Good morning. Here are some of the stories we’re following today:
1. Polls open in Ireland for historic gay marriage vote
Millions of voters went to the polls in Ireland on Friday to decide whether to allow gay marriage — a referendum that could make the Catholic country the first in the world to adopt it by popular vote. Polling stations will remain open until 10 p.m. local time (5 p.m. ET). The country's government and major employers have endorsed the reform, while the church is opposed. Read more in NEWS.
2. Obama: ‘I don’t think we’re losing’ to ISIS
President Barack Obama said in an interview with The Atlantic that Iraqi forces — backed by the U.S. — are still holding up against the terror network even as it gains ground in the region. ISIS captured the Iraqi city of Ramadi last week, renewing questions about the state and effectiveness of the Iraqi military, and captured the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra this week. Read more in NEWS.
3. Bomb maker who killed U.S. sergeant gets 38 years
Anis Abid Sardar, a British taxi driver, was sentenced Friday for his role in a bomb-making campaign that killed Sgt. Randy Johnson in Iraq in 2007. Sardar was convicted of murder after his fingerprints were found on two bombs. The landmark prosecution was the first time anyone has been convicted in a British court for murder during the Iraq war. Read more in NEWS.
4. Oil spill cleanup continues as crews look for cause
The cleanup on a beach near Santa Barbara, California, continues after a devastating pipeline rupture spewed as much as 105,000 gallons of oil. Wildlife officials counted at least five oil-coated brown pelicans Thursday along with dead fish and crustaceans. The beach could be closed for weeks, while the true impact on the water and wildlife may not be understood for years, scientists say. Read more in NEWS.
5. Radio captures fatal shooting of Omaha cop
Even as they were engaged in a fierce pursuit and gunbattle with a fugitive, officers in Omaha, Nebraska, were desperately trying to save the life of fallen colleague Kerrie Orozco, police radio calls reveal. Orozco, 29, a seven-year Omaha police veteran, died Wednesday from a gunshot wound that struck her in the chest. It was her last shift before she was to start leave to take care of a daughter born prematurely in February. Read more in NEWS.
6. Baltimore grand jury indicts six officers in Freddie Gray death
A grand jury has indicted the six Baltimore officers involved in the death of 25-year-old Gray, who succumbed to spinal injuries last month about a week after being taken into custody. The grand jury's charges differed slightly from those filed by the city's top prosecutor on May 1, when she announced the results of her office's independent investigation of Gray's death. Read more in NEWS.
7. Boy Scouts president wants to drop gay adults ban
Robert Gates, the president of the Boy Scouts of America, urged the organization to drop its ban on gay adults, saying the policy would eventually crumble under the weight of social, political and legal forces. Gates, the former U.S. secretary of defense, said during a national Scouts meeting that he wasn't specifically asking the national board to immediately overturn the ban, but recommended getting ahead of it so the group doesn't get thrown into disarray by a court ruling. Read more in NEWS.
Nightly Spotlight
Stacie and Lincoln Chapman warn of a tragic decision they nearly made based on a blood test of their unborn baby’s DNA that turned out to be wrong.