Deadly tornadoes killed dozens of people in Mississippi over the weekend, and President Joe Biden declared a state of emergency; plus, sensitive source code used to run Twitter was leaked online. These stories and more highlight the daily rundown for Monday, March 27, 2023.
Mississippi tornadoes kill 25
FEMA is now on the ground in Mississippi helping survivors of severe weather. President Biden issued a state of emergency Sunday for Mississippi after storms and tornadoes killed at least 25 people and injured dozens more.
At least one person was also killed in Alabama as the storm stretched across the southeast. Deadly tornadoes in the Mississippi delta left a path of destruction stretching more than 150 miles. Some tornadoes were as strong as an EF-4.
By declaring a state of emergency, federal funding can now be used for recovery efforts including temporary housing, home repairs, and loans covering uninsured property losses.
Chocolate factory explosion kills 7
Authorities have found the remaining victims of a chocolate factory explosion in West Reading, 60 miles northwest of Philadelphia, bringing the death toll to 7.
On the evening of March 24, a facility belonging to the R.M. Palmer company exploded. The blast sent debris flying that sparked flames and damaged another building belonging to the chocolate factory.
According to employees and their families, several workers had complained about smelling gas throughout the day. The cause of the explosion is still under investigation as clean up efforts will continue.
Philadelphia water scare after spill
People living in Philadelphia were told not to drink tap water after a chemical spill prompted the water advisory for the more than 1.5 million people living in the city.
Officials say 8,000 gallons of a latex product started leaking into a creek in nearby Bucks County on Friday, March 24, before reaching the Delaware River.
The city was able to provide residents with bottled water and now says the drinking water supply is showing no signs of contamination.
Thousands protest overhaul plan in Israel
Tens of thousands of people gathered in the streets of Israel in protest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s newly proposed judicial overhaul. It’s a plan that would give the nation’s parliament more power over the courts. Netanyahu fired Israel’s Defense Minister who condemned the government reforms.
Large bonfires were set, highways have been blocked, and police and protestors scuffled at a demonstration held outside of Netanyahu’s residence.
Not only are people protesting, but businesses, universities, and labor unions are also striking. Many believe the firing of the Defense Minister signals that Netanyahu will move forward with the overhaul plan this week. This is drawing concern from former security chiefs, the United States, and other allies of Israel.
First Citizens Bank acquires SVB
Much of the failed Silicon Valley Bank’s assets are being sold to First Citizens Bank Corporation. On Monday, March 27, 17 SVB branches will open as First Citizens Bank branches.
According to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, First Citizens is buying $72 billion in assets from the bank that first initiated a banking crisis ripple earlier this month.
Twitter code leaked online
Twitter has acknowledged, through a legal filing over the weekend of March 25, that part of its source code has been leaked online.
The legal document, filed by Twitter, asked the website Github, of which it was posted on, to take down the code that someone had leaked. The website has already complied with the request and removed the sensitive information.
Twitter also asked the court to identify the leaker. The leak comes after CEO Elon Musk purchased Twitter last year for $44 billion. Musk now estimates the platform to be worth less than half of that.
