Axios

A Nebraska man pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to sharing classified information about Russia's war on Ukraine on a foreign online dating platform while working as a civilian Air Force employee, per multiple reports.

The big picture: Retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel David Franklin Slater, 63, of Nebraska, is accused of sending intel to someone claiming to be a woman living in Ukraine from February-April 2022 — a period during which he was attending classified briefings, per the indictment.

The staggering shortage of Latinos working in tech is a problem that has to be addressed holistically and as early as grade school, according to a new report.

Why it matters: Tech drives the U.S. economy and is replete with high-paying jobs, but Latinos have been systematically shut out. They account only for 5% of executive leadership positions at tech companies and 6% of venture capitalists, according to the Kapor Foundation report released Tuesday.

Concerns in Latin America that abortion rights could face setbacks similar to those in the U.S. are adding urgency to the protests planned for International Women's Day this Friday, Marina writes.

Why it matters: Regions of Latin America already are some of the most dangerous in the world for people who wish or need to terminate a pregnancy.

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has invited the parents of Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter imprisoned in Russia, to attend President Biden's State of the Union address on Thursday.

Why it matters: March 29 is the one-year anniversary of Gershkovich's arrest by Russian authorities on charges of espionage. Both the Wall Street Journal and the 32-year-old journalist vehemently deny the allegations, and the U.S. government considers him wrongfully detained.

Israeli minister Benny Gantz encountered harsh criticism and tough questions about the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza and Israel's war strategy during his meeting with Vice President Kamala Harris and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan at the White House on Monday, three Israeli and U.S. officials said.

Why it matters: Gantz, who is considered a more moderate member of the Israeli war cabinet, absorbed a lot of the frustration the White House has with the Israeli government right now, a U.S. official said.

A Californian man pleaded not guilty on Monday after being arrested and charged for allegedly smuggling greenhouse gases from Mexico into the U.S. and selling them for profit, prosecutors said.

Why it matters: Michael Hart, 58, of San Diego, faces the first-ever prosecution in the U.S. to include charges related to the American Innovation and Manufacturing Act of 2020 (AIM Act) for allegedly smuggling hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), a potent greenhouse gas used in refrigeration and air conditioning.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday temporarily put on hold a Texas law that would allow local authorities and judges to arrest and deport immigrants suspected of illegally crossing the U.S. border.

Why it matters: The move comes after civil rights groups and the Department of Justice together sued in an effort to stop the law from going into effect, arguing it is unconstitutional and could lead to racial profiling.

Asia's richest man, Mukesh Ambani, fêted other billionaires at his youngest son's pre-wedding bash over the weekend in Jamnagar, India, Hope writes.

Zoom in: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and BlackRock CEO Larry Fink were in attendance among 1,200 invited guests, according to reports.

• Ambani's net worth sits at $113 billion, per Bloomberg, thanks to Reliance Industries — a conglomerate he runs that spans telecom and media, food, energy, retail, and petroleum refining.

Qatari and Egyptian mediators told Israeli negotiators during talks last week that Hamas is willing to decrease the number of Palestinian prisoners released as part of a hostage deal if Israel agrees to allow more Palestinian civilians to return to northern Gaza, an Israeli official and a source with knowledge of the issue told Axios.

Why it matters: Pressure continues to mount on Israel and Hamas to reach an agreement that includes the release of hostages and a humanitarian ceasefire as aid groups warn half a million Palestinians are at risk of famine.