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Happy Monday.

Here’s today’s Marc Ross Daily:

*** Globalization + Geopolitics ***

The day the old American order cracked in the Oval Office: Catastrophic Trump-Zelenskyy meeting crystalizes historic turning point. CBC

It was an ambush: Friday marked one of the grimmest days in the history of American diplomacy. Tom Nichols

Putin wins the Trump-Zelensky oval office spectacle: Vice President Vance starts a public fight that only helps Russia’s dictator. WSJ - Editorial

How JD Vance and an old Trump grudge led to disaster for Zelensky: As an Oval Office press conference imploded, how much were the vice-president’s isolationist views to blame and what price will Ukraine pay? The Times

Behind the collision: Trump jettisons Ukraine on his way to a larger goal: The president’s explosive Oval Office encounter reflected his determination to put aside alliances and commitments to principles in favor of raw great power negotiations. NYT

Zelensky, who stood up to Putin, now refuses to bow to Trump: The Ukrainian leader, who relies on his own instincts, clashed with the US president over how to secure a lasting peace. WSJ

President Trump's demand of gratitude from Ukraine only makes him look small Mitch Albom

Zelensky doesn’t hold the cards. But he can still make a deal. Friday’s Oval Office disaster doesn’t have to be the end of the story. David Ignatius

The key mismatch between Zelensky and Trump: What the world saw at the White House on Friday was not just a realignment of America’s foreign policy, but a clash of two incompatible styles. Gal Beckerman

Trump is rootin’ for Putin Maureen Dowd

The real reason Trump berated Zelensky: He simply likes Vladimir Putin better. Jonathan Chait

At least now we know the truth: It’s ugly, but necessary to face. David Frum

By treating foes as friends and allies as adversaries, Trump risks weakening America: Kissinger understood the importance of credibility in geopolitics. The new administration is threatening it. David Blair

The pandering to Trump must end — it only encourages his tyranny: Never again can we allow the bully in the White House to isolate one of our friends as he did Ukraine. Matthew Syed

Telegraph: Macron: France and Britain propose one-month truce in Ukraine

+ @samagreene: The plan emerging from London seems to be:

1. , and agree on the contours of a deal and present it to

2. An initial month-long partial truce to gauge intentions and build confidence.

3. If the truce holds, a ceasefire starts, backed by a force

Europe aims to forge a peace plan for Ukraine: Following a public clash between Trump and Zelensky, the UK, and France try to broker a compromise solution. WSJ

European leaders ‘doubling down’ on backing Zelensky after Trump blowup: WP reports administration officials and some congressional Republicans accused Zelensky of sabotaging peace talks.

Europe’s nightmare is here: They have to fight Putin without the US: The Oval Office blow up between Zelenskiy and Trump laid bare for many Europeans that something critical has broken in their relationship with Washington. Bloomberg

Europe should hijack Trump’s revolutionary plans for the world: Liberal nationalists must respond with imagination to US policies rather than gripe at being cut out of Ukraine talks. Ivan Krastev

‘Why don’t you wear a suit?’: A right-wing news outlet with coveted access questions Zelensky: After the White House began to handpick pool reporters, Brian Glenn of the conservative Real America’s Voice network got to be front and center for the Ukrainian president’s visit. NYT

The MAGA reporter whose humiliation of Zelensky sparked a geopolitical crisis: ‘Why don’t you wear a suit?’ jibe aimed at Ukrainian president came from the boyfriend of Right-wing firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene. Telegraph

It’s Xi Jinping’s world, and Trump is just living in it: As Donald Trump blows up the rules-based order, China is pulling ahead in the global battle for ideas. Bloomberg

China and Russia should strengthen coordination in international affairs, Xi says: CNA reports the two sides agreed to hold a new round of strategic security consultations at an appropriate time, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry.

See How Xi and Putin are ramping up joint military drills: China and Russia expand cooperation from Alaska to Taiwan in a challenge to the US and its partners. WSJ

Safeguarding China’s regime is the top priority, Xi Jinping tells Politburo: Xi puts attention back on national security with call to reinforce decade-old Peaceful China Initiative. SCMP

China has abruptly replaced the nation’s tech czar who oversees Beijing’s efforts to build a world-class, cutting-edge chip industry and rival the US as a high-tech superpower. Jin Zhuanglong, a 60-year-old aerospace expert, is no longer listed as party secretary of the Ministry of Industries and Information Technology, after he disappeared from public view last December fueling speculation about his position.

China tells its AI leaders to avoid US travel over security concerns: Beijing increasingly views cutting-edge technology through national-security lens, putting executives on tighter leash. WSJ

How Chinese warships encircled Australia – without Canberra noticing: Beijing’s vessels in the Tasman Sea reveal ‘vulnerability’ in the navy Down Under, according to former officer. Telegraph

US carrier docks in South Korea after North's missile tests: DW reports the USS Carl Vinson has entered the port of Busan, South Korea, in a show of force expected to enrage Pyongyang. The move comes just days after North Korea tested strategic cruise missiles.

US Navy top guns have a new missile and it is shocking the Chinese David Axe

AP: In address to congress, Argentine President Milei promises IMF deal and lauds economic wins

Bloomberg: Trump’s tariff convulsions are wreaking havoc on tequila makers

+ Delay spurred rush of orders but business has now dried up

+ Uncertainty making it hard for Mexican producers to plan ahead

AP: Trudeau to bring up Trump’s threat to annex Canada in meeting with King Charles

A look at Canada's last-ditch push in DC to avoid looming tariffs: Ambassador Kirsten Hillman leading campaign to persuade Trump, US lawmakers. CBC

Alberta hired more US lobbyists than other provinces, feds since 2000: data: Contracts, registry publicly available through US regulation. CBC

From Alaska to Maine, communities that border Canada worry US tariffs come at a personal cost AP

The countries fueling America’s $1.2 trillion goods trade deficit, in charts: Growing gaps with Mexico and Vietnam add to the biggest imbalance the US faces—with China. WSJ

*** US Politics + Elections ***

The transactional world Donald Trump seeks would harm not help America: Ukraine, Gaza, and China will all test his self-interested approach to diplomacy. Economist

JD Vance’s ad hominem foreign policy Dan McLaughlin

How DOGE detonated a crisis at a highly sensitive nuclear weapons agency: Perfunctory mass firings sparked alarm across the country, as cost-cutting missteps throughout government rattle lawmakers. WP

AP: The Trump administration may exclude government spending from GDP, obscuring the impact of DOGE cuts

Snatching minerals from other countries is not a smart strategy: America needs to develop its own domestic supply. WP - Editorial

CNA: Trump names cryptocurrencies in strategic reserve, sending prices up

Bloomberg: Trump sparks crypto rally by saying more coins to be in reserve

+ Trump says XRP, Solana and Cardano to be included in reserve

+ Trump adds in post ‘I also love Bitcoin and Ethereum’

The little-known college football player quarterbacking Trump’s crypto agenda: 29-year-old Bo Hines had invested in the sector for nearly a decade before joining the administration. WSJ

Powers of Trump and Congress collide as government shutdown nears: Democrats say Congress has ceded too much power to the president on spending and tariffs. WSJ

Democrats invite fired federal workers to Trump’s Congressional address: NYT reports the move comes as lawmakers hear backlash from constituents over President Trump and Elon Musk’s efforts to slash federal spending and shrink the civil service. A European summit in London concludes with promises of aid to Ukraine.

The adolescent style in American politics: The version of manhood placed on display by Trump and his aides is the one imagined by teenage boys. Jill Filipovic

Apple’s $500 billion US investment is mostly already in the books: WSJ reports expansion plan in America is in line with company’s spending pattern and efforts to diversify manufacturing away from China.

Texas is the low-cost, high-reward darling of Big Tech: Apple is latest to remake state’s economy, but some headwinds loom. WSJ

WSJ: Andrew Cuomo enters crowded NYC mayor race, says he will fix a city in crisis

Why it matters who asks the questions: When the White House handpicks reporters to cover the president, the American public suffers. Jonathan Lemire

Not known for political coverage, Wired takes a leading role in tracking Elon Musk’s team AP

New Journalism legend Gay Talese: ‘Trump gets things done. It’s unpredictable – I love that’: The now 93-year-old New York fixture and pioneer of the gripping reporting style became a somebody by writing about nobodies. Telegraph

*** Distribution + Innovation ***

‘I want him to be prepared’: Why parents are teaching their gen Alpha kids to use AI Guardian

AI could usher in a new Renaissance: It is already better than human intelligence at some tasks. It may become capable of new discoveries. Eric Schmidt

Anthropic chief: ‘By next year, AI could be smarter than all humans’: Dario Amodei believes ‘superintelligence’ is almost here. Danny Fortson goes inside the headquarters of OpenAI’s big rival. The Times

If the best defence against AI is more AI, this could be tech’s Oppenheimer moment John Naughton

What’s ahead for AI: This special report explores the newest developments in artificial intelligence, from powering the brains of humanoid robots to a far-reaching strategy at America’s biggest bank, JPMorgan. WSJ

AI is changing our future, but we have the power to shape how: People often ask me if I’m optimistic or pessimistic about the challenges that AI poses. I say that I’m both. Toby Walsh - ABC

UK’s AI plans pose ‘existential threat’ to film studios, warns Bridget Jones producer: FT reports Working Title among British groups to criticise proposals to weaken copyright laws.

The $19.6 billion pivot: How OpenAI’s 2-year struggle to launch GPT-5 revealed that its core AI strategy has stopped working Fortune

Chinese smartphone maker Honor will spend $10 billion over the next five years on developing AI for its devices as the former Huawei unit prepares for a public listing, its CEO James Li said on Sunday.

Why you could soon be operated on by a surgeon thousands of miles away: Virtual reality already allows doctors to share 3D models and prepare for operations remotely. The neurosurgeon behind the tech wants to take it even further. The Times

The Chinese EV maker Threatening Ford and GM: Lei Jun set out to build the ‘Apple of China.’ Xiaomi’s car business is now outpacing Tesla and Rivian. WSJ

2 small Detroit retailers thrive as big box stores shut doors: How they are succeeding DFP

US spaceship lands upright on Moon in a first for a private mission: Le Monde reports a US company successfully landed its spacecraft on the Moon on March 2, 2025, making it only the second private lander to achieve this milestone, a live webcast from mission control showed.

‘We’re on the Moon!’ Private spaceship Blue Ghost celebrates lunar landing: Firefly Aerospace spacecraft carries Nasa equipment to monitor lunar temperature. Telegraph

Blue Ghost selfies show successful moon landing: Firefly Aerospace’s spacecraft carries ten scientific payloads on behalf of NASA, which has contracted private companies in advance of a human mission. The Times

Companies start landing on the moon as space agencies foot the bill: Firefly Aerospace successfully reached the lunar surface, to be followed in short order by space companies Intuitive Machines and ispace. WP

*** Culture ***

Why your favourite K-pop songs hit differently – what science says about how music impacts your brain: As it turns out, there is a lot more truth to the saying "music is the medicine of the mind" than you might think. CNA

How Spotify is ruining your music taste: The streaming platform’s data-driven playlists are designed to be white noise, playing in the background. It’s threatening the livelihoods of real artists, argues Liz Pelly in Mood Machine. The Times

*** Sport ***

The new thinking on concussions in sports: Elite athletes are learning that the best way to recover from a sports-related concussion isn’t to shut down all physical activity. It’s to get back in a workout routine—and quickly. WSJ

The NFL nearly broke Andrew Luck. At Stanford, he’s reinventing himself. Luck gave everything to his shortened career as a quarterback. Now he’s back in the fray as the Cardinal’s first general manager. WP

The gamblers and hustlers that made baseball’s greatest manager: Earl Weaver learned about playing the odds from his bookmaker uncle. Those lessons would turn him into a pioneer of modern analytics. WSJ

Enjoy the ride + plan accordingly.

-Marc

Marc A. Ross | Chief Communications Strategist @ Caracal