Thursday 02.20.25

There is currently about a 3% chance that an asteroid the size of a large building could collide with Earth in 2032, according to NASA calculations. The good news is that experts expect the risk percentage to fluctuate before likely dropping to zero. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and on With Your Day.
 

By Alexandra Banner

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon. (Nathan Howard/Reuters/File)

Pentagon cuts

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the US military to prepare plans to make drastic budget cuts over the next five years, with an exception for border security, according to a new memo obtained by CNN. The proposed cuts to the Pentagon's approximately $850 billion budget would amount to tens of billions of dollars in the first year — the largest reduction in the Defense Department budget since 2013. Despite Hegseth's stated focus to "revive the warrior ethos," some defense officials responsible for drafting lists of Pentagon employees to be fired as soon as this week are voicing concerns that the terminations could break the law and harm US military readiness.

Israeli hostages

Earlier today, Hamas handed over the bodies of four Israeli hostages held in Gaza — the first time the group has released deceased captives since October 7, 2023. They are said to include the bodies of Shiri Bibas, who was 32 when she and her sons Ariel, 4, and Kfir, 9 months, were abducted from their home in Kibbutz Nir Oz in southern Israel by Hamas-led militants more than 16 months ago. The two boys have become the most recognizable victims of the October 7 terror attacks, and the first return of hostage bodies marks a hugely emotional and somber moment for Israel.

Arizona plane crash

Two people are dead after a midair collision between two small aircraft Wednesday at Arizona's Marana Regional Airport, just northwest of Tucson. While the investigation is ongoing, officials have confirmed two people were on each plane. The crash follows a recent string of aviation incidents beginning with the January 29 midair collision at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, which killed 67 people when a military helicopter and an American Airlines regional jet collided. Since then, four other aviation incidents have drawn national attention to air safety.

Ukraine

President Donald Trump doubled down on his criticism of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday, eliciting reactions from GOP lawmakers, world leaders and top administration officials. On Tuesday, Trump wrongly accused Ukraine of starting the war with Russia. He also parroted another Moscow talking point in saying that the Ukrainian president should hold an election that was suspended because his country is in a state of war and under daily attack from Moscow's forces. After Zelensky accused Trump of being in a "disinformation space," Trump escalated the fight on Wednesday, falsely calling the democratically-elected Zelensky "a dictator."

Birthright citizenship

An appeals court will not allow the Trump administration to end birthright citizenship for certain children of immigrants — a ruling that could propel the issue to the Supreme Court. For decades, under an 1868 constitutional amendment and a statute that preceded it, citizenship has been extended to anyone born on US soil, regardless of the immigration status of their parents. President Trump is seeking to end birthright citizenship for children whose parents are undocumented or are lawfully present in the US on temporary visas. The case before the appeals court is one of several major legal challenges to the policy and the first to get the weigh-in by an appellate panel.

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Tomb of ancient Egyptian king unearthed in 'remarkable' discovery
This discovery marks one of the most significant archaeological breakthroughs in recent years, an Egyptian official said.

9.3%

That's the percentage of US adults who identify as LGBTQ+, a figure that has nearly doubled since 2020, according to a new Gallup Poll.

If people of faith don't take a stand now, who is?

— Rev. W.J. Mark Knutson, a pastor in Portland, Oregon, vowing that his church will be a "sanctuary" for undocumented immigrants amid growing fears of ICE raids in places of worship.

Where does the internet actually come from?
Surfing the web, checking your email and streaming your favorite shows are all possible because of a vast network of undersea cables that power the global internet. Watch this video to learn how these cables work.