Donald Trump switches up his messaging as the stock market plummets. Ukraine launches its largest-ever drone attack on Moscow. And some West Texas families embrace unproven measles remedies over vaccinations.
Here’s what to know today.
Trump changes his tone on stocks as the market dips
Yesterday, the S&P 500 had its worst day since September, wiping out all of President Donald Trump’s post-election gains. Meanwhile, the Nasdaq had its biggest one-day drop since 2022, plunging deeper into “correction” territory, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped roughly 2.1%.
As Trump’s policies have begun to take shape in his first 50 days in office, some of the optimism from investors has reversed course, especially after Trump followed through on threats to impose tariffs on Canada and Mexico, and place additional tariffs on China. The stock market’s downward spiral is heightening fears that the U.S. will enter a recession.
This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
Trump, who has cited the stock market many times before as an indicator of his success or popularity, is now changing his tone.
In an interview Sunday on Fox News, Trump said, “You can’t really watch the stock market. If you look at China, they have a 100-year perspective. We have a quarter. We go by quarters.” He also acknowledged there will be a “period of transition,” referring to the notion of some economic pain from his tariffs.
In contrast, Trump celebrated the increase in stocks and the improvements in the economy on the eve of his inauguration. “Everyone is calling it the — I don’t want to see this, it’s too braggadocious, but we’ll say it anyway — the Trump effect,” he said at a rally with his supporters.
The White House is also downplaying the market moves. Last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said there would be a “detox period” as the economy shifts away from government spending. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said prices on some items would go up as a result of tariffs but not increase overall inflation.
Read the full story here.
More politics news:
- Speaker Mike Johnson is eyeing a House vote today on a six-month funding extension, but the path to avoiding a government shutdown by Friday night is still murky.
- Elon Musk said he plans to double the size of DOGE and that his department is already working inside nearly every federal agency.
- ICE agents deported fewer immigrants last month than they did under the Biden administration a year ago — about 11,000 in February compared to just over 12,000 a year ago, according to data — while border crossings under the Trump administration have plummeted.
- Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said she stripped the security clearances from former top national security officials, as well as the Manhattan district attorney and New York attorney general who went after Trump in consequential cases.
- A former U.S. pardon attorney was terminated last week after she opposed restoring actor Mel Gibson’s rights to carry a gun, sources said.
Kyiv launches largest ever drone attack on Moscow as Ukraine and U.S. give diplomacy another try
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are set to meet today at a key summit in Saudi Arabia. Zelenskyy is trying to repair relations with Washington after the disastrous Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance as Ukraine, Russia and the U.S. try to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine.
The bombardment came as Ukrainian officials are in a tough spot as they head into pivotal talks today with the United States, headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in Saudi Arabia.
At the negotiating table, President Donald Trump and his team are demanding significant concessions, while publicly asking little of their Russian counterparts despite the president saying he was considering additional sanctions on Moscow. On the battlefield, Kremlin forces are pushing back Ukrainian troops who had launched a counter invasion into Russian soil. Read more here.
Read the full story here.
Some families forgo conventional medicine in measles outbreak
At a makeshift clinic located in a so-called “barndominium” in Seminole, Texas, hundreds of families have met with Dr. Ben Edwards for measles care. He asks about patients’ diet and nutritional intake but does not do bloodwork or offer vaccines. He decides whether the patient might benefit from cod liver oil, which is high in vitamins A and D, and offers the supplements at no charge. A nearby health food store called Health 2 U also offers cod liver oil to people seeking advice for their kids sick with measles.
Edwards’ push to treat measles patients in the ongoing West Texas outbreak with vitamins over vaccination and isolation mirrors advice given by newly confirmed Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. But relying on vitamins to treat the virus is “misleading,” said Dr. David Higgins, a pediatrician and preventive medicine specialist at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. As of Friday, there were 198 confirmed cases of measles in West Texas and 30 cases across the state border in Lea County, New Mexico, according to public health data. Two people have died.
Health reporter Erika Edwards reports from Seminole, where she spoke to Dr. Ben Edwards about his decision to forgo vaccines, a decision that has been widely applauded by families living in the outbreak’s epicenter.
Read All About It
- Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant accusing him of crimes against humanity during his deadly war on drugs.
- A federal judge temporarily blocked the deportation of Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder and legal permanent resident who helped organize pro-Palestinian protests last year at Columbia University. Here’s what the law says about deporting people with green cards.
- A new policy affecting people who receive more Social Security benefits than they are owed is about to go into effect.
- Four people were charged in the death of a 5-year-old boy who was killed in Michigan when a hyperbaric chamber exploded.
- The arrests of some suspects in a string of million-dollar burglaries at homes of pro athletes underscore problems with a post-9/11 program.
Staff Pick: ‘Love Is Blind’ sparks conversations about politics and dating
How important are political beliefs when it comes to finding a life partner? For some “Love Is Blind” contestants, the answer was very important — so much that it was a key reason that two relationships ended at the altar. To see storylines about politics play out on the Netflix reality dating show was a break from previous seasons, but it hits on a hot topic that many singles have likely considered. Culture & trends editor Saba Hamedy rehashes what happened in the finale and some of the internet’s reactions. — Elizabeth Robinson, newsletter editor
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
What exactly is scar tape and how does it work? NBC Select spoke with dermatologists about how the silicone strips may improve healing. Plus, the Select team tested more than 35 wireless bras and narrowed down their favorite options.
Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.
Thanks for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If you’re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign up here.