The bipartisan plan to prevent future rail disasters

Plus, Blinken meets his Russian counterpart.

Senators unveil rail safety bill to prevent future train derailments; US and Russia hold highest-level talks since the invasion of Ukraine.   Tonight's Sentences was written by Jariel Arvin. TOP NEWS A bipartisan compromise on rail safety  Michael Swensen/Getty Images A bipartisan group of six senators has introduced legislation to improve rail safety following the February 3 derailment of a train carrying toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio. [Vox / Nicole Narea] The Railway Safety Act of 2023 imposes stricter inspection and notification standards for trains carrying hazardous materials and increases fines for rail companies that break the rules. It also allocates $27 million for rail safety improvement research. [New York Times / Stephanie Lai] It requires devices to detect mechanical issues as well, after a preliminary report found the East Palestine crew had little notice of a malfunction before the train went off the tracks. [Associated Press / Julie Carr Smyth and Josh Funk] The bill, co-sponsored by Sens. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), is rare moment of bipartisanship. It's unclear if it will gain enough votes to pass the House. [CBS News / Melissa Quinn] On March 9, Alan Shaw, CEO of rail operator Norfolk Southern will testify under oath about what led to the disaster. [NBC News / Liz Brown-Kaiser and Rose Horowitch 📍 If you read just one story Vox's Umair Irfan explains the potential long-term health impacts and cleanup efforts in East Palestine after the toxic train derailment. [Vox / Umair Irfan] Blinken pushes Russia's Lavrov in brief meeting Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken briefly met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov for their first face-to-face talks since Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. [BBC / Barbara Plett Usher and Nadine Yousif] Blinken said he promised continued Western support for Ukraine, and urged Russia to rejoin the START nuclear arms treaty and release wrongfully detained American Paul Whelan. Lavrov has yet to publicly discuss the meeting. [AP News / Matthew Lee] The chat came on the sidelines of a Group of 20 session in India. The bloc failed to produce a shared message on the war in Ukraine because of objections from Russia and China. [Washington Post / John Hudson] Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin blamed a Ukrainian group for an attack on Russian citizens. But Russian nationals have also claimed responsibility. [Daily Beast / Allison Quinn and Dan Ladden-Hall] Support our work   Reader gifts help keep Vox and newsletters like Sentences free for all. Support our work with a gift today. Give MISCELLANEOUS Thursday, Judge Clifton Newman removed a juror in Alex Murdaugh's double murder trial for improperly discussing the case. [Vox / Aja Romano] The House Ethics Commitee on Thursday launched an investigation into embattled Rep. George Santos (R-NY) over fabricating his résumé and campaign finance issues. [The Hill / Emily Brooks] TikTok introduced new limits on screen time for users that require parental passwords every 30 minutes for users under 13. [Vox / Sara Morrison] The FBI arrested and charged a Michigan man for threatening Jewish elected officials in that state. [CNBC / Dan Mangan] VERBATIM "It shouldn't take a massive railroad disaster for elected officials to put partisanship aside and work together for the people we serve — not corporations like Norfolk Southern." [Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH), on the rail safety bill / NBC News] LISTEN TO THIS Why newspapers fired Dilbert Newspapers across the country pulled the long-running comic "Dilbert" after its creator uploaded a racist tirade about Rasmussen poll results. Journalist Chris Cillizza explains how providing the fodder for controversy is Rasmussen's whole deal.   Listen now   ▶ Read more from Vox Party Down's new season says hustle culture is a scam America's school lunch crisis Money Talks: The identical twins running a hometown business The big, neglected problem that should be Biden's top priority For now, the one thing Congress seems to agree on is China This email was sent to edwardlorilla1986.paxforex@blogger.com. Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe. If you value Vox's unique explanatory journalism, support our work with a one-time or recurring contribution.   View our Privacy Notice and our Terms of Service.   Vox Media, 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, Floor 12, Washington, DC 20036. Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.