in Florida, severe storms in Kansas and flooding in Vermont. “We’re seeing hurricane season last longer, we’re seeing spring severe weather season get more significant and we’re seeing the fire season go year-round now,” former FEMA chief Deanne Criswell told CNN.

US Postmaster General Louis DeJoy resigned on Monday. During his nearly five-year tenure, the former businessman and Republican donor consolidated deliveries, raised the price of a First-Class domestic postage stamp from 55 cents to 73 cents and launched a reorganization plan that has cut 30,000 workers from the employee rolls and aims to eliminate another 10,000 through voluntary early retirement. President Trump said he wants to see even more changes and suggested giving Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick oversight of the independent government agency — a move that could be the first step toward privatization.

The Palestinian director who won an Oscar for the documentary “No Other Land” was allegedly attacked in the occupied West Bank on Monday by a group of Israeli settlers. Hamdan Ballal reportedly called the film’s co-director, Basel Adra, in distress. But when Adra arrived at Ballal’s home in the village of Susya, he saw Ballal and another person being taken away. Israeli Yuval Abraham, another co-director of the film, said Ballal suffered injuries to his head and abdomen and had not been heard from since being detained. Five American activists from the Center for Jewish Nonviolence also claimed they were assaulted by the Israeli settlers at the scene.

Trump portrait marked for removal

An oil painting of the president will soon be removed from the Colorado Capitol after Trump called it “purposefully distorted.”

Women’s March Madness games finalized

The second round of the women’s 2025 NCAA basketball tournament is done and the Sweet 16 is set. See who made the cut.

Southern Cal superstar injured

Sophomore guard JuJu Watkins was carried off the court during the Trojans’ game against Mississippi State in the women’s NCAA basketball tournament last night after she collided with Bulldogs’ senior guard Chandler Prater and apparently injured her knee.

Even the Earth needs to vent sometimes

Tourists will soon be able to see a new thermal vent spewing steam at Yellowstone National Park. Assuming it stays active until April, the vent will be visible to tourists from an area about a mile north of the Norris Geyser Basin.

Feels like I forgot something …

A United Airlines flight from Los Angeles to China had to turn around two hours into the journey and make an unscheduled stop in San Francisco last weekend after one of the pilots forgot to bring a passport.

Murphy, the bald eagle at The World Bird Sanctuary in Valley Park, Missouri, who made headlines in 2023 when photos showed him nurturing a rock like it was an egg, died after violent thunderstorms roared through the state this month. He was 33. Murphy later became a successful surrogate father to two orphaned bald eagle chicks.

That’s how many fossilized footprints from 47 individual dinosaurs were discovered on a rock that’s been sitting on the grounds of an Australian school for two decades.

“I would prefer this over killing children.”

– Iddo Elam, who spent time in prison for refusing to enlist for military service, which is compulsory for most Jewish Israelis over the age of 18. Instead, Elam became a refusenik, as conscientious objectors are called in Israel, over his disapproval of the Israel-Hamas war.

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