White House defends Venezuelan gang deportations regardless of choose’s order blocking use of wartime authority: Live updates

President Donald Trump’s policies and rhetoric have driven some international tourists to cancel their trips to the United States.

Combined with an anticipated slide in domestic travel spending, these factors could contribute to a predicted $64 billion in losses for the U.S. travel industry in 2025, according to travel research firm Tourism Economics.

In a report published late last month, Tourism Economics predicted that “domestic travel will be negatively affected by slower income growth and higher prices” while international travel to the U.S. “will be hit by a trifecta of slower economies, a stronger dollar, and antipathy towards the US.”

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Rosamund Hall writes:

The news cycle regarding tariffs is giving me flashbacks to my teenage history lessons, stirring memories about the repeal of the Corn Law and WE Gladstone’s subsequent budgets that removed nearly all protectionist regulations – Mr Bromfield, if you’re reading this, I hope you’re impressed.

Whilst economics is not my strength, I am aware that most economists assert that free trade is generally regarded as a good thing: more choice for consumers, competitive pricing and greater economic growth. Donald Trump obviously hasn’t got that memo.

You might be wondering what a wine writer is doing wading into this murky water of tariffs – well, so am I, but it’s because of one thing: the threat of tariffs on booze from the EU. Normally I’m writing about my despair at our own country’s approach to alcohol taxation, but Trump is rather stealing the headline on pretty much everything, so it might as well include this too.

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Mark Almond writes:

Donald Trump’s whirligig presidency continues with sudden reversals of foreign policy and key diplomatic appointments.

Retired lieutenant general, Keith Kellogg, had appeared “out” of Ukrainian affairs only a few days ago.

Eight weeks ago, the government in Kyiv and many friends of Ukraine abroad had celebrated his appointment as the president’s special envoy for Ukraine and Russia as a victory for a hard-line stance against Putin’s aggression.

Kellogg’s own public statements on Russian war guilt and his daughter, Meaghan Mobbs’ very public role as a fundraiser for Ukraine led people to assume that fears that Trump would “sell out” the country were misplaced.

But Keith Kellogg was briefed against by the White House media team immediately after the Trump-Zelensky bust-up in the Oval Office. He had failed to join in the pile-on against the Ukrainian President. Kellogg was removed from his post. With the Kremlin against him too, it looked like the 81-year-old had reached the end of his long road of service to the USA.

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Dr. Andrew Hazelton is one of the nation’s Hurricane Hunters.

He was part of the crews that would fly deep into powerful hurricanes as they churned in the ocean, all to collect data to help forecasters improve predictions on the storm’s power and direction. But, he was among the first rounds of layoffs at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

He said his job loss – and the thousands that have followed – are making Americans less safe.

“Because you could see the forecast improvements that we’ve come to count on or rely on could be reversed,” he told The Independent. “And, that would lead to more damage, potentially, and more loss of life. And, that’s not what we want to see.”

Julia Musto has the story:

Marcos Alemn and Regina Garcia Cano write:

The crown jewel of El Salvador’s aggressive anti-crime strategy — a mega-prison where visitation, recreation and education are not allowed — became the latest tool in U.S. President Donald Trump‘s crackdown on immigration on Sunday, when hundreds of immigrants facing deportation were transferred there.

The arrival of the immigrants, alleged by the U.S. to be members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang, took place under an agreement for which the Trump administration will pay the government of President Nayib Bukele $6 million for one year of services.

Bukele has made the Central American country’s stark, harsh prisons a trademark of his fight against crime. In 2023, he opened the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT, where the immigrants were sent over the weekend despite a federal judge’s order temporarily barring their deportations under an 18th century wartime declaration targeting Venezuelan gang members.

What is the CECOT?

In a possible bid to get MAGA off her back, Bondi invited right-wing personalities – including commentator Liz Wheeler, Chaya Raichik, who is the person behind the prolific “Libs of TikTok” X account, Republican activist Scott Presler and conservative commentator Rogan O’Hanley to name a few – down to the White House on February 27 to see the files for themselves.

Rhian Lubin has the story:

Alexander Butler writes:

Demonstrators gathered outside the Tesla centre in Park Royal, west London, on Saturday (15 March), holding up banners that read “Honk if you hate Elon.”

It followed a Just Stop Oil protest on Wednesday. Two protesters were arrested after pouring orange powdered paint over a robot at a shop in Shepherd’s Bush, the Metropolitan Police said.

Organisers are encouraging Tesla owners to sell their cars and for people to dump stock amid calls for a boycott over Musk’s close ties with US president Donald Trump.

Tesla has been a target of protests and vandalism in America in recent weeks.

President Donald Trump appears to have expanded the scope of the travel ban from his first term to include 43 countries, according to a report.

Now, with that deadline approaching, a draft list of proposed countries banned from traveling to the US is circulating, the New York Times reported.

A White House official told The Independent no decision has been made.

It was developed by the State Department weeks ago, officials familiar with the matter told the outlet, who cautioned it will likely undergo changes by the time the White House gets ahold of it.

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