AP News in Brief at 11:04 p.m. EDT

Ukraine sees room for compromise, as 20,000 escape Mariupol

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine said it saw possible room for compromise in talks with Russia despite Moscow’s stepped up bombardment Tuesday of Kyiv and new assaults on the port city of Mariupol, from where an estimated 20,000 civilians managed to flee through a humanitarian corridor.

The fast-moving developments on the diplomatic front and on the ground came as Russia’s invasion neared the three-week mark and the number of Ukrainians who have left the country amid Europe’s heaviest fighting since World War II eclipsed 3 million.

After delegations from Ukraine and Russia met again Tuesday via video, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said early Wednesday that Russia’s demands were becoming “more realistic.” The two sides were expected to speak again Wednesday.

“Efforts are still needed, patience is needed,” he said in his nightly video address to the nation. “Any war ends with an agreement.”

Zelenskyy, who was expected to address the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, thanked President Joe Biden and “all the friends of Ukraine” for $13.6 billion in new support.

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Live updates: Ukraine says 4th Russian general killed

LVIV, Ukraine — Ukraine said a fourth Russian general has been killed in the fighting.

Maj. Gen. Oleg Mityaev died Tuesday during the storming of Mariupol, said Ukrainian Interior Ministry adviser Anton Gerashchenko, who published a photo on Telegram of what he said was the dead officer.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported the death of another Russian general in his nighttime address but didn’t name him.

Mityaev, 46, commanded the 150th motorized rifle division and had fought in Syria, Gerashchenko said.

There was no confirmation of the death from Russia.

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Zelenskyy center stage: Facing Congress, pleading for help

WASHINGTON (AP) — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address the U.S. Congress on Wednesday, the actor-turned-wartime leader’s latest video stop as he employs the West’s great legislative bodies as a global stage to orchestrate support against Russia’s crushing invasion.

Zelenskyy’s livestreamed address into the U.S. Capitol will be among the most important in a unique and very public strategy in his fight to stop Russia.

Invoking Winston Churchill and Hamlet last week, he asked the British House of Commons whether Ukraine is “to be or not to be.” On Tuesday, he appealed to “Dear Justin” as he addressed the Canadian Parliament and Prime Minister Trudeau. Appearing in his now trademark army green T-shirt, Zelenskyy called on European Union leaders at the start of the war to do the politically unthinkable and fast-track Ukraine’s membership — and he has continued to push for more help to save his young democracy than world leaders have so far pledged to do.

“It was a man showing leadership while at the same time keeping his calm in the toughest of circumstances,” said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte about the address to the Europeans. “I have to say, it had an enormous impact on all the leaders.”

Nearing the three-week mark in an ever-escalating war, Zelenskyy has used his public campaign to help ensure a global spotlight that might have faded amid the coronavirus pandemic and fatigue after the end of the long U.S. war in Afghanistan.

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Man suspected of stalking, killing homeless people arrested

WASHINGTON (AP) — A man suspected of stalking and shooting homeless people asleep on the streets of New York City and Washington was arrested early Tuesday. Police said at least two people were killed and three others wounded in the attacks.

The suspect, Gerald Brevard was arrested in Washington on murder, assault and other charges after news of the killings had added new fears to people spending nights on the streets of the two cities and elsewhere.

The 30-year-old man, who lives in the Washington area, was charged Tuesday only in connection with the Washington cases and has not been charged in the New York attacks. Brevard has a criminal history that includes assaulting a police officer and assault with a deadly weapon and was in custody Tuesday. He was being questioned by both New York and Washington detectives.

Police in the two cities earlier released multiple surveillance photographs, including a closeup showing the suspect’s face that was obtained from an ATM surveillance camera in Washington, and urged people who might know him to come forward. Investigators used ballistic evidence and tips to help link the shootings, and a tipster called police with information about the suspect’s identity, officials said.

Police are now contacting other cities to determine whether or not the suspect might be responsible for attacks elsewhere. Though he hasn’t been charged yet in the New York cases, police feel “very confident” they have identified the correct suspect, Metropolitan Police Chief Robert Contee said.

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Seoul: North Korean launch apparently ends in failure

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — North Korea’s latest weapons launch on Wednesday apparently ended in failure, South Korea’s military said, amid speculation that the North could soon launch its biggest long-range missile in its most significant provocation in years.

It wasn’t immediately clear what North Korea launched on Wednesday morning or at what stage it had an apparent failure. But the launch, the 10th of its kind this year, shows North Korea is determined to press ahead on its push to modernize its weapons arsenal and pressure its rivals into making concessions amid dormant denuclearization talks.

South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities were analyzing details of the launch made from the Pyongyang region around 9:30 a.m. that apparently failed, South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that didn’t have further details.

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters that a flight of a ballistic missile has not been confirmed and that Tokyo is working with Washington and Seoul to further analyze what happened.

Experts say past failures still have moved North Korea closer to its goal of acquiring a viable nuclear arsenal that could threaten the American homeland. Of eight “Musudan” intermediate-range missiles tests in 2016, only one of those launches was seen by outside analysts as successful, which led to debates of whether North Korea’s path toward ICBMs had been cut off.

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Pfizer asks US to allow 4th COVID vaccine dose for seniors

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pfizer and its partner BioNTech asked U.S. regulators Tuesday to authorize an additional booster dose of their COVID-19 vaccine for seniors, saying data from Israel suggests older adults would benefit.

Currently the U.S. urges two primary shots followed months later by a booster dose for everyone age 12 and older. The new application seeks to add a fourth shot only for the over-65 population that has been hit hardest by the pandemic.

The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control would have to approve the request. If so, a key question would be how soon seniors would be advised to roll up their sleeves.

While authorities say the vaccinations continue to offer strong protection against severe illness, they haven’t held up as well against milder infections especially those due to the omicron mutant. With COVID-19 cases finally plummeting after the intense omicron surge, public health experts are starting to look ahead to what next steps might be needed — if a new variant crops up or, barring that, whether to try shoring up coronavirus protection in the fall at the same time people get flu vaccinations.

Speaking to CBS’ “Face the Nation” on Sunday, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla signaled the company’s plans.

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AP FACT CHECK: Biden skirts blame on inflation; GOP gas hype

WASHINGTON (AP) — Facing political attacks over rising costs, President Joe Biden exaggerated his role in reducing the federal deficit and skirted responsibility by asserting that a flood of government spending into the economy has no impact at all on higher prices. It actually does.

Congressional Republicans, meanwhile, went too far in pinning blame for surging gasoline prices on Biden.

A look at the rhetoric and reality:

DEFICIT

BIDEN: “Last year, the deficit dropped for the first time since 2015. It fell by $360 billion last year and this year it’s on track to drop by more than $1 trillion after four years in a row of increasing deficits before I took office. We’re now on a track to see the largest-ever decline in a deficit in American history.” — remarks Tuesday.

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Former police boss denies cover-up in Ronald Greene death

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — Gov. John Bel Edwards trusted Louisiana State Police to “do the right thing” and took a hands-off approach in police matters, even after Black motorist Ronald Greene died in a violent confrontation with troopers following a high-speed chase, the former head of the agency told state lawmakers Tuesday.

Kevin Reeves distanced himself — and the Democratic governor — from the investigation of Greene’s 2019 death during a three-hour bipartisan grilling that included accusations of racism and gross negligence by the state’s premier law enforcement agency.

The hearing became heated at times as lawmakers expressed incredulity and frustration in Reeves’ demurrals and refusal to condemn the white troopers captured on body camera video punching, stunning and dragging Greene during his fatal arrest on a rural roadside in northeast Louisiana.

Lawmakers alternatively described his disengagement as “unacceptable” and “suspicious” and promised to continue digging into the case.

But Reeves was unbowed, insisting he will one day face God with a clear conscience: “I can tell you right now that I will not have to account for participating in a cover-up of the death of Mr. Ronald Greene.”

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Poodles pop in popularity, but Labs still No. 1 US dog breed

NEW YORK (AP) — Labrador retrievers are still tugging hardest on U.S. dog lovers’ heartstrings, but poodles just strutted back into the American Kennel Club’s top five most popular dog breeds for the first time in nearly a quarter-century.

The club’s annual popularity rankings came out Tuesday, drawn from more than 800,000 purebred puppies and older pooches that joined the nation’s oldest canine registry last year.

With 197 recognized breeds, the list ranges from such familiar furry faces as Labs — No. 1 for an unprecedented 31 straight years — to the newly added Biewer terrier (making a strong debut at #82) and unusual pups like the hairless Xoloitzcuintli (#119).

For dog fans, there’s plenty to dig into (like a dachshund, #10) and point out (like a pointer, #120). So we’ve rounded up (like a border collie, #31) some highlights:

TOP 10

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March Madness guide: What to look for in the NCAA Tournament

March Madness is about to get its roar back.

A year after attendance was limited, the 2022 NCAA tournaments are a full-go for fans again. Arenas will be packed from San Diego to Buffalo, the road to a title paved with the sounds we’ve come to expect with all those buzzer beaters and breakout performances.

Two years of pent-up energy is about to be released and it’s going to be a noisy ride.

Here’s a few things to watch on the men’s side as the NCAA Tournamentkicks off with the First Four in Dayton, Ohio:

THE FAVORITES