Good morning, and welcome to The Epoch Times News Brief for Tuesday, March 4, 2025. I’m Bill Thomas, we have some pressing stories to share with you right now. Here’s what’s happening both here at home and around the world.
Tonight, President Donald Trump delivers a critical address to a joint session of Congress; a key Cabinet member weighs in on the status of a consequential mineral rights deal between the U.S. and Ukraine; and a pair of European allies announce a daring proposal to put a partial stop to the bloody war between Russia and Ukraine.
Also, our nation’s top health official deals with a growing measles outbreak, and U.S. lawmakers plan to present a bill meant to combat unspeakable medical crimes committed against unwilling political prisoners.
Trump to Address Joint Session of Congress
Trump says that he’ll “tell it like it is” when he delivers the first congressional speech of his second term before a joint session of Congress.Although it’s technically not an official State of the Union address, the presentation will otherwise have all the hallmarks of that annual event.
During his speech, the president is expected to lay out his legislative priorities for the coming year, and highlight his administration’s recent accomplishments. Trump also says that he’ll discuss his recent Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, as well as the status of a highly consequential mineral rights deal between our two countries.
The president is also expected to champion his government restructuring efforts through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). He may address the role of Elon Musk regarding his administration’s desire to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse across a number of federal agencies.
Other topics Trump could address in tonight’s speech include our nation’s crackdown on illegal immigration, his use of tariffs as an economic policy, his administration’s push for government efficiency, and the overhaul of federal policy regarding birthright citizenship.
His speech is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. Eastern time.
US Says Deal With Ukraine Not on the Table
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says that right now, any economic deal between the United States and Ukraine is off the table.He says that Trump’s idea regarding the economic arrangement between our two nations was to further intertwine the American people and the Ukrainian people, and to show Russia that there was “no daylight” between us. However, he says, Zelenskyy came into the meeting and “tried to relitigate in front of the world the deal.”
Bessent went on to suggest that Zelenskyy’s remarks at the White House show an unwillingness to negotiate with Russia, and work against efforts by the United States to bring Russia and Ukraine together in talks to end the war.
He also says that it’s impossible to have an economic deal without a peace deal that ends Russia’s war in Ukraine. The Trump team is waiting to see if Zelenskyy truly wants to proceed, he said.
For his part, Zelenskyy now says that Ukraine is “ready to sign the minerals agreement,” and that it will mark “the first step toward security guarantees” against any possible future Russian aggression. He also says that the disagreements over the potential deal should have been done behind closed doors.
However, he says that the mineral rights agreement alone is “not enough.” Ukraine needs substantially more, he said, that any cease-fire without significant security guarantees is dangerous for Ukraine, and that the Ukrainian people need to know that America is still on their side.
Meanwhile, Trump says that Zelenskyy could receive another invitation to return to the White House if he expresses a true desire for peace.
Britain and France Proposing 1-Month Partial Truce in Ukraine
French President Emmanuel Macron says that both France and Britain are proposing a one-month truce between Russia and Ukraine, which would put a halt on all air strikes.He says the plan also calls for a truce “on the seas” and on energy infrastructure, which Russia has been actively targeting in Ukraine. However, he says that because the front is nearly 1,000 miles long, it would be “very difficult” to verify whether or not a truce along that line is being respected, so it would not cover fighting on the ground.
Macron also says that there is no current plan to put European troops on Ukrainian soil in the near future; however, it’s possible that they could be deployed after the ground fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces comes to an end.
Meanwhile, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer says that he’s also working on a peace plan, which is intended to receive backing from the United States. However, he says that Europe must do the “heavy lifting” when it comes to protecting Ukraine.
One British official says that the goal is what he calls a “durable and lasting peace.” He also says that there’s a genuine worry by Zelenskyy and the Ukrainians that any short pause will simply allow Russian forces to rearm, regroup, and attack again.
By the way, at a summit in London that took place over the weekend, following Zelenskyy’s disastrous meeting with President Donald Trump, several European leaders offered their ongoing support to the Ukrainian leader and promised to do more to help his nation.
Meanwhile, the Kremlin says that those promises will not help bring about a peaceful resolution to the conflict. They say that $2 billion in air-defense missiles offered by Britain will just allow hostilities to continue, and that what happened at the White House shows how difficult it will be to reach a settlement with a Ukrainian regime that does not want peace.
RFK Jr. Says Vaccinations Available as Texas Measles Outbreak Expands
U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says that ending a measles outbreak in western Texas that has infected nearly 150 people and led to the recent death of one unvaccinated child is a “top priority” for his agency.Kennedy says that vaccines will be provided by the government and that the decision about whether or not to get a vaccination is a personal one. However, he has also advocated for some immunizations amid the outbreak.
In a recent opinion piece, he says that vaccines not only protect individual children from measles, but also contribute to community immunity, protecting those who are unable to be vaccinated for medical reasons.
He also says that both health care providers and local community leaders have a responsibility to “protect public health.” That includes making sure there is “accurate information about vaccine safety and efficacy.” He says that it’s important to make vaccines “readily accessible” to anyone who wants them.
As a result, Kennedy says that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is sending the state of Texas 2,000 doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. He says that HHS will provide any necessary lab support and will communicate daily with public health officials to aid in their response efforts.
For their part, Texas state officials say that the recent measles outbreak has largely spread among portions of West Texas, with cases concentrated in a “close-knit, undervaccinated” Mennonite community. They say that vaccination teams are now in the affected area, and that the state will deploy any necessary resources to ensure the safety of their citizens.
Lawmakers Reintroduce Falun Gong Protection Act to Combat CCP’s Forced Organ Harvesting
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) are reintroducing a bill to the U.S. Congress that would penalize China for its systematic forced organ harvesting program, which targets the persecuted Falun Gong faith group.It’s called the Falun Gong Protection Act. It would mandate severe sanctions on anyone the U.S. president deems to be either a knowing participant or a facilitator of the abuse. Those individuals would be barred from entering and doing business in the United States, their property would be blocked, and they would face up to 20 years in prison.
The act would also make it U.S. policy to avoid cooperation with China in the organ transplant sector as long as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) remains in power. Additionally, our federal government would work alongside the international community to call attention to the persecution of Falun Gong practitioners.
Cruz tells The Epoch Times that China’s persecution of those practitioners is an attack on both religious freedom and human rights. He says that it’s “long past time” to dismantle the CCP’s state-sponsored organ harvesting industry and hold them accountable for their crimes.
For his part, Perry tells The Epoch Times that as the beacon of freedom around the world, the United States cannot remain silent when the CCP is engaged in the incarceration, systemic torturing, and forced organ harvesting of Falun Gong practitioners.
It looks like our time is just about up for today, so we’re gonna call it a wrap for the Tuesday edition of The Epoch Times News Brief.
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Finally, as we do each day on this program, we wrap everything up with a very notable quote. This one comes to us from C.S. Lewis, who said:
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
Lewis was a British writer, academic, and theologian. He held positions at both Oxford and Cambridge, teaching English literature.
For all of us here at The Epoch Times News Brief, I’m Bill Thomas.
The Epoch Times News Brief program is written each day by David Ross.
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