Wednesday, March 23 top stories
It is Wednesday, March 23. Here are today’s top stories.
Biden headed to Europe
President Biden left the White House this morning to head to Europe to attend an emergency NATO summit on Thursday. ABC News said Biden will be trying to keep NATO allies and other European partners united against Russian President Putin and his invasion of Ukraine. Biden tweeted that he wants to make sure that “Putin pays a severe economic cost for his war of choice.”
New Orleans tornadoes
On Tuesday night, a tornado struck a neighborhood in the New Orleans area. One person was killed and several people were injured. News videos showed several homes with severe damage and multiple vehicles that looked like they were picked up and thrown. The tornado hit the lower 9th Ward and St. Bernard Parish, which were areas that were damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
1 7,000 to 15,000 Russian troops killed
NATO estimated that between 7,000 to 15,000 Russian soldiers have been killed in the war in Ukraine. It shows that Ukrainian soldiers who have weapons supplied from Western countries are making a very strong defense of key cities that Russia hoped to easily conquer, such as Kyiv or Kharkiv. Russian troops have since resorted to long-range missile attacks or constant shelling of cities.
Ukrainian President Zelensky said thousands of Ukrainians have died during the war, including at least 121 children.
The U.S. government has officially declared that Russian forces are committing war crimes in Ukraine, pointing to the destruction of apartment buildings, schools, hospitals, and other civilian infrastructure.
Madeleine Albright dies at 84
Madeleine Albright, who was the first female U.S. Secretary of State, passed away at 84 years old. She served in this role during former President Bill Clinton’s administration. CNN described her as the “face of US foreign policy” in the time after the end of the Cold War in 1991.
—
[Sponsored Video from Sorenson: www.sorenson.com]
—
[Advertisement from Disaster Distress Helpline] After a disaster, you may be at risk for emotional distress. The Disaster Distress Helpline offers a 24/7 direct videophone option. Dial 1-800-985-5990 or go to disasterdistress.samhsa.gov.]
—
Utah and Indiana governors veto bills on transgender youth
This week the Republican governors of Indiana and Utah vetoed bills that would have banned transgender girls from participating in high school women’s sports leagues. Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb said he doesn’t see that there is a problem that requires state intervention. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said there is too much fear and anger directed at few people, saying that data shows that in Utah, there are only four transgender athletes among 75,000 kids playing high school, and that only one is involved in girls’ sports. Cox also pointed that suicide rates are higher among transgender youth and said “I want them to live.” The Republican legislatures in both Utah and Indiana plan to hold votes to try and override the governors’ vetoes.
11 other states have passed and signed bans on transgender girls playing in women’s sports.
Amanda Bynes conservatorship ends
Actress Amanda Bynes’ nine-year conservatorship has ended after a judge made a determination that it was “no longer needed or required.” Bynes’ mother was her conservator and did not seek to block this decision. The legal arrangement started when Bynes was going through several mental health and legal issues in 2013. In February, Bynes made a request in a California court to end the conservatorship and now it’s granted. This is the second high-profile conservatorship to end in recent months, with the first Britney Spears’ 13-year conservatorship ending in November 2021.
Black box found in China plane crash
Emergency workers in China found one out of two black boxes from the airline crash that killed 132 people on Monday. The black box that they found is supposed to record audio in the plane’s cockpit, and if authorities are able to recover files from it, they can understand more about what caused the plane to suddenly plunge in a nosedive in the middle of its flight. Chinese officials have invited U.S. officials to come to China to help with the investigation.
That is all the top stories for today. See you tomorrow and stay with the light.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/biden-heads-high-stakes-nato-summit-amid-showdown/story?id=83604405
https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1506643748880633859
https://twitter.com/TODAYshow/status/1506618449698729989
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/23/politics/madeleine-albright-obituary/index.html
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/indiana-governor-vetoes-transgender-sports-bill
https://www.cnn.com/2022/03/22/entertainment/amanda-bynes-conservatorship/index.html