2026.04.19

[lsanderson]

Tornadoes and heavy winds destroy homes and roads across US midwest
No deaths reported after latest round of severe weather in the region as officials brace residents for long recovery
Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/19/tornadoes-heavy-winds-damage-midwest

‘Oscar of science’ awarded to team behind gene therapy that restores lost vision
Married couple Jean Bennett and Albert Maguire developed Luxturna, which helped a patient see their child’s face for the first time
Ian Sample Science editor
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/19/the-oscar-of-science-awarded-to-scientists-behind-genetic-treatment-that-restores-lost-vision-win

Oklahoma principal who disarmed gun-wielding intruder crowned prom king
Kirk Moore, who was shot while disarming the attacker, received the honor at Pauls Valley high school on Friday
Michael Sainato
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/19/oklahoma-principal-disarmed-intruder-prom-king

Michigan gas station clerk saves teen from alleged kidnapper after she whispers ‘help’
In Hamtramck, Abdulrahman Abohatem placed himself between 16-year-old girl and man before police arrest
Ramon Antonio Vargas
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/19/michigan-gas-station-clerk-saves-teen

Independent bookstores make quiet comeback as big chains dominate retail
Gene Marks
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/19/independent-bookstores-comeback

Maui residents are rebuilding Lahaina for locals, not tourists: ‘In Hawaii, we take care of one another’
After deadly 2023 fires, recent storms and ICE raids, Lahaina residents are determined to rebuild the town for their community
Frances Nguyen
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/19/lahaina-maui-rebuild-locals-tourists

‘Women want to experience pleasure’: how the female gaze caught the attention of film, TV and fiction
From passionate romantasy novels to premium television dramas, culture is bringing the agency, desires and interior lives of women to the fore. It’s proving good for business, but is this a permanent revolution?
Deborah Linton
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2026/apr/19/female-gaze-wuthering-heights-girls-dying-for-sex-bridgerton-romantasy

Nathalie Baye, prolific star of French and Hollywood cinema, dies aged 77
Actor who worked with the great French auteurs in the 1970s and 80s and starred in Spielberg’s Catch Me if You Can died of Lewy body dementia, says family
Staff and agencies
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2026/apr/19/nathalie-baye-star-french-hollywood-cinema-catch-me-if-you-can-dies-aged-77

Police use gas and rubber bullets on activists at beagle facility in Wisconsin
Law enforcement rebuffs protesters at breeding and biomedical research farm amid attempt to remove dogs
Uwa Ede-Osifo and the Associated Press
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/18/wisconsin-animal-activists-beagles

Half Man: Richard Gadd’s follow-up to Baby Reindeer is uncomfortably erotic – and utterly monstrous
Gadd and Jamie Bell are so frank they’re almost feral in a show so violent you’ll think you can taste blood in your mouth. This man can hit a nerve like no other
Jack Seale
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2026/apr/18/half-man-richard-gadds-follow-up-to-baby-reindeer-is-uncomfortably-erotic-and-utterly-monstrous