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A gunman opened fire on a French police vehicle on Paris’s Champs-Élysées avenue on Thursday, killing one officer.
Two other officers and a civilian were injured. French President François Hollande addressed the nation Thursday night, calling the incident “terrorist in nature.” He said the French security forces would be working to investigate the motive and any accomplices who may have played a role.
French officials have not made any public statement linking a terror group to the shooting. But Site Intel Group, which monitors insurgent networks, said ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack through its news agency, Amaq.
On Sunday, French voters are headed to the polls for the first round of their presidential election. Here’s a full explanation of what’s happening and what you can expect. Or, for a ~sweeter~ take, here’s the election explained through Haribo candy.
WE’RE KEEPING AN EYE ON
Russia’s cyberwarfare operations are built on the back of cybercriminal networks. Can the US take them down?
The US government says the “gloves have come off” with Russian cybercriminals. Russian hackers told BuzzFeed News they’re increasingly worried that the US is pursuing them and described the blurred line between hacking for money and hacking for the Kremlin.
“We would tip them off about a person we were looking for, and they would mysteriously disappear, only to appear later on working for the Russian government,” said Milan Patel, the former chief technology officer of the FBI’s cyber division and now managing director at the K2 Intelligence cybersecurity firm. “We basically helped the FSB identify talent and recruit by telling them who we were after.”
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS?
Meet the anti-pot crusaders trying to take back 4/20.
As cannabis enthusiasts around the world gathered to light up yesterday, a very different crowd met to discuss how to stop its legalization. At a summit in Atlanta, the head of the US’s largest anti–marijuana legalization group, Smart Approaches to Marijuana, passionately compared the pot industry to Big Tobacco, claiming that cannabis is “about profits over people.”
Today, 28 states and DC have legalized medical cannabis, and eight states as well as DC have legalized cannabis for recreational purposes. But the election of Donald Trump and his unpredictable politics have led the anti-pot movement’s leaders to believe that there is now a “clean slate” on the issue. BuzzFeed News’ Alyson Martin looks at the energized fight against marijuana legalization.
Meanwhile: Capitol police arrested pot advocates on 4/20 for handing out joints to congressional staffers. Here are the 24 funniest tweets about 4/20. And these Mario Batali pot cookies are ~tasty~.
QUICK THINGS TO KNOW
US news: The state of Massachusetts has dismissed more than 21,000 drug cases connected to a massive lab scandal. Arkansas has carried out its first execution in more than a decade.
The Trump administration: President Trump blames lax immigration laws for the spread of this violent international gang, but experts disagree. And after a nearly two-year standoff between death penalty states and the federal government, the Trump administration formally blocked shipments of thousands of illegal execution drugs on their way to Texas and Arizona.
Uber users beware: If you’ve agreed to Uber’s terms of service you’ve signed away the right to sue the company.
On YouTube: The parents behind a popular family “prank” YouTube channel have been accused of abusing their children. The couple who run the DaddyOFive channel deny any abuse, and have since deleted their “prank videos” and called them completely “fake.”
Scientists are completely fed up with Brexit and Trump. So this weekend, thousands of them are marching.
O’Reilly allegations: Rupert Murdoch’s film studio, 20th Century Fox, optioned Bill O’Reilly’s book on World War II months before cutting ties with the Fox News anchor following sexual harassment allegations. And these women accused O’Reilly of sexual harassment — now they’re applauding his firing.
WEEKEND READS
The Last Girlbosses: In 2014, #Girlboss became the young woman’s career bible, with Sophia Amoruso its imperfect hero. Now, Amoruso is doubling down on career-focused feminism with a new media company. The only problem: Feminism has changed. A lot.
Why Better Call Saul Is An Unexpectedly Feminist Show: As its third season begins, the AMC series shows that female representation matters as much behind the scenes as it does in front of the camera.
The Radical Feminist Aesthetic Of The Handmaid’s Tale: Hulu's adaptation of The Handmaid’s Tale is both a beauty to behold and a slap in the face. (No spoilers, but the piece does describe the book's basic premise.)
How The Rock Became America’s Favorite Populist Hero: Whether he’s playing an action star or a woke bae, the Fate of the Furious star is ready to be who you want him to be.
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