Thursday, April 23, 2026

Tragedy in Louisiana

Police say a gunman killed eight children and seriously injured two women in Shreveport in a mass shooting that's left the city reeling. ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌  ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ ͏‌ 
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The Short List

Mon Apr 20 2026

 

Phaedra Trethan National Correspondent

@wordsbyphaedra

πŸ‘‹πŸΌ Hello! I'm Phaedra Trethan, feeling the heaviness of the news out of Louisiana. πŸ’”

In Monday's news:

A man killed 8 children and seriously wounded two women in a mass shooting in Louisiana.
Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran are on shaky ground.
The Supreme Court is weighing the rights of LGBTQ+ parents against religious preschools.

But first: There are two valuable lessons in this video . One, don't celebrate until you actually win; and two, don't give up. πŸƒ

Tragedy in Louisiana

The city of Shreveport is in mourning after a gunman killed eight children and seriously wounded two women in the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. in two years. Police said Shamar Elkins shot the children, seven of whom were his, as well as their mother and another woman on Sunday. He then fled on foot and stole a car at gunpoint, leading to a police chase that ended with officers fatally shooting him, police said. The motive is still unclear.

"I just don’t know what to say, my heart is just taken aback," Shreveport Police Chief Wayne Smith said. The children ranged in age from 3 to 11.

Photos: Shreveport residents mourn eight lives lost too soon.
What we know about the suspect, Shamar Elkins.

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People attend a candlelight vigil on April 19, 2026 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Eight children were killed and two women were wounded during a domestic violence incident in the early morning hours, according to local authorities.

Brandon Bell, Getty Images

A shaky ceasefire

Iran is vowing to retaliate against the U.S. seizure of a cargo ship that President Donald Trump claims tried to break the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. The back-and-forth, fueled by Trump's social media posts and Iranian defiance, makes peace negotiations more precarious. The latest on the conflict.

Watch: Veterans protested the Iran war at the U.S. Capitol.
President Trump's approval ratings continue to decline over the war, gas prices and concerns over affordability. ↘️
About those gas prices: When will they come back to Earth? What an administration official said. ⛽️ πŸ’Έ
Watch: What the Iranians are saying about negotiations.
Some are starting to question President Trump's mental state. And not all of them are Democrats.
Meanwhile, in Cuba: The U.S. gave the regime a deadline to release political prisoners.

us cent com.jpg

In new footage, U.S. Marines from USS Tripoli seized an Iranian cargo ship after a standoff, raising tensions between the United States and Iran.

U.S. Central Command via X / Reuters

Real quick

Singer D4vd was charged with murder in the death of a 14-year-old girl whose remains were found in his car.
The Justice Department is demanding voting materials from a Michigan district that includes Detroit. Michigan officials are pushing back. πŸ—³️
Echos from the Trail of Tears resonate more than 180 years later, for Native Americans and for all of us.
FBI Director Kash Patel is suing The Atlantic over a story that alleges excessive drinking and erratic behavior are compromising his ability to do his job. The outlet stands by its reporting. πŸ—ž️

SCOTUS and schools

The Supreme Court is weighing whether Catholic preschools that participate in Colorado's tuition-free program are obligated to admit students whose parents are LGBTQ+, a battle over the rights of students and parents against the schools' religious freedom. The court said Monday it will review a Colorado court's ruling that upheld the nondiscrimination requirement for universal preschool.

The High Court declined to hear a case involving a school that used a student's preferred name and pronouns without their parents' knowledge.

Repeat winners in Boston Marathon πŸƒπŸ½‍♀️ πŸƒ

It was dΓ©jΓ  vu at the Boston Marathon as the 2026 men's and women's winners were both last year's champions, beating out as many as 30,000 runners in the 130th edition of the world's oldest continuously-run, 26.2-miler. Kenyan John Korir surged into the lead around the 20-mile mark and finished in a course record of 2 hours, 1 minute and 52 seconds. Sharon Lokedi, also of Kenya, broke away from a crowded women's pack late in the race, winning in 2:18:51, just behind her record-setting 2025 time.

Photos: The 130th Boston Marathon in pictures. πŸ“Έ
Nike took down a Boston Marathon-related ad. Why the company said it would "listen to the voice of the athlete." πŸ‘Ÿ
In other news, Boston fans still hate the Yankees, and the Yankees still hate Boston fans (meanwhile, we Phillies fans are hated everywhere, and we're fine with it). ⚾️

Athletics Boston

Sharon Lokedi crosses the finish line to win the women's title at the 2026 Boston Marathon in 2:18:15.

Brian Snyder, Reuters

A break from the news

A Virginia Tech spring football game was delayed for an... unusual reason. πŸͺ‚ 😱
Today is 4/20. Here are some deals in case you get the munchies. 🀀
Thinking about going to World Cup games? What to know about how to get there. ⚽️

Phaedra Trethan is a national correspondent at USA TODAY. She'd love to hear from readers about The Short List, story ideas from across the nation and the lessons you've learned from sports. (A lifelong Phillies fan, I've learned patience, loyalty and how to deal with disappointment.) Email her at ptrethan@usatoday.com

The Old Capitol building pictured at the Pentacrest on the University of Iowa campus Wednesday, July 31, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa.

Iowa City Police identified five victims in the shooting, with one victim in critical condition and the other four in stable condition.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and then-Attorney General Pam Bondi applaud as U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a roundtable on public safety at Memphis Air National Guard Base in Memphis, Tennessee, U.S., March 23, 2026.
 

Make America Safe Again? Prosecutors are departing DOJ under Trump

The exit of thousands of DOJ lawyers weakens law enforcement for many years to come, former DOJ lawyers told USA TODAY.

Iranian flags are displayed on the National Mall near the U.S. Capitol as part of a demonstration organized by activists who support regime change by the people of Iran, in Washington, D.C., U.S., June 20, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt
 

Woman arrested in SoCal, accused of selling weapons for Iran

Shamim Mafi was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport.

U.S. President Donald Trump attends an event to deliver remarks to the White House Religious Liberty Commission at the Museum of the Bible, in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 8, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
 

Trump to recite Old Testament scripture during live Bible reading

President Donald Trump will read a piece of Old Testament scripture during the week-long America Reads the Bible event.

Delta Air Lines and United Airlines planes at Chicago O'Hare International Airport.
 

Delta cuts flights on some routes for the summer. See where, why

Delta Air Lines has adjusted its summer schedule amid high, uncertain fuel prices for airlines, and it's not alone.

This photo illustration shows President Donald Trump on a screen and an AI-generated image he posted on his Truth Social platform depicting himself as Jesus Christ after criticizing Pope Leo XIV.
 

Trump vs Pope Leo XIV: Clash of titans, dividing of Catholics

President Trump's religious posturing and rocky relationship with Pope Leo threaten to alienate his Catholic supporters.

Jenna Bush Hager and George W. Bush on the Today show on April 20, 2021.
 

Former presidents speak with Jenna Hager ahead of America's 250th

'Today' host Jenna Bush Hager interviewed the four former living presidents.

If someone in your life is ready for a health reset, gift time, not stuff. A year of Function Health provides comprehensive testing across heart, hormones, thyroid, nutrients and more, plus research-backed insights they can track in one secure place. $499 (annual membership), functionhealth.com
 

The truth about 'biohacking' and whether it's the secret to life

Becoming a biohacker isn't as easy as it sounds. As exciting as it is to think about taking charge of your own health, actions can have consequences.

Legs only close-up shot of female runner climbing a grey stone staircase.
 

This type of workout may reduce your risk of 8 diseases, study finds

Vigorous activity may reduce your risk of multiple diseases, according to a recent study.

Police say Jarell Augustine of California allegedly purchased Lego sets from Target and then returned them with pasta inside.
 

Man allegedly returned Lego boxes stuffed with pasta to Target stores

The suspect is allegedly tied to more than $34,000 worth of stolen goods nationwide.

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