Good morning! The weekend edition is 798 words, a 3 minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• WWII bomb found in Paris

• Verizon pays $10M in debt of Hurricane Helene victims

• How radioactive are your teeth

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Today’s Big Story

Busy Week at the White House

President Trump ended the week with a flurry of announcements and orders.

• 1) The president announced Friday that he's "strongly considering" new sanctions and tariffs against Russia due to its intensifying attacks on Ukraine. This comes just days after he paused U.S. military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv. In a Truth Social post, Trump urged both nations to negotiate immediately, saying potential sanctions would remain until they reach a ceasefire agreement.

• 2) Meanwhile, the administration decided to cancel $400 million in federal grants to Columbia University, claiming the school failed to protect Jewish students from harassment. The decision follows a recent notice that a Joint Task Force to Combat Anti-Semitism would review Columbia's federal funding.

• 3) POTUS also revealed he sent a letter to Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei seeking a nuclear deal. In a Fox Business interview, Trump said "There are two ways Iran can be handled, militarily or you make a deal. I would prefer to make a deal.” Iran's UN mission denied receiving any letter. Khamenei previously rejected direct talks in 2019, citing distrust of the U.S.

• 4) Lastly, President Trump signed an executive order to create a strategic bitcoin reserve and a stockpile of other digital assets, fulfilling a campaign promise. The reserve will use bitcoin seized in criminal proceedings, costing taxpayers nothing. The government already owns an estimated 200,000 bitcoins worth over $17 billion. (Read the order here)

Saturday’s Quick Hits

• Daylight saving time begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday as people trade sleep for longer evening sunlight. This practice, now used by about 70 countries worldwide (40% of all nations), has a complex history spanning over a century and was influenced by both World Wars. Every U.S. state except Hawaii and Arizona observes daylight saving time. (More)

• An active-duty Army sergeant, Jian Zhao, faces charges for selling sensitive military information to Chinese co-conspirators. Stationed at Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington, Zhao allegedly sold an encrypted military computer and 20 classified hard drives between July and December. (More)

• Bomb squads successfully diffused a 1,100lb World War Two bomb discovered near Paris's Gare du Nord station Friday. The unexploded device was found at a construction site about a mile north of the station, leading to the evacuation of 200 people and the closure of part of Saint-Denis's main road. All 32 Eurostar trains between London and Paris were canceled until the next day. (More)

• Walgreens has agreed to be acquired by private equity firm Sycamore Partners for $11.45 per share, valuing the deal at nearly $10 billion. It was valued at $100 billion in 2015. The struggling drugstore chain, which has been public since 1927, hopes going private will provide flexibility to implement changes without Wall Street scrutiny. Walgreens is currently closing 1,200 of its 8,500 U.S. locations. (More)

• Actor Gene Hackman, 95, died of heart disease one week after his wife Betsy Arakawa, 65, died from hantavirus in their New Mexico home. Hackman Suffered from advanced Alzheimer's disease and likely didn't know his wife had passed. Examiners ruled both deaths by natural causes. Their bodies were discovered on February 26, with Arakawa's last known activity on February 11. (More)

• Privately owned robotic lander Athena is “dead” after landing sideways in a crater near the moon's south pole on Thursday. Built by Houston-based Intuitive Machines, Athena missed its target by over 800 feet and fell over. This was the company's second lunar landing attempt, following their Odysseus spacecraft, which also tipped over in February 2024. (More)

Weekly Dose of Positive

• Despite recent high-profile air disasters, global aviation accidents have steadily declined over two decades. January 2025 saw only 52 U.S. accidents, down from 58 in 2024 and 70 in 2023. (More)

• France's parliament voted to restrict "forever chemicals" (PFAS) in products like cosmetics, clothing, and ski wax. The chemicals have been used since the 1940s in non-stick and waterproof treatments. (More)

• Steve Carell surprised seniors at six Los Angeles high schools affected by the recent wildfires with a special video announcement: all their prom tickets had been paid for by the nonprofit Alice's Kids. (More)

• Verizon partnered with ForgiveCo to erase $10 million in debt for 6,500 Western North Carolinians recovering from Hurricane Helene. Recipients didn’t need to apply and were completely surprised by the gift. (More)

Extra Credit

🏠️ The cost of building a new home today.

🧑‍🏭 Should you retire from the job you hate?

🦷 Watch: How radioactive are your teeth? 

🐉 Clickbait: First sighting of the Loch Ness Monster in 2025.