Thursday morning news: March 20, 2025

Trump – Zelenskyy call » During a phone call on Wednesday,  President Trump and Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky agreed on a limited ceasefire on energy targets — the same deal Vladimir Putin agreed to in a call with Trump one day earlier. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says Trump also floated the idea of the United States taking ownership of Ukraine’s nuclear power plants.

LEAVITT: American ownership of those power plants. Plants would be the best protection for that infrastructure and support for Ukrainian energy infrastructure.

Delegations from the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine are expected to continue talks to expand a ceasefire into the Black Sea. Special envoy to Ukraine, retired Gen. Keith Kelloogg explains the next steps:

KELLOGG:  We're going to head to technical talks. That's a term where you actually have the talks from both sides, sitting down until we get to a comprehensive ceasefire, which leads you to a peace treaty. And we're only at day 58.

U.S. negotiators are heading back to Saudi Arabia this week for more talks with Ukrainian leaders. They also held peace talks there last week.

Fed to leave interest rates unchanged » Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell says the central bank is keeping its key interest rate right where it is for now four and a quarter to four and a half percent. He said the future of the economy is hard to predict with the Trump administration making big changes in trade, immigration, fiscal policy, and regulation.

POWELL:  It is the net effect of these policy changes that will matter for the economy and for the path of monetary policy. While there have been recent developments in some of these areas, especially trade policy, uncertainty around the changes and their effects on the economic outlook is high.

With all that in mind, Powell says the Fed is very much taking a wait-and-see approach to monetary policy. But he added that right now, both the economy and the job market appear stable.

University of Pennsylvania federal funding, trans athletes » The Trump administration is suspending about $175 million dollars in federal funding for the University of Pennsylvania. That stems from the school’s decision to allow male swimmer Lia Thomas, who identifies as a woman, to compete on the women’s swim team in 2022. Former volleyball player Payton McNabb, who was injured by a transgender player from an opposing team, reacted to the news:

MCNABB:   Personally, I'm thrilled. This is something that, you know, he, the Trump administration has promised. And for everything that they've put these girls through, this is what they deserve.

This follows President Trump’s executive order stating that under the Title IX provision of civil rights law women are shielded from having to compete against men in scholastic sports. Advocates hailed it as a victory for fairness in women’s athletics. But Penn argues that it was simply following the NCAA rules at the time.

Bondi challenges Judge Boasberg's actions » Attorney General Pam Bondi is blasting U.S. District Judge James Boasberg for his order temporarily halting the deportation of high-risk illegal immigrants, such as gang members.

BONDI: Why is a judge trying to protect terrorists who have invaded our country over American citizens?

Bondi notes that the president has legally declared certain foreign gangs as designated terrorist organizations. Boaserg, an Obama appointee, issued the 14-day block on Saturday. It bars President Trump’s administration from ordering the deportations under the rarely invoked Alien Enemies Act.

BONDI:  You have one unelected federal judge trying to control foreign policies, trying to control the Alien Enemies Act, which they have no business presiding over.

Bondi asserts that the Venezuela-based Tren de Aragua gang is supported by the regime of Venezuelan dictator Nicholas Maduro and is acting on its behalf.

Illinois homeschool bill protest » Thousands of homeschool parents protested inside the Illinois state capitol on Wednesday. They showed up to protest legislation that they’re calling an assault on parental rights.  The sponsors of the Homeschool Act argue that it will help regulate the fast growing homeschool movement and ensure that kids are getting a good education. But parents at the capital pushed back.

PARENT 1:  I feel like it's overage because I don't co parent with the government. My children are mine and I get to decide what we learn.

PARENT 2: It doesn't feel great to have the government who is struggling to educate in the public school sector to tell us how we should educate our children.

Under the bill, government officials could demand educational portfolios without stated cause. Non-compliance could lead to fines or even jail time.

SOUND: [IDF in Gaza]

Israel latest » Israel is once again on the move in the Central Gaza Strip. The Israeli military today released video of what it says are Israeli forces carrying out a limited ground operation to retake a key Gaza corridor. That comes more than two weeks after a ceasefire expired. Hamas is once again refusing to release hostages and flat-out rejected a U.S.-proposal for a renewed ceasefire deal supported by Israel.

KATZ: [Speaking Hebrew]

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz says airstrikes against Hamas terrorists this week were only the first step of a renewed offensive. He says that unless all of the Israeli hostages are released immediately and Hamas is expelled from Gaza, Israel will act with an intensity that hasn’t been seen yet.

I'm Kent Covington.

Straight ahead: bringing stability to Syria. Plus, how one church in Louisville helps the visually impaired read the Bible.

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