President Joe Biden delivered his second State of the Union address to a standing ovation from some and boos from others. And desperation is growing amid the earthquake rescue efforts in Turkey and Syria.
👋 Hello! Laura Davis here. It’s time for Wednesday’s news!
But at first 🐾 it seemed like a simple feel-good story: Ghost the dog became a cult figure in Nevada after he was rescued while living with coyotes. Now he is part of a bitter custody battle.
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Biden’s State of the Union speech draws cheers and cheers
President Joe Biden delivered his second State of the Union address Tuesday night to cheers and a standing ovation from Democrats and Republicans. Biden emphasized bipartisanship, his economic plan and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, among other achievements. But there were other moments – both combative and comforting – that also stood out. Here’s what you might have missed.
Deaths in Turkey, Syria earthquake exceed 11,000
The search for survivors became more desperate, the homeless problem more acute and the death toll rose sharply on Wednesday as rescuers worked amid the rubble from Monday’s earthquake in Turkey and Syria. The death toll of more than 11,600, the largest worldwide for an earthquake in more than a decade, is expected to rise. “The magnitude and scope of the devastation our team has witnessed is hard to describe,” said Dale Buckner, CEO of Virginia-based Global Guardian. “Some infrastructure will never be replaced. The damage is so widespread that it will be uninhabitable for years to come.” Latest updates.
What everyone is talking about
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Hunter Biden portable history inflames House lawmakers
Representatives’ hearing Wednesday on Twitter’s brief suppression of a story about Hunter Biden’s laptop outlined the malaise of former leaders to block it and provided an arena for bipartisan lawmakers to debate allegations against President Joe Biden. After former Twitter executives said the story about the laptop was suppressed because of concerns about Russian interference, Republicans argued that Twitter could have tipped the 2020 election by suppressing the story. But Democrats called the hearing a “bizarre political stunt” and dismissed the basic allegations against Biden stemming from the laptop as “categorically false.” Here’s what happened at the hearing.
King James sits on the NBA’s scoring throne
LeBron James cried. The tears flowed Tuesday night after the Los Angeles Lakers star passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA’s leading scorer. After months of anticipation, the record-breaking shot finally arrived — a 14-foot turnaround jumper with 10.9 seconds left in the third quarter against the Oklahoma City Thunder. In that moment, James eclipsed the record of 38,387 points that had stood for nearly 40 years. 🏀 Read more about his journey to the scoring record.
❄️ Winter weather: Tornadoes are possible in Texas as severe weather spreads across parts of the South and a winter storm is in the Midwest forecast. Wednesday’s updates.
A break from the news
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Wednesday’s News: Earthquake Deaths, Biden’s State of the Union, Lebron James.
