A shock to the 1%. A slog for The Donald. And a shot for the ages. It’s Tuesday, and here are the 5 things you need to know to Get Up to Speed and Out the Door.
1. Panama Papers
“A series of fibs.” “Ridiculous. “Outrageous.” The reactions came in fast and furious yesterday as the world’s rich and powerful dealt with allegations — detailed in the massive document leak known as the Panama Papers — that they used secret offshore companies and accounts to hide billions. The biggest heat seems to be on Iceland’s Prime Minister Sigmundur David Gunnlaugsson, accused of having ties to an offshore company that weren’t disclosed. Protesters packed the streets, demanding he resign. But there’s heat too on Russian President Vladimir Putin and several FIFA officials.
2. Campaign 2016
Hey, is this formula correct? Trump loss + Cruz win = open convention. The GOP establishment sure hopes so. Losing the Wisconsin primary today won’t make or break The Donald’s path to the GOP nomination, but it would make it much harder for him to clinch it, leaving Ted Cruz an opening this summer in Cleveland. On the Dems side, Bernie Sanders holds a slight lead over Hillary Clinton in today’s primary, but unless he can win big, he won’t narrow the gap in delegates much. Uncle Bernie and Hillz did agree — after days of sniping — on holding a debate in Brooklyn next week.
3. Amtrak
Were two Amtrak construction workers on the wrong line when they were hit by a train and killed? That’s what a source close to the investigation indicated yesterday, as the probe into Sunday’s crash near Philadelphia that also injured 37 others continues. The workers, both longtime Amtrak employees, were performing routine maintenance at the time of the crash.
4. Tennessee helicopter crash
There’s much we don’t know about the crash yesterday of a sightseeing helicopter in Tennessee that left five people dead. What we do know is that all of the dead were in the chopper, which crashed into a hillside in Pigeon Forge. The hillside was engulfed in flames and firefighters were called in to put it out. Pigeon Forge, home to Dollywood and near Great Smoky Mountains National Park, has several sightseeing helicopter companies in the area.
5. NCAA tournament final
What. A. Shot! What. A. Game! The Villanova Wildcats are kings of the college basketball world this morning, after beating North Carolina 77-74 in what many are already calling one of the greatest games in NCAA history. It definitely had one of the greatest finishes. Villanova’s Kris Jenkins hit a three at the buzzer to win the title — the first time that’s ever happened. And he hit it against his brother’s team! Here’s the play-by-play on the game’s final, glorious (for Villanova fans, at least) moments.
Breakfast Browse
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“They said, ‘Hey you want to free your data? Pay us.'”
Charles Hucks, technology director for the Horry County, South Carolina, school district, recalling the ransom note hackers left after they had encrypted the school’s data. The district paid the hackers $10,000 to get computers back up and running.
‘It’s a trap!’
The most famous warning ever, issued by Adm. Ackbar in the “Star Wars” movies. Ackbar was voiced by actor Erik Bauersfeld, who died Sunday at 93.
iPhone control?
A gun manufacturer has made a weapon that looks like an iPhone, so of course a member of Congress wants to hold a hearing about it.
Airline workers behaving badly, part 3
Airline employees have had trouble of late with drugs and money. Now a flight attendant is accused of “purposefully” deploying a plane’s emergency slide.
Hot (dog) pursuit
It was chihuahua vs. CHiPs on Sunday when the California Highway Patrol chased this little guy across San Francisco’s Bay Bridge.
And finally …
Black Widow worship?
Look, we all love Scarlett Johansson, but building a robot that looks almost exactly like our fave actress from “The Avengers?” That’s just taking it too far.