American and Russian negotiators discuss division of assets between Moscow and Kyiv. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. highlights beef tallow as part of his Make America Healthy Again campaign. And the teams to watch in the NCAA men’s and women’s tournament.
Here’s what to know today.
Trump says Ukraine peace talks will discuss Moscow and Kyiv ‘dividing up certain assets’
President Donald Trump said late last night that negotiators in Washington and Moscow have begun discussing the division of assets between Russia and Ukraine in an effort to bring to an end the three-year-long war between the two countries.
The president told reporters aboard Air Force One that he plans to speak with Russian President Vladimir Putin tomorrow and that the conversation would discuss “dividing up certain assets,” including land and power plants.
The talks expected to get underway Tuesday will see Trump attempt to win Putin’s support for a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the U.S. and Ukraine after their delegates met in Saudi Arabia last week, but which Putin said needed to meet crucial demands made by the Kremlin. Read the full story here.
This is Morning Rundown, a weekday newsletter to start your day. Sign up here to get it in your inbox.
A new national NBC News poll found that a majority of American voters say their sympathies lie more with Ukraine than Russia in the war between the two countries. At the same time, more than half say they think President Donald Trump favors Russia, while more of the remainder believe he favors neither.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown of the numbers: 61% of registered voters choose Ukraine when asked which of the two countries has their sympathies more, just 2% say Russia, another 35% say they are more sympathetic to neither side and 2% are not sure.
When asked where they believe Trump’s sympathies are, 49% choose Russia, 40% say they think Trump favors neither side, 8% choose Ukraine and 3% say they are not sure.
Read more about the poll here.
The latest national NBC News poll also found:
📊 47% of registered voters approve of Trump’s performance, and 51% disapprove. This rating equals his best-ever mark as president. But majorities of voters disapprove of Trump’s early job performance on the economy, how he’s handling inflation and the cost of living.
📊 46% of voters think DOGE is a good idea, while 40% say it was bad and 13% do not have an opinion. But Elon Musk himself is unpopular, with 51% holding negative views and 39% viewing him positively.
📊 27% of voters have positive views of the Democratic Party, which is the party’s lowest positive rating in NBC News polling data dating back to 1990. Just 7% say those views are “very” positive.
More politics news:
- Trump administration officials announced the deportation of hundreds of immigrants they allege are members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua under the rarely used Alien Enemies Act of 1798.
National security adviser Mike Waltz said that “all options are always on the table” in responding with direct military action against Iran. His comment came a day after the U.S. launched air
Steak ‘n Shake’s beef tallow fries garners MAHA praise
While sitting at a Florida Steak ‘n Shake eating a double cheeseburger and fries, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy told Fox News host Sean Hannity that he plans to improve the country’s health by incentivizing companies to step away from processed foods. “We’re very grateful for them for RFKing the french fries,” Kennedy said of the fast food company, referring to the restaurant’s use of beef tallow to cook its shoestring fries instead of seed oils.
Steak ‘n Shake has become one of the most high-profile businesses to support Kennedy’s “Make America Health Again” agenda, though Chief Operations Officer Dan Edwards told NBC News that “there is nothing political about great-tasting fries.” Still, Steak ‘n Shake’s embrace of Kennedy and other high-profile conservatives is a bold move for a company that has weathered a rocky financial situation. Read more about how Steak ‘n Shake became a MAHA darling.
Politics aside, Steak ‘n Shake’s choice to focus on seed oils comes with its own controversy. Seed oils have long been a target of unfounded theories over negative health impacts. In processed foods, the use of seed oils versus beef tallow is not necessarily the problem. “It’s the sugar and salt in the junk food that they’re using,” a nutritionist said. Even claims from a slew of lifestyle and wellness influencers about how beef tallow is “good” for your body and skin should be taken with a grain of salt. Read more about beef tallow’s health benefits and risks.
The stage is set for March Madness
The brackets have been announced — and March Madness is set to tip off this week as dozens of men’s and women’s basketball teams battle for a title. Here are the basics — and a look at the teams that our NBC News sports reporters will be keeping close eyes on:
NCAA men’s tournament
▶️ Auburn was awarded the No. 1 seed overall, with Duke, Houston and Florida also selected as No. 1 seeds. The most talked-about team is North Carolina, whose 22-13 record this season has fans debating how the Tar Heels made it into the tournament.
🏆 National champion predictions: Reporter Rohan Nadkarni wants St. John’s Red Storm to win it all. Reporter Andrew Greif is rooting for the Auburn Tigers to win its first national title. And NBC Sports’ Nicole Auerbach is looking at the Duke Blue Devils, assuming top NBA prospect Cooper Flagg is healthy. Read more the players and teams to watch.
NCAA women’s tournament
▶️ UCLA was named the top overall seed for the first time in the program’s history. South Carolina, Texas and USC also join the Bruins as No. 1 seeds.
✨ The Cinderella story will be: Nadkarni predicts Iowa, a team that isn’t on a lot of radars this season. Greif is looking at South Dakota State, which “has the pedigree to wreck some brackets,” he writes. And Auerbach’s pick is Florida Gulf Coast, a program that has kept thriving under first-year coach Chelsea Lyles. Read more about who to watch and the teams they think will take the title.
Read All About It
- Israeli military strikes killed at least 14 people in 24 hours, the Gaza Health Ministry said yesterday, amid a fragile ceasefire between Hamas and Israel.
- Incensed by Trump’s trade war, some Canadians are reconsidering their vacations or canceling them altogether to avoid setting foot in the U.S.
- A California jury awarded $50 million to a man who suffered third-degree burns when scalding Starbucks hot tea spilled onto his lap.
- Pope Francis was photographed at the hospital for the first time since he was admitted last month.
- A doctor and professor at Brown Medicine was deported after returning from a trip to Lebanon despite having a valid U.S. visa, according to a court filing.
Staff Pick: A child’s death prompts calls for change
An alternative medicine clinic where a Michigan boy suffered an unspeakable death has put a spotlight on the largely unregulated world of hyperbaric oxygen therapy that is offered outside of hospitals.
As a parent and a reporter who frequently covers preventable tragedies, I found 5-year-old Thomas Cooper’s fiery death in a hyperbaric chamber horrifying to write about. And in reporting this story, I learned that a dearth of oversight over the wellness industry means there are few guardrails to prevent future fatalities. Michigan legislators, however, are determined to make sure such a tragedy does not happen again. — Elizabeth Chuck, national reporter
NBC Select: Online Shopping, Simplified
Sick of waking up with messy hair or wrinkled skin? It turns out that a silk pillowcase can help your complexion, hair and more. Here are the best ones to shop. Plus, the NBC Select team shares a list of 300+ women-owned brands you can shop for skincare, snacks, clothing and much more.
Sign up to The Selection newsletter for hands-on product reviews, expert shopping tips and a look at the best deals and sales each week.
Thanks for reading today’s Morning Rundown. Today’s newsletter was curated for you by Elizabeth Robinson. If you’re a fan, please send a link to your family and friends. They can sign up here.
