Here's the stories you'll be talking about on the New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show with Eric Scott on Wednesday:

⬛ Worst air pollution in NJ: See where your county ranks

🔵 NJ gets grades for air pollution
🔵 Ozone levels, particle pollution measured
🔵 Main source has changed over decades

New Jersey’s air pollution has grown more concerning in some areas over the past year — and the biggest sources are different than a couple decades ago.

Nearly half the country — 156 million people, or 46% — live in an area that received a failing grade for at least one measure of air pollution, according to this year’s “State of the Air” report by the American Lung Association.

Of New Jersey’s 21 counties, 15 could be graded for at least one measure of air quality.

⬛ 3rd gun this month confiscated at Newark Airport

✈ A gun was found at a TSA checkpoint at Newark Airport on Monday
✈ It's the third gun found in a month at the airport
✈ Guns are not allowed in carry-on bags

NEWARK — A Philadelphia man was arrested at Newark Liberty International Airport on Monday after Transportation Security Administration officers found him with a gun when he entered a security checkpoint at Terminal A.

The .40 caliber handgun was loaded with four bullets, TSA officials said. Port Authority police confiscated the weapon and ammunition and arrested the man.

This is the third gun detected by TSA officers at the airport this month, and the 10th so far this year. In 2024, TSA officers stopped 21 guns at Newark Airport’s checkpoints.

⬛ Flemington man held by ICE has exhausted all appeals

✅ Karim Daoud has been in the U.S. for over 20 years
✅ He is an 'overstay' who came to the U.S. on a tourist visa
✅ ICE says Daoud has exhausted all due process and appeals

FLEMINGTON — A father of two taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents does not have a criminal background but has overstayed his welcome in the United States.

Karim Daoud has been detained at the Elizabeth ICE detention center since March 12, when he went to the Intensive Supervision Appearance Program office to pick up documents to fulfill his work authorization requirement, according to a GoFundMe campaign.

After being told there was a "mistake" that needed to be cleared up at ICE's Newark facility, Daoud was taken into custody.

U.S. Sen. Andy Kim, D-N.J., and U.S. Rep. Rob Menendez, D-N.J. 8th District, visited with Daoul on Thursday. During that visit, Kim asked about Daoul's criminal history and why he was being held.

"He has spent 21 years in the United States, married to a U.S. citizen, two U.S. citizen kids, and ICE themselves told me he has no criminal background, no criminal history," Kim said on CBS News New York's "The Point with Marcia Kramer."

⬛ Ocean County Sheriff at Trump signing of 'sanctuary states' order

🚨Ocean County sheriff was in the Oval Office for the signing of an executive order
🚨The order directs law enforcement to publish places that don't assist ICE
🚨Sheriff Mastronardy said he will enforce whatever is law

Ocean County Sheriff Mike Mastronardy was one of several members of law enforcement in the Oval Office as President Donald Trump signed an executive order empowering law enforcement and cracking down on sanctuary cities.

The order requires state and federal officials to publish lists of “sanctuary city” jurisdictions, or places where local authorities often don’t cooperate in enforcing federal immigration regulations.

The elected Republican sheriff was right behind Trump in a photo posted by The Lakewood Scoop.

Mastronardy, vice president of the National Sheriffs Association, said he got the call to be part of the signing executive order signing after returning from a trip to Poland where he was part of The March of the Living from Auschwitz to Birkenau commemorating the Nazi death marches that took the lives of over 15,000 people.

"It was a very humbling experience," Mastronardy said, adding that he was not traveling with Gov. Phil Murphy, who was also at the march.

Trump was "very cordial, very warm and it was a good experience," the sheriff said.

⬛ Could the next pope be from New Jersey

✝ 10 cardinals from the U.S. will vote to elect a new pope
✝ The election process is a closely guarded secret
✝ New Jersey's Joseph Tobin has emerged as a possible candidate

Wanted: A holy man.

Job description: Leading the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic Church.

Location: Vatican City.

There are no official candidates for the papacy, but some cardinals are considered “papabile,” or possessing the characteristics necessary to become pope. After St. John Paul II broke the centurieslong Italian hold on the papacy in 1978, the field of contenders has broadened considerably.

But could the next pope be from the United States? Even from New Jersey?

Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the 72-year-old Archbishop of Newark, is one of ten cardinals from the United States who will vote on the selection of the next pope.

Some have suggested he could actually emerge from the secretive conclave wearing the white robes of the Papacy.

In his favor, some say, is his close relationship with Pope Francis and Tobin's vast ecclesiastic experience.

The odds would seem to be against Tobin. No American has ever been elected pope.

These are, however, different times and religious scholars say the church may look to broaden its appeal by the selection of a non-traditional leader.

Start your day with up-to-the-minute news, traffic and weather for the Garden State.

Eric Scott hosts the New Jersey 101.5 Morning Show from 6 - 10 a.m. on New Jersey 101.5.

Join the conversation by calling 1-800-283-1015 or download the NJ101.5 app.

Eric Scott is the senior political director and anchor for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at eric.scott@townsquaremedia.com

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