Good morning! Today’s edition is 644 words, a 3-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Bobby Cox passes

• Hentavirus update

• Best theme parks

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*Editor’s note: I’ll have limited internet access until May 26, so The Neutral will shift to a shortened 5-day format, with weekday editions resembling Saturday’s edition. Regular 6-day publishing will resume when I’m back. — Adam

Today’s Big Story

Super El Niño?

• Seasonal climate models are predicting a potentially record-breaking El Niño event beginning mid-2026. The World Meteorological Organization said Friday there is high confidence in the onset, with further intensification expected in the months ahead.

• El Niño is a cyclical warming of equatorial Pacific waters that redistributes heat globally, triggering stronger heat waves, more intense floods, and worsening drought. The subsurface warm water anomalies now building in the Pacific are among the largest ever recorded. That raises the possibility of a "super El Niño," the strongest category of event. Combined with the planet's existing warming trend, researchers expect record global temperatures later this year or next.

• In the US, the summer is expected to be hotter than normal with more frequent thunderstorms in the Southwest. The event would also suppress Atlantic hurricane activity and increase drought across the Caribbean.

Quick Hits

• A Frontier Airlines jet killed a pedestrian on a Denver runway Friday night after the person breached a fence and ran into the plane's path during takeoff. The engine caught fire, smoke filled the cabin, and 224 passengers and seven crew evacuated via emergency slides. Twelve people reported minor injuries. The FAA and NTSB are investigating. The pedestrian has not been identified and is not believed to have been an airport employee. (More)

• Bobby Cox, the Hall of Fame manager who led the Atlanta Braves to 14 straight division titles and the 1995 World Series championship, died Saturday at 84. Cox took over a last-place team in 1990 and built one of baseball's greatest dynasties, finishing with 2,504 wins — fourth all-time. Cox was known for his old-school loyalty and fatherly style, and was ejected from a record 158 games. (More)

• Trump rejected Iran's ceasefire counterproposal as "totally unacceptable" Sunday, while Iran vowed it would "never bow," deepening a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran demanded war reparations, sanctions relief, and control of the strait, while rejecting U.S. demands to dismantle its nuclear program. Oil prices jumped above $100 a barrel on Monday. (More)

• European law enforcement broke up what it calls a major cocaine highway in the Atlantic, seizing more than 12 tons of cocaine and 9.5 tons of hashish during a two-week operation in April. Eight vessels were intercepted and 54 people arrested. Europol said traffickers have shifted to mid-ocean transfers between Latin America and Europe, breaking shipments into stages to avoid detection at ports. (More)

• The cruise ship with a hantavirus outbreak began evacuating its roughly 150 passengers in Tenerife, Spain, on Sunday. A French woman who flew home tested positive, and her condition worsened overnight. One American among 17 flown to Nebraska also tested positive but has no symptoms. Passengers were screened before leaving the MV Hondius and transported in full protective gear. (More)

• Iran's internet blackout has now lasted more than 70 days, paralyzing the economy and costing an estimated $250 million a day in direct losses and up to $3 billion a day when banks and traditional businesses are included. About two million jobs have been lost. The blackout began during the January protests and resumed when the war started on February 28, making it the longest and most complete state-ordered shutdown on record, surpassing even China. (More)

Extra Credit

Two names top most popular US baby names for 7th year in a row.

Ranking the best theme parks in the world.

Watch: Tax breaks most Americans don’t know about.

How to bring up pet peeves with your partner.