Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,122 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Violence escalates in Syria

• Secret Service shoots armed man near White House

• Tricky word quiz

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Big Story

Canada’s New Prime Minister

Former central banker Mark Carney will become Canada's next prime minister after winning the Liberal Party leadership race with 85.9% of the vote.

• Carney is an experienced economist who previously headed both the Bank of Canada and Bank of England. He is a former Goldman Sachs executive and served as the UN special envoy for climate action and finance.

• Carney takes office amid escalating U.S.-Canada tensions, with Trump imposing tariffs and making annexation threats. The conflict has ignited Canadian nationalism, with citizens boycotting American products and booing the U.S. national anthem at sporting events.

• In his victory speech, Carney took a firm stance against Trump, promising to maintain retaliatory tariffs until "the Americans show us respect" and declaring that "Canada will never, ever be a part of America in any way, shape or form."

• Canada’s next federal election is scheduled for Oct 20, but Carney is expected to call an early vote. Opposition conservatives, led by Pierre Poilievre, have held a strong lead over Liberals in the polls for the past year. However, that lead has shrunk by half since Justin Trudeau announced his resignation in January.

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Social Security Overpayment

Starting March 27, the Social Security Administration will revert to recouping 100% of benefit overpayments from recipients.

• With the move, the SSA is abandoning the more lenient 10% withholding policy implemented last year. The reversal means beneficiaries who receive excess payments will temporarily lose their entire monthly check until the debt is repaid. The change won't affect those currently on repayment plans or Supplemental Security Income recipients, who will remain at the 10% withholding rate.

• The agency projects this change will recover approximately $7 billion over the next decade. While claims of widespread fraud have circulated, a 2024 inspector general report contradicts the allegations, noting less than 1% of payments are improper.

• Beneficiaries facing hardship can contact Social Security to request a lower recovery rate. Those receiving overpayment notices can appeal the decision, request a waiver, or arrange alternative payment methods. To avoid overpayments entirely, experts recommend regularly updating your income, marital status, and resources with the SSA. (View appeal resources here)

Big Story

Syria Violence

Syria has plunged into its worst violence since the Assad regime collapsed in December.

• At least 830 civilians have been killed in coastal areas of Tartus and Latakia in what observers call "the largest collective act of revenge" in the region.

• The bloodshed appears targeted at the Alawite community—the Islamic sect to which the Assad family belongs. Verified footage shows bodies piled in blood-soaked streets, with reports of executions, firing squads, and indiscriminate bombing.

• The eruption challenges interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa's promise to protect all Syrians. Sharaa, who leads the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group that ousted Assad three months ago, had previously declared that "no one has the right to erase another group."

• The violence threatens Syria's fragile stability as the new government struggles to unify the country's diverse ethnic and religious groups. If Sharaa loses control of these areas, experts fear Syria could spiral back into civil war. (Read about the 13-year civil war here)

Quick Stories

US News

• The Health and Human Services Department emailed 80,000 federal workers offering them up to $25,000 to voluntarily leave their jobs by Friday. This affects CDC, NIH, and FDA employees. (More)

• The Department of Homeland Security has begun polygraph testing employees to determine if anyone is leaking immigration operations information to the media. (More)

• U.S. Secret Service agents shot a man near the White House after midnight Sunday during an "armed confrontation." The agents approached the man outside his car, where he pulled his weapon before being shot. (More)

World

• Friedrich Merz, Germany's incoming chancellor, wants to discuss nuclear weapon sharing with France and Britain, but as a supplement to—not a replacement for—U.S. protection. He believes Europe needs stronger nuclear deterrence while maintaining transatlantic ties. (More)

• London police arrested a protestor who climbed Big Ben tower with a Palestinian flag on Saturday. He stood off with negotiators in a cherry picker for most of the day, forcing tour cancellations and road closures in the area. (More)

• Russian soldiers walked inside a gas pipeline to surprise attack Ukrainian forces from the rear in the Kursk region. Ukraine’s shock offensive won the territory in August, and it hoped to use the land as a bargaining chip in peace talks. (More)

Business & Economy

• US stock markets closed higher on Friday (S&P +0.55%, Nasdaq +0.70%, Dow +0.52%). Despite small rallies on Friday, all three indexes finished the week in the red. (More)

• On the Border Mexican Grill filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy after closing dozens of locations. They now operate 60 restaurants and plan to close 40 lower-performing stores in the coming months. (More)

• United Airlines is offering free inflight Wi-Fi to its loyalty awards members through a partnership with Elon Musk’s Starlink. The airline has added the service to the first aircraft, with the rest of the fleet to follow. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• UCLA beat rival USC 72-67 in the women’s Big Ten Tournament championship, their first win against them this season. The Bruins rallied from 13 down and held USC to just four baskets in the final quarter. (More)

• Los Angeles Lakers star Lebron James will miss one to two weeks with a groin strain suffered in Saturday's loss to the Celtics. The Lakers sit in third place in the Western Conf. (More)

• Josh Allen signed a record-breaking six-year, $330 million contract with the Bills through 2030, including $250 million guaranteed - the highest guarantee in NFL history. The deal extends his stay in Buffalo until he's 34 years old. (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Scientists made an ultrashort electron beam that's five times stronger than any other on Earth. Researchers can customize the beam, helping them study chemistry, astrophysics, and materials in ways that weren't possible before. (More)

• Utah became the first state to require app stores to verify ages and get parental consent for minors downloading apps. Thirteen other states have introduced similar bills. (More)

• A new analysis found that 36 oil, gas, coal, and cement companies accounted for 53% of all carbon emissions in 2023. In total, 16 out of the top 20 emitters are state-owned enterprises. (More)

Extra Credit

✏️ Quiz: Can you pronounce these tricky words?

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