The Bulletin

• Social Security head quits: The Social Security Administration acting commissioner has resigned over a dispute regarding alleged Department of Government Efficiency requests to access Social Security recipient information. Learn more about the resignation.
• Europe's defense package for Ukraine: European officials are working to put together a multi-billion dollar package aimed at boosting collective security in the region in what will be the largest of its kind so far, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock teased over the weekend.

• Explosions rock Russian oil tanker: A Maltese-flagged oil tanker transporting Russian oil to Europe was rocked by two explosions while docked in the port of Savona in northwestern Italy last week. Find out more.

• China issues demand to the US: China had a list of demands for Washington after the State Department removed a line about the U.S.'s opposition to the independence of Beijing-claimed Taiwan from a fact sheet. Get more details.

• German speech policing: A 60 Minutes segment on Germany's approach to policing online speech has ignited fierce debate on both sides of the Atlantic after it aired in the U.S. on Sunday. Here's what critics said.

• NYC Mayor's administration is collapsing: Four deputy mayors from New York City Mayor Eric Adams' administration resigned Monday after the Justice Department moved to dismiss Adams' corruption case. Find out why.

• Drones swarm Russian air base: Unidentified drones swarmed over the Khmeimim air base in northwestern Syria and air defense systems were activated in response, according to the independent Russian outlet ASTRA Press. Know more about it.

The rundown: The U.S. and Russia have begun talks in Saudi Arabia aimed at improving diplomatic ties and negotiating an end to the war in Ukraine. Here's what we know.

Why it matters: On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio sat down with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov at the Diriyah Palace in Riyadh, signaling a potential thaw in U.S.-Russia relations after years of tension following Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and upending years of American foreign policy that has alarmed NATO allies. Rubio was joined by U.S. national security adviser Mike Waltz and President Donald Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy adviser Yuri Ushakov was also there with Lavrov.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Ukraine 'Won't Recognize' Russia-US Talks in Saudi Arabia: Zelensky

TL/DR: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told reporters on Monday he would be in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday, but that his trip was unrelated to the U.S.-Russia meeting.

What happens now? Ahead of the talks in Riyadh, Kirill Dmitriev, the head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund—who the Kremlin said might join the meeting—underscored the importance of the meeting in comments to The Associated Press. "Good U.S.-Russia relations are very important for the whole world," Dmitriev said. "Only jointly can Russia and the U.S. address lots of world problems, resolve for global conflicts and offer solutions."

Deeper reading US and Russia Begin Peace Talks Without Ukraine

The rundown: The U.S. white-collar job market has experienced a dramatic slowdown in recent years, leading to a growing number of unemployed workers in tech, law, communications and media struggling to find new roles. Here's why.

Why it matters: According to S&P Global, millions of Americans are currently employed in the professional and business services sector—though their numbers have recently stalled. From April 2020 and April 2024, the number of U.S. workers employed in this sector reached 22.9 million, growing by nearly 3.9 million in four years. But that growth appeared to have largely stagnated. Aaron Terrazas, an independent economist and data scientist formerly of Glassdoor, told Newsweek that "a combination of cyclical and structural headwinds in the U.S. economy have slowed hiring for skilled knowledge, or 'white collar,' workers." The main culprit appears to be the advancement of generative AI.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Will Nationwide Economic Blackout on February 28 Work?

TL/DR: One in every four American workers who lost their jobs in 2024 worked in professional and business services, what are considered "white-collar jobs," S&P Global found in an October report.

What happens now? Daniel Zhao, Glassdoor's lead economist, told Newsweek that "Government employment growth is likely to slow in 2025, but it's hard to say if it will contract outright as many state and local governments continue to grow their workforces. A rebound in more cyclical industries like tech or finance is possible but is dependent on a strong economy.”

Deeper reading White-Collar Jobs Are Disappearing

The rundown: Tech billionaire Elon Musk has taken issue with payments made by the Social Security Administration (SSA) as his spending task force investigates the government agency. Know more.

Why it matters: Posting on X, formerly Twitter, Musk presented a spreadsheet of data showing "the numbers of people in each age bucket with the death field set to FALSE!" It includes 46 million between the ages of 60 and 69, the period during which a person becomes eligible to collect retirement benefits. It also includes more than ten million listed as being above the age of 100, including one who is recorded as being between the ages of 360 to 369 years of age. Newsweek has been unable to verify the data Musk has presented.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Social Security Chief, FDA Head Resign Over Trump Administration Orders

TL/DR: Musk, who was selected by President Donald Trump to head the non-official Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), has been tasked with streamlining government processes and cutting spending.

What happens now? Exactly what Musk and his DOGE team plan to do with the SSA and its spending is unclear at this time. However, several other government agencies have been asked to reduce workforces in recent days.

Deeper reading Elon Musk Raises Alarm Over Social Security

The rundown: What started as a "typical flight from Minneapolis to Toronto" on Monday for John Nelson quickly turned into "mass chaos." Nelson – along with 79 other people – was in a Delta Airlines plane Monday afternoon that crashed and came to a rest on its roof, injuring 17 people. Here's how he described the incident.

Why it matters: Minneapolis-based Endeavor Air, a subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, was in charge of the flight that landed at the Toronto Pearson Airport. Video from the scene shows the Mitsubishi CRJ-900LR overturned on the snowy tarmac as emergency crews spray it down. All 80 people on board the plane survived. It remains too early to determine what caused the plane to flip, though weather may have been a factor. "Thankfully everybody was okay," Nelson told CNN's Brianna Keilar. "It was mass chaos...It's an emotional rollercoaster that you go through, but it's things you hope you don't see again."

Read more in-depth coverage:
Delta's DEI Stance Called Out After Toronto Plane Crash

TL/DR: Nelson told Keilar he still feels "Stressed, nervous, shaky."

What happens now? The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) told Newsweek via email that it is deploying a team of investigators following the crash. The TSB, an independent agency that investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation occurrences, said it will gather information and assess the incident.

Deeper reading Toronto Plane Crash Passenger Describes 'Mass Chaos' as Aircraft Landed

The rundown: The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has launched an advertising campaign to deter migrants from entering the United States illegally. Here's the warning.

Why it matters: On Monday, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced the campaign, which is set to air nationally and internationally. The multimillion-dollar ad campaign warns migrants against entering the country illegally and encourages those already present without documentation to leave voluntarily or "face deportation with the inability to return." The campaign emphasizes the Trump administration's strict border enforcement policies and no-tolerance stance against illegal immigration. Noem delivered a stark warning to those in violation of immigration laws, making it clear that the U.S. government was prepared to take aggressive action.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Texas Border Agents Warned of Major Mexican Cartel Attack

TL/DR: Last month, President Donald Trump returned to the White House after campaigning on a promise to deport millions of people.

What happens now? The Trump administration is expected to continue its large-scale deportation efforts as it looks to curb the flow of drugs entering the country and enforce tougher border security measures.

Deeper reading New DHS Ad Campaign Tells Migrants to Self-Deport