Extra, Extra
Ceasefire Ceased: With the ceasefire talks stalled, the resumption of war in the Middle East approached like a slow motion disaster. Now it’s here. CNN: Ceasefire shatters as Israel pounds Gaza with wave of deadly strikes. Here’s more from BBC. And from The Atlantic (Gift Article): The Gaza Cease-Fire Was Always Going to End. “More war is not what the people of Gaza or Israel want. But Gazans have no ability to control or restrain Hamas, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is not responsive to the preferences of the Israeli public.”
+ A Call Between Allies: “President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a lengthy phone conversation on Tuesday as the White House pushes for Russia to sign off on its 30-day ceasefire proposal aimed at ending the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The White House and Kremlin did not offer any immediate details about the substance of the conversation, but both confirmed that the call had ended.” (Well, I guess that’s a start.)
+ Native Tongue Tied: “Until recently, a page on the Defense Department’s website celebrated Pfc. Ira Hayes, a Pima Indian who was one of the six Marines photographed hoisting a U.S. flag on Iwo Jima in 1945, as an emblem of the ‘contributions and sacrifices Native Americans have made to the United States, not just in the military, but in all walks of life.’ But the page, along with many others about Native American and other minority service members, has now been erased.” Amid ‘DEI’ purge, Pentagon removes webpage on Iwo Jima flag-raiser. Then there’s this: The military banned cultural awareness celebrations – except for St. Patrick’s Day. And this: “After a recent change by the Trump administration, the federal government no longer explicitly prohibits contractors from having segregated restaurants, waiting rooms and drinking fountains.” (We’ve segregated America from decency.)
+ Peace Out: “As Mr. Stanley opened a door leading to the roof of the building, which is directly opposite an entrance to the White House, he tripped an alarm that alerted the Secret Service to his presence. It created a dramatic scene as a uniformed officer rushed to respond.” Oh it was nothing, just Elon Musk’s Starlink Expanding Across the White House Complex. And a headline that perfectly captures this American moment: Musk’s Team Evicts Officials at the U.S. Institute of Peace.
+ Wiz Bid: Google acquires cybersecurity firm Wiz for $32 billion. “Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has announced its largest-ever acquisition, entering into a deal to buy New York-based cybersecurity firm Wiz, making it a part of its Google Cloud division. This is the company’s second attempt to buy Wiz after talks stalled last year at a lower $23 billion evaluation.” In part, the move is a big bet that the Trump administration will approve the merger.
+ Innovate Expectations: FastCo has an interesting look at The World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies of 2025. The top five: Waymo, Nvidia, Nubank, WNBA, and Byd.
+ Guess Who’s Back: “NASA’s two stuck astronauts headed back to Earth with SpaceX on Tuesday to close out a dramatic marathon mission that began with a bungled Boeing test flight more than nine months ago.” Let’s wait a few hours before we answer their first question: “So what’s been going on down here?”
+ Play Ball: The regular season started early for two major league teams who met in the Tokyo Dome. The result was one we might need to get used to. Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto lead Dodgers past Cubs in Tokyo opener.
