Good morning. Here’s a look at some of the stories NBC News is following on this Monday:
1. Robert Durst, subject of HBO series 'The Jinx,' arrested in New Orleans
Robert Durst, heir to a New York real estate fortune and the subject of a just-concluded HBO documentary about the mysterious killings of three people close to him, has been arrested and charged with murder. In the last episode of the documentary series, Durst was captured on a microphone in a bathroom murmuring to himself, “What the hell did I do? Killed them all, of course.” Read more in NEWS.
2. Devastation in Vanuatu after cyclone tears through
Aid agencies say that thousands of people are without food and shelter after a cyclone ripped through the Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu. Cyclone Pam tore through the islands on Friday and Saturday, packing winds of more than 185 mph and killing at least six people. Downed communications are making it difficult to gauge the scale of the destruction. Read more in NEWS.
3. Arrest in officer shootings during Ferguson demonstration
Authorities have arrested a man in the shootings of two police officers during a demonstration last week in Ferguson, Missouri. The suspect, Jeffrey Williams, 20, admitted to firing the shots but claimed to have been in an argument with someone else, not targeting the officers. The officers — one shot below the eye and one in the shoulder — were released from the hospital last week. Read more in NEWS.
4. A year after breakaway, Crimea is isolated
Celebrations are underway in Crimea, the Ukrainian peninsula seized by Russia and annexed by President Vladimir Putin after a disputed referendum one year ago today. But Crimea, once the home of thriving resorts, finds itself isolated from the world. McDonald’s and Amazon have pulled out. Credit cards and international cellphones don’t work there. Read more in NEWS.
5. Buried Boston busts a snow record
It really is the worst winter ever. At least in Boston, where the National Weather Service says the official snow total for the season is 108.6 inches, beating the record of 107.6 from 1995-1996. Not that shovel-weary Bostonians need the numbers to prove it, but the city also broke records for most snow over a 30-day period and snow depth — 37.6 inches on the ground one day in February. Read more in WEATHER.
6. Sharpen your pencil ...
The NCAA brackets are out, with 68 teams and one big question: Can anybody stop Kentucky? The Wildcats, who compiled a perfect 34-0 record, are the top overall seed in the basketball tournament and office-pool bonanza known as March Madness. Villanova, Wisconsin and Duke earned the other No. 1 seeds. The games begin on Tuesday. Read more in SPORTS.