The Evening: Trump’s crackdown on campus protesters

Also, a government shutdown looms.

View in browser|nytimes.com March 12, 2025 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Wednesday. Trump's crackdown on protesters Putin's new dilemma Plus, the premiere of a lost Ravel Protesters outside a New York City courthouse today. Juan Arredondo for The New York Times Columbia activist's deportation case goes to court Outside a Manhattan courthouse today, hundreds of protesters gathered to criticize the Trump administration's plan to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a recent Columbia University graduate who helped lead protests there against Israel. Inside, a judge said he would grant Khalil's lawyers the ability to speak with him privately for the first time since he was arrested and sent to immigration detention in Louisiana. The case is at the center of President Trump's effort to expel foreign students who took part in last year's campus protests over the war in Gaza. After months of threatening deportations, Trump celebrated the arrest of Khalil, a legal permanent resident with a green card, as the first of "many to come." Behind the scenes, federal investigators who typically focus on human traffickers and drug smugglers have been searching social media for posts showing protesters' sympathy toward Hamas. The authorities have not accused Khalil of having any contact with the terrorist group or providing material support to it. Instead, Trump's aides are arguing that he had organized antisemitic activities on campus, which makes him deportable under an obscure legal statute. "This is not about free speech," Marco Rubio, the secretary of state, said today. "This is about people that don't have a right to be in the United States to begin with. No one has a right to a student visa. No one has a right to a green card." Trump's critics argue that Khalil's pending deportation is a clear violation of the First Amendment. The arrest put a spotlight on Columbia, which has been struggling with the competing demands of free speech and student safety. Last week, the Trump administration revoked $400 million in federal funds for the school. In related higher education news, Yale suspended a scholar after an A.I.-powered news site accused her of having links to terrorists. Chuck Schumer, the leader of the Senate Democrats. Eric Lee/The New York Times The federal government edged closer to a shutdown Senate Democrats will not help Republicans pass a bill to fund the government through Sept. 30, according to Chuck Schumer, the party's leader in the chamber. Schumer instead urged Republicans to consider a shorter extension to allow time to negotiate individual spending bills. The decision significantly raised the chances of a shutdown at the end of the week, when the government's funding is set to run out. There is little time to find another path: House Republicans left town after passing their funding bill. Here's the latest. In other politics news: The Education Department fired more than 1,300 workers. The cuts could make it harder to measure how students are doing. The E.P.A. plans to close the offices that are responsible for addressing the disproportionately high levels of pollution facing poor communities. The E.P.A. also canceled $20 billion in grants for climate and clean energy programs. The federal agency dedicated to mental illness and addiction could lose about half its staff to cuts this week. Federal judges have pushed back on many of Trump's actions. Here's a look at some key rulings. Gov. Gavin Newsom of California hosted the Trump adviser Steve Bannon on his podcast. They found some common ground. Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire will not run in 2026, further complicating Democrats' efforts to regain a majority in the Senate. A steel mill in Canada. Carlos Osorio/Reuters Europe and Canada engage in a trade fight with Trump Just hours after Trump's global tariffs on steel and aluminum imports took effect this morning, the European Union and Canada responded with retaliatory measures. Canada said it would impose additional fees on $20 billion worth of U.S. goods, effectively raising the prices for imported American metal, computers and sporting goods, among other things. The E.U. said its retaliatory tariffs, on about $28 billion of U.S. goods, would take effect on April 1. But European officials emphasized that they were ready to strike a deal with the U.S. Here's what products their tariffs might hit. Some economists worry that the trade fights will eventually hurt the U.S. economy. However, economic data still looks solid, for now: Inflation eased more than expected in February. In other economic news, egg prices are still surging. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, today in Ireland. Pool photo by Saul Loeb Putin faces a dilemma Secretary of State Marco Rubio said today that he hoped a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine would take place within "days." Ukrainian leaders, who agreed to such a truce, are glad that their relationship with the U.S. appears to be on the mend. That complicates things for Vladimir Putin. He has signaled that he does not want to stop fighting until he extracts major concessions from the West, but he also wants to maintain a good relationship with Trump. One thing that could benefit Putin: Russian troops have made advances in Kursk, a territory Ukraine hoped to use as a bargaining chip in peace talks. More top news Space: Four astronauts are scheduled to head to the International Space Station tonight. Their spacecraft is set to bring back two astronauts who stayed nine months longer than expected. Syria: A war monitor said that an outbreak of sectarian violence over the past week had been largely caused by groups linked to, but not integrated with, the new government. Climate: Breakthrough Energy, a group for energy and environmental efforts funded by Bill Gates, announced deep cuts. Health: This map shows where measles outbreaks are spreading. Philippines: Behind the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte is an unraveled alliance between two political families. Los Angeles: The wildfires are over, but the city's clear skies conceal a "toxic soup." Japan: A young female influencer livestreaming on a Tokyo street was stabbed to death by a man whom the police identified as a follower with a grudge. TIME TO UNWIND The composer Maurice Ravel in an undated photo. Evening Standard, via Getty Images After 125 years, a lost Ravel will be premiered The conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the New York Philharmonic are excitedly preparing to premiere a five-minute piece by the great 20th-century composer Maurice Ravel. The work, which will be performed for the first time tomorrow, was written around 1900 but was never published. Written for an unfinished cantata about the Babylonian queen Semiramis, the piece was only recently discovered when researchers at a Paris library began looking for works that could be performed to commemorate Ravel's 150th birthday. "It's precious," Dudamel said. Chantal Jahchan Where are our Covid memes now? It was five years ago this week when Covid seemed to grind the world to a halt almost overnight. In the months that followed, many of us spent a lot of time online, where fun and wacky trends offered some joy in the dark days of lockdown. Who doesn't remember the Cat Lawyer, the baked feta pasta craze, the bizarre monolith and Stanley Tucci's Negroni recipe? My colleagues looked back at the moments that offered us a distraction. Graham Dickie/The New York Times Dinner table topics Where your suitcase goes: We followed a bag on its hidden journey from check-in to the plane. Race with no course: Why would hundreds of people trek overnight through the wilderness with nothing but a compass? Because it's the best feeling in the world. Expanding their reach: Some N.B.A. stars are enlisting social media surrogates in hopes of getting big in China. Is it spring yet? The answer is in your yard, you just have to look closely. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT David Malosh for The New York Times Cook: This quick, weeknight pork stir-fry is humble yet packed with briny flavors. Watch: "Adolescence" is a gripping mini-series about a teenager accused of killing a classmate. Read: The Book Review released its preview of the best novels and nonfiction to look out for this spring. Wear: Take inspiration from our fashion photographer's look of the week. Plan: The newest cruise offerings are on land. Cut back: Your phone can help you manage your time online. Replace: You might be surprised by how many products have expiration dates. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING Eric Bauza. Daniel Dorsa for The New York Times The voice of 'Looney Tunes' speaks When Eric Bauza was in high school, he was tasked with delivering the morning announcements over the P.A. system. In that role, he tried to amuse his classmates with different cartoon voices. What some would see as a chore, Bauza now views as a catalyst for his career. Bauza is now a professional voice actor: He voices both Daffy Duck and Porky Pig in the new "Looney Tunes" movie; he has performed as Sylvester, Tweety and Elmer Fudd; and, when Antonio Banderas is unavailable, he takes over for Puss in Boots. Hear him switch between voices. Have an exuberant evening. Thanks for reading. I'll be back tomorrow. — Matthew Philip Pacheco was our photo editor today. We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com. Writer: Matthew Cullen Editors: Carole Landry, Whet Moser, Justin Porter, Jonathan Wolfe Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for The Evening from The New York Times. To stop receiving The Evening, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, including those regarding The Athletic, manage your email settings. To opt out of updates and offers sent from The Athletic, submit a request. 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