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Kevin Durant reportedly expected to miss Lakers-Rockets Game 4

Houston Rockets All-Star Kevin Durant is expected to miss Sunday’s Game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers with a bone bruise in his sprained left ankle,ESPN’s Shams Charania reports.

Yahoo Sports

If confirmed, Durant will miss his third game of the series. He missed Game 1 with a knee injury, then missed Game 3 with his sprained ankle.

Per the report, the bone bruise is an injury that would typically sideline a player 2-3 weeks during the regular season, putting Durant’s availability in question moving forward if the Rockets manage to extend the series Sunday night. The Lakers have a 3-0 series lead and can close it out with a win in Game 4.

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The Rockets have struggled with and without Durant on the floor during this series and are now faced with becoming the first NBA team to ever rally from a 3-0 deficit to win a series or face elimination in the first round. Playing without Durant in Game 4, obviously, makes their task that much tougher.

Durant scored 20 points in the first half of Game 2. But the Lakers limited him to three points after halftime en route to a 101-94 win. The Rockets then blew a six-point lead in the final 30 seconds of Game 3 before going on to lose in overtime Friday night.

The Lakers have built their 3-0 lead despite playing without their top two scorers, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. LeBron James has led the Lakers’ effort while Los Angeles’ role players have stepped up in Reaves’ and Dončić’s absence.

Kevin Durant reportedly expected to miss Lakers-Rockets Game 4

Houston Rockets All-Star Kevin Durant is expected to miss Sunday’s Game 4 against the Los Angeles Lakers with a bone bruise in his spra...
Deadly Severe Weather Outbreak Continues For Plains, Midwest; Strong Tornadoes And Large Hail Likely

A dangerous weather weekend and start to the upcoming week continues across the Plains and Midwest that has already claimed two lives. Significant threats of tornadoes, hail and damaging winds extend through Tuesday.

The Weather Channel

Here is our latest forecast for each day of this latest siege of severe weather.

(MORE:Severe Weather Safety Tips)

Happening Now

Very large hail, a few tornadoes, damaging winds and some flooding are possible across the Plains. There was a damage report in Edgerton, Kansas, stating that a barn had been destroyed. There was also a report of trees and powerlines down in Adrian, Missouri.

Any active tornado watches are red polygons, while any severe thunderstorm watches will be yellow polygons. Below is the latest radar.

Asevere thunderstorm watch:valid until 7 P.M. CDT for parts of eastern Kansas and western Missouri. Kansas City is the main population in the watch.

Atornado watch: valid until 11 P.M. CDT for parts of southeastern Kansas and western and southern Missouri. Springfield, Missouri is the main population in the watch.

Atornado watch: valid until 11 P.M CDT for parts of southern Oklahoma and western North Texas.

Atornado watch: valid until midnight CDT for parts of northeastern Oklahoma and northwestern Arkansas. Tulsa, Oklahoma is the main population in the watch.

Sunday

The threat of supercell thunderstorms is in play in the Central and Southern Plains, especially in parts of Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri.

With enough warm, humid air and strong wind shear in place, these supercells could spawn strong tornadoes, in addition to very large hail and damaging wind gusts. Cities like Kansas City and Oklahoma City need to be on alert.

A lower severe storm threat could impact cities like Dallas, San Antonio and Austin with large hail and damaging winds.

Monday

On Monday, this higher severe threat could spread to the Mississippi Valley and lower Ohio Valley. Another day of supercells could spawn strong tornadoes for parts of Iowa, Missouri and Illinois. A few long-track, particularly dangerous, tornadoes are possible.

Places like St. Louis, Kansas City, Little Rock, Nashville, Indianapolis, Chicago and Des Moines should all be on alert.

Tuesday

While it is still far out, the lingering frontal boundary can bring some severe storms across some of the Gulf Coast states into Tuesday. The greatest threat stretches from northeastern Texas to Kentucky. Cities like Memphis, Little Rock, Shreveport and Huntsville need to be watching the weather carefully.

Flood Threat

This stormy pattern will bring more periods of rain to parts of the western Great Lakes either still experiencing flooding or where ground is already saturated fromthe deluges both last week and earlier this spring.

While we don't anticipate the magnitude of rainfall we saw last week, over an inch of additional rain is a good bet in much of the Midwest through Monday. That could lead to at least isolated additional flash flooding and could slow the fall ofrivers still in flood.

Locally flooding rain is also possible through Monday from parts of Missouri and Kansas into Arkansas and the mid-South region, even though some of these areas are in extreme drought.

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Beware of flooded roads, especially at night when you may not recognize them as fast. Never attempt to drive through a flooded road. Turn around, instead.

(MORE:Flash Flood Safety Tips)

Recap

Thursday brought over 20 tornado reports from Oklahoma to Iowa, as well as over 160 damaging wind and hail reports combined.

On Thursday evening, a rare tornado emergency was issued for the storm that tore throughEnid, Oklahomaand the nearby Vance Air Force Base, warning of catastrophic damage and threat to life. The resulting tornado was rated EF4 with winds of 170-175 mph. It was the first EF4 in Garfield County, Oklahoma, since April 26, 1991. There were 10 injuries from this tornado.

There were five other tornadoes reported from the National Weather Service in Norman, Oklahoma.

The NWS office in Norman noted it was only the ninth time the office has issued a tornado emergency.

(MORE:Different Types Of Tornado Warnings)

There was also a gust of 107 mph at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma. The most impressive hail report was a report of 4 inches in diameter, or softball-sized hail, in Marion, Kansas.

As forecasted, Friday was less impactful. There was only one tornado report in Kiowa, Oklahoma. There was more than 75 damaging wind and large hail reports combined. Below is the storm reports of the latest event.

Saturday brought more intense storms, and roughly a dozen tornado reports, mainly across Texas and Oklahoma. In Alpine, Arkansas, there was a hail stone recovered that was between 4-5 inches in diameter. Other reports of hail the size of tennis balls and hen eggs were reported across Kansas and Texas.

As storms continued through Texas early Sunday morning, two people were killed. One person in Wise County and another person in Parker County.

Last Week's Siege

The early-week breather was certainly welcomed after abusy stretch last week. Notice a lot of similarities to the reports from the April 13 - 17 map below to the map above with the latest storm reports.

Last Friday alone, there were 96 tornado reports among the over 500 severe weather reports.

(MORE:How April's Severe Weather Has Been Weird)

severe weather reports mid april 2026

In all, there were over 1,300 reports of severe weather in the U.S. from last Monday through last Friday, including 154 reports of tornadoes, 532 reports of hail and 642 reports of thunderstorm wind damage or high wind gusts.

As you can see, some of the same areas that are under the risk of severe weather ahead are areas that have already been hit hard by severe weather last week.

Make sure you havemultiple ways to receive alerts, should severe weather strike.

Jennifer Grayis a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world's biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.

Deadly Severe Weather Outbreak Continues For Plains, Midwest; Strong Tornadoes And Large Hail Likely

A dangerous weather weekend and start to the upcoming week continues across the Plains and Midwest that has already claimed two lives. ...
Trump portrays shooting as proof of his presidency's power

By Jacob Bogage and Nandita Bose

Reuters

WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's tuxedo still looked freshly pressed when he stepped to the White House podium Saturday night, barely an hour after the latest apparent attempt on his life.

"When you're impactful, they go after you," the U.S. president told some of the highest-powered journalists in Washington.

Many of them were still dressed in their own formal wear ‌from a celebrated annual event, the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, which ended abruptly after a man sprinted past security outside the ballroom, armed with multiple weapons.

"When you're not impactful," Trump added, "they leave you ‌alone."

Trump's remarks in the aftermath of an incident that caused many of the 2,600 people in attendance to dive to the floor as the Secret Service hustled away the president and other dignitaries underscored his instinct to spin narratives with himself as the undaunted hero -- a ​juggernaut, a survivor -- while rarely missing a chance to plug his priorities.

On this occasion, that included a controversial new White House ballroom that, he insisted, would be safer than the Washington Hilton, where then-President Ronald Reagan was shot during an assassination attempt in 1981.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche posted on social media Sunday that the Justice Department would ask a judge to dismiss a pending case that has stalled the ballroom's construction. Tim Sheehy, a Republican senator from Montana, and Randy Fine, a Republican U.S. Representative from Florida, both wrote that they planned to introduce legislation in the coming days to grant Trump permission to build the facility -- echoing Trump's own political messaging.

"We need the ballroom. That's why Secret Service, that's why ‌the military are demanding it," Trump said Saturday night, without offering evidence that ⁠presidential security officials have issued such demands.

'DANGER INTO POLITICAL ASSET'

Trump, who is mired in the lowest approval ratings of his term after the start of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran that is broadly unpopular with Americans, has experience at the opportunities presented by such moments.

A gunman armed with a high-powered rifle injured Trump, leaving his ear bloodied, at a campaign ⁠rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. His trademark defiance -- with calls of "Fight! Fight! Fight!" as agents led him away while he raised his fist in triumph -- supplied iconic images that helped power his campaign to return to the White House for a second term.

A second attempt to attack Trump came in September 2024, when a man armed with a rifle perched outside a Trump golf course in Florida before drawing fire from officers, who arrested the gunman.

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"No one can turn danger into a political ​asset ​better than this president,” a White House official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss Trump's state of mind, told Reuters.

At ​the dinner Saturday, Trump had been preparing to sharply criticize journalists during his speech, ‌he said afterward. The president, who often derides the press as "fake news" and "the enemy of the people," was ready to confront them in person, while attending a dinner - called the "nerd prom" in Washington - for the first time as president.

"I was all set to really rip it," he told reporters in the White House briefing.

That plan was interrupted by a California man who authorities say traveled cross country by train, checked into the Hilton ahead of the dinner, then attempted to dash through security and toward the ballroom, armed with a shotgun, handgun and knives. Authorities exchanged fire with him before tackling him to the ground. He reportedly distributed a "manifesto" making clear his desire to attack Trump and other administration officials.

'I'VE DONE A LOT'

After the dinner abruptly dispersed, Trump's initial remarks at the White House were conciliatory.

"In light of this evening's events, I ask that all Americans recommit with their hearts and resolve our differences peacefully," ‌said the president. In the past he has defended and ultimately pardoned the rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on January ​6, 2021, seeking to overturn Trump's electoral loss to Joe Biden.

On Saturday night, Trump soon returned to talking about himself -- and numbering himself ​among the finest U.S. presidents. He compared himself to Abraham Lincoln. Trump told reporters that if he ​had not imposed significant new taxes on imports and had not invested as heavily in the military, he'd be less of a target.

"We've changed this country, and there are a lot ‌of people that are not happy about that," Trump said.

The White House, he said, ​needed his $400 million ballroom, for which he unilaterally ordered the ​destruction of the East Wing of the executive mansion. The facility, Trump has said, will feature a new security bunker, a "drone-proof" roof and bulletproof glass. With a planned space for 650 seated guests, it would not have enough capacity for an event as large as the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

Trump continued his arguments Sunday morning, saying on social media, "This event would never have happened with the Militarily Top Secret ​Ballroom currently under construction at the White House. ... Nothing should be allowed to interfere ‌with its construction."

Later, he said he hoped the attack would lead Democrats to drop demands for additional oversight of immigration enforcement and approve new funding for the Department of Homeland Security. He ​linked the assassination attempt to what he described as successful missions to decapitate the leadership of Venezuela and Iran.

Saturday's attack, he suggested, was proof of his administration's achievements.

(Reporting by Jacob Bogage and ​Nandita Bose. Additional reporting by Steve Holland, Bo Erickson and Trevor Hunnicutt. Editing by Craig Timberg and Deepa Babington)

Trump portrays shooting as proof of his presidency's power

By Jacob Bogage and Nandita Bose WASHINGTON, April 26 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's tuxedo still looked freshly pressed when he ...
Greggs moves food and drink behind anti-theft counters in shoplifting crackdown

Food and drink have been moved behind anti-theft counters at a string ofGreggs storesin a crackdown on shoplifting.

The Independent US

Self-service displays have been axed, and shelves have been emptied in a major refit at thebakery chainin West Croydon, south London.

Staff are now serving food and drink to customers from behindtheft-proof countersat the site to stop thieves from helping themselves to items from the shelves.

Outlets in Peckham, Whitechapel and Upton Park in the capital are said to be testing the same approach, along with sites in Birmingham and Wilford in Nottinghamshire.

Food and drink is now behind theft-proof counters in West Croydon (PA)

It comes after shoplifting soared to a 20-year high in the year to March 2025, with retailers warning thefts were spiralling out of control.

Updated figures from the Office for National Statistics, released last week, suggest rates could be stabilising following a 1 per cent decrease in shoplifting year on year, with 509,566 offences recorded in the year ending December 2025.

Greggs said the anti-theft measures are being trialled at several shops, which have struggled with anti-social behaviour.

In a statement toThe Sun, the company added: "This is one of a number of initiatives we are trialling across a very small number of shops which are exposed to higher levels of anti-social behaviour.

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"Customers can expect to see our full range of great value and tasty Greggs favourites available from behind the counter."

Last month, Adam Gosling, 39, was spared jail after admitting to stealing from a branch of the bakery chain in Greenford, west London, 38 times between 30 December 2025 and 10 February.

The value of the thefts ranged from £12.30 to £100 per visit and, on some days, he targeted the shop multiple times.

CCTV showed Gosling stealing from Greggs in Greenford, west London (Metropolitan Police)

Prosecutors told Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court that Gosling’s six-week theft spree amounted to £1,817.50.

Footage released by the Metropolitan Police showed Gosling brazenly taking drinks from a shop fridge. In one clip, wearing a hood over a cap, he fills a carrier bag with multiple Lucozade bottles while a staff member is at a nearby fridge.

Chair of the magistrates’ bench Judy Gregg sentenced Gosling, who the court heard was homeless, to four months in prison, suspended for one year.

In response to the latest ONS figures, crime and policing minister Sarah Jones admitted rates of shop theft remain "unacceptably high”.

“But these figures show that our swift, decisive action is turning the tide: shoplifting is down on last year,” she added.

“We’re scrapping the so-called £200 ‘licence to steal’. The number of shoplifters facing justice continues to soar under this government, with 17 per cent more charges in just a year.”

Greggs moves food and drink behind anti-theft counters in shoplifting crackdown

Food and drink have been moved behind anti-theft counters at a string ofGreggs storesin a crackdown on shoplifting. Self-service d...
Trump rants over claims his administration gave secret no-bid contract to his favorite building company at inflated price

The federal government quietly awarded a no-bid contract — with a massively inflated price tag — to one of President Donald Trump’sfavorite construction firms, according to a new report, which the president has strongly disputed.

The Independent US

The contract was to fix a pair of decades-old fountains inLafayette Park, located across from the White House, which have sat idle for more than 10 years due to deteriorating equipment.

In 2022, the Biden administration reportedly estimated the work would cost $3.3 million. But, in January, the Trump administration agreed to paymore than five times that figure— $17.4 million — to Clark Construction, a Maryland-based firm that is also building the massive White House ballroom, according toThe New York Times.

“They just took the cover page of my estimate and just added a bunch of money onto it,” Stephen Kirk, an independent consultant who calculated the cost of the refurbishment for theNational Park Servicein 2022, told the outlet. “I didn’t add those extra millions on there."

The significantly higher cost estimate was reportedly partly a result of inflation being accounted for twice.

President Donald Trump ranted over a New York Times report, which claimed his administration awarded a secret no-bid contract to a construction firm at an inflated price (AFP via Getty Images)

The National Park Service awarded the lucrative contract toClarkwithout soliciting competing bids, invoking a rarely used “urgency” exception typically reserved for natural disasters or wartime needs, the paper said. Contracting experts described this as unusual.

Unlike the president’s$400 million ballroom, which is funded by private donors, the fountain repairs are being paid with taxpayer dollars.

The Interior Department, which oversees the Park Service, defended its contracting process.

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“The way this contract was awarded is above board,” department spokesperson Katie Martin told theNYT. “The urgency is to ensure this project is done well ahead of America’s 250th anniversary.”

Clark Construction told the outlet: “Our track record reflects the quality of our work and our commitment to integrity. We bid on work we are qualified to deliver and we follow prescribed procurement processes.”

The Independenthas contacted the construction firm and the Park Service for comment.

On Friday, President Trump shared a video of the fountains working, writing that it was his 'Great Honor to have funded this project' (Truth Social)

On Friday, Trump posted a video on Truth Social showing the fountains in operation, with jets of water lit by colorful lights. “My Great Honor to have funded this project,” he wrote.

The following day, after theNYTstory was published, the 79-year-old billionaire fired off a 334-word broadside accusing the outlet of misrepresenting the facts.

“Once again, The Failing New York Times has attempted to grossly mischaracterize what should be hailed as the restoration of Beauty and Grandeur to our Nation’s Capital as something else completely,” he wrote.

He added: “We want to have it complete by July 4th. Once again, people will come to the front door of the White House by walking through a magnificent Park befitting these Hollowed Grounds, not a dead, dirty, rusting, and very dangerous place like it was before we got involved.”

He said he was not responsible for overseeing the contract, adding that Clark is “highly respected” and completed the work under budget and ahead of schedule. “The New York Times should congratulate us, instead of trying to make us look bad,” he concluded.

The president’s attack came just hours before he was set to appear at theannual White House Correspondents’ Association dinner, where scores of reporters will be in attendance.

Trump rants over claims his administration gave secret no-bid contract to his favorite building company at inflated price

The federal government quietly awarded a no-bid contract — with a massively inflated price tag — to one of President Donald Trump’sfavo...

 

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