News Wrap: Democratic primary race begins in South Carolina

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• John Yang:

  The first votes in the Democratic race for president were cast today in the South Carolina primary polls are still open but President Biden is expected to win easily. Mr. Biden wasn't in the state today. He visited his campaign headquarters in Delaware and is heading to campaign stops in California and Nevada. The Republican primary in South Carolina is later this month.

  Senate negotiators are closing in on a final text of border security legislation. They are now working on the final spending figures for the plan. Senate leaders would like to see votes on the measure next week. No details have been made public. It will also include money for both Ukraine and Israel. If the measure passes the Senate it would face an uncertain future in the House.

  Intense forest fires are burning through a densely populated area of central Chile. At least 19 people have died and about 1,100 homes have been destroyed. There are nearly 100 forest fires burning in central and southern Chile, where it's been unusually hot this week.

  More troubles for former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan, he and his wife were sentenced to seven years in prison today after a court ruled that is — the marriage was illegal because his wife remarried too soon after getting a divorce. It was Khan's third prison sentence in less than a week. He's also been convicted of leaking classified documents and of keeping state gifts he received while in office. All this means that Khan can't run in next week's election. He was ousted from power in 2022 but remains popular.

  And for the first time an Irish nationalist as head of the government of Northern Ireland. Today the country's legislature named Michelle O'Neill as First Minister. She's a member of Sinn Fein the political party that favors unification of Ireland and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom.

  Sinn Fein was affiliated with the militant Irish Republican Army during the decades of violent conflict with Unionists who want to stay in the United Kingdom. Today it was the legislature's first meeting after a two-year boycott by unionists.

  Still to come on PBS News Weekend, the push for Congress to take action against AI generated deep fake images, and a dive into the drastic measures scientists are taking to save coral reefs from climate change.