UKRAINE UPDATES: MARIUPOL’S LAST STAND
Russia’s Defense Ministry warned that Ukrainian soldiers remaining in Mariupol would be “eliminated” if they do not surrender. Russia asked that Ukrainian forces holding out at a Mariupol steel plant put their weapons down immediately, also saying the Ukrainians had “forbade negotiations about surrendering.” Meanwhile, Russian missiles overnight struck several locations including Lviv in the west, killing at least six people there, including a child. Also, in an Easter Sunday message, Pope Francis pleaded for peace in Ukraine, both acknowledging the victims and thanking people who welcomed those who fled the war into their homes. NBC NEWS
ELON’S ROUGH WEEKEND
POISON PILL: Where are we in the saga of Elon Musk buying Twitter? The latest pushback from Twitter comes in the form of a poison pill plan. You’ve probably heard the term by now, but what is it? It’s a shareholder rights plan that allows Twitter shareholders other than Musk to acquire more shares at a relatively inexpensive price, ultimately diluting Musk’s stake. Twitter would trigger the poison pill if Musk or any other investor acquires more than 15% of the company’s shares. Musk currently owns 9.2%. THE VERGE
FALSE TESLA TWEETS: As we’ve said in the Need2Know before: There is always more Elon Musk news. A judge ruled that the Tesla CEO knowingly made false statements when he tweeted he was considering taking Tesla private at $420 per share, and had “funding secured” to do so, though Musk later admitted the planned funding fell through. Shareholders are suing Musk for the tweet, which resulted in Tesla’s share price to experience major volatility. If the shareholders win the class-action lawsuit, Musk could pay billions in damages. BLOOMBERG
WHITE HOUSE EASTER RETURNS
The White House Easter Egg Roll returns today, following a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic. As is tradition, the first lady themes the annual event. Lifelong teacher Jill Biden is calling it the “Eggucation Roll,” and is turning the South Lawn into a school community with a variety of educational stations. Open to the general public through a lottery system, the White House is expecting a turnout of 30,000, with the first of five groups arriving around 7:30 a.m. ET. The Easter Egg Roll tradition dates all the way back to 1878. WHITE HOUSE
“I’m glad the Easter Egg hunt is education-themed this year,” said not a single child in attendance.
WEEKEND SHOOTINGS
PITTSBURGH: Two juveniles were killed and eight others injured by gunfire during a 200-person party at an Airbnb property in Pittsburgh’s East Allegheny neighborhood. No arrests have been made. Airbnb is cooperating with law enforcement as the investigation unfolds — a spokesperson said that the host was unaware of the party, and the individual who booked the stay has received a lifetime ban. WTAE
SOUTH CAROLINA: A shooting at a Columbia mall left nine people with gunshot wounds and 14 total injured, as mall-goers rushed to escape the shooting that transpired during a busy Saturday afternoon. Victims ranged in age from 15 to 73, and as of Monday morning, only one remains hospitalized. The suspect posted a $25,000 bail and was placed on house arrest with an ankle bracelet. Just 100 miles away in Hampton, S.C., nine people were injured after a person opened fire in a nightclub. WIS
CARGO SHIP UNSTUCK
A container ship that was stuck aground in Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay for five weeks is finally free. Sunday video showed seven tugboats towing the 1,095-foot Ever Forward under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Fortunately, the incident didn’t cause any supply issues nor did it lead to any injuries or cargo damage. Like the Ever Given ship that was stuck in the Suez Canal — an incident that led to major shipping disruptions a year ago — the Ever Forward is also owned by Taiwan-based Evergreen Marine Corp. BALTIMORE SUN
TAX DAY
Today is the deadline to file your 2021 taxes. If it felt like Tax Day crept up earlier than usual, that’s because it did: Today’s date of April 18 is the earliest it has arrived since 2019 due to the pandemic-related extensions in 2020 and 2021. While today is the deadline to file an extension for returns, there is no extension on payments, so you’ll need to pay off debts by the end of the day to avoid penalties. If you’re a dedicated Need2Know reader (we appreciate you!), you know we’ve pointed you to Cheddar’s Lawrence Banton for his continued guidance on Tax Day 2022. Head to any of Lawrence’s stories if you need easy, understandable answers on taxes as the deadline arrives. CHEDDAR
BOSTON MARATHON
The Boston Marathon is back today, returning to its tradition of taking place on Patriots’ Day. The race last took place just six months ago, as the 2021 race was postponed to October, and the 2020 race was canceled due to Covid. This year’s Boston Marathon features 30,000 runners from all 50 U.S. states and 122 countries, excluding current residents of Russia and Belarus, who are not allowed to compete amid the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine. Russian and Belarusian citizens who are not residents in either country can participate, though they aren’t allowed to run under the flags of their country. LIVE UPDATES
NBA PLAYOFFS
The first round of the NBA playoffs kicked off this weekend, with Utah, Minnesota, Philadelphia and Golden State grabbing Game 1 victories on Saturday. Sunday victories came by the likes of Miami, Boston, Milwaukee and Phoenix. As we’re still early in the playoffs, much of the discussion is around when injured players will return. Star players like Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson and Ben Simmons are all major questions as the race to the NBA Finals heats up by the day. Tonight’s games feature Toronto vs. Philadelphia, Utah vs. Dallas and Golden State vs. Denver. CBS SPORTS
QR CODE JERSEYS
For its spring exhibition game, the University of Central Florida football team is replacing the numbers on its jerseys with QR codes. Fans can scan players’ jerseys with a smartphone and receive links to their bios on UCF’s official website, which leads you to the players’ social media pages, contact info and merchandise. It’s part of an effort to promote the newly permitted name, image and likeness (NIL) rules that allow players to profit off the popularity that comes with being a major college athlete. CBS SPORTS
LEFTOVERS: UNWANTED BIRTHDAY PARTY
A jury awarded $450,000 to a man who was fired after suffering a panic attack at his workplace over a birthday party he didn't want. According to the lawsuit, Kevin Berling was working at a medical lab in Kentucky when coworkers threw a lunchtime celebration for him despite Berling asking them not to. Instead of attending, Berling spent his lunch break in his car. When supervisors confronted him about this in a meeting, Berling had a panic attack, which ultimately led to him being sent home. The supervisors said they fired him because he became violent during that meeting, posing a threat to his coworkers’ safety. In the ensuing lawsuit, a jury concluded that Berling experienced an adverse employment action because of a disability. He was awarded $150,000 in lost wages and $300,000 for suffering, embarrassment and loss of self-esteem. NY TIMES
