Friday 03.07.25

US officials are working to mend ties with Ukraine following last week's contentious meeting between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. At the same time, European leaders are pressing ahead with their own vision for Ukraine peace at an emergency summit. Here's what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and on With Your Day.
 

By Alexandra Banner

(Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images)

Education Department

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order to dismantle the Department of Education, according to sources, as he aims to dramatically shrink the size of the federal government. Trump has long signaled his intention to close the department, but fully eliminating it will require Congress to act. If the Trump administration succeeds in pushing an end to the department, some programs and funding could be retained and shifted to other agencies. There is also growing uncertainty about the nation's trillions of dollars in student loans and whether the government will stay in the business of lending money to students directly.

SpaceX launch explosion

SpaceX is facing another setback after its Starship spacecraft exploded shortly after liftoff on Thursday. Video shows debris lighting up the sky over the Caribbean as the uncrewed vehicle burst into flames during its eighth test flight — marking the second failure in just six weeks. The company shared an update with a few details, saying the explosion was caused by an "energetic event." The blast prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to temporarily halt flights into Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Palm Beach and Orlando airports for "falling space debris." The FAA is also requiring SpaceX to perform a mishap investigation into the loss of the Starship vehicle.

Stock market

US stocks slid Thursday as investors continue to grapple with further uncertainty from President Donald Trump's tariffs. All three major indexes closed lower, despite Trump announcing a nearly one-month tariff delay on products from Mexico and Canada. Since Trump took office, the Nasdaq has fallen more than 7% and the S&P 500 is down more than 4%. Meanwhile, Tesla shares are down around 40% from their December peak, giving up 96% of that post-election bump. Analysts say the drop in share price probably reflects the concern that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has been a much more visible — and polarizing — figure in the Trump administration.

Transgender athletes

Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom said transgender athletes playing in women's sports is "deeply unfair" in a break from most Democrats' position on the topic. Newsom's comments come after President Trump signed an executive order last month banning transgender women from competing in women's sports, delivering on a political issue central to his 2024 campaign. The California governor spoke about the issue on a podcast episode with conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Notably, Newsom is eyeing a potential 2028 presidential bid, having watched Republicans wield the issue against Democrats last cycle.

Eurostar

An unexploded Word War II-era bomb found outside Paris brought a halt to Eurostar train travel in London and northern France today. The bomb was discovered by workers along railway tracks in the Paris suburb of Saint Denis. A security perimeter was immediately established, leading to the disruption of the intercity and suburban lines from the Gare du Nord station. A spokesperson for France's national state-owned railway company described the bomb as "really huge" and confirmed that a demining team is at the site. Gare du Nord is a major European transit hub, serving international destinations north of France as well as the main Paris airport and many regional commuters.

People are talking about these. Read up. Join in.

Pilot walks out of cockpit to reassure passengers
A Delta Air Lines captain took a moment to reassure passengers as a slew of aviation incidents has made some flyers nervous. Watch the video here.

What music does King Charles listen to?
The Apple Music playlist of Britain's 76-year-old monarch surprisingly includes reggae star Bob Marley, pop diva Kylie Minogue and genre-bending artist RAYE.

Make milk great again?
Raw milk has become a culture war flashpoint. Some farmers are concerned that lawsuits and recalls may cause their milk businesses to go sour.

Tecno unveils the 'world's thinnest phone'
The Chinese technology company unveiled its new concept smartphone, which apparently is just 5.75 mm thick.

Walgreens is going private in an up to $24 billion deal
The drugstore chain is ending nearly 100 years as a publicly traded company. Read about the deal.

$10 million

That's the reward authorities have offered for information leading to the arrest of a former Olympic snowboarder accused of running a deadly drug ring. The FBI added 43-year-old Ryan Wedding to its 10 Most Wanted list Thursday while announcing the State Department's $10 million offer.

Canadians are reasonable and we are polite but we will not back down from a fight — not when our country and the well-being of everyone in it is at stake.

— Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, after President Trump threatened sweeping tariffs on Canadian goods this week. In response, some Canadians told CNN that they are boycotting US products and canceling vacations south of the border due to the countries' frayed relations.

Love it or hate it, it's almost Daylight Saving Time
Clocks will move forward by an hour at 2 a.m. this Sunday for Daylight Saving Time. Watch this video to learn why the US started changing the clock.

one more thing ...

Hello readers! It's Alex, your writer for 5 Things AM. On a personal note, I'll be heading out on a temporary maternity leave as I prepare to welcome my first baby! But trust me, you'll be in great hands. As always, thank you for your loyal readership and have a wonderful weekend!