Trump faces economy red flags, and severe storms leave a trail of destruction: Weekend Rundown
Voters wary about the economy, DOGE and Democrats
President Donald Trump’s election to a second term sparked an upswing in positive feelings about the direction of the nation, but voters are starting to sour on the state of the economy and his handling of it so far.
A new NBC News poll finds that just 18% of voters rate the economy as “excellent” or “good,” and majorities disapprove of the president’s job performance on inflation.
Overall, Trump has a 47% approval rating, while 51% disapprove of his performance early in his second term.
And while voters are open to efforts to tackle inefficiencies in government, many have concerns about Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency: 47% hold negative views of DOGE and 51% disapprove of Musk specifically.
The poll doesn’t have good news for Democrats, either. The Democratic Party has reached an all-time low in popularity, with only 27% of respondents holding a positive view — its lowest positive rating in NBC News polling dating back to 1990. And the slump is partially driven by fed-up Democrats who want the party to fight Trump harder.
Severe weather leaves more than 30 dead
At least 36 people died across Missouri, Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Alabama and Mississippi as powerful storm systems swept through the Midwest and South over the weekend.
The deadly storms, which left hundreds of thousands without power, also injured dozens and caused fatalities linked to wildfires.
Nearly 16 million people were under tornado watches from Florida to the Carolinas as the storm made its way east.
American linked to missing student has passport confiscated
Joshua Riibe may have been the last person to see Sudiksha Konanki before the 20-year-old University of Pittsburgh junior went missing in the Dominican Republic.
Speaking exclusively to NBC News briefly at the resort where Konanki had been saying, Riibe said, “I’m just trying to help them out,” adding: “The ocean is a dangerous place.”
Riibe’s attorneys told NBC News his passport has been confiscated and he has been “confined to the hotel since the investigation began.”
Riibe told investigators in an interview last week he was on the beach with Konanki shortly before she disappeared. He said they were “in waist-deep water, talking and kissing a little” before a wave crashed and took them both “out to sea.” Riibe said he got her back to shore before she went missing.
‘Meet the Press’
Sen. Chris Murphy told NBC News’ “Meet the Press” that while he still has confidence in Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, the Democratic caucus must move with “urgency” and change tactics to “to save American democracy.”
When asked why Democrats are not connecting with Americans, Murphy said he thinks “Americans want the Democratic Party to stand up and fight and to take risks.”
“I think Democrats in this country, but I think the broad middle of the public as well, want to see our party fighting in exceptional ways,” Murphy said.
“If we don’t get that right, if we continue to work with Republicans, if we continue to hand Donald Trump more power, we are going to lose our democracy,” he added.
Politics in brief
Immigration escalation: Trump invoked the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to deport immigrants he alleged were members of a Venezuelan gang. A federal judge temporarily blocked the move, but the White House touted the deportations of nearly 300.
O Canada: A bitter taste of Trump has inspired newfound patriotism among Canadians and dampened the electoral prospects of the party most aligned with him.
Return to office: Some federal workers say Trump’s frequent trips to Mar-a-Lago while ordering government employees back to the office reeked of hypocrisy.
Tariff impact: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on “Meet the Press” that he’s “not at all” worried amid a stock market sell-off fueled by Wall Street’s concern over the administration’s tariffs policy.
Selection Sunday is here
March Madness kicks off tonight with Selection Sunday, when the NCAA brackets for the men’s and women’s tournaments will be revealed.
One of the men’s teams to watch is the Missouri Tigers, who turned their worst season in more than a century into a historic turnaround.
One year after going 0-18 in the Southeastern Conference and 8-24 overall, the Tigers now enter the NCAA tournament at 22-10 — the first time in SEC history that a school has gone winless in conference play one season and then recorded double-digit conference victories in the next, according to research by Missouri.
In case you missed it
- At least 31 people were killed after the United States launched a series of airstrikes on Yemen, according to the Houthi health ministry, as a rebel spokesperson told NBC News the group would respond with “more escalation.”
- Pope Francis was photographed for the first time since he was admitted to the hospital last month for double pneumonia. The 88-year-old pope on Sunday concelebrated Mass in the hospital chapel.
- A nightclub fire in North Macedonia killed 59 people and left more than 100 injured after a blaze was caused by “pyrotechnic devices” during a concert, according to the country’s interior minister.
- Once rare, Israel’s use of airstrikes in the occupied West Bank has soared since the Oct. 7 terror attack, stoking fears it’s deploying the same military tactics used in the Gaza Strip, where 14 were killed over the weekend.
- After a neo-Nazi group demonstrated in a majority-Black town, residents started an armed protection group to defend residents from hate groups.
- The missing eaglet born to a popular Southern California eagle couple died in a recent winter storm, the nonprofit that owns and operates the eagles’ nest cameras said.
