A man named Shamar Elkins killed eight children, including seven of his own, in a mass shooting in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was shot and killed by police after fleeing the scene.
Key Facts
The shooting took place early on a Sunday in Shreveport, Louisiana.
The suspect was identified as Shamar Elkins.
Elkins killed eight children in total.
Seven of the children were his own.
After the shooting, Elkins fled the scene.
Police fatally wounded Elkins during the pursuit.
The incident is being investigated by local authorities.
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The Australian government plans to reduce spending on the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) to control its rapid growth. Officials from different states have expressed concerns about these cuts and their impact on the program and state budgets ahead of detailed announcements in a national speech.
Key Facts
Treasurer Jim Chalmers said NDIS cuts will be the main part of the upcoming budget savings.
Health Minister Mark Butler will explain changes to the NDIS growth rate in a speech to the National Press Club.
States are worried about the size of the changes and possible new costs they might face.
Western Australia, representing states, has raised concerns about structural changes to the NDIS.
The government plans a new national scheme called Thriving Kids for children with autism and developmental delays, replacing some state programs.
The NDIS budget is $52 billion and grew over 10% last year; it could reach $63 billion by 2028-29.
The government wants to slow growth of NDIS spending to 5-6% annually.
Labor rules out introducing means testing for the NDIS but may tighten rules for service providers to improve quality and compliance.
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The US Army will raise the maximum enlistment age from 35 to 42 to address recruitment challenges. The change, effective April 20, 2024, also removes the need for a waiver for people with one marijuana-related conviction and applies to the Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard.
Key Facts
The maximum age to join the US Army increases from 35 years old to 42.
The new rules remove the waiver requirement for those with a single marijuana possession or drug paraphernalia conviction.
Changes apply to the Regular Army, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard but not other military branches.
Other branches like the Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, and Space Force allow enlistment into the early 40s; the Marines’ age limit remains 28.
The Army missed recruitment goals by about 23% in 2023 and 25% in 2022.
Recruitment shortfalls for the Army Reserve have continued for six years straight.
Average recruit age has increased to 22.7 years, up from 21.1-21.7 in previous decades.
Recruitment challenges are linked to labor market changes, limited knowledge about the military, and health and social issues among youth.
The timing coincides with attention on US military involvement related to Iran, but the Army has discussed raising the age for years before.
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Eight children between the ages of 1 and 14 died in a mass shooting on Sunday morning in Shreveport, Louisiana. The incident is under investigation by local authorities.
Key Facts
The shooting happened in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Eight children were killed.
The children ranged in age from 1 to 14 years old.
The event took place on a Sunday morning.
Local police and officials are investigating the shooting.
No further details about the shooter or motive were provided in the report.
The story was reported by CBS News.
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President Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV have clashed over comments related to the war in Iran. Some American Catholics at a church in Georgia spoke about their faith and expressed mixed feelings about the conflict between the president and the pope.
Key Facts
Pope Leo XIV has called for peace in the conflict with Iran and criticized war efforts.
President Trump made threats against Iran, including bombing civilian infrastructure.
The pope called Trump’s threats “unacceptable” and urged people to contact political leaders.
Three American cardinals questioned the morality of US attacks on Iran during a TV interview.
President Trump criticized the pope on social media, calling him “weak” on crime and foreign policy.
Trump posted and then removed an AI-generated image showing himself as Christ, claiming it was meant to show him as a doctor.
Catholics interviewed in Georgia expressed concern about the tone and behavior of President Trump toward the pope.
Some Catholics said they respect their faith despite disagreements with both the pope and the president.
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A small plane crashed into the yard of a home in a residential neighborhood in Tampa, Florida. The pilot died in the crash, and authorities have started an urgent investigation.
Key Facts
A small plane crashed in a residential area in Tampa, Florida.
The crash happened in the yard of a house.
The pilot died in the accident.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash.
The incident was reported on April 19, 2026.
No information about other injuries or damage was provided.
The investigation is ongoing to determine details of the accident.
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A hot air balloon carrying 13 passengers landed safely in a small backyard in Temecula, California. The landing was controlled and did not cause injuries.
Key Facts
The hot air balloon had 13 people on board.
It landed in a tiny backyard in Temecula, California.
The landing was skillful and managed without incident.
No injuries were reported from the landing.
The event happened on April 19, 2026.
The incident was covered by ABC News Live.
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Senator Jon Ossoff of Georgia has gained popularity as a potential Democratic nominee for the 2028 U.S. presidential election, according to prediction markets. At a rally, he criticized President Donald Trump’s administration for corruption and rising costs affecting Americans.
Key Facts
Jon Ossoff is rising in prediction markets as a favored candidate for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination.
Governor Gavin Newsom and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez lead the prediction markets, with Ossoff in third place.
Ossoff’s predicted chances range from about 6 to 8 percent depending on the market.
Ossoff criticized President Trump’s administration for corruption, calling it the “Mar-a-Lago mafia.”
He highlighted issues like high rents, grocery prices, power costs, and healthcare expenses this year.
Ossoff accused the Trump family of increasing their wealth while Americans face financial struggles.
The senator used his rally in Augusta, Georgia, to address concerns about U.S. foreign relations and domestic affordability.
Other potential 2028 candidates mentioned include Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, and Josh Shapiro.
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Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will answer questions in the UK Parliament about the vetting of Lord Mandelson, who was appointed as US ambassador in December 2024. Starmer says he was unaware of warning signs about Mandelson’s background until recently, and he promises to be fully transparent.
Key Facts
Lord Mandelson was appointed US ambassador in December 2024.
UK security officials raised concerns about Mandelson's vetting in January 2023.
Starmer says he first learned of these concerns last week from top civil service officials.
Mandelson’s vetting problems relate in part to his known ties to Jeffrey Epstein and past scandals.
Starmer replaced the previous ambassador, Karen Pierce, when President Trump returned to office in January 2024.
Opposition parties accuse Starmer of misleading Parliament about the vetting process.
Starmer’s former chief of staff, Morgan McSweeney, resigned over the scandal in February.
Starmer says he delayed answering parliamentary questions to gather full details after learning about the vetting concerns.
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A man named Shamar Elkins killed eight children, including seven of his own, and wounded two adults in a shooting across two homes in Shreveport, Louisiana. Elkins died after a police chase following the attack, which police said was a domestic violence incident.
Key Facts
The shooting happened early Sunday morning in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Eight children were killed; their ages ranged from 1 to about 12 years old.
Seven children were Elkins' own children.
One child died on a rooftop after trying to escape.
Two adults were wounded in the attack.
Elkins shot a woman at one home, then drove to a second home where most children died.
Elkins died after a police pursuit and carjacking.
Police said the incident was related to domestic violence and had no known prior reports.
State officials expressed condolences, and Louisiana State Police joined the investigation.
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Chef José Andrés, an American citizen since 2014, talks about the important role food plays in America’s history and future. He says that how Americans feed themselves and others is very important for the country’s strength.
Key Facts
José Andrés is a chef and became a U.S. citizen in 2014.
He believes food connects American tradition with the future.
Andrés says America’s strength depends on how it feeds its people.
He also emphasizes the importance of how America helps feed the rest of the world.
The interview was featured on the CBS news program "60 Minutes."
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Eight children, aged 1 to 14, were killed in a shooting incident early Sunday in Shreveport, Louisiana. Police described the event as a domestic violence disturbance.
Key Facts
The shooting happened in Shreveport, Louisiana.
Eight children died in the incident.
The children’s ages ranged from 1 to 14 years old.
Authorities classified the event as a domestic violence situation.
The shooting occurred early on Sunday morning.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
No additional details on the shooter or motive were provided in the article.
The event has been reported by local and national news sources.
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A new system for handling free speech complaints at universities in England will start next academic year. University staff can bring complaints directly to the Office for Students, and from April 2027, universities may face large fines if they fail to protect free speech.
Key Facts
The new complaints system is for academics and university staff, not students.
Students will still raise concerns through their universities and an independent adjudicator.
The Office for Students (OfS) will review cases, order changes, and can require compensation.
From April 2027, universities can be fined up to £500,000 or 2% of their income for free speech violations.
A similar stronger free speech law began in August 2025, but without the complaints system until now.
The government removed a previous plan letting individuals sue universities in civil court.
Universities UK said the new powers must be used fairly and carefully.
The fines could be very large, reaching millions for some universities with high income.
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Before some of President Donald Trump’s major policy announcements, there were unusual patterns of trading in financial markets. In several cases, traders placed large bets just minutes or hours before news became public, which some experts say looks like illegal insider trading.
Key Facts
Traders made big bets on oil and stock prices just before President Trump’s important announcements.
On 9 March 2026, oil trades surged 47 minutes before an interview where Trump said a war was nearly over, causing oil prices to drop sharply.
On 23 March 2026, unusual oil trades happened 14 minutes before Trump’s social media post about peace talks with Iran, leading to a drop in oil prices.
On 2 April 2025, before Trump announced tariffs, global stock markets fell sharply.
A week later, before Trump announced a 90-day pause on tariffs, many traders bet heavily on stocks rising, and markets surged after the announcement.
Some experts say these trading patterns could be illegal insider trading, where people trade based on secret information.
Others think traders may have become good at guessing Trump’s moves ahead of time.
The unusual trades involved millions of dollars and affected major financial benchmarks like oil futures and the S&P 500 index.
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Health visitors in England manage large numbers of families, with some responsible for over 1,000 families, which the Institute of Health Visiting says is unmanageable. The number of health visitors has dropped nearly in half over the last decade, leading to concerns about the quality and safety of care for young children and their families.
Key Facts
Health visitors are trained nurses or midwives who support families with very young children.
Their numbers in England fell from about 10,200 a decade ago to 5,575 in January, a 45% decrease.
Some health visitors now have caseloads exceeding 1,000 families, while safe limits elsewhere in the UK are about 250 families per health visitor.
The Health and Social Care Committee warned that without more staff, the government's goal to support every child’s early life will not be achieved.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many health visitors were reassigned within the NHS, reducing service availability.
Families should receive five health visitor visits from late pregnancy to two years old, with the first three visits at home, but this is not happening consistently.
Parents report that health visitor visits at home help better understand and support families compared to clinic visits.
The government says it is committed to improving health visitor services but has not set strict caseload limits in England yet.
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Eight children between the ages of 1 and 14 were killed in a mass shooting in Louisiana. Two adult women were injured, and the suspect was killed by police after a carjacking and pursuit. Authorities are still investigating the events and reviewing security footage.
Key Facts
The shooting occurred in Shreveport, Louisiana, early Sunday morning.
Eight children died, making this the deadliest U.S. mass shooting so far in 2026.
Two adult women survived but suffered gunshot wounds.
The police responded to multiple connected locations related to a domestic disturbance.
The suspect was shot and killed by police after a carjacking and chase.
Neighbors left flowers, candles, stuffed animals, and notes to mourn the victims.
Local leaders, including Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson, expressed condolences and support for the community.
Investigators are collecting witness statements and neighborhood security footage to understand the timeline of the shooting.
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A new poll from Quinnipiac University shows that most registered voters think President Donald Trump is responsible for the increase in gas prices. Over half of the voters say they blame him a lot, while smaller groups blame him to varying degrees or not much at all.
Key Facts
The poll was conducted by Quinnipiac University and published on Wednesday.
51% of registered voters blame President Trump "a lot" for the rise in gas prices.
14% of voters blame him "some" for higher gas prices.
11% blame him "not much" for the increase.
23% of voters did not blame him or the article does not specify their view.
The poll focuses on registered voters in the United States.
The topic is the responsibility for rising gas prices in the country.
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A woman living in California was arrested for allegedly selling weapons on behalf of the Iranian government to buyers in Africa, including Sudan. The authorities say she helped arrange deals for drones, bombs, and ammunition, and faces up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.
Key Facts
Shamim Mafi, 44, was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport by federal agents.
She is accused of trafficking weapons such as drones, bombs, bomb fuses, and ammunition.
The weapons deals were made through a company called Atlas International.
One deal involved selling Iranian drones to Sudan’s ministry of defense, worth over 60 million euros.
Mafi reportedly earned 6 million euros for coordinating this sale.
She is an Iranian national and a permanent US resident since 2016.
Mafi frequently traveled to Iran, Turkey, and Oman.
Sudan has been in a civil war since 2023, causing many deaths and displacements.
If convicted, Mafi can receive up to 20 years in federal prison.
Her first court appearance is scheduled in Los Angeles federal court.
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