AP Photo/Northwest Florida Daily News, Devon Ravine
Although many students spent spring break living it up on the beach or sleeping the days away at home preparing for the long weeks ahead, the news never sleeps and a great deal happened over the vacation. Catch up on the latest with these stories from the past week.
1. Two officers shot during Ferguson protest
Protests outside of Police Headquarters landed two police officers in the hospital with gunshot wounds March 12. The protests began following the resignation of Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson. According to the New York Times, one officer was shot in the face under his right eye and the other was shot in the shoulder. They have since been released and are recuperating at home. The suspect, 20-year-old Jeffrey Williams, was arrested Saturday and charged with first-degree assault.
2. Secret Service officers caught drinking on the job
According to the Washington Post, two senior Secret Service agents are being investigated after they reportedly drove into a security barrier after drinking at a late-night party. They were supposedly responding to a call that a woman was approaching the White House with a package she said was a bomb. The agents drove into the crime scene and accidentally ran over the package. The incident comes after several security lapses over the past few months.
3. Disney announces “Frozen” sequel
Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios chief creative officer John Lasseter announced March 12 that there will be a sequel to “Frozen.” According to Variety the film made over $1 billion, a record-breaking number for Disney animation sales. The release date has not yet been announced.
4. Hillary Clinton catches flack for email incident
Last week it was discovered that Hillary Clinton only used a personal email account managed through a private server at her home in New York throughout her time in office. Many wonder if this was secure. On March 10, Clinton said in a press conference that she “complied with every rule” and used the personal account so she did not have to carry around two devices according to the Los Angeles Times. She is working to release the emails online. However, she deleted thousands of personal emails for privacy.
5. Tylenol recalls product due to contamination.
Associate Press reports Johnson & Johnson pleaded guilty to a federal charge that it sold Tylenol contaminated with metal. Officials from the company reportedly learned of the metal contamination in 2009, but continued selling the product for a year after that. They have agreed to pay $25 million to settle the case. There have been no injuries reported from consumption of the contaminated medicine.
6. Court rules “Blurred Lines” copied from Marvin Gaye.
According to New York Daily News, a Los Angeles federal jury found that Pharell Williams and Robin Thicke copied Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give it Up.” They now have to pay $7.4 million to Gaye’s family. New York Daily news reported that the musicians are considering an appeal.
7. Obama works to alleviate student loan debt.
In an attempt to make student loan debt easier to manage, the White House is working to treat debt from private lenders the same as credit-card debt and mortgages, or expunged through bankruptcy, according to Wall Street Journal. Federal law currently prohibits this in most cases. President Barack Obama is looking into expanding bankruptcy options, which was announced March 10. All law changes must first pass through the Republican-controlled Congress.
8. Controversy arises over possible Iran nuclear deal.
A nuclear deal between the US and Iran would deem Iran incapable of running a nuclear program for 10 years. However, according to Politico, the GOP does not believe 10 years is long enough and wrote an open letter to Iran refreshing them on the term limitations for the presidency and Congress. According to The Hill, the letter is seen as a way to “undermine President Obama’s authority to conduct foreign policy.”
9. Military helicopter crashes in Florida.
Seven marines and four soldiers were killed when their Black Hawk helicopter crashed off the Florida Panhandle coast during a nighttime training mission March 10. According to the Fresno Bee, Maj. Gen. Joseph Osterman said the marines were practicing rappelling down ropes into the water then heading to land. They ran through the same drill during the daytime and were trying it again at night. The marines attempted to abort the mission after declaring it too risky. The crash was due to dense fog.
10. Apple begins sale of watches.
Apple announced last week that the sale of its watch is set to launch April 11. According to TechCrunch, the watch can double as a hotel key, wallet and workout tracker, with prices starting at $349 up to $10,000. It is the first product category to debut without Steve Jobs. Orders can be placed April 11 and shipped April 24.
