Murdaugh Sentenced, Medal of Honor, and a Rare Jurassic-Era Bug

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Good morning. It's Saturday, March 4, and in this weekend edition, we're covering sentencing in a high-profile South Carolina case, an overdue Medal of Honor recognition, and much more. First time reading? Sign up here.

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One Big Headline

Murdaugh Sentenced to Life

Alex Murdaugh, a former influential South Carolina lawyer, was handed two consecutive sentences of life in prison without parole for murdering his 52-year-old wife, Maggie, and 22-year-old son, Paul. Their bodies were found near dog kennels at the family's hunting lodge in Islandton, South Carolina, in June 2021 (see map).

A jury took roughly three hours the day before sentencing to convict Murdaugh after listening to five weeks of testimony from over 75 witnesses, including Murdaugh himself (see previous write-up), seeing nearly 800 pieces of evidence, and visiting the crime scene. The case gained national attention over the numerous twists, including a hitman and a botched suicide attempt, and given the family's political power in the area.

Before Murdaugh was charged with murder, he was in jail awaiting trial for more than 100 other charges for alleged crimes, including money laundering, tax evasion, and drug trafficking.

See a timeline of the murders here. Read a deep dive into the family's history here.

Quick Hits

Black Vietnam vet receives Medal of Honor after nearly 60 years.

Retired Army Col. Paris Davis, one of the first Black officers to lead a Special Forces team in combat, was awarded the Medal of Honor Friday. The overdue recognition comes after Davis' recommendation for the award was lost, resubmitted, and then lost again, until 2016 when a group of volunteers resubmitted the paperwork.

Cancerous skin lesion removed from President Joe Biden's chest.

The White House announced Friday the skin lesion removed last month was a basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer. A note from the physician to the president said all cancerous tissue was successfully removed during the president’s routine physical Feb. 16 and the president does not need further treatment.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate sentenced to 10 years in prison.

A Belarusian court ruled that human rights activist and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize winner Ales Bialiatski, along with his colleagues, were guilty of smuggling, organizing, and financing public protests, among other crimes. Activists and opponents of the government say the sentences were politically motivated.

Amazon halting parts of construction on second headquarters.

The company is pausing work on the second phase of its HQ2 in Arlington, Virginia, as it looks to cut expenses. The second phase, known as PenPlace, includes three 22-story buildings, a 350-foot helix tower, and over 100,000 square feet of retail space. The first phase, Metropolitan Park, will open in June.

King Charles III picks France, Germany for first state visits.

The king and Camilla, queen consort, are set to visit the European Union's two biggest countries March 26-31. Their upcoming travels mark the first state visit by a British monarch since 2015, when the late Queen Elizabeth II stopped traveling.

Toothed whales use vocal fry to help hunt for prey in the deep.

New study reveals toothed whales evolved an air-driven nasal sound source that operates at different registers, similar to the human voice. Toothed whales have at least three registers, including the vocal fry used to produce echolocation calls to catch prey.

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Humankind

Santa Fe, Texas, high school shooting survivor pays tribute to fallen classmates in "American Idol" audition. (More)

A 12-year-old girl's nonprofit provides night-lights to children in foster care. (More)

Fans help singer Lewis Capaldi finish song as he experiences Tourette's midconcert. (More)

Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl barbecues for over 24 hours at homeless shelter. (More)

Texas high school students raise $250K for 80-year-old janitor to retire. (More)

... and an 8-year-old boy raises over $70K for his favorite Waffle House worker to buy a car. (More)

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Humankind(ness)

Today, we're sharing a story from reader Lori E. in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

"Our neighbor has extended kindness every snowfall this winter, and there have been many! We have had two when we received between 12 and 20 inches of snow. Though the city has great snow removal capabilities, with the big snows, it takes time to get all of the residential streets cleared. Our two neighbors have cleared a single lane to the emergency snow route each time to make certain all can stay safe! There is no expectation of payment by them, they are just great guys—so we pay in cookies!"

What act(s) of kindness did you experience this week? Tell us here.

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Watch

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> How White Castle became the world's first fast food chain.

Long Read

> India's sinking holy town faces a grim future.

> Kouri-Vini: The return of the US' lost language.

Best of the Week: Scientist invents a cure for hiccups.

Historybook: Antonio Vivaldi, violinist and composer, born (1678); Jeannette Rankin becomes first female member of US House of Representatives (1917); Frances Perkins becomes secretary of labor, first female member of US Cabinet (1933); Actor and comedian John Candy dies (1994); Actor Luke Perry dies (2019).

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highprofile South Carolina case Rare JurassicEra Bug ONE BIG HEADLINE South Carolina Lawyer two consecutive sentences botched suicide attempt Black Vietnam vet Special Forces team President Joe Biden The White House basal cell carcinoma first Black officers Cancerous skin lesion

Murdaugh Sentenced, Medal of Honor, and a Rare Jurassic-Era Bug

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