Monday, March 28 top stories
It is Monday, March 28. Hope your weekend was good. Here are today’s top stories.
Will Smith slaps Chris Rock during Oscars
There was a lot of drama during the Oscars on Sunday night when actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock in the face during live television after Rock made a joke referring to the hair of Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
Rock said Jada looked like G.I. Jane 2. It was at that moment that Will Smith walked onstage and gave one strong slap across Rock’s face. When Will returned to his seat, he told Rock to get “my wife’s name out of your f—— mouth!” The audience was stunned and people online were unsure if it was a part of a show or if it was a real act of anger. Turned out it was the latter.
Rock kept his cool and said “that was the greatest night in the history of television,” then proceeded to continue with his hosting duties.
The joke was considered poor taste because Jada has a health issue that causes hair loss. There is also heavy criticism towards Will Smith for resorting to physical violence.
Not long after this, Will Smith won the Oscar for best actor for his role in “King Richard.” He gave a tearful speech in which he apologized to the Academy and said that “love will make you do crazy things.”
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said in a statement that they are aware of the slapping incident and that the person who was slapped declined to file a police report.
Updates on war in Ukraine
Ukrainian President Zelensky said on Sunday that he is considering making Ukraine a neutral country, meaning it would not join NATO, only if Russian troops withdraw with security guarantees. Zelensky said Ukrainian voters would have to approve the neutral status first in a referendum — a nationwide vote on a single “yes or no” issue.
Ukraine’s officials said Russia has failed to take Kyiv, the capital city, and that it will be impossible for them to overthrow the Ukrainian government. Ukrainian officials suspect Putin is now changing his objectives to take the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine to impose a dividing line in Ukraine in a way similar to North and South Korea.
Ukrainian and Russian diplomats will meet in Istanbul, Turkey on Tuesday.
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Judge: Trump may have committed crimes in “coup”
A federal judge said former President Donald Trump and one of his allies, an attorney named John Eastman, tried to overturn a democratic election, “an action unprecedented in American history.”
The judge, David Carter, made the statements in a ruling to order John Eastman to turn over documents to the Jan 6. House Committee. Eastman is the one who came up with the idea of using Vice President Mike Pence to reject some states’ electors in the counting of the electoral college.
The judge, David Carter, said based on the evidence from the Jan 6. Committee, it is “more likely than not that President Trump corruptly attempted to obstruct” Congress and that it was “a coup in search for a legal theory.”
The Jan 6. Committee has made court filings that said it has evidence that could lead to criminal charges against Trump and his allies for obstructing Congress and conspiracy to defraud the American people.
Florida governor signs “Don’t Say Gay” bill
Florida Gov. DeSantis signed into law the controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The official name is Parental Rights in Education Bill. The law bans classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity from kindergarten through third grade. The law will take effect on July 1. It allows parents to sue schools or teachers that talk about these topics. DeSantis and Florida’s Republican lawmakers say parents should be the ones to discuss these topics, but critics say it’s akin to censorship and frames LGBTQ topics and people as bad. There is likely to be legal action seeking to challenge the law.
Deadly pileup on Pennsylvania highway
Today in Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, snowy weather and fog caused a massive pileup on Interstate 81 that involved multiple vehicles and semi-trucks. At least three people were killed. News reporters said there were explosions, flames, and people fleeing on the side of the road and into the woods to find safety. Some emergency workers had to walk almost six miles to free drivers from their vehicles.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-60898548
https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/03/28/world/ukraine-russia-war
https://nypost.com/2022/03/28/ukraine-to-probe-after-videos-show-alleged-russian-pows-shot/
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/28/politics/john-eastman-memo/index.html
https://www.axios.com/dont-say-gay-bill-desantis-578593fc-5d6e-4098-b69a-c838b017ce24.html
https://nypost.com/2022/03/28/multi-car-pileup-kills-at-least-3-on-pennsylvania-highway/