Wednesday Briefing: Trump defends a leaky chat group

Plus, a train trip between two worlds

View in browser|nytimes.com March 26, 2025 By Natasha Frost Good morning. We're covering a cease-fire in the Black Sea and fallout from the Trump administration's Signal chat group. Plus: A train trip between two worlds. U.S. intelligence agency chiefs testified before a Senate committee yesterday about senior officials' discussion of war plans on a messaging app. Kenny Holston/The New York Times Trump and his aides downplay Signal chat leak President Trump insisted yesterday that top officials in his administration had not shared classified information about an imminent attack on Yemen in a group chat on the Signal messaging app, to which the national security adviser had mistakenly added a journalist. Tulsi Gabbard, the intelligence director, and John Ratcliffe, the C.I.A. director, testifying before the Senate about the leak, acknowledged that details about strike targets had been discussed, but they said none of it was sensitive information from their departments. That left Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who shared the plans for the March 15 attack in the chat, under a microscope. Democrats have called for Hegseth's resignation, as well as that of Michael Waltz, the national security adviser. (Read more about Hegseth's rocky first months in his role.) Trump downplayed the significance of the leak and defended Waltz, calling him "a very good man." He called Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor of The Atlantic, who was added to the chat before the attack began and revealed the leak this week, a "sleaze bag." Here's what to know about the leak. For more, read an annotated transcript. A deepening rift: Europeans reacted with exasperation and anger to comments by chat participants, including the vice president, that painted them as geopolitical parasites. More on the Trump administration Trump plans to nominate L. Brent Bozell III, a conservative media critic and fierce defender of Israel, to be the U.S. ambassador to South Africa. Trump's crypto business said it would sell a type of digital currency known as a stablecoin. His administration regulates the industry. Trump has made no secret of his designs on Greenland, but why, exactly, does he want it? He's now sending Vice President JD Vance to the territory. After the Signal leak, Vance's team sought to downplay what sounded like a disagreement with his boss. Track Trump's actions since he took office. The Black Sea as seen from the port of Odesa, Ukraine, last year. Oksana Parafeniuk for The New York Times Russia and Ukraine say they won't fight in the Black Sea Ukraine and Russia have agreed to stop fighting in the Black Sea, the White House said yesterday. The pause in maritime attacks would be a significant step toward peace, but it was unclear when it would start, and Moscow added significant caveats. The announcement came after three days of negotiations in Saudi Arabia. The U.S. also said both sides had agreed to hash out details about halting strikes on energy facilities. The Kremlin said it would not honor the Black Sea deal until Western restrictions on Russian agricultural exports had been removed. The White House promised to "help restore Russia's access to the world market for agricultural and fertilizer exports," among other particulars. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said the provision was "a weakening of positions and a weakening of sanctions." And lifting restrictions would need E.U. approval, which at the moment is unlikely. What's to gain: Kyiv and Moscow both want to stop strikes on their respective energy facilities. In the Black Sea, Russia's navy has been forced into a retreat by Ukrainian attacks. What's next: It remains unclear how and when this partial cease-fire would be implemented or how firm either side's commitment is. Ukraine's defense minister said more talks would have to be held as soon as possible to put the deal in place. Hamdan Ballal, center, after winning the Oscar for best documentary feature for "No Other Land" this month. Nina Westervelt for The New York Times A Palestinian Oscar winner said he was beaten by settlers The Israeli authorities yesterday released Hamdan Ballal, a Palestinian director of the Oscar-winning documentary "No Other Land," who had been detained overnight. Ballal was arrested after what he and other witnesses said was an attack by masked Israeli settlers in the West Bank. Israeli authorities questioned Ballal on suspicion of throwing stones and property damage, charges he denied. In Gaza: In a rare show of dissent, Palestinians protested against Hamas. Some chanted slogans critical of the armed group's grip on the territory after more than a year of war with Israel. Humanitarian aid: The U.N. said it would withdraw about one-third of its international workers in Gaza, after repeated strikes on its facilities by Israel. MORE TOP NEWS Jiji Press, via Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Japan: A court awarded $1.4 million to a man who spent 44 years on death row for a murder conviction that was later overturned. Sudan: An airstrike on Monday by the country's military ripped through a crowded market in Darfur, killing at least 54 people, monitoring groups said. China: The authorities freed five workers from a U.S. firm who were detained two years ago in a crackdown on foreign consultancies. India: A mob attacked a comedy club in Mumbai hours after a performer made fun of a state political leader. Germany: The newly sworn-in Parliament is noticeably more male and less diverse than the constituents it will represent. France: Testifying in court, the movie star Gérard Depardieu admitted to grabbing a female colleague by the hips but denied accusations of sexual assault. Britain: A jurist scolded two men who damaged a statue of Paddington Bear, saying their actions were "the antithesis of everything" the character stands for. Russia: How a cheap drone pierced the 40,000-ton steel protective shield that surrounds Chernobyl. Space: Frozen fuel from a recent SpaceX rocket created a luminous display in the sky, visible from England to Eastern Europe. Tech: We took a look inside Nvidia's dreams of a robot future at its weeklong A.I. conference. Research: European universities are recruiting American scientists who lost their jobs in the Trump administration's cost-cutting drive. SPORTS NEWS Figure skating: Amber Glenn jumps like a pole-vaulter, collects lightsabers, is openly L.G.B.T.Q. and has blossomed at an age when many peers have retired. Soccer: Real Madrid is moving closer to a blockbuster transfer for the Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold. Tennis: Italy will host the Davis Cup finals in 2025, taking over from Spain. Formula 1: McLaren has two drivers capable of winning the championship this season. How they manage themselves will be decisive. Athletics: Track and field will introduce mandatory DNA sex testing for athletes entering female competitions, the first Olympic sport to do so. MORNING READ Lee-Ann Olwage for The New York Times On a luxurious train trip from Cape Town to Pretoria, a reporter grapples with the whiplash of traveling through South Africa's two worlds, from majestic mountains to struggling shantytowns. "Few things scream excess more than a train with hot showers, air conditioning and an open bar," John Eligon writes, "crawling past settlements where many people live in shacks without running water or electricity." Lives lived: Han Jong-Hee, the co-chief executive of Samsung Electronics and a nearly four-decade veteran with the tech giant, died at 63. CONVERSATION STARTERS Not very relaxing: Airport lounges have a new play: charge more, offer less. Price of a delicacy: Physicists are developing a new way of producing foie gras that doesn't require force-feeding the birds. The next power brokers: Spring break for the children of New York's elite involves sun, fun and networking opportunities. A massacre that wasn't: One troubled teen occasionally helped out a neighborhood rabbi; the other was the grandson of a Holocaust survivor. Together, they came to the edge of atrocity. ARTS AND IDEAS Ben Blackall/Netflix 'Adolescence' tackles teens and their smartphones The hit series "Adolescence," about a 13-year-old British boy suspected of killing a girl from his school, has been Netflix's most-watched show in dozens of countries. It has reignited debate about restricting children's access to smartphones to stop them from viewing harmful content. In Britain, lawmakers have used the show to argue that the country should crack down on social media use among children. That's exactly what its writer, Jack Thorne, intended. Related: Sadistic online groups are recruiting teenagers in Britain, according to the National Crime Agency, which warned that young men were being targeted with misogynistic material. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. RECOMMENDATIONS Ghazalle Badiozamani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Barrett Washburne. Cook: Egg bites are a perfect, protein-rich snack. Listen: Two new jazz releases celebrate the work of Keith Jarrett and Anthony Braxton. Declutter: Here's a "genius" hack for organizing bathrooms. Read: Neuroscientists and psychologists say these are the best books on healing from trauma. Play the Spelling Bee. And here are today's Mini Crossword and Wordle. You can find all our puzzles here. That's it for today's briefing. See you tomorrow. — Natasha Reach Natasha and the team at briefing@nytimes.com. Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Morning Briefing: Europe Edition from The New York Times. To stop receiving Morning Briefing: Europe Edition, 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. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018