• Cuts to public health agencies: U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced plans to reshape federal public health agencies. Those include cutting 10,000 employees and centralizing some functions of the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and others. – Reuters
• A shift in Sudan’s war: The Sudanese army shelled Khartoum’s twin city of Omduran after ousting its rival from the capital last week after two years of war. Meanwhile, the country’s military leader, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, met German diplomats Thursday to map an eventual transition to civilian rule. The International Organization for Migration recorded a slight drop in the number of people displaced for the first time. But a humanitarian crisis persists. More than 15 million have fled their homes and the conflict threatens to spill into neighboring Chad and South Sudan. – Staff
• Cabinet nominee pulled: The White House pulled Rep. Elise Stefanik’s nomination to be U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Her nomination advanced out of committee in late January, and she was seen as among the least controversial Cabinet picks. But House Republicans’ razor-thin majority had kept her ultimate confirmation in limbo. – The Associated Press
• Protests resume in Turkey: Police used pepper spray, plastic pellets, and water cannons against protesters in Turkey’s capital, Ankara, March 27, the latest clash in the country’s biggest anti-government protests in over a decade. Demonstrations began last week following the arrest of Istanbul’s mayor, a rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. – AP
  • Related Monitor story: An opposition leader’s arrest March 19 hints at a president’s loosening hold on voters.
• South Korea wildfires: Fire crews are working to contain South Korea’s worst-ever wildfires, which have killed 28 people, forced at least 37,800 to flee their homes, and destroyed thousands of structures and vehicles. Multiple fires fueled by strong have been raging across the country’s southeast since March 21. Rain and cooler temperatures now are helping fire crews. – AP
• Sundance leaves Utah: After a yearlong search, the Sundance Film Festival announced that its new home will be Boulder, Colorado, moving it out of Park City, the Utah ski town that had for four decades provided the premiere independent film gathering its picturesque backdrop. Organizers said the festival had outgrown Park City.

What is a constitutional crisis, and is the United States in one? That question has partisan overtones, yet President Donald Trump is also challenging the constitutional separation of powers in aggressive ways. In this explainer, we look at when a “maximalist view of the power of the executive” tips into unconstitutionally defying or discrediting other branches of government. Where do the actions of the current administration fit in? What has happened at similar moments in U.S. history? And what is the way forward?

A shift toward more U.S.-based manufacturing has been underway since the pandemic, when the fragility of global supply chains were exposed. President Donald Trump’s tariffs could add more momentum. So what could a new American manufacturing boom look like – for workers and the industry? Not surprisingly, artificial intelligence will be a huge element, limiting the number of new jobs. But AI will also supplement workers, not replace them entirely. Welcome to the era of “cobots” – robots that work in tandem with humans.

The man set to be Germany’s next chancellor has turned his country’s defense policy on its head, pushing a $500 billion security fund through parliament in a bid to “really achieve independence from the USA.” That will be welcome news in Washington, which has pushed for Europe to spend more on defense for years. But can Europe rely on American protection as it ramps up its own efforts? That is increasingly in doubt.

As the new Major League Baseball season opens, sports and politics have again intertwined. Last week, the U.S. Department of Defense temporarily removed Jackie Robinson’s history of military service from its website. But Robinson would have been among the first to note that sports and politics have always intertwined – and to say that good can come from it. Our columnist Ken Makin found it a perfect opportunity to look at the other, often overlooked aspects of Robinson’s legacy, from writer to statesman.

Across Syria, the reunification of families and communities that had been displaced by a decade of civil war has given the Muslim holy month of Ramadan a particular poignance. As loved ones return, Damascus is also inching toward greater functionality. Uniformed traffic police are on the streets and the electricity supply is steadier. The mood in the capital is one of cautious optimism, with a new sense of freedom enhancing the spirituality and generosity of the season.

Mookie Betts could be forgiven for thinking he is a pretty good right fielder in baseball. The Los Angeles Dodgers star has, after all, won six Gold Glove awards – given annually to the top defensive players at each position.

Yet for opening day Thursday, he was not patrolling the outfield for Major League Baseball’s defending champions. He was standing on the infield dirt at arguably the sport’s most demanding position: shortstop.

The list of right fielders of his caliber in baseball history who made a switch to shortstop is an easy one to remember. There is no one. But as the Dodgers continue their quest to become baseball’s next great dynasty, Mr. Betts is doing his part by attempting something no one has quite seen before.

His decision is equal parts unselfishness and courage.

The Dodgers have plenty of outfield talent. Were Mr. Betts to take his traditional position in right field, the Dodgers would have to leave a talented batter on the bench. At shortstop, he allows the Dodgers to field their most potent lineup.

The move is “what I feel like is best for the team,” Mr. Betts has said.

No one knows the challenge better than Mr. Betts. A shortstop must cover more ground than any other infielder and launch the ball across the diamond often from contorted positions no yoga master could imagine. A shortstop is a ballet dancer, butterfly catcher, and artillery captain all in one.

Though Mr. Betts was drafted as a shortstop, he had never played the position in the big leagues until last season. His attempt to switch positions began then – and did not go well. He had nine errors in 61 games before getting injured and returning to right field.

“This is really hard,” Mr. Betts said during the experiment. “It’s really, really hard.”

But he has returned this spring determined to succeed. And no Dodgers are doubting him. The team acquired him from the Boston Red Sox in 2020 “not just for his supreme talent, but for his work ethic and competitive edge and how those qualities seemed to elevate those around him,” wrote Alden Gonzalez on on the ESPN website.

For Mr. Betts, that means trying something historic, free from fears of ridicule or failure.

“I know it’s a tough challenge, but when stuff is not challenging, who has fun?” he told MLB.com in 2024. “And let’s say something happens where I’m not able to do it, you can ... guarantee it wasn’t for a lack of effort.”