March 26 top stories
It is March 26. Here are today’s top stories.
Baltimore Key bridge collapse after being hit by cargo ship
According to city officials, the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapsed early Tuesday at around 1:30 a.m. after it was struck by a huge container ship. The bridge is a 1.6 mile, 4-lane bridge that crosses over the Patapsco River. It is a major span critical for East Coast shipping.
The Baltimore City Fire Department described the collapse as a mass-casualty incident, and are searching for up to 20 people in the dark, frigid water below – at the time about 47 degrees. At least seven vehicles had plunged into the river.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore (D) has declared a state of emergency following the collapse that has set off a massive search for survivors in the river as rescue efforts remain underway.
Two people were rescued in the initial hours of the search. One was unharmed and the other remains in “very serious condition.”
According to a statement from the company, the container vessel was chartered by the major shipping company Maersk and was heading to Sri Lanka. When it crashed into the bridge, no Maersk crew and personnel were onboard the vessel.
Local authorities said it is too early in the investigation to determine what caused the collision.
Trump’s civil fraud bond reduced to $175M; Trump’s hush case trial to begin April 15
New York appeals court ruled Monday that former President Trump and his co-defendants in the New York civil fraud case have 10 days to post a $175 million bond, down from the $464 million judgment that was originally due Monday.
Trump said in front of cameras after he left a New York courtroom for a hearing in the hush money case, “I greatly respected the decision of the appellate division and I will post the $175 million in cash or bonds or security or whatever is necessary very quickly within the 10 days and I thank the appellate division for acting quickly.”
Former President Trump is certain to become the first former American president to stand trial on criminal charges after a judge on Monday denied his effort to delay the proceeding and confirmed it would begin next month.
The trial, in which Trump will be accused of orchestrating the cover-up of a sex scandal surrounding his 2016 presidential campaign, had originally been scheduled to start this week. But the judge in this case had pushed the start date to April 15 to allow Trump’s lawyers to review newly disclosed documents from a related federal investigation.
Boeing CEO to step down amid ongoing safety crises
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said Monday he intends to leave the company by the end of the year in a major shakeup of the company’s leadership. Boeing’s chairman and the head of the commercial airplane unit are also leaving.
Boeing has been buffeted by more than five years of problems with its airplanes, including two fatal crashes of the 737 Max in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people, and most recently a door plug that blew out of the side of an Alaska Airlines 737 Max in January, leaving a gaping hole in the side of the plane.
The problems have led to multiple groundings for safety issues and more than $31 billion in cumulative losses.
As to why Calhoun decided to stay on through the end of the year rather than leave immediately, he told a news outlet: “We have another mountain to climb. Let’s not avoid what happened with Alaska Air. Let’s not avoid the call for action. Let’s not avoid the changes that we need to make in our factories. We will get through that. I have committed myself to the board to do exactly that.”
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Netanyahu cancels Israeli delegation to US after Gaza UN vote
Relations between President Biden and Israeli PM Netanyahu sank to an all-time low on Monday with the U.S. allowing passage of a Gaza ceasefire resolution at the United Nations and drawing a sharp rebuke from the Israeli leader.
Netanyahu abruptly scrapped a visit to Washington this week by a senior delegation to discuss Israel’s threatened offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah after the U.S. abstained in a Security Council vote that demanded an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the release of all hostages held by the Palestinian militants.
Biden’s decision to abstain at the U.N., coming after months of mostly adhering to longtime U.S. policy of shielding Israel at the world body, appeared to reflect growing U.S. frustration with the Israeli leader.
U.S. officials said the Biden administration was perplexed by Israel’s decision and considered it an overreaction.
Florida governor signs social media ban for minors under 14
Florida Gov. DeSantis signed a bill on Monday that will prohibit children younger than 14 from joining social media in the state. Those who are 14 or 15 will need a parent’s consent before they join a platform.
The bill, HB3, also directs social media companies to delete the existing accounts of those who are under 14. Companies that fail to do so could be sued on behalf of the child who creates an account on the platform.
According to the bill, the minor could be awarded up to $10,000 in damages. Companies found to be in violation of the law would also be liable for up to $50,000 per violation, as well as attorney’s fees and court costs.
The Florida state house speaker said he expects social media companies to sue the second after the bill is signed. And that Florida is going to beat them and we are never, ever going to stop.
HB3, which is slated to take effect in January 2025, comes as an effort from some parents that the platforms do not do enough to keep their kids safe online.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light!
Baltimore Key bridge collapse after being hit by cargo ship
https://www.baltimoresun.com/2024/03/26/key-bridge-collapses-into-patapsco/
https://x.com/ChaudharyParvez/status/1772538539495809075?s=20
Trump’s civil fraud bond reduced to $175M; Trump’s hush case trial to begin April 15
https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-trial-new-york-b8fb980a6ec745e918a13e676b7f1460
Boeing CEO to step down amid ongoing safety crises
https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/boeing-ceo-calhoun-step-down-2024-03-25/
Netanyahu cancels Israeli delegation to US after Gaza UN vote
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/25/world/middleeast/israel-ceasefire-rafah-netanyahu.html
Florida governor signs social media ban for minors under 14