An Ignoble Experiment: The 7: Oscar winners and highlights; Elon Musk backlash; gray homes and gentrification; and more

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By Jamie Ross and Hannah Jewell

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Good morning. It's Monday, March 3, and if you're a frozen french fry skeptic — read this. We tested nine brands and found a clear winner. Now let's catch up from the weekend.

European leaders are "doubling down" on support for Ukraine.

Why? It follows Friday's Oval Office blowup between President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Read the inside story of that explosive meeting here.
What else to know: The Trump administration now "largely aligns" with Russia's vision, the Kremlin said. And uncertainty over Trump's plans for U.S. troops in Europe is raising alarm.

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Elon Musk again asked every federal worker to justify their employment.

The details: A second round of emails went out this weekend, sparking a backlash. And, at USAID, a top official was ousted yesterday after criticizing Trump's foreign aid freeze.
In other administration news: Musk's team caused a crisis at a sensitive nuclear weapons agency. And Trump signed an order to make English the official language of the U.S.
One more thing: Musk was brutally parodied by Mike Myers on SNL — watch here.

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Israel blocked all aid from entering the Gaza Strip.

Why? The first phase of a ceasefire expired Saturday. Israel said Hamas rejected a proposal to extend it; Hamas said it wants to negotiate a more permanent end to the fighting.
In related news: The Biden administration refused to halt funding to Israeli military units last year despite credible reports of Israeli abuse of Palestinian detainees.

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"Anora" dominated at the 97th Academy Awards with five wins.

Last night: The sex-worker comedy-drama (reviewed here) picked up best picture, best director and best actress for Mikey Madison — that was a shock. See all the winners here.
Other highlights: Host Conan O'Brien dealt out zingers all night. Demi Moore and Ariana Grande were two of the best-dressed celebs — see all the strongest red carpet looks here.

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Wildfires are raging in the Carolinas.

What to know: Dry and windy conditions sparked more than 175 fires over the weekend, prompting evacuations near Myrtle Beach and in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
In other weather news: A cross-country storm will bring the risk of tornadoes from Oklahoma to Maryland this week. And the U.S. just had its coldest winter in more than a decade.

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A private company's lunar lander touched down on the moon yesterday.

What is it? Firefly Aerospace's Blue Ghost lander, which is on a two-week research mission with NASA funding. It's part of what could become a new era in lunar exploration.
In other space news: NASA's SPHEREx telescope, which uses less power than a refrigerator, is set to launch into space this week. It will explore the origins of the universe.

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Gray houses may be a telltale sign that a neighborhood is gentrifying.

A house painted in gray next to a colorful home in the Mission district of San Francisco. (Winni Wintermeyer/The Washington Post)

How we know: A Post analysis of D.C. found the number of gray homes has increased in areas with other gentrification markers, including the displacement of Black residents.
Why gray? Neutral colors indicate status to some people, experts say. But, in some places, the grayification of homes has been swift and stark — and the cause of conflicts.

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Before you go … wondering what to read next? Try these 10 noteworthy books for March. Plus: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie finally has a new novel.

One more good read: How China pulled ahead to become the world leader in electric vehicles.

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.