Terrorists storm a Kenyan university. A U.S. senator is indicted. California imposes strict water restrictions.
It’s Thursday, and here are the 5 things to know for your New Day.
KENYA ATTACK
Al-Shabaab gunmen attacked a university in Garissa, Kenya, early Thursday. At least 30 people were hospitalized; an unknown number of people were reportedly taken hostage. Students at Garissa University College awoke to gunshots going off “like fireworks” just before dawn, as Al-Shabaab militants forced their way through the school’s front gates. Witnesses said the gunmen fired indiscriminately as they moved through the campus. Local media reported varying death tolls from 8 to 15, but CNN was unable to confirm the exact count. Al-Shabaab, based in Somalia, has launched attacks inside Kenya ever since the Kenyan government sent troops into Somalia to fight the terror group.
SENATOR INDICTED
Corruption charges: Sen. Robert Menendez promised a fight as he responded to federal corruption charges brought against him yesterday. The New Jersey Democrat is accused of using his Senate office to push the business interests of a donor in exchange for gifts. Menendez said he was “angry and ready to fight” and accused prosecutors of not knowing “the difference between friendship and corruption.” He says he won’t resign, but he did step down from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where he was the top Democrat. Menendez has a court hearing today.
GERMANWINGS CRASH
Video questions: The French prosecutor investigating the Germanwings Flight 9525 crash said yesterday he’s not aware of any videos from inside the plane. The editor of a German tabloid said he’s watched such a video and is convinced it’s authentic. So who is right? The prosecutor, Brice Robin, said if such videos exist, they should be handed over. The editor, Julian Reichelt of Bild, hasn’t indicated if that will happen, but he did describe the video he saw as showing “a very disturbing scene.” The crash killed all 150 people on board.
CALIFORNIA WATER
Mandatory restrictions: The Golden State has turned a shade brown as it struggles through a historic drought. The Sierra Nevada snowpack, which Californians rely on for water, is near a record low. So Gov. Jerry Brown imposed mandatory water restrictions yesterday, hoping to cut the state’s water usage by 25%. The watering of golf courses, campuses and other large landscapes will be significantly reduced. Fifty million square feet of lawns will be replaced with “drought tolerant” landscaping. The replacement of old appliances with more water efficient models will be encouraged. Brown said the era of residents’ lawns getting watered every day is “going to be a thing of the past.”
ATLANTA CHEATING SCANDAL
Guilty verdicts: Eleven out of 12. That was the tally yesterday as verdicts were handed down in the Atlanta Public Schools cheating scandal. Eleven of the 12 former educators on trial were found guilty on racketeering and other charges. And all of the convicted defendants were immediately taken to jail, save for one woman who is pregnant and out on bond until sentencing. The cheating in the district dates back to 2001, when answers on standardized tests were altered, fabricated and falsely certified. Sentencing will happen in a few weeks.
Those are your five biggies for the day. Here are a couple of others that are brewing and have the Internet buzzing.
Such fools: Miss the best April Fools’ Day pranks? Don’t worry; Jeanne Moos has got you covered.
Robot love: When R2D2 met a mailbox …
Let it go: This baby gets angry whenever she hears this song from “Frozen.” We know the feeling.
Big storm: Check out Super typhoon Maysak, as seen from the International Space Station.