On Saturday afternoon, smack between the Friday Feels and the Sunday Scaries, Elon Musk posted on X that all federal workers would receive an email “requesting to understand what they got done last week” and that “failure to respond will be taken as a resignation.”

The subsequent email from the US Office of Personnel Management (OPM) instructed employees to respond by 11:59pm ET on Monday (today) with five accomplishments from the prior week, according to the Associated Press. The email warned respondents not to share classified information, and it did not suggest termination like the X post did.

Awkward workplace situation

Many federal workers and their managers pointed out that sending specifics to the OPM inbox might create security problems, violate attorney-client privilege, or otherwise break rules or laws.

Union leaders also objected. A chapter of the National Treasury Employees Union posted on its website that it strongly advised members not to respond because they did not work for the OPM.

All together now? Key members of the Trump administration, like HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., support the move. But others seemed to demur to the plan:

• The Department of Defense told employees to “pause” responses to the request, as did FBI Director Kash Patel, who said the bureau would use its own procedures to review employee performance.
• The State Department and the Department of Homeland Security said that managers would interact with the OPM on behalf of employees.
• Interim US Attorney for the District of Columbia Ed Martin told his staff in an email yesterday, “We will comply with this OPM request whether by replying or deciding not to reply.”

On Sunday, Musk said on X that “a significant number of people who are supposed to be working for the government are doing so little work that they are not checking their email at all!” As tonight’s deadline draws near, legal challenges are likely to be filed.—HVL

Pope Francis is in critical condition. The head of the Roman Catholic Church, who turned 88 in December, experienced a “prolonged asthmatic crisis” on Saturday while being hospitalized for double pneumonia, the Vatican said. Over the weekend, he received “high flows of supplemental oxygen,” according to the statement, as well as infusions for a platelet deficiency. The pope was also said to be experiencing early stages of kidney failure, though it was “at present under control.” The Vatican described Pope Francis as “alert and well oriented” on Sunday, noting that he attended Mass in his hospital suite’s chapel alongside his medical care team.

Zelensky wants better terms for rare minerals deal. At a news conference yesterday, the Ukrainian president said he did not want an agreement with the US over access to his country’s supply of rare earth metals, titanium, and lithium to be “something that 10 generations of Ukrainians will have to pay back.” In addition to better financial terms, Zelensky wants security guarantees. He also said that the $100 billion the US has provided the embattled country came in the form of grants and that “A grant is not a debt, therefore we don’t need to return a debt.” At the press event, Zelensky also said he would be willing to step down as president if it led to peace for Ukraine or the country’s membership in NATO.

Conservatives prevail in Germany’s election. Friedrich Merz of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party will likely become the country’s next chancellor after Sunday’s election. The CDU hoped for 30% of the vote but received 28.6%. The party’s next challenge will be forming a coalition. Merz would prefer to create a government with just one other party in light of the failure of outgoing Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s three-party coalition. But Merz has already said it is “out of the question” for him to partner with the election’s second-place finisher, the far-right party Alternative for Germany, or AfD. While the path forward remains murky, Merz wants to form a government within eight weeks, and reviving Germany’s economy is a top priority.—HVL

Warren Buffett’s annual shareholder letter dropped on Saturday morning. It included many familiar notes about earnings and revenue and also a not-entirely-indirect message for President Donald Trump and other elected leaders about his $26.8 billion record tax payment:

“Take care of the many who, for no fault of their own, get the short straws in life. They deserve better.”

That note of empathy from the world’s sixth-richest person and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, a company with a market cap north of $1 trillion, came packaged with the information that the business paid the IRS what amounts to 5% of all federal tax payments made by corporate America. “Spend it wisely,” Buffett wrote as investors show concerns over fiscal deficits and tax cuts that could make them worse.

Cash heavy: Buffett sold more stock and increased his record cash pile once again—it now sits at $334.2 billion. Although the 94-year-old didn’t offer an explanation, he had a justification: “Despite what some commentators currently view as an extraordinary cash position at Berkshire, the great majority of your money remains in equities. That preference won’t change.”

More insights: Operating earnings skyrocketed 71% for the fourth quarter of 2024 and 27% for the full year. That was better than Buffett expected; 53% of Berkshire’s 189 operating businesses reported a decline in earnings.

Status update: Buffett said “it won’t be long” until 62-year-old Vice Chairman Greg Abel takes the reins.—DL

Will Nvidia’s earnings report bring calm to the tech sector? After a much-needed weekend for investors to lick their wounds following the market’s worst day of 2025 on Friday, it’s time to take a deep breath and see what Nvidia’s Q4 report holds on Wednesday. The world’s second-most-valuable company lost $600 billion in value after DeepSeek released its supposedly inexpensive AI model last month, but CEO Jensen Huang sounded unfazed about it. The chipmaker is expected to show a 72% rise in revenue year over year and offer guidance for the supply and demand of its chips, which could swing the market in either direction.

Inflation report out on Friday: The Fed’s favored measure of inflation—the personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index and not the cost of eggs—is out on Friday, but consumers may have already made up their minds about what’s on the horizon. They’re apparently walking on eggshells, as expectation for inflation over the next five years is the highest it’s been since 1995 due to President Trump’s threats of tariffs against key trade partners. That lack of confidence, coupled with a hot inflation report, would present a dangerous concoction for investors and consumers alike.

And the Oscar goes to…: What feels like the longest and most problematic Academy Awards season ever will conclude on Sunday night. At least ABC is giving everyone an early start time of 7pm ET for a second year in a row, so no one has to lose sleep over how voters feel about Emilia Pérez for best picture and Adrien Brody for best actor. Conan O’Brien is charged with navigating all the controversy for three hours in his role as a first-time host of Hollywood’s biggest night.

Everything else…

• Today marks three years since Russia invaded Ukraine.
• UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to meet with Trump on Thursday, after Starmer said he was ready to put British troops in Ukraine.
• The holy month of Ramadan starts on Friday.
• Saturday is the first day of March.
• Party City, which filed for bankruptcy at the end of 2024, will close its remaining stores by the end of the week.

Tax season can become spooky season if you’re not careful about who is running the calculations. According to IRS estimates, ~$9.1 billion was caught up in tax fraud and financial crimes in 2024. While there are no concrete numbers, a chunk can be attributed to unscrupulous tax grifters known as “ghost preparers” who disappear with your money.

The modus operandi of these entities is to encourage taxpayers to take advantage of benefits for which they are not eligible, charge a large percentage of that return as a fee, or abscond with the illegally gotten money and leave the customer holding the empty bag to face the consequences. Ghost preparers can also steal your identity, so the IRS says to be wary of anyone charging a percentage of your refund and lacking a physical business location.—DL