By electing Pope Leo XIV, some see Vatican making very American political play  —  (RNS) — As Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost walked out on the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica on Thursday (May 8) and took the name Pope Leo XIV, Steven P. Millies' initial reaction was a mixture of elation and disbelief.

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.

For Immediate Release  —  For Further Information Contact:  —  Retired Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, David H. Souter, died peacefully yesterday at home in New Hampshire.  He was 85 years old.  Justice Souter was appointed to the Court by President George H.W. Bush in 1990 …

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.

‘Harrowing’: Video shows Worcester police hold girl's face on ground during ICE operation  —  Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra captured video of a 16-year-old girl's face being held on the ground by Worcester police officers; she and her mother were detained in an apparent ICE operation

Trump Officials Seek to Bring First White Afrikaners to U.S. as Refugees 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.

Barnard suspends WKCR and Spectator reporters who covered Butler Library protest  —  Barnard and Columbia issued interim suspensions Thursday afternoon to four student journalists who covered a Wednesday pro-Palestinian protest in Butler Library, citing “information received” …

Crypto Is Still for Criming  —  Yesterday “the president” announced a trade “deal” with “Britain.”  IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING, I'M TRYING TO EMULATE TRUMP'S STYLE, WITH RANDOM QUOTATION MARKS AND BLOCK CAPITALS, PLUS EXCLAMATION POINTS AT WEIRD PLACES!  —  Anyway, as I predicted yesterday …

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 …

Man ‘Disappeared’ by ICE Was on El Salvador Flight Manifest, Hacked Data Shows  —  Ricardo Prada Vásquez, a Venezuelan man whose family says he was “disappeared” and who wasn't included on a previously leaked government list of people sent to a notorious mega prison in El Salvador …

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 …

MAGA and the American Pope  —  Habemus papam Americanum!  —  When a kid from Chicago's South Side sits on the throne of St. Peter, it's either the greatest moment in American history or a sign that the Seventh Seal is opening.  Either way, tonight we can say that Bobby Prevost truly made America great again.

Pam Bondi Spilled Epstein Secrets to Bogus ‘Nanny’ at Brunch  —  NANNY CAM  —  The attorney general was reportedly caught on a hidden camera talking to a woman hired by James O'Keefe to pose as a nanny.  —  Days before she announced “thousands of videos” of evidence in the Jeffrey Epstein case …

Here is a specific thing you can do to fight Trump's politicization of public services  —  Trump's maximalist strategy of firing off one executive action after another seeks to overwhelm us.  Finding some tangible way to respond sometimes feels impossible.  So, here is something that you can do:

Radar screens that serve troubled Newark Liberty International Airport briefly go dark  —  One of the region's busiest ports has come under scrutiny since revelations that its tower has lost contact with several planes in recent months.  —  Radar screens serving Newark Liberty International …

Justice Sotomayor Says Lawyers Must ‘Stand Up’ and ‘Fight This Fight’  —  In pointed remarks, the justice told an audience of hundreds of lawyers that she had joined them as “an act of solidarity.”  —  Justice Sonia Sotomayor, speaking to hundreds of lawyers at an American Bar Association event …

Kash Patel's new way of leading the FBI: Fewer morning intel briefings, more pro sports events  —  Supporters of the new director say he is bringing needed change.  Some current and former FBI and DOJ officials worry he is not taking the job seriously enough.

D.C.-area economy starts to show deep impacts of federal spending cuts  —  Unemployment claims are rising and consumers are pulling back on spending, sparking worries of an economic slump in the region on par with the one that occurred during the pandemic.  —  The D.C. region's economy …

A 2028 Rubio rivalry?  Nothing to see here, says JD Vance  —  Vice President JD Vance downplayed the notion of a rivalry between himself and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a potential 2028 competitor.  —  WASHINGTON − A rivalry between potential 2028 competitors Marco Rubio and JD Vance?

Gavin Newsom tweaks Trump's tariffs in new Fox News ad  —  The California governor says Trump's tariffs “punish families.”  —  Gavin Newsom is taking his anti-tariffs message to a place most likely to get President Donald Trump's attention: Fox News.  —  The California governor …

Exclusive: NSF faces radical shake-up as officials abolish its 37 divisions  —  Changes seen as a response to presidential directives on what research to fund  —  The National Science Foundation (NSF), already battered by White House directives and staff reductions, is plunging into deeper turmoil.

Why Asian and Mexican immigrants, moments away from being deported to Libya, never left the U.S.  —  The immigrants were woken up at 2:30 a.m. and boarded on a bus to wait for hours outside a military plane in Texas.  They were then sent back to solitary confinement.

Few support punitive funding cuts to colleges and universities  —  Most of the public believes that colleges and universities make significant contributions to scientific and technological advancement and think their federal research funding should be maintained.

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.

Jared Kushner quietly advising Trump administration ahead of Middle East trip  —  As President Donald Trump prepares for the first major foreign trip to the Middle East of his second term, some administration officials have privately turned to a familiar face for help navigating the region: Jared Kushner.

Internal polling shows Fetterman's support is tanking with Democrats in his backyard  —  The survey indicates a potential “freak-out moment” for the Pennsylvania senator who has made Pittsburgh — his home region — core to his brand.  —  John Fetterman's popularity is sinking among Democratic voters …

Trump administration to revive National Space Council  —  Elon Musk reportedly had been opposed to bringing the group back.  —  The White House is reviving the National Space Council, a historically influential policy body that could help guide the administration's ambitious space goals, while acting as a counterbalance to Elon Musk.