Judy Woodruff:

The U.S. has been trying to force Maduro out of office since he was widely accused of rigging his own reelection in 2018.

There may be new progress toward peace talks in Afghanistan. President Ashraf Ghani has announced a team to negotiate with the Taliban. His rival, Abdullah Abdullah, has not yet endorsed Ghani's selections. But U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad hailed the announcement today as a meaningful step.

Back in this country, the Environmental Protection Agency is relaxing some pollution regulations. It says oil and gas firms and others may face staffing shortages during the coronavirus pandemic and have trouble complying with the rules. Environmental groups say that it's all part of a broader campaign against the regulations.

And a passing to note. Longtime Republican political strategist John Sears died yesterday of a heart attack at his home in California. Sears served President Richard Nixon as deputy White House counsel, after working on his 1968 campaign. He managed the first two presidential campaigns of Ronald Reagan, almost masterminding the defeat of an incumbent president, Gerald Ford, in 1976, and setting the stage for Reagan's nomination in 1980, before being fired.

John Sears was 79 years old.