At least 11 deaths have been confirmed and more than 1,400 people sought care at emergency rooms and urgent care clinics for carbon monoxide poisoning during the weeklong Texas outage in February. Children made up 42% of the cases.
Black, Hispanic and Asian Texans suffered a disproportionate share of the carbon monoxide poisonings, @propublica, @TexasTribune and @NBCNews found based on a review of hospital data. They accounted for 72% of the poisonings, far more than their 57% share of Texas' population.
Over the past two decades, the vast majority of states have implemented laws or regulations requiring carbon monoxide alarms in private residences, often on the heels of high-profile deaths or mass poisonings during storms.
But in Texas, where top lawmakers often promote personal responsibility over state mandates, efforts to pass similar carbon monoxide requirements have repeatedly failed.
JUST IN: North Carolina judge rejects bid to have body-cam footage of sheriff's deputies shooting Andrew Brown Jr. released to the public — but says his family would be allowed to view it.
Superior Court Judge Jeff Foster said turning over footage to news media could affect a potential trial of law enforcement officers who opened fire while serving a warrant on the 42-year-old Black man in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
But Foster ordered the sheriff to allow Brown's immediate family and lawyer to privately view body-cam footage from 4 deputies within the next 10 days.
NEW: Florida's Senate advanced a restrictive voting bill Monday that includes limits on casting ballots by mail and drop boxes over the concerns of Democrats and voting-rights activists, who say the bill would create significant new barriers to voters. on.msnbc.com/2QTTOxH
The Republican-led Senate approved the bill in a largely party-line vote, with one Republican joining all Democrats to vote against it after weeks of contentious debate.
The legislation would limit where drop boxes can be placed and would require those casting ballots that way to show identification to an election official first.
Derek Chauvin found guilty on all charges. msnbc.com/live
Opinion | @glennkirschner2: The jury’s decision tells us much about the prospect of holding accountable a police officer who — before our very eyes — decided he had the power to be judge, jury, and executioner. on.msnbc.com/3suSRck
BREAKING: Jury reaches verdict in trial of Derek Chauvin, who is charged with murder and manslaughter in the death of George Floyd. nbcnews.to/3ej9Qt1
"I'm like shaking I'm so nervous," Ashley Heikkila tells @shaqbrewster outside the Hennepin County courthouse before the verdict Derek Chauvin trial is announced. "I hope that there's justice."
"I'm hoping that this is a pivotal moment where we can start to see real change."
BREAKING: Former VP Walter Mondale has died at age 93, a former aide and close family friend tells @NBCNews.
@NBCNews Fmr. President Carter on the passing of Walter Mondale: "Today I mourn the passing of my dear friend Walter Mondale, who I consider the best vice president in our country’s history."
@NBCNews Former VP Walter Mondale, trusted adviser to fmr. President Carter and a former presidential nominee, has died at age 93, a close family friend says. nbcnews.com/politics/polit…