Israel airstrikes on Gaza; Deportation hearing : NPR

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Today’s top stories

Israel launched surprise overnight airstrikes in Gaza early Tuesday, killing over 410 people and injuring hundreds more, according to Gaza health officials. The strikes are the most intense violence since a ceasefire began in January between Israel and Hamas. The first phase of the ceasefire ended on March 1.

• 🎧 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been threatening to return to war if Hamas doesn’t release more hostages, NPR’s Hadeel Al-Shalchi says. The second phase of the ceasefire deal was supposed to include a total withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza and a permanent end to the war. Instead, Israel wanted an extension of the first phase where Hamas would return half the living hostages still being held in Gaza. Hamas responded by saying it held up its end of the first phase and wanted to start second phase talks.

A federal judge is requesting a sworn declaration from the Justice Department by noon today explaining its actions in deportations over the weekend. The judge wants details on how planes carrying alleged Venezuelan gang members were flown from the U.S. to El Salvador despite a judge’s orders to turn the planes around. Yesterday’s hearing saw a heated debate about when the orders were issued and whether they had to be in writing to restrain government action.

• 🎧 The controversy lies over whether the U.S. government defied a legal court order, which would be a potential breakdown between the executive and judicial branches, NPR’s Franco Ordoñez tells Up First. The White House says the written order was issued after the flights took off. Ordoñez says the question is not whether the people are dangerous and should be in the U.S. but whether the removal process was legal.

Department of Government Efficiency members got into the U.S. Institute of Peace yesterday after attempting several times to install new leadership. The takeover comes as George Moose, who had been running the institute, was fired along with most of the board members last week.

• 🎧 Moose was holed up in his office for a while yesterday before being escorted out by D.C. Police, NPR’s Michele Kelemen says. She adds that Moose seems shocked at how the Trump administration has been dismantling his agency and said the institute’s mission should align with what the administration wants: finding ways to resolve conflict. The administration says this is about saving money. A lawyer for USIP says this has been done illegally, and though the president can fire board members, there has to be cause.

Today’s listen

March Madness starts today, and many may hope to win big money through bets placed on the outcomes of the games. The American Gaming Association estimates that Americans will legally gamble about $3.1 billion on the men’s and women’s tournaments. This is about $400 million more than last year. A big driver of the increase is the popularity of sports betting apps. But with this comes the increased risk of developing gambling addictions. Jonathan Cohen, author of the forthcoming book Losing Big: America’s Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling, spoke with Morning Edition‘s Leila Fadel about the effects of sports betting and what safeguards can be implemented. Listen to what he had to say here.

Living better

Living Better is a special series about what it takes to stay healthy in America.

Managing screen time, especially for teens who often don’t want to be managed, can be a challenge for modern parenthood. Too much screen time can be harmful for teens and parents don’t want their children to encounter unhealthy or dangerous content. There are no set or easy rules for managing screens, but the American Psychological Association says some helpful strategies exist. The advice for teens differs from younger children. Here are some things to consider:

• 📱 The teen brain is extra sensitive to peer and social influence, making it difficult to disengage with platforms designed to keep them captivated.
• 📱 Research shows that kids frequently exposed to content depicting aggressive behavior, bullying or hostile language can become less empathetic. It is important to help them learn to identify these negative behaviors.
• 📱 Exposure to prosocial behaviors can help kids cultivate kindness.
• 📱 It can be helpful if parents spend time with their child watching content, even if it’s short, and then talking about it. Ask curious, non-judgmental questions about what they enjoy watching.

3 things to know before you go

1. Abel Rivera lost his home and his beloved medal for finishing the 2024 LA Marathon in the Eaton Fire. On Sunday, the 15-year-old ran the race again with his mom and other fire survivors from his school.
2. In 2022, Glenna Osborne’s father, Ronald, died. While planning his memorial, the family discovered a note he had written about Eddie Coleman, their unsung hero. Coleman saved Ronald’s life early in his firefighting career during a house fire. The family is grateful to learn this story.
3. Quinterius Chappelle, a U.S. Air Force member, has been arrested for second-degree murder in the death of Sahela Sangrait, authorities report. Sangrait had been missing since last summer.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.