The Bulletin

• InfoWars reporter murdered: InfoWars founder Alex Jones has said that a reporter for his website Jamie White was murdered on Sunday evening. Find out what happened.

• Ex-Philippines leader in ICC custody: Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested at Manila's international airport on Tuesday under an International Criminal Court warrant over allegations of crimes against humanity. Learn more.

• US turns attention to Taiwan: United States envoy in Taiwan said Washington will turn its attention to the self-ruled island, which is threatened by China, should the three-year-long Russia-Ukraine war end. Know more.

• Federal government layoffs tracker 2025: The federal government is undergoing a historic wave of job cuts across multiple agencies in 2025, spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency. Here are the latest DOGE cuts so far.

• Iran's warning to the US: Iran has warned it will respond firmly if the U.S. tries to impose demands on the Islamic Republic as it steps up pressure over its nuclear program. Read the full remarks.

• Marco Rubio's rising stature: Secretary of State Marco Rubio landed in Saudi Arabia Monday, where he will hold a high-profile meeting with Ukrainian officials and seek to smooth tensions with Canada at a critical moment in his new role as the nation's top diplomat. Find out more.

The rundown: A majority of Americans are worried about another global pandemic, according to a survey from February 18 to 26 for Gallup's COVID-19 web panel tracking poll, which began in March 2020. Find out what else it reveals.

Why it matters: About 58 percent of U.S. adults surveyed said they are worried there will be another global pandemic in their lifetime. Most (42 percent) of these U.S. adults were "somewhat worried" while 16 percent were "very worried," 26 percent were "not too worried" and 15 percent were "not worried at all." Democrats at 78 percent and independents at 57 percent were at least somewhat worried about another pandemic compared to 34 percent of Republicans. The poll found that 59 percent of the population believe the COVID-19 pandemic is over, while 41 percent do not.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Bill Gates Issues Warning About Next Pandemic

TL/DR: The results show the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which plunged the world into economic and health care turmoil amid the unprecedented breakout in 2020, and it left the majority of the U.S. with a major concern about another one.

What happens now? No one can say for sure whether there will be another pandemic and what it would look like. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in November: "The public health response to the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted a number of successes in responding to public health threats, but it also exposed challenges and gaps in CDC's core capabilities that led our agency to conduct an extensive review to identify lessons learned and make changes in our organizational structure, systems, and processes.”

Deeper reading Americans Are Worried About Another Pandemic

The rundown: Moscow was hit by the largest drone attack of the Russia-Ukraine war overnight, hours ahead of a scheduled meeting between officials from Washington and Kyiv that could determine the future of the conflict. Get more details.

Why it matters: Russia's Defense Ministry said in a Telegram post that it intercepted 337 Ukrainian drones overnight. It is a record number since the war began in February 2022, The Moscow Times reported. The ministry said 91 unmanned aerial vehicles were "intercepted and destroyed by air defense systems" over the Moscow region. Another 126 were destroyed over the Kursk region, which borders Ukraine. Others were intercepted above the regions of Bryansk, Belgorod, Ryazan, Kaluga, Lipetsk, Oryol, Voronezh, and Nizhny Novgorod, Russian officials said.

Read more in-depth coverage:
How NATO Without US Stacks Up Against Russia

TL/DR: The Associated Press has described the attack as seemingly the largest drone barrage on Russia since the start of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine over three years ago.

What happens now? Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry said of the U.S.-Ukraine talks that the kingdom is committed to pursuing "a lasting peace to end the Ukrainian crisis."

Deeper reading Moscow Hit by Barrage of Drones in Biggest Attack of Ukraine War

The rundown: The 8-month pregnant wife of pro-Palestinian student activist Mahmoud Khalil has pleaded for her husband's release in time for the birth of their baby, following his arrest and detention by federal immigration officers over the weekend. Read more.

Why it matters: Syrian-born Khali, a permanent U.S. resident and Columbia University graduate, played a key role in last year's Gaza war protests at the Ivy League's campus in New York City. He was arrested in the city on Saturday and transferred more than 1,000 miles away to the Central Louisiana Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center. "I urge you to see Mahmoud through my eyes as a loving husband and the future father to our baby," his wife told Newsweek in a statement issued via her husband's attorney, Amy E. Greer. A federal judge on Monday halted the Trump administration's attempt to deport Khalil. About 3,000 protesters demonstrated Khalil's detention in Lower Manhattan on Monday afternoon, police said.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Trump Reacts to ICE Arrest of Columbia Graduate Mahmoud Khalil

TL/DR: "Please release Mahmoud now," said his wife, who was not named by the lawyers when asked by Newsweek or in legal papers filed Sunday in challenge of Khalil's detention.

What happens now? Khalil's case is expected to be heard by U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman in Manhattan on Wednesday.

Deeper reading Mahmoud Khalil's Wife Speaks Out on ICE Detention: 'Need Your Help'

The rundown: President Donald Trump's tariffs on U.S. allies and rivals, along with his relationship with of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky have fueled doubts in Europe about America's reliability while presenting China with an opportunity. Here's how.

Why it matters: As the U.S. withdraws from international organizations, including the World Health Organization and Paris Climate Agreement, and an 83 percent cut to USAID, observers suggest these moves position China to expand its global influence. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has sought to frame Beijing as a stable and reliable global partner in contrast to Washington, recently calling the U.S. "two-faced." Wang said Friday that "China and the EU jointly make up over one-third of the world economy, and the cooperation between the two has a greater strategic value and global influence."

Read more in-depth coverage:
What Trump's Gamble on Putin Could Mean for China

TL/DR: Former President Joe Biden fostered closer transatlantic coordination with Europe on China, aligning with Brussels in viewing Beijing as a military challenge and an economic threat because of overcapacity in key industries.

What happens now? U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is leading a U.S. delegation in Saudi Arabia for talks with Ukrainian officials.

Deeper reading Trump's Spat With Ukraine Opens Door for China in Europe

The rundown: President Donald Trump ripped into Republican Congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky on Monday night over opposition to a bill to continue funding the U.S. government. Here's what to know.

Why it matters: Republicans are attempting to pass a Trump-endorsed "clean" temporary funding bill, or continuing resolution (CR), before a government shutdown deadline of March 14. Despite Trump's wishes, Massie has repeatedly refused to back a CR to fund the government. In a post to Truth Social on Monday night, Trump praised the conservative House Freedom Caucus for endorsing the CR hours before taking a swipe at Massie and threatening to support a campaign against him in 2026 for refusing to back the bill.

Read more in-depth coverage:
Government Shutdown 2025? Here's What We Know So Far

TL/DR: Massie, a staunch fiscal conservative, has a history of opposing his party on some key votes.

What happens now? If the CR passes by Friday, the government will continue to be funded until at least September 30. If the bill fails, a shutdown will begin on Saturday.

Deeper reading Donald Trump Calls for Key Republican Congressman to Be Primaried