OAKLAND, CA – MARCH 26: Independent US presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. tapped California attorney Nicole Shanahan (left) as his running mate for vice president during an event in Oakland, California, United States on March 26, 2024. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
‘Nation needs an outsider’: Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended his running mate pick Wednesday, saying 38-year-old Silicon Valley attorney and entrepreneur Nicole Shanahan “probably has a higher IQ than almost anybody I’ve seen in public life today.” Kennedy joined NewsNation’s “CUOMO” on Wednesday for his first interview since announcing Shanahan as his vice presidential pick. Critics have questioned whether Shanahan checks enough boxes to help lead the country, but Kennedy doubled down, saying the nation needs an outsider: “Insiders gave us the chronic disease epidemic” and a “$34 trillion debt.” Shanahan has never held elected office and has a history of donating to Democratic candidates. Watch full interview >
Why Shanahan?: Kennedy said he chose Shanahan in part because of her age, pointing to aging politicians in Washington, D.C. He also highlighted her expertise in AI and chronic disease, criticizing other administrations’ handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. Shanahan’s causes include criminal justice reform, mental health, autism research, research into infertility and aging, regenerative agriculture and carbon sequestration. While she has denied being anti-vaccine, Shanahan has questioned whether there should be additional screening for vaccine injuries. Learn more about Shanahan >
‘We are with you, now and always’: Divers recovered the bodies of two of the six workers who plunged into the water when the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed. The other four have been presumed dead, and officials said search efforts had been exhausted. Full report >
Victims identified: Authorities identified the two men as Alejandro Hernandez Fuentes, 35, who was from Mexico and living in Baltimore, and Dorlian Ronial Castillo Cabrera, 26, who was from Guatemala and living in Dundalk, Maryland. Miguel Luna and 38-year-old Maynor Yassir Suazo Sandoval were identified by their families on social media and are among those presumed dead. The identities of the two other men who remain missing have not yet been released, but they have also been presumed dead. The bodies of these four men have yet to be recovered. Read more >
Investigation findings: Investigators began collecting evidence Wednesday from the vessel that struck the bridge. They discovered that the cargo ship underwent “routine engine maintenance” in port before it set off on its journey, the U.S. Coast Guard said. Learn more >
What’s next?: All search efforts have been exhausted, and based on sonar scans, authorities “firmly” believe the other vehicles with victims inside are encased in superstructures and concrete from the collapsed bridge. Divers are to return to search for remains once the waters are clear of debris. Ongoing efforts >
Claim: Natania Reuben has spent the past 25 years trying to get justice for a night she says changed her life forever. Reuben says Sean “Diddy” Combs shot her in the face during the infamous Club New York shooting in 1999.
“I didn’t have any reason to believe that someone wouldn’t believe me. But as things unfolded, it was a very short period of time where I realized that’s what was happening,” Reuben said during an appearance on “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.” Combs, his former girlfriend Jennifer Lopez and rapper Jamal “Shyne” Barrow were arrested following the club shooting in Manhattan in December 1999. Watch full interview >
What’s going on: Earlier this week, federal agents raided two properties belonging to Combs. The properties in Los Angeles and Miami were searched by Homeland Security agents as part of an ongoing sex trafficking investigation. Multiple videos from NewsNation affiliate KTLA show authorities moving into the Los Angeles home and placing multiple people in handcuffs, but it’s unclear where Combs was during the raids. Reuben says that learning about the raids has been “very cathartic.” “I finally felt like justice will be done, justice will be mine. And belong to all of his victims.” Read more >
What’s happening: Church-run border shelters are preparing for the arrival of additional large groups of migrants from southern Mexico. Several hundred foreign nationals have already set up camp behind a convenience store in Chihuahua City some 230 miles south of El Paso, Texas. Church leaders are expecting at least some of the 2,000 migrants who set off from Chiapas, Mexico, earlier this week to arrive in the El Paso-Juarez area in the coming days. The latest >
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING 👀
We’re keeping an eye on these topics today. Make sure you tune in to our latest coverage and share your thoughts with us on social media!
President Joe Biden will host a fundraiser with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton in New York. Former President Donald Trump will attend the funeral of a fallen New York Police Department officer.
The founder and former CEO of crypto exchange FTX will face sentencing on charges of conspiracy to commit fraud and money laundering.
Rhode Island police have arrested a hospital employee accused of placing a hidden camera in a staff bathroom. Latest on the investigation >
An 8-year-old girl was found dead in a lazy river pipe at a Texas hotel. An investigation into her death remains ongoing. Full report >
A stabbing suspect is in custody after a series of attacks in Illinois killed four people and injured seven others. Latest on the investigation >
An Oklahoma restaurant received mysterious calls from a couple of kids requesting a specific salty snack. After the calls went viral, the owner was finally able to grant the kids the French fry party of their dreams. Join the French fry party >
Several women have taken to TikTok to detail the terrifying experience of being sucker-punched in the head by an unknown man in New York City. One victim claims she recognized the attacker. Watch her full “Banfield” interview >
Riveted by missing person stories? Prone to internet sleuthing? Lover of true crime documentaries? Our new Missing Newsletter is for you. NewsNationtakes you behind the headlines, investigating missing person cases from across the country. Get the latest developments, cold cases, and more delivered weekly. Subscribe Now >
“If you can’t change it, might as well embrace it.” Being diagnosed with Stargardt disease in her freshman year of high school, a Kansas woman didn’t let her vision quality dictate how she would live. Bringing coffee, a positive attitude and inspiration throughout Topeka, Heather Martens exemplifies what it means to be a remarkable woman. Read Martens’ full story >
Find a good news story each day in NewsNation’s Your Morning newsletter!Subscribe >
This NewsNation email is written by Devan Markham and NewsNation staff.
