BY SAMANTHA PANGRAZIO
STAFF WRITER
Boston bombing suspect convicted on all 30 counts
The man accused of plotting and carrying out the Boston marathon bombing in 2013 has been given a guilty verdict on all 30 counts with which he was charged by prosecutors. CNN reports that Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was convicted of using weapons of mass destruction and of conspiracy, among many other charges. Seventeen of the charges could give him the death penalty. Tsarnaev’s apparent motive was to send a message to Islamic radicals to rise up and punish Americans. Victims and their families expressed relief upon hearing the verdict.
For further reading: http://www.cnn.com/2015/04/08/us/boston-marathon-bombing-trial/index.html
Authorities investigate police shooting in South Carolina
A second video was released of an incident in which Officer Michael Slager shot and killed Walter Scott in the back. This dash cam video shows Scott being pulled over and attempting to escape after Slager returned to the police car. An earlier video filmed by a witness shows Slager shooting Scott in the back eight times. The event sparked protests in light of current events of perceived police brutality, especially against black individuals. According to the BBC, Slager was arrested on murder charges and could receive life in prison without parole.
For further reading: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-32237544
U.S. government prohibits Intel from selling chips to China
Chinese supercomputers are currently run mostly on Xeon processers made only by Intel. A planned upgrade would need tens of thousands of new chips for the Tianhe-2, the fastest computer in the world. However, the U.S. Department of Commerce refused Intel’s application to export the chips. According to BBC News, the denial was based on the belief that these supercomputers are being used for “nuclear explosive activities.” Intel has instead signed a deal with the Argonne National Library in Illinois to build a new supercomputer that will have more power than any other in the world.
For further reading: http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-32247532