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Good morning. A Gen Xer spoke to BI about his plan to earn $800,000 secretly juggling six full-time remote jobs. Occasionally, he will need to be in several places at once. His solution? Pay someone to pretend to be him.
In our big story, Trump said he's speaking with Putin today: "We want to see if we can bring that war to an end."
What's on deck
Markets: Bank of America's coming for a Wall Street tradition in its latest attempt to address junior banker burnout.
Tech: Feeling nostalgic? An iconic piece of old Twitter is now up for auction.
Business: Toys and TVs have been getting cheaper for decades. That's about to change.
But first, Trump's high-stakes call.
The big story
A cease-fire hangs in the balance
"We've never been closer to peace," the White House said Monday.
US President Donald Trump said he is set to talk with Russian President Vladimir Putin today to discuss a pause in fighting in Ukraine.
"We will be talking about land. We will be talking about power plants," Trump said ahead of the negotiations.
It will mark the first known conversation between the two leaders since Ukraine agreed to support a US-back cease-fire last week. The ball is now in Russia's court.
BI spoke with security and economic analysts about demands Russia is likely to make before agreeing to any deal — and why.
US sanctions relief could top the list. The sanctions, which include a microchip ban imposed by the Biden administration, have dented the Russian economy and weakened its defense sector, BI's Tom Porter writes.
But the analysts warned that Russia may use an ease in sanctions to re-arm with US tech.
Meanwhile, if the front lines were frozen as they stand, military experts told BI that Ukraine would struggle to defend itself against future aggression and that a cease-fire would be unlikely to last.
With Russia close to key economic and strategic centers in Ukraine, the temptation for Russia to break any cease-fire deal with renewed vigor would be high.
The markets will be watching.
Following Trump's last call with Putin in February, the markets shifted on the possibility that the war could soon end.
Then came Trump and Zelenskyy's fiery Oval Office clash. The markets saw some big moves amid the fallout, with European defense stocks surging after the region announced "an era of rearmament."
Investors are waiting with bated breath. Ahead of today's call, Donald Trump said: "Many elements of a Final Agreement have been agreed to, but much remains."
3 things in markets
1. Wall Street forecasters think the worst is over for the stock sell-off. After the S&P 500 tumbled into correction territory last week, Morgan Stanley and Citi analysts think the market may have found a bottom. They shared five reasons why the worst is behind investors.
2. But it might take a few months. Although stocks rallied sharply on Monday, corrections typically take four months to fully recover from, according to data from Covenant Wealth Advisors. If history is any guide, investors could see correction-hit stocks rally back strong.
3. Can a structural change combat junior banker burnout? Bank of America certainly hopes so. It's shifting who assigns tasks to lower-level bankers in hopes they'll prioritize talent development rather than racing to finish deals.
3 things in tech
1. Sports betting gets a new platform just in time for March Madness. Robinhood is getting in on the prediction-market action right before college basketball tournaments tip off. The investing app is also debuting a mix of other wagers, like interest rate adjustments and political events.
2. Defense tech's top venture capitalists. On the heels of breakout companies like Palantir, Anduril, and Shield AI, investors and startup founders are invigorated to build more defense technologies. Here are 30 names to know in the space.
3. Twitter's "iconic" blue bird logo sign is for sale. The sign — which formerly hung outside the company's headquarters in San Francisco — is up for auction. Fancy the memorabilia for yourself? Bids have crossed $21,000.
3 things in business
1. America's era of cheap stuff may be coming to an end. The cost of consumer goods has gone down over time, but all that could soon change thanks to Trump's tariffs. We may have to bid the pastime of buying cheap goodies goodbye.
2. Forever 21 is bankrupt again, and it's side-eyeing Shein and Temu. The American fast fashion retailer said its latest bankruptcy was partly due to stiffer competition from international e-retailers, who use an import exemption to lower shipping costs.
3. Get ready for law school hunger games. Law school applications saw a 20% increase compared to last year amid economic headwinds and interest in the field. To get through a more competitive application process, admissions experts told BI staying persistent — without overdoing it — is key.
In other news
- Going to Harvard is getting a lot cheaper for most students.
- How Coke misled America.
- I work at a leading quantum lab: Here are the qualifications recruiters in the field are looking for.
- Hasan Piker probably won't be Joe Rogan, but you should definitely know who he is.
- An MIT researcher says learning to argue can help you get promoted. Here are his 3 tips for moving up the career ladder.
- Leaks, a fake Slack channel, and a toilet: A lawsuit reveals wild allegations of corporate espionage.
An ex-Microsoft VP of HR explains 3 things you can do to stay on your boss's radar and off the layoff list.
What's happening today
- Federal Open Market Committee meeting begins.
- Community notes testing begins on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.
Jensen Huang delivers keynote speech at Nvidia GTC AI conference.
The Business Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York (on parental leave). Hallam Bullock, senior editor, in London. Grace Lett, editor, in Chicago. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Ella Hopkins, associate editor, in London. Elizabeth Casolo, fellow, in Chicago.
