By electing Pope Leo XIV, some see Vatican making very American political play  —  (RNS) — 'The election of an American Pope, the first American Pope ... there's a signal here that the church is taking a side in what's happening around the globe,' said Steven Millies, a professor at Catholic Theological Union.

Trump eying Fox News host Jeanine Pirro for top prosecutor in DC  —  Pirro, if chosen, would be interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia.  —  Judge Jeanine Pirro speaks following an exclusive interview with Daniel Penny for FOX Nation, Dec. 10, 2024, in New York.

The U.S.-U.K. deal shows the trade war is here to stay  —  Markets cheered the new trade pact between the U.S. and U.K. yesterday.  — But the details show that trade war relief will only go so far, even as the de-escalation road map becomes clearer.  —  The big picture …

President Trump fires Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden  —  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 his agenda.

Venerable New York Firm That Struck a Deal With Trump Is Losing Lawyers  —  Cadwalader avoided a punitive executive order but the accord has left the firm in turmoil  —  Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft struck a deal with President Trump last month intended to secure the future of New York's oldest law firm.

New Pope Has Creole Roots in New Orleans  —  His ancestry, traced to a historic enclave of Afro-Caribbean culture, links Leo XIV to the rich and sometimes overlooked Black Catholic experience in America.  —  Robert Francis Prevost, the Chicago-born cardinal selected on Thursday as the new pope …

Mike Lawler will go his own way — or so he says  —  Trump endorsed the battleground House Republican for reelection.  Lawler doesn't think it warns him off a bid for governor.  —  NEW YORK — The subtext of President Donald Trump's recent reelection endorsement of Rep. Mike Lawler appeared clear enough …

Trump Officials Seek to Bring First White Afrikaner Refugees to U.S. Next Week  —  The rapid relocation of the Afrikaners, who President Trump says have been racially persecuted in South Africa, stands in stark contrast to the virtual shutdown of all other refugee admissions.

Fired FEMA chief threatened to quit weeks ago  —  Cameron Hamilton, the acting disaster chief, appeared to contradict Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem by defending the agency on Wednesday.  —  The head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency was fired Thursday morning and replaced …

Trump's Justice Department launches criminal probe into Letitia James, multiple sources say  —  More than a year after New York Attorney General Letitia James won a half-billion dollar civil fraud case against President Trump, the Justice Department under Mr. Trump has launched …

DHS Secretary Flouts SCOTUS Order, Says ‘No Scenario’ Where Abrego Garcia Comes Back  —  Kristi Noem said the deported Maryland man “will not be coming back” despite a court order, a claim that one Democratic senator called “incredibly chilling.”  —  WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem …

SPJ views proposed VOA/OAN deal as affront to sidelined USAGM journalists  —  CONTACT:  —  Emily Bloch, SPJ National President, [email protected]  —  Dan Kubiske, SPJ International Community Co-Chair, [email protected]  —  Kim Tsuyuki, SPJ Communications Specialist, [email protected]

A Subpoena for the White House?  —  On April 16, I wrote to you about a hearing in the Kilmar Abrego Garcia case, which is before U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Maryland.  At that time, she characterized the steps the government had taken to facilitate his return to the U.S. following …

Jewish feud over Trump escalates with open letter in The New York Times  —  Dozens of former leaders say the organizations they once led are being ‘far too silent’  —  More than three dozen former leaders of major Jewish organizations published an open letter in The New York Times rebuking current leadership …

Here's what we know about Trump's June 14 D.C. military parade  —  With June 14 fast approaching, President Trump's proposed military parade is yet to be finalized, but permit applications give us a glimpse into the spectacle that's expected to cost tens of millions of dollars.

X restricts access to jailed Istanbul mayor's account under court order but challenges decision  —  The X social media platform has blocked access to jailed Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu's X social media account in Turkey, complying with a Turkish court order

Republicans Just Made It Legal to Take Homes from Legal Immigrants in Texas  —  In 2012, a study linked low IQ, racism, and conservatism.  Another study from 2015 l inks cognitive ability with right-wing ideology and prejudice.  A third study, from 2019, found that cognitive inflexibility predicts extremism.

Wild: House bill would strip courts of contempt enforcement power  —  In the ongoing public discussion about whether the courts will try to rein in the Trump administration's lawlessness, or will prevail in a resulting showdown if they do, the story that follows has been simmering below the surface for a couple of weeks.

China's Exports to U.S. Plunge, in Sign of Bite From Trump Tariffs  —  The drop in U.S.-bound shipments was offset by a surge in Chinese goods to Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America  —  China said exports to the U.S. plunged in April, as the Trump administration's tariff assault forced …

They don't need a warrant  —  (This piece will be sent out in the next edition of the newsletter tomorrow.)  —  Help pay for our independent reporting if you can.  —  Support independent media  —  I'm driving five miles across the city to check out a tip that there's an ICE rendition ongoing.

Up to 1,000 transgender troops are being moved out of the military in new Pentagon order  —  The Supreme Court this week allowed President Donald Trump to implement his ban on transgender people serving in the military while a legal challenge against it continues.  —  / Source: The Associated Press