Artificial intelligence and other new technology heighten the risk of costly blunders on April 1. Also in the news: Demolition crews will cut into portions of the Francis Scott Key Bridge's collapsed truss to clear a key commercial waterway on Monday. LSU's Angel Reese and Iowa's Caitlin Clark are set for a high-energy Elite Eight rematch Monday night. | |  |
Here's the news to know Monday. |
Corporate larks can become no laughing matter |
April Fools' Day seems like the perfect time for pranks. But for small businesses to big-name brands, the holiday presents an opportunity to have some fun – or make a mistake. Companies often feel compelled to make their own mark on the day despite infamous instances where April Fools' fakeries have flopped – or worse, backfired and created costly consequences. And, as artificial intelligence blurs the lines between real and fake, it's harder than ever for companies and customers to detect when they're being pranked, or worse, targeted for a scam. Here's a few corporate April Fools' campaigns that were no laughing matter. |
Demolition crews cutting into first pieces of Baltimore bridge |
Crews will continue dismantling the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Monday as an enormous container ship remains trapped underneath the rubble. |
The tear-down effort comes six days after the collision that killed six people, forced a shutdown of the Port of Baltimore and halted shipping traffic through one of the nation's most crucial ports. | Six hard hats and a candle form a memorial the six construction workers killed when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed. Eight Latino road construction workers were working on the bridge at the time, only two of whom were rescued. Jasper Colt, USA TODAY |
Kamala Harris is pushing the envelope as 2024 heats up |
Vice President Kamal Harris is moving into a starring role for the Democrats' reelection campaign. As left-leaning voters question President Joe Biden's progressive record, Harris is taking on more heated topics, more often and more directly than Biden. Harris hosted rapper Fat Joe at the White House to talk about reforming marijuana laws. She visited an abortion clinic. The vice president called for a cease-fire in Gaza at the historic Selma bridge in Alabama. She walked the bloodstained crime scene of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting. Here's how she's seeking to persuade a fractious coalition of voters. | US Vice President Kamala Harris participates in a moment of silence at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School memorial in Parkland, Florida, March 23, 2024. DREW ANGERER, AFP via Getty Images |
Cities along the eclipse path are bracing for chaos |
Tens of thousands of stargazers will crowd downtown Dallas to witness April's total solar eclipse. Campground lodging and local hotels are nearly sold out in Erie, Pennsylvania. Indianapolis is hosting one of the largest watch parties in the nation alongside the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. City officials along the eclipse's path of totality – a narrow stretch of land across the U.S. where people could see the moon block the sun's surface – are counting down the days until visitors flock to their towns and jam roads to see the rare natural phenomenon, they told USA TODAY. And they're anticipating a chaotic weekend. | Delicate streamers in the sun's corona surround the totally eclipsed sun during the Aug. 21, 2017, total solar eclipse. Johnny Horne/Special to The Fayetteville Observer |
It's a Reese v. Clark rematch Monday night |
The 2024 women's NCAA Tournament Elite Eight matchup to end all matchups is No. 3 LSU taking on No. 1 Iowa Monday, in a rematch that pits Angel Reese and company against Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes. We now wait to see whether it will be Clark or Reese taking on either of two seemingly unbeatable teams in USC or UConn. Monday will go a long way to showing us how all of this drama ends. Read our predictions for the game here. | Angel Reese (10) shows Iowa Caitlin Clark her ring finger during the final seconds of the women's 2023 NCAA Tournament national championship game. Zach Boyden-Holmes, USA TODAY NETWORK |
Photo of the day: Wildflower season is here | Wild flowers are in bloom at Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in eastern San Diego County. Robert Hanashiro, Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY | | | |
