Thursday 02.27.25

Crowds are gathering in Vatican City and Rome to pray for the speedy recovery of Pope Francis. The 88-year-old pontiff has shown slight signs of improvement since he was diagnosed with pneumonia last week, though his condition is still being described as "critical." Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and on With Your Day.
 

By Alexandra Banner

President Trump holds his first Cabinet meeting on Wednesday. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

Cabinet meeting

Federal spending and foreign policy were key themes at the first Cabinet meeting of President Donald Trump's second term. During the wide-ranging question and answer session on Wednesday, Trump repeated numerous false claims that spanned a wide variety of topics, including aid to Ukraine, the history of the EU, inflation, mail-in voting and drug overdose deaths. Presidential adviser and tech billionaire Elon Musk — who was neither elected nor confirmed by the Senate — took on a prominent role at the meeting and spoke more than anyone else besides the president. Musk also signaled his intent to slash $1 trillion from the federal budget and vowed to be "more aggressive" as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency.

Foreign aid

Chief Justice John Roberts on Wednesday paused a court-imposed midnight deadline that would have required the Trump administration to release around $2 billion in frozen foreign aid, a goal the government has claimed it cannot meet. The emergency appeal marks the first time President Trump's efforts to drastically remake the federal government — including through deep cuts across government agencies — have reached the nation's highest court. The case appears likely to put the justices on a collision course with Trump's sweeping efforts to consolidate power within the executive branch.

Measles outbreak

Health officials in Texas say the first death from a growing measles outbreak in the western part of the state was an unvaccinated school-age child. It's the first measles death in the US in 10 years. More than 120 confirmed measles cases have been linked to the outbreak in Lubbock, Texas, according to the Texas Department of Health Services. Most of the cases are in children ages 5 to 17. Measles is an airborne illness that can cause rash, fever, red eyes and cough. In severe cases, it can lead to blindness, pneumonia and death. The best way to stay protected against measles is to get vaccinated with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, the CDC says.

Transgender troops

The Pentagon plans to kick out currently serving transgender service members who don't meet specific requirements under its new policy, according to official guidance made public in a Wednesday court filing. "Service members who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria will be processed for separation from military service," according to a memo outlining the policy. The guidance follows an executive order signed by President Trump in January directing the Pentagon to implement its own policies that say transgender service members are incompatible with military service. In 2018, an independent research institute estimated 14,000 transgender troops were serving.

Middle East

Israel will not withdraw its forces from the Gaza-Egypt border as would be required under a potential second phase of a ceasefire with Hamas, according to an Israeli source. "We will not allow Hamas murderers to roam again with trucks and rifles on our borders, and we will not let them strengthen themselves again through smuggling," the source told CNN. The announcement comes days before the first phase of the Israel-Hamas hostage-ceasefire agreement is set to expire, and just hours after Hamas handed over the final hostages due for release under the first phase.

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A high-stakes moon mission

A spacecraft built by Houston-based Intuitive Machines will soon attempt to land closer to the moon's south pole than any vehicle has traveled before! Read about the mission.

Nvidia doubled profits in 2024. And its outlook is rosy despite AI jitters
Chipmaker Nvidia achieved stunning sales and profit growth as it closed out 2024. The company expects its sales to grow 65% year-over-year to $43 billion in the current quarter, exceeding analysts' expectations.

The internet is raving about 'nature's Botox'
Many beauty enthusiasts have turned to ingredients you'd usually find in the food aisle as a way to hydrate the skin and reduce acne. But does it work?

Time is money
An Indian man was awarded damages in a legal case against the country's biggest movie theater chain after he complained that it showed too many commercials before a movie.

Thieves target freight trains in California and Arizona deserts
More than $2 million worth of Nike sneakers were recently stolen in a string of freight train heists. Many of the shoes haven't even hit the retail market yet.

in memoriam

Actor Gene Hackman and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home in New Mexico on Wednesday, the Santa Fe County Sheriff's Office told CNN. He was 95. Their cause of death has not been confirmed. Hackman was best known for his performances in the films "The French Connection," "Hoosiers," "Unforgiven" and "The Firm."

(Steve Granitz/WireImage/Getty Images)

$4.50

That's around the average price of a 12-ounce bottle of orange juice, up from $2.30 in January 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Rising orange juice prices are mainly due to supply shortages in top orange-growing areas — worsened by hurricanes and droughts — and changes in Americans' diets.

What could be more important than controlling obesity?

— Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks, saying he wants to boost domestic manufacturing for the company's popular weight loss and diabetes drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro. The drug manufacturer announced this week that it will invest an additional $27 billion to build four new manufacturing plants in the US.

Western travelers visit North Korea
CNN's Will Ripley spoke to Western social media influencers who visited North Korea on recent trips. Here's what they saw.