Daily News Recap (2-11-15)

By Holly Henrichsen
Assistant Web Content Manager

Three Muslim students were shot to death at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus. According to USA Today, 46 year old Craig Stephen Hicks turned himself into the Chatham County Sheriffs office after an on going dispute over an apartment parking space led Hicks to fatally shoot three muslim students in the head. It is not clear if their religion was a factor in the shootings but police say Investigators are trying to determine if the killings could have been hate-motivated. Chapel Hill Police Chief Chris Blue said in a statement “ We Understand the concerns about the possibility that this was hate-motivated and we will exhaust every lead to determine if that is the case.” Hicks has been denied bail and his next hearing will be held on March 4th. Friends of the students have since posted a Facebook page in their honor.

President Obama asked Congress earlier this morning to formally authorize the use of military force in the war against ISIS. CNN states this is the first time a U.S. President asked for this kind of authorization in 13 years. Lawmakers received a draft authorization that would formally authorize a six month military effort against ISIS. Obama will speak to the public regarding the issue this afternoon.

Texas could lose its waiver from the No Child Left Behind act of 2001 after Education Commissioner Michael Williams said he will not enforce an educator evaluation system. This Past January the U.S Department of Education rejected a new teacher and principal evaluation system Texas is required to develop to keep the federal waiver. Williams said the state has not yet been denied the waiver and that he is asking if school districts still want it. If the state loses the waiver more schools will be considered failing and the state could risk losing billions of dollars in education funding .

A judge announced today that the captain of the Costa Concordia is guilty of manslaughter and other charges when the ship’s fatal wreck crashed into rocks off the Tuscan Island of Giglio three years ago, killing 32 people. The choices of the 3 judge panel took only about five hours to decide the fate of Captain Francesco Schettino after an intense 19 month trial. Judges agreed with prosecutors who say the captain abandoned the ship like a coward but according to the Schettino defense lawyer, he ended up in a lifeboat because he lost his balance and fell into it. According to CNN, Schettino admitted to the court that his reason for sailing close to the Giglio – which led the ship to his the rocks – was to impress the passengers. The former captain could have faced a possible sentence of 26 years for convictions causing a maritime disaster, abandoning ship and multiple counts of manslaughter. Schettino is sentenced 16 years in prison and to pay court costs.