Trump's election executive order faces first legal challenges

Good morning, I'm Craig DeGrelli. It's Tuesday, April 1st, 2025, and these are your unbiased updates

President Trump's changes to the election system now challenged in court. Which organizations are suing to try to stop the president's push to end what he believes is illegal voting

and what they are calling his attempts? And a new month means more Trump tariffs

What to expect as the president prepares Americans and other countries for what he's calling Liberation Day

From the Straight Arrow News Studio, bringing the stories that matter to you from across the United States and around the world

These are today's unbiased updates. This morning, President Trump's executive order seeking to overhaul the nation's elections is facing its first legal challenges

Democrats and a pair of nonprofits filed two separate lawsuits on Monday, calling it unconstitutional

The nonprofits, the Campaign Legal Center, and the State Democracy Defenders Fund brought the first lawsuit

It was quickly followed by a separate lawsuit filed by the Democratic National Committee

the Democratic Governors Association, and Senate and House Democratic leaders. Both lawsuits are asking a judge to block the new order and declare it illegal

After President Trump signed the executive order a week ago, election lawyers warned that some of the president's demands

such as requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote, and new ballot deadline rules may violate the Constitution

The president has argued that his executive order will secure the vote against illegal voting by non-citizens

The lawsuits come as the GOP-led Congress is considering codifying a proof of citizenship requirement for voter registration into law

Meantime, President Trump has promised more action related to elections in the coming weeks

It a new month and many eyes are focused on Wednesday as President Trump trade disputes with Canada Mexico and Europe are expected to hit new levels and heights The president has been touting a special term for the day as he vows to implement tariffs on imports from other countries

that he insists will alleviate American reliance on foreign goods. We have Liberation Day, as you know, on April 2nd

because, and I'm not referring to Canada, but many countries have taken advantage of us

the likes of which nobody even thought it was possible for many, many decades, for decades

The president says he will impose reciprocal tariffs to match the levies that other nations charge on American-made products

However, a lot remains unclear about how these tariffs will be implemented and whether it will lead to more delays or confusions this week

The president says tariffs, like those on imported cars, will lead to more manufacturing jobs created here in the United States

while noting short-term pain might be felt in order for long-term gain

He says his ultimate goal is for people to buy more American products and a leveling of the playing field when it comes to tariffs

A Maryland man with protected legal status is in prison in El Salvador due to an administrative error

as admitted by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection official Monday in a sworn declaration

Kilmer Armado Abrego Garcia, whose wife is an American citizen and who has a five-year-old child

is being held at a notorious prison in El Salvador. Monday's filing is part of a lawsuit by Abrego Garcia's lawyers who are demanding federal authorities return him to the United States after he was sent to the prison over an administrative error

The U.S. government responded, saying it is aware of the mistake, but because Abrego Garcia is no longer in U.S. custody, a court can neither order him to be returned to the United States or order El Salvador to return him

While ICE admits the error it says his extradition was done in good faith over allegations that Brayel Garcia was a member of the MS gang an accusation his attorneys deny China is now conducting massive military drills as it surrounded Taiwan in a show of force warning the self island against seeking independence

from Beijing. The Chinese used Navy, air, ground and rocket forces as a means to issue a severe

warning and forceful containment against Taiwan independence. That's according to China's People's Liberation Army. China claims Taiwan as its own and has long threatened to bring the

island nation under its control by military force if necessary. Taiwan's Ministry of National

Defense says it counted 19 Chinese Navy ships in the water around the island over a 24-hour period

Monday into Tuesday. The exercises come just weeks after a large-scale military drill by Beijing

involved a significant number of drones and ships near Taiwan. China often sends fighter jets and military vessels to the region

to remind Taiwan it claims sovereignty over the island nation, despite most people in Taiwan opposing Chinese rule

Right now, an all-civilian crew is attempting something never done before, orbiting the Earth from pole to pole

Three, two, one, ignition, and liftoff. Wow, what a sight

The crew, consisting of a Chinese-born Bitcoin entrepreneur, a Norwegian cinematographer, a German robotics expert, and an Australian adventurer

is expected to fly over the North and South Poles 55 times before splashdown Friday in the Pacific Ocean

While in space, not only will the FRAM-2 crew view and photograph Earth's polar regions from low Earth orbit

they will also conduct nearly two dozen experiments focused on advancing human health and performance in space

particularly for future long missions Those experiments will include being the first mission to take x of the human body in space growing mushrooms in microgravity and studying atmospheric

phenomena. Finally this morning, March Madness is about to turn some teams into April champions

with the Final Four now set for the Women's NCAA Tournament. And much like the Men's Tournament

it's the favorites that continue to advance. Number one-seated Texas is in the Final Four

for the first time in 22 years. The Longhorns improved their overall record to 35-3

after a strong third quarter helped them get past TCU in the Elite Eight on Monday

Texas has won 19 of their last 20 games and will face the only team that has beaten them in that stretch

the South Carolina Gamecocks, in the Final Four on Friday. The Longhorns and Gamecocks split their regular season series

but South Carolina won the SEC Tournament Final by 19 points. The Gamecocks advanced to the Final Four this past Saturday by surviving a close game and knocking off Duke 54-50

Meantime, on the other side of the bracket, number one seed USC took on second seed at UConn in a battle of teams with just three losses apiece Monday night

Southern Cal was the underdog, playing its second game without top scorer and playmaker Juju Watkins

She suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Trojans' Sweet 16 win over Mississippi State

USC played a good game, but in the end, UConn took home the wind as Paige Beckers had 31 points

Legendary coach Gino Ariema will guide the Huskies to a record 24th appearance in the Final Four

The Huskies will play UCLA. The Bruins knocked off LSU on Saturday, 72-65

The women's Final Four is set for this Friday with the title game on Sunday

Should be some great hoops on both sides. Those are your unbiased updates for this Tuesday

We'll see you back here tomorrow. For all of us here at Straight Arrow News, I'm Craig DeGrelly

Have a great day