NEWS

Unbiased headline news for Saturday March 30, 2024 – A woman from Texas, Lizelle Gonzalez, has filed a lawsuit against prosecutors along the U.S.-Mexico border who initiated a criminal case against her for self-managing an abortion, resulting in her being charged with murder and spending two nights in jail before the charges were eventually dropped. The federal court lawsuit, filed by Gonzalez on Thursday, comes a month after the State Bar of Texas fined and disciplined the district attorney in rural Starr County over the 2022 case, in which Gonzalez was charged with murder for “the death of an individual by self-induced abortion.” — On Saturday, a three-ship convoy departed from a port in Cyprus, carrying 400 tons of food and other essential supplies destined for Gaza, as concerns about hunger in the territory continue to escalate. World Central Kitchen stated that the vessels and a barge were loaded with enough provisions to prepare more than 1 million meals, including items such as rice, pasta, flour, legumes, canned vegetables, and proteins. Additionally, dates, traditionally consumed to break the daily fast during the holy month of Ramadan, were also on board. — A massive salvaging operation is currently underway to reopen the Port of Baltimore following the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. The Navy has mobilized a 1,000-ton lift capacity derrick barge, a 400-ton lift-capacity revolving crane barge, and a 160-ton revolving crane to assist in lifting the debris from the water, a colossal undertaking that is in progress. Officials have stated that the section of the bridge trapping the cargo ship dolly weighs between 3,000 and 4,000 tons. — Tensions are running high at South Dakota’s largest prison on Saturday after two nights of disruptions at the facility. A media group posted a live video to X of an incident at the South Dakota State Penitentiary in Sioux Falls on Thursday night. Inmates in the video could be heard yelling “we have rights,” and “water.” A spokesperson for the South Dakota State Employees Association informed KSFY-TV that inmates had also set fires inside cells. — Convicted Rust film armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed must remain in jail while awaiting a sentencing hearing and cannot have a retrial, according to a ruling by a New Mexico judge. On Friday, District Court Judge Mary Marlowe-Sommer ruled against requests made by Gutierrez-Reed’s attorneys, denying their motions to overturn her conviction, grant a retrial, and order her release from jail as she awaits an April 15 sentencing, as reported by Variety. — A 21st birthday party turned deadly when two men in their 20s were fatally shot early Saturday in Jacinto City, Texas, according to the Harris County Sheriff’s Office. The party had about 50 people in attendance and featured a live band. Police said it was unclear whether the deceased were partygoers or suspects, according to a post from Sheriff Ed Gonzalez on X. Shots were fired, and at least two people were struck. — As these incidents have gained traction online, the New York Police Department said on Friday that they have identified seven instances in which TikTok users have posted about being randomly punched in the city. Two suspects have been arrested so far, but the NYPD stated that there is no evidence that any of the incidents are related. Police said that while there are numerous unprovoked attacks daily in the city, TikTok has just become a platform for dissemination. — The Environmental Protection Agency announced its new emissions standards for heavy-duty vehicles on Friday, which the agency claims will avoid 1 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions. The move comes in an election year when the Biden-Harris campaign is working to demonstrate achievements in their climate agenda. The new standards impact vehicles such as freight trucks and buses manufactured for model years 2027-2032.

Unbiased headline news for Thursday March 28, 2024 – Texas’ immigration enforcement plan remains temporarily halted by a federal appeals court ruling, likely delaying enforcement of Governor Greg Abbott’s new immigration law until a broader decision on its legality. The 2-1 ruling marks the second time a three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has temporarily blocked the Texas law. It follows a brief period last week when the Supreme Court allowed the law to take effect, sparking anger and anticipation along the U.S.-Mexico border. — The death toll from last week’s deadly attack at a Moscow concert hall has climbed to 143, Russian authorities said. Around 80 other people wounded in the siege by gunmen remain hospitalized. The Friday night massacre at Crocus City Hall, a vast shopping and entertainment complex on the northwestern outskirts of Moscow, was the deadliest extremist attack on Russian soil in nearly two decades. At least four gunmen armed with automatic rifles opened fire on thousands of concertgoers and set the venue ablaze. — For over a month, House Speaker Mike Johnson has deliberated on a funding package that would send urgently needed ammunition and weapons to Ukraine, considering how best to navigate what is expected to be a challenging endeavor in the House. The Republican speaker has indicated he will attempt to secure approval for tens of billions in wartime funding for Ukraine, as well as Israel, once the House returns in April. However, it will likely be his most formidable task since assuming the speaker’s gavel late last year. — Allies of Governor Ron DeSantis and Disney have reached a settlement agreement in a state court battle over future development plans for Walt Disney World. During a meeting, the DeSantis-appointed members of the board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District approved the settlement agreement, ending nearly two years of litigation sparked by DeSantis’ takeover of the district from Disney supporters following the company’s opposition to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law. — The federal judge overseeing Hunter Biden’s tax case in California posed probing questions to Hunter Biden’s legal team during the early portion of a hearing on defense motions in the case. Judge Mark Scarsi appeared skeptical of some motions seeking to dismiss the nine-count indictment to which the president’s son pleaded not guilty earlier this year. Hunter Biden did not attend the hearing. — An adult male allegedly stabbed multiple victims in the Rockford, Illinois area on Wednesday, leaving four people dead, one in critical condition, and four others in stable condition, authorities said at a press conference. A postal worker is among the four individuals who died, Rockford Police confirmed. Details about the other victims have not been released. Rockford police stated the suspect is in custody. No known motive has been established at this time. — Former Sen. Joe Lieberman has passed away, his family announced Wednesday. He was 82 years old. Lieberman died in New York City “due to complications from a fall,” his family said in a statement. “His beloved wife, Hadassah, and members of his family were with him as he passed. Senator Lieberman’s love of God, his family, and America endured throughout his life of service in the public interest,” the statement read. — Earth’s changing rotational speed is threatening to disrupt our conception of time, clocks, and computerized systems in an unprecedented manner — but only for a second. For the first time ever, global timekeepers may need to consider subtracting a second from our clocks in a few years because the planet is rotating slightly faster than before. Clocks may have to skip a second, called a “negative leap second”, around 2029, according to a study published in the journal Nature.

Unbiased headline news for Wednesday March 27, 2024 – The Kenyan government has begun returning 429 bodies of individuals who were members of a doomsday cult at the center of a legal case that has caused shock throughout the nation. The exhumed bodies from a vast rural area in coastal Kenya have displayed signs of starvation and strangulation. The cult’s leader, Paul Mackenzie, stands accused of instructing his followers to starve themselves to death in order to meet Jesus, and now faces charges that include murder. — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has lashed out at a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza, which Israel’s closest ally, the United States, opted not to block. He stated that the resolution had emboldened Hamas and vowed to continue pressing forward with the war. As the conflict grinds through its sixth month, both Israel and Hamas have rejected international cease-fire efforts, each insisting that their version of victory is within reach. The passage of the U.N. resolution has also heightened tensions between the U.S. and Israel over the conduct of the war. — Despite vehement denials of involvement from Kyiv and a claim of responsibility by an affiliate of the Islamic State group, Russian officials persist in stating that Ukraine and the West had a role in last week’s deadly Moscow concert hall attack. Without offering any evidence, Alexander Bortnikov, head of the Federal Security Service, or FSB, echoed similar allegations by President Vladimir Putin, who linked the attack to Ukraine even as he acknowledged that the suspects who were arrested were “radical Islamists.” — Venezuela’s main opposition coalition has stated that the country’s government has allowed them to register a provisional candidate for the upcoming presidential election. The coalition, the Unitary Democratic Platform, said they have temporarily enlisted former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia as their candidate as a way to “preserve the exercise of the political rights that correspond to our political organization” until they are able to register another candidate. — Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Tuesday that he has chosen lawyer Nicole Shanahan as his running mate. Speaking to cheering supporters inside the vast auditorium of an Oakland convention center, Kennedy spent several minutes teasing his choice, speaking about Shanahan without naming her. “I wanted a vice president who shared my passion for wholesome, healthy foods, chemical-free; for regenerative agriculture; for good soils,” the former environmental lawyer said. — The House Ethics Committee has stated that it is investigating Representative Troy Nehls, a Republican from Texas. The committee did not specify what it is investigating and said it will make another announcement on the matter by May 10th. The issue was first flagged to the committee by the independent Office of Congressional Ethics in December. Nehls stressed his cooperation and transparency. — Visa and Mastercard have announced a major settlement with U.S. merchants, potentially ending nearly two decades of litigation over the fees charged every time a credit or debit card is used in a store or restaurant. The deal would lower and cap the fees charged by Visa and Mastercard and allow small businesses to collectively bargain for rates with the payment processors in a similar way that the large merchants do on their own now. — Amid outcry from some of their top talent, NBC News is dropping former Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel as a contributor, according to a network memo. “There is no doubt that the last several days have been difficult for the News Group. After listening to the legitimate concerns of many of you, I have decided that Ronna McDaniel will not be an NBC News contributor,” Cesar Conde, the NBCU News Group chairman, wrote.

Unbiased headline news for Tuesday March 26, 2024 – The United Nations Security Council demanded a cease-fire in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. The Council’s first call to halt hostilities, the United States abstained from the resolution, which also insisted on the release of all captives taken during Hamas’ surprise assault on October 7th in southern Israel, the event that ignited the conflict. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres stated that the “resolution must be implemented.” — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he will not send a delegation to Washington after the U.S. declined to veto a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza. The Security Council adopted the resolution on Monday, calling for a cease-fire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which concludes in two weeks. The U.S. abstained from the vote, which Netanyahu’s office termed a “clear retreat.” — Ecuador’s youngest mayor was discovered shot to death on Sunday, police said, as the South American nation approaches its third month of a state of emergency declared by the government to combat surging gang violence. Brigitte Garcia, the 27-year-old mayor of the coastal town of San Vicente, was found dead along with her adviser, the municipality’s communications director, Jairo Loor. During the early morning hours, “two individuals were identified inside a vehicle without vital signs, bearing gunshot wounds.” — The United States has imposed sanctions on China-based hackers for allegedly targeting U.S. critical infrastructure, the Treasury Department announced. The U.S., together with the United Kingdom, sanctioned certain representatives of Wuhan Xiaoruizhi Science and Technology Company Ltd., a Wuhan, China-based Ministry of State Security front company that the Treasury Department alleges has served as cover for multiple malicious cyber operations. — Sean “Diddy” Combs’ residences in Los Angeles and Miami were raided by federal agents on Monday, according to authorities. A Homeland Security Investigations spokesperson stated in a statement that the raid was executed as part of an “ongoing investigation.” Law enforcement sources said that while the search warrant was being executed in Los Angeles, Combs’ sons were detained outside the home, as is customary in such circumstances, and then released without charges. — Three middle school students from southern Maryland have been charged with hate crimes after they displayed swastikas, performed Nazi salutes, and made derogatory remarks about a classmate’s religion, according to county prosecutors. Officials with the Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office said the harassment began in December and the students refused to stop despite repeated requests. The victim ultimately reported the behavior to Maryland State Police, which investigated and filed charges against the students. — At least three assailants were being sought Monday in the killings of two teenagers police said were “targeted” in a shooting at a Nashville apartment complex over the weekend. One of the victims was identified as 17-year-old Camron McGlothen, who resided at the Hermitage Flats Apartments in East Nashville, according to police. The name of the other victim, an 18-year-old, was withheld by police, pending the notification of his relatives. — Chick-fil-A is updating its commitment to customers about the quality and standards of its staple ingredient, chicken. The fast food chain announced on its website that while “serving quality food has always been our priority,” effective this spring, the restaurant will “shift from No Antibiotics Ever to No Antibiotics Important To Human Medicine.”

Leslie Stahl wiped the floor clean with Jim Jordan’s false statements about the 2020 election. Jordan claimed that most Americans question the elections (which is blatantly false). Leslie doesn’t let him get away with it. She leaves him speechless.

Unbiased headline news for Monday March 25, 2024 – Authorities in Utah’s Washington County have unveiled a comprehensive collection of evidence amassed during their child abuse investigation into convicted YouTube parenting influencer Ruby Frankee. The extensive cache encompasses 29 videos, audio recordings, photographs, and documents, meticulously detailing the harrowing escape of Frankee’s 12-year-old son as he sought refuge at a neighbor’s residence belonging to Frankee’s business partner and co-defendant, Jodi Hildebrandt. The videos provided by Washington County authorities encompass doorbell camera footage, police bodycam recordings, and police interviews of Frankee herself. — A somber incident unfolded aboard a Holland American cruise ship last week, resulting in the tragic loss of two crew members, as reported in a statement from the cruise line. The company’s Nieuw Amsterdam vessel was docked at Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas when the two crew members perished in an “incident within an engineering compartment,” according to the statement issued by Holland America. A spokesperson from Holland America confirmed to various media outlets that the incident occurred around 9:20 a.m. local time on Friday. — The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to hear arguments on Tuesday in a case that could potentially reshape how women access muf-ah-pristone, one of the two pills utilized in the most prevalent form of abortion nationwide. The crux of the dispute revolves around whether the Food and Drug Administration disregarded significant safety concerns when it facilitated easier access to mifepristone, including through mail-order pharmacies. The FDA initially approved Muh-fuh-pri-stone in 2000, deeming it a safe and effective method for terminating early pregnancies. — Catherine, Princess of Wales, and her husband, Prince William, “are profoundly touched” by the global outpouring of support in response to her cancer diagnosis, Kensington Palace conveyed in a statement on behalf of the couple, reiterating their appeal for privacy during this challenging time. The princess, also known as Kate Middleton, publicly disclosed her diagnosis last week, following an abdominal surgery in January that prompted her highly scrutinized absence from the public eye. — New York City’s mayor has shelved a planned visit to the U.S.-Mexico border due to security concerns. Mayor Eric Adams had intended to travel to Brownsville and McAllen, Texas. However, Adams’ spokesperson, Amaris Cockfield, revealed on Sunday that the U.S. State Department had flagged potential safety risks at one of the mayor’s proposed stops in Mexico, prompting his office to postpone the trip. — A tragic shooting incident outside a bar in Indianapolis claimed one life and left five others injured, including an off-duty police officer, according to law enforcement statements. At approximately 1:30 a.m., two officers, who were in uniform but off-duty, were present at a bar when a disturbance erupted in the parking lot, as disclosed by Indianapolis Metro Police during a press conference. A firearm was recovered from the parking lot, police confirmed. — An 18-year-old man, Chase Daniel Jones, has been arrested and charged with four counts of vehicular homicide for allegedly causing a devastating four-car collision in a Seattle suburb that claimed the lives of a woman and three children traveling in her van, according to online jail records. Jones was taken into custody late Friday and is being held on a $1 million bail, as indicated by the King County Correctional Facility records. While the jail records list the charges and bail amount, they do not provide information regarding legal representation for Jones, and the case did not appear in online King County court records as of Saturday. — Republican Representative Mike Gallagher, who had previously announced his decision not to seek reelection, has now revealed that he will be resigning from Congress next month – further shrinking the House Republicans’ already narrow majority. The Wisconsin Republican stated that his last day in office will be April 19. Gallagher’s departure will leave House Republicans with a one-vote majority, holding 217 seats compared to the Democrats’ 213. Notably, Gallagher did not provide a reason for his early resignation.