News

The Associated Press reports: Frozen human embryos can legally be considered property, or “chattel,” a Virginia judge has ruled, basing his decision in part on a 19th century law governing the treatment of slaves. The preliminary opinion by Fairfax County Circuit Court Judge Richard Gardiner – delivered in a long-running dispute between a divorced husband and wife – is being …

CBS News reports: Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell suffered a concussion after tripping at a Washington hotel on Wednesday and is expected to remain hospitalized for several days, a spokesman for the senator said. “Leader McConnell tripped at a dinner event Wednesday evening and has been admitted to the hospital and is being treated for a concussion. He is expected …

The Associated Press reports: Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are getting the vegan treatment. The Hershey Co. said Tuesday that Reese’s Plant Based Peanut Butter Cups, which go on sale this month, will be its first vegan chocolates sold nationally. A second plant-based offering, Hershey’s Plant Based Extra Creamy with Almonds and Sea Salt, will follow in April. The chocolates are …

ABC News reports: Former “Boy Meets World” star Ben Savage is running for Congress in California’s 30th Congressional District, he announced on Monday. “I’m running for Congress because it’s time to restore faith in government by offering reasonable, innovative and compassionate solutions to our country’s most pressing issues,” Savage wrote in an Instagram post. Savage is running for Democratic Rep. …

Gothamist reports: Seven people were injured after an e-scooter battery exploded in the back of a Bronx supermarket Sunday morning, officials said. The fast-moving blaze ripped through a commercial building on 181st Street and Grand Concourse, causing “an extraordinary amount of damage,” according to FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh. Hundreds of firefighters were still working to contain the fire on Sunday …

Miami’s NBC affiliate reports: A Southwest Airlines flight bound for Fort Lauderdale returned to Havana Sunday after the aircraft was reportedly struck by a bird and cellphone video showed smoke filling the cabin. Southwest flight 3923 returned to José Martí International Airport after passengers reported the engine catching fire mid-flight. “Southwest flight #3923 departing Havana, Cuba, for Fort Lauderdale, Florida, …

The New York Post reports: A passenger aboard a rocky Southwest Airlines flight to North Carolina Friday passed out due to the turbulence — while others were left vomiting as the plane shook “like crazy.” The mayhem erupted when Flight 3094 from Maryland hit wild weather as it approached Raleigh-Durham International Airport Friday night. The rough landing was eventually aborted …

The Salt Lake Tribune reports: The bill to change Utah’s state flag squeaked by on the House floor Thursday morning on a razor-thin 40-35 vote, thus ending debate on the surprising controversy that engulfed the Legislature since the start of the 2023 session. The process of redesigning the state flag began in 2019. The new design emerged from more than …

Tampa’s NBC affiliate reports: A Florida resident died after being infected by a rare amoeba last week, health officials say. According to a WFTX report, Charlotte County health officials said the unidentified male patient likely contracted Nagleria fowleri after rinsing out his sinuses with tap water. Eric Milbrandt, director of the marine laboratory at the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, said the …

CBS News reports: Sen. Dianne Feinstein is undergoing treatment for shingles at a San Francisco hospital. The California Democrat was diagnosed with the infection in late February and has missed multiple votes this week. “I was diagnosed over the February recess with a case of shingles,” Feinstein said in a statement Thursday. “I have been hospitalized and am receiving treatment …

The Washington Blade reports: Prince George’s County, Md., police announced on Thursday morning that they have arrested the gay mayor of the City of College Park, Patrick Wojahn, 47, on 56 counts of possession and distribution of child pornography. “On February 28, 2023, PGPD detectives served a search warrant at Wojahn’s College Park Home,” a statement released by PG police …

People Magazine reports: The Duchess adopted the monarch’s two surviving corgis, Sandy and Muick (pronounced “Mick”), gifted to the Queen by Ferguson, her ex-husband Prince Andrew and their daughters, Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie. But caring for the U.K.’s most famous pets comes with some stress. “They are national icons, so every time they run chasing a squirrel, I panic,” …

Via press release: Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it has taken action to restrict the unlawful entry of xylazine active pharmaceutical ingredients and finished dosage form drug products into the country to address a growing public health concern. The chemical xylazine has increasingly been found in illicit drugs such as illicitly manufactured fentanyl and other drugs …

Law & Crime reports: A 72-year-old man in Florida was arrested last week after authorities say they recovered so many images depicting child sexual abuse that the total weight of the printed photos tipped the scales at more than 2,600 pounds, well over one ton. Paul Stephen Zittel was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with 25 counts obscene …

The New York Times reports: The drug maker Eli Lilly and Company said on Wednesday that it would significantly reduce the prices of several of its lifesaving insulin products that are used by diabetes patients and whose prices Lilly has repeatedly increased in the past. Lilly also said it would cap at $35 a month what patients pay out of …

The Associated Press reports: Finland’s Parliament gave final approval Wednesday to the Nordic country’s bid to join NATO, with lawmakers signing off on membership along with the required legislation. The 200-seat Eduskunta legislature voted 184-7 to authorize Finland’s accession to NATO, clearing the last required domestic hurdle to becoming part of the 30-member Western military alliance. Two of NATO’s 30 …

Reuters reports: A passenger train and a cargo train collided head-on in Greece on Tuesday night, killing at least 36 people and injuring dozens as the country’s deadliest rail crash in living memory threw entire carriages off the tracks. Many of the victims were thought to be university students on their way back from a long holiday weekend. The death …

The Guardian reports: Elon Musk is facing yet another lawsuit as shareholders of Tesla accuse the chief executive and his company of overstating the effectiveness and safety of their electric vehicles’ autopilot and full self-driving technologies. Shareholders have alleged in the proposed class-action lawsuit that Tesla defrauded them over four years with false and misleading statements that concealed how its …

Reuters reports: Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk has for years teased the world with his dream of an affordable electric car. This week, fans hope, he will explain what he has in mind – and perhaps how he can afford to build it. Musk said last year he shelved the plan for a $25,000 car, known as Model 2, and …

Fox News reports: One year out from the 2024 primaries, here is the debut Fox News national survey on the presidential nomination races. Spoiler alert, former President Donald Trump looks formidable. Republican primary voters were read a list of 15 announced and potential candidates for the 2024 nomination. Trump tops the list with 43%, followed by Ron DeSantis at 28%, …