An Ignoble Experiment: The 7: How government funding boosted Musk; unknown illness in Congo; Canada’s coffee protest; and more

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By Hannah Jewell and Jamie Ross

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Good morning. It's Wednesday, Feb. 26, and this is a pretty convincing argument for booking 6 a.m. flights — we still won't do it though. Now let's get to the news.

The House narrowly passed a budget plan last night.

What to know: The bill's passage was a key step toward delivering President Donald Trump's agenda — see how your lawmaker voted here. It may face challenges to become law.
In other Trump news: He proposed selling $5 million "gold cards" to wealthy immigrants. And he has decried a "scam" USAID contract — it supports a program he started in 2019.
One more thing: The anti-Trump resistance is beginning to wake up.

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	Elon Musk's business empire is built on $38 billion in government funding.

The details: Musk is trying to slash government spending. But a new Post analysis shows his companies, like Tesla and SpaceX, have hugely benefited from it — look at these graphs.
In other Musk news: Tesla sales have sunk 45% in Europe, according to new figures. And Musk is fighting back against Trump aides who tried to resist his U.S. DOGE Service.
Today: Musk plans to attend the first Cabinet meeting of Trump's second term.

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Ukraine and the U.S. agreed on a potential minerals deal.

The plan: To give the U.S. partial access to Ukraine's minerals, oil and gas. It could help to ease weeks of bitterness from Trump directed toward Ukraine over its war with Russia.
Zooming out: Trump's new world order is taking shape. Tomorrow, he'll be visited by Keir Starmer — the British prime minister who has been repeatedly derided by Musk.

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An "unknown disease" has killed 53 people in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The locations of two outbreaks reported in Équateur province. (The Washington Post)

The details: At least 431 cases have been reported since last month. The outbreak was traced to the village of Boloko where three children died after reportedly eating a bat.
The symptoms: They include fever, vomiting and diarrhea. Many of the deaths took place within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms, the World Health Organization said.

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Utah could become the first state to ban fluoride from drinking water.

Why? The Republican-controlled statehouse passed a bill last week to prohibit adding fluoride to public water systems. The governor hasn't said whether he'll sign it.
Zooming out: Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. wants to get fluoride out of drinking water, but it's credited with boosting public health. See which states mandate it here.

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Americans are skeptical that artificial intelligence will help them at work.

The numbers: Fewer than one-third of Americans are "excited" about AI in their workplaces, a new study found. They may be worried about AI leading to job cuts.
In other AI news: More than 1,000 musicians — including Kate Bush and Annie Lennox — recorded a mostly silent album to protest a controversial AI proposal in Britain.

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Some Canadian coffee shops are serving "Canadianos" instead of Americanos.

Palisades Cafe in British Columbia changed the name of Americano drinks on their menu. (Elizabeth Watson)

Why? It's an espresso drink-based protest of Trump's proposed tariffs on Canadian goods and his calls for the country to become the "51st state."
O Canada: Other recent protests include booing the U.S. national anthem at hockey games, buying Canadian-made goods and petitioning to strip Musk's citizenship.

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Before you go … want to feel happier in your home? Follow these 32 simple tips. Plus: If you wake up too early, there are ways to fix that.

One more good read: The day this author had a baby, she lost her memory.

And finally … test your news knowledge with The Post's daily quiz, On the Record. Click here to play. Or try our word games, Keyword and the brand-new Wridges.

You're all caught up. See you tomorrow.