Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,091 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• The Turkish government arrests major opposition opponent

• The Fed holds interest rates steady

• March Madness bracket origin story

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Big Story

Euclid Telescope Discoveries

European Space Agency's Euclid telescope mission has kicked off what astronomers are calling an "avalanche of discoveries" with its first major data release.

• The $1.4 billion telescope, launched in July 2023, is on a six-year mission to map one-third of the sky to create the most detailed 3D cosmic map ever.

• In this first data release, Euclid has captured detailed images of 26 million galaxies, with scientists characterizing over 380,000 based on their shapes and distances from Earth. Among the most valuable findings are 500 gravitational lensing events – where massive galaxies warp space-time, creating magnified views of more distant galaxies behind them.

• These lensing effects, predicted by Einstein over a century ago, offer rare glimpses into dark matter's properties by revealing how it clumps around galaxies. (Learn About the Universe’s Building Blocks)

• Scientists hope Euclid's mission, expected to eventually capture 1.5 billion galaxies, will help solve cosmic mysteries, including the nature of dark energy – the force accelerating our universe's expansion. (Watch Dark Energy Explained Here)

Big Story

Social Security Changes

The Social Security Administration (SSA) will implement stricter identity verification measures starting March 31st.

• Recipients and applicants will no longer be able to verify their identity over the phone, and those unable to use the "My Social Security" online service will need to visit field offices in person.

• The change affects new applicants and existing recipients who want to update direct deposit information. The SSA will also expedite the processing of direct deposit change requests to one business day, down from the previous 30-day hold for online changes.

• Acting Commissioner Leland Dudek explained the agency is losing over $100 million annually to direct deposit fraud. Over 40% is associated with someone calling SSA to change direct deposit bank information.

• Critics argue these changes will disproportionately impact rural Americans, particularly older adults with mobility limitations and poor internet access. Concerns have intensified as the agency plans to close dozens of field offices nationwide and lay off thousands of workers.

Big Story

Dirty Tactics in Turkey

Turkish Police detained Istanbul's mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu in dawn raids alongside 100 others including politicians, businesspeople, and municipal officials.

• As police gathered outside his residence, İmamoğlu released a video declaring the raid "a blow to the will of the people." The Istanbul prosecutor has charged him as "the leader of a criminal organization" accused of corruption, embezzlement, and alleged terror links.

• İmamoğlu has been President Erdoğan's main political rival and was expected to be named as the opposition's presidential candidate this weekend. The night before his arrest, Istanbul University annulled his diploma – which disqualified him from running for president under Turkish law.

• Despite a four-day ban on protests, thousands of students gathered at Istanbul University, and some clashed with riot police. Internet access across Turkey was restricted, particularly on social media platforms.

• The crackdown follows a pattern of arrests targeting opposition figures, including politicians, journalists, and academics.

Quick Stories

U.S. News

• Trump plans to sign an order today to shut down the Education Department, keeping his campaign promise. Education Secretary McMahon will handle the closure while maintaining services and returning authority to states. (More)

• A jury ordered Greenpeace to pay $660 million to Energy Transfer for defamation related to Dakota Access pipeline protests. Greenpeace said earlier that a large fine would likely bankrupt the organization. (More)

• A Georgia church daycare was shut down and three people were arrested after staff allegedly gave toddlers Benadryl to make them sleepy at nap time. (More)

World

• Congo's President Tshisekedi and Rwanda's Kagame called for an "immediate ceasefire" in eastern Congo after meeting in Qatar. It's unclear if Rwanda-backed M23 rebels will comply after skipping recent peace talks. (More)

• Israel has resumed ground operations in central Gaza over the past day and expanded control in the Netzarim corridor that divides north and south Gaza. (More)

• Nearly 70,000 South Africans have shown interest in moving to the U.S. after President Trump offered refugee status to Afrikaners, claiming they face "unjust racial discrimination." (More)

Business & Economy

• U.S. stock markets closed higher on Wednesday (S&P +1.08%, Nasdaq +1.41%, Dow +0.92%). Stocks rallied after the Federal Reserve forecast it would still cut interest rates twice in 2025. (More)

• The Fed kept interest rates unchanged Wednesday, taking a patient approach after Trump's tariffs sparked a trade war that rattled markets and raised recession fears. Powell had previously warned tariffs could increase prices. (More)

• Boeing is seeing reduced cash burn this quarter and improving factory output to deliver more planes this year, according to their CFO. The positive update sent shares up over 6% on Wednesday. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Mikey Madison, Jack Black, and Jon Hamm will host the final stretch of SNL's 50th season. Recent Oscar-winner Madison debuts on March 29 with Morgan Wallen, while Black and Hamm return for their fourth hosting gigs on April 5 and 12. (More)

• The Lions have proposed changing NFL playoff seeding to prioritize regular-season records over division titles, except for the #1 seed. Teams would be ranked by record regardless of division winner or wild-card status. (More)

• March Madness tips off today at 12:15 pm ET with (8) Louisville vs. (9) Creighton on CBS. The women’s tournament begins on Friday at 11:30 am when (6) Michigan faces (11) Iowa State. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• A court ruled that AI-made art can’t be copyrighted unless a human helped create it. The decision backed the Copyright Office’s rejection of a copyright for a painting made by Stephen Thaler’s AI system. (More)

• Scientists at Washington University in St. Louis have created a new type of time crystal—an unusual phase of matter that challenges our understanding of motion and time. (More)

• Early-life adversity affects more than 50% of kids worldwide, not just from abuse but from unpredictable environments, too. Research shows these experiences change brain connections and gene activity, which can affect mental health later on. (More)

Extra Credit

🏀 The origin of the March Madness brackets.

🐬 Watch: Dolphins welcome astronauts back from space.

🤧 The worst U.S. cities for allergy sufferers. 

🏝️ Take a virtual trip through the Galapagos Islands.