U.S. Steel deal; Elon Musk exits DOGE; Harvard

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Today’s top stories

President Trump travels today to Pittsburgh to celebrate a partnership between United States Steel and the Japanese company Nippon Steel. Former President Joe Biden blocked the sale on national security grounds, and, as a presidential candidate, Trump also promised to block it. However, after Trump ordered a national security review of the proposed plan last month, the president announced he was on board last week. He stated it would add $14 billion to the U.S. economy and create at least 70,000 jobs.

• Details regarding the deal have not been announced. ‘s Tamara Keith tells Up First that almost everyone she spoke with during her reporting said to closely watch Trump’s speech today to figure out what’s actually in the deal. Nippon has made it clear from the start that it isn’t going to make this kind of investment unless it is acquiring U.S. Steel and its assets. Gordon Johnson, CEO of GLJ Research, says the deal is clearly an acquisition and not a partnership. An analyst Keith spoke with says Trump is likely calling it a partnership to avoid appearing as if he is reversing his view on U.S. Steel remaining American.

• Ella Rickets, a first-year international Harvard student, tells ‘s Elissa Nadworny that she’s hesitant to call this order a victory. Rickets says she doesn’t feel 100% safe until the case is completely won. “I remain optimistic and hopeful, but this is very much just one step in a much, much larger process,” Rickets said. More than 1 million international students are enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities and bring about $43 billion to the U.S. economy annually. University leaders are worried as international applications are down compared to last year.

Elon Musk is leaving his role as the leader of the Department of Government Efficiency today after facing legal challenges, clashes with Cabinet members and little evidence to support claims of savings. He will join Trump at the White House for a final press conference, capping a 130-day tenure.

• Politically, Musk has become an avatar for unpopular things DOGE and the second Trump administration have done, resulting in his taking a lot of heat, ‘s Stephen Fowler says. Musk’s other businesses have also suffered because of his split attention and unpopularity. Fowler says that even without Musk at the head of DOGE, it could continue to restructure the government with its data collection and its push to downsize the workforce and reshape who gets to work in the federal government.

Life advice

• If you are concerned about chemical sunscreens, try mineral sunscreens made from zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which can physically block UV light.
• There is no sunscreen that filters 100% of the sun’s rays, so SPF 30 is sufficient. Instead of focusing on SPF, make sure to apply enough sunscreen. You need about the equivalent of a shot glass to cover both your body and face.
• Reapply sunscreen every two hours to ensure full coverage, even if it has a higher SPF.
• Cloudy days can still lead to sunburns as clouds only block about 20% of sunlight.

Here’s what else you should avoid when protecting your skin.

Weekend picks

3 things to know before you go

1. Eight giant snake statues popped up in Geneva as part of Strike Out Snakebite, a global initiative at the World Health Forum to raise awareness of a neglected health issue snakebite envenoming.
2. Harrison Ruffin Tyler, the last living grandson of the 10th U.S. president, John Tyler, died Sunday at the age of 96.
3. A Swiss Alpine village was largely wiped out on Wednesday when a massive glacier, carrying rock and debris, detached and raced down the mountainside, obliterating everything in its way.

This newsletter was edited by Suzanne Nuyen.