Holly LaFavers said she was eventually refunded $4,200 for her 8-year-old sons order of Dum-Dums candy.

The move comes as the Trump administration has considered disbanding the agency.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio emphasized the need for immediate de-escalation as he spoke with leaders from both countries.

Candles, mugs, beach towels, you name it. READ MORE...

In this photo released by the Diocese of Chulucanas, Bishop Robert Prevost leads an anniversary celebration of the Diocese in Chulucanas, Peru, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. (Diocese of Chulucanas via AP)2025-05-08T18:21:56Z 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 pope from the U.S. In this photo released by the Diocese of Chulucanas, Bishop Robert Prevost, third from right, poses with members of the clergy in Chulucanas, Peru, Aug. 12, 2024. (Diocese of Chulucanas via AP) In this photo released by the Diocese of Chulucanas, Bishop Robert Prevost, third from right, poses with members of the clergy in Chulucanas, Peru, Aug. 12, 2024. (Diocese of Chulucanas via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Prevost, 69, had to overcome the taboo against a U.S. pope, given the geopolitical power already wielded by the United States in the secular sphere.The Chicago native is also a Peruvian citizen and lived for years in Peru, first as a missionary and then as an archbishop. Newly elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, right, receives his biretta from Pope Francis as he is elevated in St. Peters Square at The Vatican, Sept. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca, file) Newly elected Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, right, receives his biretta from Pope Francis as he is elevated in St. Peters Square at The Vatican, Sept. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca, file) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More In this photo released by the Diocese of Chulucanas, Bishop Robert Prevost presides over Mass in Chulucanas, Peru, Aug. 12, 2024. (Diocese of Chulucanas via AP) In this photo released by the Diocese of Chulucanas, Bishop Robert Prevost presides over Mass in Chulucanas, Peru, Aug. 12, 2024. (Diocese of Chulucanas via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony of St. Peters Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony of St. Peters Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More In this photo released by the Diocese of Chulucanas, Bishop Robert Prevost leads the celebration anniversary of the Diocese in Chulucanas, Peru, Aug. 12, 2024. (Diocese of Chulucanas via AP) In this photo released by the Diocese of Chulucanas, Bishop Robert Prevost leads the celebration anniversary of the Diocese in Chulucanas, Peru, Aug. 12, 2024. (Diocese of Chulucanas via AP) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, poses for a photo at the end of the consistory where Pope Francis elevated 21 new cardinals in St. Peters Square at The Vatican, Sept. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca, File) Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, poses for a photo at the end of the consistory where Pope Francis elevated 21 new cardinals in St. Peters Square at The Vatican, Sept. 30, 2023. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, leads the recitation of the Holy Rosary for Pope Francis health in St Peters Square at the Vatican, March 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File) Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, leads the recitation of the Holy Rosary for Pope Francis health in St Peters Square at the Vatican, March 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File) Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Read More This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

In this photo released by the Diocese of Chulucanas, Bishop Robert Prevost leads an anniversary celebration of the Diocese in Chulucanas, Peru, Monday, Aug. 12, 2024. (Diocese of Chulucanas via AP)2025-05-08T17:52:46Z VATICAN CITY (AP) 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, had to overcome the taboo against a U.S. pope, given the geopolitical power already wielded by the United States in the secular sphere.The Chicago native is also a Peruvian citizen and lived for years in Peru, first as a missionary and then as an archbishop.He had prominence going into the conclave that few other cardinals have.Prevost was twice elected prior general, or top leader, of the Augustinians, the 13th century religious order founded by St. Augustine. Francis clearly had an eye on him for years, moving him from the Augustinian leadership back to Peru in 2014 to serve as the administrator and later archbishop of Chiclayo. He remained in that position, acquiring Peruvian citizenship in 2015, until Francis brought him to Rome in 2023 to assume the presidency of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. In that job he would have kept in regular contact with the Catholic hierarchy in the part of the world that counts the most Catholics. Ever since arriving in Rome, Prevost has kept a low public profile, but he was well known to the men who count.Significantly, he presided over one of the most revolutionary reforms Francis made, when he added three women to the voting bloc that decides which bishop nominations to forward to the pope. In early 2025, Francis again showed his esteem by appointing Prevost to the most senior rank of cardinals. AP Mobile App CTA Get the AP News App The bells of the cathedral in Perus capital of Lima tolled after Prevosts election was announced. People outside the church expressed their desire for a papal visit at one point.For us Peruvians, it is a source of pride that this is a pope who represents our country, said elementary school teacher Isabel Panez, who happened to be near the cathedral when the news was announced. We would like him to visit us here in Peru. The Rev. Fidel Purisaca Vigil, the communications director for Prevosts old diocese in Chiclayo, remembers the cardinal rising each day and having breakfast with his fellow priests after saying his prayers.No matter how many problems he has, he maintains good humor and joy, Purisaca said in an email.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.___Briceo reported from Lima, Peru. NICOLE WINFIELD Winfield has been on the Vatican beat since 2001, covering the papacies of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XVI and the Francis pontificate and traveling the world with them.

Winnipeg Jets' Mark Scheifele (55) defends against Anaheim Ducks' Cutter Gauthier (61) during first period NHL action in Winnipeg on Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (John Woods/The Canadian Press via AP)2025-05-08T17:36:30Z ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) Joel Quenneville is returning to the NHL with the Anaheim Ducks for his first head coaching job since the second-winningest coach in league history resigned and was banned for his handling of a sexual assault scandal.The 66-year-old Quenneville was hired by Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek on Thursday for his first coaching job since his resignation from the Florida Panthers 3 1/2 years ago in the wake of his handling of the sexual assault scandal during his tenure with the Chicago Blackhawks.Verbeek called the move a major step forward in our process of being a perennial playoff contender and said the team had done its due diligence.Over the last two weeks, we conducted interviews with many outstanding coaching candidates, while simultaneously conducting a comprehensive review of what took place while Joel was head coach of the Blackhawks in 2010, he said. Our findings are consistent with Joels account that he was not fully aware of the severity of what transpired in 2010. It is clear that Joel deeply regrets not following up with more questions at the time, has demonstrated meaningful personal growth and accountability and has earned the opportunity to return to coaching. Quenneville and Blackhawks executives Stan Bowman and Al MacIsaac were banned from the NHL for nearly three years after an independent investigation concluded that the team mishandled allegations raised by former player Kyle Beach against video coach Brad Aldrich during the teams Stanley Cup run in 2010. The trio was reinstated last July, and Bowman became the Edmonton Oilers general manager three weeks later. Quenneville said he was truly grateful to be back in the league. In nearly four years away from the game, I have learned from my prior mistakes and realized it will be actions over words that demonstrate my commitment to being a better leader, he said. Before his departure, Quenneville spent parts of 25 NHL seasons behind the benches of St. Louis, Colorado, Chicago and Florida, establishing himself as his eras most consistent winning coach.He led the Blackhawks to Stanley Cup championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015. His 969 career victories are the second-most in NHL history, trailing only Scotty Bowmans 1,244.Quennevilles reputation and career were badly damaged by his role in the Blackhawks handling of the accusations against Aldrich. After four seasons out of the sport, the 13-year NHL defenseman is getting another chance behind the bench this time with a franchise in the middle of a lengthy rebuilding process.Quenneville takes over a team that has missed the playoffs for seven consecutive seasons, the third-longest active absence in the NHL. Anaheim finished sixth in the Pacific Division this season at 35-37-10 after being in the bottom two for the previous four consecutive years.He replaces Greg Cronin, who was surprisingly fired by Verbeek at the conclusion of his second season in charge. Cronin led the Ducks to a 21-point improvement in his second season, but Verbeek changed course for reasons he declined to reveal when he announced the firing. While announcing the change, Verbeek said he expects the Ducks to make the playoffs next season. Thats a pronouncement that the first-time GM had never made during his 3 1/2 years in charge of owner Henry Samuelis franchise.And Quenneville has plenty of experience in getting teams to the postseason. His teams have made 20 Stanley Cup playoff appearances, reaching the postseason in all but two of the 22 seasons he finished.Quenneville inherits a team with an ample stock of young talent. The roster includes No. 2 overall pick Leo Carlsson, No. 3 overall picks Mason McTavish and Beckett Sennecke, promising forward Cutter Gauthier, rising defensemen Jackson LaCombe and Pavel Mintyukov, and several veteran forwards, including two-time All-Star Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras.___AP NHL: https://apnews.com/NHL GREG BEACHAM Beacham is a sports writer in California.

Job hunting can be a dehumanizing, demoralizing experience even if youre interacting with an empathetic recruiter on the other end. For the 1.7 million people slogging through long-term unemployment in the U.S., the process is grueling at best. Add to this the advent of AI-generated recruiter avatars that glitch out on you before you even speak to a real person at the company youre trying to work for, and now youre truly in hell.This week, TikTok user @its_ken04, who goes by Ken, posted a recording she took of 25 seconds of the interview thats now viral on TikTok. In the video, the avatar says vertical bar pilates 14 times in a row, occasionally tripping over the words or stuttering, while Ken stares at the screen unamused. @its_ken04 It was genuinely so creepy and weird. Please stop trying to be lazy and have AI try to do YOUR JOB!!! It gave me the creeps so bad #fyp original sound - Its Ken Ken told me the company told her ahead of time that AI would be used in the application process, and that the platform was called Apriora. She was applying for a job at a Stretch Lab location near Columbus, Ohio, she said.This was the first meeting ever, she said. I guess I was supposed to earn my right to speak to a human lol.Apriora, founded in 2023 by John Rytel and Aaron Wang, is a Y Combinator startup that promises to help companies hire 87% faster and interview 93% cheaper because it can interview multiple candidates at once.By interviewing more candidates with Aprioras AI, employers can widen their talent aperture and identify qualified applicants from non-traditional backgrounds that may have otherwise been screened out of the hiring process, Wang told Forbes in 2024. Job seekers prefer interviewing with AI in many cases, since knowing the interviewer is AI helps to reduce interviewing anxiety, allowing job seekers to perform at their best.That wasnt Kens experience. I thought it was really creepy and I was freaked out, she said. I didnt find it funny at all until I had posted it on TikTok and the comments made me feel better. I was very shocked, I didnt do anything to make it glitch so this was very surprising. I would never go through this process ever again. If another company wants me to talk to AI I will just decline.Almost all of the more than 3,100 comments on her video agree: I applied to a job today that had an AI interview and immediately closed the window, cause if theyre not taking the time to interview me, Im not taking the time to try to work there, one said. A company tried to send me to an AI interview for an HR position Why would I want to work HUMAN resources for a company that wont even dignify me with human interaction??? another wrote.The recruitment and talent acquisition industry has been hemorrhaging for years now, as companies slow hiring in an economic downturn. Recruiting will be disproportionately affected since were planning to hire fewer people next year, Zuckerberg said in a letter to employees in 2022 announcing that the company would lay off more than 11,000 people. Of that number, Meta reportedly marked around 1,500 recruiters and HR roles for cuts. Google eliminated hundreds of recruitment roles in 2023.Even as so many people need and are looking for jobs, companies are making it harder and weirder to try to get one. Last year, Emanuel wrote about Paradox.ai, the bizarre personality quiz required of prospective food and service workers that tells employers how potential hires rank in terms of agreeableness and emotional stability, and Joseph covered Fairgo.ai, which uses AI agents to interview job candidates on behalf of other companies; an applicant faced with a Fairgo AI recruiter said it was a perfect demonstration of late stage capitalism. And in February, I wrote about Anthropic, the company that made AI writing assistant Claude, adding a requirement to open role descriptions that made applicants agree that they wouldnt use an AI assistant to help with their application. Companies dont want you using AI, but theyll send an AI avatar to do their job for them.Apriora did not respond to requests for comment.

Nature, Published online: 08 May 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01413-4A small tweak to a common enzyme gives plants the ability to make smelly sulfurous molecules.

It would be harder for insurers and scientists to study wildfires, storms and other billion dollar disasters, which are growing more frequent as the planet warms.

The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist condemned his fellow billionaire for overseeing deep cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development in the Trump administration.

Therapies involving mRNA, a key to Covid vaccines, hold great potential in treating several diseases, but some lawmakers want to ban them and the government is cutting funding.

Maryland has restricted use of the toxic fertilizer. A plan to send more to Virginia has sparked fears of contaminated farms and fisheries.

Americans skimp while their president splurges.

The post Pope Leo XIV: There Couldnt Be A Better Time To Get The Fuck Out Of America Forever appeared first on The Onion.

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Newly elected Pope Leo XIV appears at the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)2025-05-08T18:57:54Z SCHIAVON, Italy (AP) Pope Leo XIV s choice of name signals a commitment to social justice which 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 Pope Leo XIV, said Natalia Imperatori-Lee, the chair of religious studies at Manhattan University. It really means to me he will continue the work of Leo XIII.Pope Leo XIII, who was head of the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903, laid the foundation for modern Catholic social thought, most famously with his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed workers rights and capitalism at the dawn of the industrial age. He criticized both laissez-faire capitalism and state-centric socialism, giving shape to a distinctly Catholic vein of economic teaching.The name is a deep sign of commitment to social issues, said Imperatori-Lee. I think this (new) pope is saying something about social justice, by choosing this name, that it is going to be a priority. He is continuing a lot of Francis ministry. Another predecessor, Pope Leo I, was known for repelling the barbarian invasion of Atilla the Hun in 452 A.D. and dissuading him from sacking Rome through diplomacy, Italian Cardinal Maurizio Piacenza told RAI Italian state TV. He also noted that Pope Leo XIII elevated the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii to a papal basilica in 1901. For most of the Catholic Churchs first millennium, popes used their given names. The first exception was the 6th century Roman Mercurius, who had been named for a pagan god and chose the more appropriate name of John II. The practice of adopting a new name became ingrained during the 11th century, a period of German popes who chose names of early church bishops out of a desire to signify continuity, according to Rev. Roberto Regoli, a historian at Romes Pontifical Gregorian University. For many centuries, new popes tended to choose the name of the pope who had elevated them to cardinal. John was the most popular, chosen by 23 popes, followed by Benedict and Gregory, each with 16.It was from the mid-20th century that new popes begin to choose names signaling the aim of their papacy, Regoli said. COLLEEN BARRY Barry covers all things Italy for The Associated Press. Her focus includes fashion and design, overtourism and the environment, politics and sometimes the Vatican. twitter instagram mailto

A student and a teacher carry study material at UNRWA Girls School run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees in the Shuafat Refugee Camp in east Jerusalem, Thursday, May 8, 2025. After Israeli forces ordered the closure of six of its schools in east Jerusalem Thursday. (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean)2025-05-08T09:48:14Z JERUSALEM (AP) Israel permanently closed six U.N. schools in east Jerusalem on Thursday, forcing Palestinian students to leave early and throwing the education of more than 800 others into question.Last month, heavily armed Israeli police and Education Ministry officials ordered six schools in east Jerusalem to close within 30 days. The United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, known as UNRWA, runs the six schools. UNRWA also runs schools in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, which continue to operate.The closure orders come after Israel banned UNRWA from operating on its soil earlier this year, the culmination of a long campaign against the agency that intensified following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel that ignited the war in Gaza. Israel claims that UNRWA schools teach antisemitic content and anti-Israel sentiment, which UNRWA denies. UNRWA is the main provider of education and health care to Palestinian refugees across east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel has annexed east Jerusalem and considers the entire city its unified capital. When I said goodbye to the teachers, and when I went to hug the teachers, I started crying because I dont know which school I will go to, and where we will study, said Layan Ramadan Nataheh, a student at Shufat Basic Girls School, one of the UNRWA schools ordered shut. The presence of soldiers inside a school scares the girls, and the decision to close the school has affected their spirits and their future because they have nowhere to go, said Shujan Abu Remailah, a resident of the Shufat refugee camp. The Israeli Ministry of Education says it will place the students into other Jerusalem schools. But parents, teachers and administrators caution that closing the main schools in east Jerusalem will force their children to go through crowded and dangerous checkpoints daily, and some do not have the correct permits to pass through. In a previous statement to The Associated Press, the Ministry of Education said it was closing the schools because they were operating without a license. UNRWA administrators pledged to keep the schools open for as long as possible.Farhan Haq, the U.N. deputy spokesperson, on Thursday stressed the inviolability of U.N. facilities, quoting the statement from Philippe Lazzarini, the UNRWA Commissioner-General, saying that storming schools and forcing them shut is a blatant disregard of international law.

A screenshot of an online fundraiser on the Christian fundraising platform, GiveSendGo, is seen on Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Terry Tang)2025-05-07T21:09:12Z ___NOTE CONTENTS: This story contains a term that refers to a racial slur. ___A video showing a Minnesota woman at a playground last week openly admitting to using a racist slur against a Black child has garnered millions of views. Maybe equally viral has been a crowdfunding effort that has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to help the woman now relocate her family.In the video, a man in Rochester, a city roughly 90 miles (145 kilometers) south of Minneapolis, confronts the woman for calling a 5-year-old boy the N-word. The woman appears to double-down on the racist term and flips off the man confronting her with both of her middle fingers.The woman, who could not be reached for comment, has since amassed over $700,000 through Christian fundraising platform GiveSendGo for relocation expenses because of threats she received over the video. The fundraising page said she used the word out of frustration because the boy went through her 18-month-old childs diaper bag. The Associated Press has not verified this assertion. I called the kid out for what he was, she wrote, adding that the online videos have caused my family, and myself, great turmoil. The flurry of monetary contributions has reignited multiple debates, from whether racist language and attacks are becoming more permissible to the differences between cancel culture and consequence culture. Many want to see the woman face some sort of comeuppance for using a slur, especially toward a child. Others say despite her words, she does not deserve to be harassed. The NAACP Rochester chapter started its own fundraising campaign for the childs family. The GoFundMe page had raised $340,000 when it was closed Saturday per the wishes of the family, who want privacy, said the civil rights organization. It was speaking on behalf of the family of the child, who the organization said was on the autism spectrum. This was not simply offensive behaviorit was an intentional racist, threatening, hateful and verbal attack against a child, and it must be treated as such, the NAACP Rochester chapter said in a statement.The Rochester Police Department investigated and submitted findings to the Rochester City Attorneys Office for consideration of a charging decision, spokesperson Amanda Grayson said in a statement Monday.GiveSendGo did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment from The Associated Press.Some say defending the woman defends racismThe donations did and did not surprise Dr. Henry Taylor, director for the Center of Urban Studies at the University at Buffalo. But shifts in the political and cultural climate have emboldened some people to express racist and bigoted views against people of color or those they consider outsiders. A more recent backlash, from the White House to corporate boardrooms, against diversity, equality and inclusion initiatives have amplified those feelings.The racism hovering beneath the surface comes from blame, Taylor said. People are given someone to hate and someone to blame for all of the problems and challenges that they are facing themselves, Taylor said. The volume of monetary contributions in the Rochester case is reminiscent of the surge of support for individuals like Kyle Rittenhouse, Daniel Penny and George Zimmerman. Rittenhouse, Penny and Zimmerman were cleared of wrongdoing or legally found to have acted in self-defense or in defense of others Penny and Zimmerman after the death of a Black victim and Rittenhouse after fatally shooting two white protesters at a racial justice demonstration against police.Backlash against cancel culture persistsIn the womans case, a contingent of supporters just want to fight cancel culture, said Franciska Coleman, an assistant professor of law at University of Wisconsin Law School, who has written about cancel culture and social regulation of speech. For some it can include donating to anyone who people are trying to cancel, Coleman said.Some people are focused on how it just seems too much that this mother of two young kids is getting death threats and rape threats, Coleman said.Conservative commentators have gone online to applaud her for not capitulating to angry internet mobs while acknowledging she used a hateful word. No ones excusing it. But she didnt deserve to be treated like a domestic terrorist, conservative podcast host Matt Walsh said in a Facebook post. Some fight over justifications and consequencesTheres an important distinction, Coleman said, between cancel culture and consequence culture. The latter is about holding people accountable for actions and words that cause injury such as with this poor child.That is what many people want to see in this Rochester womans case. Because a formal system of punishment may not impose consequences for the womans racist behavior, people who support cancel culture believe that they have to do it informally, Coleman said.She and Taylor agree that, in conventional societal thinking, using racist slurs against someone who has frustrated or even provoked you is never acceptable. Those who think otherwise, even now, are seen as being on the fringes. But donors on the womans GiveSendGo page unabashedly used racist language against the boy, prompting the site to turn off the comments section. Others excused her behavior as acting out of aggravation. There are communities where the racial slur is only unacceptable in racially mixed company, Coleman said.Social media websites and crowdfunding platforms have helped people around the world speak with each other and with their wallets. Its intensified by the anonymity these platforms allow.Feeling that no one will know who you are enables you to act on your feelings, on your beliefs in an aggressive and even mean-spirited way that you might not do if you were exposed, Taylor said.___This story was first published on May 7, 2025. It was updated on May 8, 2025, to make clear that Franciska Coleman, an assistant professor of law, was expressing an opinion of a certain group, not her own, when she said people who support cancel culture feel they have to informally impose consequences.___Tang reported from Phoenix. Raza reported from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. TERRY TANG Tang reports on race and ethnicity issues, including Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, for The Associated Press. She is based in Phoenix and previously covered breaking news in the Southwest. twitter mailto SARAH RAZA Raza covers South Dakota for The Associated Press. She is based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. twitter mailto RSShttps://feedx.net https://feedx.site

Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, appears on the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican shortly after his election as the 267th pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church, Thursday, May 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Domenico Stinellis)2025-05-08T18:47:09Z Cardinal Robert Prevost, the first U.S. pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church, previously led a Catholic religious order. Prevost, 69, who chose the name Pope Leo XIV, was formerly the prior general, or leader, of the Order of St. Augustine, which was formed in the 13th century as a community of mendicant friars dedicated to poverty, service and evangelization.The requirements and ethos of the order are traced to the fifth century St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the theological and devotional giants of early Christianity.The Order of St. Augustine has a presence in about 50 countries, according to its website. Its ethos includes a contemplative spirituality, communal living and service to others.A core value in their rule is to live together in harmony, being of one mind and one heart on the way to God.A religious order is a community of Catholics which can include priests, nuns, monks and even lay people dedicated to a particular type of mission and spirituality. Unlike diocesan priests, who work within a particular territory, religious-order priests might be assigned anywhere in the world. At the same time, they might handle tasks similar to diocesan priests, such as being pastor of a parish. Pope Francis was the first pope from the Jesuit religious order, and he was the first pope in more than a century and a half to come from any religious order. The previous one was Gregory XVI, a Camaldolese monk (1831-1846). In all, 34 of the 266 popes have belonged to religious orders, according to America, a Jesuit magazine.Also according to the magazine, there had been six Augustinians to become pope before Leo XIV.___Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the APs collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

by Bianca Fortis ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published. Columbia University has agreed to a $750 million settlement with 576 patients of a former doctor who sexually abused them while working at the school. In 2023, a ProPublica investigation, published with New York Magazine, revealed how Columbia had ignored women, undermined prosecutors and ultimately protected a predator. Obstetrician-gynecologist Robert Hadden worked at the university for 20 years despite decades of complaints about him. The university had even cleared Hadden to see patients three days after he was arrested when a patient called 911 to report that he had assaulted her during a postpartum exam. University higher-ups had been informed of the arrest but allowed Hadden to continue working for another five weeks. Patients he saw during that time also reported being assaulted. The latest settlement, combined with payouts from previous cases, means that Columbia will have paid out more than $1 billion to resolve claims of sexual abuse by Hadden. Columbia also said that it has now settled more than 1,000 claims of sexual abuse by Haddens former patients. Hadden was convicted of sex crimes in federal court in January 2023 and is now serving a 20-year prison sentence. Laurie Kanyok, the patient who called 911, said the settlement is bittersweet. Its emotional because its been 13 years, she told ProPublica. She also said that financial compensation does not amount to justice. Im grateful that Im involved in this, Kanyok said. At the same time, I feel like I want to see people held accountable and not just somebodys insurance company or checkbook. Unlike in other high-profile cases involving sexual abuse by doctors, no administrators from Columbia have been fired or have stepped down as a result of the Hadden case. In a statement, Columbia acknowledged failing to protect Haddens patients. We deeply regret the pain that his patients suffered, and this settlement is another step forward in our ongoing work and commitment to repair harm and support survivors, the statement said. We commend the survivors for their bravery in coming forward. The latest settlement puts Columbia on par with the largest payout ever by a university to settle sexual abuse claims. In 2021, the University of Southern California agreed to pay $1.1 billion to survivors of George Tyndall, a university gynecologist who abused thousands of women. Anthony DiPietro, the attorney who handled most of the Columbia claims, said the lesson from this weeks settlement is clear: Institutions cannot continue to cover up sexual exploitation and abuse by their doctors because theyre going to be held accountable. Weeks after ProPublicas investigation, Columbia announced that it would set up a $100 million settlement fund for patients who did not want to file civil suits. Survivors have about another week, until May 15, to submit a claim. As part of the same announcement, Columbia also said it would notify all of Haddens nearly 6,500 former patients of the doctors crimes and that it would commission an external investigation to examine failures that allowed the abuse to go on for so long. Asked about the status of that investigation, which was announced a year and a half ago, the university said it is ongoing. Columbia did not give a time frame for the reports completion.

An American Pope? Maybe It Wasnt So Impossible.

Robert Francis Prevost, who led the Vatican office that selects and manages bishops globally, has spent much of his life outside the United States.

For Chicagoans, the selection of Robert Francis Prevost was thrilling and a little stunning.

He shared an Emmy for his reporting on Nightline about South Africas policy of racial segregation. The National Association of Black Journalists named him journalist of the year.

In a wide-ranging interview, he explains his decision amid the Trump administrations assault on foreign aid to accelerate the end of his giving.

The post Conclave Selects First Chicago-Style Pope appeared first on The Onion.

THE HEAVENSCursing aloud the moment news of Leo XIVs election arrived on His phone screen, the Lord Almighty told reporters Thursday that he had lost $400 Thursday betting on Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle to become pope. Oh, son of a bitch, that pretty much cleans out my savings, said the visibly frustrated deity, who groaned that He had always known the Filipino prelate was a long shot but that the insane payout had been too good to pass up. Dammit, I shouldve known they would go with another white dude. I know youre never supposed to bet more than your liquid assets, but clearly I got greedy. Shit. I should probably just turn off my phone and lay low in purgatory or something. Otherwise, my bookies gonna break my knees. At press time, God was reportedly spotted calling His son to ask if Christ could do Him a massive favor.The post God Loses $400 Betting On Cardinal Tagle appeared first on The Onion.

You've probably seen it pop up in all sorts of cute, stylish kids' rooms around the internet!READ MORE...

Nature, Published online: 08 May 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01423-2US agency guidelines nix funding for studies on climate anxiety and more but allow it for those on extreme weather and health.

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Across the country, Catholics and non-Catholics alike greeted Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV with reverence and satisfaction.

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Keely Reardon of Chicago kneels with her hands clasped at Holy Name Cathedral, Thursday, May 8, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)2025-05-08T22:27:28Z CHICAGO (AP) 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 onscreen, cheers erupted through the hallways. Children jumped out of their seats, pumping their hands in the air.Our students are just beside themselves, said Mary Perrotti, director of advancement at the school. Theyre beyond excited and cant believe a Chicagoan is their new pope. They were in awe.Prevost, 69, took the name Leo XIV and replaced Pope Francis, who died last month. The first American elected pontiff, Pope Leo XIV was born and raised in Chicago before undertaking his ministry in Peru. Catholic Chicagoans gathered in churches and celebrated from their homes as the historic decision was announced. Our young people have a model now of a leader with justice and compassion at the heart of his ministries and who is from their home, Perrotti said. Its such a deep feeling of connection for them. Prevost was born in 1955 in the south side Chicago neighborhood of Bronzeville and grew up in suburban Dolton, where he attended Mass and elementary school at St. Mary of the Assumption.He later studied theology at the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago in Hyde Park and taught in local Catholic schools, including at St. Rita High School, according to the school. Linda Eickmann, 62, was also born and raised in Dalton and attended St. Marys. When she saw the news of the new pope on TV, she screamed with joy.How cool is that? she said. A pope from my elementary school, from my town. Its unreal.Eickmann remembered Prevosts family as being so deeply involved in the St. Marys community that everyone knew their names. They ran sloppy joe sales to raise money for the school, and all their sons were altar boys, including Prevost. Everyone at St. Marys knew Prevost wanted to be a priest one day, Eickmann said. Raul Raymundo, co-founder of a local community advocacy group called the Resurrection Project, said Thursday was a proud day for Chicagoans and hoped Pope Leo XIV will continue Pope Francis legacy and Chicagos legacy of social justice and compassion, especially in welcoming immigrants.Theres tears of joy, of hope, of motivation to rise to this moment and leave this world better than we found it, said Raymundo, an immigrant from Mexico who grew up in Chicagos Pilsen neighborhood.At Holy Name Cathedral, about two dozen people gathered to pray as light filtered in through the stained glass windows.Father Gregory Sakowicz, the cathedrals rector, said that when the new pope was announced, the sun came out in the city a coincidence that he described as Gods way of remaining anonymous. He said he was happily shocked, and that he had a burning question: Whether the new Pope was a White Sox fan?When a journalist in the crowd said shed heard Pope Leo XIV is a Cubs fan, Sakowicz chuckled. God bless him, he said. Social media also erupted with excitement over Pope Leo XIVs Chicago connection and people swapped memes and jokes about Chicago staples deep-dish and tavern-style pizza, the Chicago liqueur Malort and baseball. Many users also proclaimed hope the new pope would represent Chicagos history of social justice.For Catholic Chicagoans, to have a native son who has been born and raised in a city where support and care of all has always been central to who we are as a city, it really speaks volumes, Perrotti said. I truly believe his upbringing in Chicago informs his ministries, his compassion and sense of justice. Now, he can give the world a sense of who we are as a city. CHRISTINE FERNANDO Fernando is a democracy reporter covering misinformation, reproductive rights and state supreme courts for The Associated Press. twitter mailto MELINA WALLING Walling covers the intersections of climate change and agriculture in the Midwest and beyond for The Associated Press. She is based in Chicago. twitter instagram facebook mailto

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth listens during a meeting with Peru's Foreign Affairs Minister Elmer Schialer and Peru's Minister of Defense Walter Astudillo at the Pentagon, Monday, May 5, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)2025-05-08T21:58:07Z WASHINGTON (AP) 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 Tuesdays Supreme Court decision allowing the Trump administration to enforce a ban on transgender individuals in the military, the Defense Department will then begin going through medical records to identify others who havent come forward.Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who issued the latest memo, made his views clear after the courts decision.No More Trans @ DoD, Hegseth wrote in a post on X. Earlier in the day, before the court acted, Hegseth was more blunt, telling a conference that his department is leaving wokeness and weakness behind. No more pronouns, he told a special operations forces conference in Tampa. Department officials have said its difficult to determine exactly how many transgender service members there are, but medical records will show those who have been diagnosed with gender dysphoria, who show symptoms or are being treated. Those troops would then be involuntarily forced out of the service.Officials have said that as of Dec. 9, 2024, there were 4,240 troops diagnosed with gender dysphoria in the active duty, National Guard and Reserve. But they acknowledge the number may be higher.The memo released on Thursday mirrors one sent out in February, but any action was stalled at that point by several lawsuits. ___ LOLITA C. BALDOR Baldor has covered the Pentagon and national security issues for The Associated Press since 2005. She has reported from all over the world including warzones in Iraq, Afghanistan and Syria. twitter mailto

Migrants gather in an area near the Libyan-Tunisia border, as Libyan security forces and Libyan Red Cross workers distribute food aid to them on Sunday, July 23, 2023. (AP Photo/Yousef Murad, file)2025-05-08T20:49:14Z CAIRO (AP) Reports of plans to deport migrants from the U.S. to Libya, a country with a documented history of serious human rights violations and abuse of migrants, have spotlighted the difficulties they face in the lawless North African nation.Migrants in Libya are routinely arbitrarily detained and placed in squalid detention centers where they are subjected to extortion, abuse, rape and killings. A U.N.-backed, independent fact-finding mission found evidence that crimes against humanity had been committed against migrants in Libya. Victims were subjected to enslavement, forced disappearance, torture and murder, among other crimes, the investigators found. Dead migrants have been found in mass graves across the country, while tens of thousands of others have drowned trying to escape Libya on smugglers boats. Its hell on earth for migrants, said Tarek Megerisi, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. All they will have are different forms of abuse if they are lucky enough, they will end up on a rickety boat in the Mediterranean, added Megerisi, who is Libyan. A fractured country ruled by militiasLibya plunged into chaos after a 2011 NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi. The country split, with rival administrations in the east and west backed by a web of rogue militias. Their main business model is smuggling, and people smuggling is a major part of that, Megerisi said. Both the Tripoli-based government of Prime Minister Abdul Hamid Dbeibah and its rival administration in eastern Libya controlled by military commander Khalifa Hifter have denied signing a deportation deal with the Trump administration. Some 800,000 migrants seeking work or who have fled war in their home countries live in Libya, according to the International Organization for Migration. Each year, thousands attempt the dangerous Mediterranean crossing from the North African country to Europe. Despite documented abuses in Libya, the European Union and Italy have for years funded, trained and equipped Libyan groups, including the coast guard, to stop migrants from reaching European shores. Abuse and extortion in migrant detention centersMigrants intercepted at sea or elsewhere in Libya are subject to arbitrary detention and extortion in centers run by armed groups that are either affiliated with state authorities or are autonomous, said Mehdi Ben Youssef, program lead at Lawyers for Justice in Libya. Those groups extort migrants for money in exchange for release only for them to be captured again by another armed group, detained and tortured.Ben Youssef said those who could be deported from the U.S. to Libya would be highly exposed to cycles of crimes.In detention centers, migrants are tortured and kept in horrific conditions, lacking legal representation and proper access to water and health care, Ben Youssef said. Families outside Libya are blackmailed with cellphone videos of their relatives being tortured to pay varying sums for their release payments that often offer no real guarantee of freedom.A 2019 Associated Press investigation found that huge sums of EU funds meant to improve conditions for migrants ended up in the hands of militiamen, traffickers and coast guard members who exploited migrants in this cycle of catch and release. Restrictions hinder groups in Libya from aiding migrantsLast month, Libyas Internal Security Agency ordered 10 international aid organizations to suspend operations and close offices, accusing the groups of violating local laws by providing aid to African migrants, touting a replacement conspiracy theory and resulting in more targeting of Black migrants. Those groups were already operating in a highly restrictive environment amid numerous crackdowns on civil society, Ben Youssef said.Black migrants, and especially non-Arabs, face abuse such as forced labor and extortion more so than migrants of other nationalities, a humanitarian worker in Libya told The AP.Attorneys said Wednesday that U.S. authorities informed some migrants of plans to deport them to Libya. That is troubling because it sends the message Libya is safe when its not, said the worker, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. The workers team, which travels to reach vulnerable communities, helps with food distribution and provides psychosocial support, has been hindered since Libya ordered aid agencies to suspend operations.Libya is not a safe country for migrants, and the order made the situation worse, said Claudia Lodesani, who heads Doctors Without Borders programs for Libya. Libyan authorities have ordered private medical clinics collaborating with the group not to respond to migrants health needs.Our organization is very concerned about the consequences these orders will have on the health of migrant people in Libya, Lodesani said. More questions than answersFor now, there are still more questions than answers on whether deportations to Libya would actually take place. A U.S. judge said Wednesday that migrants cant be deported without a chance to challenge such a move in court.What would happen to people once they land in Libya? ... Would they be detained? asked Camille Le Coz, who leads the European branch of the Migration Policy Institute think tank. She noted that Libya has a very restrictive asylum procedure, recognizing refugees from only a handful of nationalities.This type of operation is expensive, its difficult to set up, and so, we can speculate that it might be to show that if you get to the U.S. you might be sent to this place that is extremely dangerous for migrant populations and that this may deter people from coming, Le Coz said. ___Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain.___ Follow APs global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration RENATA BRITO Brito leads international migration coverage for The Associated Press. She is based out of Barcelona, Spain. twitter instagram mailto

by Vernal Coleman and Eric Umansky ProPublica is a nonprofit newsroom that investigates abuses of power. Sign up to receive our biggest stories as soon as theyre published. Democratic House members on Thursday blasted the Trump administrations moves to shrink the Department of Veterans Affairs and demanded more transparency from its leaders after a ProPublica investigation revealed widespread disruptions across the agencys health care system.There are real-life dangerous impacts for veterans, said Rep. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania, citing the news organizations work.This week, ProPublica reported on dozens of emails sent from staff at VA hospitals and clinics across the country to headquarters warning how cuts could, and in some cases are, degrading the agencys ability to provide for the roughly 9 million veterans who rely on it. Hiring freezes and other edicts from the White House have left medical providers scrambling and short-staffed amid an ever-shifting series of policy moves, including the cancellation of contracts with companies that maintain cancer registries, the emails said. Staffers at VA centers in Pennsylvania warned the cuts were causing severe and immediate impacts, including to life-saving cancer trials.Enrollment in clinical trials is stopping, one wrote, meaning veterans lose access to therapies. Staffers at the hospital warned more than 1,000 veterans would lose access to treatment for diseases ranging from metastatic head and neck cancers, to kidney disease, to traumatic brain injuries.On Thursday, the House members, several of whom are veterans, demanded VA leadership provide more details on how cuts are affecting such work, in which service members often receive treatment they would not otherwise have access to. We all want to cut waste, fraud and abuse, but what we see today is when you cancel a contract, it means the end of a clinical trial thats going to save someones life, Rep. Maggie Goodlander of New Hampshire said.Notably, Deluzio, an Iraq War veteran whose Pittsburgh-area district includes a VA facility, and other lawmakers said they had learned about the impact for the first time from ProPublicas reporting. On Thursday, they accused agency Secretary Doug Collins of stonewalling their efforts to find out what positions have been laid off, what contracts have been canceled and what future cuts will look like.We want the country to understand that this administration is hiding what they are doing, not just from us and the Congress, but from veterans and the American people, Deluzio said.And the worst part is, we dont know if anyone has died, he added.President Donald Trump has long said his administration will prioritize veterans and not compromise their care.The disruptions at the VA have come even as the department has laid off just a few thousand staffers a small fraction of the employees it said it ultimately plans to remove. Collins has said the agency is developing plans with Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency to cut at least 70,000 employees a number that he has underscored is a goal. Could be more, could be less, he told lawmakers this week.On Thursday, in a post on X, Collins pushed back on criticism, calling ProPublicas reporting misleading and saying it was based on some outdated reports from the internal system VA uses to quickly identify and fix issues across the department.In a statement, VA press secretary Pete Kasperowicz said that Collins was working to fix a broken bureaucracy that has long had problems with patient safety and access to care, among other issues. Unfortunately, many in the media, government union bosses and some in Congress are fighting to keep in place the broken status quo, he said. Our message to Veterans is simple: Despite major opposition from those who dont want to change a thing at VA, we will reform the department to make it work better for Veterans, families, caregivers and survivors.Kasperowicz previously told the news organization that the issues in Pennsylvania have been resolved, though locals there with knowledge of the issues said thats not the case and that the impact is ongoing. Kasperowicz also said in regard to the contracts to maintain the cancer registries that there had been no effect on patients. He added that the VA is moving to create a national contract to administer them. According to some providers, even the temporary disruptions have hurt the care of veterans. One clinical trial to treat veterans for opioid addiction was hobbled by temporary layoffs. We couldnt give veterans a tool that could save their lives, said Ellie Gordon, the CEO of the startup Behavior, which is testing biosensors to alert veterans to the risk of relapse.Collins touted the cuts in a sometimes-contentious hearing on Tuesday before the U.S Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs.Were going to maintain VAs mission-essential jobs like doctors, nurses and claims processors, while phasing out non-mission essential roles like interior designers and DEI officers, he said in an opening statement. The funds saved will be rerouted into direct health care and benefits for veterans, he added.Some Republicans at the hearing defended the administrations proposed cuts. The VA has become a bloated bureaucracy, said Sen. Tommy Tuberville, who represents Alabama. I think most of us will agree with that.But Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., pushed back on Collins statements, saying that laying off such a large portion of the staff will inevitably involve letting go of health care workers, like nurses and doctors. You cannot slash and trash the VA without eliminating those essential positions which provide access and availability of health care, he said. It simply cannot be done.Others at the hearing took Collins to task for a lack of transparency. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, admonished the secretary for refusing to provide a list of the 538 canceled contracts since his appointment. Collins said he would provide the information, but only after its finalized.Were looking at every step we can, but also, Im not going to play it out in a public arena, he said. J. David McSwane contributed reporting.

The conservative ire that has roiled Catholicism during the previous pontificate is likely to continue with this first American pope.