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What’s in a name? Pope Leo XIV’s choice signals a commitment to social justice
SCHIAVON, Italy — Pope Leo XIV ‘s choice of name signals a commitment to social justice that is very much in line with the late Pope Francis ’ global ministry. “I think a lot us had a question mark when they elected an American, and then he selected the name...
Catholic Chicagoans celebrate as native son Pope Leo XIV becomes first American pope
CHICAGO — After white smoke billowed Thursday from the Sistine Chapel, signaling that a pope had been chosen, students in every classroom at The Frances Xavier Warde School in Chicago had their eyes glued to TV screens. As the image of the new pope, Chicago native Cardinal Robert Prevost, appeared...
Pope Leo XIV brings hope to Chicago sports fans, and the Knicks for their Villanova ties
The sports loyalties of Pope Leo XIV became a topic of conversation almost as soon as the white smoke emerged from the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel. Elected on Thursday, Robert Prevost is the first pope from the United States in the history of the Catholic Church. The Chicago-born missionary, who took...
Pope Leo XIV celebrates first Mass as pope, says his election is a cross and a blessing
VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV, history’s first North American pope, said Friday that his election was both a cross and a blessing as he celebrated his first Mass in Sistine Chapel. Leo spoke off-the-cuff in English to the cardinals who elected him to lead the Catholic Church and follow...
Most Americans disapprove of Trump’s treatment of colleges, a new AP-NORC poll finds
WASHINGTON — A majority of U.S. adults disapprove of President Donald Trump’s handling of issues related to colleges and universities, according to a new poll, as his administration ramps up threats to cut federal funding unless schools comply with his political agenda. More than half of Americans, 56%, disapprove of...
President Donald Trump fires Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump abruptly fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on Thursday as the White House continues to purge the federal government of those perceived to oppose the president and its agenda. The dismissal was disclosed in statements from three top House Democrats and confirmed by a separate...
Trump seeks tax hike on wealthy earning $2.5 million or more
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump is pushing lawmakers to increase tax rates on some of the wealthiest Americans as a way to offset other cuts in his signature economic package. The president’s proposal calls for creating a new 39.6% tax bracket for individuals earning at least $2.5 million, or couples...
Trump says he’s naming Fox News host and former judge Jeanine Pirro as top federal prosecutor in D.C.
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is naming Fox News host Jeanine Pirro, a former county prosecutor and elected judge, to be the top federal prosecutor for the nation’s capital after abandoning his first pick for the job. Pirro, who joined Fox News in 2006, cohosts the...
Up to 1,000 transgender troops being moved out of the military in new Pentagon order
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon will immediately begin moving as many as 1,000 openly identifying transgender service members out of the military and give others 30 days to self-identify, under a new directive issued Thursday. Buoyed by Tuesday’s Supreme Court decision allowing the Trump administration to enforce a ban on transgender...
U.S. to stop tracking costs of extreme weather fueled by climate change
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will no longer track the cost of climate change-fueled weather disasters, including floods, heat waves, wildfires and more. It is the latest example of changes to the agency and the Trump administration limiting federal government resources on climate change. NOAA falls under the U.S....
U.S. infant mortality dropped in 2024. Experts partly credit RSV shots
NEW YORK — The nation’s infant mortality rate dropped last year after two years of hovering at a late-pandemic plateau. Some experts think one reason for the drop could be a vaccination campaign against RSV, or respiratory syncytial virus, which is a common cause of cold-like symptoms that can be...
Florida man gored by bison in year’s 1st attack by Yellowstone’s most dangerous wild animal
YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. — A Yellowstone National park visitor from Florida was gored by a bison — the first such violent encounter of 2025 — just weeks into the busy summer season. Park officials repeated a frequent warning: Don’t get too close to wildlife. The 47-year-old man did just...
FEMA’s acting administrator replaced a day after congressional testimony
WASHINGTON — The Federal Emergency Management Agency faced fresh upheaval Thursday just weeks before the start of hurricane season when the acting administrator was pushed out and replaced by another official from the Department of Homeland Security. The abrupt change came the day after Cameron Hamilton, a former Navy SEAL...
Democrats block stablecoin bill as they raise concerns about Trump’s crypto ventures
WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats have blocked legislation to regulate stablecoins, a form of cryptocurrency, after arguing that the bill needed stronger protections and airing concerns that it could help President Donald Trump enrich himself. The bill, which would regulate how stablecoin issuers operate in the U.S., had previously won some...
Trump says he’ll pull the nomination of Ed Martin for D.C. U.S. Attorney after concerns of partisanship
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would pull his nomination of Ed Martin Jr. to be the top federal prosecutor for the nation’s capital, bowing to bipartisan concerns about the conservative activist’s modest legal experience and divisive politics. Trump abandoned his pick to lead the nation’s largest...
House follows Trump’s lead with a vote to change the Gulf of Mexico to ‘Gulf of America’
WASHINGTON — The Republican-led House passed a bill Thursday that would rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and direct federal agencies to update their documents and maps to incorporate the new name. President Donald Trump already signed an executive order during his first day in office...
Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, overcame a taboo against a U.S. pontiff
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis brought Robert Prevost to the Vatican in 2023 as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church. On Thursday, he ascended to become Pope Leo XIV — the first American pontiff. Prevost, 69,...
Robert Prevost, first American pope in history of the Catholic Church, will take the name Leo XIV
VATICAN CITY — Robert Prevost, the Chicago-born missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and took over the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, was elected the first pope from the United States in the history of the Catholic Church on Thursday. Prevost, a 69-year-old member of the Augustinian religious...
This conclave to choose a new pope was short — but not the shortest ever
VATICAN CITY — How long does it take to choose a pope? In this case, it took only two days for Catholic cardinals to elect a successor to Pope Francis. That’s among the shortest conclaves in recent decades, but not the shortest ever. It’s hard to be precise, since the...
Joe Biden blames Kamala Harris’ loss on sexism and racism, rejects age concerns
NEW YORK — Former President Joe Biden says he’s responsible for Donald Trump’s victory last fall, but he attributed Kamala Harris ’ loss, at least in part, to sexism and racism. Biden, who left office in January, addressed the Democrats’ disastrous 2024 election, concerns about his age and Trump’s divisive...
White smoke pours out of the Sistine Chapel chimney, signaling the election of a new popeVideo
VATICAN CITY — White smoke poured from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel and the great bells of St. Peter’s Basilica tolled Thursday after cardinals elected the 267th pope to lead the Catholic Church on the second day of their conclave. The crowd in St. Peter’s Square erupted in cheers,...
Trump keeps 10% tariffs on UK but cuts taxes on British autos, steel and aluminum with trade deal
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump agreed Thursday to cut tariffs on U.K. autos, steel and aluminum in a planned trade deal but played down the possibility of other nations getting similarly favorable terms on his import taxes, which are roiling the global economy. Under the framework agreement, the United Kingdom...
Lawyers for man executed by firing squad in South Carolina say bullets mostly missed his heart
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A man who was put to death last month in South Carolina’s second firing squad execution was conscious and likely in extreme pain for as long as a minute after the bullets, meant to quickly stop his heart, struck him lower than expected, according to a pathologist...
Cancer before age 50 is increasing. A new study looks at which types
Cancer before age 50 is rare, but increasing, in the United States and researchers want to know why. A new government study provides the most complete picture yet of early-onset cancers, finding that the largest increases are in breast, colorectal, kidney and uterine cancers. Scientists from the National Cancer Institute...
