Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,025 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• March Madness matchups set

• Spacecraft docks at ISS safely

• Clogged toilets force plane to reroute

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Big Story

Deadly Weather

A powerful storm system ripped through the central and southeastern U.S., leaving at least 35 people dead across multiple states.

• Violent tornadoes, high winds, and blinding dust storms destroyed homes and decimated communities from Friday through Sunday. Missouri suffered the highest toll, with 12 deaths from scattered twisters. In Alabama, three people perished, Mississippi reported six deaths and three missing, while Arkansas confirmed three fatalities, all from tornados.

• In the Plains states, dangerous dust storms blinded drivers and triggered deadly highway pileups—eight died in a massive 71-vehicle collision in Kansas. Three more passed in Texas Panhandle crashes.

• Meanwhile, Oklahoma battled more than 130 wildfires that damaged or destroyed nearly 300 homes. Parts of the Carolinas, Georgia, and northern Florida remained under tornado watches Sunday evening.

Big Story

Nurses Push Back Against AI in Hospital Care

Hospitals nationwide are turning to AI to combat understaffing and nurse burnout.

• The AI programs are designed to automate tasks traditionally handled by nurses and medical assistants, with hospitals implementing them to address burnout and staffing shortages.

• Nursing unions are pushing back against the technology, demanding input on AI implementation and protection from discipline if they override automated advice. Nurses also report concerning incidents, like when a computer incorrectly flagged a dialysis patient for standard sepsis treatment that could have been harmful. Many complain about false alarms that disrupt their work, noting AI misses critical observations that experienced nurses routinely catch.

• With over 100,000 nurses quitting during the pandemic and 190,000 annual openings projected through 2032, hospitals could increasingly rely on AI. However, nursing experts caution that while AI may help healthier, proactive patients, its effectiveness remains questionable for the very sick who require the most healthcare resources.

Big Story

U.S. Strikes Houthis in Yemen

U.S. air and naval assets struck dozens of Houthi targets, including missiles, radars, and air defense systems after receiving the order from President Trump.

• Officials said the operation was an opening volley while Trump warned that "overwhelming lethal force" would be used until objectives are achieved. Yemen's health ministry reported at least nine people killed and nine injured, claiming most casualties were civilians.

• Sources familiar with the operation indicated this would not be a single-day event but rather a sustained campaign that could intensify depending on the Houthi reaction.

• Since October 2023, Houthis have launched over 100 attacks on vessels in the Red Sea, causing significant disruptions to global trade. The rebels began the attacks to put pressure on Israel to end its war with Gaza but continued striking even as shipping companies avoided the region.

Quick Stories

U.S. News

• Trump's new executive order cuts funding to seven federal agencies, including international media, public libraries, and homelessness programs, as part of his broader federal spending reduction efforts. (More)

• Northeast student attendance at Southern public colleges jumped 84% in two decades. The shift is credited to warm weather, affordability, and politics. (More)

• The U.S. deported over 200 alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador this weekend despite a federal judge's emergency block order. The deportation also included MS-13 leaders and members. (More)

World

• A fire erupted Sunday at Club Pulse in Kocani, Macedonia, during a concert, killing 59 and injuring 155. Interior Minister Toshkovski reported pyrotechnics likely ignited the roof. (More)

• Peruvian fisherman Maximo Napa Castro survived 95 days adrift in the Pacific after a storm. He ate turtles, birds, and cockroaches until an Ecuadorian vessel rescued him 680 miles offshore. (More)

• Over 100,000 Serbians rallied in Belgrade Saturday, culminating months of presidential protests. Demonstrators honored victims of a deadly train station awning collapse that many blame on government corruption. (More)

Business & Economy

• U.S. stock markets closed higher on Friday (S&P +2.13%, Nasdaq +2.61%, Dow +1.65%). The S&P and Nasdaq rallied to have their best days of 2025. (More)

• Oracle is speeding up White House talks on a deal to run TikTok, but concerns remain about Chinese founders' involvement in U.S. operations. (More)

• A Los Angeles jury ordered Starbucks to pay $50 million to delivery driver Michael Garcia, who suffered third-degree burns and permanent genital injuries when a scalding drink spilled in his lap at a drive-thru in 2020. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Rory McIlroy and underdog J.J. Spaun are tied at 12-under after The Players Championship's final round was interrupted by rain. They'll play a three-hole playoff today to decide the winner. (More)

• The Auburn Tigers are the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA tournament. Conference champions Duke (ACC), Houston (Big 12), and Florida (SEC) are also 1-seeds. (More) UCLA, South Carolina, and Texas join USC as the four top seeds in the NCAA women's basketball tournament. (More)

• The IOC signed a $3 billion deal with NBC for broadcasting rights to the 2034 Salt Lake City Olympics and 2036 Summer Games, upgrading NBC from media rights holder to strategic partner. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• New research finds "Zoom fatigue" or videoconferencing fatigue is linked to facial appearance dissatisfaction, which increases the use of video filters and negative views of virtual meetings. (More)

• SpaceX's crew capsule reached the ISS Sunday, bringing replacements for NASA's stranded astronauts. Wilmore and Williams, who've been stuck there nine months, will train the newcomers before they return home. (More)

• Marine scientists used underwater cameras to catch "porch pirates" - mostly three fish species eating 97% of bait coral at a Miami reef. The findings will help coral restoration efforts following Florida's 90% reef decline since the 1970s. (More)

Extra Credit

🚽 Clogged toilets force international flight to return to the airport.

🍀 See pictures of Chicago dying its river green for St. Patty’s Day.

🍩 …and wear green today to get a free Krispy Kreme doughnut.

💇 The most common way to get lice.