“The immunity hearing for an Alabama police officer charged with murder will proceed in March, a criminal appeals court ruled, after finding no evidence to support the officer’s accusation that the judge overseeing the case improperly divulged his intentions to rule against him. … [Decatur police officer Mac] Marquette is charged with murder for fatally shooting Steve Perkins in 2023 while accompanying a tow-truck driver to repossess Perkins’ truck. Marquette’s lawyers said Perkins pointed a gun at the tow-truck driver, and that the officer should be granted immunity under “stand your ground” laws, which remove the duty to retreat before using deadly force in the face of danger. A neighbor’s home surveillance video, broadcast by WAFF, appears to show Marquette firing his weapon almost 20 times.” (03/18/25)
“Japan plans to deploy long-range missiles in its southwestern island of Kyushu near the East China Sea, amid growing fears of conflict in the Taiwan Strait, according to a Japanese media report. Japanese news agency Kyodo reported on Sunday that the missile deployment under consideration would strengthen ‘counterstrike capabilities’ in the event of an emergency. The deployment was likely to begin at the end of March next year, the report said, citing Japanese government sources. It said the move aimed to boost the security of the Nansei islands – an island chain in southwestern Japan also known as the Ryukyus that has gained strategic importance due to its proximity to Taiwan, around 110km (70 miles) apart at its closest point. ” (03/18/25)
“Starting March 28, Amazon Echo users will no longer have the option to process their Alexa voice recordings locally which means those recordings will be sent to the company’s cloud. Alexa currently offers an opt-in feature called ‘Do Not Send Voice Recordings’ to its customers which stops audio requests from being sent to Amazon. ‘We are reaching out to let you know that the Alexa feature ‘Do Not Send Voice Recordings’ that you enabled on your supported Echo device(s) will no longer be available beginning March 28th, 2025,’ the company said in an email sent to Echo customers who have enabled the option.” (03/18/25)
“German lawmakers have voted to allow a huge increase in defence and infrastructure spending — a seismic shift for the country that could reshape European defence. A two-thirds majority of Bundestag parliamentarians, required for the change, approved the vote on Tuesday. The law will exempt spending on defence and security from Germany’s strict debt rules, and create a €500bn ($547bn; £420bn) infrastructure fund. This vote is a historic move for traditionally debt-shy Germany, and could be hugely significant for Europe, as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine grinds on, and after US President Donald Trump signalled an uncertain commitment to Nato and Europe’s defence. However, state government representatives in the upper house, the Bundesrat, still need to approve the moves — also by a two-thirds majority — before they officially become law. That vote is set for Friday.” (03/18/25)
“The White House has dismissed a French politician’s symbolic call for the return of the Statue of Liberty — a gift from France some 140 years ago — on the grounds that the United States no longer represents the values embodied by the monument. President Donald Trump would ‘absolutely not’ return the statue, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday when asked about the comments from Raphael Glucksmann, a member of the European Parliament.” (03/18/25)
“Sarepta Therapeutics said Tuesday that a patient died while taking its closely watched gene therapy for muscular dystrophy, sending company shares plummeting in morning trading. The young man died of acute liver injury, a known side effect, Sarepta said in a statement. But the company said the ‘severity’ of the patient’s case had not previously been seen with the therapy, called Elevidys. It’s the first known patient death with the therapy, which has been used in more than 800 patients, the company said. In 2023, Elevidys received expedited U.S. approval despite concerns from some Food and Drug Administration scientists about its effectiveness in treating Duchenne muscular dystrophy. It’s the first gene therapy approved in the U.S. for the rare muscle-wasting condition, which causes weakness, loss of mobility and early death in males.” (03/18/25)
“An iconic 354-year-old Canadian retailer is going out of business and shutting down all of its stores. And it’s pointing the finger at America and the ongoing tariff war. Hudson’s Bay, a retailer and an anchor to dozens of malls across Canada, is preparing for an ‘immediate’ liquidation after failing to secure enough money to stay afloat. Clearance sales will begin as early as next week at all 80 Hudson’s Bay locations, as well as three Saks Fifth Avenue and 12 Saks Off 5th stores it operates in Canada. Hudson’s Bay blames its collapse on sluggish consumer spending, post-pandemic declines in foot traffic, and even trade tensions between Canada and the U.S.” (03/18/25)
“A hapless arsonist who tried to burn down a Tesla charging station in protest at President Trump and Elon Musk ended up setting himself on fire, according to authorities. Daniel Clarke-Pounder, 24, burned down three EV chargers in a South Carolina parking lot Friday — where he scrawled ‘f–k Trump’ and ‘long live the Ukraine,’ according to federal prosecutors. He was seen throwing five Molotov cocktails — one of which left him on fire, according to witnesses who saw him fleeing the North Charleston lot. Witnesses said that ‘the suspect had accidentally caught their own back on fire while throwing the devices,’ the initial police report said. Clark-Pounder, a mechanic from James Island, was arrested later on Friday after the police issued a public appeal to help find him. It was not clear how badly hurt he’d been by the fire.” (03/18/25)
“Hunter Biden and his half-sister Ashley Biden will be stripped of their Secret Service protection, Donald Trump announced Monday. ‘Hunter Biden has had Secret Service protection for an extended period of time, all paid for by the United States Taxpayer,’ President Trump wrote on his social media website Truth Social. ‘He is currently vacationing in, of all places, South Africa, where the Human Rights of people has been strenuously questioned.’ The directive will remove 18 agents assigned to protect Hunter and 13 who guard Ashley, Trump wrote. Only former presidents and their spouses receive lifelong Secret Service protection while coverage for their immediate family members typically ends when they leave office under government policy. It’s unclear why Hunter, 54, and Ashley, 43, continued to receive Secret Service protection after former President Joe Biden left office earlier this year.” (03/17/25)
“The organizers of San Francisco Pride (SF Pride) shared financial concerns due to major companies pulling funding this year. SF Pride executive director Suzanne Ford said that the show will still go on, but organizers are going to have to make due with a smaller budget. Ford expressed suspicion this was part of a wave of businesses distancing themselves from diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs under the Trump administration. ‘I’m very concerned. Obviously, there’s pressure from the federal government,’ Ford told a local FOX affiliate. ‘The tone has changed in this country. Businesses already hedge their bets, and I think people who, this isn’t their hard core value of their corporation, maybe they’re rethinking their investment,’ Ford said. SF Pride is a nonprofit that runs an annual parade and festival for two days in San Francisco.” (03/18/25)
