The woman was confined to her room by clutter, and a Long Island wildlife rehabilitator faces charges. The authorities found everything from cats to voles, many of them in dire conditions.
Novels by Karen Russell and Bryan Washington are among those vying for the award in fiction, while books about Gaza, foster care and women in Russia are up for the nonfiction prize.
The national air space has long been reeling from a staffing crisis among air traffic controllers, as the F.A.A. grapples with a shortage of about 3,000 controllers.