Happening Today

Happening Today: Tessa Majors Case, Dem Debate, COVID-19 Cruise Ship, Weinstein Trial

Here's what to know for Wednesday, February 19

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14-Year-Old Suspect in Barnard College Student Death to Face Judge Wednesday

A 14-year-old arrested in the fatal stabbing of a Barnard College student in a park during a robbery in December, a crime that rattled New York City residents, is expected to appear in front of a judge on Wednesday. Rashaun Weaver, arrested and charged last week as an adult with second-degree murder and robbery, is the second teenager to be charged in the attack on 18-year-old Tessa Majors in a Manhattan park and sources tell NBC New York that police are searching for a third teen in connection to the brutal stabbing. The Associated Press and NBC New York is naming the juvenile defendant because of the seriousness of the crime and because he has been charged as an adult.

Las Vegas Debate a Major Test of Bloomberg Campaign’s Gamble

Michael Bloomberg will confront the greatest test of his presidential campaign when he faces five Democratic rivals in a debate in Las Vegas that could fundamentally change the direction of the party’s 2020 nomination fight. Wednesday night's debate comes at a pivotal point in the campaign as moderate voters are struggling to unify, with some increasingly looking to Bloomberg to become the clear alternative to progressive Bernie Sanders. And lest there be any doubt, all the participants expect a hostile reception for Bloomberg, who formally registered as a Democrat in 2018 and has faced relatively little national scrutiny so far in his surprisingly swift rise from nonpartisan megadonor to top-tier presidential contender.

Passengers Begin Leaving After Ship’s Virus Quarantine Ends

About 500 passengers left the cruise ship Diamond Princess on Wednesday at the end of a much-criticized two-week quarantine aboard the vessel, docked in Japan, that failed to stop the spread of the new virus among passengers and crew. The quarantine's flop was underlined as authorities announced 79 more cases, bringing the total on the ship to 621. Results were still pending for some other passengers and crew among the original 3,711 people on board. Japan's government has been questioned over its decision to keep people on the ship, which some experts have called a perfect virus incubator. The Diamond Princess is the site of the most infections outside of China, where the illness named COVID-19 emerged late last year.

Jury Back for Second Day of Deliberations in Weinstein Trial

Jurors are returning for the second day of deliberations in a rape trial that could send Harvey Weinstein to prison for the rest of his life. The panel of seven men and five women had lots of questions Tuesday as they started weighing charges in the closely watched #MeToo case. Weinstein, 67, is charged with raping a woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on another woman, TV and film production assistant Mimi Haleyi, in 2006. Weinstein's lawyers contend the acts were consensual.

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