On the version of Hot off the Wire posted Feb. 28 at 7:30 a.m. CT:

A series of wildfires are sweeping across the Texas Panhandle, prompting evacuations, cutting off power to thousands, and forcing the brief shutdown of a nuclear weapons facility. Strong winds, dry grass and unseasonably warm temperatures fed the blazes. Gov. Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 60 counties as the largest blaze burned nearly 470 square miles. The fire tore through sparsely populated counties surrounded by rolling plains.

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Joe Biden and Donald Trump have won their party’s primaries in Michigan. However, Tuesday’s results showed that both candidates have cause for concern in their bid to win the swing state in November. An “uncommitted” vote in Michigan’s Democratic primary was the first indication of how backlash over President Biden’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza might impact his reelection campaign. Support for Trump rival Nikki Haley once again showed that some Republican voters may have misgivings about giving the former president another four years in the general election.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden is signing an executive order aiming to better protect Americans’ personal data on everything from biometrics and health records to finances and geolocation from foreign adversaries like China and Russia.

The funeral of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, who died earlier this month in a remote Arctic penal colony, will take place on Friday in Moscow after several locations declined to host the service, his spokesperson says. Kira Yarmysh says the funeral will be held at a church in Moscow’s southeast Maryino district on Friday afternoon. The burial is to be at a nearby cemetery. 

In other news:

San Francisco apologizes to Black residents for decades of racist policies.

UK's Prince William pulls out of memorial service for his godfather because of "personal matter."

—The Associated Press

About this program

Host Terry Lipshetz is managing editor of the national newsroom for Lee Enterprises. Besides producing the daily Hot off the Wire news podcast, Terry conducts periodic interviews for this Behind the Headlines program, co-hosts the Streamed & Screened movies and television program and is the former producer of Across the Sky, a podcast dedicated to weather and climate.

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