Murdaugh found guilty, Santos under House Ethics review: March 3 rundown

Alex Murdaugh found guilty of murder – Alex Murdaugh will be sentenced Friday morning after being found guilty of murder in the shooting deaths of his wife and son. The jury deliberated for three hours before finding Murdaugh guilty of all charges. The trial lasted for six weeks. Prosecutors argued Murdaugh’s many financial crimes were about to be exposed so he murdered his wife and son in an effort to shift attention away from the missing money. Murdaugh faces 30 years to life in prison without parole for each murder charge.

House Ethics Committee investigating Santos – In a show of bipartisanship, the House Ethics Committee voted unanimously to investigate Congressman George Santos, R-N.Y. The House Ethics panel will look at a wide range of potential violations. The panel will look into whether Santos engaged in unlawful activity during his 2022 congressional campaign, if he failed to disclose required information to the House of Representatives, whether Santos violated federal conflict of interest laws, or engaged in potential sexual misconduct toward a volunteer staffer in his congressional office.

Santos already responded to the House Ethics inquiry. He said he will fully comply with their investigation. There are also separate state and federal ongoing investigations into the past of the newly elected congressman.

Station manager charged in Greece train wreck – Greece is still reeling from a head-on collision between a freight train and a passenger train Tuesday night. The death toll has now climbed to at least 57 with another 80 people injured. Now, the 59-year-old train station manager has been arrested and charged with manslaughter. The station manager’s lawyer said the manslaughter charge could put the employee in prison for life. He was only assigned his position a few months ago, according to his lawyer.

While details of the train wreck remain limited, Greek State TV said the two trains were traveling on the same track for 11 miles or roughly 12 minutes. Greece’s Prime Minister has said the incident was “mainly due to tragic human error.”

“The accused is literally devastated,” Stefanos Pantzartzidis, lawyer for station manager, said. “It is a bit early for statements, because we don’t have the entire case file. He has assumed his share of the responsibility within the framework of the responsibility it should have and has.”

Sen. Dianne Feinstein hospitalized with shingles – Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., is undergoing treatment for shingles at a San Francisco hospital. The California democrat was diagnosed with the infection in late February and has missed multiple votes this week. Feinstein said she is receiving treatment and expects to make a full recovery. She is looking to return to the Senate later this month. Older people are at a higher risk of developing shingles and people over 60 are more likely to have more severe complications. Feinstein at 89-years-old is the oldest sitting U.S. senator and the longest-serving U.S. senator from California. Feinstein announced last month she is not seeking reelection.

Walgreens won’t dispense abortion pills in 20 states – One of the nation’s largest pharmacies won’t be distributing abortion pills by mail in 20 states. The decision comes after the attorneys general from those states wrote a letter to Walgreens last month threatening legal action if the company began distributing the drug in their states. Right now, Walgreens doesn’t dispense mifepristone, the abortion pill used in half of all abortions.

The FDA announced earlier this year that retail pharmacies can now dispense abortion pills including by mail. Walgreens said it does intend to become a certified pharmacy to sell abortion pills but it would only dispense in jurisdictions where it is legal. The decision is the latest example to demonstrate how widely abortion access can vary state to state in a post-Roe America.

Alaska’s dog sled race starts Friday – In Alaska, a popular dog sledding race is getting underway Friday. It is the 51st Iditarod Race marking the start of a second-half century for the world-renowned tradition. Straight Arrow News is in Alaska covering the behind-the-scenes of what it takes to trek through 1,000 miles of Alaska’s unforgiving wilderness traveling by dog sled. The field of competitors is rapidly shrinking. What used to be up to 96 teams competing is now at 33 for the 2023 race. There are critics of the dog sled race who call it animal cruelty while race-insiders call it Alaskan culture.