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"Trump fires FTC's two Democrats and astronauts return to Earth with changed bodies."

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Russ Roberts (https://trendsingeopolitics.blogspot.com).

 

Good afternoon. Here’s what you should know today, March 18: Putin agreed to a limited cease-fire against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure More than 400 were killed in Israel’s latest Gaza strikes Two astronauts return to Earth with changed bodies By Liz Webber Thanks for reading What’s News! Look for the 🔐 to enjoy a free article on us—and share the link with a friend (or forward the whole newsletter!). FTC Democratic Commissioners Rebecca Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya. PHOTO: AL DRAGO/BLOOMBERG 1. President Trump fired the FTC’s two Democratic commissioners, according to people familiar with the matter. The move runs counter to current Supreme Court precedent that says the FTC’s commissioners can only be removed for cause (🔐 read for free). The Trump administration has been clear that it is eager to see that precedent revisited. Earlier, Chief Justice John Roberts issued a rare rebuke after Trump called for the impeachment of a judge who sought to temporarily block some deportations. The back-and-forth escalated the constitutional tensions provoked by the Trump administration’s aggressive moves to exercise executive power, often in the face of federal law or longstanding practice to the contrary. A different federal judge today ruled that the Department of Government Efficiency’s dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development was likely unconstitutional. 2. Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to pause attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure but remained resistant to a longer-lasting peace plan. During a call with Trump, Putin agreed to cease strikes on such targets for 30 days. It’s the first tangible concession from Russia won by Trump in his campaign for a peace deal, in which he has mainly pressured Kyiv for concessions. More talks are being scheduled in the Middle East to broaden the deal, the White House said. On the front lines, an all-drone attack by Ukraine in December was the first of its kind and is set to carve a path for more fully automated warfare. 3. Israeli strikes against Hamas targets across the Gaza Strip killed hundreds, threatening a return to full-scale war. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered the attacks after Hamas failed to release remaining hostages or accept U.S. proposals for extending a fragile cease-fire that had held for two months, his office said. Gaza health authorities said 404 people were killed in the attacks, without specifying how many were combatants, making it one of the largest single-day death tolls since the war began in October 2023. Israel said the effort would continue and would expand beyond airstrikes. 4. The Fed is navigating the fog of a trade war from an administration ready to blame officials for any economic slowdown. Not long ago, it looked like Jerome Powell’s final test as Fed chair would be to stick the soft landing. Now, with about one year left in his term, he must contend with the double threat of economic chaos and political hostility, writes chief economics correspondent Nick Timiraos. Markets are closely watching what Powell will say tomorrow. The central bank isn’t likely to cut interest rates, but investors will be eager for updates on how the Fed views the outlook for inflation and borrowing costs. A tech selloff and renewed turmoil in the Middle East sent stocks lower today. 5. Chinese leader Xi Jinping is angry about a Hong Kong company’s plan to sell Panama Canal ports to a U.S.-led group. The Xi leadership had originally planned to use the Panama port issue as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the Trump administration, according to people close to Beijing’s decision-making. Several Chinese authorities have been told to study what Beijing can do to hinder the deal, but China’s ability to block the sale is limited. Under the deal, announced March 4, conglomerate CK Hutchison would sell global port assets—including one at each end of the Panama Canal—to investors led by U.S. asset manager BlackRock for $22.8 billion. MEMBER MESSAGE: Deloitte The CIO Evolution To prepare for the C-suite, tech leaders can take on cross-functional roles to help gain perspective and unlock new possibilities with tech. Listen Now The Number $32 billion The amount Google parent Alphabet agreed to pay to acquire cybersecurity startup Wiz, in a massive bid to bolster its cloud business that has struggled to keep up with rivals. The all-cash deal would be Google’s largest ever and also the biggest deal struck so far in 2025. The startup was founded by a group of former Israeli military officers. Spotlight GRAPHIC: ERIK BRYNILDSEN/WSJ; PHOTO: NASA How being stuck in space changes an astronaut’s body When Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore return to Earth this evening after spending nine months on the International Space Station, their bodies will have undergone significant changes. The lengthy sojourn will have made them taller, weaker and maybe given them vision trouble, according to medical studies of previous astronauts. Read More ‏‏‎Quoted “The amount of computation needed is easily 100 times more than we thought we needed at this time last year.”  —Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, as he sought to reassure investors about continued demand for the company’s chips. At an event Huang dubbed “the Super Bowl of AI,” Nvidia announced a more powerful version of its Blackwell AI chips that are due to launch later this year and unveiled a new line of superchips called Rubin that is expected to be available in the second half of 2026. Catch Up Trump Administration Weighing Major Cuts to Funding for Domestic HIV Prevention (Read) How Bribes Helped a Crime Ring Steal Thousands of iPhones From Porches (Read) Trump Team Explored Simplified Plan for Reciprocal Tariffs (Read) Morgan Stanley Went Big on DEI, and No One Is Happy About It (Read) How Jason Alexander Went From Shy Guy to Playing George on ‘Seinfeld’ (Read) What Do You Think? Last week, we asked whether you have changed your shopping habits over the past year. Here’s what you had to say: “Do I love chips? Absolutely! But who in their right mind pays $5.99 or more for a 7-ounce bag of chips? It’s totally crazy. Now seeing full-blown company greed, it would appear that others have stopped handing over $5.99, too. I have to smile when I pass the chip aisle because I witness racks literally crammed with bags that are not moving.” —Claire Bjelland, Utah “I live well, well below my means [and] have no debt. So my buying habits haven’t changed a bit.” —Stefan Benn, New York Responses have been condensed and edited. How should the courts handle the Trump administration’s attacks on the judicial branch? Let us know at whatsnewsletter@wsj.com or reply to this newsletter. Include your full name and location, and we may publish your response in an upcoming issue. Take a Break PHOTO: CORRIE DRIEBUSCH/WSJ In Washington, D.C., “organized hitchhiking” is experiencing a revival as federal return-to-work mandates clog roads. Just don’t talk politics. Read More Beyond the Newsroom Buy Side from WSJ: Our fitness writers and editors have done the reps to help determine the best fitness products worthy of 2025 Best of Buy Side Awards. Today's newsletter was curated by Liz Webber in collaboration with Leigh Kamping-Carder in New York. Follow Leigh on X at @Leigh_KC. Sign up for WSJ newsletters on markets, tech, careers and more. 📰 Enjoying this newsletter? Get more from WSJ and support our journalism by subscribing today with this special offer.   Access WSJ‌.com and our mobile apps. Subscribe

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