10 Things to Know for Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Your daily look at late-breaking news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today...

1. PUTIN HALTS WAR GAMES NEAR UKRAINE'S BORDER  It's not clear if his order is an attempt to heed the West's call to de-escalate the crisis that has put Ukraine's future on the line.  UKRAINE

2. KERRY ON WAY TO KIEV  He'll try to reinforce U.S. support for the new government as the U.S. and its top allies grapple with Russia's military incursion into Ukraine.  UNITED STATES-RUSSIA

3. PISTORIUS TRIAL INTERRUPTED  The judge adjourns the proceedings after a prosecutor claims that a picture of a woman testifying in court was being shown on TV, despite a privacy order.  PISTORIUS-TRIAL

4. IN TEXAS, THE SEASON'S FIRST PRIMARY  Ballots will be cast for a slate of open seats from the governor's office on down, with political observers watching to see how far to the right the state might go.  TEXAS ELECTION

5. HOW DEEP FREEZE MEANS COLD CASH FOR SOME BUSINESSES   The harsh winter has helped Ace Hardware sell the most snow blowers and shovels in a decade, while waterproof boots have flown off L.L. Bean's shelves.   WINTER WEATHER WINNERS

6. NEPAL WORKS TO CLEAN THE PEAK  Under new rules, Everest climbers will each be made to bring down at least 17 pounds of rubbish.  NEPAL-EVEREST

7. WHERE ADDICTS OFTEN GET PAINKILLERS  Most people who abuse the addictive drugs obtain them free from friends or relatives, a study finds. Drug dealers are a relatively uncommon source.  PRESCRIPTION PAINKILLERS

8. PRODUCT PLACEMENT MIGHT HAVE PRECEDED ELLEN'S OSCAR SELFIE  The snapshot, retweeted by millions, was taken with a device made by Samsung — a commercial sponsor of the Academy Awards.  OSCARS-ELLEN'S SELFIE

9. WHO'S AGAIN THE RICHEST PERSON IN THE WORLD  Bill Gates, who had trailed Mexican telecom mogul Carlos Slim Helu, reclaims the top spot on Forbes magazine's annual list with a fortune worth some $76 billion.  FORBES-BILLIONAIRES

10. LEBRON HITS A CAREER HIGH  The NBA superstar puts on a scoring show, pouring in 61 points as Miami beats Charlotte 124-107.  BOBCATS-HEAT