Tennessee hit by tornado
A storm hit Putnam, Wilson, Davidson and Benton counties in Tennessee in the early hours of
March 3, claiming at least 24 lives, some of whom were in bed when the tornado struck, according to Associated Press. Of the 18 deaths recorded in Putnam county, which was hit the hardest, five of them were of children under the age of 13.
COVID-19 continues to spread in the United States
As of March 5, the COVID-19 death toll in the U.S. rose to 12, according to The Washington Post. The U.S. has over 200 cases of the coronavirus in at least 17 states, of which Maryland was just confirmed. A $8.3 billion dollar emergency budget was confirmed in the Senate in order to allocate funds to fighting the virus. Additionally, it has been confirmed that two patients in Broward county have received “presumptive positive” test results for COVID-19, according to WLRN. The patients, aged 65 and 75, are in quarantine.
Supreme Court cancels a scheduled execution before proceeding
Although the execution occurred, the U.S. Supreme Court halted the execution of Nathaniel Woods, 43, 30 minutes before the scheduled lethal injection. According to Reuters, he was convicted of being involved in killing three police officers in 2004 during an attempted arrest. While Woods was accused of having a role in the crime, Kerry Spencer was the gunman, according to prosecutors. Martin Luther King III asked Kay Ivey, Alabama’s Governor, to intervene in the case, as he believed Woods’ case was “strongly mishandled by the courts,” according to his Twitter. Late March 5, Governor Ivey allowed the execution to proceed, and Woods was pronounced dead that evening, according to ABC.
Harvey Weinstein moved to jail after heart procedure
Harvey Weinstein was moved to Rikers Island jail in New York on March 5 after a procedure to remove a blockage in his heart, according to Reuters. Weinstein was convicted of rape and
sexual assault after the highly publicized case that was seen as a monument in the #MeToo
movement. He was moved to the jail’s infirmary from Bellevue Hospital.
Shocking device used on patients banned by the FDA
A device used to shock patients with mental disabilities in the Judge Rotenberg Educational
Center of Canton, MA was banned by the FDA on March 4, according to the Associated Press. The device — estimated to be being used on 45-50 people — was a “last resort” for preventing dangerous behaviors. Staff members were able to give patients a two-second shock via a remote controller. The FDA cited psychiatric experts, who claimed the devices can lead to further issues.
Biden wins majority of Super Tuesday states
Joe Biden, former U.S. Vice President and current candidate for the Democratic nomination in
the 2020 presidential election, won 10 states in the Super Tuesday primary elections, according to Politico. Bernie Sanders, a senator from Vermont, won four states, including California, while Michael Bloomberg secured American Samoa., Elizabeth Warren and Tulsi Gabbard did not secure any states.
Photo: E. Bar
