Wednesday briefing: Nashville shooting response; Mike Pence ruling; Adnan Syed conviction; planets aligned; and more

(Illustration by Katty Huertas/The Post)

1

Police are still looking for a motive in the Nashville school shooting.

• The latest: The 28-year-old shooter, who killed six people Monday, had been receiving treatment for “an emotional disorder,” police said yesterday. In Instagram messages, the shooter warned a friend of “something bad.”
• The weapons: The shooter legally purchased the guns used in the attack. They included two AR-style weapons, which do an incredible amount of damage to the body.
• What else to know: Officers had a “textbook” response to the shooting, experts said. Body-cam footage shows them rushing in without waiting for backup.

2

Mike Pence will have to testify in a Trump Jan. 6 investigation.

• Why? A judge ruled that the former vice president must answer some questions about Donald Trump’s attempts to overturn the 2020 election.
• The big picture: It’s the latest defeat in the former president’s efforts to limit testimony from people close to him. Last week, one of his lawyers appeared before a different grand jury for hours.

3

A Mississippi town’s tornado warning system may not have worked properly.

• What to know: More than a dozen people in Rolling Fork say they didn’t hear sirens before a tornado ripped through Friday. At least 12 people died.
• Why this matters: Sirens can be crucial in rural, low-income areas, where cellphone service is unreliable. But the systems are often outdated, and many communities can’t afford upgrades.

4

“Serial” podcast subject Adnan Syed’s murder conviction was reinstated.

• The case: Syed was convicted in 2000 in the killing of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee, but was freed last year. The hugely popular podcast “Serial” reexamined the case in 2014.
• What’s new? A Maryland appellate court yesterday ordered a do-over of the hearing at which Syed’s conviction was vacated. Syed’s lawyer said they would ask the Maryland Supreme Court to review the decision.

5

Schools are being overwhelmed with public records requests.

• What’s going on? It’s part of the increased scrutiny over what’s being taught in classrooms. Enough requests are coming in that schools are having to shift their resources.
• One example: A district in Arkansas received 100 requests in 90 days this school year, which cost nearly $20,000 and 400 hours of labor to process.

6

Probiotic supplements could do more harm than good.

• What are they? Capsules, gummies, powders and pills that contain live microorganisms believed to boost gut health.
• But results are mixed: If you’re healthy, they can disrupt your gut’s balance of bacteria, studies have found, although they may help people who have gastrointestinal problems.

7

You can see five planets align in the sky every night this week.

• What to know: Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Mercury and Uranus will form an arch immediately after sunset. This happens every time the planets line up on one side of the sun — about once a year.
• How to watch: Four of the five planets should be visible with the naked eye beneath the moon. But if you want to see Uranus, use binoculars or a telescope.

And now … can you spot work done by AI? Take this quiz. Plus, how to ace your next AI interview.

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