'We got him'

Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY
·5 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

The man suspected of an attack on a New York subway has been arrested. And President Joe Biden offered $800M in aid in a phone call with Ukraine President VolodymyrZelenskyy.

👋 It's Laura. It's Wednesday. Here's all the news you need to know.

But first, it's raining grain! 🌾 Folks on the internet thought a bird pooped on Biden in Iowa during his speech. Even though where I come from, that would mean seven years of good luck, here's what really happened.

The Short List is a snappy USA TODAY news roundup. Subscribe to the newsletter here or text messages here.

Subway shooting suspect in custody

"My fellow New Yorkers, we got him," Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday after police arrested Frank R. James, 62, the man accused of opening fire on a Brooklyn subway train during morning rush hour Tuesday in an attack that left more than two dozen injured. James was arrested Wednesday in New York City after NYPD officers stopped him in Manhattan's East Village, Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said. After donning a face mask and throwing smoke grenades, the gunman fired 33 times with a Glock 17 9mm semi-handgun, which was also found in the subway, Chief of Detectives James Essig said. Police initially connected James to the shooting after a key to a U-Haul van he rented was found at the scene of the attack. At least 10 people were shot and at least 19 others were taken to hospitals for injuries ranging from smoke inhalation to shrapnel wounds.

NYPD officers patrol platforms and train cars at the 36th Street subway station where a shooting attack occurred the previous day during the morning commute, Wednesday, April 13, 2022, in New York. Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday that officials were now seeking 62-year-old Frank R. James as a suspect. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) ORG XMIT: NYJM109
NYPD officers patrol platforms and train cars at the 36th Street subway station where a shooting attack occurred the previous day during the morning commute, Wednesday, April 13, 2022, in New York. Mayor Eric Adams said Wednesday that officials were now seeking 62-year-old Frank R. James as a suspect. (AP Photo/John Minchillo) ORG XMIT: NYJM109

Flying soon? Don't ditch that face mask.

Travelers will need to mask up on planes, trains and buses through at least May 3. The federal transportation mask mandate, due to expire on Monday, will be extended by 15 days because of an increase in coronavirus cases in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The seven-day moving average for coronavirus cases in the U.S. was nearly 30,500 on Monday, up 21% from the week before. This is the fifth federal mask mandate extension since it was announced in January 2021 and comes despite repeated pleas from airlines and other travel industry officials to drop it and other restrictions, including a coronavirus test requirement for travelers flying into the United States.

The federal transportation mask mandate, due to expire on Monday, will be extended by 15 days because of an increase in coronavirus cases.
The federal transportation mask mandate, due to expire on Monday, will be extended by 15 days because of an increase in coronavirus cases.

What everyone's talking about

The Short List is free, but several stories we link to are subscriber-only. Consider supporting our journalism and become a USA TODAY digital subscriber today.

Biden offers $800M aid in call with Zelenskyy

Biden spoke by phone with Zelenskyy for almost an hour Wednesday, one day after Zelenskyy praised Biden for accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of "genocide." Biden said in a statement that he has authorized an additional $800 million in security assistance to Ukraine, including weapons and ammunition. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warned Wednesday that China and other nations declining to sanction Russia could face future economic fallout for failing to help end Russia's "heinous war" in Ukraine.

👉 More news: Russia reloads helicopters, artillery ahead of push into eastern Ukraine. Catch up on Wednesday's updates.

A man walks past a storage place for burned armed vehicles and cars on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday.
A man walks past a storage place for burned armed vehicles and cars on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on Monday.

Texas-Mexico border clogged with trucks

At the Zaragoza International Bridge connecting El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, hundreds of trucks lined up after what began as border crossing delays last weekend turned into protests this week at crossings that handle $440 billion in goods annually. Truckers usually wait two or three hours here, but after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced new state trooper inspections at ports of entry, truckers this week suddenly found themselves in 10-plus hour lines. Truckers began blocking traffic across the Zaragoza bridge on Monday, the only way they said they knew how to get attention to their ordeal. By Wednesday, the protests had spread, threatening supply chain delays and even produce carried in unrefrigerated trucks. Abbott and the governor of Nueva Leon state announced an agreement Wednesday ending the added inspections at one crossing in exchange for additional security steps on the Mexican side, and the Texas governor urged three other Mexican governors to reach similar deals.

A long line of trucks is seen stalled at the Zaragoza International Bridge, one of two ports of entry in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, going into the U.S. on Tuesday. The truckers blocked both north and southbound commercial lanes in protest after prolonged processing times implemented by Gov. Abbott which they say have increased from two-three hours up to 14 hours in the last few days.

Real quick

23 people injured in Texas tornado; more severe weather looms

Large swaths of the central U.S. were bracing for severe weather Wednesday after at least 23 people were injured Tuesday evening when a tornado hit central Texas. The lower Mississippi Valley, the Midwest and lower Ohio Valley all faced a threat of tornadoes and severe thunderstorms, accompanied by damaging winds and "very large hail" up to baseball size, according to the National Weather Service. Texas was still experiencing tens of thousands of power outages Wednesday afternoon after a confirmed tornado struck Salado, Texas, leaving 23 injured, including 12 who were hospitalized, Bell County Judge David Blackburn said at a news conference. And more severe weather was forecast for Thursday along the Eastern Seaboard, the Storm Prediction Center said. The greatest risk area will be the Northeast.

⛈ What's the weather doing in your neck of the woods? Check your local forecast here.

Michelle Light salvages belongings from her home in Salado, Texas, on Wednesday, a day after a tornado destroyed the house.
Michelle Light salvages belongings from her home in Salado, Texas, on Wednesday, a day after a tornado destroyed the house.

A break from the news

This is a compilation of stories from across the USA TODAY Network. Want this news roundup in your inbox every night? Sign up for The Short List newsletter here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Brooklyn subway shooting, Ukraine, mask mandates, more severe weather. It's Wednesday's news.