Birmingham, Ala., and Tampa Bay top payroll processor ADP's new rankings of the best U.S. metros for recent college grads, Axios' Sami Sparber reports.

• That's based on wages, hiring rates and cost of living data.

💵 ADP credits Greater Birmingham's rise to solid hiring and wage growth, saying the area "posted a strong 2.8% hiring rate, and median annual wages for recent graduates jumped more than 16% to $59,004."

• Birmingham took the No. 1 spot from Raleigh, another Southern economic powerhouse.

🤖 West Coast tech hubs San Francisco and San Jose also had a strong showing, despite concerns over AI's impact on entry-level software jobs.

• Salt Lake City came in dead last, with weak hiring and below-median wages and affordability.

The bottom line: Entry-level hiring is rebounding. But young professionals' prospects depend on the specific role, sector and location, The Wall Street Journal reports (gift link).

• Go deeper.

Pope Leo XIV marked the first anniversary of his election today with a visit to the ancient city of Pompeii and a fresh call for peace.

• Leo said in a homily: "May the God of peace pour out an overflowing abundance of mercy, touching hearts, soothing grudges and fratricidal hatred, and enlightening those who bear special responsibilities of governance." Go deeper.

1. 🕯️Philip Caputo — Pulitzer-winning Chicago Tribune investigative reporter and foreign correspondent, and author of the Vietnam memoir "A Rumor of War" — died of cancer at 84 last night at home in Norwalk, Conn. One of his sons, Axios' Marc Caputo, began a Facebook tribute: "Philip Caputo never wanted it to end this way: peacefully and in his own home. He hoped to die in the manner in which he lived — dramatically and with panache — as a writer, adventurer, warrior, sportsman, and raconteur." N.Y. Times obit (gift link) ... Marc's post.
2. 🧑‍⚖️ The Virginia Supreme Court overturned the commonwealth's redistricting referendum, a major win for Republicans and huge blow for Dems in the midcycle redistricting battle. More from Axios Richmond.
3. 🛸 The Pentagon has begun posting UFO documents, fulfilling an order from President Trump. No photos of little green men: The initial batch includes videos open to interpretation. Go deeper.
4. 👾 Nintendo is hiking Switch 2 prices by $50, to nearly $500. It's the latest sign of higher consumer costs driven by the Iran war, tariffs and a computer memory crunch. Go deeper.

🦍 David Attenborough, among the world's foremost wildlife experts and environmental activists, turned 100 today. The BBC is hosting a party at the Royal Albert Hall. Cinemas are playing his nature films. And friends have spent weeks lavishing praise on the man and his work.

• Prince Harry writes in TIME: "In Attenborough's approach, we find a vital lesson for our time: that wonder is a powerful precursor to protection, reminding us that we may only care for a world that we have first learned to truly value."

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and his wife of 27 years, Fox News host Rachel Campos-Duffy, are returning to their reality-TV roots:

• They loaded up their kids for "The Great American Road Trip," an online series tied to civic engagement and reinvigoration for America's 250th.

The secretary's thesis: "To love America is to see America."

• The five episodes begin dropping in early June.

Their nine kids range from age 6 to 26. Different assortments joined various cross-country stops over the past seven months, including the "Rocky" steps in Philadelphia and a kickoff with President Trump in the Oval Office.

• The secretary starred in MTV's "The Real World" in his 20s, and met Campos-Duffy while filming "Road Rules: All Stars."

The production was funded by The Great American Road Trip Inc., a business-backed nonprofit 501(c)(4) that partnered with the Transportation Department.

• Watch the trailer ... Video from this morning's "Fox & Friends."