While you were sleeping, we compiled the biggest stories of the day in one place. Each story has a quick and easy summary, so you're prepared for whatever the day brings. Just click on the links if you want to know more!
1. Ukraine says about 40 killed so far in Russian attack
Russian troops have launched a wide-ranging attack on Ukraine as President Vladimir Putin cast aside international condemnation and sanctions.
Ukraine’s leadership said at least 40 people have been killed so far in what it called a “full-scale war” targeting the country from the east, north and south.
President Joe Biden responded Wednesday night after reports of missile strikes were heard in several cities in Ukraine.
"The United States and its allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way," Biden said. "The world will hold Russia accountable."
2. Palm Beach County superintendent, school board members denounce 'Don't Say Gay' bill
In a unanimous show of solidarity, the Palm Beach County School Board on Wednesday evening officially denounced the controversial so-called "Don't Say Gay" education bill that's working its way through the Florida Legislature.
School board members voted 7-0 to send a letter to state legislators, voicing their "displeasure" with HB 1557 and SB 1834, both officially called the "Parental Rights In Education" measure.
The Palm Beach County School Board on Wednesday voted to send a letter to Florida lawmakers, calling the bills "worrisome" and saying they "threaten the ideals of inclusion."
In the letter, Superintendent Mike Burke and all seven school board members said they "stand firmly against any legislation that would compromise acceptance and respect for our students based on race, religion, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other demographic targeted for discriminatory exclusion."
3. Florida Senate confirms Dr. Joe Ladapo as surgeon general
The Florida Senate on Wednesday confirmed Dr. Joe Ladapo as the state's top doctor after a party-line vote.
Ladapo, a physician and clinical researcher, has questioned the effectiveness of masks and vaccines and has been very vocal against any mandates.
“I guess politics is a component of my role, but I’m not here for the politics, I’m here for health,” Ladapo said Wednesday. "It just so happens that the governor and I happen to sort of see things similarly among some major health issues, and that’s good.”
4. 'Popcorn murder' trial could impact future stand-your-ground cases
Curtis Reeves, 79, is in the midst of his murder trial using self-defense and stand-your-ground to keep him from, potentially, spending the rest of his life behind bars.
Reeves was a retired police captain when he shot and killed 43-year-old Chad Oulson in 2014 after an argument that started because Oulson was using his cellphone in Pasco County.
The argument escalated to Oulson eventually throwing popcorn at Reeves, authorities say. Reeves maintains he pulled the trigger because he felt threatened by a much younger, physically fit, Oulson.
As both sides lay out their cases in court before a 10-person jury, self-defense scholars and legal experts are watching the case closely for its historic significance.
5. Bettors high on Brooks Koepka to win Honda Classic
The Honda Classic is set to open its gates to the public today in Palm Beach Gardens and the tournament organizers are optimistic.
The public seems to be high on Koepka, who grew up in nearby West Palm Beach. Golf odds at BetMGM have Koepka at +1600 on the eve of the first round.
As of Tuesday, Koepka had 11% of the tickets and 12.4% of the handle, both of which are the most among the golfers in the field.
Today's Forecast
Warm and Dry: Weather will be up to par for Honda Classic
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On This Day In History
On Feb. 24, 1988, The U.S. Supreme Court votes 8-0 to overturn the $200,000 settlement awarded to the Reverend Jerry Falwell for his emotional distress at being parodied in Hustler, a pornographic magazine.
In 1983, Hustler ran a piece parodying Falwell’s first sexual experience as a drunken, incestuous, childhood encounter with his mother in an outhouse. Falwell, a religious conservative and founder of the Moral Majority political advocacy group, sued Hustler and its publisher, Larry Flynt, for libel. Falwell won the case, but Flynt appealed, leading to the Supreme Court’s hearing the case because of its constitutional implications.
In February 1988, the Supreme Court unanimously overturned the lower court’s decision, ruling that, although in poor taste, Hustler‘s parody fell within the First Amendment’s protection of freedom of speech and the press.
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