Search Underway After Major Bridge Collapse in Baltimore
Parts of the Francis Scott Key Bridge remain after a container ship collided with one of the bridge’s support Tuesday, MArch 26, 2024 in Baltimore. The major bridge in Baltimore snapped and collapsed after a container ship rammed into it early Tuesday, and several vehicles fell into the river below. Rescuers were searching for multiple people in the water. (WJLA via AP)
Credit to the Associated Press
Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after a container ship lost power and rammed into the bridge early Tuesday, sending vehicles plunging into the water. Six people are still unaccounted for.
Here’s what to know:
Collapse’s cause: The ship, which is called Dali, reported losing power just before it struck a column on the bridge. Watch the moment the bridge collapsed.
— Search ongoing: Two people have been pulled from the water following the collapse; one has been discharged from the hospital. Rescuers are still searching for six construction workers who were working on the bridge at the time of the collapse.
— Bridge location: The bridge, part of I-695, once spanned the Patapsco River, a vital artery that along with the Port of Baltimore is a hub for shipping on the East Coast. A supply chain manager says to expect goods shortages in the coming days.
Supreme Court Appears Skeptical of Sweeping Mifepristone Restrictions
Anti-Abortion and Abortion-rights activists rally outside the Supreme Court, Tuesday, March 26, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Credit to the Associated Press
The U.S. Supreme Court is examining the issue of abortion this week as it hears arguments over whether to limit access to mifepristone, a pill used in the most common way to end a pregnancy.
In 90 minutes of arguments, the justices appeared likely to preserve access to the drug, with even conservative justices voicing skepticism over the lawsuit’s scope.
Here’s what to know:
— How safe is mifepristone? The central dispute in today’s case is whether the Food and Drug Administration overlooked serious safety problems when it made mifepristone easier to obtain, including through mail-order pharmacies. The AP dug into the pill’s safety here.
— What’s at stake? If the Supreme Court sides with the conservative groups suing the FDA, it would mean patients would no longer be able to receive mifepristone through the mail, among other major restrictions. Beyond abortion, the ruling could upend pharmaceutical regulatory processes.
— When will the Supreme Court issue a decision? The exact timing is unclear, but the court almost always issues its decisions by early summer, usually before the end of June.
Russia Persists in Blaming Ukraine for Concert Attack Despite its Denial and Islamic State’s Claim
Russian President Vladimir Putin attends an expanded meeting of the Prosecutor General’s Office board in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. (Valeriy Sharifulin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Credit to Associated Press
MOSCOW (AP) — Russian officials persisted Tuesday in saying Ukraine and the West had a role in last week’s deadly Moscow concert hall attack despite vehement denials of involvement by Kyiv and a claim of responsibility by an affiliate of the Islamic State group.
Without offering any evidence, Alexander Bortnikov, head of the Federal Security Service, or FSB, followed similar allegations by President Vladimir Putin, who linked the attack to Ukraine even as he acknowledged that the suspects who were arrested were “radical Islamists.”
The IS affiliate claimed it carried out the attack, and U.S. intelligence said it had information confirming the group was responsible. French President Emmanuel Macron said France also has intelligence pointing to “an IS entity” as responsible for the attack.
But despite the signs pointing to IS, Putin insisted on alleged Ukrainian involvement — something that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected, accusing the Kremlin leader of trying to drum up fervor as his forces fight in Ukraine.