Stuck at Newark

Good morning!🙋🏼‍♀️ I'm Nicole Fallert, R.I.P. Riggs, a beloved Texas firehouse dog.

Quick look at Thursday's news:

• Travelers flying to, from or through Newark have faced days of delays and cancellations due to air traffic control staffing issues and equipment failures. 
• Black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in Rome Thursday morning.
• A parasite is a common enemy for the U.S. and Mexico.

The FAA is trying to prevent another meltdown at Newark Airport

Newark Liberty International Airport has been in various stages of meltdown since April 28, when a temporary radio and radar outage briefly caused controllers to lose track of and communication with incoming flights. 

It gets worse: Controllers on duty during the outage have taken trauma leave. On top of that, poor weather, runway construction and uncertainty around the technology controllers rely on to keep flights safe and flowing smoothly have all conspired to make for a difficult few weeks in the New Jersey skies. 

• Flying remains safe: But the Federal Aviation Administration announced further steps it plans to improve air traffic at the major hub as summer approaches. 
• Trump has a plan: The CEOs of the five largest U.S. airlines on Thursday plan to back the Trump administration's proposal to spend tens of billions of dollars to reform the aging air traffic control system and boost hiring, officials said. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will also detail his proposal to Congress.
• The FAA is hiring: A persistent shortage of controllers has delayed flights, and many are working mandatory overtime and six-day weeks. The FAA is about 3,500 air traffic controllers short of targeted staffing levels.

Black smoke signals no pope elected on latest conclave vote

Black smoke billowed from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel in Rome on Thursday, indicating the 133 cardinals locked inside still had not reached a decision on a successor to Pope Francis on the day’s first vote. Cardinals are shut off from the world for a second day of secretive voting that will result in new leadership for the world's 1.4 billion Roman Catholics. The smoke rose from the chimney of the iconic Sistine Chapel, watched by faithful in a packed St. Peter's Square.

• Follow Thursday's voting live with Paste BN. Two votes are allowed Thursday morning. If no pope is elected the cardinals take a lengthy lunch break.
• See photos of faithful gathered in Vatican city during the historic conclave.

More news to know now

• BREAKING: Trump announced a "full and comprehensive" trade deal with the U.K.
• Today is V-E Day. A 101-year-old vet recalls the "fight for civilization" 80 years ago.
• Jury selection in Sean "Diddy" Combs' ongoing sex crimes trial continued.
• Why did India attack Pakistan, its neighbor and nuclear rival?
• A Florida woman was killed by a gator as her husband tried to intervene, officials say.

What's the weather today? Check your local forecast here.

Your health insurance could be at risk

A nonpartisan analysis said millions of Americans could lose Medicaid health insurance coverage under different Republican Congressional proposals to cut spending to support President Donald Trump's tax cuts and domestic policy agenda. The Congressional Democrats asked the Congressional Budget Office to analyze five scenarios that Republicans have reportedly discussed as the House Energy and Commerce Committee seeks $880 billion in savings and spending reductions from Medicaid and other programs under its jurisdiction. Here are the potential Medicaid cuts Republicans might pursue.

Central bank holds key rate steady

The Fed left its key interest rate unchanged again Wednesday and gave no hint it plans to lower it soon as President Trump’s sweeping tariffs raise the risks of both another inflation spike and recession. But officials signaled they're growing increasingly concerned about both hazards. In a statement after a two-day meeting, the Fed gave a nod to the economy’s first-quarter contraction, noting tariff-related imports “have affected the data.” But it added “economic activity has continued to expand at a solid pace” and the job market remains “solid” while inflation “remains somewhat elevated.” That doesn’t sound like a Fed poised to lower rates in the short term.

Today's talkers

• Liam Payne's former girlfriend Cheryl was named administrator of a $32 million estate.
• This author "fixed" "The Giving Tree" with a new ending. 
• Why was the internet up in arms about Halle Berry's cutout Met Gala dress?
• Leighton Meester reflected on "Gossip Girl" costar Michelle Trachtenberg's death.
• The "Real Housewives of Rhode Island" is coming.
• Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet were red-carpet official in Italy.

A common enemy: The New World Screwworm

While the U.S. and Mexico may still be hashing out the tariff situation, the countries are again united on one common enemy: the New World Screwworm. A parasite, the New World Screwworm is actually a fly. Female screwworm flies lay eggs in wounds or body openings of mammals, including cows, deer, birds, pets, and even humans, that can lead to a sometimes fatal infection. The U.S. Agriculture Department eradicated the NWS parasite in 1966 by releasing sterile male flies and pupae to eventually lead to infertile screwworm flies, according to the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. But a risk of it returning remains.

Photo of the day: Welcome to the Mammoths

The Utah Hockey Club unveiled its new nickname, the Mammoth, and its logo Wednesday. "Tusks Up" will be the new NHL team's rallying cry.

Nicole Fallert is a newsletter writer at Paste BN, sign up for the email here. Want to send Nicole a note? Shoot her an email at NFallert@usatoday.com.