A parade of European leaders issued statements of solidarity with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky after his stunning confrontation with President Trump in the Oval Office on Friday.

Why it matters: Trump has plunged the U.S. into a state of unprecedented isolation on the world stage. Ukraine's fate is deeply uncertain, as the country is now at risk of losing its most important partner in the three-year fight against Russia's invasion.

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What's happening: Trump's team asked Zelensky to leave the White House after a meeting to sign a rare minerals deal devolved into an extraordinary screaming match in front of TV cameras.

• "He disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
• The verbal clash was triggered when Zelensky asked Vice President Vance "what kind of diplomacy" he envisioned with Vladimir Putin, who has repeatedly violated ceasefires since first occupying Ukraine in 2014.

Vance, who has long been critical of U.S. support for Ukraine, accused Zelensky of being disrespectful and ungrateful.

• Zelensky shot back that the U.S. could one day feel threatened by Russia — seemingly enraging Trump, who said the Ukrainian leader was "gambling with World War III."
• "What you're doing is very disrespectful to the country, this country, that's backed you," Trump said, raising his voice as the Ukrainian ambassador appeared to bury her head in her hands.

How it's playing: The confrontation with Zelensky exhilarated not only Trump's "America First" base, but Kremlin officials watching closely from Moscow.

• "The insolent pig finally got a proper slap down in the Oval Office. And Trump is right: The Kiev regime is 'gambling with WWIII,'" former Russian president and prime minster Dmitry Medvedev tweeted.
• "How Trump and Vance restrained themselves and didn't punch this scumbag is a miracle of endurance," Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova wrote on Telegram.

What they're saying: European leaders, who are increasingly coming to terms with Trump's hostile approach toward the transatlantic alliance, moved swiftly to defend Zelensky with a coordinated message of support.

• "Your dignity honors the bravery of the Ukrainian people. Be strong, be brave, be fearless. You are never alone, dear President Zelensky," tweeted European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
• The leaders of Germany, France, Spain, the Netherlands, Portugal, Lithuania, Sweden, and dozens of other European countries issued similar statements heaping praise on Zelensky and the Ukrainian people.
• Zelensky — whom Vance accused of not saying "thank you" a single time during his White House visit — individually thanked each European leader who expressed solidarity with Ukraine.

Between the lines: The Zelensky debacle is likely to be remembered as an inflection point for Europe, with little doubt that Trump will continue undermining U.S. alliances in the years ahead.

• "We will step up our support to Ukraine so that they can continue to fight back the aggressor," tweeted the EU's top diplomat Kaja Kallas, who has clashed repeatedly with Trump officials in recent weeks.
• "Today, it became clear that the free world needs a new leader. It's up to us, Europeans, to take this challenge."

President Trump and his top advisers huddled in the Oval Office after the on-camera shouting match with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday before Trump came to a decision: Zelensky had to go.

Behind the scenes: The delegation from Kyiv waited in another room for about an hour, still hoping to sign the minerals deal that prompted Zelensky's trip and to salvage the visit. Trump and Zelensky were still scheduled to have lunch and hold a joint press conference.

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• Then Secretary of State Marco Rubio and national security adviser Mike Waltz "went out of the Oval Office, walked to where Zelensky was sitting, and told him to leave," a senior White House official tells Axios.
• The visit was over without a minerals deal, and without any assurances of ongoing U.S. support.
• Trump followed up with a Truth Social post saying Zelensky "disrespected the United States of America in its cherished Oval Office. He can come back when he is ready for Peace."

Between the lines: The White House official insisted the explosion in the meeting was not a pre-meditated ambush. "Our plan was to sign the minerals deal and get into this economic partnership and move towards peace."

• The shouting match began after Vice President Vance answered a reporter's question by insisting that diplomacy with Russia was the only path to peace.
• An exasperated Zelensky replied with a monologue about how Putin violated previous agreements. "What diplomacy are you talking about JD?" he asked.
• Vance and Trump both accused Zelensky of disrespect, and Zelensky repeatedly tried to cut in as the rhetoric from the president and VP grew more hostile, with Trump at one point accusing Zelensky of "gambling with World War III."

U.S. allies swiftly rallied around Zelensky after the meeting, and Democrats on the Hill denounced Trump for bullying Ukraine's wartime leader.

• But Trump's aides put the blame squarely on Zelensky. "He could have just acknowledged the vice president's remarks and moved on, but he couldn't bring himself to do it," the White House official said.
• Whether the fracas was Zelensky's fault or not, the fallout for Ukraine could be severe. Zelensky has acknowledged just how dependent his military is on further U.S. aid, which remains highly uncertain.
• And Trump was not entirely wrong when he repeatedly told Zelensky he didn't "have the cards" to shape the outcome of the war without U.S. support.
• Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who met Zelensky before his meeting with Trump, told reporters he advised the Ukrainian president "don't take the bait" and "talk about the positive." Now, "I don't know if we could ever do business with Zelensky again," Graham said.

One small but not insignificant factor that irritated Trump was the fact Zelensky didn't wear a suit, two sources with direct knowledge told Axios.

• Trump's advisers told Zelensky's team on multiple occasions that it would be more respectful for Zelensky to ditch his military-style attire when visiting the White House.
• Zelensky arrived at the White House wearing a more formal black outfit with Ukraine's national symbol, but without a suit.
• "He is all dressed up today," Trump remarked when he shook Zelensky's hand at the entrance to the West Wing.

Friction point: U.S. officials had suspected another Trump-Zelensky flare-up was likely at some point, based on his handling of the minerals deal negotiations.

• "For several days the Ukrainians jerked us around with this minerals deal and today was the inflection point," a senior U.S. official said. "The blank check era for Zelensky in Washington is over and he didn't realize that."
• For their part, the Ukrainians were furious that Trump tried to force what was initially a deeply lopsided deal on them at a time when the U.S. was already leaving them out of talks with Russia about the future of Ukraine.
• And as Friday's meeting got underway, Zelensky was clearly frustrated at being lectured about the trouble his own country was in.

After leaving the White House, Zelensky canceled his next two public events and published a short statement on X thanking the American people, Congress and Trump for their support.

• "Ukraine needs just and lasting peace, and we are working exactly for that," he wrote.

• Mark Zuckerberg performed in a sparkly blue jumpsuit at his wife's 40th birthday.
• Zuckerberg copied singer-songwriter Benson Boone's Grammy appearance with the performance.
• Zuckerberg tagged Boone and the singer's new release in a series of Instagram posts and stories.

Mark Zuckerberg pulled out all the stops at the birthday party for his wife, Priscilla Chan.

In a Friday Instagram post, the Meta CEO revealed that he donned a Benson Boone-style jumpsuit and performed onstage at Chan's 40th birthday party.

"Your wife only turns 40 once! Shoutout to @bensonboone for the jumpsuit and new single," Zuckerberg wrote alongside a video of him taking the stage in a dark dress suit only to have two people pull it off, revealing the sparkly blue jumpsuit underneath.

Boone's new release — "Sorry I'm Here For Someone Else," which came out late Thursday — played over the video. Zuckerberg's singing could not be heard, but the sound of a cheering audience was prominent.

Like Boone at the Grammys, Zuckerberg also jumped off a piano, though it should be noted that Boone front-flipped from a piano, a stunt that Zuckerberg did not attempt in the video he shared.

Boone replied to Zuckerberg's video with "I can't believe my eyes," adding on his Instagram story, "@zuck you're wild for this."

It wasn't immediately clear if Zuckerberg wore Boone's exact jumpsuit or a replica. The Meta CEO did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In his stories on Instagram, Zuckerberg shared a picture of the jumpsuit on a hanger and tagged Boone.

"Ok I get it… it's pretty snug," Zuckerberg wrote in another story where he appeared to be wearing the jumpsuit under a dress suit.

This isn't the first sign of the Zuck-Boone bromance

Boone and John Cena appeared in a promotional video for Meta Ray-Bans over the summer. In the video, Boone performed stunts around the Meta campus while filming with the smart glasses.

After Boone's performance at the Grammys, Zuckerberg congratulated him on Threads.

Around that time, in an interview, Zuckerberg talked about his appreciation for Boone's music.

"Priscilla and I, we call him the musical Harry Potter because he grew up not knowing he had a gift," Zuckerberg said.

Trump and Zelensky's meeting at the White House was so explosive that even Andy Cohen weighed in on it.

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• I've traveled to Las Vegas dozens of times in the past 25 years including many times solo.
• When I'm alone, the best things to do in Las Vegas include walking the Strip and having a spa day.
• I love having brunch by the Bellagio Fountains and drinks at the Chandelier bar at the Cosmopolitan.

I've been visiting Las Vegas multiple times annually just about every year since I hit the legal gambling and drinking age in the US.

This means I've been making the pilgrimage to one of my favorite cities in the country for over 25 years.

Depending on the trip, you might find me raging with my husband or friends for a birthday bash or a girls' weekend. Or you may find me taking Sin City solo, as I often visit on work-related trips to trawl tradeshow floors or cover major events in town.

Although it might sound odd to visit Las Vegas alone, I think it's a fabulous indulgence.

Here's what I love to do when I'm in town on my own schedule with nothing but my own preferences to prioritize.

The dog's tail quickly wagged back and forth while he was dreaming.

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• A fired USAID worker says security stopped him from taking one last photo of his wife's office memorial.
• The Trump administration has dismantled USAID and fired most of its staff.
• Workers at the agency's DC headquarters were given a short window of time to clear out their desks.

A recently fired USAID worker spoke to reporters on Thursday about the experience, saying he was stopped by security from taking one last photo of a memorial to his wife in the office.

In a video shared on X by NewsNation reporter Joe Khalil, former USAID employee Adam Tomasek said that during the abrupt exit, a Customs and Border Patrol security guard stopped him from taking a photo of his wife's memorial in the office for the last time.

"My first wife passed away," Tomasek told reporters outside of USAID headquarters. "She was honored on the memorial wall, she was a foreign service officer herself, so I wanted to take another photo to send her mother."

Tomasek said he got into an argument with the officer, who refused to allow him to take a photo.

"I explained my story to him, and he said, 'No, we have instructions," Tomasek said. "You are not allowed. No photos, no videos."

Workers at the US Agency for International Development were forced to clear out their offices this week after the Trump administration largely dismantled the foreign aid agency and terminated most of its staff.

Earlier this week, USAID workers received notices that they were being fired or placed on leave — including thousands who worked at USAID's DC headquarters — and that the Trump administration was ending 90% of the agency's contracts, the Associated Press reported.

USAID, which has funded humanitarian efforts around the world, was one of the first targets of the Trump administration's expansive cost-cutting efforts.

The US channeled nearly $32.5 billion through the agency in 2024, providing aid to countries like Ukraine, Jordan, and Ethiopia. Still, foreign aid spending makes up less than 1% of the federal budget.

Elon Musk has called USAID a "criminal organization" and wrote on X on February 3 that he "spent the weekend feeding USAID into the wood chipper." Hours later, USAID workers were told to stay home from work, and within days, the agency announced that direct hire personnel would be placed on leave globally, with a few exceptions.

After federal workers' unions sued over the dismantling of USAID, a federal judge granted the Trump administration a win on February 21, saying it could continue placing USAID workers on leave.

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court issued a stay allowing Trump to continue his freeze on foreign aid money allocated by USAID.

Experts have warned that the shutdown of USAID is illegal, while others have argued that it could make China more powerful on the world stage.

Tomasek and a spokesperson for OPM did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.

• The Trump administration let go hundreds of workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Thursday.
• One of NOAA's core functions is weather forecasting through the National Weather Service.
• Meteorologists say that the staff cuts will degrade weather forecasts and public safety.

Meteorologists are warning that weather forecasts will suffer as the Trump administration lays off hundreds of workers at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

"We will get it wrong a lot more frequently," Ella Dorsey, a meteorologist for Atlanta News First, posted on X.

That's because one of NOAA's core functions is gathering weather data across the country, producing weather forecasts, and issuing warnings. The National Weather Service, National Hurricane Center, and National Tsunami Warning Center are all run by NOAA.

Your local weather station gets its data from the NWS. The weather app on your phone is using NWS forecasts. The Federal Aviation Administration relies on NWS meteorologists and data to route planes around storm systems.

"All of the widely consumed weather information through the private sector relies on this NOAA backbone," Daniel Swain, a climate scientist who specializes in California weather, said in a livestream on Thursday evening. "These are the people who prevent weather disasters from being much worse than they are in this country."

A Trump administration official told Business Insider that 5% of NOAA's staff was let go. With about 12,000 people working for the agency, that would be about 600 people let go. The official said that NWS meteorologists were largely spared.

When reached for confirmation, representatives of both NOAA and NWS declined to discuss personnel matters.

Meteorologists say lives are at stake

"Critical national public safety assets are being weakened," Levi Cowan, who runs the hurricane forecast blog Tropical Tidbits, told Business Insider in an email. He said that would likely lead to "degraded services to the public."

Cowan added that he worried an understaffed NOAA could lead to the discontinuation of datasets or reduced maintenance work on weather infrastructure that ultimately helps warn people in the path of life-threatening weather events.

Understaffed regional NWS field offices could also struggle to respond to weather events and coordinate with local emergency managers.

In an online post, Cowan called the layoffs "insane" and added that "Many of you reading this may knowingly or unknowingly be alive today because of their work, or know someone who is."

Other meteorologists, like Ethan Clark of North Carolina's Weather Authority, were even more direct.

"Let me be clear, people will die because of this," Clark wrote on X.

The value of the National Weather Service

The NWS has had an annual budget of about $1.3 billion, give or take, for the last three years. That's about $4 per taxpayer, according to Swain — the cost of a cup of coffee.

A recent report from the American Meteorological Society found that NWS weather forecasting produced a value of $102.1 billion in 2022. That's about a 73-to-1 return on investment.

"Collectively they are one of, if not the best bang for your taxpayer buck out there," Jim Cantore, a veteran meteorologist at The Weather Channel, wrote on X as rumors of impending layoffs churned earlier this week.

He was responding to another veteran meteorologist, James Spann, who had shared a post urging politicians to support the NWS.

"If NWS products and services are reduced, we all suffer… especially during times of life-threatening weather," Spann wrote.

• Measles is surging in a Texas outbreak, but doctors say most adults don't need a booster shot.
• Consider another measles vaccine if you're unsure whether you had both shots, or if you got them before 1968.
• Children may also get an early dose if traveling to high-risk areas.

Amidst a growing measles outbreak in Texas, your childhood shots are likely enough to keep you safe from the highly-contagious illness, according to doctors.

Having both recommended doses of measles vaccine offers about 97% effectiveness against infection— enough protection for most people, said pediatrician Dr. Michael Glazier, chief medical officer and co-founder at Bluebird Kids Health.

"I'm not worried that I'm going to get measles or that I need another dose," Glazier told Business Insider.

Outbreaks are still cause for public health concern, as measles is exceptionally good at spreading from person to person. Areas with lower rates of vaccination are vulnerable to a surge in cases.

"It's one of the most contagious diseases out there," Glazier said. "If what's happening in Texas is a harbinger of having more pockets of children that aren't vaccinated, it will become a much more widespread issue."

You may need extra protection if you're unsure of your vaccine record, got an obsolete version of the shot, or plan on traveling to a high-risk area. Here's what to know.

People vaccinated before 1968 may need a booster

The first step in protecting against measles is to know your vaccine status, according to Dr. William Moss, professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center.

If you were vaccinated before 1968, you might benefit from a booster.

Earlier versions of the vaccines aren't as effective, Moss said, so older Americans may want to talk to their doctors about re-upping their immunity.

Consider a measles booster if you're unsure of your vaccine history

Another reason to consider a booster is if you can't confirm you had both doses of the vaccine, Glazier said.

If that's the case, it's worth thinking about a precautionary shot.

"The issue is that a lot of people don't know," he said. "If you're unsure, get another one. There's no harm whatsoever."

Measles isn't something to gamble on, since it can lead to serious health consequences like pneumonia or brain inflammation.

"It's not the benign disease people make it out to be," Glazier said. "Saying 'I had measles and it was fine,' I liken it to saying "I never wore a seatbelt, and I was fine.'"

If you only had one shot, you're still likely to have solid protection, but may want to consider a booster if you're immune-compromised, caring for someone who is, or are in a high-risk situation, such as a healthcare setting or outbreak area.

"It's an individual judgment call in consultation with a healthcare provider," Moss said.

Children under a year old can get an early dose

One of the biggest concerns about the current outbreak is the recent death of a child, the first measles death in the US since 2015, Moss said.

"That's completely preventable, it's tragic, we should not be having childhood deaths from measles in the United States," he said.

Children are typically protected from measles by one shot administered between 12 and 15 months old, and a second between ages four and six.

In cases of international travel to areas with a higher exposure risk to measles, the CDC recommends an earlier precautionary shot to infants as young as six months.

If you're in or near a current outbreak area, it's worth talking to your doctor about whether that might apply to your child, according to both Moss and Glazier.

With a rise in vaccine hesitancy in recent years, parents should understand what's at stake in staying up-to-date on recommended vaccines.

"The assumption is that every parent wants to do what's best for their children," Moss said. "What happens is that parents can underestimate the risk of a disease like measles, and overestimate the risk of a vaccine."