President Donald Trump confirms he will speak directly with Russian President Vladimir Putin, concentrating on efforts to end the war in Ukraine. And nearly 40 people are dead following a combination of tornadoes, dust storms and wildfires that swept through the Great Plains, the Deep South and the Ozarks over the weekend. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Monday, March 17, 2025.

Trump to speak with Putin amid push to end Russia-Ukraine war

As President Donald Trump and his administration continue to work toward brokering peace in Ukraine, the president prepares for a high-stakes conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday.

On Sunday night, March 16, Trump told reporters that “a lot of work” was done over the weekend “to see if we can bring that war to an end.”

While speaking with reporters on Air Force One, Trump was asked about the concessions Putin would need to make for a deal to be reached.

Trump said: “Well, I think we’ll, you know, be talking about land. It’s a lot of land. It’s a lot different than it was before the war as you know. And we’ll be talking about land. We’ll be talking about power plants. That’s, you know, it’s a big question, but I think we have a lot of it already discussed very much by both sides.”

Putin has said he supports a ceasefire but has not yet agreed to the American proposal that Ukraine recently accepted. This compromise would involve a 30-day ceasefire while the two countries seek to end the war.

Putin said the main concerns are the logistics of enforcing the ceasefire and whether Ukraine will have time to rebuild its troops.

Houthis claim two attacks on US ships off Yemen coast in 24 hours

Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed to have attacked an American aircraft carrier group for the second time in 24 hours. This follows U.S. airstrikes on Saturday, March 15, targeting areas of Yemen controlled by the Iran-backed militant group.

Trump promised to use “overwhelming lethal force” until the rebel group ceases attacks on shipping along a vital maritime corridor in the Red Sea.

A few days before the airstrikes, the Houthis said they would resume attacks on Israeli vessels sailing off Yemen’s coast in response to Israel’s latest blockade on Gaza.

In an appearance on CBS’s “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan” on Sunday, March 16, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the new strikes are “not a one-off.”

Rubio said, “We are not going to have these people controlling which ships can go through and which ones cannot, and so your question is, ‘How long will this go on?’ It will go on until they no longer have the capability to do that.”

He continued, “We’re not gonna have these guys, these people with weapons able to tell us where our ships can go, where the ships of all the world can go, by the way. It’s not just the U.S.; we’re doing the world a favor. We’re doing the entire world a favor by getting rid of these guys and their ability to strike global shipping.”

In a post on Telegram, the Houthis vowed to “meet escalation with escalation” while denying that their actions threaten international shipping.

U.S. officials have not confirmed the Houthis’ claim of having attacked a U.S. warship for a second time.

Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz told ABC News on Sunday, March 16, that “all options are always on the table” when asked whether direct military action against Iran would be possible.

Waltz said, “All options are always on the table with the president, but Iran needs to hear him loud and clear: it is completely unacceptable, and it will be stopped. The level of support that they’ve been providing the Houthis, just like they have Hezbollah, just like they have the militias in Iraq, Hamas and others.”

In response to this weekend’s attacks, Iran once again denied aiding the Houthi rebels on state-run TV on Sunday, March 16.

The head of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard said Iran “plays no role in setting the national or operational policies” of the rebels.

Trump warned Iran on his Truth Social platform to immediately end its support for the Houthis and to be aware that America will hold Iran fully accountable.

Trump admin blocked from using Alien Enemies Act to deport immigrants

Despite a federal judge’s order late Saturday, March 15, that temporarily barred the Trump administration from deporting migrants under an 18th-century wartime declaration, immigration authorities transferred hundreds of suspected illegal immigrants to El Salvador on Sunday, March 16.

The White House and the Justice Department claimed the deportation flights to El Salvador were already en route when the judge issued his ruling.

Trump then thanked the president of El Salvador on Truth Social, saying it will not be forgotten.

To get members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua out of the U.S., Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 after previously designating the gang as a foreign terrorist organization.

The judge blocked the action for a minimum of 14 days.

While the lawsuit makes its way through the courts, Immigration and Customs Enforcement will detain noncitizens in its custody.

Dozens dead, more than 150 injured in North Macedonia nightclub fire

At least 59 people are dead and more than 150 injured after a massive fire tore through an overcrowded nightclub in North Macedonia early Sunday morning, March 16.

About 500 people were inside the club for a live pop concert, but Macedonia’s interior minister said only 250 tickets had been sold.

Interior Minister Panche Toshkovski said pyrotechnics caused the roof to catch fire.

Police detained 15 people, including the manager of the club and the club owner’s son.

Toshkovski stated that the company operating the club was functioning under an illegal license and that several former or current officials are now under arrest in connection with the case.

Officials say the death toll could increase, as at least 20 victims remain in critical condition.

Deadly storms sweep across US

Large areas of the country are waking up this morning with challenging clean-up efforts ahead after a deadly series of tornadoes, dust storms and wildfires that began on Friday, March 14.

In Mississippi, tornadoes uprooted trees and devastated entire neighborhoods. The governor reported six people died, and more than 200 are now without homes.

Meanwhile, in Missouri, at least twelve people died in tornadoes that tore through areas like Wayne County and Butler County, both of which are near the Ozarks.

Wicked winds in the Great Plains caused extensive damage in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. More than 130 fires broke out in Oklahoma. Gov. Kevin Stitt said flames destroyed or damaged at least 400 houses.

Wind gusts of 70 miles per hour prompted the Stillwater fire chief to describe the situation as “an insurmountable task.” Emergency managers in Oklahoma reported that at least three people died due to wildfires and severe weather.

In neighboring Kansas, the highway patrol says eight people died in a huge pile-up of at least 50 cars brought on by dust storms.

Additionally, three people died in crashes in the Texas Panhandle during a dust storm in Amarillo.

And it’s not over yet; the same weather system now moves into the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Forecasters have predicted dangerous winds from Florida all the way to New Jersey, with heavy rain across New York and New England on Monday, March 17.

A tornado watch is already in effect for a large swath of North Carolina and Virginia.

Trump posted on Truth Social that the National Guard has been deployed to Arkansas to address the damage, and that federal assistance will be available for state and local governments affected by the storms.

Auburn, UCLA top NCAA men’s and women’s tournament brackets

March Madness brackets are finalized, and tickets to the big dance are secured. The 68 teams for this year’s college basketball tournaments have been chosen.

THE BRACKET 🙌#MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/fo6lA8hJ7g

— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 16, 2025

Examining the men’s bracket first, the selection committee named the Auburn Tigers as the number one overall seed, with Duke, Houston and Florida announced as the other number one seeds.

The SEC is making tournament history with 14 teams in March Madness — the most ever from one conference.

The men’s tournament kicks off Tuesday, March 18, with the first four teams.

On the women’s side, for the first time in school history, UCLA tops the bracket as the top overall seed, with South Carolina, USC and Texas also selected as number one seeds.

The women’s tournament kicks off with its first four on Wednesday, March 19.