Good morning. It's Friday, Feb. 28, and we're covering the rapid drawdown at USAID, the passing of a beloved actor, and much more. First time reading? Join over 4 million intellectually curious readers. Sign up here. |
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Thousands of workers at the Washington, DC, headquarters of the US Agency for International Development cleared out their offices yesterday, as the shutdown of the agency by the Trump administration continued to advance. The terminations follow the cancellation of roughly 90% of USAID-funded work around the globe.
Created six decades ago as a means to consolidate the US government's foreign aid efforts, USAID is appropriated roughly $40B from Congress each year. The future of the organization and its operations remains unclear—while it is authorized and funded by Congress and requires an act of Congress to dissolve (see link to overview), some analysts say its programs could be legally folded into the State Department.
Of the roughly 6,000 USAID employees affected, some have been placed on leave, while others have been permanently fired. The numbers of each have been difficult to determine, though recent reports suggest around two-thirds will remain on leave while legal challenges proceed.
In related news, a federal judge late yesterday ruled that large-scale firings of probationary workers may have been unlawful. The issue is expected to be appealed. |
At least 60 people have died and more than 1,000 have been infected by an unknown illness in northwestern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the World Health Organization. Symptoms of uncontrolled bleeding, vomiting, and diarrhea resemble the highly contagious Ebola and Marburg viruses, though lab tests have ruled them out.
The outbreak began in January in the village of Boloko, where three small children died within two days of eating a dead bat; four others died within days. A second outbreak began two weeks later in Bomate, a village more than 100 miles away, killing 45 and infecting more than 400. No link has been discovered between the two villages. The WHO is reportedly testing patients for a variety of potential causes, including food poisoning and typhoid.
The country saw dozens killed by a similar unknown illness—later confirmed as severe malaria—in December and is dealing with a wave of mpox cases, which have killed 1,200 people since early 2024. Rwanda-backed rebels known as the M23 have captured several cities in the country's east, leading to the deaths of thousands and displacing hundreds of thousands. |
Oscar-winning actor Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife, classical pianist Betsy Arakawa, 64, were found dead along with one of their dogs in their New Mexico home Wednesday. The cause of death remains unknown as of this writing—authorities initially said there was no suspicion of foul play, but later reports suggested the pair had been deceased for multiple days, with a scattered prescription bottle found near Arakawa. The fire department found no carbon monoxide or gas leak, though official autopsy and toxicology results are pending.
Hackman, born Jan. 30, 1930, in California, had a challenging childhood before enlisting in the Marine Corps at age 16. After his service, he briefly studied journalism before pursuing acting in New York. His career spanned over five decades, with more than 100 screen credits and five Oscar nominations—winning twice for his roles in “The French Connection” and “Unforgiven.” He also won four Golden Globes and the Cecil B. DeMille Award.
Hackman was known for portraying complex characters in films such as “Bonnie and Clyde,” “Superman,” and “Hoosiers,” and he excelled at playing memorable villains. He retired from acting in 2004 and settled in New Mexico, where he wrote historical fiction novels. |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
> Social media influencer Andrew Tate and his brother, who face rape and human trafficking charges in Romania, return to the US after Romanian authorities lifted travel restrictions on the duo (More) |
> Katy Perry, Gayle King, and Lauren Sánchez among six women tapped for first-ever all-woman space crew aboard Blue Origin's New Shepard spacecraft (More) |
> NFL considering rule changes including changes to regular season overtime rules and electronic measurements for first downs (More) | Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce confirms he'll return for 2025 season amid retirement speculation (More) |
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> Amazon unveils quantum computing chip, available for Amazon Web Services customers; device brings the company in line with competitors Google and Microsoft (More) | How does quantum computing work, anyway? (1440 Topics) |
> New AI algorithm helps doctors analyze and predict health outcomes based on a series of medical images; approach may have use in diagnosing diseases ranging from cancer to Alzheimer's (More) |
> Intuitive Machines successfully launches second lunar lander; payload includes a Nokia-built 4G wireless system, which would establish the first Wi-Fi network on the moon (More) |
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> US stock markets fall (S&P 500 -1.6%, Dow -0.5%, Nasdaq -2.8%) as tech stocks slide following Nvidia's (-8.5%) earnings report and President Donald Trump affirms coming tariffs (More) |
> YouTube influencer MrBeast planning investment round that could value his company at $5B (More) | Payments giant Stripe's valuation rises to nearly $92B in latest tender offer (More) | Tender offers 101 (More) |
> US pending home sales index falls to record low of 4.6% year over year in January, likely due to high mortgage rates, record-high home prices (More) | US jobless claims rise to 242,000 for week ending Feb. 22, the year's highest level (More) |
How tariffs work: Keep hearing about tariffs in the news, but unsure about what they are or how they work? Our next Business & Finance takes a deep dive into the issue—sign up here for free! |
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> President Donald Trump says 25% tariffs on Mexico and Canada to go into effect Tuesday, plans to double existing 10% tariffs on China (More) | Mexico begins releasing nearly 30 drug cartel operatives into US custody (More) |
> Justice Department releases flight logs and names of people related to deceased sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein (More) | US military services have 30 days to develop plan to identify transgender members and another 30 days to remove them from the force (More) |
> Israeli military releases first report from investigation into the military and intelligence failures surrounding Hamas' Oct. 7, 2023, attack; findings include officers underestimating Hamas' capabilities, misinterpreting early warnings (More) |
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> Chatbots of the Dead
Aeon | Daniel Story. Recently developed AI programs can simulate conversations with deceased individuals using the personal data they leave behind. The new technology raises ethical concerns about consent and misrepresentation, as well as contemplations on how to grieve. (Read)
> Where the QWERTY Keyboard Came From
Smithsonian Magazine | Jimmy Stamp. The ubiquitous QWERTY keyboard, named after the first six letters in the top row of keys, has been around for about 150 years. Its origin is still debated, with various theories explaining how it came to be. (Read) |
> Surviving the Winter as a Baby Painted Turtle
BBC Earth | Staff. After a clutch of baby painted turtles hatch in the winter, ice crystals grow around and within their bodies. Their unique makeup allows them to survive freezing temperatures until spring, when their lives outside begin. (Watch)
> The World of Competitive Speed Puzzling
Niche to Meet You | Leslie Thompson. During the pandemic, the quest to puzzle as quickly as possible became a bonding activity for many, providing entertainment and community to people facing heightened isolation. (Listen) |
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Editor's note: More than 12 million monthly clicks can't be wrong. Here are the most popular stories we ran in February. Enjoy!
(2/5/25) The hardest tongue twister in English.
(2/25/25) Where college-educated Americans are moving.
(2/11/25) What your fingernails can reveal about your health.
(2/22/25) The states that don't tax retirement income (in 2025).
(2/21/25) See Time magazine's Women of the Year.
(2/10/25) Where your tax dollars go in a single chart.
(2/5/25) California's most elusive mammal photographed.
(2/26/25) The difference between $50 jeans and $500 jeans.
(2/11/25) Americans have three months to obtain a Real ID.
(2/19/25) Introducing the controversial "man fork."
(2/3/25) A massive underwater volcano is on the edge of eruption.
Clickbait: Humpback whale's eyes too big for its stomach.
Historybook: Coaching legend Dean Smith born (1931); Record 106 million people watch series finale of "M*A*S*H" (1983); Persian Gulf War ends (1991); Basketball star Luka Dončić born (1999); Actress Jane Russell dies (2011). |
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