Schumer is in Ukraine to meet Zelenskyy; US lands on moon; Toyota, Volkswagen issue recalls

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department plans to impose more than 500 new sanctions on Russia and its war machine on Friday as the U.S. vows to keep up its financial pressure on Moscow with the war entering its third grueling year. 

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The latest figures from the National Police show that more than 30,000 people have been reported missing in Ukraine during two years of war. Among them are military personnel, civilians and children. Tens of thousands of people have disappeared under a variety of circumstances, their whereabouts unknown.

AT&T says the hourslong outage to its U.S. cellphone network appeared to be the result of a technical error, not a malicious attack. The Dallas-based company blamed the outage Thursday on an error in coding while it was expanding its network, without elaborating.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A private lander has made the first U.S. moon landing in more than 50 years. Intuitive Machines' lander touched down Thursday, but left flight controllers scrambling before gaining better contact. nce communication was improved, the company confirmed the lander was upright and starting to send back data. The landing put the U.S. back on the moon for the first time since NASA's Apollo moonwalkers.

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Nikki Haley’s best-case scenario for her home state’s Republican primary might be to do well enough to be competitive on Super Tuesday. An upset in South Carolina, though, is a longshot in a state where Republicans like their former governor but love former President Donald Trump. 

HOUSTON (AP) — A Houston has man has pleaded guilty to securities fraud for trading on inside information from his wife's business conversations while both were working from home. 

In other headlines:

• China plans to send San Diego Zoo more pandas this year, reintroducing panda diplomacy.
• New York's AG says she’ll seize Donald Trump’s property if he can’t pay $454 million civil fraud debt.
• Man who assaulted four officers during Capitol riot is sentenced to nearly 3 years in prison.
• Texas school legally punished Black student over hairstyle, judge says.
• Wendy Williams diagnosed with same form of dementia as Bruce Willis.
• Trial of "Rust" begins in fatal film rehearsal shooting by Alec Baldwin
• The NBA returns to action, number 3 Purdue wins but number 4 Arizona loses, the Rangers and Auston Matthews remain hot on the ice, and baseball's back on the diamond.
• Toyota recalls 280,000 pickups and SUVs because transmissions can deliver power even when in neutral.
• Volkswagen to recall 261,000 cars to fix pump problem that can let fuel leak and increase fire risk.
• Average long-term mortgages rose again this week to highest level since mid December.
• Home sales rose in January as easing mortgage rates, inventory enticed homebuyers.
• Applications for jobless benefits fall again as labor market powers on.

—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.

Lee Enterprises produces many national, regional and sports podcasts. Learn more here.