Good Morning! Today’s edition is 1,154 words, a 4-minute read.

What’s on tap: 

• Extreme rain causes US flooding

• TikTok sale postponed, again

• Middle name trends in 2025

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Big Story

Two States Work to Cut Income Tax

Mississippi and Kentucky are working to potentially eliminate their income taxes on wages and salaries, something no state has done in about 45 years.

• Mississippi's plan could zero out income taxes by 2040 if revenue triggers are met, while Kentucky requires legislative approval for each reduction step toward zero. The last state to cut broad-based personal income tax was Alaska in 1980.

• Currently, eight states charge no personal income tax (Alaska, Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, and Wyoming), with Washington only taxing certain capital gains.

• Supporters argue eliminating income taxes will attract businesses and residents while boosting economies to rival Florida and Texas. However, critics warn these plans could make states reliant on other levies, like sales tax, which disproportionately affect lower-income residents.

• Other states are making similar moves—Oklahoma's House passed a gradual income tax elimination bill now in their Senate, while Missouri's governor is pushing for phaseout legislation that would begin by exempting capital gains income from taxes. (Learn about capital gains tax here)

Big Story

UConn Women Win NCAA Title

UConn dominated South Carolina 82-59 in the NCAA women's basketball final on Sunday, completing their run through three No. 1 seeds to claim their first championship since 2016.

• The victory was especially meaningful for senior star Paige Bueckers, who overcame injury setbacks earlier in her college career to win her first title before likely becoming the WNBA's No. 1 draft pick on April 14.

• Freshman Sarah Strong made history with 24 points, setting an NCAA tournament record for points by a freshman in a single tournament (114). UConn took control early, leading by 10 at halftime and never letting South Carolina back in the game.

• On the men’s side, the Florida Gators and Houston Cougars advanced to the NCAA tournament final with wins on Saturday. The final is tonight at 8:50 pm ET.

• Florida is making its first title game appearance since it went back to back in 2006 and 2007 after beating Auburn 79-73. Gator guard Walter Clayton Jr. had a career-high 34 points and is an early favorite for tournament MVP.

• Duke looked like they had Houston under control for most of the game but went cold, scoring one basket in the final 10 minutes. The Blue Devils still had a 6-point lead with 1:14 remaining, but the Cougars ended the game on a 9-0 run in the last 33 seconds to win the game 70-67.

Big Story

US Flooding

Rising rivers and relentless rainfall have caused catastrophic flooding across the South and Midwest, killing at least 18 people and forcing evacuations.

• Rising water along the Kentucky and Tennessee rivers has submerged multiple cities and forced local governments to shut off power and gas. There were nearly 1,000 flights canceled over the weekend and 6,400 delays due to the storms, according to FlightAware.com.

• Record-breaking rainfall has overwhelmed communities - Jonesboro, Arkansas experienced its wettest April day since record-keeping began in 1893, while Memphis got 14 inches of rain since Wednesday. The National Weather Service warns dozens of locations will reach "major flood stage" with extensive damage to infrastructure.

• Forecasters attribute the violent weather to a combination of warm temperatures, unstable atmosphere, strong winds, and Gulf moisture. The crisis continues with flash flood warnings and possible tornadoes threatening Alabama, Georgia, and Florida in the coming days.

Quick Stories

US News

• Thousands protested Trump's policies in coordinated "Hands Off!" demonstrations across all 50 states. Rallies targeted government downsizing, economic policies, immigration, and human rights issues. Events remained peaceful with no reported arrests. (More)

• The Senate passed a budget resolution Saturday. Now the House must approve it before the chambers negotiate on a final bill. Their plan aims to make Trump's first-term tax cuts permanent, allow $1.5 trillion in new cuts, and raise the debt ceiling by $5 trillion. (More)

• Over 50 countries have reached out to negotiate after Trump's new tariffs sent markets into a tailspin. However, Treasury Secretary Bessent said don't expect quick fixes though, as these trade issues can't be "negotiated away in days." (More)

World

• North Korea hosted its first Pyongyang Marathon since COVID, welcoming foreign athletes as part of celebrations for Kim Il Sung's birthday. Runners from China, Ethiopia, and other countries joined the event. (More)

• Ukraine will send representatives to Washington next week to negotiate a new deal giving the US access to its minerals. These include titanium, lithium, and uranium—critical resources for aircraft, batteries, and nuclear power. (More)

• Up to 150,000 protesters flooded Madrid's streets while demonstrations erupted in 40 other Spanish cities. Rally-goers demanded government action to make homes affordable again. (More)

Business & Economy

• Apple will keep TikTok on its App Store for 75 more days after Trump extended the ban deadline again. ByteDance must sell TikTok's US operations under Biden's 2024 national security law. (More)

• Jaguar Land Rover has paused all US-bound vehicles after Trump imposed a 25% import tariff. The UK automaker is reassessing strategy for America—its second largest export market—where UK-US car trade was worth $10.4 billion last year. (More)

• BP's Chair Helge Lund will step down in 2026, saying "now is the right time" for succession planning after resetting company strategy. The announcement follows BP's profit plunge from $14 billion to $8.9 billion. (More)

Sports & Entertainment

• Alexander Ovechkin made hockey history Sunday, scoring his 895th goal to break Wayne Gretzky's 25-year NHL scoring record. (More)

• Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard earn dual 2025 Basketball Hall of Fame inductions, individually and as members of the 2008 Olympic "Redeem Team." WNBA stars Sue Bird, Maya Moore, and Sylvia Fowles also join the 2025 class. (More)

• Billy McFarland, who served prison time for fraud after 2018's failed Fyre Festival, claims Fyre Festival 2 is happening in Mexico in mid-2025. However local government is saying the event “isn’t and won’t occur in our city.” (More)

Science, Health, & Tech

• Archaeologists found what might be North America's oldest complete weapon system in a cave in Texas’ Big Bend National Park. It has been untouched for 6,000 years. (More)

• Northwestern scientists created "dancing molecules" therapy that jumpstarts cartilage repair. It triggers repair genes in four hours and produces essential rebuilding proteins within three days. (More)

• A second unvaccinated school-aged child in West Texas has died from measles complications, specifically "measles pulmonary failure." The child had no underlying health conditions. (More)

Extra Credit

🤮 Your brain remembers what gave you food poisoning. 

🛻 The best selling vehicle in every US state in 2024.

👶 Middle name trends for 2025.

🥸 Charting the most common types of fraud in the US.