Happening Today: Sri Lanka, Seth Moulton, Michelle Branch

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7 Suicide Attackers Behind 6 Sri Lanka Blasts, Investigator Says

The coordinated Easter Sunday bombings that ripped through Sri Lankan churches and luxury hotels were carried out by seven suicide bombers, a government investigator said. An analysis of the attackers' body parts made clear that they were suicide bombers, said Ariyananda Welianga, a forensic crime investigator. He said most attacks were by one bomber, with two at Colombo's Shangri-La Hotel. The bombings, Sri Lanka's deadliest violence since a devastating civil war ended a decade ago on the island nation, killed at least 290 people with more than 500 wounded, Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekara said. Meanwhile, Sri Lankan police investigating the bombings are examining reports that intelligence agencies had warnings of possible attacks, officials said. Two government ministers have alluded to intelligence failures.

Seth Moulton Announces 2020 Presidential Run

Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton announced he is running for president. "I'm running because we have to beat Donald Trump, and I want us to beat Donald Trump because I love this country," Moulton said in his announcement video. Moulton was expected to announce his presidential bid in late April. He joins a crowd of Democrat hopefuls for the 2020 race. "I'm feeling great. But ultimately, this is a decision about how I can best serve the country, and that's a decision we're still making," he said on April 12. "I'll make it by the end of the month." The 40-year-old Moulton gained national attention for helping lead an effort within the party to reject Nancy Pelosi as House speaker after Democrats regained control of the chamber last year.

Syphilis Is Invading Rural America

When Karolyn Schrage first heard about the "dominoes gang" in the health clinic she runs in Joplin, Mo., she assumed it had to do with pizza. Turns out it was a group of men in their 60s and 70s who held a standing game night — which included sex with one another. They showed up at her clinic infected with syphilis, NBC News reported. That has become Schrage’s new normal. Pregnant women, young men and teens are all part of the rapidly growing number of syphilis patients coming to the Choices Medical Services clinic in the rural southwestern corner of the state. She can barely keep the antibiotic treatment for syphilis, penicillin G benzathine, stocked on her shelves. Public health officials say rural counties across the Midwest and West are becoming the new battleground. While syphilis is still concentrated in cities such as San Francisco, Atlanta and Las Vegas, its continued spread into places like Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma creates a new set of challenges. Compared with urban hubs, rural populations tend to have less access to public health resources, less experience with syphilis and less willingness to address it because of socially conservative views toward homosexuality and nonmarital sex.

Michelle Branch, Black Keys' Patrick Carney Tie the Knot

Michelle Branch and Patrick Carney of the Black Keys are married. The Grammy-winning musicians tied the knot at the Marigny Opera House in New Orleans in front of close friends and family, a representative for Carney told The Associated Press. Among those attending the wedding were the couple's 7-month-old son, Rhys, and Branch's 13-year-old daughter from a previous relationship, Owen. Branch, 35, wore a dress by Temperley London and walked down the aisle to Elvis Presley's "Can't Help Falling In Love" performed by Symphony Chorus of New Orleans. Carney, 39, wore a Burberry suit. The couple began dating in 2015. They collaborated together on Branch's 2017 album, "Hopeless Romantic." Branch's hits include "All You Wanted," ''Everywhere," ''Are You Happy Now?" and "The Game of Love," with Santana. The Black Keys, which includes singer-guitarist-producer Dan Auerbach, have a string of rock hits including "Lonely Boy," ''Tighten Up" and "Fever."

Reggaeton Fuels Latin Music Boom Despite Lack of Award Recognition

As fans around the globe have shown, Latin urban music is here to stay. But it's not always obvious from the roster at the big mainstream award shows, NBC News reports. For Billboard’s Leila Cobo, that's a reason to make sure the 2019 Latin Music Billboard awards, set to air on April 25, puts a spotlight on artists like Ozuna, J Balvin, Bad Bunny, Anuel AA and the many others who have given Latin music the boost it needed. “We have an industry that really has finally taken off after years of not doing well, and so now, more than ever, it's important to continue to support it,” Cobo, vice president of Latin content and programming for Billboard, told NBC News. The U.S. Latin music business has seen significant and steady growth. According to the Recording Industry Association of America, known as RIAA, Latin music finished 2018 with $413 million in revenues, from $243 million in 2017 and $178 million in 2016.

Photo Credit: AP

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