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• Headlines: Friday, April 19, 4:30 PM

• A lemur on the loose in a Texas city for more than two weeks was finally caught, animal control officials announced. Aransas Pass Animal Control said in a Facebook post that the lemur was caught in a live trap by local man Spencer Bell. Bell had been attempting to catch the lemur since spotting the Madagascar-native animal on his docked boat April 1. The lemur, named Julian, was taken to animal control, where officials said his owner has 10 days to claim him or he will be taken to the Ringtail Ranch Lemur Rescue in Lubbock.
• Tesla has recalled almost 4,000 of its Cybertrucks due to a faulty accelerator pedal. According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notice issued Wednesday, the recall affects 3,878 Cybertruck vehicles manufactured between Nov. 13 and April 4, essentially every Cybertruck delivered to customers since its launch event last year. On the affected vehicles, the pad covering the accelerator pedal can become dislodged due to application of "high force" and cause the pedal to become stuck in the trim of the vehicle, according to the report. The fault was caused by an "unapproved" use of lubricant soap to aid in the assembly of the accelerator pedal and pad, which reduces the retention of the pad and can cause it to slide off, according to the report. Cybertruck owner Joes Martinez earlier this week posted a TikTok video illustrating to the pedal problem. The video has been shared more than 42,000 times and viewed more than 6 million times on X. According to the NHTSA report, Tesla was first notified of the issue on on March 31, followed by a second report on April 3. The company completed an internal assessment to find the cause on April 12 and then issued a voluntary recall. Tesla has reported no known "collisions, injuries, or deaths" due to the defect. Wednesday's recall is the latest in a string of bad press for Tesla. The futuristic-looking Cybertruck in particular has gained infamy over its reported safety and quality issues, including doors with sharp edges and rust easily forming on the stainless steel body. Tesla in February recalled over 2 million vehicles after reports that warning lights on the dashboards of certain models appeared too small to comply with safety standards. The defect was present in multiple Tesla models, including the Cybertruck. Prior to that, Tesla spent last holiday season issuing numerous recalls. The company in December recalled more than 2 million Tesla models over a crash risk related to its Autosteer controls. Weeks later, Tesla recalled 1.6 million Model S vehicles in China for a similar issue. Later in January, 200,000 vehicles were recalled over a rearview camera glitch. In those instances, Tesla has been able to remedy the issue with an over-the-air software update. But the Cybertruck's sticky accelerator problem uniquely demonstrates an issue with the manufacturing. The NHTSA said Tesla already has begun addressing the issue on vehicles in production and at delivery centers.
• A forgotten Powerball ticket that spent a month in a Michigan woman's purse turned out to be a $150,000 winner. The Michigan Lottery said Jennifer Horton, 41, of Mount Pleasant, bought a ticket for the Jan. 20 Powerball drawing at the Marathon gas station on East Pickard Street in Mount Pleasant. "I buy Powerball tickets every once in a while," Horton said. "I don't usually play the Power Play, but when I was purchasing my ticket, the worker suggested adding it, so I did." Horton said she forgot to check the ticket after the drawing. "I forgot all about the ticket and found it in my purse about a month later. I scanned it at the store and got a message to visit the lottery office," she recalled. Horton said it was a shock to learn she had matched four white balls and the Powerball, earning her a $150,000 prize. "When I realized it was a winning ticket of $150,000, I didn't believe it at first. I thought there was no way I spent $4 and won $150,000. It was a crazy feeling to be holding a ticket worth so much money," she said. Horton said her winnings will go toward paying bills and taking a family vacation.
• A Nigerian chess master is more than 50 hours into his attempt to play chess for 60 consecutive hours and break a Guinness World Record in the process. Tunde Onakoya started playing chess at a table in New York's Times Square on Wednesday, and he crossed the 50-hour mark in the early afternoon Friday. The current Guinness World Record for longest continuous chess marathon is 56 hours and 9 minutes, but Onakoya is aiming to play for a full 60 hours. Onakoya is the co-founder of nonprofit groups Chess in Slums Africa and The Gift of Chess. "We have a vision to give the gift of chess to a million children across Africa," Onakoya told Fox 5 New York. "Just setting up a chess center is a very practical way to involve them, and it's given them a beginning of an education, where they can learn to become thinkers," Onakoya said. "And that is the best way we can empower anyone -- by showing them their own potential." The record attempt is being streamed live on Twitch.
• The Federal Aviation Administration on Friday announced new rest rules for air traffic controllers aimed at reducing fatigue and ending mistakes that cause near-misses on the runway. FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker in a statement said air traffic controllers will be required to take 10 hours off in between shifts and 12 hours off before a midnight shift, effective in 90 days. "In my first few months at the helm of the FAA, I toured air traffic control facilities around the country -- and heard concerns about schedules that do not always allow controllers to get enough rest," Whitaker said. "With the safety of our controllers and national airspace always top of mind for FAA, I took this very seriously -- and we're taking action." The new rule follows recommendations from a report the FAA commissioned in December, in which a panel of scientific experts determined the fatigue air traffic controllers experience from lack of rest impairs their alertness and threatens air traffic safety. The new rest policy also comes amid heightened scrutiny of close calls on the runway. Last year, two commercial planes almost crashed into each other during takeoff at John F. Kennedy International Airport. A Delta Airlines plane came within 1,000 feet of an American Airlines plane that taxied in front of it without permission to cross the runway. The Delta flight returned the gate and was unable to complete its scheduled flight due to a staffing issue. Addressing the decades-long shortage of air traffic controllers also is a top priority, Whitaker said. The FAA last year reached a hiring goal of 1,500 controllers and said it's on track to hire 1,800 more by the end of 2024. The FAA in February announced a new college program to recruit new air traffic controllers amid fatigue and high turnover rates. The Enhanced Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative allows select post-secondary institutions "to provide the same thorough curriculum offered at the FAA Air Traffic Controller Academy," according to the FAA. Whitaker, who was nominated by President Joe Biden to lead the FAA, has said the "safety of the flying public" is his highest priority and that the FAA has a "a new goal to end serious close calls."
• Trump Media on Friday disclosed that it has warned the Nasdaq stock exchange of illegal "naked" short selling of Trump Media & Technology Group shares. Short selling is a mechanism to make money by betting that a stock's price will fall. The short selling "potential market manipulation" of the Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. presents unlawful trading risks to small retail investor buyers of the stock, as well as the company itself. DJT offered shareholder instructions on how to avoid loaning out DJT shares to short sellers. The Thursday letter to Nasdaq CEO Adena T. Friedman from Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes said, "Data made available to us indicate that just four market participants have been responsible for over 60% of the extraordinary volume of DJT shares traded: Citadel Securities, VIRTU Americas, G1 Execution Services, and Jane Street Capital." The letter added, "As you know, 'naked' short selling -- selling shares of a stock without first borrowing the shares of stock deemed difficult to locate -- is generally illegal pursuant to Securities and Exchange Commission." Donald Trump owns nearly 60% of Trump Media shares, which have swung wildly in price, losing billions of dollars since DJT started trading in March. A Citadel Securities spokesperson told CNBC, "Devin Nunes is the proverbial loser who tries to blame 'naked short selling' for his falling stock price." Virtu Financial, G1 Execution Services and Jane Street Capital had no immediate comment on Nune's warning. Nunes asked Nasdaq to advise the steps it can take to foster transparency and compliance by ensuring brokers adhere to SEC regulations. Nunes said it's necessary to prevent "the lending of shares that do not exist." Nasdaq said it "is committed to the principles of liquidity, transparency, and integrity in all our markets. We have long been an advocate of transparency in short selling and have been an active supporter of the SEC's rules and enforcement efforts designed to monitor and prohibit naked short selling." Nunes said in the letter that the DJT stock is the most expensive U.S. stock to short, giving a big incentive to naked short sellers looking to illegally manipulate the stock price. Trump Media stock fell another 14% Tuesday as it announced it would get into streaming. Since going public, DJT's valuation has dropped by $5 billion. Some experts have warned against investing in Trump's media company due to filings that showed it had just $4 million in sales and net losses of nearly $60 million for the full year ending Dec. 31.
• The Carolina Hurricanes will host the New York Islanders on Saturday evening, dropping the puck on the 2024 Stanley Cup playoff slate. NHL postseason games will be held through mid-June to determine a champion. Game 1 of the Hurricanes-Islanders first-round series is scheduled for 5 p.m. EDT at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. "We know what they are going to bring," Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson told reporters Thursday. "They are familiar with us, but I think it's a great test [against] a top team in the league with a lot of weapons, and they play a hard style. "We are all excited for the challenge and we are looking forward to it. It's the best time of the year to play hockey." Forward Auston Matthews, the NHL's leading scorer (69 goals), and the Toronto Maple Leafs will play the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of another Eastern Conference series at 8 p.m. Saturday in Boston. "This is where we want to have our success," Matthews said Wednesday. "This is where we want to make sure we are elevating our game. For myself, individually, I want to take another step." Both Saturday matchups will air on TBS and truTV. NHL playoff games will also air on ESPN, ESPN2 and TNT. The Stanley Cup Final series will start in early June. Each playoff series will be in a best-of-seven game format. The winner of the Islanders-Hurricanes series will face the New York Rangers or Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 1 of the Rangers-Capitals first-round series will be at 3 p.m. Sunday in New York and air on ESPN. The winner of the Bruins-Maple Leafs series will face the Florida Panthers or Tampa Bay Lightning in the other Eastern Conference semifinals series. Game 1 of the Panthers-Lightning series will be at 12:30 p.m. Sunday in Sunrise, Fla., and air on ESPN. Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov, who led the NHL with 144 points, will provide a major test for a Panthers defense that allowed the fewest goals (200) in the Eastern Conference. Panthers goalie Anthony Stolarz, who led the NHL with a stingy 2.03 goals-against average and .925 save percentage, will face an offense that scored the second-most goals in the Eastern Conference (291). "It's what I consider the most exciting round in playoffs in any sport, is that first round," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said Wednesday. "It's emotional chaos and so much fun to watch. It's so much fun to be a part of. "I'm pretty lucky to have a standing room seat right on the ice for this." The Winnipeg Jets, who allowed the fewest goals (199) in the NHL, will meet the Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon and the top-scoring Colorado Avalanche (304 goals) in Game 1 of a first-round Western Conference series at 7 p.m. Sunday in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. That game will air on ESPN2. The winner of that series will meet the Dallas Stars or Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference semifinals. Game 1 of the Golden Knights-Stars series will be at 9:30 p.m. Monday in Dallas and air on ESPN. The Vancouver Canucks will host the Nashville Predators in another Game 1 at 10 p.m. Sunday in Vancouver. That game will air on ESPN. The winner of the Canucks-Predators series will face the Los Angeles Kings or Edmonton Oilers on the other Western Conference semifinals series. The Kings-Oilers first-round series will start at 10 p.m. Monday in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, and air on ESPN2. First-round games could extend through May 5. Most oddsmakers list the Hurricanes as favorites to win the Stanley Cup. The 2023 runner-up Panthers, Stars, Rangers, Avalanche and Oilers are among the other expected contenders. The reigning-champion Golden Knights are inside the Top 10 favorites of the 16 teams in the field. The Rangers (55-23-4) led the NHL in wins and points (114) this season. The Stars (52-21-9) logged the second-most points (113), followed by the Hurricanes (111), Panthers (110) and Jets (110). The Panthers logged an NHL-best goal differential of plus-68. Stanley Cup playoffs openers All times EDT Saturday Game 1: Islanders at Hurricanes at 5 p.m. on TBS and truTV Game 1: Maple Leafs at Bruins at 8 p.m. on TBS and truTV Sunday Game 1: Lightning at Panthers at 12:30 p.m. on ESPN Game 1: Capitals at Rangers at 3 p.m. on ESPN Game 1: Avalanche at Jets at 7 p.m. on ESPN2 Game 1: Predators at Canucks at 10 p.m. on ESPN Monday Game 1: Golden Knights at Stars at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN Game 1: Kings at Oilers at 10 p.m. on ESPN2
• The Israeli military on Friday said that 276 trucks carrying aid entered the Gaza Strip on Thursday. The trucks were a mixture of public and private aid, with 87 of them containing food, Israel's Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, said in a statement. Four tankers with gas for cooking were also among the convoy cleared by Israel to enter the Gaza Strip, as well as nine trucks carrying medical aid bound for the Emirati Hospital. COGAT and the Israel Defense Forces added that cargo from hundreds more trucks remains on the Gaza side of Israel's Kerem Shalom checkpoint. "The contents of more than 700 humanitarian aid trucks remain on the Gazan side of the Kerem Shalom crossing after undergoing thorough security inspections and are waiting to be collected and distributed by U.N. agencies to the civilians of Gaza," the IDF said on X. COGAT added that IDF will pause military operations for four hours Friday in the Tel Al-Saltan neighborhood in the southern Gaza city of Rafah to facilitate distribution of the aid. The announcements came after eight trucks loaded with flour drove into Gaza Thursday through the Kerem Shalom crossing, marking the first U.N. World Food Program trucks since the opening of Israel's Ashdod port to international humanitarian aid. Airdrops of humanitarian aid continue to flow into Gaza, with 144 pallets distributed Thursday. The United Nations in March reported that Northern Gaza may already be experiencing a famine while the remainder of the territory is headed in that direction Between 677,000 and 1.1 million people are experiencing catastrophic food insecurity, the United Nations said. Samantha Power, administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, said last week that the U.N. assessment was credible and said "yes" when asked by Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, if that meant "famine is already occurring" in Gaza.
• The U.S. Treasury Department on Friday announced new sanctions against two entities for their roles in raising funds on behalf of a pair of "violent extremists" accused of carrying out violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The sanctions designate the Mount Hebron Fund and Shlom Asiraich for raising funds for Yinon Levi and David Chai Casdai, who had both been previously sanctioned by the United States over violence in the West Bank. "Mount Hebron Fund and Shlom Asiraich generated tens of thousands of dollars for extremists responsible for destroying property, assaulting civilians, and violence against Palestinians," Deputy Secretary of the Treasury Wally Adeyemo said in the statement issued Friday. "Such acts by these organizations undermine the peace, security, and stability of the West Bank. We will continue to use our tools to hold those responsible accountable." The Treasury said the Mount Hebron fund generated $140,000 through a donation campaign on behalf of Levi after he was sanctioned by the United States for leading groups that assaulted Palestinian and Bedouin who burned fields and destroyed property belonging to Palestinian and Bedouin civilians in the West Bank. The fundraising campaign was ultimately removed while a local financial institution seized the funds, the Treasury said. Shlom Asiraich also raised $31,000 for Chasdai who was sanctioned for leading a riot which included setting vehicles and buildings on fire and assaulting Palestinian civilians, according to U.S. officials. The fundraiser explicitly stated it was raising funds for Chasdai as a result of the sanctions and was ultimately removed from the crowdfunding website that hosted it. The U.S. State Department also announced concurrent sanctions against Ben-Zion Gopstein, "the founder and leader of an organization whose members have engaged in violence, including assaults on Palestinian civilians." Last month, the United States sanctioned three extremists including Zvi Bar Yosef, Moshe Sharvit and Neriya Ben Pazi, as part of escalating scrutiny over Israel's ability to crack down on violence in the West Bank.
• South Korean girl group Apink is celebrating the 13th anniversary of its debut. The K-pop stars marked the occasion Friday by releasing a single and music video for the song "Wait Me There." The "Wait Me There" video shows the members of Apink record together in a studio and write out special messages for their fans, known as Pink Panda. The group also thanked fans in a post on social media. Apink made its debut in April 2011 with the EP Seven Springs of Apink. The group has since released nine other EPs and four full-length Korean albums. Apink released its most recent EP, Self, in April 2023. The group consists today of Park Cho-rong, Yoon Bo-Mi, Jung Eun-ji, Kim Nam-joo and Oh Ha-young.