Nation and World at a Glance for March 10

Prosecutors Signal Criminal Charges for Trump Are Likely

The Manhattan district attorney’s office has signaled to Donald Trump’s lawyers that he could face criminal charges for his role in the payment of hush money to a porn star, the strongest indication yet that prosecutors are nearing an indictment of the former president, according to four people with knowledge of the matter. Prosecutors offered Trump the chance to testify next week before the grand jury, the people said. Such offers almost always indicate an indictment is close. In New York, potential defendants have the right to answer questions in the grand jury before they are indicted, but they rarely testify, and Trump is likely to decline the offer.

Biden’s $6.8 Trillion Budget Proposes New Social Programs and Higher Taxes

President Joe Biden on Thursday proposed a $6.8 trillion budget that sought to increase spending on the military and new social programs while also reducing future budget deficits, defying Republican calls to scale back government. The budget contains $5 trillion in proposed tax increases on high earners and corporations over a decade, much of which would offset spending programs aimed at the middle class and the poor. It seeks to reduce budget deficits by nearly $3 trillion over that time. The plan drew swift criticism from Republicans, who are locked in a debate with Biden over the borrowing limit, which House conservatives refuse to raise unless he agrees to sharp spending cuts.

Norfolk Southern CEO Says He Is ‘Deeply Sorry’ for Ohio Train Derailment

The CEO of Norfolk Southern told Congress on Thursday that he was “deeply sorry” for the effects of the train derailment last month in East Palestine, Ohio, but stopped short of promising to pay for long-term damage to the community, as senators pressed him for answers about safety measures and the possible environmental consequences from the accident. CEO Alan Shaw fielded questions from angry senators in both parties about how far Norfolk Southern was willing to go to improve rail safety and address the fallout from the derailment. But he declined to endorse rail safety legislation introduced last week, or to commit to paying for long-term medical costs, health care and economic damages.

Cloistered at Walter Reed, Fetterman Runs His Senate Operation From Afar

In a common room at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania begins most days meeting with his chief of staff, who arrives with a briefcase full of the day’s paperwork. The contents of that briefcase encompass the majority of Fetterman’s connection to the outside world these days, as the first-term Democrat finishes his third week being treated for severe clinical depression. Fetterman, 53, rushed back to the campaign trail last year after suffering a life-threatening stroke days before the Democratic primary. This time, he is taking his time in treatment, with the hope of returning to work within the next few weeks.

Boy, 6, Who Shot Teacher Will Not Be Charged, Prosecutor Says

The 6-year-old who shot and injured his first grade teacher at an elementary school in Virginia in January will not be charged, but a prosecutor said he was still deciding whether others could face criminal charges. The youth shot the 25-year-old teacher once with a handgun in a classroom at Richneck Elementary School in Newport News on Jan. 6, leaving her with “life-threatening” injuries. The Commonwealth attorney, Howard Gwynn, told NBC News on Wednesday that a child that young would not understand the legal system.

These Morning-After Pills May Prevent STIs, Researchers Say

Sexually transmitted infections have soared in recent years in the United States, prompting an urgent search for solutions. New research suggests that a widely available antibiotic, taken after sex, may help stem the tide. A single dose of doxycycline taken within 72 hours of unprotected sex dramatically cuts the risk of a bacterial STI, studies have found. The approach seems most effective for preventing chlamydia and syphilis, and slightly less so for preventing gonorrhea. The strategy has been shown to work among trans women and men who have sex with men who are at high risk for acquiring such an infection. But the pills have not shown a benefit in cisgender women.

Russia Blasts Ukrainian Cities, Including Biggest Use of Advanced Missiles

Russia launched its biggest aerial barrage in weeks on Thursday, blasting targets across Ukraine with an array of weapons, including its newest hypersonic missiles, in what it said was retaliation for an armed incursion into Russian territory last week. Volleys of missiles streaked into the capital, Kyiv, and other cities overnight, setting off air raid sirens and jarring people from their sleep, and killing at least six people, Ukrainian officials said. The strikes included six of the new Russian missiles known as Kinzhals. They are hypersonic — meaning they travel at more than five times the speed of sound, and can maneuver in flight, making them all but impossible to shoot down.

Australia to Buy U.S. Nuclear-Powered Submarines in Deal to Counter China

Australia will buy up to five Virginia-class nuclear-powered submarines from the United States to be delivered in the 2030s, which accelerates and deepens an ambitious defense agreement aimed at reinforcing U.S.-led military dominance of the Asia-Pacific region to counter China’s military growth. Australia would then buy a new class of submarines with British designs and U.S. technology in another stage of the deal. The arrangement — which would also include rotating U.S. attack submarines through Perth, in Western Australia, by 2027 — adds new details and complexities to a 2021 security pact among Australia, Britain and the United States, known as AUKUS.

Mass Protests Over Government’s Court Plans Sweep Israel

A new wave of mass demonstrations against a government plan to limit judicial independence swept across Israel on Thursday, with protesters restricting road access to the country’s main airport hours before Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flew to Italy. Thousands of demonstrators, some of them in a convoy of tractors, disrupted traffic in several cities, and others sailed a flotilla of boats through a maritime shipping lane near a major port. More than 20 protesters were arrested, according to Kan, the Israeli public broadcaster. The disruption coincided with a trip to the country by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.

Colorful, Iconic Jeepneys May Soon Be Off the Road in the Philippines

In the Philippines, they are known as “kings of the road,” colorful, open-air vehicles with loud horns and diesel engines that ferry millions of Filipinos on their daily commutes. The government wants the iconic rides, called “jeepneys” for their origins as U.S. military jeeps, off the road. Jeepneys were scheduled to be phased out by the end of the year, to be replaced by more expensive minibuses under a government modernization program. At a price of $43,600, the new replacement vehicles are more energy-efficient, comfortable and safe. But many jeepney drivers say they can’t afford them, and not having a vehicle would mean the end of their livelihood.

Honduras Lifts Longtime Ban on ‘Morning After’ Pills

President Xiomara Castro of Honduras signed an executive order Wednesday that lifted a longtime ban on emergency contraceptive pills, delivering on a campaign promise for a policy change that was sought by feminist groups for years. Castro, who signed the order on International Women’s Day, said on Twitter that the emergency contraceptive pill was “part of women’s reproductive rights, and not abortive,” citing the World Health Organization. The order was celebrated by human rights and feminist organizations. The use of emergency contraception in Honduras has been long opposed by major Christian congregations, which have argued that such pills could terminate an established pregnancy.

Multiple dead in Jehovah’s Witness hall shooting in Germany

German police say shots were fired inside a building used by Jehovah’s Witnesses in the northern German city of Hamburg and an unspecified number of people were killed and wounded. The shooting took place Thursday evening in the Gross Borstel district in Germany’s second-biggest city. Police say there is no immediate indication a shooter is on the run, and it appeared likely that the perpetrator or perpetrators were either in the building or among the dead. Through the night, forensic investigators in protective white suits could be seen walking through the building continuing their work. Hamburg security officials said there would be a press conference Friday afternoon to discuss details.

by wire sources