The Miami Herald reports: In a surprisingly swift resolution of the Champlain Towers South class-action lawsuit, relatives of victims and survivors of the Surfside condo collapse have reached a settlement that will pay them nearly $1 billion, a state court judge was told Wednesday. The comprehensive settlement announced in Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Michael Hanzman’s courtroom effectively closes the litigation …

Buzzfeed News reports: Anthime “Tim” Gionet, a far-right internet troll known as “Baked Alaska” who livestreamed inside the US Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection, torched his own plea hearing almost immediately after it began, proclaiming his innocence and prompting the judge to set a trial date instead. Gionet had been set to plead guilty to one of the lowest-level …

Florida Politics reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis raised more than $10 million in April for his re-election bid, giving him more than $105 million in the bank heading toward next fall’s General Election.Friends of Ron DeSantis’ April haul was bolstered by $750,000 from the Republican Governors Association and 18 other checks of at least $100,000. Most of those checks came from …

Fox News reports: Mehmet Oz and Kathy Barnette gain significant ground as support for David McCormick dips, making it a tight three-way race in Pennsylvania’s Republican primary for U.S. Senate. In March, businessman McCormick led television celebrity Dr. Oz by 9 points (24%-15%). A new Fox News survey of Pennsylvania GOP primary voters shows the candidates trading places, with Oz …

The BBC reports: The UK has agreed to mutual security pacts with Sweden and Finland, agreeing to come to their aid should either nation come under attack. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited both countries to sign the deals, amid debate about them joining Nato. The pacts also state that Finland and Sweden would assist the UK in a crisis. …

From the Justice Department: A North Carolina man was arrested today for assaulting law enforcement officers during the breach of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. His and others’ actions disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress convened to ascertain and count the electoral votes related to the presidential election. David Joseph Gietzen, 38, of Sanford, North Carolina, …

The New York Times reports: “Where’s the tolerance? Where’s compassion? Where’s the humanity?” Mr. Sasse asked on the Senate floor as he accused Democrats of promoting “brutal indifference hiding behind euphemisms” by holding on to abortion rights instead of policies that would help mothers, babies and children. “What laws are these states prepared to pass?” Senator Patrick J. Leahy, Democrat …

Reuters reports: Former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev accused the United States on Wednesday of waging a “proxy war” against Russia after the House of Representatives approved a $40 billion aid package for Ukraine, and said the U.S. economy would suffer. Writing on the messenger app Telegram, Medvedev said that the bill approved by the House on Tuesday read more was …

The New York Daily News reports: There are ghosts in the house, or so says the latest resident of Gracie Mansion. Mayor Adams said he thinks the stately home on Manhattan’s Upper East Side isn’t “cool enough” for the city’s dapper first man about town — and is haunted to boot. “I don’t care what anyone says, there are ghosts …

The Daily Beast reports: Former Fox News anchor Ed Henry, who was fired by the network in 2020 amid sexual misconduct allegations, has dropped his defamation lawsuit against NPR and CNN. Henry initially alleged last year that journalists at the two outlets—which induced NPR media reporter David Folkenflik, CNN chief media correspondent Brian Stelter and anchor Alisyn Camerota—had “longstanding grudges …

The Hill reports: Former President Trump lashed out on Wednesday at Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp over his plans to campaign with a handful of current and former GOP governors ahead of his May 24 primary contest against former Sen. David Perdue (R-Ga.). “Today, the worst ‘election integrity’ Governor in the country, Brian Kemp, loaded the great state of Georgia up …

Kyle Mantyla reports at Right Wing Watch: Anti-choice activist Abby Johnson, who spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention, joined radical right-wing broadcaster Stew Peters on his program Tuesday night to discuss what the future might look like if the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade. “Abortion is murder, and those who carry it out should be executed,” Peters declared. …

El Pais reports: As a result of the fall in global markets caused by the uncertainty of the war in Ukraine, rising inflation and the US Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates, the price of the most popular cryptocurrency in the world has plummeted more than 50% from its all-time highs. And with it, so too have the bonds …

Politico Europe reports: The European Commission is facing a backlash against plans to send funding to Hungary as part of an effort to persuade Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to agree to EU sanctions on Russian oil. At a meeting of senior diplomats in Brussels on Wednesday, several EU countries raised concerns about a plan to offer Hungary compensation — first …

CNBC reports: Senate Republicans on Wednesday are set to block a bill that would make the Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision law, as Democrats scramble to preserve protections that the Supreme Court could soon toss out after nearly five decades. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer forged ahead with the bill even as it appeared doomed to stall. All Republicans …

The Associated Press reports: A state judge has ruled that a congressional map approved by Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and drawn by his staff is unconstitutional because it breaks up a district where Black voters can choose their representatives. Leon County Circuit Judge Layne Smith said Wednesday that he will issue a formal order Thursday or Friday to keep …

Gothamist reports: This summer, The DiscOasis will set up shop at Wollman Rink in Central Park, so New Yorkers can get back in touch with the city’s famed disco roots. Running from June 16th until October 1st, The DiscOasis will bring a mix of open skate sessions and theatrical performances—some with playlists crafted by Nike Rodgers the legendary songwriter, producer …

CNN reports: A New York judge on Wednesday lifted the civil contempt finding against former President Donald Trump, assuming certain conditions are met, and ordered him to pay $110,000 in fines. The judge said all of the conditions — including providing a description of the Trump Organization’s document retention and destruction policy and reviewing the remaining five of 17 boxes …

Florida Politics reports: Sen. Rick Scott continues to get plenty of earned media for his “11-point plan to rescue America,” but by the end of the week, he will augment that with some paid commercials allowing viewers to hear the Florida Senator unfiltered. The new 30-second spot goes after President Joe Biden and is entitled “Biden vs. Scott.” The spot …

“They should haul all of these people down to the police headquarters. They should book them for violating a federal statute. What they’re trying to do is change the outcome of a Supreme Court decision, and they’re doing it by showing force and intimidation. Think about if someone came to your neighbor’s house and started protesting and blocking the street. …