5 things to know for March 10: Germany shooting, Kidnapping, Budget, China, Gun laws
By Alexandra Meeks, CNN
NASA is tracking a newly discovered asteroid roughly the size of an Olympic swimming pool that has a “small chance” of hitting Earth in 2046. While it sounds ominous, several scientists say the object is not particularly concerning because it will probably shift orbit in the coming decades.
Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.
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1. Germany shooting
Seven people were killed during a mass shooting on Thursday at a Jehovah’s Witnesses Kingdom Hall in the German city of Hamburg in what the country’s leader denounced as a “brutal act of violence.” The alleged perpetrator also died in the incident, Hamburg police said. There is “no confirmed information on the motive for the crime,” police said in a statement. As the investigation remains ongoing, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has led politicians in denouncing the murder spree in the northern German city. “Several members of a Jehovah community fell victim to a brutal act of violence last night. My thoughts are with them and their loved ones,” he wrote on Twitter today.
2. Mexico kidnapping
A week after the kidnapping of four Americans in Mexico, investigators are still working to piece together how and why the abduction unfolded. This comes after a cartel apologized for carrying out what one victim’s father has called “a senseless crime” that left two Americans and one Mexican woman dead. The Gulf Cartel, which is believed to be responsible for the kidnapping, also issued an alleged apology letter and handed over five of its members to local authorities. The tight-knit group of friends had traveled from South Carolina to Matamoros so that one of them could undergo a medical procedure — but they were violently intercepted by gunmen who fired into their vehicle, loaded them into the back of a truck and took them away.
3. Biden’s Budget
President Joe Biden released his annual budget Thursday, outlining his policy priorities for the year ahead. Biden’s 2024 budget mostly rehashed the president’s earlier proposals to expand the social safety net and to pay for it by raising taxes on the wealthy and corporations. He wants to restore the expanded child tax credit and make permanent enhanced Obamacare subsidies. And he wants to provide universal free preschool, make college more affordable and establish a national paid family and medical leave program. However, the proposed budget has no chance of making it through the Republican-controlled House. It could still frame upcoming political battles on Capitol Hill, where the GOP has yet to unveil its own spending plan.
4. China
Chinese President Xi Jinping was reappointed today for another five years in a ceremonial vote in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People — a highly choreographed exercise in political theater meant to demonstrate the legitimacy and unity of the ruling elite. He received a unanimous 2,952 votes followed by a standing ovation. The reappointment of Xi, China’s most powerful and authoritarian leader in decades, was largely seen as a formality after the 69-year-old secured a norm-shattering third term as head of the Chinese Communist Party last fall. In 2018, China’s legislature abolished presidential term limits in a ceremonial vote, effectively allowing Xi to rule for life. Nevertheless, his reappointment as head of state officially completes his transition into a second decade in power.
5. Gun laws
A federal appeals court on Thursday upheld a Florida law that raised the minimum age to purchase a gun from 18 to 21. The law was initially passed after 17 people were killed in a shooting by a 19-year-old at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in 2018. The 3-0 ruling from the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals comes as age-based restrictions are shaping up to become a flashpoint in the legal battles over gun access since the Supreme Court last year laid out a new test for determining a gun restriction’s constitutionality. But the ruling may also be short-lived after Republican lawmakers in Florida this week introduced a bill that would lower the minimum age required to buy a firearm in the state from 21 back to 18.
BREAKFAST BROWSE
Jimmy Fallon pranks judges on ‘The Voice’
The comedian shocked the judges with an unexpected performance of Michael McDonald’s “I Keep Forgettin’.” Watch the video here.
World’s biggest spokeless Ferris wheel will be built in South Korea
Normally, Ferris wheels have complex cables running through the middle. This attraction, on the other hand, takes a much more futuristic approach.
Elon Musk is planning to build his own town
The billionaire has reportedly been acquiring thousands of acres of land in Texas with the hope of starting a town, according to the Wall Street Journal.
NASA rover shares stunning photo of sunset on Mars
The rover recently sent back photos of night-shining clouds at sunset.
This is what years of tourist rides do to an elephant
Elephant rides are a popular tourist activity in countries across Southeast Asia, but activists say the pressure causes physical damage to the animals.
QUIZ TIME
Which comedian is set to host the 2023 Academy Awards Sunday night?
A. Jimmy Kimmel
B. Chris Rock
C. Amy Schumer
D. Kevin Hart
Take CNN’s weekly news quiz here to see if you’re correct!
IN MEMORIAM
Robert Blake, a noted actor and Emmy-winner who starred in the crime series “Baretta,” has died from heart disease, his daughter said in a statement Thursday. He was 89.
TODAY’S NUMBER
3.2 million
That’s how many Calico Critters toys have been recalled following the deaths of two children, the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced Thursday. The toys, which can pose a serious choking hazard for small children, were sold at Walmart and other stores nationwide and online for the past two decades.
TODAY’S QUOTE
“No amount of vitriol or misguided attacks will stop us from pursuing due process.”
— Dick Harpootlian, an attorney for Alex Murdaugh, tweeting on Thursday that he will appeal Murdaugh’s convictions and sentences for the 2021 murders of his wife and son. Murdaugh was convicted on March 2 after a weekslong trial drew national attention and included dozens of witnesses. He was sentenced last week to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
TODAY’S WEATHER
Check your local forecast here>>>
AND FINALLY
Meet a woman making NASCAR history
March is National Women’s History Month! Meet an inspiring woman who continues to break barriers in the traditionally male-dominated industry. (Click here to view)
The-CNN-Wire
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