Storm hammers nation; Biden signs Respect for Marriage Act; lawmakers work to avoid shutdown; Ovechkin scores 800th | Hot off the Wire podcast

On this version of Hot off the Wire (More details in our episode show notes):

» A destructive storm marched across the United States, spawning tornadoes that touched down in parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, where two deaths were reported. The storm also delivered blizzard-like conditions to the Great Plains and threatened more severe weather Wednesday in the South.

» President Joe Biden has signed gay marriage legislation into law. A celebratory crowd of thousands bundled up on a chilly Tuesday afternoon on the South Lawn of the White House to watch the joyful ceremony, which was tempered by the backdrop of an ongoing conservative backlash over gender issues.

» Lawmakers leading the negotiations on a bill to fund the federal government for the current fiscal year say they’ve reached agreement on a “framework” that should allow them to complete work on the bill over the next week and avoid a government shutdown.

» In sports, Alex Ovechkin scored his 800th goal, the Bucks won a battle of the last two NBA champs, Carlos Correa signed a Giant contract, and Argentina and Lionel Messi are World Cup finalists.