Trump charged with "two dozen counts:" A Manhattan grand jury has brought a slew of charges against Donald Trump. Those charges include some felonies. Trump confirmed he will leave his Mar-a-Lago enclave and surrender in New York City on Tuesday. On Truth Social, Trump wrote: "On Tuesday morning I will be going to, believe it or not, the Courthouse. America was not supposed to be this way!" Yeah, damn it, didn't those lawyers read the part in the Declaration of Independence about our right to life, liberty, and the ability to pay off porn stars with hush money to win an election?

More charges coming down the pike? Trump is currently the subject of four separate criminal probes lol. Investigators from the Justice Department and the FBI have new evidence around Trump's alleged obstruction in their investigation into the confidential documents he was keeping at Mar-a-Lago. The obstruction claims center around texts and emails investigators accessed from a top Trump aide, and they may point to efforts Trump took to prevent authorities from recovering all the sensitive files in his possession. 

OPEC dials back oil production: Oil prices skyrocketed as members of OPEC+ (Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and several Gulf states) announced they will be cutting oil output "by more than one million barrels a day," BBC reports. OPEC+ accounts for 40% of the world's crude oil production. Well, seems like a really good opportunity to invest in renewable fuels, fund (and electrify) public transit, build transportation alternatives like a functioning bike network, and ditch oil. Or, you can keep bemoaning oil prices as you fill up your mid-size SUV. 

Weekend shooting kills community activist: On Saturday, gunfire at Broadway and East Pine Street killed 23-year-old Elijah Lewis, an activist and entrepreneur heavily involved with Seattle's Central District. At the time of the shooting, Lewis was taking his nine-year-old nephew to a monster truck rally show at Lumen Field. Lewis's family believes he died protecting his nephew from the gunshots. Lewis was pronounced dead at Harborview Medical Center. His nephew was treated for a gunshot wound and discharged Sunday. Police arrested a suspect, 35, who was booked into King County Jail for homicide and assault. 

Death toll climbs after tornado storms: A series of storms and tornadoes swept through the south and midwest, killing 32 people across seven states as of Sunday. A tornado ripped through the middle of Wynn, Arkansas; lifted the roof off the Apollo Theater in Belvedere, Indiana; and toppled trees onto houses across Tennessee. 

Corporate employees will not be lovin' this: McDonald's announced the closure of its U.S. corporate offices this week as it plans for major layoffs. The burger behemoth told corporate workers to stay home this week so it could cut ties with workers virtually. Making matters a bit colder, McDonald's acknowledged this was a big personal travel week for workers, a fact "which it said contributed to the decision to deliver the news remotely," the Wall Street Journal reported. McDonald's sales haven't dropped. The layoffs are apparently part of some big "company restructuring."

I'm on a train right now: I'm headed to Chicago. This is the longest train ride I've ever taken, and I'm enjoying it thoroughly, though I did think the WiFi would be better. I hope I make it across the U.S. in one piece and without running into a tornado. Or, at least without derailing like a lot of trains seem to be doing. Take, for instance, the train that derailed on the Clark Fork River in Montana. Check out the opportunists who reaped the rewards of the derailment. 

Speaking of train drama: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said multiple of its investigators fell ill while studying any possible health impacts from the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. The train carried highly toxic chemicals that spilled when everything toppled. Seven investigators felt symptoms that included sore throat, headache, coughing, and nausea. The investigators fell ill after Norfolk Southern, the train company responsible for the derailed train, guaranteed multiple times that the air and drinking water were safe in East Palestine. Call me crazy, but I think they might have been lying! 

Mask mandate in health care facilities ends: As of Monday, Washington state will no longer require you wear a mask when popping in for a check-up, a dental cleaning, hanging out with your grandma at her retirement home, or visiting a correctional facility. Some health care facilities across the Puget Sound area, including the University of Washington medical center, will still require masks, according to a joint statement. With over 100,000 COVID-19 cases still happening in the U.S. each week, maybe we shouldn't stop masking in places we are likely to run into the most vulnerable people in society, such as the sick or elderly. 

More hail possible today: The chilly start to April continues in Seattle.

Texas man blames "mischievous child spirit" for dent in his car: A 21-year-old Texas man believes a little boy ghost pushed a shopping cart into his 2012 Mustang. He had gone ghost hunting the day before and interacted with the ghost at the house he was investigating. He believes the ghost followed him home, then to work at the grocery story, and then dented his Mustang. 

Spy balloon actually did some spying: The Chinese spy balloon did actually get some information about U.S. military bases when it took a little sight-seeing tour earlier this year. According to NBC News, the information gained came mostly "from electronic signals, which can be picked up from weapons systems or include communications from base personnel, rather than images" before the U.S. shot it down off the coast of South Carolina. 

A very American headline: Teacher shot by 6-year-old student files $40 million lawsuit

Washington could pull the trigger on an assault weapons ban: A meaty gun control bill, House Bill 1240, is making its way through Olympia. If passed, the bill would "prohibit all people from manufacturing, owning, buying, selling, loaning, furnishing, transporting, possessing, or controlling any machine gun, bump-fire stock, undetectable firearm, short-barreled shotgun, or short-barreled rifle, subject to various exceptions," KOMO News writes

LSU wins women's basketball NCAA championship: The LSU Tigers beat the Iowa Hawkeyes 102-85 to win their first NCAA championship. This year's women's tournament felt like a turning point in women's sports, with record-breaking crowds, primetime television slots, and high-intensity show-stopping performances from players such as Iowa's Caitlin Clark and LSU's Angel Reese. 

Hungry in Japan? Try some bear meat. An Akita-based vending machine offers a variety of locally caught bear meat, from lean to fatty, for all your bear-based cravings. The meat sells for ¥2,200 (£13/$16.50) per 250g of meat. People are loving this bear meat. It's especially popular with travelers at a nearby train station. If you eat bear meat next to me on the state-of-the-art Shinkansen bullet trains—I'm sorry—I'm moving seats.