The Bulletin

• Trump's nuclear deadline for Iran: President Donald Trump has given Iran a two-month deadline to reach a new nuclear agreement, according to a report by Axios.

• Ukrainian drones strike Russian nuclear bomber base: Ukrainian drones are reported to have struck a Russian strategic bomber base in the city of Engels in the Saratov region, in what has been described as the largest drone attack of the war on the area that houses the base. Learn more.

• Plane crashes near Las Vegas: A small plane crashed into a ditch while landing at an airport near Las Vegas on Wednesday morning, though there were no injuries, according to local media.

• Deportations under Trump: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said that just over 28,000 deportations were carried out in the first seven weeks of the Trump administration, after several weeks without official data updates.

• Chinese naval group returns to contested waters: A Chinese three-ship naval task group has returned to the contested South China Sea following the completion of a month-long, unprecedented circumnavigation of Australia. Find out more.

• Trump voter stands firm despite wife's ICE arrest: A man who voted for Trump says he does not regret his decision, even after federal immigration authorities arrested his wife as the couple returned home from their honeymoon. Here's why.

• Mahmoud Khalil's letter from detention: Detained Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil dictated a letter from an ICE detention center in Louisiana, according to the Center for Constitutional Rights, a U.S-based advocacy NGO. Read the full letter here.

The rundown: President Donald Trump is set to sign an executive order on Thursday directing the shutdown of the U.S. Education Department, fulfilling a campaign pledge to eliminate the agency, which has long been a conservative target. Here's what to know.

Why it matters: Trump has criticized the Department of Education as wasteful and influenced by liberal ideology. However, fully dismantling the agency would require an act of Congress, which established the department in 1979. Federal student loan payments, federal funding for students with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Title I funding for low-income schools will remain unchanged under the order, according to reports. However, Education Secretary Linda McMahon is developing a plan to "bring these funds closer to states, localities, and more importantly, students," a White House official told USA Today.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Student Loan Borrowers See Payments Soar After Trump's Changes

TL/DR: The Department of Education distributes billions of dollars annually to schools and manages a $1.6 trillion federal student loan portfolio.

What happens now? The Trump administration has already begun reducing the agency's scope through layoffs and program cuts. The department is working to cut its workforce in half and downsize key offices, including the Office for Civil Rights and the Institute of Education Sciences, which monitors academic progress nationwide.

Deeper reading Student Loan Update as Trump Set to Order Department of Education Shutdown

The rundown: President Donald Trump said that the Houthis face inevitable and escalating destruction and warned Iran to stop supplying the Yemeni militant group. Learn more.

Why it matters: President Trump launched military action against Yemen's Houthi rebels this month, citing their missile attacks on U.S. aircraft and threats to international shipping lanes. On Thursday, the Houthis said they shot down an American MQ-9 drone following U.S. airstrikes on the Yemeni capital Sana'a, as well as the governorates of Al-Bayda, Al-Jawf and Sa'ada, reportedly resulting in civilian casualties, according to the Houthi-controlled Al-Massirah Channel. While the Houthis have vowed more attacks, Iran has publicly denied involvement in the Houthis' operations in Yemen and said that any aggression against Iran will be met with a decisive response.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Trump Promised to Bring Peace to Middle East. Here's How It's Going

TL/DR: The Houthis, a U.S. designated terrorist organization backed by Iran, have launched hundreds of attacks on U.S. service members and vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, directly challenging American forces defending global navigation rights.

What happens now? The U.S.-Houthi conflict introduces a new layer of instability in the Middle East, increasing the risk of broader involvement from other stakeholders and pushing the U.S. and Iran toward a potential clash.

Deeper reading Trump Says Houthis Will be "Annihilated" in Warning to Iran

The rundown: Greenpeace said its activism will never stop despite a North Dakota jury ordering the organization to pay more than $660 million in damages for defamation and other claims related to protests against the Dakota Access oil pipeline. Get more details.

Why it matters: The lawsuit, brought by Dallas-based Energy Transfer and subsidiary Dakota Access, accused Greenpeace of defamation, trespass, civil conspiracy and other acts in connection to its role in the 2016 and 2017 protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Greenpeace USA was found liable on all counts, while Greenpeace International and Greenpeace Fund Inc. were found liable on some. The damages include nearly $404 million owed by Greenpeace USA and about $131 million each from Greenpeace Fund Inc. and Greenpeace International. The verdict, delivered Wednesday, could push Greenpeace toward financial ruin, the group has acknowledged.

Read more in-depth coverage:
These Are the Most Responsible Companies in America—This Is Why

TL/DR: The decision is one of the largest financial judgments ever leveled against an environmental nonprofit and could severely limit Greenpeace's operations.

What happens now? Greenpeace's appeal process could take years, during which time the organization may have to restructure or scale back operations to manage its legal costs. The ruling could embolden other corporations to take similar legal action against activist groups, raising concerns over a potential chilling effect on environmental and social justice movements.

Deeper reading Greenpeace Sends Defiant Message After $660M North Dakota Lawsuit

The rundown: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said the country will negotiate with President Trump over his tariff plans once Canada is "shown respect" as a sovereign nation. Read more about what he said.

Why it matters: Carney, who recently replaced Justin Trudeau as leader of Canada's ruling Liberal Party, held a meeting with the Council on Canada-U.S. Relations on Thursday. Carney's office said the virtual meeting discussed the tariff plans threatened by Trump, including those Canada is expected to be hit with on April 2. Trump is set to announce a new wave of reciprocal tariff hikes which will come into effect April 2, on top of the increases he has already announced against Canada, Mexico, China and elsewhere. In a Thursday post on X, Carney said Canada is ready to "engage" with Trump regarding the "unjust" tariff plans while appearing to once again reject the idea that Canada could become the U.S.'s 51st state to avoid paying them.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Mark Carney Could Be Canada's Best Weapon Against Trump

TL/DR: Trump has long risked a major diplomatic crisis with northern allies over his threats to impose significant import tariffs and his repeated suggestion that Canada could become the 51st state of the U.S.

What happens now? Canadian and Mexican goods that meet USMCA criteria will be spared from Trump's 25 percent tariffs until April 2. The full scale of Trump's reciprocal tariffs set to come into force on April 2 has not yet been announced by the White House.

Deeper reading Mark Carney Issues Canada Ultimatum to Donald Trump

The rundown: The creation of a new "Delivery of Government Efficiency" committee by the Texas House of Representatives is unlikely to achieve much, according to experts on politics in the Lone Star State, with one describing the project to Newsweek as "partisan exhibitionism." Here's what else the experts said.

Why it matters: The Texas House DOGE committee, which is made up of eight Republican and five Democratic representatives, was created in a bid to replicate this at the state level. However, it only has the power to make recommendations to the executive. Professor Calvin Jillson, an expert on Texas politics at the Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, told Newsweek that the Texas DOGE committee would struggle to make substantive cuts. "Establishing a mini-DOGE in Texas is mostly partisan exhibitionism because Texas state government is already very lean. Texas tax collection per capita are just 65 percent of the U.S. average. So, cut what?" Jillson said.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Full List of US States Setting Up Their Own 'DOGE'

TL/DR: The federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has already proven controversial. It has presided over substantial cuts to federal employment and reduced the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to a skeleton.

What happens now? The Texas DOGE committee held its first meeting at the beginning of March, according to Austin news station KXAN. The meeting lasted 12 hours. While the committee can make recommendations for policy change, it will require the support of the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature and Governor Greg Abbott. At this stage, it's unclear to what extent this will be forthcoming.

Deeper reading Texas Mini-DOGE Dismissed as 'PR Exercise'