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Big Stories

To the Moon!

NASA announced that we’re going back to the moon! Four astronauts will be making the trip, which include the first African American and first woman to participate in a lunar mission. This will be the first moon crew in 50 years and NASA wants to establish a long-term presence on the moon for science and exploration. However, they will not land or even go into lunar orbit on this go around.

No landing, what gives?
NASA already sent its new Orion capsule on an unmanned trip around the moon late last year. The trip will test Orion’s life support systems and make sure humans can live and work in deep space. The agency’s long term goal is a Moon to Mars exploration approach and these staggered trial runs are the first steps.

France will begin drafting laws regarding end life options.

French President Emmanuel Macron has said new legislation will be drafted this year to address “end life options” in France, after a report was released finding that most French citizens are in favor of legalizing medically assisted suicide and euthanasia.

What’s medically assisted suicide and euthanasia?  

• Medically assisted suicide occurs when a doctor prescribes a lethal drink or medication to a patient, that meets a specific criteria, who then takes it under their own free will.

• Euthanasia occurs when a health practitioner gives a patient meeting specific criteria a lethal injection at the patients request.

France currently allows doctors to provide "deep sedation" to terminally ill patients, which can lead to their death, but it is illegal for doctors to actively end a patient's life.

Little Stories

Business

*UFC parent company Endeavor bought 51% percent of the WWE on Monday to form one publicly traded mega-company. The new partnership is worth $21 billion — $13 million more that the Dallas Cowboys; the most valuable NFL franchise.

**McDonald's has temporarily closed its offices in the United States as it prepares for planned layoffs. The company has not yet revealed how many jobs will be cut or which departments will be affected, but plans on opening 1,900 new locations this year.

World

*The spy ballon saga continues. Two Senior U.S. officials are claiming that China received communication about key military sites from the balloon before it was shot down in February. Pentagon officials are still analyzing the wreckage and haven’t confirmed if a transmission was possible.

Politics

*Abby Zwerner, the Virginia teacher who was shot and seriously injured by a 6-year-old student, is suing the Newport News School Board for $40 million. She claims she told the school administrators that the student was armed and in a “violent mood” on the day of the shooting. The boy used his mother’s gun, which was secured on a high closet shelf with a lock.

**Donald Trump flew into NYC Monday to plead not guilty to charges relating to hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. His lawyers have urged the judge to disallow cameras saying they will cause distraction.

Sports

The UConn Huskies beat the San Diego St. Aztecs 76-59 in a one-sided contest to capture it’s 5th national title. The Aztecs were in foul trouble from the start of the second half and but managed to pull to within 6 before the huskies pulled away for good.

One Liners

*Scientists capture deepest-ever footage of a fish.

**Throwback. Watch Bill Nye the Science guy explain what a light year is.

***Vogue’s oldest cover star is a 106-year-old indigenous tattoo artist.