Week Twenty-Five: 3/5-3/11

3/5

A second Norfolk Southern train derailed in western Ohio (see 2/3).
A fire at the Rohingya refugee camps in southeastern Bangladesh displaced approximately 12,000 people.
Belarus sentenced exiled opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya to 15 years in prison on charges of high treason and “conspiracy to seize power” after leading protests against the Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko.

3/6

Florida, West Virginia, and Missouri withdrew from the Electronic Registration Information Center, which aims to help states maintain accurate voter rolls.

3/7

Gunmen in northeastern Mexico assaulted and kidnapped 4 U.S. citizens in what authorities believe was a case of mistaken identity.
Transport workers and refinery staff in France initiated strikes over Emmanuel Macron’s plan to raise the pension age to 64.
The Department of Justice and the Department of Transportation filed a lawsuit to block JetBlue from purchasing Spirit Airlines for $3.8 billion. The move is an attempt to boost competition and prevent increased ticket prices.
Gigi Sohn withdrew her nomination to the Federal Communications Commission after a 16-month battle.
A U.S. federal judge ruled that a Missouri state law that declared numerous federal gun laws “invalid” is unconstitutional.
The National Transportation Safety Board launched an investigation into Norfolk Southern’s safety practices following the train derailments (see 2/26).
Oklahomans voted to reject legalizing recreational marijuana in the state.

3/8

2 of the 4 U.S. citizens who were kidnapped in Mexico were found dead, and the other 2 victims are alive (see 3/7).
The Department of Justice confirmed it launched an investigation into Memphis Police Department following the death of Tyre Nichols (see 1/10).
An additional Norfolk Southern train derailed in Alabama hours before CEO Alan Shaw testified before Congress (see 3/5).

3/9

At least 9 people were killed after Russia fired strikes across Ukraine.
A Mexican cartel took responsibility for the kidnapping of 4 U.S. citizens and turned over the 5 people it says are responsible (see 3/8).

3/10

At least 6 people were killed and 25 were injured, including a seven-months pregnant woman who lost her unborn daughter, following a shooting at a Jehovah’s Witness worship hall in Germany.
The Manhattan district attorney invited former President Trump to appear next week before a grand jury.
Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed to restore diplomatic relations after years of tensions.
The House of Representatives voted unanimously to require Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines to release the classified information regarding the origins of COVID-19.
U.S. banking regulators assumed control of Silicon Valley Bank after depositors withdrew their money due to the firm’s filing of the sale of $21 billion in assets.

3/11