It’s almost peak bloom in Washington, D.C., which means it’s time for our annual cherry blossom celebration! But first, some federal funding news: Columbia University will give in to far-reaching demands by President Donald Trump to restore threatened federal funding. We’ll get into what kind of precedent the move sets for higher education. And, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will cancel $500 million in food deliveries. Rural food banks could be impacted most. Plus, we’ll play a blossom-themed round of Half Full/Half Empty!

Here’s everything we talked about today:

• “Trump weighs in on report King Charles will offer U.S. Commonwealth membership” from The Independent

• “Columbia Yields to Trump in Battle Over Federal Funding” from The Wall Street Journal

• “USDA cancels $500M in food deliveries, leaving food banks scrambling” from The Washington Post

• “Ohio among best places to see cherry blossoms blooming. Here’s where” from The Columbus Dispatch

• “Cherry Blossom predictions are in! Will AI bloom or bust?” from George Mason University

• “Beyond the bud: How the nation’s pink trees became an indicator of changing climate” from WBAL 

• “2025 National Cherry Blossom Festival set to boost DC tourism” from ABC7 News

Donate to our March fundraiser to get classic public media thank-you gifts! https://support.marketplace.org/smart-sn