U.S.-Russia Talks Have Europe On Edge

Good Monday morning. Today is Presidents' Day -- a holiday that has evolved. Have a great start to your week!

In Today’s Brief

• Kentucky: Fatal storms

• Milei: Crypto currency

• House: Judicial impeachments

• Intel: Rivals plotting

• Daytona 500: Repeat winner

... and more

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Top Tips

1) Time to talk

European leaders are expected to have an emergency summit as the U.S. plans to sit down with Russia.

• The news: American and Kremlin officials will meet in Saudi Arabia this week to begin peace talks to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine. European Union and Ukrainian officials were not involved in the planning process, leading French President Emmanuel Macron to throw together a continental convention today in Paris. 

• Mixed signals: Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Europe and Ukraine will be involved in any serious peace negotiations and the U.S.-Russia talks are solely to determine how serious President Vladimir Putin is about ending his war. But other administration officials had suggested Europe would not be included, sparking EU concern following Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's controversial comments about NATO last week (which he then walked back).

• Help wanted: The U.S. has sent a questionaire to European nations asking what they can contribute toward Ukrainian security guarantees. Among the questions: How many troops each country would be willing to deploy for a European peacekeeping force. United Kingdom Prime Minisher Keir Starmer has already committed to providing British troops; he will be among the leaders at Macron's summit.

• Big picture: Europe fears being locked out of the process by President Donald Trump, whose commitment to NATO is seemingly always in question. Mark Rutte, the alliance's secretary-general, has pledged to push for major increases in defense spending goals -- a frequent sore spot for Trump. Ukraine has also signaled willingness to trade rare earth resources for continued U.S. support.

2) Flip a coin

A volcano near Alaska's most-populated city may be about to blow.

• The news: Scientists said there is a 50% chance of an imminent eruption at Mount Spurr. Small earthquakes have occurred in its area since last April, signaling the possibility. GPS sensors have also detected inflation at the surface of the volcano as ice and snow begins to melt.

• Close by: Mount Spurr sits about 75 miles west of Anchorage. Its last eruption -- in 1992 -- dusted the city with volcanic ash after it was carried by wind. The biggest impact was a nearly day-long shutdown of Anchorage's international airport.

• Big picture: The volcano is watched closely due to its proximity to the city, but past eruptions have not endangered Anchorage or its residents. Experts caution a non-eruption is just as likely; no volcanic gases have been detected and past activity went nowhere.

3) Start 'em young

Utah's kindergarten students may soon receive mandatory gun safety training.

• The news: A bill would require the state's public school K-12 students to receive annual instruction on how to respond if they encounter a firearm. The measure passed Utah's House last week and now heads to the state senate.

• More details: The lessons would demonstrate best practices for safe gun handling and storage, using either videos or in-person demonstrations. Students would learn about gun safety at least three times before third grade and as quickly as kindergarten, when most kids are around five years of age.

• Other notes: Parents can opt their kids out of the training sessions. Tennessee is the only other state with a law on firearm training in public schools, but the start age is at the discretion of local officials.

• The reactions: Supporters stress the lessons would be age-appropriate; younger students would learn to alert adults about guns and avoid touching them. Gun violence prevention advocates claim the law would unfairly place safety responsibilities on children and the burden should be on adults. The bill stalled earlier this year, so it may again lose steam.

Quick Tips

U.S. News

• Eight people died in Kentucky after deadly storms tore through the Southeast. The systems brought flash flooding and heavy rain and winds; at least one person died in Georgia (More)

• The Trump Administration is working on a plan to combat bird flu as egg prices rise and supplies dwindle. The Agriculture Department issued a conditional license for a vaccine to be used on chickens (More | More)

• A measles outbreak in Texas is expected to expand. Health officials said 48 cases have been reported in the western part of the state with others identified in a nearby part of New Mexico; there are no known cases involving vaccinated people (More)

World News

• Argentine President Javier Milei faces criminal fraud accusations after promoting a cryptocurrency on social media. His office has denied any involvement with the coin, which saw its value quickly collapse; opposition politicians are threatening an impeachment push (More)

• Austrian police called a fatal stabbing incident an "Islamist attack." A Syrian national allegedly stabbed six people, killing one, in Villach before being rammed by a civilian's car; the stabbings could complicate ongoing talks to form a new center-right governing coalition (More)

• An illegally operated gold mine collapsed in Mali, killing at least 48 people. At least 18 people died in India after a stampede at a New Delhi train station as crowds tried to reach a religious festival (More | More)

Political News

• House Republicans may try to impeach federal judges who blocked some of President Trump's executive orders. The Senate GOP will likely send its budget plan to a floor vote this week; the House process looks fraught (More | More | More)

• New York Gov. Kathy Hochul faces pressure to remove New York City Mayor Eric Adams from office. The state's constitution gives her the unilateral authority to do so; the Justice Department is in turmoil after moving to drop Adams' federal corruption case, leading to at least seven prosecutor resignations (More)

• A proposed bill would make Trump's June 14 birthday, also Flag Day, a national holiday. New York Rep. Claudia Tenney introduced the Trump's Birthday and Flag Day Holiday Establishment Act; the existing holiday is only legally recognized in Pennsylvania (More)

Business & Markets

• Major indexes closed mixed on Friday. The Dow Jones slid over 160 points (Dow -0.37%, Nasdaq +0.41%, S&P 500-0.01%).

• Intel's rivals may try to split the chipmaking giant. Broadcom and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. are reportedly exploring partial takeover bids; those companies are not working together (More)

• Amazon workers at a North Carolina facility rejected unionization. The election results still need federal certification; labor leaders accused the e-commerce giant of illegal vote interference at the Garner distribution center (More)

Entertainment & Sports

• William Byron won his second straight Daytona 500, edging Tyler Reddick in overtime. The race was delayed due to heavy rains; seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson finished third (More)

• Captain America: Brave New World should surpass $100M at domestic box offices by the end of the holiday weekend. The Marvel film will likely gross close to $200M internationally by today despite mixed reviews (More)

• YouTube TV and Paramount Global reached a new carriage deal, avoiding a channel blackout on the streaming service. The dispute had threatened access to CBS for subscribers ahead of The Masters and March Madness (More)

Quick Hitters

• Real Hero: A Virginia man drove his 11-year-old daughter to a Girl Scouts CPR training event. She then used what she learned to save her dad's life a few days later.

• True Crime: A Border Patrol agent was killed last month in a Vermont shootout. Investigators said the incident is tied to an alleged cult with connections to at least five other deaths in several states.

• Go Deep: Smoke exposure has traditionally been problematic for vineyards. But a spike in wildfires could change trends among wine enthusiasts.

• History Lesson: Yes, the first teddy bear was inspired by President Teddy Roosevelt. Here is a full accounting of the 122-year-old origin story.

• Life Hack: Tax season is upon us. No one wants to be audited by the IRS. So here are some tips on how to avoid the "low hanging fruit" that tends to lead to questions.

Watch This

A scientist has a big idea to fix climate change: He wants to nuke the ocean.

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Looking Ahead …

Texas is on track to become the nation's most populous state by 2045, according to new projections by Realtor.com. The analysis expects the Lone Star State will have 42M residents by then -- a 35% increase from its current 31M. California currently has about 39.5M residents.

Question of the Day

Friday’s results:

Who is your favorite superhero?

• Superman (37%)

• Wonder Woman (18%)

• Batman (13%)

• Other (12%)*

• Spiderman (11%)

• Captain America (9%)

* — lots of love for Mighty Mouse and Ironman!