Catch up on the day’s stories: Cities charging tourist taxes, Miss USA turmoil, popular baby names
👋 Welcome to 5 Things PM! The Miss USA organization has been engulfed in turmoil after the recent resignations of Miss USA Noelia Voigt and Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava within a matter of days. Their mothers described a nightmarish situation where the titleholders were “ill-treated, abused, bullied and cornered.” Their daughters are prevented from speaking out because of non-disclosure agreements.
Here’s what else you might have missed during your busy day:
5 things
1️⃣ Tourist taxes: Dozens of popular vacation destinations are charging fees to deal with the influx of millions of visitors. It’s a controversial strategy for cities such as Venice and Barcelona, and it remains to be seen what the long-term impacts might be. Just something to keep in mind when you’re planning your next getaway.
2️⃣ Self-driving cars: Two autonomous driving companies are under federal investigation following incidents in which their vehicles behaved erratically. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration probe involves Waymo and Zoox.
3️⃣ Weight loss challenges: Some people who have shed pounds say comments about their appearance still feel like a double-edged sword. They’re encouraged by their progress but warned that losing weight doesn’t automatically solve all of their problems.
4️⃣ Ancient trees: Climate experts are using trees to gain a better understanding of global warming. They analyzed weather data and tree rings to determine that last summer was the hottest in at least 2,000 years.
5️⃣ Baby names: Sure, the familiar ones are still very popular — Liam and Noah, Olivia and Emma — but a new arrival that cracked the top 10 list this year might surprise you.
Watch this
👀 Off the grid: Thousands of people around the world are giving communal living a try. CNN visited one such community in Wales to learn how they make it work.
Top headlines
Trump’s attorneys cross-examine Michael Cohen in an attempt to discredit his testimony
At least 8 killed and 45 hurt after a bus carrying farm workers crashes in Florida
Alice Munro, Nobel Prize winner and ‘master of the short story,’ dies at 92
3,000
❗That’s about how many more air traffic controllers the FAA needs to hire to address a critical staffing shortage that has contributed to flight delays and several near collisions.
Check this out
📸 Hidden gems: Photographer Kate Medley captures gas stations in the South that offer delicious and diverse food such as crawfish étouffée, tamales and Cajun-style bánh mì.
Listen in
🎧 Feeling good: Sometimes all you need to do is say “thank you,” and those two simple words can work wonders for your mental and physical well-being.
Looking ahead
🏀 Tonight: The WNBA season tips off with four games, and all eyes will be on Caitlin Clark in her pro debut with the Indiana Fever. The Las Vegas Aces are the defending champs.
Good vibes
😎 We like to wrap things up on a positive note:
Tamiah Brevard-Rodriguez, a PhD student at Rutgers University, wanted to finish her dissertation before giving birth. The baby had other plans, so she defended her dissertation via Zoom, from her hospital bed, just hours after delivering her son Enzo. Appropriately, her graduation ceremony fell on Mother’s Day.
Thanks for reading
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