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| The Islamic State's leader showed his face for the first time in nearly five years. Also Monday: a whale who may be a spy and a possible end for Woodstock 50. I'm Ashley. It's Monday. Here's the top news. |
| But first, NASA's getting ready for the apocalypse: The space agency is conducting a drill this week to see how we'd face an asteroid hurtling towards Earth. |
Five years out of sight, then a video |
| ISIS released a video of its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, praising the Sri Lanka attackers. In the video, he calls the deadly bombings that left more than 250 people dead revenge for the Islamic State's defeat in Syria, according to the SITE Intelligence Group, which tracks extremist groups. Rita Katz, executive director and founder of SITE, said the video demonstrates that ISIS remains a "serious danger." It shows not only that Baghdadi "is still alive," she wrote in a tweet Monday, "but also that he is able to reemerge to his supporters and reaffirm the group's us-vs-the-world message after all the progress made against the group." |
Suspected shooter's family: He's joined 'the history of evil' |
| The family of the man accused of firing on a San Diego synagogue said they were "shocked" by the attack, calling the son "part of the history of evil that has been perpetrated on Jewish people for centuries." The 19-year-old nursing student was arrested in the attack Saturday on Chabad of Poway that left one person dead and three injured, including the synagogue's rabbi. The FBI said Monday that it got tips about a threatening social media post about five minutes before the attack but did not have enough time to prevent the shootings. The FBI said the information it received did not include specifics about its author or the location threatened. |
| Three heroes who jumped into action: |
| • | Lori Gilbert-Kaye died taking bullets for Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein during the attack. "Lori took the bullet for all of us," the rabbi said in an emotional statement. | | • | Oscar Stewart, an Iraq War Army veteran, chased and yelled at the synagogue shooter, who stopped shooting when he heard Stewart's voice. "I don't think I'm a hero," Stewart said. "I just did what I did." | | • | When Jonathan Morales heard the gunshots, he ran toward them. The off-duty Border Patrol agent attempted to shoot the gunman as he fled the scene. | |
 | | Lori Gilbert-Kaye died jumping in front of gunfire to protect members of the congregation, including Rabbi Yisroel Goldstein. | | RONEET LEV | |
Real quick |
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Measles was once eliminated. Now? 704 cases |
| Measles were declared eliminated in the USA in 2000, but the number of cases in the country reached 704 in 22 states – the highest point this century – the CDC reported Monday. The record was hit as of April 26, which means the figure will increase even though new measles cases often slow during warmer weather. As the number of cases rises, FDA officials took the unusual step last week to remind people that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine is safe and effective. This year's surge in cases is largely among unvaccinated people in New York City, suburban Rockland County and Washington state. |
So is Woodstock 50 canceled or nah? |
| *Shrugs.* A spokesperson for Woodstock 50's financial partner says the festival has been canceled, but festival organizers say this is false and the concert will be held. Confusion over Woodstock 50's future is the latest wrinkle in plans to mark the golden anniversary of arguably the most famous concert ever with a three-day celebration featuring Jay-Z, The Killers, Halsey and other artists as headliners. Whether it's canceled or not, at least we won't get another Fyre Fest. |
A whaley good Russian spy? |
| It sounds like something out of a Cold War spy movie, but it's apparently real: A beluga whale discovered swimming near Norway had a tight harness on it, which could have been attached by the Russian military. It wasn't immediately clear what the mammal was trained for or whether it was supposed to be part of Russian military activity in the region. The harness had the words, "Equipment St. Petersburg" written on the strap, which featured a mount for an action camera. Though Russia doesn't have a history of using whales for military purposes, the Soviet Union had a full-fledged training program for dolphins. |
 | | A beluga whale swims next to a fishing boat before Norwegian fishermen removed the tight harness Friday. | | Joergen Ree Wiig, AP | |
Tony Stark. Arya Stark. We watched them both this weekend. |
| If you watched anything this weekend, there's a strong chance you're emotionally distraught (as I am) over "Avengers: Endgame," "Game of Thrones" or both. Let's talk about it. Warning, potentially life-ruining spoilers below: |
| 'Game of Thrones' |
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| 'Avengers: Endgame' |
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 | | Arya Stark's (Maisie Williams) fighting skills and heroism were on full display in Sunday's episode, 'The Long Night.' | | Helen Sloan, HBO | |
| This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this snappy news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for "The Short List" newsletter here. |
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