Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,024 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Submarine sinks near Egypt

• MLB opening day

• What $1M buys in prime real estate worldwide

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Big Story

HHS Layoffs

The Department of Health and Human Services plans to eliminate 10,000 full-time positions across multiple agencies.

• The CDC will lose 2,400 employees, the FDA 3,500, NIH 1,200, and CMS about 300 workers. This reduces HHS's workforce from 82,000 to 62,000 when combined with previous layoffs.

• HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to consolidate 28 "redundant units" into 15 divisions. Many agencies will be folded into a new organization called the Administration for Healthy America (AHA). CDC divisions focused on global health, domestic HIV prevention, and injury prevention will be eliminated or reduced.

• Susan Monarez, Trump's pick and acting director, will shoulder much of the responsibility for the downsized CDC. The agency has already seen five division leaders resign this month as cuts loomed. Meanwhile, the Senate confirmed Dr. Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins pancreatic surgeon, to lead the FDA and Stanford professor Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to head the NIH.

Big Story

Missing US Soldiers

Rescuers in Lithuania are working to recover a submerged M88 Hercules armored vehicle possibly containing four missing US Army soldiers.

• The vehicle was discovered Wednesday, buried more than 16 feet below ground in a peat bog near the town of Pabradė, just 6 miles from the Belarus border.

• The soldiers, all from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, went missing Tuesday during a training exercise with Lithuanian forces. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte initially suggested the soldiers had died but a spokesperson later clarified the fate remains unknown.

• Lithuania became a NATO member in 2004 and has hosted hundreds of American troops on rotation since 2014 as part of "Atlantic Resolve," an operation established after Russia annexed Crimea. The country shares a 421-mile border with Belarus, whose leader, Alexander Lukashenko, is a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Big Story

Submarine Sinking

A recreational submarine named "Sindbad" sank Thursday near the Egyptian resort town of Hurghada, killing six Russian tourists.

• The vessel went down approximately 1,000 meters offshore during what should have been a routine 40-minute underwater tour of Red Sea coral reefs. It was carrying 45 tourists and five Egyptian crew members.

• Emergency teams rescued the remaining 39 tourists, but 29 required hospitalization. The survivors included Russian, Indian, Norwegian, and Swedish citizens. The cause of the sinking remains unknown.

• This isn't the first recent maritime incident in the area; last November, a tourist yacht sank in the Red Sea after rough water warnings, resulting in four drownings. Tourism is vital to Egypt's economy, though regional conflicts have recently forced many tour operators to limit Red Sea activities.

Quick Stories

US News

• Top East Coast MS-13 gang leader Henrry Santos, an illegal Salvadoran immigrant, was arrested in Virginia on immigration charges and illegal gun possession after agents searched his home. (More)

• Vegas cinematographer Paul Kim was arrested for throwing Molotov cocktails and shooting at Teslas. He faces multiple state and federal charges after police identified his getaway car. (More)

• West Virginia just became the first state to ban seven synthetic food dyes linked to behavioral problems in children. Over 20 states from both political sides are pushing similar restrictions, frustrated by federal inaction. (More)

World

• Just Stop Oil is ending its disruptive protest campaigns. The UK climate group became known for blocking roads and targeting cultural landmarks like van Gogh paintings and Stonehenge. (More)

• King Charles was briefly hospitalized Thursday after experiencing temporary side effects from his cancer treatment. He's since returned to Clarence House, with no details provided about the specific complications. (More)

• Poland suspended asylum applications for migrants coming from Belarus after President Duda signed a bill allowing 60-day suspensions. PM Tusk implemented it immediately, citing border security concerns. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed lower on Thursday (S&P -0.33%, Nasdaq -0.53%, Dow -0.37%). The Dow booked back to back session losses, driven down by new auto tariffs. (More)

• Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions just sold a 10% stake to Patrick Whitesell's new platform, valuing the company at over $750 million. (More)

• Ferrari is raising prices on some models by 10% after April 1 due to new US tariffs, adding up to $50,000 per car. Prices for pre-April 2 imports and three model families will stay unchanged. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Alabama demolished BYU 113-88 in the NCAA tournament, setting a new record with 25 three-pointers. They'll play for a second straight Final Four appearance against either Duke. (More) See updated bracket here.

• The MLB season began last night. which mean Orioles’ Tyler O’Neil had a chance to start the year off with another moon shot. He smashed a three-run homer in Baltimore's opener at Toronto, extending his MLB record to six straight Opening Days with a home run. (More)

• The Sundance Film Festival is moving to Boulder, Colorado after 40 years in Park City, Utah. The iconic indie film gathering has outgrown the ski town's theaters and affordable housing options. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Scientists discovered a 99-million-year-old parasitic wasp with Venus flytrap-like paddles on its abdomen. The trap likely held insects still while the wasp laid eggs inside them for its babies to feed on. (More)

• Signal downloads surged 28% globally and 45% in the US on Monday following an Atlantic story on US war plan leaks. It jumped from #50 to #9 among social apps in Yemen, where downloads increased 42%. (More)

• Five traumatized lions rescued from Ukraine war zones, including one kept in an apartment, are now adjusting to their new home in England's Big Cat Sanctuary after journeying from Belgium. (More)

Extra Credit

💰️ What $1M buys in prime real estate around the world.

👮 Pikachu spotted running from police during Turkish protests. 

🍺 A pub on a remote Irish island seeks new owner.

🔭 James Web Telescope captures a cosmic tornado.