5 things to know for March 20: Presidential race, Immigration, Government shutdown, Cyberattacks, Haiti
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Strawberries topped this year’s “Dirty Dozen” list — a ranking of the fruits and vegetables contaminated with the most amount of pesticides. However, studies have found that levels of pesticides in adults and children can drop up to 95% after a switch to an organic diet. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day. President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, both of whom had already clinched their parties’ presidential nominations, picked up more delegates Tuesday in their respective primary contests in Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Kansas and Ohio as they gear up for a rematch in November. In Ohio, businessman Bernie Moreno won the key Republican Senate primary, setting up a high-stakes contest against Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in the fall that will be pivotal to deciding control of the Senate. Trump had endorsed Moreno, and the primary was this year’s first test of the former president’s clout in a contested Senate race. A federal appeals court late Tuesday put Texas’ controversial immigration law back on hold, hours after the Supreme Court had cleared the way for the state to begin enforcing the measure. Senate Bill 4 would have allowed state officials to arrest people they suspect of entering the country illegally. The Supreme Court decision had handed a significant — yet temporary — win to Texas, which has been battling the Biden administration over immigration policy. The panel of judges that issued Tuesday’s order is set to hear arguments later today on Texas’ request to put the law back into effect pending the state’s appeal of a federal judge’s block of the law. Congressional leaders on Tuesday formally announced a deal to fund the rest of the government through the fiscal year. House Speaker Mike Johnson announced the deal in a statement, saying he hopes the text of the legislation will be released “as soon as possible” — a key step expected before either chamber votes. Congress has until 11:59 p.m. ET Friday to pass the deal, and getting through both chambers is expected to take days. Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, will likely need many Democratic votes to pass the legislation as the far right wing of his conference has been pushing against the bill. And in the Democratic-controlled Senate, any one member of the narrowly divided chamber can slow down the process, pushing the federal government past its deadline. Cyberattacks are hitting water systems throughout the US as the Biden administration warns state governments to improve their defenses against such threats. A letter issued to governors from the White House and Environmental Protection Agency said, “even basic cybersecurity precautions” are not in place at water facilities and “can mean the difference between business as usual and a disruptive cyberattack.” The US water sector, which spans 150,000 public water systems, has struggled to find the cash and personnel to deal with the increasing number of attacks. In November, hackers breached industrial equipment at multiple water facilities to display an anti-Israel message on equipment, while Chinese state-backed hackers have been lurking in US water facilities for years.
After recent burglaries at homes of professional athletes – including Kansas City Chiefs stars Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce – the NFL and NBA have issued security memos to teams and players warning that “organized and skilled groups” are increasingly targeting players’ residences for such crimes.