Nickolas Wilt, a 26-year-old officer who had graduated from the Louisville Metro Police Department Police Academy just 10 days prior, was critically injured while trying to stop a bank shooter on Monday. Wilt was one of three officers injured while responding to the mass shooting that occurred in a downtown Louisville bank, resulting in four deaths and multiple injuries. The shooter, a former employee of the Old National Bank, live-streamed the attack and used an AR-15-style rifle as the weapon of choice. Local officials praised Wilt as a hero for running towards the gunfire to try to save lives. He underwent brain surgery, and as of Monday afternoon, was in critical but stable condition. The gun used in the massacre is the most popular sporting rifle in the US, with 30% of gun owners reporting ownership of an AR-15 or similar-style rifle. Although the incident has shocked many, discussions about gun control in Kentucky are still considered an "uphill battle."

Documents leaked online have painted a detailed picture of Ukraine's war, including sensitive details of Ukraine's preparations for a spring counter-offensive. One of the leaks revealed that the UK is among a number of countries with military special forces operating inside Ukraine. The document confirms what has been the subject of quiet speculation for over a year. The UK has the largest contingent of special forces in Ukraine (50), followed by fellow NATO states Latvia (17), France (15), the US (14), and the Netherlands (1). While special forces are by their very nature highly effective, the numbers of personnel may be small, and will doubtless fluctuate. According to Pentagon officials, the documents are real, and the US government is investigating the source of the leak. The UK's Ministry of Defence has not commented on the leak, but in a tweet on Tuesday, it said the leak of alleged classified information had demonstrated a "serious level of inaccuracy". The British government has a policy of not commenting on its special forces, in contrast to other countries including the US.

A Texas judge's ruling, which blocks the use of an abortion pill, would unnecessarily revive a 1873 law, the Comstock Act, that hasn't been used for almost a century. The law is the legal equivalent of a horror movie that resuscitates unfounded arguments and dead laws to wreak havoc on legal principles that have long been settled. A Texas judge granted anti-abortion activists a nationwide preliminary injunction, nullifying the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval of mifepristone, which is one of the two drugs used in medication abortions. While the ruling remains stayed while the Department of Justice appeals the case, its danger could remain as over half of abortions in the United States are medication abortions. Disturbingly, the ruling is based on factual and legal errors, with the judge changing the definition of standing and ignoring the data that proves taking mifepristone is safer than taking Tylenol. With the potential threat to women's right to safe reproductive care looming, the question emerges: is this outdated law a threat to the future of reproductive care in the United States?

The US Interior Department's Bureau of Reclamation issued a draft analysis on Tuesday, which warns about the dire outcomes of the Colorado River crisis. The report offers two scenarios for how to reduce water usage should Lakes Mead and Powell’s levels continue to drop. The river provides water and electricity to more than 40 million people across seven states in the West of the US, and the water shortages and overuse combined with the years of drought accelerated by climate change culminated in the depletion of the nation's largest reservoirs over the last decades. According to the latest scenarios, farms, tribes and states could be required to reduce their usage of Colorado River water by almost 2.1 million acre-feet in 2024. This huge amount of water is equivalent to what the entire state of Arizona was projected to use this year from the river. The Interior Department is due to make a final decision on the cuts, and when and how they will be implemented this summer.

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg is suing House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan in response to Jordan's demands for testimony and documents related to his prosecution of former President Donald Trump. With a Republican-led campaign pressuring Bragg, the DA is fighting back in the courts, calling Jordan's moves a "transparent campaign to intimidate and attack" himself and his office. In addition to blocking Jordan's subpoena for former senior prosecutor Mark Pomerantz's testimony, Bragg is looking for emergency and permanent relief to prevent "Congress from engaging in a free-ranging campaign of harassment in retaliation for the District Attorney's investigation and prosecution of Mr. Trump." Bragg's legal team is using a ruling related to Congress' investigation of Trump's finances to argue against Congress' investigation into his investigation of Trump's finances. Bragg accuses Jordan and his committee of "participating in a campaign of intimidation, retaliation, and obstruction," which he says is fueled by the lawmakers.

A large-scale industrial fire erupted in Richmond, Indiana, resulting in a massive cloud of black smoke covering the city. The fire broke out at a former factory site, which had been used for storing plastics and recycling materials. The cause of the blaze, which started in a tractor-trailer parked on the site, is unknown, but is being investigated by state and federal regulators who are assessing the environmental impact of the fire, including air quality. Richmond Mayor Dave Snow commented on the fire, stating that the site had been under a city order to clean up and remediate the site, as they knew the materials’ storage posed a fire hazard. The fire has been contained by three sides, according to the Richmond mayor, with no reports of injuries, but authorities urged people to evacuate within a half-mile radius of the site. People outside the radius who live downwind of the fire have been advised to keep windows closed and pets inside.

Attorneys representing Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems clashed in pre-trial hearings over whether Fox's biggest stars can be questioned regarding their broadcasts, which Dominion says were defamatory. Fox attorney Dan Webb claimed that the hosts would argue they didn't make the statements, while Judge Eric Davis warned him that contradicting his previous rulings would mislead jurors. Davis had already ruled against Fox's "newsworthy" defense and held that Fox's statements about Dominion were false. During the hearing, Davis made it "crystal clear" the allegiances against Dominion were false and reminded the Fox attorney that bringing someone on-air "does not absolve the publisher." The judge also ruled on evidence restrictions with Liberty University’s defamation suit against The New York Times. Davis had limited references to the Jan. 6 riots, saying that it was not relevant to the central question of whether Fox intentionally aired false claims. The verdict of the Dominion case may set a precedent for the broadcasting industry and the line between defamation and free speech.

Russia recently approved legislation to introduce electronic draft papers for the first time in an attempt to prevent men from evading the military draft. The new system hopes to close draft dodger loopholes used in previous mobilisations and, if required, create a wide-scale mobilisation campaign. Regular conscription, which occurs twice a year, will occur by electronic notification to men aged 18-27. Those who fail to respond to electronic notifications face strict penalties, including being unable to register a company, drive or leave Russia. The bill has yet to be approved by the upper house of parliament and President Vladimir Putin. Several Western officials claim Russia suffered tens of thousands of casualties while fighting in Ukraine, and the new draft regime comes as part of a wider push to perfect the technique of bolstering its military forces.

China's large-scale military drills simulating a blockade of Taiwan, following the Taiwanese leader's meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in the US, have triggered alarm bells around the world. The Taiwanese Defense Ministry tracked a record-breaking 91 Chinese fighter jets on the third day of the exercises, with dozens of warplanes crossing over the sensitive maritime median line of the Taiwan Strait. The drills involved Su-30 and J-11 fighters, navy destroyers and missile speedboats, practicing to "encircle" Taiwan and simulating attacks on key targets. China declared its military is "ready to fight" after the exercises ended. US and Chinese carrier strike groups are also operating near Taiwan, with the Shandong carrier launching 80 more J-15 Flying Shark fighter missions from Friday through Sunday. There have been no reported unsafe interactions between the US and the fighters from Shandong, experts say. The situation is fast escalating and many fear that war with Taiwan may be inevitable.

After months of pressure from Senators Mark Warner and Marco Rubio, the "Gang of Eight," a bipartisan group of congressional leaders who oversee the intelligence community, have been granted access to the classified documents found in the homes of President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump, and former Vice President Mike Pence. This comes after the FBI removed over 100 classified documents during a search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in August, and classified documents were also found in Biden's home in Delaware over several months in the winter, with the FBI retrieving documents from Pence's home in January. The Gang of Eight began receiving the documents last week, with the Biden administration providing access to the documents in tranches rather than all at once. Senators Warner and Rubio argued that the lack of transparency on the documents was hampering Congress's responsibility to conduct oversight of the intelligence community. The senators and other lawmakers were concerned about potential national security risks if the documents fell into the wrong hands and if proper mitigation protocols were followed.

French President Emmanuel Macron has sparked controversy by urging Europe to take an independent stance from both the US and China over Taiwan. Macron warned against thinking that Europeans should "become followers on this topic and adapt to the American rhythm or a Chinese overreaction." He suggested Europe should become a "third pole" in the matter. The French president's position drew criticisms from both sides of the Atlantic with Germany's Norbert Roettgen calling it a "foreign policy disaster" for Europe while US Republican Senator Marco Rubio drew parallels to the Ukraine war. Rubio wondered if Europe's reluctance to pick a side in the Taiwan matter meant the US should remain neutral in the Ukraine conflict as well. Macron had made the comments during his recent visit to China, where he was criticized for showing too much deference to Beijing. There remains a military standoff between China and Taiwan with Beijing considering Taiwan as its own territory. Nonetheless, Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-Wen recently met with US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, prompting China to carry out military exercises near the island.

Chicago has been chosen to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention, outdoing New York and Atlanta. With President Biden leading the Democrats, the selection of Chicago amplifies a liberal city in the Midwest that embodies the party's ideals of civil and labor rights, abortion rights, and LGBTQ rights. The United Center will be the venue for the convention, running from August 19th to 22nd, 2024. By selecting Chicago as the location for the convention, the Democrats are competing with Republicans, who have scheduled their national convention to be held in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, close to the Windy City. Governor J.B. Pritzker, a massive Democratic party contributor, advocated for Chicago and made certain that the city has the necessary infrastructure, money and experience to organize the massive event. For the first time since 1996, Chicago will be hosting the convention, which will provide President Biden with his first conventional nominating platform, after the mostly virtual event in 2020, held in Milwaukee due to the pandemic. Chicago's selection shows the Democrats' dedication to choosing a city that equally embodies their political beliefs and that weighs heavily in promoting their agenda.

The Boston Celtics clinched the second seed in the Eastern Conference with a 57-25 regular season record, thus earning themselves a first-round bye in the NBA playoffs. The No. 7 seed Miami Heat and No. 8 seed Atlanta Hawks will face off in the Play-In round, with the winner advancing to play the Celtics on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series. The Celtics went 2-2 against the Heat during the regular season, and 3-0 against the Hawks, including a 120-114 win in their season finale.

The 2023 NBA Play-In tournament is in its fourth year, with this year's tournament involving the four Eastern Conference teams and four Western Conference teams that did not clinch direct playoff spots. The Play-In tournament will have six games in total, with the teams that finish seventh and eighth in each conference pitted against each other for the seventh seed. The winners of the No. 7 versus No. 8 matchup will take up the seventh seed in the respective conference, while the losers will have one more chance to secure the eighth seed through the No. 9 versus No. 10 matchup. The Play-In tournament may have only been experimental at first, but its positive receptions have resulted in a fixed format that has kept more teams engaged throughout the regular season.

Miami Heat point guard Kyle Lowry was upgraded from questionable to available for Tuesday's game against the Detroit Piston. This puts Lowry back on the court after he missed a game with a sore left knee. He is still considered a veteran player in the league despite being demoted to a bench role. He has also been logging significant playing time recently, which might explain the soreness. With the playoffs just around the corner, the Miami Heat is trying to limit Lowry's workload. The game against the Pistons is expected to see Lowry play around 23.8 minutes, during which he is anticipated to score 8.8 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 4.9 assists - this should amount to around 21.5 FanDuel points. Lowry's salary is $5,000. If he had been unable to play tonight, Victor Oladipo might have entered the rotation to cover Lowry's position on the court. However, with Lowry back on the roster, the Miami Heat can breathe easy knowing his veteran presence will be there to support the team as the playoffs loom large.

Despite the Miami Heat's recent struggles, forward Jimmy Butler has made his first appearance in the NBA.com MVP Ladder, coming in at No. 10. Butler was previously seen as a darkhorse candidate, but the team's drop in form has hindered his chances. This year has been inconsistent for Butler, but it’s worth noting he’s in good company in the MVP race, alongside the likes of Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and Domantas Sabonis. Butler has publicly prioritized winning games over individual accolades. He finished with 35 points and 12 assists in Miami's win over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday, adding some impressive moves to his arsenal. Butler attempted a no-look jump shot in the midrange, following in the footsteps of Steph Curry’s signature move. Despite the successful shot, Butler insists that it is still Curry's move, and he won't try it from three-point range.

Boston Celtics legend Cedric Maxwell expressed his concerns on playing against the Miami Heat in the NBA Playoffs. Maxwell believes that Celtics are the stronger team compared to the Heat but acknowledges that Miami could cause them problems with their talented roster. Maxwell mentioned Jimmy Butler's scoring abilities, Tyler Herro's three-point shooting and Bam Adebayo's terrific performance this season. However, he still thinks the Celtics have the edge on paper, stating that they have more reliable players than Miami. The Celtics only narrowly made their way past Miami in the Eastern Conference finals last year in a seven-game series. The Heat comes into the playoffs this year with less firepower, but they still have the ability to take games off anyone.

The Heat is set to play the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA Playoffs first round. If Miami wins, they will play against the Boston Celtics in the second round. The Celtics finished second seed in the Eastern Conference this season and have been one of the most consistent teams. However, a series against Miami, who have experienced players in their team, could cause them to stumble.

The Minnesota Timberwolves clinched the eighth seed in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament after defeating the New Orleans Pelicans, but the game left them in chaos. Breakout forward Jaden McDaniels fractured his right hand after punching a wall in frustration, and center Rudy Gobert was suspended for a game after striking teammate Kyle Anderson in a huddle. The disagreement started with Anderson telling Gobert to block shots, and Gobert responding by telling him to grab a “bleeping” rebound. Anderson then told Gobert to, “Shut the f---- up, b----,” which incited Gobert to throw a punch at Anderson’s chest. After the incident, Gobert was sent home and later apologized for his actions. The Wolves are now weighing whether to keep Gobert off the trip to Los Angeles on Monday for the play-in game against the Lakers. This is a significant blow to the Timberwolves, who gave up four first-round picks for the three-time Defensive Player of the Year in 2022. Despite tempers flaring during the game, Anderson said, “We’ll move forward. We want to win games. It is what it is. We’ll keep it in house... I think our tempers just flared. That’s all. It is what it is. We’ll speak about it and move on. We’re grown men.”

The Western Conference playoff race is packed, with just five games separating the fourth seed Suns from the 12th seed Jazz. The Lakers are ninth, but position is far from solid. The Thunder and Mavericks are nipping at their heels, each with the same record or better.

LeBron James and the Lakers face a tough challenge with three games left. Up first is the Phoenix Suns, who are locked in as the No. 4 seed, followed by the Utah Jazz, who are desperate for a win to stay in playoff contention. The team ends the season against the Portland Trailblazers.

Winning all three games would be ideal but tough for the Lakers, who are struggling with injuries and inconsistent play. The Thunder and Mavericks must lose at least one game each to give the Lakers a chance to secure a playoff spot.

The Clippers are threatening to take the sixth spot but have a tougher schedule than the Lakers. The Warriors, who sit in eighth, face the Blazers and Kings with hopes to stay in front of the Lakers.

With the Western Conference playoff race so tight, every game matters, and the Lakers will have to bring their A-game to secure a spot in the postseason. Can LeBron and his teammates step up? |||||

Memphis Grizzlies' Dillon Brooks expressed his desire to take on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in a seven-game playoffs series. Brooks believes that it would test their team and also give them an opportunity to knock James out in the first round, given his legacy. The Grizzlies are likely to take on the Lakers in the first round if they win the play-in tournament, and Brooks will get his wish. However, Brooks' callout for LeBron could be ill-advised as the Lakers star is known to have a relentless competitive spirit and has performed well in playoff games throughout his career. James has made ten Finals appearances and holds several individual playoff records. While Brooks' confidence in his team is admirable, the Grizzlies will face a tough challenge against the defending champions with or without James at full strength. Nevertheless, the upcoming playoffs are set to be an exciting affair, with the play-in tournament adding an extra edge to the postseason this year.

The Biden administration has proposed evenly cutting allotments of water from the Colorado River to avoid a water and power catastrophe across the western United States. Overuse and drought made worse by climate change have affected the river, causing the river’s flows to fall one-third below historical averages. However, the size of reductions the administration is proposing and the prospects of imposing them have never happened in American history. The river supplies drinking water to 40 million Americans, irrigates 5.5 million agricultural acres, and powers millions of homes and businesses with electricity generated through dams on its reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Levels of these reservoirs are so low that they may not provide enough water to turn turbines that generate electricity or reach the intake valves that direct the outflow of water. The Interior Department, which manages the river, has offered three options. The first alternative is taking no action, which would risk a dead pool. The other options include making reductions based on the most senior water rights or distributing cuts evenly across Arizona, California, and Nevada by reducing water deliveries by as much as 13 percent beyond what each state has already agreed to.

Democrats have been expressing their outrage following a federal judge's ruling against the FDA's approval of the commonly used abortion drug, Mifepristone. Despite Republicans making abortion rights a central topic in their politics for years, most seem to be keeping quiet, marking a significant difference from their triumphant reaction to the Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade last year. Some Republicans suggest that they are now on the "wrong side" of abortion, as a growing list of elections indicates support for abortion access sways voters, both in red and blue states. Meanwhile, Democrats, including President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, have denounced the ruling. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Mississippi was the only Republican lawmaker who explicitly praised the decision, calling it "a victory for pregnant mothers and their unborn children." Former Vice President, Mike Pence, is among the few who have spoken out in favor of the ruling. The lack of response from most Republicans marks a significant change in their stance on abortion rights.

Walmart Inc. has filed a lawsuit against credit card partner Capital One, accusing them of failing to meet the customer service standards outlined in their contract. The lawsuit asks the New York federal court to find that Walmart is allowed to terminate their agreement with Capital One. This legal action comes after Walmart switched their primary credit card partner from Synchrony Financial to Capital One back in 2018. Capital One began issuing Walmart cards as part of the deal in August 2019. It was expected that this partnership would negatively impact Synchrony Financial's store credit card business, with Walmart representing almost 20% of their business, leaving nearly $10 billion in balances of Walmart cards issued by Synchrony Financial. As of now, the reason behind Walmart's lawsuit remains unclear. Meanwhile, Capital One's stock price ranged between $94.44 and $95.66 on April 8th, 2023, with a volume of 2,045,893 shares traded throughout the day.

TRX, the native token of the Tron blockchain, fell by 5.4% after the announcement that Binance.US will delist it on April 18. Binance stated that digital asset delisting decisions are guided by variable factors such as changes in the token's risk profile, regulatory updates in the US, and unethical behavior from token holders or developers. Binance’s announcement follows closely on the SEC’s legal action against founder Justin Sun, charging him and three companies tied to TRX of “unregistered offer and sale of crypto asset securities Tronix (TRX) and BitTorrent (BTT).” TRX has since hit $0.064. Investors are curious to see whether the delisting will lead to further price decreases in the days following the news. While Tron has been accused of non-compliance by US regulators, investors should take note that the delisting is from a US-based platform and doesn’t affect trading or ownership anywhere else.

An aide to Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg made this suggestion when Jordan announced plans to hold a field hearing in Manhattan on April 17 regarding violent crime. Several House Republicans, including Jordan, are outraged by Bragg's indictment of former President Donald Trump. Bragg has charged Trump with falsifying business records. A Bragg spokesman asserted that murders in New York City were three times lower than the murder rate in Columbus, Ohio, and called the congressional visit a political stunt. Columbus ended 2022 with 140 murders, or a murder rate of 15.4 murders per 100,000 citizens, while New York City ended with 433 murders for a rate of 5.2 murders per 100,000 citizens. On Tuesday, Bragg sued Jordan to try and stop congressional Republicans from interfering in the case against Trump. Jordan had subpoenaed a former prosecutor who worked on the Manhattan district attorney's investigation into Trump. Bragg's 50-page suit accuses Jordan of a "brazen and unconstitutional attack" on the prosecution of Trump and an attempt to intimidate and attack Bragg.

French President Emmanuel Macron has once again ruffled feathers with his call for Europe to distance itself from the US on China and Taiwan. Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has praised the US as Europe's "foundation" of security, while US Republican Senator Marco Rubio criticised the French position, questioning whether Macron was speaking for Europe. Diplomats from Eastern European nations privately criticised Macron's bid to steer the continent down a less Atlanticist path while the US heads into elections and the Ukraine war continues. Polish, Slovakian and Estonian leaders have already expressed concerns that a more autonomous Europe could risk sidelining valuable US support in combating Russia. Nevertheless, many in Europe agree with Macron's push for greater economic and military autonomy. As officials work to ensure that Europe isn't too reliant on China for goods, Macron has argued that Europe should counterbalance China's influence and the US by becoming a "third pole".