Tesla Surges and U.S.-Russia Ukraine Talks – 3/24/2025

United States

  • Tesla shares have surged nearly 20% since Tim Walz cheered their earlier decline
  • Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., cautions Democrats face trouble in 2026 midterms, “The Democratic brand is really in trouble,” he told Fox News Digital, per Fox
  • Rolls-Royce allegedly plans to boost U.S. production to dodge Trump’s tariffs
  • Bipartisan bill tackles healthcare fraud by checking deceased doctors’ IDs, per Fox, “It’s a proactive step,” says Rep. Gabe Evans
  • 2025 Q1 GDP forecasts vary widely, with NY Fed at +2.7% and Atlanta Fed at -1.8%
  • A federal judge orders Texas A&M to hold a drag show despite a Trump directive
  • Trump admin urges Supreme Court to halt order reinstating 16,000 federal workers, per WSJ
  • Robert F. Kennedy Jr. seeks to ban TV ads for pharmaceuticals
  • California AG Rob Bonta urges residents to erase DNA data from bankrupt 23andMe, per CollinRugg
  • Hyundai commits $20 billion to U.S. projects, including a Louisiana steel plant, amid tariff fears, per NYP
  • Foreign adversaries sent $795 million to U.S. universities, a new report reveals, per Fox
  • Rep. Jim Jordan schedules hearing to probe Judge Boasberg’s alleged bias, per Eric Daugherty, “It starts to look totally political,” Jordan says
  • Jim Jordan sets hearing to investigate Judge Boasberg for thwarting Trump’s plans
  • DOGE audit axes 298,000 unused government credit cards across 16 agencies, per DOGE Tracker
  • Trump names Alina Habba as interim U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, per Donald Trump on Truth Social
  • Trump admin asks Supreme Court to stop judge’s order rehiring federal staff, per AP
  • Trump threatens 25% tariffs on nations buying Venezuelan oil
  • Barack Obama joins Bluesky, amassing over 240,000 followers in a day, per Cybernews
  • Rithm offloads $900 million in debt tied to mortgage fees, a record-breaking deal, per Bloomberg
  • U.S.-Ukraine resource deal stalls despite Trump’s claim it’d be signed soon, per Bloomberg Economics
  • Trump admin accuses detained Columbia student Mahmoud Khalil of First Amendment misuse, per NBC
  • Trump admin seeks Supreme Court pause on rehiring fired federal workers, per CNN
  • Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong tosses Ohtani’s home run ball to 10-year-old fan, per NBC
  • Social Security slashes staff and services, closing some local offices, per WSJ
  • NYC’s MTA to phase out MetroCards for OMNY system by year-end, says CEO Janno Lieber, per NBC
  • Trump’s CMS pick Mehmet Oz faces ethics concerns over ZorroRX ties, per Washington Post
  • Supreme Court rejects Steve Wynn’s push to weaken media defamation protections, per NBC
  • Supreme Court declines minors’ climate lawsuit against U.S. government, per CNN

International

  • U.S. and Russia discuss Ukraine peace in Riyadh, aiming to revive the Black Sea Grain Initiative, per AA, “We share a common understanding,” says Dmitry Peskov
  • Israel strikes over 100 Hamas trucks in Gaza tied to October 7 attacks, per Times of Israel
  • Jordan proposes exiling 3,000 Hamas members from Gaza to end the conflict
  • Peru pushes to expand its thriving agricultural sector next year, seeking record private funds, per Bloomberg Markets
  • UNAIDS chief warns millions may die as U.S. aid cuts threaten AIDS fight, per CBS
  • Fire at drone-struck Russian oil depot burns into fifth day, disrupting Caspian pipeline, per Reuters
  • Istanbul mayor’s arrest sparks Turkey’s largest protests in over a decade, per NYT
  • Canada’s Mark Carney open to Trump call, but insists on sovereign terms, per Reuters
  • Gaza death toll tops 50,000 since Israel-Hamas war began, says Hamas-run ministry, per Axios
  • Tesla Europe sales plummet 44% amid Musk-Trump controversy, per The Guardian
  • South Korea wildfires kill four, prompt ‘special disaster’ status for three counties, per Reuters
  • Greenland PM calls Trump officials’ visit plan “highly aggressive,” per NYT