Daily Briefing: Thousands of students walked out of classes to demand gun control

Students abandoned their classrooms to kick off a "week of action" by advocates and gun violence survivors. Also in the news: China has promised "forceful" measures in response to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy's meeting with Taiwan's president and the 87th Masters tees off.

🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, Daily Briefing author. Meet the couple who got married as Donald Trump pleaded not guilty.

Now, here we go with Thursday's news.

Thousands participate in national school walkout after Nashville shooting

Thousands of students walked out of classes across the country Wednesday to demand lawmakers take action on gun safety following the mass shooting at an elementary school in Nashville, Tennessee, last week that killed three adults and three children.

The national walkouts come one day after hundreds of high school and college students left class across Nashville and Middle Tennessee.

• Advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety, which coordinated the walkouts through Students Demand Action, said there were more than 300 demonstrations across 41 states and D.C. to kick off a "week of action" by advocates and gun violence survivors.

• So far this year, there have been at least 39 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, resulting in 17 deaths and 30 injuries nationally, according to Everytown. President Joe Biden has called on Congress to act, saying he has exhausted what he can do through executive action on gun control.

• The Tennessee state legislature will vote Thursday whether to expel three Democratic members of the House after they led protest chants from the floor of the chamber.

'Heartbreaking' destruction from Missouri tornado

The major storms that barreled across the Plains and Midwest this week will move east on Thursday, bringing downpours to a stretch of the country from New York to South Carolina. Storms are expected to weaken while moving toward the East Coast, coming after a tornado that slammed into Missouri on Wednesday caused at least five deaths. Tornadoes were also reported in nearby states, including Illinois and Iowa, less than a week after dozens of tornadoes impacted swaths of the Midwest and South. Read more

• “The damage is pretty widespread. It’s just heartbreaking to see it”: What we know about the scene in Missouri.

More news to know now

• Mike Pence will not appeal a DOJ special counsel subpoena for testimony in a Trump investigation.

• Here's the top 10 from Fortune's ''100 Best Companies to Work For.''

• What does long COVID do to kids? What we've learned after a year of research.

• After alleged rape by Michigan athlete, a woman’s death and a mom’s search for answers.

• On today's 5 Things podcast, why it’s a big deal that there might be illegal eel in your sushi. Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your smart speaker.

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

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer repeals Michigan's 1931 abortion ban

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer repealed an unenforceable Michigan law that makes it a felony to administer most abortions with no exception for rape or incest. For decades, the 1973 U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision guaranteed a national right to abortion. But when the court overturned that decision, a Michigan Court of Claims judge issued an order temporarily blocking Michigan's abortion ban to ensure continued legal access to the procedure in the state. Michigan voters ultimately took up the matter directly during last year's midterm when they embraced an amendment to the state's constitution to enshrine an explicit right to seek abortions. Read more

• Kansas enacted a transgender athletes ban after lawmakers overrode Gov. Laura Kelly's veto.

• A judge overruled a Texas county's book ban targeting LGBTQ+, race themes.

McCarthy visit with Taiwanese president draws Chinese threats

China vowed reprisals against Taiwan Thursday after a meeting between the U.S. House Speaker and the island’s president, saying the U.S. was on a “wrong and dangerous road.” Speaker Kevin McCarthy hosted Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Wednesday along with a bi-partisan delegation of more than a dozen lawmakers. The meeting came as the U.S.-China relationship has fallen to historic lows, with U.S. support for Taiwan becoming one of the main points of difference between the two powers. China has repeatedly laid claim to Taiwan, despite Taiwan maintaining its own democratic system of government since the two split after a 1949 civil war. Read more

• ''No doubt'' WSJ reporter wrongfully detained by Russia, Blinken says.

• Why Donald Trump's arrest in New York is such a political earthquake.

Just for subscribers:

• Retail, fast food jobs with rising pay lure older workers into roles once dominated by teens.

• Why Donald Trump's arrest may help his presidential campaign in the 2024 Iowa caucuses.

• Caitlin Clark will be back. And expectations for Iowa's 2023-24 season are higher than ever.

• Thousands of cheerleaders arrive at Daytona, but a lack of hotel rooms is an issue.

These articles are for USA TODAY subscribers. You can sign up here. 

Scheffler looks for repeat Masters win

The 87th Masters will tee off with its first round Thursday at Augusta National Golf Club. A loaded field will vie for the green jacket and golf's prized major, the first of the 2022-23 season. American Scottie Scheffler, last year's winner, will look to be the first consecutive champion since Tiger Woods in 2001 and 2002. All eyes will be on Scheffler, the current No. 1 player in the World Golf Ranking, and the massive names in the field, like Woods, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and others. Read more

• Opinion: By allowing LIV golfers, Masters officials are giving into Saudis' sportswashing scheme.

• Rory McIlroy says Masters ''above all that noise'' of LIV drama as he attempts career grand slam.

• What is the Par 3 contest? Everything to know about the family-friendly Masters warm-up.

One more thing

• Can you guess what Google Flights says is the most popular travel destination this summer?

• LSU's Angel Reese rejected Jill Biden's White House invite explanation.

• CNN's Don Lemon accused of misogyny in new report: His history of controversial comments.

• Matt Damon interview: ''Air'' Easter eggs, his pal Ben Affleck and the time they met Michael Jordan.

• A new ''Ted Lasso'' episode includes tribute to late soccer journalist Grant Wahl.

Photo of the day: Passover around the world

This year, Passover began sundown on Wednesday and ends on Thursday, April 13, in the United States. Many Jewish communities will hold seders the first two nights of the springtime holiday. Rabbi Benjamin Berger, vice president of Jewish education at Hillel International, a Jewish campus organization, said “it's a celebration of not only the freedom of the Jewish people emerging from slavery in Egypt, and a tradition that results that is about remembering." Read more

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 or follow along with her musings on Twitter. Support journalism like this – subscribe to USA TODAY here.

Associated Press contributed reporting.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Gun control, tornadoes, abortion, Taiwan, Masters, Passover: Daily Briefing