10 things you need to know today: March 28, 2023

1. 6 killed in shooting at Nashville private school

An armed attacker killed three adults and three children Monday at the Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee. Police identified the suspect as 28-year-old Audrey Hale, who was killed by police. Police said Hale, later described as transgender, was a former student who had done surveillance and drawn maps of the building. The attacker, armed with two assault-style rifles and a pistol, reportedly shot out a door to get into the school. Parents rushed to the school to be reunited with their children, who were led out single file, holding hands as helicopters hovered overhead. It was the 129th U.S. mass shooting this year. "How is this still happening?" said Ashbey Beasley, who was a block away when the shooting started.

The Tennessean USA Today

2. Netanyahu pauses controversial Israel judicial overhaul

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday that he was holding off for a month on his controversial judiciary overhaul, which has triggered mass protests and strikes. The decision came after the leader of a powerful far-right party, Itamar Ben-Gvir, expressed openness to a delay. Netanyahu had fired his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, for breaking with the right-wing government's proposal and saying the divisive plan was a danger to state security. Protesters say the plan, which gives the government more power to appoint judges, and curbs the Supreme Court's authority to overturn laws, will cancel crucial checks and balances, and amounts to an attack on Israel's democracy.

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The New York Times

3. Hungary backs Finland's bid to join NATO

Hungary on Monday backed Finland's application to join NATO after months of stalling by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The overwhelming vote by lawmakers in Budapest put the Nordic country a step away from joining the Western defense alliance, which will expand NATO toward Russia's borders. Turkey still has to ratify Finland's accession, which it says it will do. Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin welcomed Hungary's ratification of Finland's bid, but said via Twitter that it is "in everyone's interest" to let Sweden join, too. Hungary is holding up a vote on Sweden's application due to a dispute over Sweden's position on the state of Hungary's democracy.

Bloomberg

4. Ex-'National Enquirer' publisher appears again before grand jury in Trump case

The Manhattan grand jury examining hush money former President Trump allegedly paid to porn star Stormy Daniels heard testimony Monday from a key witness, former National Enquirer publisher David Pecker. Former Trump fixer Michael Cohen reportedly paid Daniels $130,000 on Trump's behalf shortly before Trump's 2016 election, in an attempt to get her to stop talking publicly about her claim that she had an affair with Trump years earlier. Pecker and the Enquirer's top editor helped arrange the deal. Pecker previously testified in January to the grand jury, which Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg impaneled early this year. Trump predicted he was going to be arrested last week, but there was no indication Monday that an indictment had been filed, according to The New York Times.

The New York Times

5. Harris kicks off 3-country Africa tour with call for equality in Ghana

Vice President Kamala Harris met with Ghana's president, Nana Akufo-Addo, on Monday, the first full day of her week-long trip to Africa. Harris raised the issues of human rights and intensifying U.S. competition with China in the region. Harris didn't comment specifically on the anti-LGBTQ "Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Value" bill currently before parliament, but she said she feels "very strongly about the importance of supporting the freedom and supporting the fighting for equality among all people, and that all people be treated equally." Later in the historic trip — the first visit to Africa by America's first Black woman vice president since she took office — Harris will visit Tanzania and Zambia, which also have anti-LGBTQ laws.

ABC News

6. U.S. and Mexico reach deal on fighting gun, fentanyl smuggling

The United States has reached a deal with Mexico to fight the flow of guns to Mexico in exchange for a crackdown by the Mexican government on fentanyl smuggling into the U.S., NBC reported Monday, citing two sources familiar with the deal. The sources told NBC Mexico's military would focus on blocking shipments of raw materials used to create fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid. Statistics from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection showed that more than 14,000 pounds of the drug was seized at the border during the fiscal year 2022. In return for Mexico's efforts, the Biden administration will step up efforts to prevent illegal gun smuggling into Mexico.

NBC News

7. CNN nears deal to sign Gayle King to host a show in drive to revive ratings

CNN is close to a deal to bring CBS Mornings anchor Gayle King to the network to host a weekly prime-time show as part of a push to reverse falling ratings, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, citing people familiar with the situation. King, 68, could start hosting the weekly show this fall while continuing her work at CBS. CNN reportedly is talking to former NBA star Charles Barkley about starring alongside King. Network leader Chris Licht has been working on remaking CNN's prime time offerings since he arrived last May. CNN has had the biggest slide as cable news channels lose viewers after several years of viewership boosted by the coronavirus pandemic, the 2020 presidential election, and the war in Ukraine.

The Wall Street Journal

8. N.J. attorney general's office takes over Paterson police department

New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin announced Monday that his office has taken over the police department in Paterson, the state's third biggest city. The move came less than a month after police officers in Paterson shot Najee Seabrooks, a well-known crisis intervention worker, during a tense standoff. "There is a crisis of confidence in law enforcement in this city," Platkin said at a news conference. "Something has to change, and it will change starting now. Earlier this morning, I exercised my authority as attorney general and superseded the Paterson Police Department." Spectators responded with cheers. Platkin said later that no single case prompted the takeover, which he said was necessary after a "series of misconduct" resulted in "a complete breakdown of trust."

The Associated Press

9. South Carolina and Virginia Tech advance to round out women's Final Four

Top-seeded South Carolina beat second-seed Maryland 86-75 to advance to the Final Four in the women's NCAA basketball tournament on Monday. Aliyah Boston, a 6' 5'' senior, scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the undefeated Gamecocks to their third straight appearance in the March Madness semifinal. Virginia Tech beat 84-74 in the Seattle Region 3 final to qualify for its first appearance in the semifinals, rounding out the Final Four. Elizabeth Kitley led the Hokies to victory with 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Georgia Amoore added 24 points. South Carolina and Virginia Tech join Iowa and LSU, who advanced to the Final Four with regional championship wins on Sunday.

ESPN USA Today

10. Report: Tiny glass beads on moon hold water astronauts could use

Lunar samples show that tiny glass beads on the moon contain billions of tons of water that astronauts could potentially use on future missions, according to a study published Monday in the journal Nature Geoscience. The beads likely formed when asteroids slammed into the lunar surface. The finding is a potential breakthrough for efforts to build bases on the moon. "This is one of the most exciting discoveries we've made," said Mahesh Anand, a professor of planetary science and exploration at the Open University. "With this finding, the potential for exploring the moon in a sustainable manner is higher than it's ever been."

The Guardian CNN