Monday 03.03.25

A CNN poll taken before the contentious Trump-Zelensky meeting shows that most Americans are unhappy with how President Donald Trump is doing his job. Overall, 52% disapprove of his performance while 48% approve. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and on With Your Day.
 

By Alexandra Banner

President Donald Trump openly clashed with Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Friday. (Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images)

Zelensky-Trump fallout

President Donald Trump is set to address a joint session of Congress on Tuesday for the first time in his second presidential term. It will be an opportunity for Trump to reassure voters about his leadership just days after a catastrophic White House meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. On Sunday, European leaders held an emergency summit in London to rally support for Ukraine as British Prime Minister Keir Starmer seeks to wrestle control of peace negotiations away from the US. Russian officials and state media have expressed glee at the highly public diplomatic breakdown. The White House, meanwhile, is making clear it views the showdown as an overwhelming win that underscores Trump's "America first" leadership.

Oscar winners

Hollywood's glitz and glamour were on full display at the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday. Sean Baker's film "Anora" won five Oscars, including best picture and best actress for star Mikey Madison. The independent film, which follows a Brooklyn sex worker and her whirlwind romance with the son of a Russian oligarch, also took home awards for writing, editing and directing. Other major winners were Adrien Brody, who won his second best actor Oscar for his role in "The Brutalist"; Zoe Saldaña, who won best supporting actress for "Emilia Pérez"; and Kieran Culkin, who won best supporting actor for "A Real Pain." View CNN's Oscars photo gallery to see some of the best moments of the night.

Wildfires

More than 175 wildfires are burning across the Carolinas, fueled by dry and windy conditions. The Carolina Forest Fire, about five miles north of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is estimated to be 1,600 acres and 30% contained, the South Carolina Forestry Commission said Sunday. A passenger aboard a flight into Myrtle Beach on Saturday night captured stunning video of smoke and fire billowing up into the sky from the plane window. Dozens of other wildfires in the region flared up over the weekend — many of which have since been contained. Firefighters should get a break today and Tuesday as forecasts call for more humidity and lighter winds.

Measles outbreak

A measles outbreak in Texas has grown to nearly 150 cases, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services. Last week, state health officials announced the outbreak's first death — an unvaccinated school-aged child who had been hospitalized in Lubbock. It is the first measles death in the US in a decade. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in an opinion piece on Fox News on Sunday that parents should consult with health care providers "to understand their options to get the MMR vaccine" for their children. Kennedy, who has a history of anti-vaccine comments, did not explicitly recommend the vaccine. Rather, he said the outbreak was a "call to action for all of us to reaffirm our commitment to public health."

Blue Ghost

An uncrewed spacecraft called Blue Ghost successfully landed on the moon Sunday, making Texas-based Firefly Aerospace only the second private-sector company ever to complete such a feat. The lunar lander touched down on the moon's near side around 3:30 a.m. ET and captured stunning footage during its descent. In February 2023, another Texas-based space company, Intuitive Machines, became the first private-sector company to soft-land a vehicle on the moon, but broadly speaking, about half of all lunar landing attempts have ended in failure. Blue Ghost is part of a privately owned fleet helping NASA in its aim to return astronauts to the moon later this decade.  

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48,000

That's at least how many people have died in Gaza over the last 17 months of war in the enclave. On Sunday, Israel said it will block Gaza humanitarian aid until Hamas agrees to new conditions.

From here, war appears even more absurd.

— Pope Francis, appealing for peace in Sunday's Angelus prayer, days after he experienced a sudden respiratory episode in the hospital where he has been battling pneumonia. The 88-year-old pontiff is now in stable condition but doctors are continuing to guard his prognosis, according to Vatican sources who said the "risk of crisis" remains.

Window washer platform shatters skyscraper window
Bystanders captured a terrifying moment in New York City of window washers trapped in high winds. Watch the video here.