Good evening. Here's the latest at the end of Friday.
Trump and Vance scolded Ukraine's leaderIn an explosive public confrontation unlike any in recent history, President Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, in the Oval Office today. The leaders accused Zelensky of not being grateful enough for U.S. support in its war with Russia — "just say thank you," Vance said — and sought to strong-arm him into a peace deal on whatever terms the Americans dictated. "You're either going to make a deal or we're out," Trump told Zelensky. "And if we're out, you'll fight it out, and I don't think it's going to be pretty." The shouting match, which was televised, ultimately eroded plans for a rare minerals deal between the two countries and cut short a visit meant to coordinate a plan for peace. (Watch the fiery exchange.) "Never has an American president lectured the leader of an ally in public like this, much less the leader of a country that is fighting off invaders," said Peter Baker, our chief White House correspondent. The confrontation left the U.S.-Ukraine relationship in turmoil and provided a boost to Vladimir Putin, who has long sought to drive a wedge between Ukraine and its most important patron. "I have determined that President Zelenskyy is not ready for Peace if America is involved, because he feels our involvement gives him a big advantage in negotiations," Trump wrote afterward on social media. "He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace."
Musk's federal takeover began before Trump took officeThe billionaire Elon Musk knew little about the inner workings of the government when Trump tapped him overhaul the bureaucracy. Without giving up control of his companies, he swiftly embedded his team of engineers inside critical digital infrastructure to reshape the federal government. My colleagues interviewed more than 60 people familiar with Musk's effort to piece together new details about the operation. They traced its origins to a series of closely held meetings in Palm Beach, Fla., and found that his allies had already begun their takeover of the U.S. Digital Service while Joe Biden was still president.
Measles cases are surging in West TexasA rural county on the western edge of Texas is the center of the largest measles outbreak in the U.S. since 2019, with almost 150 cases. This week, health officials announced that a child died of the disease — the country's first measles death in a decade. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, said the situation was "not unusual." Measles outbreaks do happen every year, but some public health experts argued that rising vaccine hesitancy was making such events more common and more dangerous.
Argentina's crypto scandal swindled thousandsTwo weeks ago, Argentina's president, Javier Milei, promoted a new cryptocurrency called $Libra: "The world wants to invest in Argentina," he said. Thousands invested, and the value skyrocketed. Then it all collapsed. The largest stakeholders made a lot of money, and everyone else lost a collective $250 million. Milei said that he had little to do with the fiasco, and that he had not made a cent. But evidence has emerged contradicting the president's claims. Critics in Argentina have accused his inner circle of taking bribes, and an American consultant, whom Milei last month referred to as an adviser, has admitted to amassing $100 million from the scheme. More top news
There's something strange about this year's OscarsThe Academy Awards on Sunday should be interesting: Unlike in recent years, there's no clear leader for best picture. "Emilia Pérez" began awards season as the front-runner, but now "Anora" or "Conclave" appear more likely to win. Our awards columnist predicted the winners for each category. Something else is different about these best-picture contenders, my colleague Wesley Morris pointed out. Every last one of them is weird. "Maybe," he writes, "more than any other year since the Oscars came into my life, this group declares that the old American film industry is broken, possibly forever." For more: Here's a quick guide to the nominated documentaries. Behind the scenes: It was a big year for movie makeup. Test yourself: Play our game to see if you can match an Oscar-nominated film to a headline.
A push to quit shoppingMarketing has become difficult to avoid in our digital age. It arrives via email, text and social media, and consumers say it entices them to keep buying things even when they don't need to, or can't afford to. To push back, a wave of TikTok creators are committing to participate in "Low Buy 2025" or "No Buy 2025." Here's what they're doing instead.
Dinner table topics
Cook: These cheesy breadsticks are guaranteed to please your guests. Watch: "Running Point" is a fun basketball comedy with a stacked cast. Read: A new "Hunger Games" novel is one of the 21 books we're looking forward to in March. Game: You may have missed these interesting new video game releases. Plan: Here's how to make the most of 36 hours in Banff, Alberta. Compete: Take this week's news quiz. Play: Here are today's Spelling Bee, Wordle and Mini Crossword. Find all of our games here.
Would you want to taste food from 1,000 miles away?Imagine you are video chatting with a distant friend who is raving about a delicious sandwich. What if you could have a taste? In a research paper published today, scientists said they had come up with a device that could allow you to do just that. The device is an early version of a larger push to make remote snacking a real possibility. Eventually, one researcher said, you could taste something like a soup recipe before making it, or try hot sauce before you buy it online. Have an imaginative weekend. Thanks for reading. I'll be back on Monday. — Matthew Brent Lewis was our photo editor today. We welcome your feedback. Write to us at evening@nytimes.com.
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