KARAH RUCKER: WE’RE LEARNING NEW DETAILS ABOUT THE SHOOTER WHO KILLED SIX PEOPLE AT A CHRISTIAN PRIVATE SCHOOL IN NASHVILLE. WHAT THE ASSAILANT’S PARENTS HAD TO SAY AFTER LEARNING THEIR CHILD WAS THE SCHOOL SHOOTER. AND STARBUCKS FORMER CEO IS SET TO TESTIFY BEFORE A SENATE HEARING TODAY – PREPARED TO DEFEND THE COMPANY’S ACTIONS AGAINST UNION-BUSTING ALLEGATIONS.

NASHVILLE SHOOTER BOUGHT 7 GUNS

WE BEGIN WITH NEW DETAILS ON THE NASHVILLE SHOOTER, REVEALING THE FORMER STUDENT HAD LEGALLY PURCHASED SEVEN GUNS FROM FIVE GUN SHOPS.

THREE OF THOSE WEAPONS 28 YEAR OLD AUDREY HALE BROUGHT WITH HER TO THE SCHOOL. THE SHOOTER HAD ALSO BEEN RECEIVING TREATMENT FOR AN EMOTIONAL DISORDER WHICH WASN’T REPORTED TO AUTHORITIES. POLICE SAY HALE WAS NOT ON THEIR RADAR.

THE PARENTS OF HALE SAID THEY FELT THEIR CHILD SHOULDN’T HAVE POSSESSED ANY WEAPONS. THEY BELIEVED HALE TO HAVE HAD ONE WEAPON AND THAT SHE SOLD IT.

THE NASHVILLE POLICE CHIEF SAID IF IT HAD BEEN REPORTED THAT THE SHOOTER WAS SUICIDAL OR INTENDED TO HURT ANOTHER PERSON THEN AUTHORITIES WOULD HAVE TRIED TO TAKE THE WEAPONS AWAY.

TENNESSEE HAS NO RED FLAG LAWS. A MOTIVE IN THE SCHOOL SHOOTING HAS NOT YET BEEN RELEASED.

TAIWAN PRESIDENT TO VISIT U.S.

THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT HAS THREATENED RETALIATION IF TAIWAN’S PRESIDENT, TSAI ING-WEN, MEETS THE U.S. HOUSE SPEAKER THIS WEEK DURING A 10-DAY TRIP TO VISIT CENTRAL AMERICA.

THE TRIP INCLUDES TWO STOPOVERS, IN NEW YORK ON THE WAY IN, AND LOS ANGELES ON THE WAY OUT. 

TSAI IS EXPECTED TO MEET WITH THE SPEAKER, KEVIN MCCARTHY IN CALIFORNIA, BUT THERE HASN’T BEEN OFFICIAL CONFIRMATION.

CHINA URGED THE U.S. NOT TO LET HER TRANSIT THROUGH THE COUNTRY, CALLING IT A “PROVOCATION”.

“WE AGAIN WARN THE TAIWAN AUTHORITIES THAT THERE IS NO WAY OUT FOR TAIWAN INDEPENDENCE, AND ANY ILLUSIONS ABOUT ATTEMPTS TO COLLUDE WITH EXTERNAL FORCES TO SEEK INDEPENDENCE AND PROVOCATION IS DOOMED TO FAIL. CHINA WILL FIRMLY DEFEND NATIONAL SOVEREIGNTY AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY,” SAID CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESPERSON WANG WENBIN.

TAIWAN RESPONDED TO CHINA’S THREAT COMING HOURS BEFORE THE PRESIDENT’S TRIP, SAYING CHINA WILL NOT ISOLATE TAIWAN FROM THE REST OF THE WORLD.

TECH LEADERS CALL FOR PAUSE ON AI

ELON MUSK AND APPLE CO-FOUNDER STEVE WOZNIAK ARE AMONG OTHER TECH LEADERS CALLING FOR A PAUSE ON “GIANT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE EXPERIMENTS.”

1,000 PEOPLE SIGNED AN OPEN LETTER ASKING AI DEVELOPERS TO “IMMEDIATELY” PAUSE FOR AT LEAST 6 MONTHS TRAINING ON ITS MOST POWERFUL AI SYSTEMS, CITING POTENTIAL RISKS TO SOCIETY.

THE TECH EXPERTS SAY AT THIS STAGE, NO ONE CAN FULLY PREDICT HOW POWERFUL ITS CONSEQUENCES COULD BE. THEY SAY IT COULD BECOME THE MOST POWERFUL PROPAGANDA MACHINE AND OUTPERFORM WORKERS MAKING JOBS OBSOLETE.

STARBUCKS CEO TO TESTIFY ON UNIONS

FORMER STARBUCKS CEO HOWARD SCHULTZ WILL TESTIFY BEFORE A SENATE COMMITTEE LED BY VERMONT SENATOR BERNIE SANDERS.  

THE HEARING WILL FOCUS ON ALLEGATIONS OF UNION-BUSTING AT THE COFFEE CHAIN, WHICH SCHULTZ DENIES.

NEARLY 300 STARBUCKS STORES HAVE VOTED TO UNIONIZE SINCE LATE 2021. EARLIER THIS MONTH, A JUDGE RULED THAT STARBUCKS HAD VIOLATED LABOR LAWS DURING THE UNIONIZATION EFFORTS OF A BUFFALO, NEW YORK, STORE.  ACCORDING TO PREPARED REMARKS, SCHULTZ IS EXPECTED TO TELL LAWMAKERS THAT PRO-UNION INDIVIDUALS HAVE STALLED ATTEMPTS TO BARGAIN WITH UNIONIZED STORES.

ADNAN SYED’S CONVICTION REINSTATED

AN APPEALS COURT IN MARYLAND HAS REINSTATED ADNAN SYED’S MURDER CONVICTION. A CASE THAT GAINED NATIONAL ATTENTION THROUGH THE POPULAR “SERIAL” PODCAST. 

LAST YEAR, SYED WAS EXONERATED AFTER SERVING MORE THAN 20 YEARS FOR THE MURDER OF HIS EX-GIRLFRIEND HAE MIN LEE.

SIX MONTHS LATER,  IN A DECISION ON MARCH 28, THE APPELLATE COURT RULED TO REINSTATE THE ORIGINAL CONVICTION. NOT BASED ON NEW EVIDENCE, BUT A PROCEDURAL TECHNICALITY, SAYING THE VICTIM’S FAMILY WASN’T GIVEN ENOUGH NOTICE TO ATTEND THE MOTION TO VACATE. 

IT’S UNCLEAR WHETHER SYED WILL HAVE TO RETURN TO PRISON UNTIL THERE’S A NEW HEARING IN THE CASE.

MAMMOTH MEATBALL PRODUCED IN LAB

HAVE YOU EVER THOUGHT YOU’D ONE DAY BE EATING A MAMMOTH MEATBALL? I MEAN YEAH — THE ANIMAL IS STILL FAR, FAR EXTINCT. BUT SCIENTISTS ARE DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE. BRINGING YOU A DISH – SERVED UP FROM THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO.

VOW SPECIALIZES IN LAB-GROWN MEAT. AND THE COMPANY, OUT OF THE NETHERLANDS, SAYS THEY USED GENETIC INFORMATION FROM THE WOOLY MAMMOTH TO WHIP UP THE MEATBALL.

NOBODY HAS BEEN BRAVE ENOUGH TO GIVE IT A TASTE. THE COMPANY SAYS THEY NEED TO RUN MORE TESTS BEFORE A TASTE-TESTING. BUT SAYS NEW TECHNOLOGY IS RAPIDLY CHANGING THE FOOD INDUSTRY.