By Doug Criss

CNN

(CNN) -- Good Wednesday morning. There's actually quite a few pieces of good news today. So keep reading. Here's what you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.

1. Trump administration

Donald Trump's almost laser-focused on keeping his campaign promises, and today he'll sign an executive order to get going on his biggest: building a wall on the Mexican border. So, is Mexico going to pay for it? Well, Trump's going to ask for an accounting of how much aid the US is sending to Mexico - and some of that money could eventually go to fund the construction. See? Math! Yesterday, Trump took a big step to keep another promise by OK'ing work on the controversial DAPL and Keystone pipelines. Want to keep up with how well he's doing with all of his promises? We put together a handy-dandy Trump Promises Tracker. You're very welcome. BTW, Mr. President, you may want to add this on your to-do list for today: please change your Twitter security settings! A hacker said it would be a pretty good idea.

2. Good news

Cancer deaths are down quite a bit in the US. About 20% since 1980. That's great news - although a new study says there are some places, primarily in the South, where we've seen stubborn cancer clusters. So we still have a ways to go. In more good news, the lead levels in the water in Flint, Michigan, have tested below the federal limits. That's a first in a couple of years.

3. Israel

Israel's really happy with the Trump administration. There's so much love right now that Israel felt confident enough to OK the construction of 2,500 new housing units in West Bank settlements. Why is this noteworthy? Because the Obama administration was against it and the UN calls it a "flagrant violation under international law." You see, the notion of a "two-state solution" has long been central to the tortuous Middle East peace process. It envisions a Palestinian state existing alongside Israel. But many observers worry that Israel's continued settlement building makes the physical reality of a Palestinian state ever less possible.

4. Syrian civil war

Question: Do you really have a peace agreement if neither of the fighting parties sign it? The latest Syrian peace talks are over in Kazakhstan, and it produced an agreement from Russia, Turkey and Iran that basically said they'd work to maintain the ceasefire that went into effect last month. That's nice, but neither the Syrian government or rebel groups signed it. The two wouldn't even meet face to face. So what's next? More talks next month.

5. Oscars

The Oscar nominations are out, and seven actors of color snagged nominations. So is it time to retire the #OscarsSoWhite hashtag? (The creator of the hashtag says, um, no). "La La Land," the can't-do-wrong musical, danced away with 14 nods, tying it with Hollywood classics "All About Eve" and "Titanic." But our favorite moment was Meryl Streep's reaction to her nomination (She sent in a GIF!). Here's the complete list, so you're ready when the winners are announced on February 26.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

People are talking about these. Read up. Join in.

Hide and seek

If you have $20 million in cash you need to hide, it's best to put it someplace where no one would ever think to look for it. Like your mattress.

Different strokes

She's black. She's white. And they're twins. No, it's not some far-fetched television sitcom. It's genetics.

His cross to bear

He plans to build a wooden cross for every person killed in Chicago's violence this year. The sad part is he's already built 40 this month.

Open mouth, insert foot

She said on Facebook she wouldn't defend President Trump from a bullet, which is a really dumb thing to say if you're a Secret Service agent.

Help wanted

Cards Against Humanity wants a new CEO. Very specific requirements. The only person who could fill the job just left his last one -- at the White House

AND FINALLY ...

Dynamic duet

Go ahead and get ready to feel all the feels as this 4-year-old girl and her dad rock the song "You've Got a Friend in Me."