Five things you may have missed in the news this week

From crippling snow set to hit the east coast to Sarah Palin and Donald Trump budding relationship, a lot of things have happened this week in national and world news. In case you missed anything, check out these five things:

1. The National Weather Service announced a blizzard may bring “crippling” snow to the U.S. mid-Atlantic region this weekend, including up to two feet of snow. On Wednesday night, half an inch of snow fell over Washington, D. C., causing major gridlock and even postponing President Barack Obama’s trip home from the airport. The NWS is urging people to take extreme caution and stay indoors this weekend and issued a warning saying, “heavy snow and blowing snow will cause dangerous conditions and will be a threat to life and property.” Washington declared a state of emergency that will remain in effect for 15 days. Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Virgina have also declared states of emergency.
2. The Oklahoma police officer accused of raping and sexually assaulting eight black women from a 17-year-old to an elderly woman to was sentenced to life in prison Thursday. Daniel Holtzclaw, 29, was convicted of the assaults in December. His sentence of 263 years was recommended by jurors.
3. Former Alaskan governor and 2008 vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin endorsed Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Iowa on Tuesday. “Are you ready for the leader to make America great again?” Palin asked with Trump by her side at a rally at Iowa State University. According to The New York Times, Palin’s support is the highest profile backing for a Republican so far.
4. Michigan’s attorney general recently opened an investigation into the lead contamination plaguing the city of Flint’s drinking water after officials switched the source of their drinking water from Lake Huron to Flint River. Residents complained that the tap water looked odd and caused rashes, but it wasn’t until recently that action was taken. Michigan’s governor, Rick Snyder, has asked President Obama to declare a state of disaster and National Guard troops are distributing bottled water to residents.
5. “Clueless” star Stacey Dash is causing an uproar after dismissing the #OscarSoWhite controversy on “Fox & Friends” this week. Will Smith recently announced he will not be attending the Oscars, solely because of the lack of diversity. Dash candidly said that she thinks the entire ordeal is “ludicrous” and that Black History Month and BET are unnecessary. “We have to make up our minds. Either we want to have segregation or integration, and if we don’t want segregation, then we have to get rid of channels like BET and the BET Awards and the Image Awards, where you’re only awarded if you’re black,” Dash said. “If it were the other way around, we would be up in arms. It’s a double standard.”

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