AP News Summary at 11:49 p.m. EST

Putin raises tension on Ukraine, suspends START nuclear pact

Russian President Vladimir Putin has suspended Moscow’s participation in the last remaining nuclear arms control pact with the United States. Putin announced the move Tuesday in a bitter state-of-the-nation speech where he made clear he would not change his strategy in the war in Ukraine. Putin emphasized, however, that Russia isn’t withdrawing from the pact yet. And hours after his address, the Foreign Ministry said Moscow would respect the treaty's caps on nuclear weapons. It also said Russia will continue to exchange information about test launches of ballistic missiles per earlier agreements with the United States. In his speech, Putin cast both Russia and Ukraine as victims of Western double-dealing.

US to limit asylum to migrants who pass through a 3rd nation

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration says it will generally deny asylum to migrants who show up at the U.S. southern border without first seeking protection in a country they passed through. That mirrors an attempt by the Trump administration that never took effect because it was blocked in court. The measure stops short of a total ban but imposes severe limitations on asylum for any nationality except Mexicans, who don’t have to travel through a third country to reach the U.S. It doesn't take effect immediately and is almost certain to face legal challenges, and it has to first go through a 30-day public comment period.

Seattle becomes first U.S. city to ban caste discrimination

SEATTLE (AP) — The Seattle City Council has added caste to the city’s anti-discrimination laws, becoming the first U.S. city and the first in the world to pass such a law outside South Asia to specifically ban caste discrimination. Calls to outlaw discrimination based on caste, a division of people based on birth or descent, have grown louder among South Asian diaspora communities in the United States. The movement is getting pushback from some Hindu Americans who argue that such legislation maligns a specific community. Proponents of the ordinance approved Tuesday say caste discrimination crosses national and religious boundaries and that without such laws, those facing caste discrimination in the U.S. will have no protections.

Inside the Trump grand jury that probed election meddling

ATLANTA (AP) — Emily Kohrs was between jobs when she suddenly found herself at the center of one of the nation’s most significant legal proceedings. The Georgia resident became foreperson of the special grand jury investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and Republican allies meddled in the state's 2020 presidential election. In an interview with The Associated Press, Kohrs offered her impressions of well-known witnesses. Gov. Brian Kemp seemed unhappy to be there. An aide to Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, Cassidy Hutchinson, was much more forthcoming than Meadows. And former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani was funny and invoked privilege to avoid answering many questions.

Protasiewicz, Kelly advance in Wisconsin high court primary

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — A liberal Milwaukee judge and a conservative former state Supreme Court justice have won Tuesday’s primary to face off in a Wisconsin Supreme Court race that will determine majority control. Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz and former Justice Dan Kelly are the top two vote getters and advance to the April 4 general election. Conservatives currently hold a 4-3 majority and have controlled the court for 15 years. But an open seat this year gives liberals a chance to take over the majority, with issues like abortion access, gerrymandered legislative districts and voting rights heading into the 2024 presidential election at stake.

McClellan wins special election for Virginia’s 4th District

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Democrat Jennifer McClellan has defeated her Republican opponent to win a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, where she will be the first Black woman to represent Virginia in Congress. McClellan is an attorney and veteran state legislator. She prevailed over pastor and Navy veteran Leon Benjamin in the race for the blue-leaning 4th District, which has its population center in the capital city and stretches south to the North Carolina border. The seat was open after the death of Democratic Rep. Donald McEachin in November. McEachin died weeks after being elected to a fourth term after a long fight with the secondary efforts of colorectal cancer.

EPA orders Norfolk Southern to clean up toxic derailment

EAST PALESTINE, Ohio (AP) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Norfolk Southern to pay for cleanup of the East Palestine, Ohio, train wreck and chemical release. The order came Tuesday as federal regulators took charge of long-term recovery efforts. The EPA warned Norfolk Southern that if it failed to comply, the agency would perform the work itself and seek triple damages from the company. Norfolk Southern’s CEO promised to do what’s necessary to ensure the community's long-term health. The developments came nearly three weeks after more than three dozen freight cars — including 11 carrying hazardous materials — derailed, prompting an evacuation and the intentional release and burn-off of toxic vinyl chloride in five of the rail cars.

Supreme Court wrestles with lawsuit shield for social media

WASHINGTON (AP) — In its first case about the federal law that is credited with helping create the modern internet, the Supreme Court seems unlikely to side with a family wanting to hold Google liable for the death of their daughter who was killed in a terrorist attack. At the same time, the justices also signaled in arguments lasting two and a half hours that they are wary of Google’s claims that a 1996 law, Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, affords it, Twitter, Facebook and other companies sweeping immunity from lawsuits over their targeted recommendations of videos, documents and other content. Justice Elena Kagan was among members of the court suggesting Congress, not the court, should make needed changes to a law passed early in the internet age.

Upper Midwest braces for blizzard, nearly 2 feet of snow

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A monster winter storm is taking aim at the Upper Midwest, threatening to bring blizzard conditions, bitterly cold temperatures and 2 feet of snow in a three-day onslaught that could affect more than 40 million Americans. The storm was to begin around midday and continue through Thursday morning, dumping heavy snow over parts of the Dakotas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa and Wisconsin. The system was headed straight for the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, where 2 feet of snow or more was possible. More than a foot of snow was expected in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Jimmy Carter enters hospice care. What is it?

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has entered home hospice care after a series of short hospital stays. The Carter Center said in a statement Saturday that Carter, 98, “decided to spend his remaining time at home with his family and receive hospice care instead of additional medical intervention.” Hospice care is treatment designed to make patients comfortable and to reduce pain and suffering in their final days. It is usually home-based and reserved for those declared by two physicians to be terminally ill, with six months or less to live. Hospice care may include medicine but only to reduce symptoms, not with the intent to cure any illness.