The Presidential Daily Brief

Christie and Fiorina Suspend Their Campaigns

Chris Christie and Carly Fiorina are calling it quits. They’ve both announced that they’re ending their bids for the Republican nomination. Donald Trump, meanwhile, is riding high on his New Hampshire win with 35 percent of the vote, and John Kasich’s positive campaign earned a surprise second-place spot. Democratic socialist Bernie Sanders also won by double-digits yesterday, sparking speculation that Hillary Clinton may shake up her staff. But OZY co-founder Carlos Watson says Clinton is still likely to win the nomination as all eyes turn to South Carolina.

NATO Bolsters Its Eastern Flank, Puts Moscow on Notice

They’re sending Putin a message. The alliance has agreed to show solidarity with its neighbors by beefing up its military presence in Eastern Europe. The enhanced force will reportedly consist of between 3,000 and 6,000 troops rotating through Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Romania and Bulgaria — nations concerned by Russian aggression in the wake of the Ukrainian conflict and the annexation of Crimea. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said an “attack against one ally is an attack against all allies,” vowing that the alliance will respond as a whole.

Russia, US Seek to Revive Syrian Peace Talks

They could still cease fire. President Bashar Assad’s forces have been advancing against rebels with the help of Russian airstrikes. But even after Geneva peace talks broke down last week, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart say they’re hoping to salvage a compromise on battling ISIS, which claimed its first Damascus bombing (and an estimated eight lives) Tuesday. If government forces manage to drive the rebels out of Aleppo, it’ll be a major blow to the opposition — and remove Assad’s incentive to make a deal.

Forensic Team Casts Doubt on Mexican Student Murder Story

Where are the bodies? The Mexican government maintains that 43 students who disappeared in 2014 were killed by a drug cartel and burned in a mass grave — but a new report is challenging that account. The Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team, which investigated the site for a year, says it didn’t find any physical or biological evidence of the students in the ashes, though it found plenty of other people’s teeth and bones. Mexico’s attorney general is reviewing the report and has vowed to form her own forensic team.

Janet Yellen: Global Turbulence Could Hurt Growth

All bets are off … for an interest rate hike. The Federal Reserve Chair told the U.S. House Financial Services Committee this morning that financial conditions in America — including declines in equity prices, higher high-risk borrowing rates and an even stronger dollar — “have recently become less supportive of growth.” China’s economic downturn, and shaky markets elsewhere could further impact U.S. growth, she told lawmakers. U.S. stocks opened higher after her speech, and investors worldwide will be staying tuned for any hints at policy directives when Yellen addresses the Senate tomorrow.

North Korea Reportedly Kills Army Chief of Staff, Key Portion of Obama’s Climate Plan Blocked

North Korea reportedly executes army chief of staff. (BBC)

Supreme Court freezes Obama’s carbon emissions plan. (Washington Post)

South Africa’s Supreme Court to decide whether to rule in Zuma case. (CNN)

Ferguson City Council wants revisions to settlement, DoJ pushes back. (USA Today)

South Korea to close industrial park run jointly with North Korea. (NYT)

German police say they’ve recovered all bodies from Bavarian train crash. (DW)