Deadly Earthquake Hits Turkey

A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the Turkish town of Sivrice on Friday, killing at least 31 people and wounding more than 1,600 others. Emergency rescue teams have rescued 45 people from collapsed buildings so far, with officials saying at least 20 more may still be trapped in rubble.

Coronavirus Update

As of Sunday morning, the official count of confirmed coronavirus cases in China was at 1,975 - on Monday, Chinese officials raised the country’s death toll to at least 80 people. Three more cases of the virus were reported in the U.S. (two in CA, one in AZ), bringing the national count up to five.

More context: Stay up to date on the latest news with this interactive map from Johns Hopkins University.

Kobe Bryant Dies

Five-time NBA Champion and Los Angeles Laker legend Kobe Bryant, along with eight others, died in a helicopter crash Sunday morning. The passengers reportedly included Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna, a teammate from Gianna’s basketball team, a parent of the teammate, and Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli.

Lucky Number 7

After being postponed twice last week due to weather, Boeing successfully completed the first flight of its new generation of 777X aircraft on Saturday. The 777X is the largest twin-engine jet ever built, though it is yet to be approved by regulators following Boeing’s recent 737 MAX incidents.

Solar Swindlers

The husband-and-wife owners of DC Solar pleaded guilty to involvement in a ~$1 billion Ponzi scheme on Friday. According to prosecutors, the couple used false financial statements and lease contracts to defraud investors (including $377 million from Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway) and fund their extravagant lifestyle.

Swiss Chee$e

According to Reuters, the financial arm of the Swiss government is investigating whether financial institution Credit Suisse engaged in corporate espionage against two former executives. Depending on the results of the investigation, the Swiss government could order an overhaul of the leadership at the country’s second-largest bank.

Wheel of (Good) Fortune

26-year-old Ste Burke of Liverpool is a real-life superhero - his attention to detail ended up righting a wrong and making one man’s day in the process. Ste was on his way home from the gym when he was approached by two men. They tried to sell Ste an expensive bike for just over $100, but he recognized its true worth (over $1,700) - leading him to believe the men had not acquired the bike through conventional means.

Thinking quickly, Ste purchased the bike and proceeded to search out the rightful owner via social media. Surprised and grateful, the owner offered to reimburse Burke for his purchase of the bike, but Burke refused, saying he couldn’t bear to take money from a man whose home had been broken into. Burke’s heroic deed proves that there are some people in the world that can be counted on to do the right thing, even in the face of injustice.

Why Can’t We Be Friends?

A few shelter dogs made a splash in Bradenton, FL last weekend, as their adorable mutt mugs appeared on Motorworks Brewery’s beer cans. The local establishment’s goal is to find these dogs forever homes, as well as raise funds for Shelter Manatee, an organization working to build a new animal shelter for beloved pets in need.

So far, 150 four-packs of beer have been sold, and two of the four dogs featured have been adopted. Since the brewery is not able to legally ship their product to other states, they have successfully taken their fundraising efforts national by selling the special-edition labels featuring the pooches. A few lovable companions are on the way to cozier conditions, all thanks to some great PR on the part of a generous beer company.