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Trade Deal Collapse, Ukraine War, & Nor'easter Storm Photos
News without the noise
Good Morning! Today’s edition is 879 words, a 4-minute read.
What’s on tap:
Epstein arrests continue in UK
13-year-old Nascar signing
Picky eating
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Big Stories
Trade Deal Unwind
The European Parliament halted ratification of a sweeping US-EU trade deal yesterday following the Supreme Court's ruling striking down most of Trump's tariffs. The deal, reached last July, would have capped EU tariffs at 15% and eliminated duties on aircraft, generic drugs, and semiconductors.
The ruling also triggered a broader global pullback. India canceled planned trade talks in Washington, while China called for the US to abandon all tariffs entirely and said it was reviewing the court's decision.
Trump responded by threatening countries "playing games" with the Supreme Court decision with even higher tariffs. Hours after Friday's ruling, he signed a new global 10% tariff under a law unaffected by the court's decision and raised it to 15% on Saturday.
Four Years of War
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine enters its fifth year today with US-brokered peace talks stalled and no breakthrough in sight. The war has caused an estimated 1.8 million total casualties on both sides. The total includes up to 325,000 Russian troops and up to 140,000 Ukrainians killed — the largest military death toll for any major power since World War II, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Nearly 15,000 Ukrainian civilians have been killed, including 763 children. Last year was the deadliest for civilians since 2022, with a 31% increase in casualties over 2024 as Russian strikes on energy infrastructure intensified through one of Ukraine's coldest winters on record.
Russia controls 19.4% of Ukrainian territory, but gained less than 1% over the past year. Nearly 5.9 million Ukrainians have fled the country. US military aid has stopped, while European contributions have increased by 67%.
Second Epstein Arrest in UK
British police arrested Peter Mandelson, a former British Cabinet minister and the country's former US ambassador, on suspicion of misconduct in public office linked to Jeffrey Epstein. Emails from 2009 appear to show Mandelson leaking sensitive political and market information to the financier, including details of a planned tax on bankers' bonuses and an imminent eurozone bailout before it was announced.
Mandelson helped architect Tony Blair's 1997 landslide election victory and was twice forced to resign from the Cabinet before being appointed to the House of Lords. Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed Mandelson as US ambassador last year before he stepped down in September 2025 — and accused him earlier this month of having "lied repeatedly" about his contact with Epstein.
It is the second high-profile British arrest over Epstein links in a week, following Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's detention last Thursday on the same charge.
Quick Stories
US News
A federal court refused to halt Utah's new congressional map, which consolidates Salt Lake City into one district and likely hands Democrats a House seat in 2026. (More)
A federal judge permanently blocked the release of the portion of Jack Smith's report covering Trump's alleged mishandling of classified documents, citing Smith's unlawful appointment as special counsel. (More)
The CDC's second-in-command, Dr. Ralph Abraham, resigned Monday after just three months, citing unforeseen family obligations. (More)
World
At least 73 people — including security forces, cartel members, and civilians — died during Mexico's raid that killed cartel boss El Mencho and its violent aftermath. (More)
The International Criminal Court began hearings Monday against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, accused of paying death squads to carry out murders during his brutal war on drugs. (More)
Australia's Prime Minister said he'd support removing Prince Andrew from the British line of succession after Andrew was arrested over his ties to Jeffrey Epstein. (More)
Business & Economy
US stock markets closed lower on Monday (S&P -1.04%, Nasdaq -1.13%, Dow -1.66%). (More)
Bitcoin dropped below $65,000 Monday, sliding nearly 5% over two days to its lowest price since February. (More)
Social Security's main trust fund could run out by 2032 — a year earlier than expected — potentially forcing benefit cuts for retirees, per the Congressional Budget Office. (More)
Sports & Entertainment
Kevin Harvick's 13-year-old son Keelan signed a long-term NASCAR deal with Toyota, aiming to follow his dad to the Daytona 500 when he's eligible in 2031. (More)
The WNBA generated enough revenue in 2025 to trigger profit-sharing with players for the first time, with teams set to distribute $8 million among players. (More)
Nick Reiner will enter a murder plea Monday for stabbing his parents, director Rob Reiner and wife Michele. (More)
Science, Health, & Tech
A record-breaking black hole from 12 billion years ago is growing faster than physics says it should while emitting X-rays and radio waves that scientists say can't coexist. (More)
A blood test measuring a protein called p-tau217 boosted Alzheimer's diagnostic accuracy from 75% to 94% in a new study, potentially transforming how doctors identify the disease. (More)
Eli Lilly launched a new pen for its obesity drug Zepbound that holds a full month of doses, available directly to patients online. (More)
Extra Credit
See photos of this week’s historic nor’easter storm from space.
Picky eating starts in the womb.
Walkable European movies that look like a movie set.
Mapping how many McDonald’s countries have per person.
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