The Evening: Chief justice offers a rare rebuke

Also, two astronauts returned after nine unexpected months in space.

View in browser|nytimes.com March 18, 2025 By Matthew Cullen Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Tuesday. The chief justice's rare rebuke Putin's pause on some attacks Plus, it's baseball season Chief Justice John Roberts at the Capitol this month. Haiyun Jiang for The New York Times The chief justice rebuked Trump's impeachment idea President Trump escalated his confrontation with the judicial branch today by demanding the impeachment of a federal judge who had ordered the administration to halt its plan to deport more than 200 migrants. The president called the judge, James Boasberg, a "Radical Left Lunatic" and insisted on his removal. Soon after, a Trump ally in Congress filed articles of impeachment against the judge. The attacks against Boasberg — a centrist Democrat who lived with Justice Brett Kavanaugh while they were at Yale Law School — prompted John Roberts, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, to issue a rare public rebuke. "For more than two centuries," Roberts said, "it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision." Around the same time, lawyers for the Trump administration continued their aggressive pushback against Boasberg's ruling, which barred the U.S. from deporting people suspected of belonging to a Venezuelan street gang under a statute called the Alien Enemies Act. They complied only in part with Boasberg's instructions to provide data on the deportation flights, which had not yet landed when the judge ordered them to turn around. For more: Trump's distortions are testing the judicial system's practice of deferring to the executive branch's determinations about what is true. In other politics news: A judge found that Elon Musk's effort to shutter U.S.A.I.D. most likely violated the Constitution, and ordered its operations partly restored. Trump fired both Democratic members of the Federal Trade Commission, a rejection of the regulator's traditional independence. Trump promised, again, to release "all" of the government's J.F.K. assassination files. He said they would be disclosed today. The treasury secretary said that the U.S. would provide each country on April 2 with their tariff level, and then carry out negotiations. A federal judge ordered the Education Department to restore some federal grants to schools. Trump said a recession might be worth the cost. Many economists disagree. The Trump administration's decision to cut $400 million in funding to Columbia University has imperiled research into cancer, Covid and diabetes. The Times obtained a recording of Trump's private comments during his first visit to the Kennedy Center since he took it over. A thermal power plant damaged by Russian missile strikes in Ukraine last year. Mauricio Lima for The New York Times Putin agreed to pause strikes on Ukraine's energy targets Vladimir Putin agreed during a call today with Trump to halt strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure for 30 days, as long as Ukraine does the same, according to a statement from the Kremlin. The Russian leader declined during the two-and-a-half-hour conversation to agree to the kind of broader monthlong cease-fire that both the U.S. and Ukraine have endorsed. President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine said he was also open to such a truce on attacks on energy infrastructure. The result seemed to fall short of what Trump had been hoping for. Still, if strikes on energy infrastructure by both sides indeed stop, it would be the first mutually agreed suspension of attacks in the three-year war, which the White House characterized as a first step toward a broader peace. The Kremlin said that Putin told Trump that his "key condition" to end the conflict altogether was a "complete cessation" of foreign military and intelligence assistance to Ukraine. My colleague Paul Sonne, who covers Russia, said that "would essentially make Ukraine perpetually vulnerable to Russia." Bodies of Palestinians killed in airstrikes. Saher Alghorra for The New York Times Israel resumed strikes on Gaza as the cease-fire broke down Israeli forces launched an aerial bombardment in Gaza today, ending a temporary cease-fire with Hamas. The attacks, which Israel said had targeted Hamas leaders, killed more than 400 people, according to Gazan officials — one of the war's deadliest single-day tolls. The office of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's prime minister, said he had ordered the military operation after the "repeated refusal" by Hamas to release the Israeli hostages in Gaza. Fewer than half of the 59 remaining hostages are still thought to be alive, and peace talks have run into trouble. The SpaceX capsule after splashdown. NASA Tv Astronauts returned after nine unexpected months in space A SpaceX capsule carrying the NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore splashed down just minutes ago off the Gulf Coast near Tallahassee, Fla. It left about 17 hours ago from the International Space Station. We have video of their arrival. Williams and Wilmore gained widespread attention after spacecraft troubles extended their trip to space, which was supposed to last as little as eight days, to a nine-month stay. They weren't the first astronauts to be "stuck" there. Here's what such a stay does to your health. More top news Health: Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, has suggested allowing bird flu to spread on U.S. poultry farms. Scientists say it would be disastrous. Louisiana: The state is scheduled today to carry out its first execution since 2010. It plans to use nitrogen gas. Economy: The wholesale price of eggs has dropped sharply since the beginning of March, but it may take a few weeks for shoppers to see the decline. Los Angeles: New data suggested there were faults on Southern California Edison's transmission lines hours before the outbreak of the Eaton Fire in January. Business: Google agreed to buy the cybersecurity firm Wiz for $32 billion, its biggest acquisition yet, in a push to bolster its cloud-computing business. New York City: Top fund-raisers for Mayor Eric Adams are under federal investigation over their ties to China. Britain: The Labour Party outlined plans to cut billions in welfare costs, which have spiked since the pandemic. France: Caroline Darian, the daughter of Gisèle Pelicot, is pursuing her own case against her father for rape and sexual assault. Mount Everest: When climbing season begins next month, expeditions will experiment with using drones for dangerous loads normally carried by Sherpas. TIME TO UNWIND Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters Baseball is back. Did you notice? Major League Baseball began its 2025 season today with a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs in the baseball-mad country of Japan. The undisputed star attraction was Shohei Ohtani, Japan's answer to Babe Ruth. He is a rare player who can both pitch and hit at the highest level. Tickets went for up to $10,000, and he helped lead the Dodgers to a win. Most of America was not paying attention. For one, the game was at 5 a.m. in Chicago (and 3 a.m. in Los Angeles). But also, the sport — known as "America's pastime" — has struggled to maintain its cultural relevance in a country obsessed with football that has countless entertainment alternatives. In an attempt to broaden the sport's appeal, M.L.B. organized a "content house" to teach players how to stand out online. For more: Most M.L.B. teams will begin the season next week. Here's what to expect from your favorite team. Britannic Explorer, A Belmond Train, United Kingdom Luxurious train travel is still possible For those of you who have longed to indulge in elegant rail travel of decades past, you're in luck. New trains with opulent amenities are offering trips this year in places like France, Italy, England and Japan, enticing travelers to sit back, Champagne in hand, and glide through some of the world's most beautiful landscapes. Check them out. "Blue Chrysanthemum." Piet Mondrian; via Mondrian/Holtzman Trust and Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Photo by Kristopher McKay Dinner table topics More than just a flower: Our critic kept returning to Mondrian's portrait of a single, true-to-life chrysanthemum. See why. Exoneration: Witches are again a hot topic. Some states are taking up their cause. Preparing for surgery: A writer explores how a Jewish ritual changed her relationship with mortality. An inch of history: In the 1920s and '30s, clerks at The Times collected stamps from overseas — preserving a window into the era. WHAT TO DO TONIGHT Top left, right: David Malosh, James Ransom for The New York Times. Bottom left, right: Andrew Purcell, Christopher Testani for The New York Times Cook: Ring in the spring with these vibrant, produce-packed pastas. Watch: Here are this month's best under-the-radar streaming picks. Read: "Famous Last Words" is one of the best new thrillers to check out. Plan: Helsinki is worth visiting for the architecture alone. Be aware: Adults can develop seasonal allergies. Style: Take inspiration from our fashion photographer's look of the week. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here. ONE LAST THING Marissa Alper for The New York Times Is the doggy bag dead? Restaurateurs in New York and other big cities have noticed a surprising shift in customer behavior: Diners are increasingly uninterested in taking leftovers home. Why not take home the pizza you already paid for? Restaurant owners say that young people, especially those on dates, almost never ask to box their leftovers. Perhaps it's a social stigma, or maybe people have just become so used to ordering fresh food on takeout apps. Have a waste-free 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. 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Breaking news: Musk’s role in dismantling U.S.A.I.D. likely violated Constitution, judge finds

It appears to be the first time a federal judge has acted to constrain Elon Musk.

View in browser March 18, 2025, 4:40 p.m. ET BREAKING NEWS Jason Andrew for The New York Times Judge Finds Musk's Role in Dismantling U.S.A.I.D. Likely Violated Constitution It appears to be the first time a federal judge has acted to constrain Elon Musk, a top adviser to President Trump. Read more More coverage Chief Justice Roberts rebuked calls for a judge's impeachment after President Trump demanded the judge's removal. → Russia agreed for the first time to a limited cease-fire that would stop strikes on energy infrastructure. → Republicans were warned off from meeting voters. Those who do are confronting anger and unease. → Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for Breaking News from The New York Times. To stop receiving Breaking News, 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