News Wrap: Farmworker bus crash kills at least 8 in Florida

Amna Nawaz:

At least eight people were killed and dozens injured in a bus crash in Central Florida. Officials say 53 farmworkers were aboard, headed to work, when their bus collided with a truck, swerved off the road and landed on its side.

A Florida Highway Patrol official said it could take months to determine exactly what caused the accident.

Lt. Pat Riordan, Florida Highway Patrol:

At this point, we are conducting a massive traffic homicide investigation. We have a full team and then some here on the scene. This will be a very long and lengthy and thorough investigation. We do not get in a hurry to conclude what happened until we have all the facts.

Amna Nawaz:

The driver of the other vehicle involved in the collision was also hospitalized with serious injuries.

At least three people have been killed in severe storms across a number of Southern states. In Louisiana, tornadoes toppled power lines on Monday night and flipped cars upside down. The region had already suffered weather-related damage this spring in one of the most active periods for tornadoes on record.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Ukraine to show support for the country's war against Russia. He is the first U.S. official to visit since Congress passed a $61 billion aid package last month. Blinken met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv today. He promised that American arms will help beat back Russian advances.

Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State: The assistance is now on the way. Some of it has already arrived. More of it will be arriving. And that's going to make a real difference against the ongoing Russian aggression on the battlefield. And we're determined, along with many other partners for Ukraine, to make sure that you succeed on the battlefield.

Amna Nawaz:

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron announced today that he will send a new military aid package to Ukraine in the coming weeks.

Russia struck the center of Ukraine's second largest city today, part of an increase of attacks. Authorities in Kharkiv say at least 17 people were injured when a high-rise residential building was hit. A fire broke out at the scene of another strike. Police carried out more evacuations of the region and say more than 7,500 people have fled so far.

A manhunt is under way in Northwestern France after a brazen ambush of a prison convoy that killed two guards and injured three others. Authorities say a drug dealer known as The Fly was being transported to jail when his van came under attack, as seen in this CCTV footage. He escaped, and the assailants are at large. Hundreds of police officers are investigating the scene.

France's prime minister vowed to bring justice.

Gabriel Attal, Prime Minister of France (through interpreter): Everything will be done to find the perpetrators of this despicable crime. We will spare no effort, no means. We will track them down. We will find them and they will pay.

Amna Nawaz:

Officials say the escaped prisoner was recently convicted of burglary and is under investigation for a kidnapping and homicide case.

In the Middle East, the United Nations says more than half-a-million Palestinians have been displaced in recent days, as Israel escalates attacks on both ends of the Gaza Strip. Most people are fleeing Rafah in the south, where Israel is targeting the last Hamas stronghold; 100,000 people were also ordered to leave the north.

In the meantime, the White House has condemned the burning of an aid convoy bound for Gaza by Israeli settlers. No food has made it through Southern Gaza's two main border crossings in the past week.

Harvard University reached an agreement with student protesters today to end the pro-Palestinian encampment in the school's Harvard Yard. As part of the deal, university officials agreed to address calls for divestment and will begin the process of reinstating suspended students.

The latest reading on U.S. wholesale prices shows that inflation remains stubbornly high. The Labor Department said today that its Producer Price Index rose half-a-percent from march to April. That is more than expected. Compared to last April, prices were up 2.2 percent, the biggest increase in a year.

The reading tracks price changes before they reach consumers and are a good barometer of where overall inflation is heading.

And on Wall Street today, worries over that wholesale data were offset by comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who downplayed any talk of a possible interest rate hike. The Dow Jones industrial average gained 126 points to close at 39558. The Nasdaq rose nearly 123 points to close at a record high. The S&P 500 tacked on 25 points.

And a literary passing of note. Alice Munro has died. The Canadian literary giant and Nobel laureate was a master of the short story and one of the most esteemed writers of her time. Munro's best-known fiction included "The Beggar Maid" and "Corrie."

In a statement, her Canadian publisher said — quote — "Alice Munro is a national treasure," adding that: "Her work leaves an indelible mark on our literary landscape." She'd been in poor health for years and often spoke of retirement, including in this clip from 2006.

Alice Munro, Author:

I think about stopping writing. I say it with perfect honesty. I believe in it. I believe that there is such a thing as a normal life, and that I am going to find it someday.

(Laughter)

Amna Nawaz:

Fortunately for us, she kept writing.

Her last work, a collection called "Dear Life," came out in 2012. Alice Munro was 92 years old.