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This Week’s News - 2025-03-30

Andrew Taylor

Andrew Taylor

— 2 min read

This Week’s News:

  • Israel Expands Ground Operations in Gaza: Israel intensified its military operations in Gaza, reclaiming territories in the north from which it had previously withdrawn under a ceasefire. The expanded ground campaign comes amid stalled negotiations aimed at securing a new ceasefire and the release of hostages. Multi-day Palestinian protests in Gaza against the ongoing war marked rare demonstrations of dissent against Hamas.
  • Ukraine-Russia Black Sea Agreement Announced: The White House announced a significant agreement between Ukraine and Russia to halt military actions in the Black Sea, aimed at securing safe navigation and ensuring that the region's commercial vessels remain uninvolved in conflict. Key issues, however, remain unresolved, including the exact start date of the ceasefire, and both sides continue to accuse the other of breaching existing ceasefire agreements. “He [Putin] will die soon, and that’s a fact, and it will come to an end,” Ukrainian president Zelensky asserted during a French TV interview on Wednesday. It’s unclear if this remark was a reference to Putin’s age and reported health concerns, but some have interpreted it as a threat.
  • 300 Student Visas Revoked: The State Department has revoked around 300 student visas over the last three weeks, targeting individuals who agitated in support of Hamas after the October 7th massacre. “We do it every day. Every time I find one of these lunatics, I take away their visas,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters.
  • Journalist Accidentally Added to Private Government Signal Chat: Jeffrey Goldberg of The Atlantic was purportedly accidentally added to a Signal chat group with national security officials discussing an upcoming strike on the Houthis in Yemen earlier this month. While the White House confirmed the messages' authenticity, they denied sharing classified information. The incident has sparked controversy, with mixed reactions about potential consequences for National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and has become a top news story worldwide.
  • 23andMe Declares Bankruptcy: Genetic-testing giant 23andMe filed for bankruptcy, raising concerns over the privacy of genetic data for over 15 million users. The company plans to sell assets, including customer data. This has prompted a rush among users to delete personal information.
  • IRS and ICE Near Data Sharing Agreement: The IRS is finalizing an agreement to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to tax records to verify addresses of undocumented immigrants with deportation orders. The Washington Post reported*: “*The IRS has for years reassured undocumented workers that their tax information is confidential and that it is safe for them to file income tax returns without fear of being deported."
  • Supreme Court Upholds Biden Administration’s Ghost Gun Regulations: The U.S. Supreme Court supported the Biden administration's regulations on "ghost guns" (homemade firearms assembled from kits), which does not ban them but requires sellers to obtain licenses and perform background checks.

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