Trump says he’ll speak with Putin on Tuesday about ending Ukraine war

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

GOOD MORNING

I’M CRAIG NIGRELLI

IT’S MONDAY, MARCH 17, 20-25

AND THESE ARE YOUR UNBIASED UPDATES:

PRESIDENT TRUMP CONFIRMS HE WILL BE TALKING DIRECTLY WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADAMIR PUTIN THIS WEEK. WHAT HE SAYS WILL BE THE KEY ISSUES IN THEIR PHONE CONVERSATION IN ATTEMPT TO END THE WAR IN UKRAINE. 

AND — NEARLY 40 PEOPLE ARE DEAD AFTER A COMBINATION OF TORNADOES, DUST STORMS AND WILDFIRES ROAR THROUGH THE PLAINS,  THE DEEP SOUTH AND THE OZARKS OVER THE WEEKEND.  WHERE THE STORM SYSTEM IS HEADED NEXT TO START THE NEW WORK-WEEK. 

TRUMP TO SPEAK WITH PUTIN AMID PUSH TO END RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR

AS PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND HIS ADMINISTRATION CONTINUE WORKING TOWARD BROKERING PEACE IN UKRAINE,  THE PRESIDENT IS GETTING READY FOR A HIGH STAKES CONVERSATION WITH RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN ON TUESDAY.

PRESIDENT TRUMP TOLD REPORTERS SUNDAY NIGHT QUOTE “A LOT OF WORK” WAS DONE OVER THE WEEKEND “TO SEE IF WE CAN BRING THAT WAR TO AN END.”

WHILE SPEAKING WITH REPORTERS ON AIR FORCE ONE  — PRESIDENT TRUMP WAS ASKED ABOUT THE CONCESSIONS PUTIN WOULD HAVE TO MAKE FOR A DEAL TO BE REACHED.

“Well, I think we’ll, you know, be talking about land. It’s a lot of land. It’s a lot different than it was before the war. As you know. And we’ll be talking about land. We’ll be talking about power plants. That’s, you know, it’s a big question, but I think we have a lot of it already discussed very much by both sides.”

PUTIN HAS SAID HE SUPPORTS A CEASEFIRE — BUT HAS **NOT** YET AGREED TO THE PROPOSED AMERICAN DEAL THAT WAS RECENTLY ACCEPTED BY UKRAINE.

THAT COMPROMISE  WOULD INCLUDE A 30-DAY CEASEFIRE AS THE TWO COUNTRIES WORK TO FINALIZE AN END TO THE WAR.

tyle=”font-weight: 400;”>PUTIN SAYS THE BIGGEST ISSUES ARE THE LOGISTICS OF HOW THE CEASEFIRE WOULD BE ENFORCED AND IF UKRAINE WOULD BE GIVEN TIME TO REBUILD ITS TROOPS.

HOUTHIS CLAIM TO ATTACK U.S. SHIP OFF YEMEN COAST FOR 2ND TIME IN 24 HOURS

THIS MORNING — YEMEN’S HOUTHI REBELS CLAIM TO HAVE ATTACKED AN AMERICAN AIRCRAFT CARRIER GROUP FOR A SECOND TIME IN 24 HOURS.

IT COMES AFTER U-S AIRSTRIKES SATURDAY ON PARTS OF YEMEN  THAT ARE UNDER CONTROL OF THE IRAN-BACKED MILITANT GROUP.

PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS PROMISED TO USE  “OVERWHELMING LETHAL FORCE” UNTIL THE REBEL GROUP CEASES ATTACKS ON SHIPPING ALONG A VITAL MARITIME CORRIDOR IN THE RED SEA.

A FEW DAYS BEFORE THE AIRSTRIKES,  THE HOUTHIS SAID THEY WOULD RESUME ATTACKS ON ISRAELI VESSELS SAILING OFF YEMEN’S COAST IN RESPONSE TO ISRAEL’S LATEST BLOCKADE ON GAZA.

IN AN APPEARANCE ON C-B-S’ “FACE THE NATION WITH MARGARET BRENNAN” SUNDAY,  SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO SAID THE NEW STRIKES ARE QUOTE “NOT A ONE-OFF.”

[MARCO RUBIO, U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE]

“We are not going to have these people controlling which ships can go through and which ones cannot, and so, your question is, ‘How long will this go on?’ It will go on until they no longer have the capability to do that.”

“We’re not gonna have these guys, these people with weapons able to tell us where our ships can go, where the ships of all the world can go, by the way. It’s not just the U.S., we’re doing the world a favor. We’re doing the entire world a favor by getting rid of these guys and their ability to strike global shipping.”

[ANCHOR]

IN A POST ON TELEGRAM, THE HOUTHIS VOWED TO QUOTE “MEET ESCALATION WITH ESCALATION” — WHILE DENYING THEIR ACTIONS THREATEN INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING.

U-S OFFICIALS HAVE **NOT** CONFIRMED THE HOUTHIS CLAIM TO HAVE ATTACKED A U-S WARSHIP FOR A SECOND TIME.

MEANWHILE, NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER MIKE WALTZ TOLD A-B-C NEWS SUNDAY THAT “ALL OPTIONS ARE ALWAYS ON THE TABLE” WHEN ASKED WHETHER DIRECT MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAN WOULD BE POSSIBLE.

[MIKE WALTZ, U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER]

“All options 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.”

IN RESPONSE TO THIS WEEKEND’S ATTACKS — IRAN ONCE AGAIN DENIED AIDING THE HOUTHI REBELS ON STATE-RUN T-V SUNDAY.

THE HEAD OF IRAN’S PARAMILITARY REVOLUTIONARY GUARD SAID IRAN “PLAYS NO ROLE IN SETTING THE NATIONAL OR OPERATIONAL POLICIES” OF THE REBELS. 

PRESIDENT TRUMP ON HIS TRUTH SOCIAL PLATFORM WARNED IRAN TO END SUPPORT FOR THE HOUTHIS IMMEDIATELY AND TO **BEWARE** AMERICA WILL HOLD IRAN **FULLY ACCOUNTABLE “

TRUMP ADMIN BLOCKED FROM USING ALIEN ENEMIES ACT TO DEPORT IMMIGRANTS

DESPITE A FEDERAL JUDGE’S ORDER LATE SATURDAY, TEMPORARILY BARRING THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION FROM DEPORTING MIGRANTS UNDER AN 18-TH CENTURY WARTIME DECLARATION,  IMMIGRATION AUTHORITIES TRANSFERRED HUNDREDS OF SUSPECTED ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO EL SALVADOR SUNDAY.

THE WHITE HOUSE AND JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SAID THE DEPORTATION FLIGHTS TO EL SALVADOR WERE ALREADY IN THE AIR WHEN THE JUDGE ISSUED HIS RULING.  PRESIDENT TRUMP THEN THANKED THE PRESIDENT OF EL SALVADOR ON TRUTH SOCIAL SAYING, IT WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN. 

IN AN EFFORT TO GET MEMBERS OF THE VENEZUELAN GANG “TREN DE ARAGUA”, OUT OF THE COUNTRY,  PRESIDENT TRUMP INVOKED THE ALIEN ENEMIES ACT OF 17-98, AFTER PREVIOUSLY designating THE GANG AS A FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION. 

THE JUDGE BLOCKED THE MOVE FOR AT LEAST 14 DAYS.

WHILE THE LAWSUIT MAKES ITS WAY THROUGH THE COURTS IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT WILL KEEP NON-CITIZENS IN ITS CUSTODY.

DOZENS DEAD, MORE THAN 150 INJURED IN NORTH MACEDONIA NIGHTCLUB FIRE

AT LEAST 59 PEOPLE ARE DEAD AND MORE THAN 150 injured AFTER A MASSIVE FIRE RIPPED THROUGH AN OVERCROWDED NIGHTCLUB IN north MACEDONIA EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.

ABOUT 500 PEOPLE WERE INSIDE THE CLUB, FOR A LIVE POP CONCERT — BUT MACEDONIA’S INTERIOR MINISTER SAID ONLY 250 TICKETS HAD BEEN SOLD.

HE SAID PYROTECHNICS CAUSED THE  ROOF TO CATCH FIRE.

POLICE HAVE DETAINED 15 PEOPLE — INCLUDING THE MANAGER OF THE CLUB AND THE SON OF THE OWNER.

THE INTERIOR MINISTER SAYS THE COMPANY,  THAT RAN THE CLUB WAS OPERATING ON AN ILLEGAL LICENSE,  AND THAT SEVERAL FORMER OR CURRENT OFFICIALS ARE NOW UNDER ARREST IN CONNECTION WITH THE CASE.

Officials say the death toll may rise — with AT LEAST 20 victims still IN CRITICAL CONDITION.

DEADLY STORMS SWEEP ACROSS PARTS OF THE U.S.

BIG PARTS OF THE COUNTRY ARE WAKING UP THIS MORNING WITH DAUNTING CLEAN-UP EFFORTS AHEAD AFTER A DEADLY ONSLAUGHT OF TORNADOES, DUST STORMS AND WILDFIRES THAT BEGAN ON FRIDAY. </span>

IN MISSISSIPPI, TORNADOES SNAPPED TREES IN HALF AND WIPED OUT ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOODS.  THE GOVERNOR SAYS SIX PEOPLE DIED AND MORE THAN 200 ARE WITHOUT HOMES. 

MEANTIME IN MISSOURI, AT LEAST TWELVE PEOPLE DIED IN TORNADOES THAT RIPPED THROUGH PLACES LIKE WAYNE COUNTY AND BUTLER COUNTY, WHICH ARE BOTH NEAR THE OZARKS. 

WICKED WINDS IN THE PLAINS, CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN KANSAS, OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS.   MORE THAN 130 FIRES BROKE OUT IN OKLAHOMA.  THE GOVERNOR SAYS FLAMES HAVE DESTROYED OR DAMAGED AT  LEAST 400 HOUSES.  70 MILE AN HOUR GUSTS LED THE STILLWATER FIRE CHIEF TO CALL IT “AN INSURMOUNTABLE TASK. ”  EMERGENCY MANAGERS IN OKLAHOMA SAY AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE DIED, THERE DUE TO WILDFIRES AND SEVERE WEATHER. 

IN NEIGHBORING KANSAS, THE HIGHWAY PATROL SAYS EIGHT PEOPLE DIED IN A HUGE PILE-UP OF AT LEAST 50 CARS, BROUGHT ON BY DUST STORMS.

ALSO, THREE PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN CRASHES IN THE TEXAS PANHANDLE, DURING A DUST STORM IN AMARILLO. 

AND IT’S NOT OVER YET,  THE SAME WEATHER SYSTEM IS NOW MOVING INTO THE SOUTHEAST AND MID-ATLANTIC.   FORECASTERS ARE PREDICTING DANGEROUS WINDS FROM FLORIDA ALL THE WAY TO NEW JERSEY WITH HEAVY RAIN ACROSS NEW YORK AND NEW ENGLAND TODAY. 

A TORNADO WATCH IS ALREADY IN EFFECT FOR A LARGE SWATH OF NORTH CAROLINA AND VIRGINIA.

PRESIDENT TRUMP POSTED ON TRUTH SOCIAL THAT THE NATIONAL GUARD HAS BEEN DEPLOYED TO ARKANSAS TO DEAL WITH THE DAMAGE THERE, AND THAT FEDERAL HELP WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS impacted by the storms.

AUBURN, UCLA TOP NCAA MEN’S AND WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT BRACKETS

FINALLY THIS MORNING – SELECTION SUNDAY WAS EXCITING. THE BRACKETS ARE NOW SET. AND TICKETS TO THE BIG DANCE ARE PUNCHED. WE NOW KNOW THE 68 TEAMS,  WHO WILL  BE TAKING PART IN THIS YEAR’S MEN’S AND WOMEN’S NC-DOUBLE-A BASKETBALL TOURNAMENTS — SO LET THE MADNESS BEGIN.

LOOKING AT THE MEN’S BRACKET FIRST – THE SELECTION COMMITTEE NAMED THE AUBURN TIGERS, THE NUMBER ONE OVERALL SEED – WITH THE COMMITTEE ANNOUNCING DUKE, HOUSTON, AND FLORIDA AS THE OTHER NUMBER ONE SEEDS.

THE SEC — MAKING TOURNAMENT HISTORY —  WITH 14 TEAMS IN MARCH MADNESS– THE MOST EVER FROM ONE CONFERENCE.

THE MEN’S TOURNAMENT KICKS OFF TOMORROW WITH THE FIRST FOUR.

OVER ON THE WOMEN’S SIDE – FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY — IT IS UCLA TOPPING THE BRACKET AS THE TOP OVERALL SEED – WITH SOUTH CAROLINA, U-S-C AND TEXAS ALSO SELECTED AS NUMBER ONE SEEDS.

THE WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT TIPS OFF WITH ITS FIRST FOUR ON WEDNESDAY.

SO WILL IT BE A NUMBER ONE SEED OR PERHAPS A CINDERELLA TEAM GETTING THEIR ONE SHINING MOMENT THIS YEAR ?

I DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU, BUT I LIKE THE UPSETS IN THE EARLY ROUNDS, AND THE GOLIATHS BATTLING IN THE FINAL FOUR.