Good morning.
At least eight people have been killed in a shooting at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, with the suspected gunman killing himself soon after, according to police.
Speaking to reporters early on Friday, a police spokesperson said at least four other people were admitted to hospital for their injuries and two others treated at the scene and released, but that there was no further threat to the public. With news of the shooting still unfolding, family members gathered at a local hotel to wait for news of their loved ones.
Police and public officials donated to far-right activists
American police officers and public officials donated money to accused vigilante murderers, far-right activists and officers accused of shooting black Americans, a data breach on a Christian crowdfunding website has revealed. Many donations were attached to their official email addresses.
Beneficiaries of the money on the GiveSendGo website include Kyle Rittenhouse, the man accused of murdering two leftwing protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August.
Biden announced sweeping sanctions against Russia
The White House expelled 10 Russian diplomats and announced a wave of sanctions against Russian officials and companies yesterday. The sanctions came in response to Moscow’s alleged interference in American elections, and attempts at cyber-espionage, and affect:
Six Russian cybersecurity firms thought to have been involved in the recent hack on SolarWinds. About 100 US companies and nine federal agencies were targeted in the breach last year.
More than 30 Russian individuals and companies deemed to be a part of the attempts to influence the outcome of the 2020 US presidential election.
Plus, US financial institutions were barred from buying rouble bonds newly issued by Russia’s central bank or other large financial players.
In televised remarks from the White House, Joe Biden told his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, that he could have taken the sanctions further but “chose not to do so”, and that the US “is not looking to kick off a cycle of escalation and conflict with Russia”.
Were Russian spies offering Taliban militants bounties for killing US soldiers? That was the suggestion of a series of press reports citing intelligence sources last year, but one official told reporters that intelligence agencies had only “low to moderate confidence” in the veracity of the reports.
Biden’s approval rating is at 59% as he approaches 100 days in office, according to a study, which found that the fast pace of the vaccine rollout and introduction of a $1.9tn relief package have helped to give the president a strong rating. Donald Trump’s approval rating in his first April in office was just 39%.
Adam Toledo did not appear to be armed when police shot him dead
Body-camera footage released yesterday appears to show a Chicago police officer shooting 13-year-old Adam Toledo dead while unarmed with his arms raised. Adam was shot and killed by police on 29 March after a pursuit by officers.
Authorities had originally suggested that Adam was holding a gun when he turned towards officers, after failing to stop when instructed to, but the video showed he had stopped and turned with his hands up when an officer shouted to him – and that he had no signs of any weapon. After seeing the video, the Chicago mayor, Lori Lightfoot, said: “We failed Adam.”
Florida has approved an “anti-riot” bill that gives harsher penalties to protesters, with civil rights groups warning it will restrict free expression. Alongside tougher punishments for crimes at demonstrations, it would allow protesters to be held until a first court appearance, and create new felonies for participating in a violent demonstration.
In other news …
The defense team of the former police officer Derek Chauvin wrapped up its case yesterday after just two days of testimony, with Chauvin declining to testify in his murder trial over the death of George Floyd. The defense attempted to show that Floyd died as a result of his drug use and heart conditions, rather than a restraint by Chauvin in which he kept his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than nine minutes.
A new first world war memorial opens in Washington today, attempting to bring the conflict to life for younger Americans. The memorial will be made up of bronze sculptures with 38 hyperrealistic figures – but they will not be ready until 2024, and are instead being represented by a large drawing.
Nearly 300 attendees at the notorious Fyre festival will receive settlement payouts of $7,220, marking the conclusion of a lawsuit against the organisers. The event made headlines after promoting an expensive luxury experience, which turned out to resemble a disaster relief camp.
Leading Hong Kong pro-democracy activists have been jailed for up to 18 months for organising and attending “unauthorised assemblies” during mass protests in 2019, as authorities attempt to crush all dissent. Those jailed include the media mogul Jimmy Lai.
Stat of the day: 2.5bn T-Rex dinosaurs roamed the Earth, a study estimates
Based on body size, sexual maturity and energy needs, experts at Berkeley have estimated that a whopping 2.5 billion Tyrannosaurus rex dinosaurs lived on the Earth over 127,000 generations. However, the researchers said the figure could be as little as 140 million and as much as 42 billion. “That’s a lot of jaws,” said the study’s lead author, Charles Marshall.
Don’t miss this: how should Michigan tackle the latest surge in coronavirus cases?
During March last year and the second wave in fall, Michigan’s coronavirus restrictions were among the country’s toughest, and credited with saving many lives. But amid surging cases, the governor, Gretchen Whitmer, has now taken a different approach – resisting further restrictions and relying on the vaccine rollout and a voluntary suspension of in-person dining. As many experts call for her to lock down again, is Whitmer’s approach the right one?
Last Thing: could this marine grain change our approach to food – and the environment?
The Michelin-starred chef Ángel León has long prided himself on cooking with little-known foods from the ocean. But the latest addition to his menu, eelgrass grains, could be a game changer: it is a nutritious “superfood” that captures carbon 35 times faster than tropical rainforests, absorbing 10% of the ocean’s carbon each year, despite covering just 0.2% of the seabed.
Sign up
First Thing is delivered to thousands of inboxes every weekday. If you’re not already signed up, subscribe now.