ABCNEWS - WATCH: Josh Groban's Oscar moment fit for a king
A costumed Groban sings to the tune of 'Zadok the Priest' for an operatic Oscars opening sketch.
ABCNEWS - Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino expected to retire, sources say
Greg Bovino, the former commander-at-large for Customs and Border Patrol immigration enforcement operations, is expected to retire at the end of the month.
ABCNEWS - Rubio orders US diplomats to push countries to act against Iran amid 'risk of attack'
Secretary of State Marco Rubio wants U.S. diplomats to urge foreign governments to move swiftly to diminish Iran and its proxies' capability to attack.
NPR (Rob Stein) - Vaccine critics keep the pressure on, even as RFK Jr. shifts focus
Anti-vaccine activists rally supporters to try to keep the momentum going on changing federal vaccine policies. This comes even as the White House tries to tamp down attention to the unpopular issue ahead of the midterm elections, and a powerful federal advisory committee plans to meet to consider even more moves.
NPR (The Associated Press) - Cuba hit by island wide blackout as energy crisis deepens
On Monday Cuba was plunged into an island-wide blackout affecting 11 million people after a "complete disconnection" of its electrical system, officials said, amid a worsening fuel shortage.
NPR (Fran Kritz) - A new drug could be the beginning of the end for sleeping sickness
The goal in the world of global health is to bring an end to this scourge by 2030. A new drug looks as if it could do the job.
NPR (Zoe Sobel) - Supreme Court to hear expedited arguments on protected status for migrants
The court temporarily blocked the Trump administration from deporting some 6,000 Syrians and 350,000 Haitians who were granted Temporary Protected Status.
AXIOS (Maria Curi) - Tech industry rallies behind Anthropic in Pentagon fight
Tech industry groups representing hundreds of companies are urging a court to pause the Pentagon's blacklisting of Anthropic. Why it matters: The Pentagon didn't just stop doing business with Anthropic — it labeled the company a supply chain risk, a move industry says could chill innovation and reshape how the government treats AI vendors. Driving the news: Major tech industry groups representing companies with Pentagon contracts filed an amicus brief calling for a pause on the designation. - "The government has ample, well-established tools to resolve procurement disputes and to contract with providers on whatever terms it prefers," the March 13 court filing states. - What they can't do, the filing says, is "misuse extraordinary…
AXIOS (Barak Ravid) - Iran and U.S. have been in direct contact in recent days, sources say
A direct communications channel between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been reactivated in recent days, according to a U.S. official and a source with knowledge. Why it matters: It's not clear how substantive the messages passed between Araghchi and Witkoff were, but it's the first known direct communication between the parties since the war started more than two weeks ago. - Araghchi issued a denial after this story published, writing on X: "My last contact with Mr. Witkoff was prior to his employer's decision to kill diplomacy with another illegal military attack on Iran. Any claim to the contrary appears geared solely to mislead oil traders and the public." Behind the scenes: The U.S.…
AXIOS (Maya Goldman) - Judge blocks vaccine changes recommended by RFK Jr.'s advisers
A federal judge on Monday blocked Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. from carrying out vaccine policy changes recommended by his handpicked advisory committee, including a dramatic overhaul of the childhood vaccination schedule. Why it matters: The injunction from U.S. District Court Judge Brian Murphy is another blow to Kennedy's efforts to overhaul federal vaccine policy at a time when the White House is seeking to limit vaccine critics' influence within the administration. - It doesn't explicitly prevent the panel from holding a scheduled meeting this week, but stays the advisers' appointments and any votes on further policy changes. - The Department of Health and Human Services told Axios that the meeting set to take place on…