Today’s Big Story

A Ukraine-Russia Ceasefire?

U.S. lifts pause on Ukraine aid as Kyiv agrees to ceasefire proposal

This sounds promising, right? The Trump administration lifted its pause on military and intelligence support for Ukraine on Tuesday after Kyiv endorsed an ambitious U.S. ceasefire proposal aimed at initiating an end to the three-year war. The U.S. is now hoping that Russia agrees to the terms.

The agreement, resulting from more than eight hours of meetings between U.S. and Ukrainian officials in Saudi Arabia, dramatically improves Kyiv’s war footing and lessens a transatlantic divide between U.S. and European allies that had plunged to new lows. “The ball is now in their court. We hope the Russians will reciprocate,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a press conference after the meeting.

President Trump told reporters at the White House that he hopes Russia will agree to the ceasefire, and said he would invite Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky back to the White House. National security adviser Mike Waltz also said Trump made it clear to his team—and through them to the Ukrainians—that all fighting needs to stop, not just air and missile strikes. Zelensky confirmed in a statement after the meeting that the ceasefire would be comprehensive, including the front lines.

Vox says the big question for Ukraine remains a security guarantee. A real end to the war is a good development: It would save many thousands of lives and reduce mass civilian suffering. But without a plan in place to guarantee Ukraine’s post-war safety, it’s unclear that this would be an end to the war so much as a pause.

The Trump administration has ruled out allowing Ukraine into NATO, viewing that as placing new burdens on the United States and obviating a path to peace with Moscow. But the agreement Tuesday was immediately praised by U.S. allies in Europe, including the leaders of the European Commission and the European Council. “This is a positive development that can be a step towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for Ukraine,” the leaders said in a joint statement. “The ball is now in Russia’s court.”

Trump, Hater of EVs, Says He’s Buying a Tesla

The president threw Elon Musk a lifeline with an event, livestreamed on X

President Donald Trump turned the South Lawn of the White House into a temporary Tesla showroom Tuesday in a conspicuous favor to his adviser Elon Musk, the car company’s billionaire CEO. “I’m going to buy a brand new Tesla tomorrow morning as a show of confidence and support for Elon Musk, a truly great American,” Trump wrote in a post published early Tuesday morning on Truth Social. Trump said “radical left lunatics” are “illegally and collusively” boycotting Tesla, which the president described as one of the best automakers in the world.

You might remember, Trump campaigned extensively against Biden’s electric vehicle mandates and in February moved to pause the construction of a nationwide charging-station infrastructure. Of course, Trump won’t be driving the new car. He said he'd pay for the new EV with a check, and would keep it at the White House for staff to use. Other presidents have used cars as props—though not to prop up the fortunes of their staff. Let alone, the world’s richest man.

Then again, Musk’s support of Trump in the run-up to last year’s presidential election and subsequent leadership in his government efficiency initiative has sparked backlash and certainly cost him money. Tesla sales have plummeted in recent weeks, with purchases down 7% in the U.S. in 2024 even though industrywide EV sales rose by 25%. Recently there have been protests and attacks on Tesla cars and charging stations. Analysts told CNBC Musk’s reputational shift was the main driver of trouble for the automaker’s stock, which posted its worst day since 2020 on Monday and is down about 43% in 2025.

Think You Understand Your Dog?

Science finds that we don’t read their signals well

We have so much to learn from man’s best friend. I, myself, am always reminded that I should be more dog-like. Sleep more, stretch, and stay present to enjoy anything and everything right in that moment. But a dog’s inner world is complicated. And while we often interpret a dog’s emotions based on its situation, a new study found that we’re often “barking up the wrong tree”.

In the study, the researchers presented people with videos of a dog reacting to positive and negative stimuli—everything from a leash and a treat to a vacuum cleaner and a scolding. When asked to assess the dog’s emotions, viewers seemed to pay more attention to the situational cues than the dog’s actual behavior, even when the videos had been edited to be deliberately misleading. (In one video, for instance, a dog that appeared to be reacting to the sight of his leash had actually been shown a vacuum cleaner by his owner.)

“When it comes to just perceiving dog emotions, we think we know what’s happening, but we’re actually subconsciously relying on a lot of other factors,” said Holly Molinaro, who is a doctoral student at Arizona State University and the first author of the new paper. That bias could mislead owners about their dogs’ well-being, Ms. Molinaro said. People who want to be attentive to their dog’s experiences and emotions need to “take a second or two to actually focus on the dog rather than everything else that’s going on.”

Southwest Kills Its ‘Bags Fly Free’ Policy

And many are calling it brand suicide

Southwest Airlines’s signature tagline, “Bags Fly Free,” seems to be a thing of the past. Since its inception nearly 60 years ago, the airline has offered customers two complimentary checked bags as part of its pitch to distinguish itself from competitors. But the airline will begin charging checked bag fees on new bookings from May 28th.

The airline did not provide specific rates for the fees, but no matter how much they are, Fast Company says it’s “brand suicide”, but not unexpected. As of last month, shares of Southwest’s stock were down nearly 50% compared to five years ago. In an effort to appease its investors, Southwest has been on a mission to aggressively cut costs and implement a slew of added fees. Already, the recently revamped seating policy on its own was enough to cause many to ask whether Southwest was losing its “Southwest-ness” by sacrificing its unfussy reputation for greater profits.

So far, the reaction to the new bag fees has been overwhelmingly negative. But those in the biz say the update may not only be good for Southwest’s bottom line, but also for other carriers. “It’s the slaying of the sacred cow,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said at a J.P. Morgan investor conference on Tuesday, hours after Southwest unveiled the new fees. He added that he believes the move will be “good for everyone”—referring to the larger U.S. airline industry where bag fees are standard.

The Long Read

Which came first: the pepper, or the pepper?

Failure is just a detour to success.