The last remaining arms control treaty between the United States and Russia, limiting their nuclear arsenals, expired on Thursday, ending decades of agreements between the two nations. The New START Treaty, which had been in place since 2010, limited each side to 1,550 deployed strategic nuclear weapons and required on-site inspections. However, Russia suspended inspections and stopped providing notifications during the war in Ukraine, according to CBS News.
The treaty's expiration comes as both countries navigate an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape. Former President Joe Biden had extended the treaty for five years in 2021. While Russia is estimated to not have significantly exceeded the required caps, according to a State Department report released last month, the absence of the treaty raises concerns about the future of arms control.
In other news, former President Donald Trump unveiled his TrumpRx website on Thursday, which he said would help Americans purchase lower-priced prescription drugs. The website lists 40 drugs at lower costs than previous prices for out-of-pocket patients, according to ABC News. Trump called the launch part of the "most transformative health care initiatives." He made the announcement alongside Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz and National Design Studio Director Joe Gebbia.
Also on Thursday, Congress approved legislation to fully fund the World Trade Center Health Program, preventing a projected multibillion-dollar shortfall that threatened the program's future. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., highlighted the action as a critical step toward protecting long-term care for those sickened by toxic exposure after the Sept. 11 attacks, according to ABC News. "Fully funding the World Trade Center Health Program honors our promise to never forget 911 survivors and the brave first responders who put their lives on the line for our country," Gillibrand said at a press conference.
In other developments, Arizona police are still searching for Nancy Guthrie, the missing mother of US news anchor Savannah Guthrie, five days after her disappearance. According to BBC World, Pima County Sheriff Chris Nanos said investigators believe the 84-year-old is still alive and are working under that assumption. The FBI is reviewing two ransom notes, and a $50,000 reward has been offered for information leading to an arrest.
Finally, in sports, Jessie Diggins, a cross-country skier, was highlighted for her endurance in the Beijing Winter Olympics on February 20, 2022, according to the New York Times. The conditions at the National Cross-Country Skiing Center in Zhangjiakou were brutal, with Siberian winds and blowing snow.
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