Supreme Court seems to favor tech giants in terror case
The Supreme Court seemed skeptical of a lawsuit trying to hold social media companies responsible for a terrorist attack at a Turkish nightclub that killed 39 people. During arguments at the high court several justices underscored that there was no evidence linking Twitter, Facebook and Google directly to the 2017 attack on the Reina nightclub in Istanbul. The family of a man killed in the attack says the companies aided and abetted the attack because they assisted in the growth of the Islamic State group, which claimed responsibility for the attack. A lower court let the lawsuit go forward.
Biden considers 1st offshore wind auction in Gulf of Mexico
The Biden administration said Wednesday it is considering the first-ever lease sale for offshore wind energy in the Gulf of Mexico, a key part of a push to deploy 30 gigawatts of offshore wind by 2030 to help fight climate change. The proposed sale, which could take place as soon as this summer, includes areas offshore Lake Charles, Louisiana and Galveston, Texas, for roughly 3.6 gigawatts of electricity, enough to power about 1.3 million homes. Scientists say dirty energy produced burning coal and gas must be replaced as fast as possible with energy that does not pollute in order to avoid extreme changes to the climate.
McCarthy gives Carlson access to 1/6 footage, raising alarms
Thousands of hours of surveillance footage from the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol are being made available to Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson. It’s a stunning level of access granted by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and it’s raising new questions about the Republican leader’s commitment to transparency, oversight and safety at the Capitol. A hard-right political commentator, Carlson says his team is spending the week at the Capitol poring through the video and preparing to reveal their findings. But granting such high-profile access to sensitive security details to such a deeply partisan figure is a highly unusual move that is raising alarms on Capitol Hill.
Jimmy Carter receives accolades from afar, and right at home
Former President Jimmy Carter is garnering accolades and well-wishes across the world since the announcement that the 98-year-old is receiving end-of-life care at home in Georgia. Praise is coming from well-known public leaders and admirers he’s never met, along with family members and fellow residents of Plains, where Carter and his wife, Rosalynn, 95, have lived most of their lives and are known to locals as “Mr. Jimmy” and “Ms. Rosalynn.” “It’s just surreal to think about it all,” said Kim Fuller, Carter’s niece, who runs “Friends of Jimmy Carter” in the former president’s hometown. Downtown Plains, its historic sites and the former president’s boyhood home are seeing an uptick in visitors. Carter’s presidential library in Atlanta is drawing new visitors, as well.
Stocks stall in mixed trading day after worst drop in months
Stocks stalled in mixed trading a day after falling to their worst loss since December, as Wall Street prepares for interest rates to stay higher for longer. The S&P 500 dipped 0.2% Wednesday after drifting between small gains and losses through the day. The Dow also slipped, while the Nasdaq edged higher. Treasury yields pulled back a bit after their surge the prior day. Yields have shot higher this month on expectations the Federal Reserve will be more aggressive on rates than markets had expected. Minutes from the Fed’s last meeting showed policy makers still think inflation is too high despite a recent cooldown.
Russia, China show off ties amid maneuvering over Ukraine
Russia and China are showcasing their deepening ties in Moscow meetings others are watching for signs that Beijing might offer the Kremlin stronger support for its war in Ukraine. The Chinese Communist Party’s most senior foreign policy official met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s foreign minister on Wednesday. Relations between Russia and the West are at their lowest point since the Cold War, and ties between China and the U.S. are also under strain. Moscow suspended its participation in the last remaining nuclear arms control treaty with Washington this week. Putin says the Kremlin expects Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit Russia.
UK grocers limit sales of some vegetables amid shortages
Several British supermarket chains have limited the amount of some fresh fruits and vegetables that customers can buy amid shortages blamed on bad weather in Spain and Morocco. Tesco, the U.K.’s largest grocery chain, said Wednesday that it would temporarily limit customers to buying three items each of tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. It follows similar moves by rival chains Aldi and Morrisons. The empty shelves have become a political issue, with opponents of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union blaming Brexit for the shortages. But industry figures said the main culprit was bad weather hurting crop yields in Spain and Morocco, two of the U.K.’s main suppliers of fresh produce in the winter.
By wire sources