Highland Park parade shooter sentenced to life in prison without parole
Robert Crimo III will spend the rest of his life behind bars after being convicted of shooting parade-goers at the 2022 Independence Paraded in Highland Park, Illinois, according to NBC News. Lake County Judge Victoria Rossetti sentenced him to seven natural life sentences after listening to 19 victims and family members of victims who were murdered during the mass shooting.
He recieved another 50 years for injuring the bystanders.
“A mass shooting is like a bomb blast throughout a community,” said Highland Park resident Erica Weeder, who was injured in the attack alongside her husband. “Because of this mass shooting, this act of terror, I, my children, and our entire community now know that no one is ever really safe.”
NFL draft start tonight
The 2025 NFL Draft is set to take place at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Tennessee Titans are expected to make Miami Quarterback Cam Ward the first pick, according to NBC News.
The first round is set the start at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 24; rounds two and three are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Friday, April 25th. Rounds four through seven will take place starting at 11 a.m. Saturday.
The draft is televised live on ABC, ESPN and the NFL Network. It can also be streamed on ESPN+, NFL+, Hulu+ and YouTube TV.
Russian missiles and drones attack Kyiv

Russia launched its deadliest strike on Kyiv in nine months, firing 70 missiles and 145 drones that killed at least 12 people and injured 90, according to NBC News. It was the costliest attack on the city since July 2024, when 33 people were killed.
President Donald Trump condemned the strikes on Truth Social, urging Vladimir Putin to “STOP” and pushing for a peace deal. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, speaking from South Africa, said the strikes were aimed at influencing U.S. policy and once again confirmed Ukraine’s willingness to negotiate only after a total ceasefire.
The pope’s funeral is set for Saturday

Catholic cardinals presided over the transfer of the body of Pope Francis to St. Peter’s Basilica, where he will lie in state as people pay their final respects to the Argentine pontiff, according to AP News. The three days of public viewing is meant to allow dignitaries and ordinary Catholics to grieve the 88-year-old pope, who died Monday following a stroke.
Thousands of faithful have lined up in St. Peter’s Square since early Wednesday, hoping to get into the basilica where Francis’ open coffin has been set before the main altar. The basilica was originally to stay open until midnight Wednesday and Thursday, with the official mourning ending on Friday at 7 p.m. before Saturday’s funeral.
Trump administration wants to move forward with blocking transgender people from military service

The Trump administration is asking the Supreme Court to allow the Defense Department to exclude transgender people from the military while the policy change is being challenged by transgender service members, according to USA Today. The Justice Department on April 24 said a lower court improperly second-guessed the Pentagon’s decisions about the risks of allowing transgender people to serve rather than giving the military the “substantial deference” the Defense Department’s decisions deserve.
The executive order Trump signed soon after taking office said the “adoption of a gender identity inconsistent with an individual’s sex conflicts with a soldier’s commitment to an honorable, truthful, and disciplined lifestyle.” Enforcing the order, the Pentagon barred transgender people from serving in the military, ended funding for some hormone therapy and sex-change surgery and intended to discharge transgender soldiers.
The defense department has said waivers can be granted to a service member who, “has never attempted to transition to any sex other than their sex” and meets “standards related to” their sex at birth. The Supreme Court asked the service members who were objecting to the ban to respond to the government’s request by May 1.