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Today’s Big Story

Serial Sperm Donor

A Dutch court ruled that a serial sperm donor, who may have fathered over 500 children, will be fined $110,000 if he donates again. Jonathan Jacob Meijer is estimated to be the father of 107 children in the Netherlands alone and hundreds more around the world. Eva, a mother of a child conceived using Meijer’s sperm, brought the lawsuit with the help of the DonorKind Foundation, an organization that supports donor children.

Background:
The Netherlands blacklisted Meijer in 2017 after they discovered he used 11 clinics to father over 100 children, far outpacing the 25 child limit the country has in place. However, he kept donating internationally, reaching out to people on multiple donor sites and using pseudonyms.

Why it matters:
The court emphasized the possibility of negative psychosocial consequences and ordered Meijer to call the clinics where he donated and request they destroy his samples. Authorities also pointed out that there is a potential for accidental incest if more children are conceived using Meijer’s sperm. The fertility donation protocols in the Netherlands are in need of serious checks and balances. DonorKind has identified at least 10 doctors in the Netherlands that have illegally used their own sperm to conceive children, including Jan Karbatt, who has fathered 90 children to patients in his fertility clinic in Rotterdam.

Big picture:
Eva and DonorKind hope that the precedent set in this case will draw attention to the need for a worldwide donor database to prevent situations like this one.

Little Stories

Business & Economy

*US regulators asked banks to submit their final bids to take over troubled regional bank First Republic Sunday afternoon. Upon approval of a bid, the bank will go into receivership (its assets will be held by the government) and immediately be sold to the highest bidder. Authorities hope the sale will help to calm markets and restore the public’s faith in the US banking system.

*Investors are suing Adidas for allegedly not taking action sooner to limit financial losses and minimize their exposure over anti-semitic remarks made by former collaborator Kanye West.

World

*Italy welcomed former Tallahassee principal Hope Carrasquilla, who resigned after she received backlash from parents for showing students the 16th century statue of Michelangelo’s David. The museum director and the mayor of Florence invited Carrasquilla on a cultural tour after the news broke.

*UAE’s Sultan Al-Neyadi became the first Arab astronaut to complete a spacewalk after he performed two tasks outside of the International Space Station.

US New, Politics, & Government

*The three soldiers who died when two helicopters crashed into each other while returning from a training mission have been identified by the US Army. The Army grounded all aviation unit training after 12 soldiers died in the last month during helicopter crashes in Kentucky and Alaska. 

*A tornado touched down in Palm Beach Gardens, FL on Saturday, flipping cars and causing extensive damage to homes. Storm damage forced local authorities to close major roadways as crews worked to clear the areas of debris.

Sports & Entertainment

*Stephen Curry scored 50 points in the Warriors’ series clenching win over the Kings on Sunday. It was the most points in game 7 of a playoff series in NBA history.

*The Toronto Maple Leafs won their first NHL playoff series in 19 years.

Science, Health, & Tech

*Symptoms for new strain of COVID-19, dubbed Arcturus, include high fever, cough, and “itchy” conjunctivitis or pinkeye. The variant accounts for 14% of new cases in the US according the to CDC.

*General Mills recalled some 2-,5-, and 10-pound bags of Gold Medal bleached and unbleached all purpose flour after finding salmonella during sampling of a 5-pound bag. The company issued the recall for bags with “better if used by” date of March 27, 2024 and March 28, 2024.

Extras

*Improve your overall health by avoiding these popular beverages.

*Learn how much money it takes to be considered middle class in America’s largest cities.

*Watch: Scariest wingsuit base jump.