644. IT’S TIME FOR NEWS TO GO. WE HAVE A LOOK AT TODAY’S TOP NEWS STORIES, TRAFFIC AND WEATHER ALL BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT THE DOOR. WE START WITH PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S SWEEPING NEW TARIFFS AIMED AT TRADE PARTNERS WORLDWIDE. AMY LU IS AT THE WHITE HOUSE WITH HOW MUCH THESE TAXES ARE AND HOW THEY’RE BEING RECEIVED. ERIN AND DESTINY COUNTRIES ARE SPORTING A RANGE OF RESPONSES AND EMOTIONS, FROM CAUTION TO OUTRAGE. THE U.S. WILL COLLECT 10% ON ALL IMPORTED PRODUCTS, HIGHER RATES FOR OTHER COUNTRIES START NEXT WEEK, INCLUDING 34% ON CHINA, THE HIGHEST OF ANY COUNTRY AND 20% ON IMPORTS FROM THE EUROPEAN UNION. THE ANNOUNCEMENT ROILING MARKETS ELSEWHERE IN ASIA OVERNIGHT COUNTRIES CALLED THE TARIFFS UNREASONABLE AND EXTREMELY REGRETTABLE, THREATENING TO STRAIN ALLIANCES AND UPPING COSTS FOR THE AVERAGE AMERICAN BY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. PRESIDENT TRUMP ARGUES THE TARIFFS WILL BOOST U.S. MANUFACTURING AND RESTORE FAIRNESS AND TRADE, ADDRESSING WHAT HE CALLS AN ECONOMIC EMERGENCY. FOR DECADES, OUR COUNTRY HAS BEEN LOOTED, PILLAGED, RAPED AND PLUNDERED BY NATIONS NEAR AND FAR. BOTH FRIEND AND FOE ALIKE. IT’S OUR DECLARATION OF ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE. PRESIDENT TRUMP ALSO SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER CLOSING A LOOPHOLE ON SMALL IMPORTS COMING FROM CHINA THAT ESSENTIALLY SCRAPS EXCEPTIONS TO TAXES ON GOODS WORTH LESS THAN $800. IN WASHINGTON, I’M AMY LU, WYFF NEWS FOUR, AND YOU CAN GET THE FACTS ABOUT AUTO AND RECIPROCAL TARIFFS, PLUS DATA GATHERED BY OUR NATIONAL INVESTIGATIVE UNIT RIGHT NOW ON WYFF4.COM. MEANWHILE, SOUTH CAROLINA SENATOR LINDSEY GRAHAM SAYS THAT HE WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORTS THE PRESIDENT’S RECIPROCITY FOR TARIFFS. HE USED BMW NORTH AMERICA, LOCATED IN THE UPSTATE, AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT HE SAYS IS AN UNFAIR TRADE RELATIONSHIP. HE SAYS IT JUST MAKES SENSE THAT WHATEVER ANOTHER COUNTRY DOES TO THE U.S., THE U.S. SHOULD DO IN RETURN. THEY’RE SOLD IN EUROPE, AND THERE’S A 10% TARIFF ON THE CAR MADE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. WHEN A CAR IS MADE IN MUNICH BY BMW AND SOLD IN AMERICA, IT’S TWO AND A HALF THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE. THAT’S WHAT HE’S GETTING AT. RECIPROCITY. LEVELING THE FIELD. SENATOR GRAHAM DID DRAW A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE PRESIDENT’S TARIFF PLANS. HE AGREES WITH THE, EXCUSE ME, RECIPROCAL TARIFFS, BUT HE SAYS HE HAS CONCERNS ABOUT THE POSSIBLE INFLATIONARY IMPACTS OF ECONOMIC ECONOMY. WIDE TARIFFS. AT 646, THE MAN ACCUSED OF SHOOTING AND CRITICALLY INJURING OCONEE COUNTY DEPUTY LUCAS WATTS BACK IN 2023 IS EXPECTED TO BE BACK IN COURT THIS MORNING. OUR ISABELLE MARAK JOINS US LIVE FROM THE OCONEE COUNTY COURTHOUSE WITH THE DETAILS THIS MORNING. ISABELLE. HEY, ERIN AND DESTINY GREGORY MAXWELL IS EXPECTED TO BE AT THAT HEARING TODAY, AND HE’S SET TO FIGURE OUT ISSUES RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH AS WELL AS REPRESENTATION. NOW, MAXWELL IS FACING FIVE COUNTS OF ATTEMPTED MURDER, AS WELL AS POSSESSION OF A WEAPON DURING THE COMMISSION OF A VIOLENT CRIME. HIS FIRST COURT APPEARANCE WAS BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2023. AT THE TIME, THE MAGISTRATE DENIED MAXWELL BOND ON THE ATTEMPTED MURDER CHARGES AND SET BOND AND ALL THE OTHER CHARGES AT MORE THAN $5 MILLION. CORPORAL LUCAS WATTS WAS SHOT IN THE HEAD THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD OF HIS PATROL CAR IN NOVEMBER OF 2023, AND THE 27 YEAR OLD SPENT SEVERAL MONTHS IN A REHABILITATION FACILITY IN ATLANTA BEFORE RETURNING HOME IN MAY OF 2020. FOR NOW, WE’LL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH UPDATES THROUGHOUT THE DAY, BOTH ON AIR AND ONLINE AT WYFF4.COM. BUT FOR NOW, REPORTING LIVE IN OCONEE COUNTY, ISABELLE MARAK WYFF NEWS FOUR ISABELLE. THANK YOU. A MAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED AFTER AUTHORITIES SAY HE VANDALIZED SEVERAL LOCATIONS WITH GRAFFITI IN THE TOWN OF DUNCAN. POLICE SAY JORDAN FIZER IS CHARGED WITH EIGHT COUNTS OF ILLEGAL GRAFFITI. LAST WEEK, POLICE SAY SEVERAL LOCATIONS WERE VANDALIZED AND IT APPEARED TO BE THE SAME GRAFFITI THAT HAD BEEN USED THROUGHOUT SPARTANBURG COUNTY OVER THE SPAN OF A FEW MONTHS. AFTER INVESTIGATION, FIZER WAS ARRESTED. WELL, GOVERNOR HENRY MCMASTER VISITED WASHINGTON, D.C. TO HEAR ORAL ARGUMENTS ON A CASE CONCERNING SOUTH CAROLINA AND MEDICAID PAYMENTS. THE U.S. SUPREME COURT TOOK UP THE MEDINA VERSUS PLANNED PARENTHOOD SOUTH ATLANTIC CASE. WE FIRST BROUGHT YOU THIS STORY YESTERDAY MORNING. A SOUTH CAROLINA WOMAN ON MEDICAID SPECIFICALLY WANTED TO RECEIVE HEALTH CARE FROM PLANNED PARENTHOOD. BUT IN 2018, GOVERNOR MCMASTER BANNED STATE MEDICAID PAYMENTS TO ABORTION CLINICS, JUST ONE OF MANY HEALTH CARE SERVICES PROVIDED BY PLANNED PARENTHOOD. THE PATIENT SUED, SAYING THAT MEDICAID RECIPIENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEEK HEALTH CARE FROM ANY, QUOTE, QUALIFIED PROVIDER, INCLUDING PLANNED PARENTHOOD. PASSENGERS AND CREW WERE EVACUATED FROM AN AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT AFTER REPORTS OF SMOKE IN THE CABIN. PSA AIRLINES, OPERATOR OF THE FLIGHT, SAID ITS PLANE EXPERIENCED A MAINTENANCE ISSUE AFTER IT LANDED IN AUGUSTA, GEORGIA. THAT WAS AFTER A SHORT FLIGHT FROM CHARLOTTE. PASSENGERS DESCRIBED A BURNING SMELL AND SAY THE CABIN FILLED WITH LIGHT SMOKE. ALL PASSENGERS ON THAT PLANE WERE SAFELY EVACUATED ON THE RUNWAY AND WERE TAKEN TO THE AIRPORT TERMINAL. THE RETURN FLIGHT TO CHARLOTTE WAS CANCELED, BUT THE AIRCRAFT WAS BACK IN SERVICE YESTERDAY. THAT’S ACCORDING TO FLIGHTAWARE. AMERICAN AIRLINES SAYS A DIFFERENT PLANE FLYING THE SAME ROUTE ALSO EXPERIENCED A MECHANICAL ISSUE YESTERDAY. MORE THAN 240 PEOPLE ON BOARD A LUXURY CRUISE SHIP HAVE GOTTEN SICK WITH NOROVIRUS, A HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS STOMACH BUG. THE CDC REPORTED THE OUTBREAK ABOARD QUEEN MARY TWO. THE SHIP IS DUE TO RETURN TO ENGLAND ON APRIL 6TH AFTER A FOUR WEEK TRANSATLANTIC CRUISE TO THE CARIBBEAN. THE CDC SAYS INFECTED PASSENGERS HAVE BEEN QUARANTINED AND THE SHIP’S CREW HAS INCREASED CLEANING ON BOARD. THE OUTBREAK COMES ON THE HEELS OF THE WORST YEAR FOR CRUISE SHIP BASED GASTROINTESTINAL OUTBREAKS OVER A DECADE, ACCORDING TO THE CDC DATA. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. 649 HERE WE GO. TEMPERATURES IN THE 60S AND 70S. IT IS WARM OUT THERE. WE’RE ALREADY WARMER THAN WE TYPICALLY ARE THIS TIME OF YEAR FOR A DAYTIME HIGH. SO YOU KNOW IT’S GOING TO BE HOT. WE’VE GOT 13 DEGREES WARMER IN SPARTANBURG THAN WE WERE YESTERDAY. AT THIS TIME, 22 DEGREES WARMER. THAT’S ALMOST AN ENTIRE SEASONS CHANGE OVERNIGHT. HERE WE GO. WE’VE GOT SOME CLOUDS, A FEW STRAY SHOWERS OUT THERE. THIS IS ESSENTIALLY GOING TO BE THE FORECAST FOR THE MORNING. MORE CLOUDS THAN ANYTHING WITH A COUPLE PASSING SHOWERS. IN FACT, AS WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK YOU CAN SEE CASHIERS LAKE LURE BREVARD PICKING UP ON A LITTLE BIT OF RAINFALL, GETTING SOME LIGHT SPRINKLES AROUND ASHEVILLE AS WELL. AS WE GO THROUGHOUT THE DAY TODAY, THE FARTHER INTO THE AFTERNOON WE GO, THE BETTER CHANCES WE WILL SEE FOR A FEW SUN BREAKS OR A MIX OF SUN AND CLOUDS. HIGHS WILL BE IN THE LOW 80S. THE 80S ARE COMING BACK TODAY AS WE TAKE A LOOK ACROSS WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. GOING TO BE A WARM AFTERNOON AS WELL. TOMORROW HIGHS WILL BE CLOSER TO 90 IN THE SAME THING ON SATURDAY. IN FACT, WE’LL TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR FOUR DAY PLUS, WHICH HAS SOME RECORD BREAKING HIGHS. AND THEN FROST AND FREEZE CONCERNS FOR NEXT WEEK. WE’LL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT COMING UP IN ABOUT 7 OR 8 MINUTES FROM RIGHT NOW. FIRST, THOUGH, LET’S GET YOU OUTSIDE. TAKE A LOOK AT OUR ROADS, SEE HOW TRAFFIC IS LOOKING. VICTORIA. GOOD MORNING. LOOKS LIKE WE’RE STARTING TO SEE MORE TRAFFIC ON THE ROADWAYS NOW. THIS IS A LIVE LOOK AT 85 TOWARDS HIGHWAY 101. TRAFFIC IS MOVING RIGHT ALONG. WE’RE NOT SEEING ANY MAJOR ISSUES NEAR 101, BUT TRAFFIC IS STARTING TO SLOW JUST A LITTLE BIT. THE CLOSER WE GET TOWARDS THE BMW PLANT. NOW 85, IF YOU’RE HEADING NORTHBOUND, THIS IS FOR THOSE TRYING TO GET OFF THE EXIT THAT IS COMPLETELY AT A STANDSTILL RIGHT NOW FOR HIGHWAY 101. AGAIN, THAT’S 85 NORTHBOUND IF YOU’RE HEADING SOUTHBOUND. WE’RE NOT SEEING ANY MAJOR ISSUES FOR THE MOMENT. SO OUR TRAVEL TIMES LOOKS LIKE WE’RE ON THE GREEN THIS MORNING. IF YOU ARE TRAVELING FROM THE STATE LINE TOWARDS HIGHWAY ONE, 53 OR 101, YOU’RE IN THE GREEN. ERIN. VICTORIA, THANK YOU. FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC BEGAN, WALT DISNEY WORLD WILL HAVE BOTH OF ITS WATER PARKS OPEN THIS SUMMER. DISNEY’S TYPHOON LAGOON WATER PARK WILL OPEN ON MAY 1ST AND WILL REMAIN OPEN FOR THE REST OF ITS SCHEDULED SEASON. THEN BLIZZARD BEACH IN BAY LAKE WILL BE OPEN MAY 21ST THROUGH SEPTEMBER 7TH. AS AN ADDED BONUS THIS SEASON, GUESTS STAYING AT DISNEY RESORTS HOTELS CAN VISIT THE WATER PARKS FOR FREE ON THEIR CHECK IN DATE. A REMINDER TO PEOPLE AROUND THE OCONEE NUCLEAR STATION DUKE ENERGY WILL BE TESTING THE SIRENS A WEEK FROM TODAY BETWEEN 11 A.M. AND 1 P.M. ON APRIL 9TH. THERE WILL BE FIVE SECOND TO 32ND QUARTERLY TESTS TO ENSURE THE SIRENS ARE FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO TEST SOME SIRENS MORE THAN ONCE. WE’RE TOLD NO PUBLIC ACTION IS REQUIRED. THE DANIEL LIONS HAVE THEIR NEW HEAD FOOTBALL COACH, LESS THAN A MONTH AFTER JEFF BREWSTER STEPPED DOWN AFTER AN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL DECADE LONG RUN. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, SAYS CHRIS STONE, IS THE NEW HIRE. STONE HAS MOST RECENTLY SERVED AS THE HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AT WALHALLA HIGH SCHOOL, LEADING WALHALLA TO ITS FIRST PLAYOFF WIN SINCE 1995. LAST NOVEMBER. STONE’S AN EAST SIDE GRAD WHO PLAYED FOOTBALL AT CLEMSON AND AT FURMAN IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS, ARE MAKING A FIFTH STRAIGHT FINAL FOUR APPEARANCE. THEY’LL BE PLAYING TEXAS FOR THE FOURTH TIME THIS SEASON IN A REMATCH OF THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. OUR SPORTS TEAM WILL BE LIVE IN TAMPA, FLORIDA, GETTING YOU READY FOR THE FINAL FOUR.