Nation & World News – At a glance

Republicans Erupt in Outrage and Circle Around Trump

Republican leaders in Congress lamented the moment as a sad day in the annals of U.S. history. Even Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, widely viewed as Donald Trump’s leading potential presidential primary rival, rushed to condemn the prosecutor who brought the Manhattan case that led to the indictment of the former president Thursday. DeSantis said Florida would not play a role in extraditing him. Up and down the Republican Party, anger and accusations of injustice flowed from both backers and critics of the former president. The Manhattan inquiry is one of four criminal investigations involving Trump, and the outcomes and cumulative political effects of those cases remain to be seen.

Immigration Tripled in Top U.S. Counties Even as Many of Them Lost Population

The number of immigrants nearly tripled in the nation’s 20 most populous counties from 2021 to 2022, as immigration returned to pre-pandemic levels nationally, the Census Bureau reported Thursday. But many of these counties are still losing residents to suburbs, exurbs and other regions of the country, and they are feeling the brunt of the nation’s low birthrate. Those trends emerged from the latest figures in counties nationwide, revealing that the country is growing slowly, but that many communities are struggling to maintain population levels. The census data also shows that metro areas in the Sunbelt continued to draw a large share of Americans who relocated.

Lobbyists Begin Chipping Away at Biden’s $80 Billion IRS Overhaul

The Biden administration’s $80 billion overhaul of the IRS is facing a new line of attack, this time from lobbyists representing tax preparers that fear that the agency’s growing power will cripple their businesses and infringe on taxpayer privacy. The fight is over a potential plan for the IRS to create its own tax-filing system that would allow taxpayers to submit their returns directly to the federal government at no cost. The idea, which is still being studied, is stoking backlash from Republicans and business groups that argue that President Joe Biden’s plans to bolster the IRS will give it even more power over ordinary taxpayers.

Biden Calls on Regulators to Increase Oversight of Certain Banks

President Joe Biden on Thursday called on financial regulators to toughen oversight of medium-size banks that faced reduced scrutiny after a regulatory rollback during the Trump administration. Biden’s proposals would not require any action from Congress and could be accomplished by regulators, administration officials said. They include requiring banks to protect themselves against potential losses and maintain enough access to cash to carry them through a crisis. The proposals would also subject more banks to annual stress tests conducted by regulators to ensure that they could survive events like the Federal Reserve rapidly raising interest rates, a catalyst in the failure of Silicon Valley Bank this month.

9 Soldiers Killed After Army Helicopters Collide Over Kentucky

Nine soldiers were killed after two U.S. Army helicopters collided during a training mission near an Army base along the Kentucky-Tennessee state line Wednesday night, the Army said. The two HH-60 Black Hawk assault helicopters crashed into each other about 10 p.m. during a routine training mission, Nondice L. Thurman, a spokesperson at the Army base, Fort Campbell, said in a statement. She added that the crash was under investigation. The helicopters were from the 101st Airborne Division, which is based at Fort Campbell. Brig. Gen. John Lubas said on Thursday that all of the soldiers on board the two helicopters were killed.

911 calls reveal terror at Nashville school during attack

Authorities have released 911 recordings that capture the terror inside a Nashville elementary school during a mass shooting this week. Callers are heard pleading for help in hushed voices while sirens, crying and gunfire can be heard in the background. Police on Thursday released recordings of three emergency calls made during Monday’s attack at The Covenant School, in which three children and three adults were killed. In one, a man tells the dispatcher that he saw a man dressed in camoflauge firing an “assault rifle” through the door. Authorities say police shot and killed the assailant. Meanwhile, hundreds of people protested Thursday for stricter gun controls at the state Capitol.

College ends partnership with school over the David issue

A Michigan college will no longer partner with a Florida charter school after the school’s principal resigned due to complaints sixth graders were exposed to pornography during a Renaissance art lesson that included Michelangelo’s David sculpture. MLive.com reports Thursday that Tallahassee Classical School no longer is affiliated with Hillsdale College, a small, Christian classical liberal arts college in southern Michigan. Tallahassee Classical School uses Hillsdale’s classical education curriculum. Hillsdale spokeswoman Emily Stack Davis says the Florida school’s license to use Hillsdale’s curricular materials has been revoked. Hope Carrasquilla resigned last week at the Florida school following an ultimatum from the school board’s chairman.

Finland Clears Last Hurdle to Joining NATO

Finland won final approval Thursday to join NATO after decades of nonalignment, a major shift in the balance of power between the West and Russia that was set off by the invasion of Ukraine. The Turkish parliament cast the last vote needed for Finland’s entry into NATO, meaning that the alliance’s border with Russia will double. It is a diplomatic and strategic defeat for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who made clear when Russia invaded Ukraine that he was intent on blocking NATO’s eastward expansion. With Finland in its fold, NATO will be in a stronger position to deter Russia’s aggression, gaining access to a strong military, as well as Finnish airspace, ports and sea lanes.

Russia Detains Wall Street Journal Reporter, Accusing Him of Spying

Russian authorities said Thursday that they had detained an American journalist for The Wall Street Journal and accused him of espionage, marking a new escalation in Moscow’s tensions with the United States and with foreign media organizations since its invasion of Ukraine. Evan Gershkovich, a correspondent based in Moscow, is believed to be the first American reporter to be held as an accused spy in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Journal strongly rejected the accusations against Gershkovich and said it would seek his immediate release. “We stand in solidarity with Evan and his family,” the newspaper said.

Bolsonaro Returns to Brazil, Ending Self-Imposed Exile

Jair Bolsonaro, the former right-wing president of Brazil, returned home Thursday after a three-month self-imposed exile in the United States following his defeat last year in an election that tested the stability of one of the world’s biggest democracies. He returns to a series of investigations and could face arrest if charged over his role in spreading baseless claims that Brazil’s election system was vulnerable to fraud — despite reviews by independent security experts showing otherwise — and that the left was bent on stealing the vote. Bolsonaro has denied wrongdoing in relation to the January riot, and has defended himself in other investigations into his conduct.

Fire Kills at Least 28 on a Passenger Ferry in the Philippines

A passenger ferry caught fire overnight in the southern Philippines, killing at least 28 people, officials said Thursday. The ship was at sea near the island province of Basilan when the fire broke out Wednesday, the Philippine coast guard said. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear, and the coast guard said an investigation was underway. It was unclear if any more people were missing, in part because officials have yet to determine how many people were aboard the ferry. The ship was approved to carry 240 passengers and crew, but it appeared there were others on the vessel who were not in the manifest.

Pope ‘Gradually Improving’ After First Night in the Hospital

Pope Francis is feeling better and “gradually improving” after he was unexpectedly hospitalized for a respiratory infection, the Vatican said Thursday, although it was not clear whether he would be discharged in time for the start of Easter-related ceremonies. Few details were available about the condition of the pope, who is 86, but the Vatican added that he slept well during the night, ate breakfast, read some newspapers and resumed working. He also prayed in the small chapel inside the papal private hospital suite, suggesting that he was able to move from his bed.

4 Days After Netanyahu Fired Him, Defense Minister Is Still on the Job

He was technically fired Sunday night, prompting a surge of unrest that a day later led the Israeli government to suspend its deeply contentious judicial overhaul. Yet on Thursday, Yoav Gallant, the defense minister who was punished for criticizing the changes, was still in his position. Although the government announced his dismissal in a one-line statement Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu still has not sent him a letter formally confirming his departure, the Defense Ministry said. A spokesperson for the prime minister said Thursday afternoon that no decision had been made on Gallant’s future, declining to comment further.

By wire sources