An active shooter situation is ongoing at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, according to Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry. Police are responding, and authorities ask people to avoid the area while more details are not yet available.
Key Facts
Governor Jeff Landry reported an active shooter at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge.
The shooting happened in the mall's food court area, according to Attorney General Liz Murrill.
There is a large police presence at the scene.
The governor is coordinating with law enforcement and promised updates as more information comes in.
People are asked to avoid the mall for safety reasons.
Mall officials confirmed the shooting but deferred questions to police.
This incident follows another deadly gun attack earlier in the week in Louisiana involving multiple victims.
No further details about victims or suspects have been released yet.
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Sarah Smith, a BBC journalist, called President Donald Trump for an interview and later shared details about their conversation on the Americast podcast. They discussed the upcoming state visit by King Charles and Queen Camilla, US-UK relations, advice for British politician Keir Starmer, and Trump's earlier statement about Iran.
Key Facts
Sarah Smith made a cold call to President Donald Trump for an interview.
President Trump unexpectedly called Sarah back after the initial conversation.
The phone interview included discussion about King Charles and Queen Camilla’s upcoming state visit to the US.
Trump believes the visit could help repair relations between the US and the UK.
He gave advice on how Keir Starmer could recover politically after Peter Mandelson became US ambassador.
Sarah also asked Trump about his previous threat involving Iran.
The interview details were featured on the Americast podcast, hosted by Sarah Smith and Anthony Zurcher.
Americast is part of the BBC News Podcasts family, available on BBC Sounds and smart speakers.
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A report by Senate Democrats warns that recent staffing cuts and changes at the Social Security Administration (SSA) are hurting seniors and people with disabilities by making it harder to access benefits. The SSA and President Donald Trump say the changes improve service and no benefit cuts have been made.
Key Facts
Senate Democrats released a report criticizing the Trump administration’s changes at SSA.
The report claims job cuts and office closures delay help for seniors and disabled people.
Some rural SSA offices have very few staff, making them almost closed.
Phone wait times for help are much longer than SSA reported to the public.
These service problems may cause people to miss or delay their Social Security payments.
SSA Commissioner Frank Bisignano says the agency is now more efficient and transparent.
SSA reports phone wait times dropped from 29 minutes in 2024 to 16 minutes in 2025.
No official benefit cuts or changes to eligibility have been made under President Trump.
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Hundreds of wildfires are burning across Florida and Georgia, destroying homes and forcing people to leave their houses. Dry weather, strong winds, and little rain are making it hard for firefighters to control the fires.
Key Facts
Georgia firefighters responded to 34 new fires that burned 75 acres in one day.
The Pineland Road Fire in Georgia has grown to nearly 30,000 acres and is only 10% contained.
Florida is facing one of its worst fire seasons in many years with over 130 active wildfires.
Dry conditions and high winds are making firefighting difficult in both states.
Some homes have been destroyed, and evacuations have been ordered for affected areas.
Officials from both states are working to manage the fires and protect residents.
These wildfires are a serious threat to communities in Georgia and Florida.
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The acting head of the CDC stopped the release of a study about how well COVID-19 vaccines work. This study was supposed to appear in a major health report in March but was blocked by officials at the Department of Health and Human Services.
Key Facts
The study was about the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines.
It was planned for publication in the CDC’s main report, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
The release date was scheduled for March 19.
The acting head of the CDC prevented the study from being published.
The Department of Health and Human Services confirmed the blocking of the study.
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report is an important source of public health information.
The exact reasons for blocking the study were not detailed in the news article.
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Surrey police have closed an investigation into a reported rape in Epsom, saying they are sure no crime happened. The report came after a woman appeared to be confused due to an accidental head injury, not an assault. Protests and unrest followed when police did not release suspect information.
Key Facts
The report of rape was made on April 11 near a church in Epsom after a woman left a nightclub.
Police investigated thoroughly using CCTV, witness interviews, and forensic tests.
They found the woman had an accidental head injury that caused confusion, leading to the false report.
No suspects were identified, and police now say they are confident no offence took place.
Protests occurred after police did not release suspect details, leading to clashes with officers.
Police and crime commissioner said some troublemakers came from outside the town.
Four people were arrested after throwing objects at police in riot gear during protests.
The protests were linked to a social media campaign by a figure connected to right-wing activist Tommy Robinson.
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New polls show Democrats Mary Peltola and Chris Pappas leading in the Alaska and New Hampshire Senate races. These elections are important because they could affect control of the U.S. Senate during President Donald Trump’s second term.
Key Facts
Democrats need to gain four Senate seats to take control of the Senate from Republicans.
Republicans currently have a 53-47 majority in the Senate.
Alaska’s Senate race uses ranked-choice voting, where voters rank candidates and the lowest vote-getter is eliminated until someone has over 50%.
In a recent poll, Democrat Mary Peltola leads Republican Senator Dan Sullivan with about 50% support after the second round of ranked-choice voting.
Alaska usually votes Republican and supported President Trump by 14 points in 2024.
Democrats see Alaska and New Hampshire as key races to try to flip Senate control.
Republican Senator Sullivan has won previous races despite being outspent.
Polling shows President Trump’s approval rating is low, which may affect Republican candidates.
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Six leading candidates for California governor took part in a televised debate focused on big issues like homelessness and taxes. The race is crowded, and no clear favorite has emerged as voters prepare for the June 2 primary.
Key Facts
The debate included six main candidates for governor of California.
Candidates discussed key problems, including homelessness and taxes.
The race is unusual because no clear front-runner has appeared.
More than 50 candidates are listed on the ballot for governor.
Mail ballots will be sent to voters early next month.
The primary election is set for June 2.
Candidates mostly spoke politely and avoided interrupting each other.
This is the first wide-open California governor race in many years.
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The US Department of Justice’s internal watchdog is investigating whether the department followed the law requiring the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein’s case. This comes after concerns from lawmakers about how the files were shared and about many documents still not made public.
Key Facts
The Department of Justice (DoJ) inspector general is reviewing how the agency handled the Epstein files.
The review will focus on how the department identified, collected, and released the documents.
President Donald Trump signed the Epstein Files Transparency Act in November 2025, which requires the release of all related files within 30 days.
The DoJ has published about 2.7 million files online after removing some due to privacy concerns.
There are roughly six million files in total, but some remain private to protect survivors’ information or because of ongoing cases.
Some lawmakers accuse the DoJ of protecting powerful individuals, which the department denies.
Recently, the DoJ released summaries of interviews related to unproven sexual assault claims against President Trump, saying these were accidentally withheld.
Congressmen Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who supported the transparency law, called for the watchdog’s investigation.
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A shooting happened at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, injuring 10 people. Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry confirmed that an active shooter situation was ongoing at the mall.
Key Facts
The incident took place at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge.
Ten people were injured in the shooting.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry reported the active shooter scene.
The situation was actively being handled by law enforcement at the time of the report.
No further details about the shooter or motive were provided in the report.
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Police and federal agents are at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge after reports of a shooting. At least two people are critically injured, but the exact number of victims or shooters is not clear.
Key Facts
A shooting was reported at the Mall of Louisiana in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) is responding to the scene.
It is unknown how many victims or shooters are involved.
Two people are reported to be in critical condition, according to local police.
Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry confirmed the active shooter situation and asked people to avoid the area.
Law enforcement officials responded quickly to the incident.
The governor expressed concern and prayers for those affected.
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The U.S. Justice Department is working to remove citizenship from some people who became citizens after being born in other countries. This effort is uncommon and usually happens only if someone lied or cheated to become a citizen.
Key Facts
The Justice Department confirmed it has referred several cases to U.S. attorney offices nationwide.
These cases involve efforts to take away citizenship from naturalized citizens.
Denaturalization means revoking citizenship that was previously granted.
This process is rare and used mostly when a person commits fraud during their citizenship application.
The government’s new push suggests an increase in denaturalization cases.
The focus is on individuals who obtained citizenship by misrepresenting themselves.
U.S. attorneys around the country will handle these cases.
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Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin criticized Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer during discussions about funding the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The DHS has been partially shut down for nearly 70 days due to delays in funding approval.
Key Facts
The Department of Homeland Security has been in a shutdown for almost 70 days.
Senate Republicans are pushing to fund the DHS to end the shutdown.
Federal authorities arrested over two dozen members and associates of the Mexican Mafia in Southern California during early morning raids. A total of 43 people have been charged with serious crimes including murder, kidnapping, and drug trafficking.
Key Facts
The arrests took place in Southern California, mostly in Orange County.
Federal and local agencies, including the FBI, carried out about 30 search and arrest warrants.
Over two dozen people were arrested in the recent raids.
In total, 43 individuals have been indicted, including some already in custody.
Charges include murder, kidnapping, extortion, illegal gambling, and drug trafficking.
The U.S. Attorney's Office announced the operation and charges.
The Mexican Mafia is a criminal organization involved in various illegal activities.
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Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia said he does not want to run for president in 2028. He explained that he enjoys serving Georgia and wants to focus on his family.
Key Facts
Jon Ossoff is a U.S. Senator from Georgia.
He declared he has no interest in running for president in 2028.
Ossoff stated he loves serving his state.
He mentioned having two young daughters as part of his reason for not running.
This statement was made during an interview on MS NOW’s “The Briefing.”
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Senator Tom Cotton criticized the Department of Justice for lowering the drug classification of medical marijuana. He argued that marijuana is now stronger than it was years ago and linked it to more mental health problems, bad behavior, and deadly car crashes.
Key Facts
The DOJ decided to change medical marijuana to a less dangerous drug category.
Senator Tom Cotton is against this change.
Cotton says marijuana is more powerful today than 10 or 20 years ago.
He connects stronger marijuana to more cases of psychosis (mental health issues).
Cotton also mentioned more anti-social behavior linked to marijuana use.
He cited fatal car crashes as another problem related to potent marijuana.
Cotton’s comments were made on the social platform X.
The discussion focuses on medical marijuana approved by states like Arkansas.
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The Trump administration is encouraging the Justice Department to pursue hundreds of cases where U.S. citizens born outside the country could have their citizenship taken away. The government has already identified 384 people for this process, which begins soon, focusing on those who obtained citizenship illegally or committed crimes.
Key Facts
The Justice Department plans to start denaturalization (removal of citizenship) cases against 384 foreign-born U.S. citizens.
Denaturalization happens when someone lied during the citizenship process, committed crimes, or used false marriages.
A Justice Department memo from last year expanded the types of people targeted for denaturalization, including those linked to terrorism or gangs.
Denaturalization cases require significant resources, so they are usually rare, but this effort will involve civil litigators across 39 regional offices.
Once denaturalized, individuals lose citizenship and return to their previous immigration status, often without a right to a government-paid lawyer.
This initiative is described by Justice officials as a "White House initiative," although a White House spokesperson says it follows federal law.
The U.S. previously focused denaturalization on war criminals and fraud cases and had political denaturalization decrease after the 1960s Supreme Court rulings.
Recent cases under this push include a marine accused of a sex crime, and immigrants accused of fraud or lying about nationality.
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The United States is increasing its military actions involving Iran, which is causing growing disagreement both among the public and within the U.S. military. Some military members are questioning their orders, thinking about refusing to fight based on their beliefs, and speaking out against the conflict.
Key Facts
The U.S. is expanding its military conflict with Iran.
Opposition to the war is rising not just among civilians but also inside the military.
Some service members are considering conscientious objection, which means refusing to fight due to moral or ethical reasons.
Military personnel are speaking out and questioning their orders related to the Iran conflict.
The topic was discussed with Mike Prysner, leader of the Center on Conscience & War.
The episode was produced and edited by a team including Marcos Bartolomé, Tamara Khandaker, and others.
The discussion aims to explore the reasons behind this shift in military opinion and how far it might go.
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A new poll from Cook Political Report shows that in important competitive areas for Congress, more voters prefer a generic Democrat over a generic Republican. The poll finds Democrats leading by six percentage points, with 50% support compared to 44% for Republicans in 36 key districts.
Key Facts
The poll surveyed 36 battleground districts, areas where elections are very competitive.
Democrats have a 6-point lead on the generic congressional ballot in these districts.
50% of voters said they would choose a generic Democrat as their representative.
44% of voters said they would choose a generic Republican.
The poll was conducted by Cook Political Report (CPR), a known source for political analysis.
This poll indicates current voter preference but does not name specific candidates.
Battleground districts are important because they can decide control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The survey reflects the general mood of voters in places where political control is uncertain.
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