Here's a look at trending topics for today, March 15:
Bobby Caldwell
Dallas Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott runs during the second half of a Dec. 24, 2022, game against the Philadelphia Eagles in Arlington, Texas.
This morning's top headlines: Wednesday, March 15
A conservative judge in Texas has raised questions about an effort to overturn the decades-old approval of a leading abortion drug, in a case that could threaten the country’s most common method to end pregnancies. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk heard hours of arguments Wednesday on a Christian conservative group's request to revoke or suspend the U.S. approval of mifepristone. Such a step would be an unprecedented challenge to the FDA. The judge said he would rule “as soon as possible,” without giving any clear indication of how he might rule. Mifepristone, when combined with a second pill, was approved in 2000 and the standard method for medication abortion in the U.S.
President Joe Biden will highlight the stark differences in how Democrats are tackling skyrocketing drug prices compared to their Republican counterparts as he gears up for an expected reelection announcement. The Democratic president on Wednesday is giving a speech in Las Vegas that's likely to serve as a preview of the campaign ahead, putting the issue of lowering drug costs at the center of his policy and political agenda. The White House thinks it has a winning message in showcasing legislation passed last year that's expected to save taxpayers billions of dollars and lower the cost of drugs for the roughly 84 million Americans who rely on Medicare.
The U.S. military says a Russian warplane struck the propeller of a U.S. drone over the Black Sea on Tuesday, causing American forces to bring the unmanned aircraft down in international waters. The U.S. European Command says two Russian Su-27 fighter jets “conducted an unsafe and unprofessional intercept” of the MQ-9 drone in international airspace over the Black Sea. The State Department calls it a “brazen violation of international law.” Moscow says the U.S. drone maneuvered sharply and crashed into water following an encounter with Russian fighter jets scrambled to intercept it near Crimea, but insists its warplanes didn’t fire their weapons or hit the drone.
President Joe Biden is expected to sign an executive order aiming to increase the number of background checks to buy guns. The order also seeks to promote more secure firearms storage and ensure U.S. law enforcement agencies get the most out of last summer's bipartisan gun control law. The Democratic president is expected to unveil his latest efforts at curbing gun violence during a speech Tuesday in Monterey Park, California. In January, a gunman stormed a dance hall in the city near Los Angeles and shot 20 people, killing 11, following a Lunar New Year celebration. The bipartisan legislation passed after the killing of 19 students and two teachers in Uvalde, Texas.
Embattled U.S. Rep. George Santos of New York has filed paperwork indicating his intent to run for reelection, even as he faces calls to resign. The congressman is facing ongoing criminal and ethics investigations surrounding his successful congressional campaign and much of his personal life. Tuesday's filing with the Federal Election Commission does not mean that he will run for a second term. But it allows his campaign committees to continue raising money to pay for election debts and to possibly finance legal bills he might accrue to defend himself against any charges brought against him.
A winter storm is dumping heavy, wet snow in parts of the Northeast, causing power outages to tens of thousands, widespread closures of schools and government offices, dangerous driving conditions and a plane to slide off a taxiway. The storm’s path Tuesday included parts of New England, upstate New York, northeastern Pennsylvania and northern New Jersey. Snow totals were expected to range from a few inches to a few feet, depending on the location. More than 2,100 flights traveling to, from or within the U.S. were canceled, with Boston and New York City area airports seeing the highest numbers.
After barreling through Mozambique and Malawi since late last week and killing hundreds and displacing thousands more, Cyclone Freddy is set to move away from land Wednesday, which should bring some relief to southern African regions that have been ravaged by its torrential rain and powerful winds. The cyclone has killed at least 199 people in Malawi’s southern region and within and around Blantyre, the country’s financial hub, according to local authorities. In neighboring Mozambique, officials say at least 20 people have died since the storm made landfall in the port town of Quelimane on Saturday night.
Jamarius Burton made a go-ahead jumper with 10 seconds left and Pitt edged Mississippi State 60-59 in a back-and-forth First Four game Tuesday night that featured 21 lead changes — most in the NCAA Tournament in five years. In the earlier First Four game, Isaac Mushila had 15 points and 12 rebounds as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi held off Southeast Missouri State to earn the first NCAA Tournament win in program history.