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A federal judge yesterday ordered the Trump administration to reinstate tens of thousands of workers laid off as part of a sweeping reduction in force across the federal government. The decision applies to six agencies—the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Defense, Interior, Veterans Affairs, and Treasury—and pertains to probationary workers.
Judge William Alsup found the government has the right to downsize its workforce but did not follow established legal processes during recent terminations. Alsup accused the government of attempting to obscure who directed the firings, alleging that federal officials avoided cross-examination. It was unclear as of this writing whether fired workers would or should show up at their old offices today.
In related news, the Senate faces a midnight deadline to pass a government funding bill and avoid a partial federal shutdown. The House has passed a six-month continuing resolution with some budgetary changes—as of last night, it appeared Senate Democrats would support the bill. |
An Australian man in his 40s lived for a record 105 days with a titanium heart before receiving a donor heart transplant March 6. Though five patients in the US had previously been implanted with BiVACOR's Total Artificial Heart, he is the first to be discharged from the hospital with the device and has the longest survival period between implantation and transplantation.
The device uses magnetic levitation technology—like that used in high-speed trains—to suspend a single moving part, a rotor, which pumps blood through the body. An external system controls the device, adjusting blood flow based on the patient’s activity. Experts say it could be a solution for heart failure patients awaiting transplants and may become a permanent option for those ineligible for transplants due to age or other conditions, though further testing is required.
Approximately 6.7 million Americans over age 20 have heart failure, and around 4,600 heart transplants were performed in 2024. The US Food and Drug Administration has approved expanding the trial to include 15 more participants. |
Most of the contiguous US will face severe weather today and tomorrow as a vast low-pressure system moves east across the continent, bringing heavy precipitation, potential tornadoes, and wildfire conditions. The National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center issued a moderate risk (level 4 of 5) for severe thunderstorms alert, a rare call made three days in advance (the first in three years).
Rain and snow swept through much of California yesterday, prompting flash flood warnings in the southern portions of the state and making travel nearly impossible in the north. Thunderstorms are expected today across the Mississippi, Tennessee, and Ohio river valleys, with meteorologists predicting dozens of tornado sightings in the region. Dry conditions combined with 70 mph winds in the Plains pose a heightened risk for wildfires, with snow possible in the Upper Plains states.
A weakened system will reach the lower Eastern Seaboard by Sunday. See storm updates here. |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> Donatella Versace steps down as creative director at Versace after 28 years leading the luxury fashion house (More) | Oasis movie to be filmed during the band's summer 2025 reunion tour (More) |
> National Women's Soccer League season kicks off today; see season preview and storylines (More) | NBC signs $3B deal for US rights to broadcast the 2034 and 2036 Olympic Games (More) |
> NCAA basketball conference championships wrap up this weekend; see latest March Madness bracket predictions for the women's tournament (More) | ... and the men's tourney (More) |
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> OpenAI calls for protecting the training of AI models on copyrighted work as fair use; comments were submitted to the White House's AI Action Plan, due out in July (More) | The history of OpenAI (1440 Topics) |
> Engineers turn skin cells directly into neurons, skipping the traditional step of using stem cells; breakthrough may lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases (More) | What are stem cells? (1440 Topics) |
> Scientists develop genetic technology preventing mosquitoes from transmitting the parasite that causes malaria; technology could save thousands of lives annually in lower-income countries (More) |
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> US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -1.4%, Dow -1.3%, Nasdaq -2.0%); S&P 500 enters correction territory, falling more than 10% from all-time high in February as President Donald Trump threatens tariffs on European wine and spirits (More) |
> Spirit Airlines exits Chapter 11 bankruptcy after four-month restructuring (More) | See previous write-up (More) |
> US average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rises to 6.65%, ending seven-week slide (More) | US weekly jobless claims drop to 220,000 for week ending March 8 (More) |
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> White House withdraws nomination of Dave Weldon to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (More) | Trump administration asks Supreme Court to narrow nationwide injunctions that have blocked a plan to end birthright citizenship (More) | Johns Hopkins University to eliminate 2,000 positions following federal budget cuts (More) |
> Russia claims it has retaken Sudzha, the biggest town in the Kursk border region controlled by Ukraine, as Russian President Vladimir Putin signals openness to temporary ceasefire but not an immediate end to the war (More) |
> Pentagon leaker Jack Teixeira pleads guilty to obstructing justice in a military court-martial; Teixeira receives dishonorable discharge sentence on top of existing 15-year prison sentence for federal charges related to the leak (More) |
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> The Fight to Save the World’s Most Endangered Wolf
Garden & Gun | Lindsey Liles. Just 17 red wolves remain in the wild in North Carolina, where a small team of biologists is working to increase this number by monitoring the population, fostering pups, and dispelling misconceptions. (Read)
> Accounts from North Korean Troops Fighting for Russia
WSJ | Matthew Luxmoore, Dasl Yoon. Two North Korean soldiers captured in Ukraine reveal their experiences of being dispatched by Kim Jong Un’s regime to aid Russia in the war without understanding the conflict. (Read) |
> Vienna’s Legendary Sausage Stands
DW Food | Staff. The tradition of Viennese sausage stands dates back to the 19th century. Although these stalls are currently in decline, they are significant cultural landmarks that feed the city and foster social interactions. (Watch)
> How to Prevent Teens From Using AI for Homework
Search Engine | Staff. A teenage student explains how ChatGPT changed his relationship with doing homework, presenting a pressing question for parents and educators about how to stress the importance of learning over convenience. (Listen) |
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