DC Officials Declare Potomac River Safe, But Locals Still Wary Of Sewage
Over six weeks ago, a major sewage line collapsed, sending 243 million gallons of sewage into the river. Despite health authorities stating it is now safe to get back into the water, citizens remain skeptical. Plus, news from Maryland, Minnesota, West Virginia, Georgia, New York, and elsewhere.
The New York Times:
Potomac River In D.C. Is Safe, Officials Say. But Locals Still Worry About The Poop.
A broken pipe sent a gusher of sewage into the river near Washington. Some people may try to row, sail or fish. But skeptics are steering clear. (Qin, 3/6)
More news from Washington, D.C., and Maryland —
The New York Times:
D.C. Court Strikes Down Local Ban On High-Capacity Gun Magazines
A local law in the District of Columbia banning gun magazines that contain more than 10 bullets was struck down as unconstitutional by a three-judge panel on Thursday. (Schwartz, 3/5)
CBS News:
Cases Of Carbon Monoxide Exposure In Maryland Up By 50% So Far In 2026
Cases of carbon monoxide (CO) exposure in Maryland increased by nearly 50% in 2026 compared to last year, according to data from the State Department of Health. In 2025, the state recorded a total of 167 emergency room and urgent care visits due to CO exposure. So far this year, 251 cases have been reported, data shows. ... More than 400 people die from unintentional carbon monoxide poisoning each year in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Moodee Lockman, 3/5)
Other health news from across the U.S. —
CBS News:
Bipartisan Bill Aims To Make Minnesota Health Insurers Cover Infertility Treatments
A bipartisan group of Minnesota lawmakers are pushing for a law requiring health insurers to cover infertility treatment. One in six struggle with their fertility, according to Resolve, a national infertility research organization, so this bill could help thousands of people. The bill, put forward by Republican state Sen. Julia Coleman and Democratic state Sen. Erin Maye Quade, will go before the Senate Commerce Committee Thursday. (3/5)
Mountain State Spotlight:
Lawmakers Chip Away At Water Protections As Senate Moves To Weaken Aboveground Storage Tank Rules
West Virginia lawmakers in the Senate passed a bill to weaken drinking water protections by loosening regulations for certain aboveground storage tanks. It is the latest move to weaken the Aboveground Storage Tank Act, passed in 2014 after a chemical leak from Freedom Industries along the Elk River contaminated drinking water for nearly 300,000 West Virginians in the Charleston area. The bill would further decrease the number of tanks that must meet inspection and monitoring requirements designed to protect drinking water. (Spencer, 3/5)
CBS News:
Lady Gaga Donates $100,000 To Atlanta Non-Profit Supporting Youth Mental Health And Education
Lady Gaga isn't just leaving an impact in Atlanta through her stop at State Farm Arena for her Mayhem Ball Tour this week. Her Born This Way Foundation recently donated $100,000 to COR, a non-profit focused on empowering young people through education, mental health support, and fighting social inequality. Almost every school day after class, Carver High Students can stop by one of COR's meetups on campus to talk to other students and guidance counselors. Thursday, they talked about how they want to create more unity among students at Carver Steam Academy and Carver Early College (EC). (John, 3/5)
NBC News:
New Mexico Confirms Latest Measles Case At A Local Jail
The number of confirmed measles cases in New Mexico increased to six after the state's Department of Health confirmed Wednesday a new case inside a local jail in Las Cruces. A federal inmate being held in the Doña Ana County Detention Center is the latest person to have tested positive for measles. The New Mexico Department of Health said others may have been exposed to the highly contagious disease from this confirmed case if they visited the U.S. District Court building in Las Cruces on Feb. 24. (Acevedo, 3/5)
The Boston Globe:
School Nurses Tell Investigator Their Warnings Went Unheeded Before Sharon, Mass., Football Player's Catastrophic Injury
Anguished nurses at Sharon High School urgently appealed to administrators in the fall of 2024 to avert a potential medical crisis by hiring a full-time athletic trainer, according to an investigative report commissioned by the school system and obtained by the Globe. But their repeated warnings went unheeded for months, the nurses told an investigator, and their worst fears were realized when a 15-year-old Sharon High football player, Rohan Shukla, suffered a life-shattering brain injury during the annual Thanksgiving game. (Hohler, 3/6)
The New York Times:
They Helped Her Open A Weed Shop. Now They’re Suing For $2.5 Million
Leeann Mata made history two years ago when she became the first Black woman to open a legal cannabis dispensary in Brooklyn. She started the business with the support of Housing Works, a nonprofit that assists people living with AIDS. It seemed to be a perfect match — years ago, three of Ms. Mata’s brothers were detained on low-level marijuana offenses under state laws that have since been amended, and Housing Works had expanded its mission to helping those negatively affected by the so-called war on drugs. But the partnership quickly soured. (Southall, 3/5)
