Daily Briefing: Don't be fooled

Artificial intelligence and other new technology heighten the risk of costly blunders on April 1. Also in the news: Demolition crews will cut into portions of the Francis Scott Key Bridge's collapsed truss to clear a key commercial waterway on Monday. LSU's Angel Reese and Iowa's Caitlin Clark are set for a high-energy Elite Eight rematch Monday night.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Do you think tipping has gotten out of hand?

Here's the news to know Monday.

Corporate larks can become no laughing matter

April Fools' Day seems like the perfect time for pranks. But for small businesses to big-name brands, the holiday presents an opportunity to have some fun – or make a mistake. Companies often feel compelled to make their own mark on the day despite infamous instances where April Fools' fakeries have flopped – or worse, backfired and created costly consequences. And, as artificial intelligence blurs the lines between real and fake, it's harder than ever for companies and customers to detect when they're being pranked, or worse, targeted for a scam. Here's a few corporate April Fools' campaigns that were no laughing matter.

Demolition crews cutting into first pieces of Baltimore bridge

Crews will continue dismantling the Francis Scott Key Bridge on Monday as an enormous container ship remains trapped underneath the rubble.

The tear-down effort comes six days after the collision that killed six people, forced a shutdown of the Port of Baltimore and halted shipping traffic through one of the nation's most crucial ports.

• Three dive teams are surveying submerged sections of the wreckage in the murky waters of the Patapsco River as water and land-based cranes help offload and process the mess.

• Latino communities "rebuilt" Baltimore. Now they're grieving the four bridge workers who remain missing and are presumed dead.

• The salvage operation is a "Herculean undertaking" vital to minimizing the national supply-chain disruption caused by the collapse, experts say. Meanwhile, crews are preparing to establish a temporary, alternate channel on the northeast side of the main channel for commercially essential vessels.

More news to know now

• At least seven minors, aged 12 to 17, were injured after a shooting in downtown Indianapolis.

• An elaborate scheme used drones to drop drugs in prisons, authorities in Georgia say.

• Colleges don't have enough time to process FAFSA information.

• Vague school rules are at the root of millions of student suspensions.

• On today's The Excerpt podcast, the CDC issued an alert about bacterial infections. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Kamala Harris is pushing the envelope as 2024 heats up

Vice President Kamal Harris is moving into a starring role for the Democrats' reelection campaign. As left-leaning voters question President Joe Biden's progressive record, Harris is taking on more heated topics, more often and more directly than Biden. Harris hosted rapper Fat Joe at the White House to talk about reforming marijuana laws. She visited an abortion clinic. The vice president called for a cease-fire in Gaza at the historic Selma bridge in Alabama. She walked the bloodstained crime scene of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting. Here's how she's seeking to persuade a fractious coalition of voters.

• Of course, Harris gave her love to Beyoncé's "Cowboy Carter."

• The ACLU seeks to eliminate another Ohio requirement before patients can receive an abortion.

• Could Mike Johnson lose his speakership over Ukraine aid?

Cities along the eclipse path are bracing for chaos

Tens of thousands of stargazers will crowd downtown Dallas to witness April's total solar eclipse. Campground lodging and local hotels are nearly sold out in Erie, Pennsylvania. Indianapolis is hosting one of the largest watch parties in the nation alongside the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. City officials along the eclipse's path of totality – a narrow stretch of land across the U.S. where people could see the moon block the sun's surface – are counting down the days until visitors flock to their towns and jam roads to see the rare natural phenomenon, they told USA TODAY. And they're anticipating a chaotic weekend.

• Here's your guide to eclipse glasses, forecasts and where to watch.

• Scientists are putting out a call for people across the country to help them observe the eclipse.

Keep scrolling

• Chance Perdomo, "Gen V" and "Sabrina" star, has died at 27.

• Thinking about buying Truth Social stock? Trump's own filing offers these warnings.

• Police searching for Chiefs' Rashee Rice after an alleged hit-and-run accident.

• Yesterday was Transgender Day of Visibility. These transgender athletes want you to know their stories.

• "Zoey 101" star Matthew Underwood says he quit acting after an agent sexually assaulted him.

• No one traveled to this island 50 years ago. Now it's one of the hottest destinations.

• See how Beyoncé changed the lyrics to "Jolene."

It's a Reese v. Clark rematch Monday night

The 2024 women's NCAA Tournament Elite Eight matchup to end all matchups is No. 3 LSU taking on No. 1 Iowa Monday, in a rematch that pits Angel Reese and company against Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes. We now wait to see whether it will be Clark or Reese taking on either of two seemingly unbeatable teams in USC or UConn. Monday will go a long way to showing us how all of this drama ends. Read our predictions for the game here.

• Sunday's women's Elite Eight game took a curious twist before tip-off when officials discovered the 3-point lines weren't the same distance on both sides of the court.

• Who is in the men's Final Four?

Photo of the day: Wildflower season is here

Spring visitors are seeing Instagram-worthy vibrant blossoms in nearly every color of the rainbow in California. See more photos of the blooms and read about the rain soaking southern California ahead of the dry season.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at USA TODAY, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: April Fools' Day, Baltimore bridge collapse, 2024 election, eclipse, Beyoncé, March Madness: Daily Briefing