Today is Saturday, April 19, the 109th day of 2025. There are 256 days left in the year.

Today in history:

On April 19,1995, Timothy McVeigh, seeking to strike at the government he blamed for the Branch Davidian deaths two years earlier, destroyed the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people. (McVeigh was convicted of federal murder charges and executed in 2001.)

Also on this date:

In 1775, the American Revolutionary War began with the Battles of Lexington and Concord—the start of an eight-year armed conflict between American colonists and the British Army.

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In 1897, the first Boston Marathon was held. Winner John J. McDermott ran the course in 2 hours, 55 minutes and 10 seconds.

In 1943, during World War II, tens of thousands of Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto began a valiant but ultimately futile uprising against Nazi forces.

In 1977, the Supreme Court, in Ingraham v. Wright, ruled 5-4 that even severe spanking of schoolchildren by faculty members did not violate the Eighth Amendment ban against cruel and unusual punishment.

In 1989, 47 sailors were killed when a gun turret exploded aboard the USS Iowa during training exercises in the Caribbean.

In 1993, the 51-day siege at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, ended as the Davidians set fire to their compound following an FBI tear gas attack. Seventy-five people, including 25 children and sect leader David Koresh, were killed.

In 2005, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger of Germany was elected pope in the first conclave of the new millennium; he took the name Benedict XVI.

In 2013, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev (joh-HAHR’ tsahr-NEYE’-ehv), a 19-year-old college student wanted in the Boston Marathon bombings, was taken into custody after a manhunt that had left the city virtually paralyzed. His older brother and alleged accomplice, 26-year-old Tamerlan (TAM’-ehr-luhn), was killed earlier in a furious attempt to escape police.

In 2015, Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old Black man, died a week after suffering a spinal cord injury in the back of a Baltimore police van while he was handcuffed and shackled. (Six police officers were charged. Three were acquitted and the city’s top prosecutor eventually dropped the three remaining cases.)

Today’s Birthdays:

Singer-songwriter Roberto Carlos is 84.
Actor Tim Curry is 79.
Motorsports Hall of Famer Al Unser Jr. is 63.
Actor Ashley Judd is 57.
Latin pop singer Luis Miguel is 55.
Actor James Franco is 47.
Actor Kate Hudson is 46.
Actor Hayden Christensen is 44.
Football Hall of Famer Troy Polamalu is 44.
Actor-comedian Ali Wong is 43.
Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Mauer is 42.
Former WNBA star Candace Parker is 39.
Former tennis player Maria Sharapova is 38.
Actor Simu Liu is 36.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has appointed Kelly Staples as a Dakota County District Court judge to fill a vacancy in the First Judicial District.

On April 18, 2025, Gov. Tim Walz announced the appointment of Kelly Staples as District Court Judge in Minnesota’s First Judicial District. Staples will replace the Honorable David L. Knutson and will be chambered in Hastings in Dakota County. (Courtesy of the Office of Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan)

Staples will replace Judge David L. Knutson and will be chambered in Hastings.

“It is my privilege to appoint Kelly Staples to the Dakota County bench,” Walz said in a press release Friday. “Her wealth of family law experience, coupled with her ability to help clients navigate their most challenging moments, gives me the confidence that she will be a great judge.”

Minnesota’s First Judicial District consists of Carver, Dakota, Goodhue, Le Sueur, McLeod, Scott and Sibley counties.

Staples is a court-appointed counsel in paternity, child support and civil commitment matters and a volunteer conciliation court referee in Dakota County.

In addition, she has a private family law practice in West St. Paul focusing on child custody and domestic abuse cases. She also serves on the board of directors for legal Assistance of Dakota County, judges high school mock trials, volunteers at legal self-help clinics through 360 Communities, and supports her children’s many activities, the press release said.

Staples is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and William Mitchell College of Law.

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The USS Minneapolis-St. Paul, the state’s namesake ship serving the U.S. Navy, was instrumental in recently stopping two drug smuggling operations in the Caribbean within 72 hours of one another during its maiden deployment, officials said.

The drug busts resulted in the confiscation of 1,200 pounds of cocaine (worth an estimated $9.5 million) and 2,400 pounds of marijuana (worth an estimated $2.8 million), according to a Navy press release.

The so-called littoral combat ship worked with the U.S. Coast Guard to take out the drug smuggling vessels through a combination of air and surface operations.

“The USS Minneapolis-St. Paul executed their duties seamlessly in the combined effort to protect the homeland from illicit maritime trafficking,” said Rear Adm. Carlos Sardiello, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet.

“We train diligently and stand ready to execute interdiction missions at moment’s notice,” said Minneapolis-St. Paul commanding officer Cmdr. Steven Fresse. “To be able to make an immediate impact so early on during our maiden deployment is a testament to the hard work and skills of the ship’s crew.”

The new ship’s homeport is in Mayport, Fla., near Jacksonville.

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ATLANTA (AP) — Michael Harris II had two hits and two RBIs, Drake Baldwin delivered a game-winning pinch-hit single in the eighth inning, and the Atlanta Braves rallied to beat the Minnesota Twins 6-4 on Friday night.

Enyel De Los Santos (1-0) earned the win with 1 2/3 innings of relief, and Raisel Iglesias pitched a perfect ninth for his third save.

Jarred Kelenic homered and Ozzie Albies had two hits and drove in a run for the Braves.

Griffin Jax (0-2) was charged with all four runs in one-third of an inning.

Minnesota’s Chris Paddack had his second straight strong start, allowing one run and three hits over five innings.

Trevor Larnach hit a solo home run and Calos Correa had two hits and scored a run for the Twins, who fell to 7-13 on the season.

The Braves trailed 4-1 in the eighth, but six straight batters reached base with one out as Atlanta put together a four-run rally.

Braves starter Bryce Elder gave up four runs in five innings. His ERA stayed at 7.20 through three starts.

Left fielder Alex Verdugo made his Braves debut and was 0 for 4 hitting out of the leadoff spot.

Key moment

Harris stroked a 1-0 pitch to right field with the bases loaded in the eighth inning off Minnesota reliever Cole Sands to tie the game. Three pitches later, Baldwin delivered the decisive two-run pinch hit to center field.

Key stat

The Braves extended their winning streak over the Twins to nine games dating back to the 2019 season.

Up next

Twins RHP Simeon Woods Richardson (1-1, 4.30) will face Braves LHP Chris Sale (0-2, 6.63 ERA) on Saturday.

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