Daily Briefing: A justice rebukes the president

Good morning!🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert. I can't wait to watch the women's First Four tonight.

Hello, fellow Earthlings. Here's a look at Wednesday's news:

• Chief Justice John Roberts chided Trump.
• NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams are back on Earth. Finally.
• The madness of March Madness has tipped off!

A Supreme Court justice calls out the president

“For more than two centuries, it has been established that impeachment is not an appropriate response to disagreement concerning a judicial decision. The normal appellate review process exists for that purpose.”

~ Chief Justice Roberts in a rare public statement on Tuesday rebuking President Donald Trump's call for the impeachment of a federal judge who tried to stop the Republican administration from deporting hundreds of alleged Venezuelans via the Alien Enemies Act, a 1798 law. Roberts' words signaled a major turn in a growing clash between the president and the judiciary.

Welcome back to Earth!

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams made splashdown off the coast of Florida after about a 17-hour voyage, returning to Earth on Tuesday after more than 280 days in space.

Whyit matters: Months ago, the astronauts took a Starliner spacecraft manufactured by Boeing to the International Space Station. But issues with the test capsule left the astronauts stranded in space, with no choice but to remain at the orbital laboratory until a return journey could commence.

• SpaceX beat out Starliner. Wilmore and Williams voyaged home in a spacecraft manufactured by Boeing's competitor, SpaceX.
• The White House credited Donald Trump for the astronauts' return. But that's not quite right —  the plan to rescue the pair was set in motion ahead of the 2024 election.
• Flipping for joy! A pod of dolphins swam up to the SpaceX Dragon capsule, providing an Earth-ly welcome to the astronauts. 

More news to know now

• A judge said the USAID shutdown was "likely" unconstitutional. Trump will appeal.
• The Fed is expected to hold its key interest rate steady Wednesday.
• A ban on transgender troops is blocked — for now.
• Molotov cocktails and a gun were used to destroy Tesla cars at a Las Vegas facility.
• Louisiana executed an inmate using nitrogen gas for the first time in state history.

Take a mid-week break with our crossword! Expert Sally's hint: Plot Twist.

Here's what came from the Trump-Putin call

A call between President Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin ended with a limited agreement for Russia and Ukraine to cease attacks on energy infrastructure but stopped short of a U.S. proposal for a temporary truce. After Moscow and Kyiv agree to stop hitting each other's power plants and electric grids, negotiators would move on to a potential halt in fighting on the Black Sea − and then to a full ceasefire and peace agreement. The two leaders talked for at least an hour and a half.

One thing keeps popping up in the unredacted JFK files

Several of classified files on the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy, released Tuesday are tied to something known as the Warren Commission: But what is it? After Kennedy was shot in 1963, his successor Lyndon B. Johnson created the Commission to investigate the assassination. The group determined that Oswald, who was arrested and later shot by a nightclub owner on live television, acted alone. But intense debate and myriad of theories challenged the Commission's conclusion. Associations with Commission are littered among the newly-published cache.

Today's talkers

• What is "Trump derangement syndrome"?
• Brunch may come with an egg surcharge.
• Have gentle parents been right all along?
• Gal Gadot's Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony provoked protests over the Israel-Hamas war.
• Florida's 30A scenic highway is a hidden gem.

Alabama State's March Madness miracle

The Alabama State Hornets men's basketball team has won its first NCAA Tournament game, thanks to a Hail Mary in their First Four victory over the St. Francis Red Flash on Tuesday. The Hornets defeated the Red Flash 70-68 at the University of Dayton's UD Arena with a game-winning layup by guard Amarr Knoxin the closing seconds of the contest. The Hornets advance into the final 64-team field and play No. 1 overall seed Auburn on Thursday. Watch the final play.

Photo of the day: Rōki and Pikachu

After a memorable opener at the Tokyo Dome last night, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs face off in the second game of the 2025 season on Wednesday – with phenom Rōki Sasaki, 23, making his MLB debut in his home country.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at Paste BN, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.