| | | | | Good morning. It's Friday, March 25, and it's peak cherry blossom season here in D.C. See what you're missing. Let's catch up on the news. | | |  | The U.S. will take in 100,000 refugees from Ukraine. | - The scale of the crisis: More than 3.6 million people have fled the country since Russia's invasion a month ago.
- President Biden and European leaders announced more sanctions against Russia yesterday and warned against the use of chemical weapons.
- Today: Biden goes to a city 60 miles from the Ukrainian border to meet Poland's president.
| | |  | Ukraine has forced Russia into defensive positions around Kyiv. | - Russia hasn't been able to take the country's capital, despite repeated attacks and bombings.
- Up to 15,000 Russian troops have been killed so far in the war, according to one NATO estimate, though these numbers are hard to verify.
- Ukraine claimed it destroyed a Russian warship, with videos showing fires and columns of smoke.
| | |  | A justice's wife urged a White House official to overturn the 2020 election. | - The details: Virginia Thomas, married to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, and Mark Meadows, President Donald Trump's chief of staff, texted at least 29 times after the election, according to new Post reporting.
- What's in the texts: Thomas said Trump should not concede and called Biden's victory "the greatest Heist of our History."
- Why it matters: During this time, Trump and his allies were promising to go to the Supreme Court to fight the election results.
| | |  | State lawmakers across the country are targeting LGBTQ rights. | - The numbers: Republicans filed nearly 200 related bills this year. At least 166 are still being considered.
- What's in them? Restrictions on how LGBTQ issues are talked about in schools; rules for transgender athletes; and more.
- Why now? It's part of an effort led by conservative organizations, which are helping state legislators write the bills.
| | |  | The number of Americans getting coronavirus vaccines is in free fall. | - The drop: The seven-day average of vaccinations fell below 182,000 per day Wednesday — the lowest since the first days of the rollout in late 2020.
- It's bad timing: Another wave of infections driven by the omicron subvariant, BA.2, may be on its way, but only 44% of Americans have received booster shots.
| | |  | Burger King, Chick-fil-A and other chains are ditching "forever chemicals." | - What are these chemicals? PFAS, polyfluoroalkyl and perfluoroalkyl substances, which do not break down naturally. They've been linked to a growing list of health problems.
- Why this is happening now: A new investigation found PFAS in packaging from many fast-food restaurants.
| | |  | The 94th Academy Awards air Sunday with a new look. | - The details: The Oscars will air at 8 p.m. Eastern time on ABC (and stream online through its app and Hulu). Regina Hall, Amy Schumer and Wanda Sykes are hosting.
- The front-runners: "The Power of the Dog," a Western drama, and "CODA," a coming-of-age drama.
- What else to know: Eight categories, such as best original score, have been cut from the live show, which has caused controversy.
You're all caught up. See you Monday. But before you go … get ready for the Oscars this weekend: Here's how to watch all the movies nominated for best picture. Plus, the second season of "Bridgerton" is out on Netflix today: Here's our critic's take. Correction: On Wednesday, we told you about The Post's new Telegram channel, which offers updates and exclusives from Russia's war in Ukraine. We incorrectly said the coverage is free for everyone; it's free for people in Ukraine and Russia.  (Jordan Robertson for The Post) | Do you know someone who would like this newsletter? Share it with them. Prefer push notifications? Download The Post's app to get one when The 7 publishes. | | | | | | | | |
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