DOJ reaches $100M settlement in deadly Baltimore bridge collapse
The Department of Justice has reached a settlement in connection with the deadly Baltimore bridge collapse in March. The DOJ said Thursday, Oct. 24, the two companies that owned the cargo ship which crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge have agreed to pay more than $100 million to resolve a civil claim.
That claim alleged the disaster was caused by the companies’ cost-cutting measures and neglecting the ship’s maintenance.
Six workers, who were on the bridge patching potholes, were killed when the 213-million-pound vessel lost power and crashed into the bridge, sending it crumbling into the water. The DOJ said the settlement money will cover the costs of the monthslong efforts to remove the wreckage and get the Port of Baltimore back open.
The City of Baltimore has filed its own claim against the two companies and families of three of the victims have also said they intend to sue. The FBI has also opened a criminal investigation into whether the ship’s crew failed to report an earlier issue that delayed their departure.
Related Stories
Maryland files new lawsuit over Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse
Maryland files new lawsuit over Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse
Maryland is ramping up its legal battle against the owners of the massive container ship Dali that led to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge. State officials filed a new lawsuit during the week of Sept. 22, against Singapore-based companies, joining a string of claims accusing them of knowingly sending an unsafe vessel into U.S. waters.
The lawsuit follows reports that the U.S. Department of Justice is seeking $100 million over the bridge collapse. Both Gov. Wes Moore, D-Md., and Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown delivered a message Tuesday, Sept. 24, saying that the companies failed in their duties.
The Dali was en route to Sri Lanka when it lost power on the way out of Baltimore harbor. That power outage ultimately set off a chain reaction, and led to the destruction of the bridge and the deaths of six road workers who were filling potholes during an overnight shift.
The deadly collapse also crippled commercial shipping for months at one of the East Coast’s busiest ports. A spokesperson for Grace Ocean Private Limited has defended the company’s actions, saying they “look forward to their day in court.”
Meanwhile, the FBI is still conducting a criminal investigation. The bureau boarded the Dali back in April, and inspected another ship that is operated by Synergy Marine while it was docked in Baltimore last weekend.
Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine are seeking to limit their financial responsibility in what could become one of the most expensive maritime accidents in history. However, according to comments made by state officials, Maryland intends to hold them fully accountable.
“We will not allow Marylanders to be left with the bill for the gross negligence… that caused this harm,” Brown said during the announcement with Gov. Moore.
The deadline for claims against shipping companies is fast approaching. Multiple parties have already filed lawsuits, including Baltimore city officials, local businesses and insurers.
Dali leaves US, ship heads to China amidst $100 million DOJ lawsuit
Nearly six months after a cargo ship triggered the Francis Scott Key Bridge to collapse in Baltimore, the ship is finally leaving the U.S. The Dali officially left the Port of Virginia on Thursday, Sept. 19.
The ship departed after undergoing repairs, which started back in June. Alongside the departure comes a $100 million lawsuit by the U.S. Department of Justice.
The DOJ alleges that the ship’s owners and operator were aware of the ship’s major issues before the accident that took the lives of six construction workers.
The ship was scheduled to head to China starting on Sept. 17, but delays forced it to leave port on Sept. 19.
DOJ sues over Baltimore bridge collapse, seeks $100 million
The Justice Department is suing the owners and operators of the Dali container ship that crashed into Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26. The accident caused the bridge to collapse into the water and ended up killing six people.
The government is accusing Singapore companies Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Group of negligence in maintaining the ship over cost-cutting concerns. According to the DOJ, the disaster was “entirely avoidable.”
The U.S. is seeking more than $100 million to cover the costs of the government’s response to the disaster and the months of work to clear the wreckage from the waterway.
The lawsuit, filed in Maryland, lays out what investigators found out about the ship the night it lost power twice before slamming into the bridge.
“The electrical and mechanical systems on the Dali were improperly maintained and configured in a way that violated safety regulations and norms for international shipping,” the lawsuit states. “None of the four means available to help control the Dali — her propeller, rudder, anchor, or bow thruster — worked when they were needed to avert or even mitigate this disaster.”
The destruction of the Key Bridge caused economic losses, as the city of Baltimore had to close the Port of Baltimore for months to clean up bridge debris.
“The bridge was a primary route for transporting hazardous cargoes to and from the Port of Baltimore,” the lawsuit states. “It took months to restore the Fort McHenry Channel and reopen the port to its normal capacity, and it will take years to build a new bridge.”
The collapse claimed the lives of six Latino immigrant workers. The families of three of those construction workers are also taking legal action against the owner of the Dali.
Officials have committed to rebuilding the bridge, with estimated costs soaring to at least $1.7 billion and a timeline that could stretch over several years.
Months after Baltimore bridge collapse, Dali leaves port, most sailors head home
Eight crew members that were on the ship that struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore are home after around three months on the Dali. A judge ruled on Thursday, June 21, that the men could return on the condition that they would be available for future depositions as the investigation into the crash and bridge collapse continues.
A spokesperson for the ship’s management said that he expected two more crew members to return from the United States soon.
Investigators said that there is no need to keep the men in the United States any longer since they have already been questioned by the Justice Department. The crew had been unable to leave the ship because of they were considered witnesses in the ongoing investigation. Crew members also did not have valid visas or shore passes.
Meanwhile, on Monday, June 24, the Dali left the Port of Baltimore, with four crew members on board.
Four tugboats helped the vessel as it began its journey to Norfolk, Virginia. Around 1,500 containers will be off-loaded to reduce draft, according to the Coast Guard. The sailors aboard the Dali are from India and Sri Lanka.
The Coast Guard and FBI continue to investigate the crash that caused the Francis Scott Key bridge to collapse and killed six construction workers who were on the bridge at the time.
The National Transportation Safety Board previously reported that the Dali lost power several times before it hit a column on the bridge. The agency is still investigating the electrical issues.
Officials expect the bridge to be rebuilt by 2028 with a price tag of around $1.9 billion. The Dali’s owner tried to cap damages at $43 million. Monday was also the deadline in Maryland to submit proposals to rebuild the bridge.
Earlier this month, the Fort McHenry federal channel reopened after crews cleared wreckage from the river.
Louisiana law requires public classrooms to display Ten Commandments
Louisiana becomes the first state to require the Ten Commandments be displayed in public classrooms. And the prehistoric landmark Stonehenge was defaced by climate activists. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Thursday, June 20, 2024.
Louisiana law requires public classrooms to display Ten Commandments
Louisiana’s governor has signed a law that makes the state the first in the nation to require all public classrooms to display a copy of the Ten Commandments. That legislation is already getting pushback from several civil rights groups.
The law says all public classrooms from kindergarten to college must display the Ten Commandments on a poster or framed document by the start of 2025. The displays must also feature a statement on how the Ten Commandments have been a “prominent part of American public education for almost three centuries.”
Republican Gov. Jeff Landry said the law is aimed to bring “drastic reform” to the education system and “common sense back” to the classroom.
“This bill mandates the display of the Ten Commandments in every classroom in public, elementary, secondary, and post education schools in the state of Louisiana,” Landry said. “Because if you want to respect the rule of law, you got to start from the original lawgiver, which was Moses.”
Critics, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Freedom From Religion Foundation, have vowed to sue, calling the law “unconstitutional.”
In its criticism of the law, the ACLU cited a 1980 Supreme Court decision where the justices ruled a similar law in Kansas violated the First Amendment’s “establishment clause.” That clause is intended to prevent government from preferring one religion over others.
3 dead in Mexico; Texas issues disaster declaration due to tropical storm
The first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season has already turned deadly. Mexican authorities reported three deaths from Tropical Storm Alberto’s rains.
Alberto — which is bringing strong winds, heavy rainfall and some flooding along the coasts of Texas and Mexico — is expected to make landfall in northern Mexico early Thursday. Once it does, forecasters expect it to weaken rapidly before moving inland.
Parts of Mexico are expected to see up to 20 inches of rain with this storm and Texas’ coast could see up to 15 inches. Flooding has already become a problem for coastal areas like Corpus Christi.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, R, has issued a disaster declaration in 51 counties to ensure “at-risk regions have the resources and personnel needed to respond to this storm.”
95% of power restored in Ecuador after nationwide blackout
Power has been almost fully restored in Ecuador after a nationwide blackout left millions in the dark Wednesday, June 19. The blackout affected hospitals, homes and a major subway system.
The country’s public infrastructure minister said in a post on X Wednesday, June 19, the outage was caused by maintenance and transmission issues in the country’s electrical system. The minister stressed the outage could have been avoided if the country had invested more in its infrastructure.
Ecuador has been struggling with an energy crisis for years. In April, the president declared an energy emergency, ordering eight-hour nationwide electricity cuts.
Deal reached to allow Dali crew members to go home
A deal has been reached with the City of Baltimore and the owner of the Dali cargo ship that would allow crew members who remain on the ship to leave the U.S. and go home, according to court documents. They’ve been stuck on the ship since March 26, when it lost power leaving Baltimore Harbor and crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge, causing it to collapse and killing six people.
Eight of the crew members, all from India and Sri Lanka, had been cleared to go home as early as Thursday, June 20. But on Tuesday, June 18, attorneys for the City of Baltimore filed a lawsuit looking to keep them in the U.S. amid ongoing investigations into what led up to the deadly collapse.
Getty Images
A hearing on the matter had been scheduled for Thursday morning, but Wednesday night, June 19, the city’s attorneys sent a letter to the judge saying all sides reached a compromise and the Dali’s owner and managing company have agreed to make sure the crew members return for deposition if needed.
Climate activists target Taylor Swift’s private jets Stonehenge
Climate activists with the group “Just Stop Oil” targeted the private jets of Taylor Swift in a British airport Thursday, June 20, spraying them with orange paint as the pop superstar is set to perform in London this weekend. Swift has been criticized in the past for her use of private jets.
The two activists were arrested — just a day after a similar protest by the group at Britain’s iconic landmark Stonehenge, where visitors to the site jumped in to try to stop them.
The protesters in both instances are calling on the British government to take action on climate change. They’re demanding Britain’s next government phase out fossil fuels by 2030.
The group said the paint used was made of an “orange cornflour” and washes away in the rain.
English Heritage, the charity that manages Stonehenge, told The BBC the paint has been cleaned off and there appears to be no lasting damage.
The protest came as thousands were expected to visit the site to witness the sunrise on the first day of summer.
Snapchat Inc. agrees to pay $15M to settle discrimination lawsuit
The parent company of the popular social media app Snapchat has agreed to pay $15 million to settle a lawsuit claiming it discriminated against female employees. A three-year investigation by the California Civil Rights Department found Snapchat discouraged women from applying for promotions, failed to prevent sexual harassment in the office and retaliated against those who spoke out through negative performance reviews and termination.
The settlement covers employees who worked for the California company from 2014 to this year.
Snapchat said while it disagrees with the claims, it decided to settle to avoid costly and lengthy litigation.
Netflix to open brick-and-mortar entertainment venues
Netflix is moving away from the digital space for its next venture. The company has announced it is planning to open two brick-and-mortar entertainment destinations in the U.S.
Called Netflix House, the venues will feature various in-person experiences catered to fans of the streaming platform. Netflix says visitors will be able to walk through a replica of the “Bridgerton” set, compete in a challenge from “Squid Game,” and eat at a restaurant with food inspired by its shows.
The two Netflix houses will be located at shopping malls in Dallas, Texas and King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia.
Cargo ship in Baltimore disaster one of hundreds in US to lose propulsion
Six people died after a cargo ship lost propulsion causing the vessel to slam into the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on March 26. Now, it’s being revealed that the incident may be part of a larger problem involving ships losing propulsion in U.S. waterways.
A Washington Post analysis on Tuesday, April 16, revealed that hundreds of incidents involving ships losing propulsion, many near critical infrastructure, have been reported over the past few years.
The latest incident happened less than two weeks after the Baltimore disaster on Friday, April 5. A massive container vessel experienced propulsion failure near a bridge connecting New York and New Jersey.
The APL Qingdao — which stretches more than 1,100 feet — faced engine failure while navigating a narrow passage beneath the Bayonne Bridge, which is used by thousands of commuters each day. Maritime chatter reportedly declared it a “dead ship.” In response, three tugboats were called in to guide the vessel to safety.
The vessel was forced to drop an anchor near another busy bridge, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, which carries about 200,000 vehicles per day. Eventually, the ship was able to continue its journey.
The April 5 incident is one of many involving cargo ships losing power near critical bridges and ports over the past few years. The failures put lives at risk, as well as property, as noted by the bridge collapse in Baltimore.
Part of the problem is the increasing size of cargo ships and lack of consistent rules on tugboat escorts. According to experts, without proper guidance, ships are more susceptible to accidents. Experts are calling for clearer rules and more tugboats to escort vessels.
Safety advocates said implementing regulations and guidelines for ship navigation enhances safety, especially for vessels that experience engine failure.
Around Baltimore alone, the Washington Post found that ships lost propulsion nearly two dozen times in the three years before the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse.
The U.S. Coast Guard also identified several cases of ships hitting objects after losing power, including one ship striking a grain dock in the Lower Mississippi River.
The Washington Post reported that in some cases, poor maintenance, aging or faulty equipment were to blame for engine failure. In other cases, human error was the cause of the problem.
Thousands of Baltimore port workers not getting paid after Key Bridge collapse
Nearly three weeks have passed since a container ship lost power and collided with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in the Port of Baltimore, causing it to collapse into the Patapsco River on March 26. There is extensive work ahead before operations return to normal.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard, is actively engaged in clearing the steel and concrete debris from the water.
According to Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s office, crews have established two temporary alternate channels, facilitating the passage of 69 vessels through these waterways. However, the majority of the harbor remains inaccessible.
U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Bill McKinstry informed ABC News that divers are contending with murky waters, complicating the salvage operation.
Engineers have set a goal of opening a third limited-access channel for additional vessels by the end of April, with hopes of restoring port capacity to normal levels by the end of May.
Since the collapse of the Key Bridge, nearly 8,000 jobs have been suspended, leaving workers unpaid until cargo ship operations resume.
Scott Cowan, president of the International Longshoremen’s Association at the Port of Baltimore, disclosed to WTOP News that only around 300 workers are engaged in daily maintenance jobs, leaving many others concerned.
In an effort to alleviate the financial strain, Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, D, recently signed the Port Act into law. The legislation aims to provide financial assistance to impacted port workers and offers incentives to local businesses to prevent relocation to other ports. However, Cowan noted that the benefits of this legislation have yet to be realized.
Israel withdraws troops from Gaza’s largest hospital after two-week operation
Israel withdraws its troops from Gaza’s largest hospital after a two-week military operation. And AT&T has a warning for millions of current and past customers after data was found on the dark web. These stories and more highlight The Morning Rundown for Monday, April 1, 2024.
Israel withdraws troops from Gaza’s largest hospital
After 14 days, the Israel Defense Forces said its troops had withdrawn Monday, April 1, from the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, ending its second military operation at the territory’s largest medical facility. Video from the scene showed buildings destroyed in the area.
Get up to speed on the stories leading the day every weekday morning. Get The Morning RundownTM newsletter straight to your inbox!
The IDF said it had exited the hospital after completing “precise operation activity in the area” and has exited the hospital.”
“The troops killed terrorists in close-quarters encounters, located numerous weapons and intelligence documents throughout the hospital, while preventing harm to civilians, patients and medical teams,” the IDF statement read.
A Gaza Civil Defense spokesperson told CNN the facility has been “completely destroyed and burned down,” adding “injured and burned bodies fill the hospital grounds.”
The withdrawal comes after Israel targeted the area outside another medical facility, Al-Aqsa in central Gaza, on Sunday, with hospital officials there saying two people were killed by the drone strike. Israeli officials said it struck terrorists that were operating from that hospital’s courtyard.
🔴An IAF aircraft struck an operational Islamic Jihad command center and terrorists positioned in the courtyard of the Al-Aqsa Hospital in the area of Deir al Balah.
Following the precise strike, the Al-Aqsa Hospital building was not damaged and its function was not affected.
Netanyahu underwent surgery for a hernia on Sunday. Hospital officials said the surgery was successful.
Pope calls for end of conflicts in Easter message
In his Easter message on Sunday, Pope Francis hoped for an end to conflicts across the world, appealing for peace in Israel, Gaza and Ukraine.
Francis spoke in front of tens of thousands of worshipers at the Vatican, calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and the release of all hostages and prisoners of war.
Following Sunday’s mass, the pontiff toured St. Peter’s Square in his vehicle before delivering his annual Easter message.
The Vatican has said the 87-year-old pope has been battling the flu all winter leading him to skip the Way of the Cross procession on Good Friday to “preserve his health.”
Work continues to remove wreckage after bridge collapse
The Captain of the Port of Baltimore is preparing to establish a temporary alternate channel to allow commercially essential vessels to travel around the area of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge.
Over the weekend crews removed a 200-ton piece of the bridge that plunged into the water after being struck by a cargo ship last week.
However, that’s just the start of the cleanup operation.
Work at the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is entering a new phase with a massive salvage operation underway. @nbcaaron reports on the latest details. pic.twitter.com/1boj1hzsK6
Maryland Governor Wes Moore said tons of the wreckage of the Key Bridge still needs to be cleared, as this will allow crews to continue searching for the missing four victims and to continue work to reopen the port.
Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told ABC News on Sunday there is no timeline for reopening the main channel or rebuilding the bridge.
“The Army Corps of Engineers and the Navy are working on it. They have not wanted to speculate yet on a timeline because the operation is so complex. It’s not that you just have to remove the wreckage, it’s that you have to do it in a way that doesn’t cause portions of the bridge that are there across the water to shift,” Buttigieg said. “They’ve been under a lot of compression, tension; they could behave almost like a spring if they are not expertly managed.”
Buttigieg added crews are also working to prevent the 213-million-pound cargo ship from swinging into the channel.
AT&T alerts millions of customers of data breach
Millions of AT&T customers were alerted over the weekend of a breach that resulted in their data, including social security numbers and passcodes, being released on the “dark web.” AT&T said it reset passcodes belonging to the affected 7.6 million current customers.
Approximately 65.4 million former account holders were also impacted by this breach, the company said.
AT&T confirms data of 73 million customers leaked on dark web, investigation ongoing https://t.co/9qXVHn4pxk
AT&T released a notice on Saturday saying the compromised data appears to be from 2019 or earlier and does not contain any personal financial information. The company is investigating the breach with cybersecurity experts.
It is not yet known if the customer data originated from AT&T or one of its vendors.
$20 an hour minimum wage begins for Calif. fast-food workers
Starting Monday, April 1, half a million workers in California will see their pay increase as the state’s new minimum wage for fast-food employees takes effect.
Workers at places like McDonald’s, Pizza Hut, and Starbucks will start making a minimum wage of $20 an hour. That’s a 25-percent raise for many.
The nation’s highest minimum wage for fast-food workers takes effect in California on Monday. pic.twitter.com/OJVnUlQo1o
Gov. Gavin Newsom signed the “Fast Act” back in September, which requires fast-food chains with 60 or more locations around the country to pay this new minimum wage.
Fast-food chains like Chipotle, McDonald’s, and Jack in the Box have warned prices could increase to offset these higher wages. Other changes fast-food restaurants are said to be taking include increasing automation and cutting workers’ hours.
Men’s NCAA Tournament Final Four is set
The Final Four four is set in the men’s NCAA tournament and it wouldn’t be March Madness without a few more shockers.
Eleventh-seeded North Carolina State continues its run to the national championship by upsetting No. 4-seeded Duke Sunday, March 31, 76-64, making it to the Final Four for the first time since 1983.
NC State will meet No.1 seed Purdue after the Boilermakers took down Tennessee 72-66 earlier in the day.
Another No. 1 seed UConn, looking for back-to-back championships, defeated Illinois 77-52 on Saturday — a win which included the Huskies scoring 30 unanswered points.
