QUICK HITS

1 High winds fuel wildfires in Virginia, other mid-Atlantic states:

High winds and low humidity helped spark dozens of wildfires across a handful of midAtlantic states Wednesday, causing officials to scramble to contain the blazes and issue air quality alerts. And with weather forecasts calling for increased fire danger again Thursday, fire crews across the region were bracing to continue battling the flames. Wildfires were reported in parts of Maryland, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia.

2 U.N. adopts a resolution backing efforts to ensure AI is safe:

The General Assembly has approved the first United Nations resolution on artificial intelligence. The goal is ensuring the powerful new technology benefits all nations, respects human rights and is“safe, secure and trustworthy.”The resolution, sponsored by the United States, was adopted by consensus with a bang of the gavel and without a vote, meaning it has the support of all 193 U.N. member nations.

Attorneys try to stop 3 DeSantis appointees from giving depositions in Disney lawsuit:

Attorneys for the Walt Disney World governing district taken over last year by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ allies don’t want the governor’s appointees answering questions under oath as part of its state lawsuit against Disney. District attorneys Monday filed a motion for a protective order that would stop the DeSantis-appointed board members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District from having to give videotaped depositions to Disney attorneys.

4 Escaped white supremacist inmate and accomplice still at large after Idaho hospital ambush:

Police say authorities are searching for a white supremacist Idaho prison inmate and an accomplice who fled after the accomplice fired at corrections officers who were transporting the inmate from a Boise hospital. Three corrections officers were shot and wounded early Wednesday in the ambulance bay at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center. Authorities says the accomplice shot two officers, while responding police mistakenly shot a third officer.

5 Energy agency announces $475M in funding for clean energy projects:

The Biden administration pumped more money into clean energy projects Thursday, announcing up to $475 million in federal funding for projects in five states — including the political battleground states of Pennsylvania, Arizona and Nevada. The projects will accelerate clean energy development on current and former mine lands.