Out-of-control wildfires scorch Texas Panhandle and pause work at nuclear weapons facility
A series of wildfires are sweeping across the Texas Panhandle, prompting evacuations, cutting off power to thousands, and forcing at least the temporary shutdown of a nuclear weapons facility. Strong winds, dry grass and unseasonably warm temperatures fed the blazes. An unknown number of homes and other structures in Hutchinson County were damaged or destroyed, local emergency officials said. The main facility that disassembles America’s nuclear arsenal paused operations Tuesday night but said it would reopen for normal work on Wednesday. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties as the largest blaze burned nearly 470 square miles. The fire tore through sparsely populated counties surrounded by rolling plains.
Michigan takeaways: Presidential primaries show warning signs for Trump and Biden
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Joe Biden and Donald Trump have won their party’s primaries in Michigan. However, Tuesday’s results showed that both candidates have cause for concern in their bid to win the swing state in November. An “uncommitted” vote in Michigan’s Democratic primary was the first indication of how backlash over President Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza might impact his reelection campaign. Trump won his primary by a large margin. Still, support for rival Nikki Haley once again showed that some Republican voters may have misgivings about giving the former president another four years in the general election.
The Latest | Families of hostages held in Gaza launch a 4-day march to demand their freedom
The families of hostages held in Gaza and their supporters are launching a four-day march from southern Israel to Jerusalem to demand their loved ones be set free. The march comes as negotiations are underway in Qatar to bring about a deal between Hamas and Israel that would lead to a cease-fire in exchange for the release of hostages. U.S. President Joe Biden has said such a deal was at hand but officials from Israel and Hamas were skeptical of his optimism. Negotiators from the U.S., Egypt and Qatar are working on a framework deal under which Hamas would free some of the dozens of hostages it holds, in exchange for the release of Palestinian prisoners and a six-week halt in fighting.
Biden and party leaders implore Speaker Johnson to help Ukraine in ‘intense’ Oval Office meeting
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders emerged from an “intense” Oval Office meeting with President Joe Biden speaking optimistically about the prospects for avoiding a partial government shutdown beginning this weekend. However, things are still at a crossroads on assistance for Ukraine and Israel as the president and others in the meeting urgently warned House Speaker Mike Johnson of the grave consequences of delay. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says those in the meeting told Johnson ‘get it done.’ But Johnson emerged from the meeting without mentioning Ukraine. He said “the first priority of the country is our border, and making it secure.”
Zelenskyy co-hosts a summit in Albania seeking more war support from southeastern Europe
TIRANA, Albania (AP) — Ukraine’s president has co-hosted a summit with Albania’s government on Wednesday that’s meant to encourage further support for Kyiv by southeastern European countries as signs of fatigue grow two years after Russia’s invasion. Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Wednesday said he would discuss defense and political issues with host Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and support to Ukraine’s war against Russia the Peace Formula and organizing a global summit in Switzerland. Not all participating countries are in full support for Ukraine in its war against Russia. Kremlin ally Serbia is the only European country that has refused to align with EU sanctions following Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Hunter Biden to appear for closed-door interview with Republicans conducting impeachment inquiry
WASHINGTON (AP) — Hunter Biden is set to appear on Capitol Hill for a closed-door deposition with lawmakers. His appearance Wednesday marks a critical moment for Republicans as their impeachment inquiry into his father and their family’s business affairs teeters on the brink of collapse. The 14-month Republican investigation into the Biden family has centered on Hunter Biden and his overseas work for clients in Ukraine, China, Romania and other countries. Republicans have long questioned whether those business dealings involved corruption and influence peddling by President Joe Biden, particularly when he was vice president. But despite interviews and more than 100,000 pages of documents, Republicans have yet to produce direct evidence of misconduct by the president.
Funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny to be held on Friday, his spokesperson says
The funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died earlier this month in a remote Arctic penal colony, will take place on Friday in Moscow after several locations declined to host the service, his spokesperson says. Kira Yarmysh says the funeral will be held at a church in Moscow’s southeast Maryino district on Friday afternoon. The burial is to be at a nearby cemetery. Navalny died in mid-February in one of Russia’s harshest penal facilities. Russian authorities said the cause of his death at age 47 is still unknown. Many Western leaders have said they hold Russian President Vladimir Putin responsible for his death. Yarmysh says most venues said they were fully booked, and some refused when they heard Navalny’s name.
Many in Iran are frustrated by unrest and poor economy. Parliament elections could see a low turnout
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran is holding parliamentary elections this Friday, yet the real question may not be who gets elected but how many people actually turn out to vote. Widespread discontent over the cratering economy, years of mass protests rocking the country, and tensions with the West over Tehran’s nuclear program and Iran’s support for Russia in its war on Ukraine have many people quietly saying they won’t vote in this election. Officials have urged people to cast ballots but tellingly, no information has been released this year from the state-owned polling center ISPA about turnout — a constant feature of past elections. The Associated Press recently interviewed 21 Iranians. Only five said they would vote.
South Korean and US troops will begin major exercises next week in response to North Korean threats
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — The South Korean and U.S. militaries will begin large-scale annual military drills next week in response to North Korea’s evolving nuclear threats. Freedom Shield is a command post training exercise involving computer simulations, and it will coincide with separate field exercises held jointly by the two militaries. They jointly announced Wednesday the drills will start Monday and take place through March 14. South Korea’s military says the drills are designed to bolster their joint capabilities to prevent North Korea from using its nuclear weapons. North Korea has been angered by the drills in previous years because it considers them an invasion rehearsal.
US asylum restriction aimed at limiting claims has little impact given strained border budget
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — U.S. asylum officers were instructed nearly a year ago to apply a higher screening standard on people who cross the border illegally to claim asylum after passing though another country. But they are too understaffed to have much impact. The Biden administration hails the higher standard as a cornerstone of its border policy in legal challenges, but its application in only a small percentage of arrests shows how budgets can fail to match ambitions. Arrests for illegal crossings temporarily plunged after the rule took effect but rose five of the next six months as migrants and smugglers adjusted, reaching an all-time high in December.