morning! Welcome to the daily briefing. This morning’s breaking news is:
nicole farato here. Check your knowledge with our news quiz this Monday morning. Then take a look at today’s headlines, from the big blizzard to Trump’s tariff axis. Plus, we’re already nostalgic for our favorite Olympic moments in Milan-Cortina.
Americans evacuate to Mexico
USA TODAY correspondent Will Carless was wrapping up his vacation in Mexico when the hotel manager warned him not to leave. “Drugs are coming towards Sayulita,” he was told.
Carles is one of the Americans evacuating following a security alert from the U.S. State Department advising Americans living in Mexico to stay indoors after Mexican troops killed El Mencho, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation cartel, in Tapalpa, Jalisco state, on Sunday morning.
Killing of cartel leader is a major victory in Mexico’s war against drug cartels responsible for smuggling billions of dollars in cocaine and fentanyl into the United States The operation triggered a wave of violence Sunday, with Mexico’s airports in chaos, cars torched and armed groups blocking highways in more than six states.
More news you need to know right now
- Are you prepared for a snowstorm? Heavy snow fell across much of the Northeast early Monday morning, and the effects of a powerful nor’easter rapidly intensified, grounding planes, closing schools and leaving hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses without power.
- President Trump’s new tariff plan. President Donald Trump remains determined to impose tariffs, despite a Supreme Court ruling last week invalidating the president’s emergency tariffs imposed last year. Meanwhile, the latest poll shows that 6 in 10 Americans disapprove of President Trump’s job performance.
- President Trump’s Ukraine peace deal has stalled. The war, which President Trump repeatedly vowed could end in a day, is now in its fourth year, but on February 24, the eve of the anniversary of the Russian invasion, and coinciding with the president’s State of the Union address, no peace agreement has yet been reached.
2026 Winter Olympics
heated rivalry
The final day of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics was packed with action. The USA men’s hockey team defeated Canada 2-1 in OT to win the first men’s hockey gold medal since 1980. The intense game against America’s longtime rival was followed by a moving tribute to the late Johnny Gaudreau. Sunday concluded with the closing ceremony, during which the U.S. team athletes paraded with their medals (the U.S. finished with 33 medals, 12 gold, 12 silver, and nine bronze).
energy
Building renewable energy is getting harder
In recent years, wind and solar farms have dotted farmland across the country, providing the nation’s fastest-growing energy source. But many U.S. counties are now making it difficult or impossible to build large-scale wind and solar power projects, according to a new USA TODAY study, which found that at least 24% of counties, nearly a quarter, have restrictions on building these energy sources.
before going
Have feedback about the daily briefing? Email Nicole at NFallert@usatoday.com.
