Mass shootings in the United States, Crime in Louisiana Three people are killed, including the gunman, and two others are wounded during a shooting at a gun store and indoor shooting range in Metairie, Louisiana. (CNN)
The Department of Justice and the FBI announce that they are investigating whether Alex Jones, Roger Stone, and Stop the Steal organizer Ali Alexander played any role in inciting the January 6 riot at the United States Capitol. (The Independent)
The United States surpasses 28 million cases of COVID-19. (UPI)
2021 Australian Open Novak Djokovic defeats Daniil Medvedev in the final to win the Men's Singles competition of the tournament. (The New York Times) Ivan Dodig and Filip Polášek win the Men's Doubles by defeating Rajeev Ram and Joe Salisbury. (Reuters)
New York reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant from South Africa in a person from Nassau County. (CNBC)
Novak Djokovic defeats Daniil Medvedev in the final to win the Men's Singles competition of the tournament. (The New York Times)
India surpasses 11 million cases of COVID-19, becoming the second country to do so after the United States. (Hindustan Times)
The United States surpasses 500,000 deaths from COVID-19, just five weeks after the country passed 400,000 deaths. (CBS News) (NPR)
The White House orders United States flags to fly at half-staff for the next five days in order to honor those who have died from COVID-19. (The Independent)
Washington reports their first case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa in King County. (The Seattle Times)
A mishandled sting operation between the national police and the country's drug enforcement agency in Quezon City results in the deaths of two police officers following a shootout between the two parties. (CNN)
Authorities in Germany and Belgium seize more than 23,000 kilograms (51,000 lb) of cocaine, worth billions of dollars, in an international operation that resulted in one arrest. Authorities consider this to be the largest amount of cocaine ever seized in Europe. The containers came on a ship from Paraguay, via Tangier and Rotterdam, the police said. (CNN)
California surpasses 50,000 deaths of COVID-19, becoming the first U.S. state to do so. (The Guardian)
Ghana becomes the first country in the world to receive vaccines distributed through the COVAX initiative, with 600,000 doses of the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine. (The Washington Post)
Mayor of Washington D.C. Muriel Bowser's sister, Merica Bowser, dies from COVID-19 as the city surpasses 1,000 total deaths. (USA Today)
2021 Croix-des-Bouquets jailbreak Arnel Joseph, a powerful Haitian gang leader, is killed in a gun battle with police in L'Estère a day after escaping from prison during a riot. The death toll from the incident rise to a total of 25 people, including many civilians killed by the inmates after randomly opening fire in the streets. The prison's director, six inmates and police officers are among the dead. Sixty more prisoners who escaped are captured and arrested, while more than 200 others are still on the run. (BBC News)
Aftermath of the GameStop short squeeze The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission temporarily halts the trading of 15 stocks, most of which are penny stocks, out of concern that online users were coordinating to artificially raise their value. (Bloomberg)
Arnel Joseph, a powerful Haitian gang leader, is killed in a gun battle with police in L'Estère a day after escaping from prison during a riot. The death toll from the incident rise to a total of 25 people, including many civilians killed by the inmates after randomly opening fire in the streets. The prison's director, six inmates and police officers are among the dead. Sixty more prisoners who escaped are captured and arrested, while more than 200 others are still on the run. (BBC News)
Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia–United States relations The Biden administration releases a previously classified intelligence report on the assassination of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, confirming that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman had approved of the assassination. (The New York Times)
The Biden administration releases a previously classified intelligence report on the assassination of Saudi dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, confirming that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman had approved of the assassination. (The New York Times)
Vietnam approves the emergency use of the American Moderna and Russian Sputnik V vaccines. (dpa International)
Nebraska reports their first case of California's B.1.429 variant in a man in his 60s in Lancaster County. (The Lincoln Journal Star)
The Food and Drug Administration approves the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine for emergency use in the United States. (The Guardian)
Florida reports its first case of the 501.V2 variant first detected in South Africa. (Clickorlando.com)
The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction releases a report accusing the United States of wasting billions of dollars in Afghanistan on buildings and vehicles that were either abandoned or destroyed. The agency says only $343.2 million worth of vehicles and buildings were in good condition. (VOA)
New Jersey reports its first two cases of the Lineage P.1 variant in Hudson County and 34 cases of a New York variant of SARS-CoV-2 in the northeastern part of the state. (NJ.com)
The United States Capitol Police announces that it has obtained intelligence on a "possible plot" by an identified militia group to breach the United States Capitol building on the following day, March 4, which has recently been the subject of QAnon conspiracy theories. In response to the intelligence, the United States House of Representatives announces that it has ended its work for the week. (AP)
Pastoral visits of Pope Francis Pope Francis arrives in Baghdad in the first ever Papal visit to Iraq. (Washington Post)
Pope Francis arrives in Baghdad in the first ever Papal visit to Iraq. (Washington Post)
Killing of George Floyd The trial of former Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin begins in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Chauvin's trial is the first time that a judge in Minnesota has authorized cameras to show a full criminal trial. (The Independent)
The trial of former Minneapolis Police Department officer Derek Chauvin begins in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Chauvin's trial is the first time that a judge in Minnesota has authorized cameras to show a full criminal trial. (The Independent)
Washington (state) reports its first case of the Lineage P.1 variant of SARS-CoV-2, which originated in Brazil. The patient is a person from the King County. (AP)
A Metropolitan Police officer is charged with kidnapping and murder. (BBC News)
Death of Sarah Everard A Metropolitan Police officer is charged with kidnapping and murder. (BBC News)
The French Haute Autorité de Santé approves the use of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. (U.S. News & World Report)
A car bombing near a police station in Herat Province kills at least eight people and wounds more than 50 others. (Al Jazeera)
A Metropolitan Police officer is remanded in custody and will appear at the Old Bailey in London on March 16. (BBC News)
At a candlelight vigil in Clapham, mourners defying COVID-19 gathering restrictions clash with police officers attempting to disperse them, resulting in four arrests. The actions of the police draw condemnation from several officials, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Home Secretary Priti Patel. (Evening Standard)
Death of Sarah Everard A Metropolitan Police officer is remanded in custody and will appear at the Old Bailey in London on March 16. (BBC News) At a candlelight vigil in Clapham, mourners defying COVID-19 gathering restrictions clash with police officers attempting to disperse them, resulting in four arrests. The actions of the police draw condemnation from several officials, including London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Home Secretary Priti Patel. (Evening Standard)
PlainSite public data reveal 450 workers at the Tesla Factory in Fremont have tested positive for COVID-19 since Tesla CEO Elon Musk reopened the building last May. (The New York Times)
Catholic Church and gay marriage The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican body responsible for promulgating Catholic doctrine, rules that priests cannot bless same-sex unions or marriages, calling any such blessing "not licit". (The New York Times) (Vatican Press Office)
The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican body responsible for promulgating Catholic doctrine, rules that priests cannot bless same-sex unions or marriages, calling any such blessing "not licit". (The New York Times) (Vatican Press Office)
Turkey reports 15,503 new cases in the past 24 hours, which is the highest single-day total this year, and brings the nationwide total of confirmed cases to 2,894,893. (U.S. News and World Report)
COVID-19 vaccine Moderna begins testing its vaccine in babies and children aged six months to 11 years in the U.S. and Canada. (The Wall Street Journal)
Moderna begins testing its vaccine in babies and children aged six months to 11 years in the U.S. and Canada. (The Wall Street Journal)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo receives the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. (The New York Daily News)
North Dakota reports their first four cases of the California variant of SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, the state also reports seven cases of the UK variant of SARS-CoV-2. (The Bismarck Tribune)
Russia recalls its Ambassador to the United States in order to figure out what to do and where to move in terms of relations with the U.S. (TASS)
China–United States relations Representatives from China and the U.S. meet in Anchorage, Alaska, for diplomatic talks. (CNN)
Representatives from China and the U.S. meet in Anchorage, Alaska, for diplomatic talks. (CNN)
The Chilean Air Force announces that part of its staff in Antarctica has been vaccinated against COVID-19, making them the first people on the continent to receive a vaccine. (U.S. News and World Report)
Florida surpasses two million cases of COVID-19, becoming the third U.S. state to do so after California and Texas. (The Hill)
Afghan peace process U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin makes an unannounced trip to Afghanistan ahead of a May 1 deadline to withdraw troops from the country. (ABC News)
Florida becomes the first U.S. state to surpasses 1,000 cases of SARS-CoV-2 variants. (Tallahassee Democrat)
Clinical trials for the vaccine produced by Oxford and AstraZeneca show that it is 79% effective against COVID-19. (The New York Times)
COVID-19 vaccination in the United States Clinical trials for the vaccine produced by Oxford and AstraZeneca show that it is 79% effective against COVID-19. (The New York Times)
Investigations into the 2020 fire that destroyed 56,338 acres in northern California conclude that the fire began when a gray pine tree fell on power lines belonging to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. (Bloomberg via MSN) (San Francisco Chronicle)
Zogg Fire Investigations into the 2020 fire that destroyed 56,338 acres in northern California conclude that the fire began when a gray pine tree fell on power lines belonging to the Pacific Gas and Electric Company. (Bloomberg via MSN) (San Francisco Chronicle)
Brazil surpasses 300,000 deaths from COVID-19, becoming the second country to do so after the U.S. (AP)
Capital punishment in the United States, Capital punishment in Virginia Virginia becomes the 23rd U.S. state to abolish the death penalty, and the first Southern state to do so. (The Washington Post)
Virginia becomes the 23rd U.S. state to abolish the death penalty, and the first Southern state to do so. (The Washington Post)
A tornado emergency was issued by the National Weather Service near Hoover, Alabama. Another emergency was also issued for Brent and Centreville. (Alabama WX)
AstraZeneca announces that the efficacy rating of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate has been lowered to 76%, following new analyses of the trial run in the United States. Earlier in the week, the company had been criticized for advertising its vaccine with a 79% efficacy rating using what critics claimed was outdated data. (Forbes)
Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine AstraZeneca announces that the efficacy rating of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate has been lowered to 76%, following new analyses of the trial run in the United States. Earlier in the week, the company had been criticized for advertising its vaccine with a 79% efficacy rating using what critics claimed was outdated data. (Forbes)
The National Weather Service issues a particularly dangerous situation tornado watch after level 5 "high risk" watches are issued for parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee. (AL.com)
Virginia reports its two first cases of the highly contagious SARS-CoV-2 variant first detected in California. (U.S. News and World Report)
2021 Suez Canal obstruction The Suez Canal Authority accepts an offer from the United States Navy to deploy an assessment team of dredging experts to assist in efforts to remove the stranded Ultra Large Container Vessel Ever Given. The Suez Canal has now been blocked for four consecutive days. (CNN)
The Biden administration announces that the United States is expected to receive 11 million doses of the vaccine produced by Johnson & Johnson. (Reuters)
The Suez Canal Authority accepts an offer from the United States Navy to deploy an assessment team of dredging experts to assist in efforts to remove the stranded Ultra Large Container Vessel Ever Given. The Suez Canal has now been blocked for four consecutive days. (CNN)
A series of shootings occur on the oceanfront of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Friday night. They consist of a mass shooting that left eight people injured; a subsequent, fatal shooting by a police officer; and an unrelated fatal shooting that occurred nearby. (CNN)
List of mass shootings in the United States in 2021, Crime in Virginia A series of shootings occur on the oceanfront of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Friday night. They consist of a mass shooting that left eight people injured; a subsequent, fatal shooting by a police officer; and an unrelated fatal shooting that occurred nearby. (CNN)
Dianne Feinstein becomes the longest serving U.S. Senator from California, surpassing Hiram Johnson. (Los Angeles Times)
Three police officers are killed in a roadside bomb blast in Laghman. (Xinhuanet)
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announces that the state will expand their vaccine eligibility to adults 30 and older beginning tomorrow, and to anyone aged 16 and older beginning on April 6. (The New York Times)
Texas expands their vaccine eligibility to all adults. (KTBC-TV)
