Good morning. It's Wednesday, March 1, and you can step outside after sunset tonight to see Jupiter and Venus nearly touching in the sky. Now let's get to the news. | | | The Supreme Court heard arguments about the student loan relief plan. | - The central question yesterday: Whether President Biden has the authority to cancel up to $20,000 in federal student loans for tens of millions of Americans.
- How justices responded: The court's conservatives, who have the majority, were skeptical. They suggested that something so costly would need Congress's involvement.
- So what now? The Supreme Court will hand down a ruling by the end of the term, usually in late June — or it could decide to act sooner.
| | | At least 36 people died when two trains collided in northern Greece. | - What we know: A passenger train and a freight train crashed into each other late yesterday, authorities said. At least 85 people were injured.
- The bigger picture: The collision — on a route between two popular tourist cities, Athens and Thessaloniki — was one of the country's deadliest railway accidents in decades.
| | | Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot lost her bid for reelection. | - What happened? She didn't get enough support in yesterday's election to advance to a runoff. Lightfoot, the first Black woman or openly gay person to lead America's third-largest city, had struggled amid rising gun violence.
- What's next? Paul Vallas, former chief executive of Chicago Public Schools, and Brandon Johnson, a Cook County commissioner, will contest an April 4 election.
| | | | | A winner was declared in Nigeria's historic presidential election. | - Who won? Bola Ahmed Tinubu, from the country's ruling party. His victory, announced this morning, came despite the unpopularity of outgoing president Muhammadu Buhari.
- The reaction: Rival candidates, including a popular third-party candidate, vowed to challenge the declaration, alleging tech problems, voter intimidation and manipulation of results.
| | | The FDA announced a crackdown on imports of "tranq." | - Why? Xylazine, the drug's official name, is a potent animal tranquilizer that's being mixed with illegal drugs, like heroin and fentanyl, with devastating consequences.
- What the FDA is doing: Yesterday's alert will let authorities stop shipments of the drug and its ingredients. The goal is to make sure it's going only to veterinarians.
| | | If you need a passport this summer, get your application in ASAP. | - Why? Wait times crept up last month. It's taking eight to 11 weeks for a routine application and five to seven for an expedited one.
- How to plan: The clock starts when the office gets your application, not when you drop it in the mail. The agency also temporarily suspended its online renewal program, which could complicate the process.
| | | You could soon be able to talk to Microsoft's chatbot straight from your PC. | - What's happening? The AI-powered Bing chatbot, which has amazed (and unsettled) people with its answers to complex questions, is being added to the search bar in Windows 11.
- When will I get it? The software update started rolling out yesterday. But you won't be able to chat with Bing unless you've made it off a long wait list.
Before you go … it's a great time to buy a TV, phone or laptop: Here's some advice on how to get the best deals. And finally … test your news knowledge with The Post's new daily quiz, On the Record. Click here to play. You're all caught up. See you tomorrow. (Illustration by Katty Huertas/The Washington Post) | Do you know someone who would like this newsletter? Share it with them. Prefer push notifications? Download The Post's app to get one when The 7 publishes. | | |
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