Trump launches strikes on Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, killing 24: Live updates – UK Times

Tesla, whose CEO Elon Musk is a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, has wrote a letter to the the U.S. Trade Representative voicing concerns over retaliatory tariffs.

In recent weeks, Trump has fueled a trade war with Canada, Mexico and China by imposing tariffs on the U.S.’s largest trading partners. These countries have imposed retaliatory tariffs in response.

It’s not immediately clear if Musk, who as the Department of Government Efficiency boss has been carrying out mass layoffs and slashing government contracts, was involved in the letter. The Independent has reached out to Tesla for comment.

In the unsigned letter on Tesla letterhead, dated March 11, the electric vehicle manufacturer wrote to Ambassador Jamieson Greer about its concerns that it could be “exposed” to retaliatory tariffs.

Donald Trump stared down a reporter whose microphone hit him in the face as he spoke to journalists before departing for Mar-a-Lago on Friday, 14 March.

The president was speaking about Gaza to a group of press at Joint Base Andrews when a boom microphone made contact with his face.

Mr Trump looked towards the group of journalists before raising his eyebrows at the incident.

The Republican remarked, “She just became a big story tonight,” seemingly referring to the reporter.

Donald Trump’s Oval Office attack on Ukraine’s president last month appeared to mark a very public realignment of America’s sympathies – away from Europe and towards Russia in a manner that few could have imagined during the Cold War years.

The Republican Party, now dominated by Trump’s “America First” MAGA movement, once considered the former Soviet Union “the evil empire” under Ronald Reagan and relished its collapse.

Today, the GOP stands accused of parroting Vladimir Putin’s rhetoric and some even refuse to admit the plain fact that Moscow began the war by invading its neighbor.

Jimmy Carr has reflected on the time Elon Musk attended one of his comedy shows with a group of heavily armed men.

Although he appears to be at odds with some people in the comedy world the same can’t be said for Carr. Shortly after Musk’s “Nazi salute” controversy at Donald Trump’s inauguration celebration, Carr defended the Tesla CEO during a stand-up gig in Washington DC.

“For the record, Elon Musk is not a f**king Nazi. It’s just the internet goes ‘he’s a Nazi’ almost immediately. He’s a f**king genius. And Neal Brennan, my friend pointed this out brilliantly, if you’re a genius…there’s a little Salt Bae of f**king crazy that comes with it. He’s maybe a little bit crazy but he’s not a f**king Nazi. He’s alright. I’ve met him. He’s a very nice fella. Great sense of humour.”

Speaking to The Telegraph, Carr recalled an encounter with Musk when the billionaire attended a television performance of his in Los Angeles in 2016.

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.

Alexander Butler has the story:

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.

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.

Kelly Rissman has the story:

A surging portion of American voters are dissatisfied with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a new poll has revealed.

In addition, 54 percent of respondents agreed with the statement that DOGE was doing “more damage than good” to America.

Only 36 percent of respondents support the world’s richest man’s brash measures slashing federal departments and jobs.

Madeline Sherratt has the story:

Trump administration workforce cuts at federal agencies overseeing U.S. dams are threatening their ability to provide reliable electricity, supply farmers with water and protect communities from floods, employees and industry experts warn.

The Bureau of Reclamation provides water and hydropower to the public in 17 western states. Nearly 400 agency workers have been cut through the Trump reduction plan, an administration official said.

“Reductions-in-force” memos have also been sent to current workers, and more layoffs are expected. The cuts included workers at the Grand Coulee Dam, the largest hydropower generator in North America, according to two fired staffers interviewed by The Associated Press.

In the span of a week, a hush has descended on higher education in the United States.

International students and faculty have watched the growing crackdown on pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University with apprehension. Some say they are familiar with government crackdowns but never expected them on American college campuses.

The elite New York City university has been the focus of the Trump administration’s effort to deport foreigners who took part in pro-Palestinian demonstrations at colleges last year.

Federal immigration agents have arrested two foreigners — one of them a student — who protested last year at Columbia. They’ve revoked the visa of another student, who fled the U.S. this week. Department of Homeland Security agents also searched the on-campus residences of two Columbia students on Thursday but did not make any arrests there.