News

NewsNation reports: A system used to verify passport document data for agencies that issue driver’s licenses and identification cards was unavailable Wednesday amid an outage, according to a transportation group. The U.S. Passport Verification Service provides a means for driver license agencies to verify that data against DHS back-end systems. The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators told NewsNation the …

Gothamist reports: More than a third of New Yorkers admitted to littering in a new survey that also showed the Bronx and Queens have more litterbugs than other boroughs. Almost half of Bronx residents said that they litter, and younger men were more likely to toss waste to the curb than other groups surveyed. Overall, 30% said they never littered, …

USA Today reports: Rite Aid added 68 more locations to its list of closures in a May 9 filing in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of New Jersey. The company, which currently operates 1,240 stores across 15 states, announced on May 5 it had begun Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings and would soon begin a process of selling and …

CBS News reports: A Yellowstone National Park tourist was gored by a bison when he got too close to the animal, according to officials. The 47-year-old man from Cape Coral, Fla., was hooked by the bison’s horns and lifted Sunday but escaped with only minor injuries, the National Park Service said. The visitor was attacked around 3:15 p.m. at Lake …

Politico reports: State Sen. Jason Pizzo, who recently proclaimed the Florida Democratic Party “dead” before leaving the party, said Friday he will run for governor as an independent in 2026. Pizzo has been hinting for months that he planned to mount a run to succeed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who cannot run again due to term limits. The Miami state …

ABC News reports: Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter, a lifelong public servant, judicial moderate and advocate for humanities and civics education, has died. He was 85 years old. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said of Souter: “Justice David Souter served our Court with great distinction for nearly twenty years. He brought uncommon wisdom and kindness to a …

Time Out New York reports: When we think of a classic New York disposition, words like “curmudgeonly”, “stern”, “impatient” and “no f***s given” come to mind—more Fran Lebowitz than Phoebe Buffay. Imagine our surprise, then, when our not-so-fair city ended up on the Happy City Index 2025, a global study that ranks “cities based on the happiness of their citizens.” …

The Associated Press reports: Bill Gates says he will donate 99% of his remaining tech fortune to the Gates Foundation, which will now close in 2045, earlier than previously planned. Today, that would be worth an estimated $107 billion. The pledge is among the largest philanthropic gifts ever. Only Berkshire Hathaway investor Warren Buffett’s pledge to donate his fortune — …

Click Orlando reports: A woman canoeing with her husband on Tuesday afternoon at Lake Kissimmee State Park was attacked and killed by an alligator, according to officials. The deadly attack happened near the mouth of Tiger Creek into Lake Kissimmee in Polk County, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. In a news conference on Wednesday, FWC said …

The Associated Press reports: Black smoke billowed from the Vatican’s chimney on Wednesday around 3:02 p.m. ET after the 133 cardinals tasked with electing the next leader of the Catholic Church made their first vote inside the Sistine Chapel. The black smoke indicates that no papal candidate secured the required two-thirds majority on the conclave’s first ballot. Voting will resume …

Tampa’s Spectrum affiliate reports: A private contractor and engineer are now taking over the investigation into the status of the ‘South Beach III’ condo on Sand Key. All units were evacuated yesterday after a crack was found in a support column. The building remains roped off Wednesday morning. Rescue officials said construction workers noticed the growing beam crack in the …

NBC News reports: Of all the many sights and sounds etched onto the memory of anyone who’s been alive long enough to witness a conclave, the white smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel chimney and the ringing of the church’s bells signifying the appointment of a new pope are perhaps the most famous. With the second result of each pair …

CNN reports: All mobile phone signals will be deactivated in the Vatican on Wednesday ahead of the highly secretive conclave to elect the next pope, Italian state media reported. The Vatican also plans to use signal jammers around the Sistine Chapel to prevent electronic surveillance or communication outside the conclave that will see 133 cardinals vote on who will succeed …

ABC News reports: An 88-year-old man and a dog were killed in apparently separate bear attacks near the victim’s home in Florida, officials said. The Collier County Sheriff’s Office said it received a call shortly after 7 a.m. Monday involving a “bear encounter.” The victim was identified as Robert Markel, a longtime resident of the Jerome area. Officials believe his …

The BBC reports: Germany’s conservative leader has unexpectedly fallen short of a majority in a parliament vote to become chancellor. Friedrich Merz needed 316 votes in the 630-seat Bundestag but only secured 310, in a significant blow to the Christian Democrat leader, two and a half months after winning Germany’s federal elections. His coalition with the centre left has enough …

Vatican News reports: Pope Francis’ legacy of peace continues to shine in our conflict-ridden world. The closeness he showed to the most vulnerable during his earthly mission is radiating even after his death, and this most recent surprise is no exception: His popemobile, the very vehicle from which he waved and was close to millions of faithful all around the …

The Miami Herald reports: Thirty-two people were rescued from a sinking yacht off Miami Beach this weekend, officials say. The rescue happened around 5 p.m. Saturday near Flagler Monument Island, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The small man-made island houses a 110 foot-tall obelisk monument that was built decades ago to honor Henry Flagler, a key developer of Florida’s …

Politico reports: At least 15,000 Agriculture Department employees have taken the Trump administration’s offers to resign, according to a readout of a USDA briefing with congressional staff that was shared with POLITICO. The departures represent a drastic contraction of a department that handles a diverse portfolio including flagship federal nutrition programs, food safety, farm loans and rural broadband initiatives. While …

Reuters reports: Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s centre-left Labor Party was projected to win elections, broadcasters said on Saturday, in a comeback against once-resurgent conservatives powered by concerns about the influence of U.S. President Donald Trump. Supporters at Labor’s election party in Sydney cheered and hugged as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and Sky News Australia announced Labor was likely to …

The Associated Press reports: Ruth Buzzi, who rose to fame as the frumpy and bitter Gladys Ormphby on the groundbreaking sketch comedy series “Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In” and made over 200 television appearances during a 45-year career, has died at age 88. Buzzi died Thursday at her home in Texas, her agent Mike Eisenstadt said. She had been diagnosed with …