March 3 top stories
It is March 3. Here are today’s top stories.
Murdaugh found guilty, sentenced to life
On Thursday night, Alex Murdaugh, a South Carolina attorney, was found guilty of murdering his wife and son after a trial that lasted for six weeks. Today he was sentenced to life in prison.
Murdaugh was a member of a famous family in South Carolina’s Lowcountry who was known for being local prosecutors for over 80 consecutive years.
The murders happened in June 2021. Murdaugh shot and killed his wife Margaret and his son Paul on an estate his family owned. Prosecutors said he committed the murders to cause distraction from mounting investigations into his own personal financial misconduct.
It took the jury about three hours to find him guilty. He is now in the custody of the South Carolina Department of Corrections.
Tennessee law restricts drag performances
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) signed a bill that restricts drag performances in public.
The law says that anyone who engages in an adult cabaret performance on public property or where it can be viewed by minors can be charged with a misdemeanor. The law includes language referring to “male or female impersonators,” which could apply to drag performers.
ABC News said Tennessee is the first state to pass a law targeting drag performances. Gov. Lee said the law is aimed to prevent parents from being “blindsided by a sexualized performance.”
Drag performers told ABC News that their performances in family-friendly settings are misconstructed as sexual. Others said this is just an attempt to ban LGBTQ spaces and culture.
ABC News said similar bills targeting drag performances have been introduced in Florida, Arizona, Texas, and others.
College Park mayor charged with child pornography
The mayor of College Park, Maryland was arrested and charged with 56 counts of child pornography. His name is Patrick Wojahn and he resigned before he was arrested.
The local police chief said the case is disturbing and troublesome because public officials are supposed to be honest and trustworthy.
Police said the mayor admitted to them that he had viewed and possessed files with child pornography. He faces up to 360 years in prison.
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Man finds 214-year-old giant clam
CBS News said a man from Florida was walking with his family on a beach when he found a very large clam that may be 214 years old.
A marine research lab and aquarium said the clam is a quahog clam and that their ages can be calculated by the number of layers on the shell with each layer representing a year. The shell had 214 layers, which means it was born in 1809. That’s the same year that Abraham Lincoln was born.
The man’s name is Blaine Parker. He said when he first saw the clam, he thought it would make a good meal, but realized that it may be a special one because of its size. He took it to a lab and discovered its age. The clam was named “Aber-clam Lincoln.” The clam had many visitors at the marine lab and CBS News said it was released back into the Gulf of Mexico, on the west side of Florida.
AG Merrick Garland visits Ukraine
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland made a surprise trip to Ukraine today. It was not announced for security reasons.
According to CNN, Garland was there to reaffirm the U.S.’ determination to hold Russia accountable for crimes it committed against Ukraine.
Garland told the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday that he believes the Russian government is committing crimes against humanity and supports international efforts to hold Russia accountable.
That is all the top stories for this week. Have a nice weekend and stay with the light.
https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/alex-murdaugh-sentencing-03-03-23/index.html
https://abcnews.go.com/US/public-drag-performances-restricted-tennessee/story
https://abcnews.go.com/US/college-park-maryland-mayor-charged-56-counts-child/story
https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/03/politics/merrick-garland-ukraine/index.html