Good morning. In today’s edition:

• 🗳️ Major election upset
• 🏛️ Congress ends gov’t shutdown
• 🫂 How to become part of a village

…and much more.

Ready, Set, Go: Today’s news should be a ~3.49-minute read (929 words).

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The US gov't's new trade deal with India involves lowering US tariff rates on India to 18% from the current rate of 50%, rather than a current rate of 25% as we reported in yesterday’s DONUT Holes. 

Thanks to our readers who pointed this out, and apologies for any confusion.

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”

–Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778)

A Democratic candidate flipped a state Senate seat located in deep-red Texas over the weekend, marking a 31-point swing in party support compared to 2024—and raising some eyebrows in Washington ahead of the November midterms.

Let’s break it down: Saturday’s runoff election for a state Senate seat took place in a district that Republicans have held since the early 1990s, with local voters supporting Trump by a 17-point margin in 2024.

• But in a major upset, Democratic candidate Taylor Rehmet ended up defeating Republican Leigh Wambsganss by a margin of 57%-43% (with nearly all the votes tallied).
• Rehmet’s victory came despite being significantly outspent on the campaign trail by Wambsganss, whose support also included a social media endorsement from Trump.

A warning sign for Republicans?

Democratic leaders and some GOP lawmakers have called the result a wake-up call for Republicans nationally and a sign that Dems are poised for a strong performance in the midterm elections amid growing backlash to the Trump administration.

They also point out that the result in Texas fits a broader pattern of Democrats overperforming in special elections since Trump returned to the White House in January 2024.

On the flip side: Some GOP leaders and analysts say the outcome was likely shaped more by timing, rather than signaling a national trend, as it came shortly after the widely publicized fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by ICE agents in Minneapolis.

• Many Republicans also note that special elections like the one in Texas tend to be unpredictable due to lower voter turnout.
• Others highlight the fact that the GOP has outperformed Democrats in voter registration since 2024 across every state with tracking available.

What do the polls say?...Democrats currently lead Republicans on a generic congressional ballot, with 47.2% support compared to 42.5% for the GOP, per the latest data from RealClearPolitics.

📊 Flash poll: If the midterms were held today, which Congressional candidate would you vote for?

• The Republican one
• The Democratic one
• One from a third party (Libertarian, Green, etc.)
• I don’t plan on voting
• I haven’t made up my mind yet

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BUSINESS & MARKETS

• 🐭 Disney names parks head Josh D’Amaro as the company’s new CEO; he’ll replace Bob Iger on March 18.
• 🥤 PepsiCo reports better-than-expected earnings and revenue for Q4 2025, and also announced plans to cut the prices of its snacks by up to 15%.
• 🏪 Walmart's market valuation surpasses $1 trillion for the first time; the company is the first traditional retailer to reach that mark.

SPORTS, MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT

• 🚨 Nancy Guthrie, the 84-year-old mother of Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie, is believed to have been abducted from her home Saturday night, with local law enforcement confirming a ransom note was received.
• 🏀 LA Clippers trade star G James Harden to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for All-Star G Darius Garland and a 2nd-round draft pick.
• 📺 The Kelly Clarkson Show will end in fall 2026 after seven seasons, host Kelly Clarkson announced. | The Devil Wears Prada 2 drops its first full length trailer ahead of a May 1 release date in the US.

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SCIENCE, SPACE & EMERGING TECH

• 🚀 NASA to forgo its February launch window for the Artemis II mission around the Moon—which extended from Friday through February 11—after issues arose in a recent test.
• 👶 Human babies are able to distinguish between different objects at roughly two months old, a couple months earlier than previously thought, new study suggests.
• 🏥 Professional society for plastic surgeons recommends that its members delay gender transition-related breast, genital, and facial surgery on trans youths until they turn 19, saying there isn’t enough evidence of benefits and risks.

US, WORLD & POLITICS

• 🏛️🤝 Partial US gov’t shutdown ends after the House approved a package to fund the bulk of US federal agencies; the deal also provides 10 days of stopgap funding for DHS amid reform negotiations in Congress.
• 🌍 The US military shot down an Iranian drone that “unnecessarily maneuvered” towards a US aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea, and continued forward despite “de-escalatory measures,” per US officials; in a separate incident, officials said Iranian gunboats and a drone attempted to board and seize a US-flagged vessel, which was escorted to safety by a US destroyer.
• 🎓 Freshman enrollment of underrepresented minority groups increased by 8% at public flagship US universities since SCOTUS’ 2023 decision banning race-conscious admissions, per new report; analysis also finds Black freshman enrollment is down 27% and Latino enrollment down 10% at the top-50 most selective schools.

☝️ The 2026 International Snow Sculpture Championships wrapped up last week after 94 hours of nonstop carving at Breckenridge’s Riverwalk Center Plaza. Team South Korea (pictured; center) took home the gold, with Mongolia finishing second and India placing third.

🤔 Did you know? There are three living members of the Never Miss a Super Bowl Club, a group of football fans (outside of owners and staff) who have attended all 59 Super Bowls since 1967.

📰 Worth a read: Recreating the smells of history using chemistry, archival records, and AI.

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🧙 The wand job chooses the wizard: How a Harry Potter house quiz can predict your future career prospects

📺 Add it to the list: The most-anticipated TV shows and movies of 2025.

⭐ Interesting: How widely popular is your favorite YouTuber? Check out this review site for YouTube channels.

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