Good afternoon,

The biggest night in fashion — and possibly the most exclusive party of the year — is tonight: the Met Gala. Our question in this morning’s Mo News editorial meeting: Does anyone outside of New York City care?

• The gala is held every year on the first Monday in May and raises millions for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. The star-studded event showcases daring designs by the biggest names in fashion and about 450 guests.

  • Taking a risk with your outfit for the big night can be worth the reward (think Rihanna 2015… or any year), but can also fall flat.

• This year’s theme is "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style," celebrating Black style over three hundred years.

• The Vogue Livestream of the event starts at 6 pm ET. Watch Here

I fall into the pro–Met Gala coverage camp… and I don’t even like fashion (as I wear my uniform of a white Amazon T-shirt and unknown-brand jeans). But for the next two days, my Instagram will be filled with moments from the red carpet and I will be entertained. Plus, I love the lore of Anna Wintour and the night she curates — there’s a great documentary on it called “The First Monday in May.”

Lauren
Producer

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🚨 ONE IMPORTANT THING

Air Traffic Control Shortages Disrupt Northeast Travel, Spark Safety Fears

Air traffic control staffing issues continued to cause major delays on Monday at Newark Liberty International Airport — one of the three major airports serving the New York City area and busiest U.S. airports. Issues at the airport are now stretching into a second straight week. And, Aviation reporter Peter Greenberg told Mo News that "it's not just Newark, it's the Northeast Corridor" which runs from Boston to Washington, D.C. that is facing these staffing problems.

Thousands of flights have been delayed and hundreds canceled out of Newark amid staffing shortages, technical issues, and poor weather conditions over the last week. Greenberg said the news is unsurprising and a "perfect storm" has been brewing for years, which can be traced back to the Reagan administration when the president fired more than 11,000 air traffic controllers who were striking for better pay and working conditions.

WELCOME TO NEWARK
United Airlines, which has a major hub at Newark, announced over the weekend that it cut 35 round-trip flights per day from its schedule there. United CEO Scott Kirby said the airline had “no other choice in order to protect our customers,” alleging that more than 20% of FAA controllers at Newark walked off the job. That is on top of already short-staffing in the control towers at most of the nation’s airports.

• So, is it safe? Greenberg noted that United's move to reduce the flight load has made the airport safer, but it does not address the core staff problem which has been around for decades.

• The FAA manages an average of 45,000 flights daily in the U.S. "Nothing happened yesterday and nothing happened today, and we're obviously counting on the fact that nothing will happen tomorrow. But the fact that the ingredients are there to create a problem is enough of an alarm for us to fix it," Greenberg said.

  • Next step, he says, is getting a “national mandate” to bring about change and overhaul the aging system, bring in additional resources for new staff, and improve work conditions.

WHAT THE FEDS ARE DOING
It follows Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s announcement last week that the FAA is on track to hire at least 2,000 controllers this year, while acknowledging that the U.S. is facing a shortfall of about 3,000. The Department of Transportation has rolled out financial incentives to recruit new controllers and retain existing staff until retirement age.

• The issue: Working as an air traffic controller is a demanding job already, then understaffing forced workers into 10-hour days, six days a week.

  • To get hired, an applicant must be younger than 31 as the FAA mandates controllers retire by age 56 — further limiting the pool.

The mess at Newark comes after the January collision at Washington National Airport (DCA) between an American Airlines jet and an Army helicopter that made many people nervous about the safety of the American aviation system. The NTSB is still investigating the cause of the DCA crash, but a preliminary FAA report on the crash did note there was one air traffic controller doing the job of two the night of the crash.

🚨 ONE THING WE’RE WATCHING

Diddy’s Sex-Trafficking Trial Begins in NYC with Jury Selection

Music mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs’ sex-trafficking trial began today in New York City with jury selection.

• The hip-hop icon faces five counts related to leading a racketeering conspiracy that coerced women — including his ex-girlfriend, singer Cassie — into days-long, drug-fueled sex acts that he referred to as “freak-offs.”

  • The trial is expected to last 8 to 10 weeks, and he faces life in prison if convicted. Despite all the interest, don’t expect any video or audio from inside the courtroom since it is a federal trial.

INSIDE COURT
Combs has pleaded not guilty to the counts, with his lawyers expected to argue that the encounters were consensual with his long-time girlfriends.

• This case revolves around four alleged victims who are all expected to testify during the trial, including Cassie.

  • Cassie reached a deal with Combs in November 2023 for an undisclosed amount, one day after filing a lawsuit alleging the rapper raped and physical abused her.

  • Months later in May 2024, CNN released hotel surveillance video from 2016 that showed Combs beating, kicking, and dragging Cassie down a hallway. The judge has ruled that video can be shown during the trial.

Combs was arrested in September of 2024 and has been in custody since. There, he struck up a friendship with convicted crypto fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried.

JURY SELECTION
The jury is expected to be chosen within the next few days, with opening statements scheduled for Monday, May 12.

Jury selection in high-profile cases like this is complicated. The judge has already said she will not dismiss potential jurors just because they’ve seen the 2016 hotel surveillance video — but will do so if she believes it affects their ability to be unbiased.

• About 150 potential jurors are expected to be questioned individually by the judge about their views on the hip-hop industry, drug use, and people who engage in sexual relationships with multiple partners.

  • They will also be asked about their experiences with sexual assault. Again, jurors won’t be dismissed simply because they or their loved ones have a history with sexual abuse — only if the judge believes they cannot be impartial during the trial because of it.

⏳ SPEED READ

🚨NATION

📌 States sue Trump for meddling with wind energy projects (THE VERGE)

📌 Mass shooting at a restaurant in Glendale, Arizona leaves 3 dead, 7 injured (FOX)

📌 Twenty attorney generals sue Trump administration over mass firings at health agencies (NBC)

📌 Wisconsin woman missing nearly 63 years found “alive and well” (WISN)

🌎 AROUND THE WORLD

📌 Israel strikes Houthi targets in Yemen after Tel Aviv airport attack (CNN)

📌 Pope Francis’s Popemobile being turned into health clinic for children in Gaza (CBS)

📌 U.K. police arrest 7 Iranians in massive counterterrorism operation (ABC)

📌 American tourist impaled on Colosseum fence while taking selfie (NEW YORK POST)

📱BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH

📌 The internet mourns Skype, which shut down today (BUSINESS INSIDER)

📌 Skechers 👟 going private in nearly $10 billion deal (YAHOO)

📌 European Union looks to attract U.S. scientists with €500 million package (FRANCE 24)

📌 How to watch tonight’s Eta Aquarids meteor ☄️ shower (ABC)

🎬 SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT

📌 Trump announces 2027 NFL Draft 🏈 will take place in National Mall (NBC)

📌 White House walks back Trump's big Hollywood tariff announcement (USA TODAY)

📌 Dave Franco and Alison Brie star in upcoming body horror film, Together (PEOPLE)

📌 The Righteous Gemstones, HBO mega-church comedy, ⛪️ comes to an end (SLATE)

ICYMI FROM THE 📲

In case you missed it… Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, said in videos posted to his Instagram account Sunday that he will send two young men to Auschwitz as a learning opportunity after an act of antisemitism at one of his bars.

The men requested a sign reading “f— the Jews” with their bottle service at a Barstool Sports bar in Philadelphia on Saturday. Portnoy fired the waitresses involved, but is hoping he can better educate the two customers.

Portnoy’s response has drawn acclaim for Democrats and Republicans alike, including Hollywood’s Ben Stiller.