News roundup: March 22 – April 4

Here are the top stories during March 22 – April 4 from Texas, the United States and around the world.

Texas:

Manhunt – Assistant Chief Deputy Clint Greenwood was shot April 2 as he was arriving for work at the courthouse in Baytown, Texas. Greenwood died at the hospital. The suspect fled the scene and is still at large. Greenwood told coworkers a few days earlier that he feared for his life.

Marijuana – The House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee advanced House Bill 81, a marijuana decriminalization bill, April 2. Under this new bill, police would ticket anyone caught with one ounce or less of marijuana as opposed to the current punishment of being charged with a Class B misdemeanor and up to six months in jail.

Bathroom Bill – Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick (R) renewed his defense of the “bathroom bill” after the NCAA ended its boycott of North Carolina. Patrick remarked April 3 that requiring people to use bathrooms that correspond with the sex on their birth certificate does not conflict with the NCAA. The Texas proposal is similar to North Carolina’s new law, but still faces opposition in the House and has yet to receive an endorsement from Governor Greg Abbott.

Death Penalty – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled March 28 that Texas had been using an unconstitutional medical standard for determining whether murderers were exempt from the death penalty because of mental handicap. In the original 2002 Supreme Court ruling, the determination of “mental retardation,” as it was then known, was left to the states to determine. This most recent ruling found that Texas was using an out-of-date medical standard for diagnosing intellectual instability.

United States:

Russia – A number of stories broke the last two weeks regarding possible collusion between President Donald Trump’s administration and Russia during and after the 2016 Presidential Election, including a former campaign adviser confirming that he met with a Russian spy in 2013; Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater, meeting with a contact of Vladimir Putin as an unofficial emissary for Trump; former national security adviser Michael Flynn offering testimony to congressional investigators in exchange for immunity from persecution; and Devin Nunes, who has been called upon by both Republicans and Democrats to step aside from the ongoing investigation into Russian election interference most recently after refusing to divulge his sources and methods of purported Obama investigation into Trump.

Internet Privacy Protection – The House voted March 28 to allow internet service providers (ISPs) to sell private consumer data to advertisers. This vote removes the restriction put in place last year that required ISPs to obtain “opt-in” consent before using, sharing or selling private consumer data. The data that an ISP could potentially sell includes: financial and medical information, Social Security numbers, web browsing history, mobile app usage and the content of your emails and online chats.

Travel Ban – US District Judge Derrick Watson extended the block on Trump’s executive order that bars entry to the US from half a dozen Muslim-majority countries. Hawaii Attorney General Douglas Chin described the language in the executive order as a “neon sign flashing ‘Muslim Ban, Muslim Ban,’” that no one has yet to turn off.

International:

Chechnya – Police in Chechnya have rounded up roughly 100 gay men between the ages of 16 and 50 in recent weeks, with at least three dead in the process. The roundup was provoked by gay rights groups seeking permits for LGBTQ pride parades in the Norther Caucasus Federal District. Chechen leaders deny the existence of gays in Chechnya, calling reports of the roundup an “April Fools joke.”

Britain – Eight people were arrested in connection with the attack on the Houses of Parliament March 22. The attack left four dead and 40 injured when a lone attacker drove a car along the sidewalk, injuring pedestrians, and proceeded to exit his vehicle and stab a police officer. The Islamic State has claimed the assailant as one of its soldiers.

Brexit – Britain has formally triggered Brexit, shorthand for Britain’s exit from the European Union, via a letter signed by Prime Minister Theresa May on March 29. The letter outlines the UK’s intention to leave the European Union under Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty and formally launches the two-year process of leaving.

St. Petersburg – Following an attack on a metro train in St. Petersburg, Kyrgyzstani officials named Akbarzhon Jalilov as the likely bomber. The suicide attack on the train killed 14 and wounded 50 others. Officials are investigating the blast as an act of terrorism, but they have not confirmed a link to Islamist radicals or the Islamic State.

On the bright side:

Dolphins: The latest botanical craze in Japan is a succulent plant that has leaves that look like dolphins jumping out of the water. Called the Senecio peregrinus, part of the daisy family, serves no other purpose than to look adorable and make homes look awesome.

Also published on Medium.