Baltimore bridge collapse, Chick-fil-Antibiotics, and Barbie Pigs.

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Big Stories

Maryland bridge collapse

Maryland Governor Wes Moore declared a state of emergency following the collapse of a major bridge in Baltimore.

• The Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after being struck by a cargo ship, leading to a massive search for survivors in the Patapsco River below. The collapse occurred around 1:30 am ET on Tuesday while a construction crew was repairing the bridge. As of 4 pm ET, at least six crew members were unaccounted for and presumed dead.

• President Biden said the federal government should cover the entire cost of reconstructing the bridge. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg assured that emergency federal funding would be approved once federal officials receive the request. The reconstruction process will take several years.

• Governor Moore said the incident was an accident, ruling out terrorism. The ship's crew had issued a mayday call and reported a power issue before the collision. Authorities stopped traffic on the bridge before the crash, potentially saving lives.

Ecuadorian mayor assassination

Ecuador's youngest mayor, 27-year-old Brigitte García, and her press officer, Jairo Loor, were discovered shot dead in a vehicle on Sunday amid an ongoing state of emergency.

• Police found García and Loor in the vehicle without vital signs and with gunshot wounds. After collecting ballistics evidence and conducting a preliminary investigation, police determined that the shots were fired from inside the vehicle.

• Authorities are working to uncover the motive behind the shooting. Luisa Gonzalez, a fellow party member, labeled García's death as an assassination, saying “no one is safe in Ecuador.”

• Ecuador's President Daniel Noboa declared a state of emergency in January when gang violence escalated after the escape of gang leader Adolfo "Fito" Macías. He extended the order by 30 days on March 7. During the emergency order, intentional homicides have dropped from an average of 24 a day to 12 a day.

Chick-fil-antibiotics

Chick-fil-A has announced a shift in its chicken quality standards, moving from No Antibiotics Ever (NAE) to No Antibiotics Important To Human Medicine (NAIHM) effective this spring.

• Under the new NAIHM approach, Chick-fil-A will restrict antibiotics important to human health while allowing animal antibiotics only if the animal and its surroundings are ill, departing from the previous blanket ban on antibiotics.

• Chick-fil-A emphasized its commitment to high-quality chicken saying that the company only uses real white breast meat without added fillers, artificial preservatives, steroids, or hormones. Additionally, the restaurant established an Animal Wellbeing Council of external experts to provide feedback on its animal welfare policies and practices.

• Chick-fil-A's previous goals included transitioning to selling antibiotic-free chicken within five years and sourcing only cage-free eggs for its breakfast menu items by 2026. However, recent bird flu outbreaks in US chicken farms have reduced chicken supplies and caused price increases.

Little Stories

• NFL owners postponed a vote on Tom Brady's proposed purchase of a stake in the Las Vegas Raiders. Commissioner Roger Goodell said at league meetings in Orlando that the process is progressing. Still, concerns remain among owners about the potential impact on the franchise's value if Brady receives a discounted price. (More)

• Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has agreed to pay nearly $300,000 in restitution to settle criminal securities fraud charges that have followed him for nearly a decade. The deal was announced by special prosecutors in a Houston courtroom just weeks before Paxton was scheduled to stand trial on felony charges. (More)

• Trader Joe's has raised the price of bananas for the first time in over twenty years. The cost per banana has increased from 19 cents to 23 cents — a more than 20% rise. Trader Joe's justified the increase by saying that they adjust prices only when costs change. (More)

• Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. revealed Tuesday that Nicole Shanahan, a tech attorney and entrepreneur from the San Francisco Bay Area, will join his campaign as his vice presidential pick. Shanahan, who, like Kennedy, lacks prior political experience, has financially supported his campaign and his super PAC. (More)

• Federal Homeland Security Investigations agents searched two properties owned by music mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs in Los Angeles and Miami on Monday as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation by federal authorities in New York. It remains unclear whether Combs is the target of the investigation. (More)

Extra Credit

“Barbie Pigs” are the latest strange species discovered in the Pacific. 

Trump is selling “God Bless the USA” bibles for $59.99. 

Check out these incredible photos of March’s full Worm Moon.

Visualizing vision and hearing decline with age.