Domestic

Sen. John Fetterman of Pa. may soon be able to return to his office from a voluntary hospitalization that took place over three weeks ago. He admitted himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for his clinical depression which was the result of a stroke that he suffered last year just before his election as Pennsylvania Senator. His chief of staff, Adam Jentleson, tweeted last Monday that, “John is well on his way to recovery,” that he is “laser focused” on Pennsylvania and that he would “be back soon.” Jentleson shared that Fetterman co-sponsored a rail safety bill during his care, and the two have been discussing the Farm Bill and other Senate business. 

Last week California’s Sierra Nevada region experienced more severe winter storms, prompting Gov. Gavin Newsom to announce a state of emergency in 13 counties. Through last Tuesday, the region received more snow following a weekend of dangerous accumulation of up to 38 inches in just 24 hours. Avalanche warnings had persisted in central and southern Sierra Nevada through last Monday. Yosemite National Park closed indefinitely as an effect. The park has received up to 15 feet of snow in some areas. Homes in the San Bernardino mountains experienced snow as high as second-story windows and critical businesses in the area like grocery stores have been forced to close. 

A court has ruled that transgender women can now compete in USA Powerlifting. JayCee Cooper filed a case against USA Powerlifting in 2021 for discrimination after she was banned from competing in women’s events on the basis of gender. The organization has until March 14 to alter the current policy that bans transgender women from its competitions. The judge expressed that while the defendant focused on the idea of “fairness” in its argument, “The USAPL’s evidence of competitive advantage does not take into account any competitive disadvantage a transgender athlete might face from, for example, increased risk of depression and suicide, lack of access to coaching and practice facilities, or another performance suppression common to transgender persons.”

International 

The four Americans who were captured on March 3 while driving through Matamoros, Mexico for cosmetic surgery were found last Tuesday at a shack just outside the town. The FBI confirmed that they were driving in a white minivan with North Carolina license plates when unidentified gunmen opened fire. Video shows them being taken in a pickup truck by heavily armed men. Two Americans, Latavia “Tay” McGee and Eric James Williams have sustained minor injuries. Zindell Brown and Shaeed Woodard were killed, and their bodies have been recovered by U.S. officials. Mexican officials stated last Tuesday that one man had been arrested in connection to the abduction. The investigations are in the early stages as it is unclear whether they were ambushed, mistaken for competing drug traffickers or were caught in crossfire. 

1.28 million workers in France walked off their jobs last Tuesday to protest President Emmanuel Macron’s plan to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64. The plan is meant to preserve the French pension system without raising taxes or increasing national debt, as people are living longer and the ratio of workers to retirees is decreasing. Demonstrations played out across the country with some turning confrontational. Molotov cocktails were met with police retaliation and tear gas. These protests could continue for days or weeks, immobilizing much of the transportation both within and entering the country. The last time Macron tried to put this plan into effect was in 2019, and it prompted a seven week country-wide transportation strike, the longest transportation strike in French history.