APPLENEWS - STORY ADD
Trump admin live updates: Dems react to Hegseth discussing Yemen strike in 2nd chat
The Signal chat included Hegseth's wife, brother and lawyer, sources said.
President Donald Trump continues to take sweeping executive actions in his second term, including an order this week targeting a senior official from his first administration who became one of his critics.
Focus continues on the legal battle regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a migrant who was living in Maryland when he was wrongfully deported by the administration.
Latest headlines:
Rubio, Witkoff to travel to Paris for Russia-Ukraine talks
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump's special envoy and lead negotiator tasked with ending the war in Ukraine, will travel to Paris on Wednesday for talks with European counterparts on how to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The two will be in France until April 18, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said in a statement.
"While in Paris, he will also discuss ways to advance shared interests in the region," Bruce said of Rubio.
-ABC News' Shannon Kingston
Trump again insults Harvard, says it should lose federal funds
President Donald Trump again insulted Harvard University, saying in a social media post on Wednesday that the university has "lost its way."
His daily jabs continue as the university said it would not comply with his administration's series of demands, including relating to actions on antisemitism and the use of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives on campus. In turn, the administration froze over $2.2 billion in federal funding to the university on Monday.
Trump echoed that Harvard should lose its federal funds, writing: "Harvard can no longer be considered even a decent place of learning, and should not be considered on any list of the World’s Great Universities or Colleges. Harvard is a JOKE, teaches Hate and Stupidity, and should no longer receive Federal Funds."
-ABC News' Kelsey Walsh
Pam Bondi announces DOJ is filing civil lawsuit against Maine over policy on transgender athletes
Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday announced the Department of Justice is filing a civil suit against Maine, challenging the state's policy regarding transgender athletes competing in girls' and women's sports.
"Maine is discriminating against women by failing to protect women in women's sports," Bondi said at a press conference alongside Education Secretary Linda McMahon, former University of Kentucky swimmer Riley Gaines and others.
The move follows repeated warnings from the Trump administration and an announcement last week from Maine's attorney general that the state would not enter into an agreement with the U.S. government that would have required schools to prohibit transgender students from participating in girls sports.
Another Hegseth adviser put on administrative leave as part of leak investigation
A United States official confirmed that Darin Selnick, who had been serving as the Defense Department’s deputy chief of staff, was placed on administrative leave as part of an ongoing investigation into what the DOD chief of staff described in March as “recent unauthorized disclosures of national security information involving sensitive communications with principals within the Office of the Secretary of Defense."
Prior to becoming the deputy chief of staff, Selnick performed the duties of undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, where he oversaw some of the big changes in DOD personnel policy. Among other things, that included rolling out the ban and removal of transgender service members and the dismissal of probationary employees.
Prior to working at the Pentagon, Selnick was a senior adviser at Concerned Veterans for America, the advocacy group that used to be headed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
-ABC News' Luis Martinez