News roundup: Feb. 24 – March 7
Here are the top stories during Feb. 24 – March 7 from Texas, the United States and around the world.
Texas:
MS-13: Two members of the gang MS-13 are accused of kidnapping, raping and murdering a 15-year-old girl last week. Investigators say the murder took place due to the victim, known as “Genesis,” damaged the gang members’ shrine to a satanic saint. The two are each held on a $300,000 bond.
Heights: Skeletal remains were discovered in the wall of a Heights area home last week. The human remains are suspected to be Mary Cerruti, the home’s previous owner who has been reported missing since 2015. The official cause of death and identity of the victim is unknown.
Rodeo: The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo has officially begun and will run from March 7-26. The musical lineup features performers such as Alicia Keys and Blink 182 to Willie Nelson and ZZ Top. The rodeo has been a staple of Houston since 1931 and saw over two million in attendance last year.
Oil Industry: International oil industry representatives will be meeting in Houston this week for the annual CERAWeek gathering. This is the first meeting since the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) cut oil output last November. Featured speakers include Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy Khalid A. Al-Falih, and the Russian Federation’s Minister of Energy Alexander Novak.
United States:
Immigration: President Donald Trump released a new Executive Order (EO) on immigration this week. The EO is similar in structure and tone to his previous EO on immigration, with the exception of the new exclusion of Iraq from the travel ban. The EO also outlines new data collection and public release of visa applicants, as well as detailed releases regarding the arrest and detainment of terrorists in the United States since 2001.
Healthcare: House Republicans released their replacement for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Monday, with an emphasis on scaling back federal involvement in the healthcare system. Two features of the 2010 ACA remain in this proposed legislation: young adults can stay on their parents’ health plans until age 26, and insurers cannot deny coverage or charge more for preexisting medical issues. The new legislation would also make Planned Parenthood ineligible for Medicaid reimbursements or federal family planning grants.
Russia: Attorney General Jeff Sessions met privately with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the height of a Russian cyber campaign targeting the U.S. presidential race. At the time, Sessions was one of Trump’s lead foreign policy advisers. Sessions denied any contact with the Russian government during the 2016 campaign at his confirmation hearing Jan. 10. Senior Democrats are calling for Sessions to resign, while top Republican lawmakers call for the appointment of a special counsel to investigate the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election.
Wikileaks: Documents released by Wikileaks Tuesday describe tools used by the CIA capable of recording sounds, images and even messages sent over encrypted apps on a variety of devices including TVs, iPhones and Android phones. These tools differ from those described in Edward Snowden’s 2013 National Security Agency (NSA) leaks in that the CIA appears to have focused more on hacking devices, whereas the NSA focused on mass surveillance. The leak also describes the CIA capability for hacking vehicles, allowing “nearly undetectable assassinations.” The leak likely came from contractors working for the CIA.
International:
Israel: Israeli parliament decriminalized weed for private use on March 5. Growing and selling marijuana is still prohibited, while public use also remains a public offense with a fine of up to $270 for first-time offenders.
Korean Peninsula: In response to North Korea’s latest aggressive behavior, the United States began deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system in South Korea. Officials said the system would be fully operational in a couple of months. China opposed the deployment and warned of an arms race in response.
Turkey: President Erdogan of Turkey called out Germany for “Nazi practices” at a rally in Istanbul. Germany cited security concerns in its decision to block rallies supporting an upcoming Turkish referendum that would further increase Erdogan’s power as president. Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected calls for a ban on Erdogan or his ministers campaigning in Germany, arguing for Germans to respect freedom of speech, while German citizens are outraged over the arrest of a Turkish-German journalist last month.
Iran: Iran successfully tested two ballistic missiles, striking a target 155 miles out from the Iranian coast over the weekend. The short-range ballistic missiles were the first tests of their kind done in the last two years and are designed to target ships at sea. The U.S. Navy operates in the area of the test, and had to redirect course when Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. boats approached within 600 yards.
On the bright side:
Chance the Rapper: Chance the Rapper, hot off the trail of his recent Grammy win, donated $1 million to Chicago public schools March 6.
