Kyiv Drama, The Carolinas Blazes, & Keeping Up With The Oscars
March 3, 2025
Hello, readers – happy Monday! Today, we’ll be talking about Ukraine, Pope Francis, a Kurdish militant group, a lawsuit, wildfires, and the Oscars.
Here’s some good news: The release of beavers into English waterways will be allowed for the first time in centuries – until about 20 years ago, the rodent had been extinct in Britain for 400 years. Also, the world’s nations have agreed to a funding plan at U.N. talks in Rome to reverse the decline of nature.
“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is brave five minutes longer.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
The West’s Wild Weekend
You probably saw the very public screaming match between President Trump, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and VP JD Vance in the Oval Office last week. Here’s the footage in case you missed it. After getting a sneak peek into Trump’s, uh, negotiation tactics, we’re seeing the results of them in real time.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced yesterday that he has not spoken to Zelenskyy since the televised clash, despite the fact that he’s America’s chief diplomat and the Trump administration’s claims that it wants peace in Ukraine. Rubio said he hadn’t spoken with Ukraine’s foreign minister, either. Other Republicans seem similarly unbothered about getting Ukraine to the negotiating table. Yesterday, House Speaker Mike Johnson said that Zelenskyy “needs to come to his senses and come back to the table in gratitude or someone else needs to lead the country.” GOP Senator Lindsey Graham also called for Zelenskyy’s resignation, telling reporters that he “either needs to resign and send somebody over that we can do business with, or he needs to change.”
The Kremlin, meanwhile, was content to kick up its feet with a bag of popcorn and watch the diplomatic destruction unfold. “The new administration is rapidly changing all foreign policy configurations,” a Kremlin spokesperson said yesterday. “This largely coincides with our vision.”
In response to the U.S.’s massive shift away from Kyiv, Europe is scrambling to pick up the slack. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Sunday that his country, alongside France and Ukraine, will work to come up with a new peace proposal for consideration by the Trump administration. Starmer insists that the ceasefire plan will include American security guarantees, ensure Ukraine’s sovereignty and security, include plans to shore up Ukraine’s future defense against Russian invasion, and would also bolster its defensive forces with help from a “coalition of the willing” – basically troops from European countries willing to defend Kyiv. Will Trump sign off on the deal? Who knows at this point?
Want To Know More?
- Peace is not Zelenskyy’s priority, Tulsi Gabbard says (Politico)
- Crowds protest near Vermont ski resort where JD Vance planned vacation with family (AP)
- Bernie Sanders dismisses ‘horrific’ calls for Volodymyr Zelenskyy to resign (Guardian)
The Pope Feels Your Prayers
- Pope Francis is reportedly stable (but not quite risen) again after being hospitalized with respiratory issues on February 14 that quickly developed into pneumonia. On Sunday, the 88-year-old met with two Vatican officials, releasing a statement thanking his followers for their prayers and letting the public know that he doesn’t require breathing assistance anymore, though he is still being given extra oxygen.
- “I would like to thank you for the prayers,” Francis said in a personal note released by the Vatican. “I feel all your affection and closeness and … I feel as if I am ‘carried’ and supported by all God’s people.” This hospitalization is the latest in a string of health problems for His Holiness – as a child, Pope Francis had part of a lung removed to treat some inflammation issues, putting more strain on the rest of his lungs now that he’s almost 90.
A Nice Guy In Ankara
- The Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), a Kurdish militant group that has been fighting against the government of Turkey for decades, has agreed to lay down its weapons. The PKK was formed in the 1980s as a reaction to Turkey’s alleged abuse of its Kurdish minority – the group’s clashes with the government have caused thousands of deaths over the past 40 years.
- The ceasefire deal marks a landmark achievement for Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who is looking to secure another term at the helm of his country in 2028. To do that, Erdoğan has to amend Turkey’s country’s constitution to allow presidents to rule for a third term – a change that the strongman leader will likely need Kurdish support for.
More Mixed Nuts
- Israel cuts off Gaza aid to pressure Hamas to accept a new ceasefire proposal (AP)
- Chinese manufacturing returns to growth despite threat of higher Trump tariffs (Guardian)
- Haiti police raid gang leader’s stronghold in capital (BBC)
- Japan battles largest wildfire in decades (Guardian)
- Trump administration approves nearly $3 billion arms sale to Israel (CBS)
Git Fewer People At Gitmo
- The ACLU and other groups have sued the White House to try to stop the transfer of migrants to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The argument is that, though the government has the right to detain migrants on U.S. soil and deport them directly to their home country or another country allowed under immigration law, it is illegal for the U.S. first to send those migrants to Guantánamo.
- The lawsuit alleges that the reason the Trump administration is sending migrants to Guantánamo is to “instill fear in the immigrant population.” “Sending inmates to a remote abusive prison is not only illegal and unprecedented, but illogical given the additional cost and logistical complications,” Lee Gelernt, lead counsel on the case, said. “Ultimately this is about theatrics.”
Conflagration In The Carolinas
- Firefighters in South and North Carolina are battling 175 wildfires that have burned a combined 4,200 acres across the state. One of the biggest blazes raging Sunday morning was threatening residents in the Carolina Forest near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – as of last night, the fire was 0% contained.
- South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster issued an executive order on Sunday declaring a state of emergency, which “ensures that our first responders, who are working tirelessly and risking their lives to protect our communities from these wildfires, have the resources they need.”
More Nuts In America
- ‘Sanctuary city’ mayors hope to avoid an embarrassing spectacle in Congress (Politico)
- Former N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo launches NYC mayoral campaign (NBC)
- Trump takes actions to increase lumber supplies and curb wood imports (CBS)
- Judge blocks Trump order threatening funding for institutions that offer care for transgender youth (Politico)
- Thousands Gather at National Parks Across U.S. to Protest Job Cuts (NYT, $)
The Anora-cademy Awards
- It was an Anora sweep in Hollywood last night as Conan O’Brien hosted the 97th Academy Awards. The romantic comedy-drama – which was filmed with a tiny $6 million budget – took home five awards last night: Best Picture, Best Actress (for Mikey Madison), Best Original Screenplay, Best Editing, and Best Directing.
- On the red carpet, Wicked co-stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande arrived at the Oscars in a pair of dramatically-silhouetted dresses (color-coded for their on-screen characters), and also stole the show with a live performance of “Defying Gravity” from their movie.
- The show even offered some drama for people not interested in art at all – Hulu, which purchased streaming rights for the Academy Awards, had its livestreams cut off for some viewers after suffering a technical glitch. 34,000 Hulu subscribers said they had issues with their streams breaking before the ceremony even kicked off, and the site only offered a solution two and a half hours after the glitch appeared. Not a good look.
More Loose Nuts
- Blue Ghost lunar lander successfully lands on moon with a special delivery for NASA (AP)
- Manfred considering petition to have Rose posthumously removed from ineligible list, AP source says (AP)
- China’s Honor pledges $10 billion AI investment and deepens ties with Google in global push (CNBC)
- The Humane Ai Pin Has Already Been Brought Back to Life (Wired, $)
- Trump identifies three new coins for crypto reserve, sending them soaring (Axios)
Team Thoughts
Kayli – Anora was the only nominated movie I watched this year so my opinion means very little, but I definitely thought they deserved the win!
Marcus – Still shook after watching Trump just yell at Zelensky live on camera. Kind of wish we could just watch politicians yell at each other like that all the time!
