Here’s what you need to know at the end of the day.
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Good evening. Here’s the latest at the end of Wednesday.
1. Western leaders are still looking for proof that President Vladimir Putin of Russia is backing down.
Russia said it was continuing to pull troops back from Ukraine’s borders, but Secretary of State Antony Blinken and the head of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, said they had seen no indication of a withdrawal. Stoltenberg said that Russia remained capable “of a full-fledged invasion of Ukraine without any warning time.”
A senior Ukrainian official said President Volodymyr Zelensky was considering holding a referendum that could mean giving up his country’s plan to join NATO. Yesterday, a cyberattack on the Defense Ministry, army and state banks was the largest of its kind in Ukraine’s history and “bore traces of foreign intelligence services,” a top Ukrainian cybersecurity official said.
At the heart of Putin’s calculations is a U.S. missile defense base in Poland. He views the base as a threat posed by NATO’s eastward expansion and a reason for surrounding Ukraine.
2. Rejecting Donald Trump’s claim of executive privilege, President Biden ordered the release of White House visitor logs to the House committee investigating Jan. 6.
In a letter to the National Archives, the White House counsel said that “in light of the urgency” of the committee’s work, the agency should provide the material to the committee within 15 days. Last year, Trump lost a bid in court to block the release of other batches of White House documents and records sought by the committee. It’s unclear whether he’ll try again.
The move comes as committee investigators try to piece together what Trump was doing inside the White House the day his supporters attacked the Capitol.
3. Europe is relaxing Covid rules. In Hong Kong, hospitals are overwhelmed.
Germany announced that most of the country’s remaining restrictions — such as vaccination requirements to eat in restaurants — will be lifted by March 20. Austria, Switzerland, Slovakia and parts of Spain have also committed to dropping all or most remaining restrictions in the near future.
In Asia, Hong Kong is sinking under its worst wave yet of the coronavirus. Overwhelmed hospitals have left patients waiting on sidewalks. China’s leader, Xi Jinping, has ordered the Hong Kong government to “take all necessary measures” to curb the outbreak.
Flight attendants are on the front lines of enforcing Covid travel restrictions. Passengers angry about mask rules have turned a dream job into a nightmare.
4. “It feels like a big lie.”
Thousands of Afghan allies and their families who narrowly missed being evacuated when the Taliban seized Kabul have counted on a program known as humanitarian parole to reach the U.S. But six months after the frantic U.S. withdrawal, most remain stranded, either because they have been denied entry or because they are still awaiting the outcomes of their cases.
Of the 43,000 humanitarian parole applications immigration services has received since July 2021, it has processed fewer than 2,000. About 1,500 had been denied and 170 approved as of Friday.
Separately, Congressional Democrats are seeking a review of how Black migrants are treated in detention and in immigration courts, reviving concerns over the mass deportations in the fall of Haitians seeking asylum.
5. San Francisco voters ousted three members of the Board of Education, in a recall election fueled by pandemic anger.
The election closes a bitter chapter in the city’s politics, one characterized by accusations of racism and a flurry of lawsuits. Initial results showed that more than 70 percent of voters supported the recall of each member.
The recall was a victory for parents who were angered that the district prioritized deciding whether to rename a third of its schools last year instead of focusing on reopening them. It also appeared to be a demonstration of Asian American electoral power.
In other education news, a conservative group is behind lawsuits against elite public high schools that have adjusted their admissions policies to diversify their student bodies.
6. Jeff Zucker blamed an office romance for his resignation as the president of CNN Worldwide. But other forces set the stage for his downfall.
Beyond his failure to disclose a relationship with a fellow senior executive, Allison Gollust, Zucker faced trouble with multiple scandals involving the Cuomos, a testy relationship with a new boss and falling ratings. Gollust, too, has left the network.
Zucker’s abrupt departure has thrown the future of CNN into chaos, just as it was poised to introduce a highly anticipated streaming service and come under new corporate ownership.
In other media news, we remember P.J. O’Rourke, a sharp-toothed satirist whose conservatism wasn’t doctrinaire, our critic writes. He died on Tuesday at 74.
7. Visitors are on an Olympic quest for good food.
With most of Beijing off limits because of the pandemic, Olympic participants have been living off hit-or-miss cafeteria food and snacks prepared by robots. But international visitors made discoveries, swapped tips and celebrated finds. A restaurant tucked away on the fifth floor of a resort in the mountains of Zhangjiakou, where some snowboard events take place, quickly became a popular destination.
In other behind-the-scenes news:
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The American figure skater Karen Chen performs in glittering dresses designed and sewn by her mother. “I just feel the best when I wear them,” she said.
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Quadruple jumps, once performed only by male figure skaters, may be essential for women to win gold this year. See how Russian skaters are leading the way.
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The ice makers of Olympic curling are part physicist, part meteorologist, part engineer.
8. New York Fashion Week is back, and so are the early aughts.
The runways have been full of throwbacks to the 1990s and early 2000s: revenge dresses, rainbow bags, micro miniskirts and blingy butterfly sunglasses. One designer label, Collina Strada, presented its collection through a filmed parody of the mid-2000s reality show “The Hills.”
There were plenty of other eye-catching looks, too. Sergio Hudson offered his version of a 1980s fashion show, and Altuzarra had a gorgeous amalgamation of urban sailors and mermaids. Some took a more classic approach. The suit is back, our chief fashion critic writes.
9. Is it wizardry or chemistry?
A great baking recipe ultimately combines both. These 24 inventive recipes are full of light-bulb moments that educate as much as they impress. Try a cake that gets its rise from 7Up or a silky mousse that forms out of just chocolate. Another baking tip: Forget chocolate bars. Baking with chocolate chips can lead to better-tasting desserts.
And if you, like us, are fantasizing about summer meals, here’s how to grow “epic” tomatoes for the perfect tomato sandwich.
Whatever the season, more people are drinking natural wine. These 12 bottles are a good place to start.
10. And finally, an Antarctic feat.
A British Army officer has completed a solo walk to the South Pole, making her one of the few women to have finished the trek and possibly the first woman of color to have done so.
Harpreet Chandi traveled alone for 40 days, over 700 miles of ice and snow. Hauling 200 pounds of gear, she endured temperatures as low as minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit. An avid hiker and ultramarathon runner, she started training for her Antarctic expedition just two years ago.
“I was told, ‘You don’t really look like a polar explorer,’” Chandi said. “Then let’s change that image.”
Have a barrier-breaking night.
Angela Jimenez compiled photos for this briefing.
Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern.
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