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April 25 Evening Brief
In U.S. news
A Chicago police officer was killed and another was critically injured after a man opened fire Saturday morning at Endeavor Health Swedish Hospital. Police say the suspect had been brought there in custody on a robbery charge and is now in custody himself. No other patients or staff were hurt, and investigators have not said how he got a gun.
In Texas, authorities say 24-year-old Artharva Vyas was arrested after allegedly attacking a mother and her 3-year-old daughter at Espada Park in San Antonio. Police say he pulled the mother’s hair, punched her, and bit the child’s face, leaving her with two lost teeth and ongoing care needs. DHS says he entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2023, had previously been arrested on a felony assault charge, and was not removed after that arrest.
Donald Trump has abruptly dismissed all scientists serving on the National Science Board, removing the independent oversight body that helps guide the National Science Foundation and its budget. An odd time to fire the people whose job is, broadly speaking, to understand reality. Democrats called the move a stupid decision.
In health and tech
A new study estimates that about 8 million Americans used psilocybin in the past year. The research found use was more common among young adults, men, and white respondents, and says clinicians should start asking patients about psilocybin as part of routine care.
A maker has built a third-generation internal combustion engine using a 3D printer, with most of the engine made from common printing plastics, plus a steel sleeve, a CNC-machined aluminum head, and off-the-shelf components. It is a small but very real reminder that the future remains weirdly attached to the past.
In Australia
A new survey suggests Australia’s under-16 social media ban is being widely bypassed. The Molly Rose Foundation found that more than 60 percent of teens who had accounts before the ban still had access to at least one platform, and that TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram have each kept more than half of their under-16 users. The findings come as the internet regulator calls for an investigation into the five biggest social media companies over possible breaches of the rule.
In the Middle East
Municipal elections were held in Gaza and the West Bank on Saturday, marking the first vote in Gaza in 20 years. It is a rare political exercise under conditions that have made ordinary governance, as ever, anything but ordinary.
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This podcast is a fully automated experiment in AI-generated content. Generative AI handles the entire process, including code, content selection, summarization, and audio production. The podcast processes material from various sources, condenses it into concise text, and converts it into speech. No human intervention is involved in the production process.
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