Americans Kidnapped in Mexico:

   On March 3, 2023, four Americans were kidnapped and held at gunpoint by a group of unidentified members in Tamaulipas, Mexico. The four Americans had recently crossed the border south of Brownsville, Texas, with the intent to receive cosmetic surgery for one of the victims. Unfortunately, the tragedy took the lives of two of the four victims, identified as Zindell Brown and Shaeed Woodard. The remaining two victims, identified as LaTavia Washington McGee and Eric Williams, have been reported back to the U.S. after the incident occurred. Once the surviving victims returned to the U.S., the FBI confirmed they were brought to a hospital for treatment. It was discovered that during the incident, Eric Williams was shot in the leg and injured. It has been announced that one of the armed men known as Jose “N” has been found and arrested by officers after the event. Mexico’s president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, came out to speak about the tragedy, stating “we send our condolences to the families of the victims, friends, and the United States government, and we will continue doing our work to guarantee peace and tranquility.” As of now, the remaining members of the kidnapping have yet to be found and are still in the process of being located.

Five Women Have Sued the State of Texas for Denying Abortion Access

   Five Texan women are currently in the process of a lawsuit against the state of Texas after being denied abortion services by their care doctors. Despite the women suffering from life-threatening health risks, as well as receiving news of a low chance of survival for their unborn fetuses, the option to perform the procedure was denied. One of the plaintiffs in this matter, Ms. Zurawski, told her story of suffering from sepsis due to premature dilation. Once denied the service, Zurawski spent three days in the intensive care unit and an overall week in the hospital due to her state of health. The following four plaintiffs in this matter had to travel outside of the state of Texas to perform the procedure elsewhere. The five women created a 91-page complaint against the state of Texas after their traumatic experiences. Overall, Texas bars this procedure in the case of medical emergencies, which all of these women suffered from. The expected punishment for medical providers that neglect and refuse this procedure is to face up to 99 years in jail, lose their medical license, and a fine of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The state of Texas was the first state in the country to enact a total ban on this procedure, with the expectation of a life-threatening emergency.

Women’s History Month

   It’s March! This month is Women’s history month. This month highlights women who have made big differences in our society and have shaped it into what it is now. During this month it’s important to recognize the women who have played crucial roles in not just the world but in our own lives. There are big and small things we can do this month to celebrate WOMEN! Some smaller things you can do are read books about women’s rights or watch podcasts to learn more about this movement and the women who started the movement like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucrecia Mott. Or if you wanted to do something a little more impactful, you can donate to organizations and charities like Equality Now, which works to protect the rights of women and girls along with the Malala Fund, which advocates for girls’ education. More specifically during this month, there is International Women’s Day on March 8 which is a holiday that sheds light on women’s issues like reproductive rights, gender equality, violence and abuse against women, and even more! The day recognizes the women’s movement and highlights women’s achievements. 

California was Hit with Snow and There’s More Coming:

   The snowstorm that hit California recently isn’t over. The same places that were already affected by the copious flooding earlier this year, are about to be hit even harder. In the Bay Area, residents are expected to receive up to three inches of rainfall, while Santa Cruz could get up to ten inches. Those in Central and Northern California are on high alert for wind gusts that could reach 55 mph, and in parts of Sierra Nevada, it’s projected there will be around eight feet of snow. After being hit with the snowstorm they are about to be faced with severe rain causing more than 17 million people to be under flood watch. News officials have now urged Northern California residents to stock up on essential supplies that can last up to two weeks and other residents have been told to gather sandbags to help with the heavy flooding. People traveling through the Sierra Nevada mountain range should look out for heavy snowfall and take major precautions before getting on the roads. Since the flooding on February, 34 out of the 58 California counties have been under a state of emergency, and those preparing for this second storm are the same people who haven’t fully recovered from the previous storm. In San Bernardino, the death toll has risen to at least 11 people, as many have been trapped in the snow for weeks. All of this snow and rainfall has been described as a “once-in-a-generation event” and throughout California from Sacramento to Los Angeles, everyone is gearing up for what is to still come.

Celsius Energy Drink Lawsuit: 

   With school starting at 7:20 and most students getting less than eight hours of sleep on weeknights, energy drinks are a necessity. You may have heard of Celsius, a popular energy drink among many teenagers. The plethora of flavor combinations and the simple trendy packaging draws teens into their brand. Not only that, but Celsius claims to be natural and less artificial than other energy drink brands drawing attention towards those of the fitness industry. Celsius contains 200mg of caffeine and on their website, you will find that their target audience is “health-conscious consumers ages 25-44.” 

   A recent scandal with Celsius has consumers concerned for their safety. On Celsius’ label, you will find the claim of “no preservatives” however, it was recently found that the drink included citric acid. This false advertisement resulted in a massive class action settlement. A class action lawsuit is filed on behalf of a larger population who share the same claim. This is big news for Celsius and its misleading branding. 

   Celsius has an annual revenue of $0.645 billion and the company itself is worth $6.36 billion. In light of this recent news, it has been made aware that people who recently purchased Celsius can earn back up to $250. If you purchased any Celisus energy drink between January 1st, 2015, and November 23, 2022, you might be eligible for compensation. Consumers will have to show valid proof via receipts that they have purchased Celsisus for personal use during the applicable time. Most people don’t keep their receipts for several years. If you did, the settlement can pay you extra. If not, each household will only be eligible for a $20 maximum reimbursement. Participants will earn $1 per single can and $5 for multipacks. 

To discover more about this lawsuit visit the Celsius Class Action Settlement website.