Your First Look at Today's Top Stories

Having trouble viewing this email? View the web version.

Monday, March 17, 2025

President Trump Observes Strike Against Houthi Terrorists

Katie Pavlich: President Donald Trump authorized a “powerful” military strike against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen on Saturday. The targeted attack is aimed at dismantling the Houthi militia’s capabilities, which have been responsible for multiple destabilizing actions in the Middle East. Trump’s decision underscores his commitment to confronting Iranian influence and securing American interests in the region while also sending a strong message to those who threaten U.S. allies and national security (Townhall). OSINT Defender: Several airstrikes, possibly by U.S-led coalition forces, against Houthi sites located near Sanaa International Airport, with a number of explosions heard followed by a thick column of black smoke (X). White House: President Trump is taking action against the Houthis to defend US shipping assets and deter terrorist threats. For too long American economic & national threats have been under assault by the Houthis. Not under this presidency (X). Benny Johnson: Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth: “An era of PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH is back — The minute the Houthis say ‘we’ll stop shooting at your ships, we’ll stop shooting at your drones,’ this campaign will end. But until then, it will be un-relenting” (X).

U .S., Iraqi Forces Take Down ISIS Leader

National Review: A high-profile ISIS leader and another operative of the Islamic terror group were killed in a targeted operation coordinated by the U.S. military and Iraqi forces, President Donald Trump announced Friday evening. Trump touted the killing of Abdallah Makki Muslih al-Rifai, also known as Abu Khadijah, whom the president said was “relentlessly hunted down” before his demise. Khadijah was the second-in-command of ISIS’s global operations and in charge of the terror group’s finances (National Review). Donald Trump: Today the fugitive leader of ISIS in Iraq was killed. He was relentlessly hunted down by our intrepid warfighters. His miserable life was terminated, along with another member of ISIS, in coordination with the Iraqi Government and the Kurdish Regional Government. PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH (Truth)!

44 Percent of Americans Believe the Country is Heading in the Right Direction; Most Since 2004

Daily Wire: President Donald Trump and his administration hit a major milestone in the most recent NBC News poll, as 44% of Americans now believe that the United States is “headed in the right direction.” NBC News pollster Steve Kornacki broke down the numbers with “Meet the Press” anchor Kristen Welker during Sunday morning’s broadcast, and he noted that the last president to see a number that high was former President George W. Bush, just months ahead of his re-election in 2004 (Daily Wire). Charlie Kirk: NBC: In November, just 27% of Americans said the country was headed in the right direction. Now that number is at 44%: “The last time it cracked 40%, you gotta go back to 2012. The last time it actually hit 44% or higher, January 2004” (X).

Judge Temporarily Halts Trump Order to Utilize 1798’s Alien Enemies Act to Deport Violent Gang Members

Democrats once again fighting an 80/20 issue. Daily Wire: A U.S. District judge appointed by former President Barack Obama ordered on Saturday that President Donald Trump’s recent order — designating violent Venezuelan prison gang members as foreign terrorists — was illegal and all planes deporting them should be stopped or returned to the United States. Judge James Boasberg ordered placed a temporary hold — for 14 days — on Trump’s use of 1798’s Alien Enemies Act, and applied it to active deportations already in progress: “Any plane containing these folks that is going to take off or is in the air needs to be returned to the United States however that is accomplished. Make sure it’s complied with immediately” (Daily Wire). Townhall: In a bold move, President Donald Trump invoked the wartime Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to target violent, illegal immigrant street gangs operating within the United States. The act, originally designed to address threats posed by foreign nationals during wartime, has been utilized to crack down on criminal organizations like MS-13 that pose a significant threat to national security and public safety… Under the act’s provisions, Venezuelan citizens aged 14 or older who are members of TdA and currently residing in the United States without naturalized status or lawful permanent residency may be apprehended, detained, and removed from the country as “alien enemies” (Townhall). State of the Union: Pressed on Trump seeking wartime authority to deport Venezuelan gang members, Rep. Jasmine Crockett tells Jake Tapper, “We can’t trust this administration to actually use a scalpel, but instead they love to use a butcher knife” (X).

Secretary of State Marco Rubio Announces El Salvador President Nayib Bukele Has Taken in Illegal Immigrants with Gang Ties

It appears Trump ignored the ruling from the judge to pause efforts to remove criminals from the country. Just the News: Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Sunday that 23 illegal immigrants with gang ties were sent to El Salvador from the US…El Salvador President Nayib Bukele wrote “oopsie” and “too late” on X alongside a news article about a federal judge ruling on Saturday to block President Trump from deporting 5 Venezuelans linked to the Tren de Aragua gang (Just the News). El Salvador President Nayib Bukele: Today, the first 238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization, Tren de Aragua, arrived in our country. They were immediately transferred to CECOT, the Terrorism Confinement Center, for a period of one year (renewable). The United States will pay a very low fee for them, but a high one for us (X).

President Trump Signs CR Bill to Avoid Government Shutdown

CBS: President Trump signed a Republican-led stopgap measure to keep the government funded Saturday, averting the threat of a government shutdown following a contentious week in Washington. The signing came after the Senate passed the bill in a 54 to 46 vote, with one Republican opposing it and two Democrats supporting it after 10 Democrats provided the votes earlier Friday to advance the measure through a key procedural hurdle. Senate Democrats spent days debating the uncomfortable choice of whether to allow the bill to pass or let the government shut down (CBS). Nick Sortor: This will give Republicans time to codify DOGE’s MASSIVE spending cuts, making them permanent (X). Rapid Response 47: POTUS on the Senate’s passage of the clean CR: “I appreciate Senator Schumer and I think he did the right thing. Really, I’m very impressed by that” (X).

Democrat Approval Rating Reaches All-Time Low of 29 Percent in CNN Poll

Washington Examiner: Voters are souring on the Democratic Party amid inner turmoil among Democratic congressional leadership, according to a new poll released Sunday. Democrats’ favorability rating stands at a record low of 29% in a CNN poll, per a history of the outlet’s surveys. A majority of Democrats and Democratic-aligned independents, 57%, say the party should focus on blocking Republicans’ agenda instead of reaching across the aisle in an effort to achieve Democratic policy wins (Washington Examiner). Collin Rugg: Only 29% of Americans have a favorable view of the Democratic party, the lowest ever recorded in CNN’s 30-year polling history. “It is the lowest ever recorded for Democrats in CNN polling going back more than thirty years. As you can see, the party’s numbers dropping a staggering 20 points in just four years” (X).

U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff Says Positive Discussions with Putin Have Progressed

Daily Wire: U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said over the weekend that Russia and Ukraine are much closer today than they were when discussions first began under the Trump administration to bringing the war to an end. Witkoff made the remarks during a Sunday interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” with host Jake Tapper. Witkoff said that his meeting last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin was a “positive” conservation that lasted several hours (Daily Wire). State of the Union: Special Envoy Steve Witkoff tells Jake Tapper his hours-long meeting with Vladimir Putin was “a solutions-based discussion” and says he expects there will be a call between Trump and Putin this week (X).

Extreme Weather Across Several States Leave 37 Americas Dead

Associated Press: Residents pounded by unusually vicious weather across parts of the U.S. surveyed damage Sunday from violent tornadoes, high winds and blinding dust storms that decimated homes and other structures and left at least 37 people dead. National Weather Service meteorologist Cody Snell said tornado watches remained in effect for portions of the Carolinas, east Georgia and northern Florida. He said the main threat would be damaging winds, but there is the possibility of more tornadoes (Associated Press). Fox News: Storm chasers in Missouri captured the terrifying moment a powerful and destructive tornado tore through the state amid a dangerous severe weather outbreak (X).

10.

SpaceX Relief Crew Arrives at International Space Station

New York Times: A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station at 1:35 a.m. Eastern time, paving the way for Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore — two NASA astronauts who have remained in space for months longer than planned — to finally return home. The Crew-10 mission, an international team of four astronauts from the U.S., Japan and Russia, joined Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore aboard the outpost in the early hours of Sunday. The crews will transfer duties before Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore return to Earth, along with two colleagues. It has been a long journey for the pair, who initially arrived at the International Space Station last June on what was meant to be a brief, dayslong test flight of a new Boeing Starliner spacecraft. Instead, after malfunctions in the capsule, NASA scientists opted to leave the astronauts at the space station and bring back the Starliner empty (New York Times). NASA’s Johnson Space Center: The hatch of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft opened March 16 at 1:35 a.m. ET and the members of Crew-10 entered the Space Station with the rest of their excited Expedition 72 crew (X).

SUBSCRIPTION INFO: This newsletter is never sent unsolicited. It is only sent to people who signed up from one of the Salem Media Group network of websites. We respect and value your time and privacy.
Unsubscribe from The Daybreak Insider
6400 N. Belt Line Rd., Suite 200, Irving, TX 75063
Copyright © 2025 Salem Media Group and its Content Providers. All rights reserved.