Thursday, February 29, 2024

Dueling border visits

With immigration at the top of voters' minds, President Joe Biden and Donald Trump both headed to the border. It's Thursday's news. ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 

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The Short List

Thu Feb 29 2024

 

Laura L. Davis Audience Editor

@lauradavis

With immigration at the top of voters' minds, President Joe Biden and Donald Trump both headed to the border. Wildfires in Texas continue to sweep across the panhandle. And at least 100 people were killed while waiting for food in Gaza.

👋Leap day greetings, y'all! Laura Davis here. Hope you're making your bonus day count! It's time for Thursday's news.

But first: Take a leap into history! ⏳ While there may be only 25 or so leap days each century, plenty of historic events have happened on February's extra day. Here's a look.

Dueling visits to the border

The long-anticipated standoff between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump finally happened Thursday – not on a debate stage but along 325 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border. The political rivals staged separate visits to the southern border in Texas to draw attention to immigration and border security, now the leading issue for voters.

Biden in Brownsville: The president headed to Brownsville, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley, which was once the nation's busiest corridor for illegal crossings, to meet with federal immigration agents and local government and law enforcement to press Congress to act swiftly in passing border security legislation.

Meanwhile, 325 miles away: Trump was joined by Gov. Greg Abbott and other officials for a speech on his visit to Eagle Pass, roughly 325 miles northwest of Brownsville and part of the corridor that has seen the largest increase in illegal crossings.

Playing catch-up on immigration: Biden chases Trump to the Mexico border. | Opinion

Would Mitt Romney vote for Trump over Biden? 'Absolutely not.'

Trump, Biden at border

Left: Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump walks with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and others in Eagle Pass, Texas, on Thursday. Right: President Joe Biden talks with the U.S. Border Patrol, as he looks over the southern border in Brownsville, Texas, along the Rio Grande.

Evan Vucci, Eric Gay

🗳️📱 Text with USA TODAY politics: Elections news right on your phone. Text 301-888-6791 to sign up.

Texas wildfire is largest in state's history

Wildfires roared across the Texas panhandle Thursday, forcing widespread evacuations and causing one death. 👉 Here's the latest on the wildfires.

What's happening now: As of Thursday 130 fires were burning across the state, according to the Texas A&M Fire Service. The largest of the blazes, the Smokehouse Creek Fire, had consumed 1 million acres, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island, and it was just 3% contained.

Texas wildfires map: See where fires are burning.

Syndication Amarillo Globe News

A small fire burns along Highway 33 outside of Canadian, Texas, on Thursday as a remnant of the Smokehouse Creek Fire in Hemphill County.

Michael Cuviello, Amarillo Globe-News

Real quick

With Mitch McConnell retiring, when is it time for the rest of us?
Kelly Osbourne, Sid Wilson had a huge fight about their son's last name.
Mental health crisis fuels the post-pandemic rise in medication use.
She told him she looked like Megan Fox. Now 'Love Is Blind' is being put to the test.
Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and the truth about intimate male friendship.
A Missouri law forbids pregnant women from divorce. A new bill is trying to change that.

Scores killed while waiting for food in Gaza

More than 100 Palestinians were killed and hundreds wounded when Israeli troops opened fire on people waiting in a food line in Gaza City, pushing the Palestinian death toll above 30,000 since the war began, officials said Thursday. Israeli authorities released aerial footage of crowds swarming the aid trucks, placed blame on the crush of the crowd and Palestinian truck drivers and asserted fewer than 10 of the casualties were a result of Israeli gunfire. Health Ministry spokesman Ashraf al-Qidra said at least 112 people were killed and 760 wounded. 📍 Follow our live coverage.

Celebrating girl power: 2024 Women of the Year

A gymnast, a CEO, a doctor, an actress, a model turned writer. These women make a difference every day – in every state. Introducing USA TODAY's 2024 Women of the Year, 60 women across the country who are using their voices and determination to push for change, equality – and even joy. ⭐️ Meet USA TODAY's Women of the Year.

Woty 16 9 3

Eva Longoria, Toni Townes-Whitley, Dr. Melissa Gilliam, Aly Raisman and Paulina Porizkova are just a few of USA TODAY's 2024 Women of the Year.

Alan Nguyen

A break from the news

🕵️‍♀️ How thieves are using cell and Wi-Fi jammers to help them rob homes.
Don't put your crockpot in the dishwasher. Here's how to clean it without scrubbing forever.

Laura L. Davis is an Audience Editor at USA TODAY. Say hello: laura@usatoday.com.  Support quality journalism like this? Subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump greets supporters during an election night watch party at the State Fairgrounds on Feb. 24, 2024 in Columbia, South Carolina. South Carolina held its Republican primary today.

Here are the top takeaways about the Supreme Court's decision to hear Donald Trump's claim of immunity against charges he tried to steal the 2020 election.

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Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones speaks to reporters following an NFL football game between the Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers, Sunday, Jan. 14, 2024, in Arlington, Texas.
 

Cowboys owner ordered to take paternity test

A judge ordered Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to take a paternity test to determine whether he is the biological father of a woman who sued him last year.

Musician Cat Janice and her 7-year-old son Loren.
 

Cat Janice, viral 'Dance You Outta My Head' singer, dies at 31

Cat Janice, who went viral after dedicating her final song "Dance You Outta My Head" to her son, has died from sarcoma cancer. She was 31.

Michael Weatherly and Cote de Pablo are returning in a new "NCIS" spin-off.
 

Cote de Pablo, Micheal Weatherly bring Ziva and Tony to 'NCIS' spinoff

Cote De Pablo and Michael Weatherly will bring fan-favorite roles of Ziva David and Tony DiNozzo to a new "NCIS" spin-off coming to Paramount+,

Madeline 'Maddie' Soto
 

Boyfriend of Maddie Soto's mom arrested, now a 'prime suspect' in case

Stephan Sterns, the boyfriend of missing 13-year-old Madeline Soto's mother, was arrested Wednesday and is now a suspect in the teen's disappearance.

HOLD FOR USA TODAY WOMEN OF THE YEAR STORY Feb 6, 2024; Cambridge, MA 02139, USA; Feb. 6, 2024; Cambridge, Ma., USA -- Former Olympic gymnast and sexual abuse survivor Aly Raisman is interviewed as one of the USA TODAY Women of the Year honorees. Mandatory Credit: Josh Reynolds- For USA TODAY
 

Aly Raisman on the courage to find herself out of gymnastics

Aly Raisman is known as an Olympian and voice for sex abuse survivors. As a USA TODAY Woman of the Year, she is showing courage in redefining herself.

Mallory Valvano of Party Girl Bake Club creates amazing cakes with goops of buttercream frosting and fun designs.
 

Frosting smudges and color clashes: cake decoration enters its messy era

The day of the smooth, perfect color coordinated cake is over. The wild, bejeweled cakes feature big swirls and draw from the Victorian age.

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women. But only 38% of clinical trial participants are women, and research is chronically underfunded.
 

Women's health: Heart disease is top killer. Why do we know so little?

Awareness of heart disease is on the decline among women – especially younger ones, who are at increased risk.

Republican presidential candidate former President Donald Trump walks to kiss the American flag before speaking during the Conservative Political Action Conference, CPAC 2024, at the National Harbor, in Oxon Hill, Md., on Feb. 24, 2024.
 

Has Trump improved his standing with Black voters? What the polls show

Former President Donald Trump claimed his criminal indictments were enhancing his support among Black voters, but the polls and experts say otherwise.

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