Chinese President Xi Jinping will travel to Moscow next week in a demonstration of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Also in the news: Princeton survived the first round of the NCAA men's tournament and USA TODAY announces its 2023 Women of the Year honorees. |
Here's Friday's headlines. |
What President Xi's upcoming visit to Russia means |
Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit Russia from Monday to Wednesday in an apparent show of support for Russian President Vladimir Putin amid sharpening East-West tensions over the conflict in Ukraine. Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine is expected to dominate discussions. China has sought to project itself as neutral in the conflict even while last year, Beijing declared it had a "no-limits" friendship with Russia. It has refused to condemn Moscow's invasion. China has said the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries should be respected, while condemning Western sanctions and accusing NATO and the U.S. of provoking Russia into military action. Read more Russia-Ukraine updates. | Footage from a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 drone shows a Russian SU-27 aircraft jettissoning fuel over The Black Sea on March 14, 2023.
HANDOUT, USEUCOM/AFP via Getty Images |
Workers face murder charges in death of man at Virginia mental health hospital |
Three employees of a mental health hospital in Virginia were charged with murder Thursday, joining seven sheriff's deputies who have also been charged in the death of a man who died in handcuffs and leg irons while being subdued. Irvo Otieno died March 6 while being held down at the Central State Hospital in suburban Petersburg, Virginia. Sheriffs claim Otieno became violent while being admitted to the hospital and was restrained by seven Henrico County Sheriff's deputies who brought him there. "They tortured him to death," Otieno's mother, Caroline Ouko, said Thursday. "They treated him like a dog … worse than a dog." Read more | Caroline Ouko, mother of Irvo Otieno, holds a portrait of her son at the Dinwiddie Courthouse in Dinwiddie, Virginia, on Thursday, March 16, 2023.
Daniel Sangjib Min, AP |
Why is the TikTok CEO testifying before Congress? |
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will testify before Congress next week, as some lawmakers continue to push for a ban on the social media platform. Chew's highly anticipated testimony comes as the app's parent company, ByteDance, comes under increasing fire from lawmakers on Capitol Hill over its connections to the Chinese government. |
The background: A bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill last Tuesday that would give the federal government broader authority to regulate and ban foreign-linked technology that the Department of Commerce considers a threat to national security, including TikTok. |
| • | Something both Biden and Trump have tried to do: The Biden administration threatened a ban if TikTok's Chinese owners do not sell their stakes in the company. Former President Donald Trump tried to ban TikTok that year but was blocked in court in 2020 after the Committee on Foreign Investment launched a national security review of the app. | | • | TikTok argues a divestment from ByteDance wouldn't solve concerns over national security. The company said in June that it was committed to improving its safety controls and would be routing all U.S. user traffic to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure "to better safeguard our app, systems, and the security of US user data." | | National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told reporters that Biden has national security concerns about TikTok, as evidenced by a ban on government devices.
OLIVIER DOULIERY, AFP via Getty Images |
NCAA Tournament Day 1 recap: Princeton surprises |
The first full day of the men's NCAA Tournament began Thursday with some dramatic upsets, with No. 13 seed Furman scoring the day's first upset when the Paladins shocked No. 4 Virginia. Then, No. 15 Princeton busted brackets everywhere by upending No. 2 Arizona after trailing most of the game – and marking the third straight year a No. 15 seed advanced to the second round. No. 10 Boise State was able to close the Wildcats' lead to four before No. 7 Northwestern pulled away for a 75-67 win. Read our full recap of day one. | First round: No. 7 Northwestern 75, No. 10 Boise State 67
Kelley L Cox, USA TODAY Sports |
Meet USA TODAY's Women of the Year |
USA TODAY's Women of the Year project honors local and national heroines who make a positive impact in their communities every day. Across America, USA TODAY readers have submitted their nominations for national and state Women of the Year honorees. Through the end of March, our newsroom will showcase these remarkable women and the causes they care most about. Click here to read more about program and look out for more honoree stories through the next few weeks. | Reps. Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., from left, Becca Balint, D-Vt., Summer Lee, D-Pa., Delia Ramirez, D-Ill., Hillary Scholten, D-Mich., and Yadira Caraveo, D-Co., stand for a class photo of newly-elected members of Congress in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022.
Patrick Semansky, AP |
Photo of the day: St. Patrick's Day 2023 |
St. Patrick's Day is upon us, meaning that it's time for good food, even better drinks and getting into the holiday spirit. To get the scoop on the holiday, USA TODAY has turned to Elizabeth Stack, executive director of Albany's Irish American Heritage Museum, and Brian Witt, the cultural exhibits coordinator for Milwaukee Irish Fest. Read more | The Chicago River is dyed green in Chicago on Saturday, March 11, 2023, to celebrate the upcoming St. Patrick's Day parade.
Shanna Madison, AP |
Associated Press contributed reporting. | | | |
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