Utah to Become First State to Ban Fluoride in Public Water Systems
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Newsbites
Chart of the week: Cost to produce and distribute coins (the U.S. Mint loses money making pennies and nickels):
Russia does not agree to a ceasefire: Earlier this week, Ukraine agreed to a U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire with Russia, announced in a joint statement. The U.S. has since resumed military aid and intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Putin responded that he agrees with the concept of a ceasefire but wants to work through the ānuancesā of the one proposed. "We need to negotiate with our American colleagues and partners," he said. "Maybe I'll have a call with Donald Trump." Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the ball is in Russiaās court. The ceasefire would have halted all fighting.
Tariff wars: The Trump administrationās 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imported from all countries went into effect this week, including Canada and the EU. The EU responded with tariffs ranging from 10% - 50% on various products from the U.S., including American whiskeys, motorcycles, peanut butter, and jeans, that are set to begin in early April. In response, Trump threatened to impose 200% tariffs on alcohol imported from Europe. Meanwhile, Canada placed its own 25% tariffs on U.S. steel and aluminum, along with products such as sports equipment, computer monitors, and cast iron.
More: The stock market continued to drop amid the uncertainty of how trade relationships will shake out. The S&P 500 is down more than 10% since February 19, and the Nasdaq is down nearly 15%.
Utah to ban fluoride in public water: Governor Spencer Cox plans to sign a bill to ban the use of fluoride in the stateās water systems. Utah will become the first state to eliminate the use of fluoride. States such as North Dakota, Tennessee and Montana have similar bills working through the legislature right now. Proponents of fluoride say it helps reduce tooth decay and serves as a simple way to lower Americansā healthcare costs. Those against fluoride, including the new Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., argues itās linked to a reduction in child IQ levels over time and calls it āindustrial wasteā that contains carcinogens and other harmful chemicals.
Palestine activist arrested: Mahmoud Khalil, a prominent Palestine activist at Columbia University has been arrested and is facing deportation from the Department of Homeland Security. The DHS accused Khalil of performing āactivities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization.ā Khalil came to the U.S. in 2022 on a student visa. He became a green card holder after marrying his wife, a U.S. citizen. The Trump administration is arguing that student immigrants who are leading un-American activities should be deported, while Khalil and his lawyers say itās a matter of freedom of speech.
The Department of Education (DOE) announced layoffs for nearly 50% of its staff this week, affecting around 2,000 employees (some had already accepted the voluntary buyout offered by the government a few weeks ago). Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon, said the layoffs were a first step toward trying to fully close the DOE, a campaign promise of Trump. Shuttering the DOE would require Congressional approval, including 60 votes to overcome the filibuster (at least 7 Democrats would have to join the 53 Republicans in the Senate).
The U.S. Mint produced 3.2 billion pennies in 2024, at a loss of $85M. The cost to produce and distribute a penny is about 3.7 cents. For 19 consecutive years, the U.S. Mint has lost money on pennies, totaling more than $1B. Various politicians have called for the penny to be eliminated over the years, including Obama in 2013. While the Mint loses the most money on pennies given the volume produced, nickels have also been produced at a loss for 19 straight years, totaling nearly $750M.
More: Opponents of disbanding the penny say it could cost consumers more because businesses may round up to the nearest nickel (others say businesses would round down to the nearest nickel). Zinc miners are also opposed as it would likely hurt their business.
Downtown woes: Tenants of a commercial building in St. Paul, MN, were alerted this week that they would have 48 hours to leave before electricity and utilities are shut off. While the mayor coordinated a deal with the utility company to extend service for three weeks to give tenants more time, the building is headed toward vacancy. The property owner, Madison Equities, has not been paying its bills and defaulted on its mortgage. In addition to the closure, a week prior, grocer Lunds & Byerlys announced it will be closing its downtown location, which was the only one in the area.
More: Similar to many other downtowns across the country, St. Paul has struggled since the pandemic with an increased exodus of people and businesses.
Syria Massacres Leaves Unknown Number of Civilians Dead
In some instances, armed personnel went door-to-door and asked those living there: āwhat is your sect? What is your religion?ā Depending on their response, many families and individuals were then murdered and deposed.
Over the course of 48 hours on March 7-8, an unknown number of civilians were killed in Syria in dozens of massacres, including field executions. The Syrian Observatory of Human Rights estimates about 1,000 civilians were killed, along with 250 pro-Assad rebel fighters and more than 200 government security personnel. Others have put the figures much higher.
The majority of victims were Alawite Muslims, a minority Shia Muslim sect that comprise about 10% of Syriaās population. There are reports that some Christians were killed as well. Former President Bashar al Assad is an Alawite and the group enjoyed higher status and protection during his leadership.
The patriarchs of 3 Christian Churches ā Greek Orthodox, Syriac Orthodox, and Melkite Greek Catholic ā released a joint statement condemning the violence and praying for peace.
Horrific tales of violence
Videos and imagery of the scenes began emerging online as the killings unfolded, including families being shot, bodies burned, and left in the street (video: warning graphic). One video showed a group of men on their knees being forced to crawl as orders were shouted out.
What triggered the massacres?
In the days leading up to the killings, there were reports of pro-Assad armed groups targeting the new governmentās security forces, including a deadly ambush the day before the massacres. On March 7, the government dispatched soldiers and called for armed volunteers to go to the western coastal cities of Latakia and Tartus and counter-attack what it considered an insurgency of pro-Assad rebels. However, the violence appeared to primarily turn against civilians.
Some more context
In late 2024, the government of President Bashar al Assad was toppled by Hayāat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the former al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria. Assad, who had been in power for more than 20 years, most of which were filled with a deadly civil war, fled to Russia where he remains. After HTS assumed power, Syria had been in relative calm before last weekendās brutalities.
Tesla Charging Stations Burned as Musk and Trump Partnership Doubles Down
Whatās going on?
Tesla cars, charging stations and dealerships have been vandalized, burned, and destroyed since the CEO, Elon Musk, began working for the Trump Administration as the head of DOGE, which is slashing programs and employee headcount at a significant rate.
The personal and professional relationship between President Trump and Elon Musk continues to tighten despite growing criticism and antagonism against Musk and his companies.
Although the targeted attacks against Tesla have been happening since January 2025, they have increased in recent weeks. Below are just a few that have been reported:
February 19: A man fired bullets at a Tesla dealership in Salem, Oregon, shattering glass windows and damaging several vehicles. The estimated cost of the attack was $500,000. On Trumpās inauguration day, Lanksy is also suspected to have thrown Molotov cocktails at several cars at the same dealership.
March 3: Seven Tesla charging stations were "engulfed in flames and heavy, dark smoke," according to police reports, in Littleton, Massachusetts, at 1:10 a.m. (image)
March 8: Hundreds of protestors who are part of the āTesla Takedownā group stormed a Tesla dealership in Manhattan, NY, shutting it down and remaining there for multiple hours. 6 people were arrested. (video)
March 13: More than a dozen shots were fired in the middle of the night at the Tesla dealership in Tigard, Oregon, causing significant damage to showrooms and vehicles. Just one week earlier, the same location was shot at 7 times.
Tesla stock, sales struggle
Teslaās stock price has fallen about 50% from its post-election peak in December. The companyās vehicle sales in Europe and China fell considerably in the month of February, and some investors are wondering whether Muskās entrance into politics and focus on DOGE is turning away potential car buyers, or if the company is simply facing more competition from Chinese EV automakers. On Monday, Muskās net worth dropped $29B in one day as stocks continued to drop.
In addition, a national group called āTesla Takedownā was formed to try to tank the stock of Tesla, organize public protests, and stop Elon Musk. Their website reads,
āSell your Teslas, dump your stock, join the picket lines.ā
āWe're tanking Tesla's stock price to stop Musk.ā
āStopping Musk will help save lives and protect our democracy.ā
Trump buys a Tesla on White House lawn (video)
In a public display of support for Musk, Trump invited the press and lined the White House lawn with several Tesla vehicles. He purchased a red Model S from Elon and sat in the car as well. The public display was criticized by some as using the White House as a marketing ploy for Tesla.
When asked whether he would label the attacks on Tesla locations as ādomestic terroristā acts, Trump responded,
āI'll do it. I'm going to stop them ā¦ because they're harming a great American companyā¦when you hurt an American company, especially a company like this that supplies so many jobs that others are unable to do.ā
Trump also called Musk a patriot and said he is "treated unfairly by a very small group of people and I want people to know that you can't be penalized for being a patriot.ā
Why has Musk become so controversial?
Musk, who was a lifelong Democrat and long praised for his commitment to advancing renewable energy, has become a more polarizing figure since endorsing Trump and focusing most of his energy on working with the current administration.
He is now a near constant presence alongside Trump in the White House, frequently offering his opinion during interviews and press conferences.
Musk on the Joe Rogan podcast shares why he thinks Democrats are motivated to attack him (video).
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