Boulder suspect in court, Biden press conference, NBA trade deadline: 5 things to know Thursday

Boulder shooting suspect to appear in court for the first time

The suspect in the Boulder, Colorado, mass shooting that left 10 people dead will appear in court Thursday and face charges of first-degree murder.  Ahmad Al Aliwi Alissa, 21, will be advised at the hearing of the charges he faces and his rights as a defendant. He won’t enter a plea until later in the judicial process. Alissa’s court appearance comes nearly three days after he was shot by police during the shooting and taken into custody. A police affidavit said he left a rifle and handgun in the store when he was apprehended.  

• An actor. A sports fan. An officer responding to the scene: These are the 10 victims of the Boulder, Colorado, shooting
• ‘It was just terror’:Survivors recount rampage in the aisles of the Boulder supermarket
• Boulder, Atlanta mass killings were among 7 so far this year. Here are the others you might have missed.
• For the COVID pandemic we wear masks. For the pandemic of gun violence, what do we do?

Ten people were killed, including a police officer, in a shooting at King Soopers in Boulder, Colorado.

USA TODAY

Biden to hold his first solo press conference as president

On the 65th day of his term in office, President Joe Biden will hold a press conference from the White House for the first time Thursday. While he has taken questions from reporters on other occasions, this will be an arena for members of the media to ask pressing questions on the situation at the southern border, the coronavirus pandemic, recent gun violence and more. The president also has the opportunity to strike a different tone with reporters than his predecessor, Donald Trump, who frequently sparred with the media and deemed them “the enemy of the people.” White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that Biden is “looking forward to the opportunity to engage with a free press.” 

• ‘Black and Latino unemployment gap remains too large’:Biden pledges to address pay, systemic racism
• Biden calls on Congress to move faston background checks, assault weapon ban after Boulder shooting
• Vice President Kamala Harris to leadWhite House efforts to stem migration at the border

President Biden urged Congress to pass gun safety measures while addressing a supermarket shooting in Boulder, Colorado.

USA TODAY

Millions in South brace for possible tornadoes, severe weather

Millions of people across the South are bracing for another severe weather outbreak Thursday, just a week after dozens of tornadoes tore across the region. Long-track tornadoes – twisters that carve up the ground for several miles – are possible, the National Weather Service said. Large hail, damaging wind gusts and localized flash flooding are also a concern. In all, about 50 million people live where severe storms are possible Thursday, including Birmingham, Alabama; Jackson, Mississippi; and Memphis and Nashville in Tennessee. 

• Tornado season forecast:La Niña may make 2021 season more destructive
• It’s tornado season:How to prepare

A USA TODAY motion graphic explaining how supercell storm clouds and the right weather conditions can lead to a tornado.

USA TODAY

Tech CEOs to speak at misinformation hearing on Capitol Hill

Facebook Chairman and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey will appear before two House subcommittees Thursday at a hearing titled, “Disinformation Nation: Social Media’s Role in Promoting Extremism and Misinformation.” The hearing comes on the heels of a dozen state attorneys general, in a letter sent Wednesday, calling on Facebook and Twitter to take more aggressive action against conspiracy theories, hoaxes and lies that are undermining public confidence in the COVID-19 vaccines. The letter cited research from the Center for Countering Digital Hate and Anti-Vax Watch showing that a small number of anti-vaccine accounts are responsible for falsehoods about the safety of the vaccines that have reached more than 59 million on Facebook, Instagram, Google’s YouTube and Twitter.

• Rumors and misleading reports: Vaccine conspiracy theories, hoaxes in Spanish targeting Hispanic community breed fear, hesitancy
• ‘We are going to have to save ourselves’:Black community fights deadly COVID vaccine conspiracy theories
• ‘We are talking about people’s lives’: Dire warnings of public health crisis as COVID-19 vaccine misinformation rages

Public health experts discuss the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on Black communities.

USA TODAY

NBA title contenders look to make a splash before trade deadline

In an NBA season with more unpredictable results than normal further impacted by numerous high-profile injuries, a series of teams are reportedly in the mix to make moves prior to the league’s trade deadline Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.  Championship contenders like the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers are rumored to be interested trading for the likes of Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, New Orleans Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball and Cleveland Cavaliers center Andre Drummond.  Other big-name trade targets that could land on playoff teams: Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon, Houston Rockets guard Victor Oladipo, New Orleans Pelicans guard JJ Redick and Atlanta Hawks forward John Collins. 

• Experts’ take: Big names up for grabs at NBA trade deadline? Here are a few that could be on the move
• NBA trade deadline roundtable:Teams that are ready to make a move and, possibly, go on a run
• Breakout Suns emerge as NBA championship contender:‘They’re a damn good team’

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