NATIONAL HEADLINES

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Hundreds of high-profile world leaders are flying into Rome today ahead of Pope Francis' funeral as thousands of Catholic faithful queue at the Vatican to pay their respects on the final day of his lying in state.  At least 130 foreign delegations had confirmed their attendance at the pontiff's funeral in St. Peter Basilica's tomorrow, including around 50 heads of state and 10 reigning monarchs, the Vatican has said.  US President Donald Trump, Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky, and Argentine President Javier Milei are among the heads of state converging on the Italian capital today.  Click here for the full story.  

The federal government says it will start enforcing Real ID requirements at U.S. airports starting May 7 — for real this time.  That means travelers will need a Real ID-compliant license or other accepted form of identification like a passport to get through security before a domestic U.S. flight.  The Transportation Security Administration said 81% of people approaching airport checkpoints already have Real ID-compliant identification, but not all.  Click here for more on this story.  

Click here to read about how three U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drones have been shot down by Houthi militants in Yemen this past week, bringing the number of drones that have been brought down by the Houthis since March 15, when the Trump administration began a sustained air campaign against the militant group, to six, according to a U.S. official. 

Without giving his name, who asked to be identified only as “S” to protect his identity.

“My name is my choice, and it is the first of many choices I will make for myself now that I am free,” said the 32-year-old man who set a Connecticut home on fire in February to escape the place where he allegedly endured more than 20 years of captivity, abuse and starvation at the hands of his stepmother.  Click here for what he said and the full story.  

Click here to read about how if you’ve received a text claiming you owe unpaid tolls, you’re not alone.  Over 60,000 complaints were made to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center last year about unpaid toll scams. People all over the country are being contacted, mostly via text messages, and being told they owe money for highway tolls.  It just ain't so.  Click here for more.

In addition to Texas, Michigan is now reporting the state’s first measles outbreak since 2019, defined as at least three or more related cases, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). Three cases were confirmed in Montcalm County, according to a MDHHS statement.  Click here for more on this story.

In the dusty outskirts of Seminole, Texas — just past the cotton fields and under the relentless spring sun — Peter Hildebrand stands outside a gas station, his eyes rimmed red and voice cracking with grief.  'She did not die of the measles,' he said of his daughter, Daisy. 'If there's one thing you should know, it's that. She was failed.'  Eight-year-old Daisy Hildebrand is the second child to die in the escalating measles outbreak gripping West Texas, where antivaccine conspiracy thinking has become rife and there has been an erosion of trust in public institutions.  Click for more.

DOGE leader Elon Musk revealed at a Cabinet meeting Thursday just how much cash DOGE is expected to save U.S. taxpayers as the group cuts down government waste.

Sitting in the West Wing's Cabinet Room before all the president's deputies, the Tesla CEO announced that DOGE will save $150 billion in FY2026.  'Thanks to your fantastic leadership, this amazing Cabinet and the very talented DOGE team, I'm excited to announce that we anticipate savings in FY 26 from reduction of waste and fraud by $150 billion,' Musk proclaimed at the meeting.   He said some of the government programs the agency stumbled upon were 'absurd' and 'crazy.'   Click here for the full story.  

Click here to read about how the “Frankenjet,” a stealth fighter stitched together from the parts of two F-35s wrecked in accidents that is now on duty and combat ready.  “’Frankenjet’” is fully operational and ready to support the warfighter,” a report from the military’s F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) said on Wednesday.

Click here to read about how a babysitter looked under a bed to reassure a worried child that there wasn’t a monster hiding there — and came face-to-face with a man who wasn’t supposed to be there, a sheriff’s office in Kansas said in a news release.  The 27-year-old was booked into jail this week after a struggle with the babysitter that knocked the child to the ground.