Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, a native of Chicago, has spent the bulk of his career outside the United States. Supporters say he represents a dignified middle of the road.

Plus, a Friday news quiz.

Cardinals walk in procession to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican, at the beginning of the conclave, April 18, 2005. (Osservatore Romano via AP, File)2025-05-02T05:26:47Z VATICAN CITY (AP) Conclave, the movie, may have introduced movie-goers to the spectacular ritual and drama of a modern conclave, but the periodic voting to elect a new pope has been going on for centuries and created a whole genre of historical trivia.Here are some fun facts about conclaves past, derived from historical studies including Miles Pattendens Electing the Pope in Early Modern Italy, 14501700 and interviews with experts including Elena Cangiano, an archeologist at Viterbos Palazzo dei Papi (Palace of the Popes).The longest conclave in history In the 13th century, it took almost three years 1,006 days to be exact to choose Pope Clement IVs successor, making it the longest conclave in the Catholic Churchs history. Its also where the term conclave comes from under lock and key, because the cardinals who were meeting in Viterbo, north of Rome, took so long the towns frustrated citizens locked them in the room.The secret vote that elected Pope Gregory X lasted from November 1268 to September 1271. It was the first example of a papal election by compromise, after a long struggle between supporters of two main geopolitical medieval factions those faithful to the papacy and those supporting the Holy Roman Empire. One meal a day ruleGregory X was elected only after Viterbo residents tore the roof off the building where the prelates were staying and restricted their meals to bread and water to pressure them to come to a conclusion. Hoping to avoid a repeat, Gregory X decreed in 1274 that cardinals would only get one meal a day if the conclave stretched beyond three days, and only bread, water and wine if it went beyond eight. That restriction has been dropped. The shortest conclave everBefore 1274, there were times when a pope was elected the same day as the death of his predecessor. After that, however, the church decided to wait at least 10 days before the first vote. Later that was extended to 15 days to give all cardinals time to get to Rome. The quickest conclave observing the 10-day wait rule appears to have been the 1503 election of Pope Julius II, who was elected in just a few hours, according to Vatican historian Ambrogio Piazzoni. In more recent times, Pope Francis was elected in 2013 on the fifth ballot, Benedict XVI won in 2005 on the fourth and Pope Pius XII won on the third in 1939. The first conclave in the Sistine Chapel The first conclave held under Michelangelos frescoed ceiling in the Sistine Chapel was in 1492. Since 1878, the world-renowned chapel has become the venue of all conclaves. Everything is conducive to an awareness of the presence of God, in whose sight each person will one day be judged, St. John Paul II wrote in his 1996 document regulating the conclave, Universi Dominici Gregis. The cardinals sleep a short distance away in the nearby Domus Santa Marta hotel or a nearby residence.The alternative locationsMost conclaves were held in Rome, with some taking place outside the Vatican walls. Four were held in the Pauline Chapel of the papal residence at the Quirinale Palace, while some 30 others were held in St. John Lateran Basilica, Santa Maria Sopra Minerva or other places in Rome. On 15 occasions they took place outside Rome and the Vatican altogether, including in Viterbo, Perugia, Arezzo and Venice in Italy, and Konstanz, Germany, and Lyon, France. The alternative popes, or antipopesBetween 1378-1417, referred to by historians as the Western Schism, there were rival claimants to the title of pope. The schism produced multiple papal contenders, the so-called antipopes, splitting the Catholic Church for nearly 40 years. The most prominent antipopes during the Western Schism were Clement VII, Benedict XIII, Alexander V, and John XXIII. The schism was ultimately resolved by the Council of Constance in 1417, which led to the election of Martin V, a universally accepted pontiff.A challenge to personal hygieneThe cloistered nature of the conclave posed another challenge for cardinals: staying healthy. Before the Domus Santa Marta guest house was built in 1996, cardinal electors slept on cots in rooms connected to the Sistine Chapel. Conclaves in the 16th and 17th centuries were described as disgusting and badly smelling, with concern about disease outbreaks, particularly in summer, according to historian Miles Pattenden. The cardinals simply had to have a more regular and comfortable way of living because they were old men, many of them with quite advanced disease, Pattenden wrote. The enclosed space and lack of ventilation further aggravated these issues. Some of the electors left the conclave sick, often seriously. Vow of secrecyInitially, papal elections werent as secretive, but concerns about political interference soared during the longest conclave in Viterbo. Gregory X decreed that cardinal electors should be locked in seclusion, cum clave (with a key), until a new pope was chosen. The purpose was to create a totally secluded environment where the cardinals could focus on their task, guided by Gods will, without any political interference or distractions. Over the centuries, various popes have modified and reinforced the rules surrounding the conclave, emphasizing the importance of secrecy. Youngest pope, oldest popePope John XII was just 18 when he was elected in 955. The oldest popes were Pope Celestine III (elected in 1191) and Celestine V (elected in 1294) who were both nearly 85. Benedict XVI was 78 when he was elected in 2005.A non-cardinal pope and non-Italian popeThere is no requirement that a pope be a cardinal, but that has been the case for centuries. The last time a pope was elected who wasnt a cardinal was Urban VI in 1378. He was a monk and archbishop of Bari. While the Italians have had a stranglehold on the papacy over centuries, there have been many exceptions aside from John Paul II (Polish in 1978) and Benedict XVI (German in 2005) and Francis (Argentine in 2013). Alexander VI, elected in 1492, was Spanish; Gregory III, elected in 731, was Syrian; Adrian VI, elected in 1522, was from the Netherlands.

Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong arrives to participate in ASEAN-China summit in Vientiane, Laos, on Oct. 10, 2024. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit, File)2025-05-02T01:11:03Z SINGAPORE (AP) Singaporeans will vote Saturday in a general election that is set to return to power the city-states long ruling party, and it will be closely watched as a gauge of public confidence in Prime Minister Lawrence Wongs leadership. The Peoples Action Party has won every election since the Asian financial hub gained independence in 1965. Wong, who took office last year, hopes to clinch a stronger mandate after the PAP suffered a setback in 2020 polls over voters rising discontent with the government. Heres what to know about the Singapore election. How does the vote work?Singapore holds a general election every five years and voting is compulsory. Its electoral system involves single-member wards along with group representation constituencies (GRCs) where voters pick a team of up to six members rather than individual candidates. The team includes at least one member from a minority ethnic group.The GRCs ensure minority representation in Parliament, but critics say they entrench the PAP and make it harder for the opposition to contest. Ethnic Chinese are the majority in Singapore, while Malays and Indians are in the minority. Nearly 2.76 million voters are registered to elect 97 members of Parliament, but five seats have already been won uncontested by the PAP after the opposition failed to nominate candidates in a GRC. There are 33 constituencies, comprising 15 single-member wards and 18 GRCs. Voting opens at 8 a.m. (OOOO GMT), runs for 12 hours, and results are expected the same night. Whats at stake?The election is the first test for Wong, 52, since he succeeded Lee Hsien Loong, who stepped down last year after two decades at the helm. Lees departure marked the end of a family dynasty started by his father, Lee Kuan Yew, Singapores first leader, who built the former colonial backwater into one of the worlds richest nations during 31 years in office.Known for its clean and effective governance, the PAP is seen as a beacon of stability and prosperity. While it is assured of victory, its support is being chipped away by unhappiness over government control and a high cost of living. Widening income disparity, increasingly unaffordable housing, overcrowding caused by immigration and restrictions on free speech have also loosened the PAPs grip on power.In 2020 polls, the PAPs share of popular support slipped to a near-record low of 61%, down from nearly 70% in 2015. The PAP kept 83 out of 93 parliamentary seats, but it ceded more seats to the opposition, which won 10 seats, the most ever. The opposition has acknowledged it cannot unseat the PAP but is appealing to voters for a stronger voice in Parliament.Wong, a U.S.-trained economist and former finance minister, warned this would only weaken the government as it navigates economic turbulence following U.S. President Donald Trumps tariff hikes. The government has lowered its growth forecast, and warned of a possible recession.If the PAP has a weakened mandate, you can be sure there will be people tempted to push us around. It will be harder for us to advance Singapores interest. But with a clear mandate from you, my team and I can speak up for Singapore confidently, Wong said while campaigning this week. The PAP has fielded many new faces to refresh the party. Wong offered cash handouts, vouchers and other goodies in this years national budget, and sought to engage younger voters in developing a more balanced and inclusive Singapore. A strong PAP performance would help seal Wongs leadership and determine whether the one-party dominance in Singapore could endure over the next decade.The ruling party has portrayed the ongoing tariffs war as a crisis for trade-reliant Singapore, said Eugene Tan, a law professor at Singapore Management University. Will voters rally behind the PAP, or will they come to view the political system ... as being robust enough and can accommodate more political diversity and competition? Who are the PAPs rivals?The Workers Party, led by lawyer Pritam Singh, is the biggest opposition party and the only one with a presence in Parliament. Singh was named as Singapores first opposition leader after the WP won 10 seats in the 2020 polls. But despite gaining ground over the years, the opposition still struggles with limited resources and talent, and fragmented support.The WP is fielding only 26 candidates in this election. Singh has said even if the WP won all 26 seats, it wouldnt hamper the PAP but lead to a more balanced political system and greater accountability. The remaining seats are contested by nine smaller opposition parties and coalitions, as well as two independent candidates.The WP threat is taken seriously by the PAP and it will be a keener contest than in 2020. It remains to be seen how many more seats it will win. But even an additional seat won will add to the WPs standing and builds on the momentum to erode the one-party dominant system, said law professor Tan.

Nature, Published online: 30 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08832-3A life cycle assessment study is used to examine the impacts of advanced cooling technologies on cloud infrastructure, from virtual machines to server architecture, data centre buildings and the grid.

Nature, Published online: 30 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01267-wAs funding dries up, US universities will need to reconsider traditional tenure requirements.

President Trumps trade policies have helped to push down oil prices while raising the costs of materials for oil and gas companies.

Russian strikes and fighting along the front line have killed far more civilians than over the same period a year ago, U.N. officials said in a presentation for diplomats in New York this week.

The headquarters for National Public Radio (NPR) is seen in Washington, April 15, 2013. AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)2025-05-02T03:25:35Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aiming to slash public subsidies to PBS and NPR as he alleged bias in the broadcasters reporting.The order instructs the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and other federal agencies to cease Federal funding for NPR and PBS and further requires that that they work to root out indirect sources of public financing for the news organizations. The White House, in a social media posting announcing the signing, said the outlets receive millions from taxpayers to spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as news.Its the latest move by Trump and his administration to utilize federal powers to control or hamstring institutions whose actions or viewpoints he disagrees with. Since taking office, Trump has ousted leaders, placed staff on administrative leave and cut off hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to artists, libraries, museums, theaters and others, through takeovers of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Trump has also pushed to withhold federal research and education funds from universities and punish law firms unless they agreed to eliminate diversity programs and other measures Trump has found objectionable. The broadcasters get roughly half a billion dollars in public money through the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and have been preparing for the possibility of stiff cuts since Trumps election, as Republicans have long complained about them. Paula Kerger, PBS CEO and president, said in a statement last month that the Trump administrations effort to rescind funding for public media would disrupt the essential service PBS and local member stations provide to the American people. Theres nothing more American than PBS, and our work is only possible because of the bipartisan support we have always received from Congress, she said. This public-private partnership allows us to help prepare millions of children for success in school and in life and also supports enriching and inspiring programs of the highest quality. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting sued Trump earlier this week over his move to fire three members of its five-person board, contending that the president was exceeding his authority and that the move would deprive the board of a quorum needed to conduct business.Just two weeks ago, the White House said it would be asking Congress to rescind funding for the CPB as part of a $9.1 billion package of cuts. That package, however, which budget director Russell Vought said would likely be the first of several, has not yet been sent to Capitol Hill.The move against PBS and NPR comes as his administration has been working to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media, including Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, which were designed to model independent news gathering globally in societies that restrict the press. Those efforts have faced pushback from federal courts, who have ruled in some cases that the Trump administration may have overstepped its authority in holding back funds appropriated to the outlets by Congress.AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed.

Nature, Published online: 01 May 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01400-9Marvel at the months best science images. Plus, how a high-fibre diet was able to fix a disrupted mouse gut microbiome and an Indigenous American tribe whove forged an unprecedented collaboration with a genomics lab.

Nature, Published online: 30 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01273-yLithium that pooled in a volcanic caldera in the western United States had no way out, thanks to a lack of rivers.

Gov. Kathy Hochul of New York insisted that the state budget, now a month overdue, include measures to increase public safety and lower taxes for all but the wealthy.

Irish investigators said TikTok did not protect the data of users in the European Union, improperly transferring some of it to China. TikTok said it would appeal.

President Donald Trump holds up a signed executive order establishing the Religious Liberty Commission, during a National Day of Prayer event in the Rose Garden of the White House, Thursday, May 1, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)2025-05-02T11:04:58Z WASHINGTON (AP) As President Donald Trump faces significant pushback from federal judges, a new poll shows U.S. adults are more likely to believe the president is the one overstepping his power rather than the courts -- although Republicans largely think the opposite.According to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, about half of Americans say the president has too much power in the way government operates these days. On the other hand, Americans are more likely to believe the federal courts have an appropriate amount of authority. Only about 3 in 10 U.S. adults say that federal judges have too much power. Republicans see it the other way: Roughly half say the federal judiciary has too much power, and only about 2 in 10 say the president does.The survey comes as Trump has issued a record number of executive orders and pushed the boundaries of presidential power, wresting from Congress its constitutional authority to determine spending levels and defying court orders on immigration. The Republican president has directed the Department of Justice to go after his enemies, pressured law firms he sees as antagonistic and used the threat of federal prosecution to coerce officials and others to support his agenda. The courts have generally been the only branch of government to push back on Trumps plans, while the GOP-controlled Congress has mostly deferred to him. Only about 3 in 10 Americans say Congress has too much power, and just 17% of Democrats say federal courts have excessive power. On the other hand, the conservative-majority U.S. Supreme Court fares better with Republicans only about one-quarter think it has too much power, while one-third of Democrats believe that. About 6 in 10 U.S. adults say Trump has gone too far in using presidential power to achieve his goals, the survey found, but concerns over his power are centered among Democrats and independents. Among Republicans, only about one-quarter say Trump has gone too far, while about 6 in 10 feel his use of power has been about right. About 14% of Republicans feel Trump hasnt gone far enough. Hes been able to do unprecedented things, said Brie Horshaw, a 35-year-old Los Angeles esthetician and Democrat. Hes got too much power. It goes beyond what a president would normally do. Democrats are largely united in their sense that Trump has gone too far in using presidential power, with about 9 in 10 saying this. About 6 in 10 independents feel that way. The AP-NORC poll is only the latest of several surveys showing that Trumps actions have sparked widespread anxiety.A Pew Research Center poll found that about half of U.S. adults say Trump is setting too much policy by executive order, while about 3 in 10 say hes doing about the right amount. A CNN-SSRS poll found that 46% of Americans have a lot or some confidence in Trumps ability to use the power of the presidency responsibly, which is down from 54% in December.The findings indicate a rising sense of panic among Democrats as Trump takes aggressive actions to implement his agenda. According to the AP-NORC poll, the share of U.S. adults who say the president has too much power in the way the U.S. government operates has jumped significantly since last year, when Democrat Joe Biden was in his final year in office. It has risen from 32% in a March 2024 AP-NORC poll. Democrats are almost 70 percentage points more likely to say the president has too much power than they were last year, while independents are about 20 percentage points more likely.Republicans, meanwhile, are less likely to say the president has too much power than they were in March 2024, when 46% believed it, double the 23% who do now. Linda Seck, a retired nurse, said Trump has the same tools Biden had.They both had the same power. They might choose to use it differently, said Seck, 76, a Republican who feels Trump has been using the right amount of power.The Michigan resident, who once worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs, has cheered Trump and billionaire adviser Elon Musk cutting deeply into the federal workforce without waiting for Congress approval. Overall, Seck compared Trumps behavior to driving on a two-lane road: I dont think hes going over the yellow line, but hes right there beside it. Seck says shes a believer in the constitutional system of checks and balances and thinks Trumps power is not unlimited.He cant declare war without consulting Congress. He cant bully the Federal Reserve, Seck said.Seck, however, joins fellow Republicans in fearing individual federal judges have too much power. I dont think a district judge should be able to overrule the federal government, she said. Thats the job of the Supreme Court.Other polls show that Americans are broadly more concerned about presidential than judicial overreach. A Fox News poll, for example, found that about half of Americans are more concerned about the president ignoring rulings from the judicial branch, while about 3 in 10 say theyre more worried about the judicial branch going beyond its authority. And few think the president has the power to override the courts. The Fox News poll found that about two-thirds of Americans say the president cant ignore the Supreme Court if the president thinks the justices are overstepping their constitutional authority, while about 2 in 10 say the president can and another 16% are uncertain.The Pew Research Center poll found that most Americans including two-thirds of Republicans think if a federal court rules that a Trump administration action is illegal, the Republican administration would need to follow the courts ruling.Lynn Cohee, a 48-year-old database administrator and Democrat who lives south of Austin, Texas, is distressed in what he sees as the other branches of government not adequately checking Trumps actions.Theres decisions hes making where other branches should step in and say, Hey, this isnt the wisest choice, Cohee said. Lets get rid of all these people well, lets talk about it first. The mass deportations, the foreign policy, the whole idea were going to take over the Gaza Strip.Cohee said he doesnt follow politics closely, but hes worried that the intense partisanship stops one part of the government from checking the other.With our political parties, it doesnt become whats best, but it becomes like sports and I want to see my team win, he said.___Riccardi reported from Denver.___The AP-NORC poll of 1,260 adults was conducted April 17-21, using a sample drawn from NORCs probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, which is designed to be representative of the U.S. population. The margin of sampling error for adults overall is plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. LINLEY SANDERS Sanders is a polls and surveys reporter for The Associated Press. She develops and writes about polls conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, and works on AP VoteCast. twitter

Firefighters place the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, where cardinals will gather to elect the new pope, at the Vatican, Friday, May 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)2025-05-02T06:43:21Z VATICAN CITY (AP) Preparations for the conclave to find a new pope accelerated Friday with the installation of the chimney out of the Sistine Chapel that will signal the election of a successor to Pope Francis.Vatican firefighters were seen on the roof of the Sistine Chapel installing the chimney, a key moment in the preparation for the May 7 conclave.After every two rounds of voting in the Sistine Chapel, the ballots of the cardinals are burned in a special furnace to indicate the outcome to the outside world.If no pope is chosen, the ballots are mixed with cartridges containing potassium perchlorate, anthracene (a component of coal tar) and sulfur to produce black smoke. But if there is a winner, the burning ballots are mixed with potassium chlorate, lactose and chloroform resin to produce the white smoke.The white smoke came out of the chimney on the fifth ballot on March 13, 2013, and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was introduced to the world as Pope Francis a short time later from the loggia of St. Peters Basilica. Francis, historys first Latin American pope, died April 21 at age 88. The chimney installation took place as cardinals arrived in the Vatican for another day of pre-conclave discussions about the needs of the Catholic Church going forward and the type of pope needed to run it. These consultations include all cardinals, including those over age 80 who are ineligible to vote in the conclave itself. In recent days, they have heard reports about the Vaticans dire financial situation, and have had the chance to speak individually about priorities going forward and problems they identified in Francis pontificate.Francis was a somewhat divisive pope, beloved by some for his focus on the poor and marginalized, but criticized by others who accused him of sowing confusion among the faithful on issues of morality and church law. These conservatives and traditionalists, who are not believed to have a majority among the 135 cardinal electors, are hoping a new pope will reassert core church teachings and act as a stabilizing figure in the Vatican bureaucracy. Cardinal Beniamino Stella, who headed the Vatican office for clergy under Francis until his retirement in 2021, has been among the older, non-voting cardinals who has spoken during the pre-conclave sessions. According to America, the magazine of the U.S. Jesuits, Stella this week strongly criticized Francis reform of the Vatican bureaucracy that allowed women and lay people to head Holy See offices rather than clergy.That reform, contained in a 2022 constitution, overhauled the Vatican bureaucracy and fulfilled a key mandate Francis received from cardinals going into the 2013 conclave that elected him pope. But some have criticized the reform, which was nine years in the works and sought to make the Holy See more service-oriented and efficient.Francis named two laymen to head the Vatican communications operation and the economy ministry. More significantly, he named two nuns to head two of the most important Vatican offices: Sister Simona Brambilla as head of the Vatican office responsible for all the worlds Catholic religious orders, and Sister Raffaella Petrini as head of the Vatican City State administration. In that position, Petrini runs the city state and is responsible for everything from the Vatican Museums that provide the Holy See with most of its revenue, to the firefighters who installed the chimney on the Sistine Chapel Friday. Their appointments were tangible evidence of Francis belief that women should have a greater decision-making role in church governance. But Stella, according to unnamed cardinals cited by America, objected to Francis decision to separate the power of governance in the church from the priesthood.It is unclear what influence older cardinals such as Stella, who at age 83 will not actually cast a vote, will have on the younger cardinal electors. In general, cardinals of the more conservative old guard have stresesed the need for unity over pursuing Francis more radical legacy. The pope has to ensure the unity of all of the church, said Cardinal Fernando Filoni, the retired head of the Vaticans evangelization office. This is first and foremost. Everything else comes after, the 79-year-old cardinal said as he arrived Friday for the pre-conclave discussions.Cardinal Fernando Natalio Chomali Garib, the 68-year-old archbishop of Santiago, Chile, said the variety of points of view was useful in the pre-conclave meetings. Francis made Chomali a cardinal in December after appointing him to head the Chilean church through the continued fallout of the clergy sexual abuse scandal.For me, that I come from Chile, a far away country, hearing such different experiences is an enrichment, not only for me but for all of the church, he said as he entered Friday. 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.

Nature, Published online: 30 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01356-wIf scaled up, a method for extracting nickel without using carbon-rich coke could reduce emissions considerably.

Nature, Published online: 30 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08945-9Inhibition of a cardiac stroma-enriched mechanosensor, SRCin concert with suppression of the TGF pathwaypotentiates the reversal of fibroblast activation and alleviates contractile dysfunction in fibrotic hearts.

The Trump administration has accused the two broadcasters of using public funds to produce biased coverage and left-wing propaganda.

The designation is certain to inflame debates over whether the party should be banned, though some polls show it to be the most popular in the country.

WASHINGTONClaiming the fantastical creatures were way too cool to leave their investigation to a handful of so-called experts, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. issued a statement Friday encouraging Americans to do their own research about dragons. People, especially new parents looking for awesome bedtime stories, need to be reading everything they can possibly find about these ancient and powerful beings instead of blindly accepting the narrow range of depictions put forth by the mainstream media, Kennedy wrote in a statement published on his departments website, adding that too many Americans only believed what they had heard about dragons on Game Of Thrones while dismissing less conventional sources like Earthsea and the Dark Souls trilogy. Theres a lot of misinformation out there claiming that something with two legs and wings is a dragon, but Ive read enough to know thats a wyvern and not a true dragon, which has four legs. There are some great subreddits on them. Just yesterday I read a romantasy fan fiction suggesting that dragons are capable of forming emotional and even sexual relationships with humans, but the establishment wants to bury anything that challenges the official narrative that dragons are big, evil lizards who hoard gold. Take it from me: Anyone who tells you dragons only breathe fire is lying to your face. They can breathe ice or acid or curses, be good or evil, and speak any number of languages, but its up to you to come to your own conclusions about how much dragons rule. The statement went on to say that while Americans should approach dragons with an open mind, they should remain skeptical of Chinese propaganda depicting them as lame floating snakes with mustaches.The post RFK Jr. Encourages Americans To Do Their Own Research About Dragons appeared first on The Onion.

WASHINGTONAcknowledging that his tariff hikes could result in a frozen supply chain this holiday season, President Donald Trump claimed Friday that any toy shortages Americans experienced could be easily overcome by making the familys servants dance for their childrens enjoyment. Maybe instead of 30 dolls this Christmas, children play with the life-size human figurines they already have, said the commander-in-chief, noting that when he and his siblings were growing up, they often kept themselves entertained with nothing more than a couple of old, beat-up chambermaids whom they berated into acting foolish for their amusement. Why do children even need dolls when they can play dress-up with the undocumented help, make the day laborers kisswhatever fun act of humiliation they can imagine. For generations, kids were perfectly content just demanding their housekeepers perform for them under threat of being fired. I guess it was a simpler time. Trump went on to state that he had even set aside one of his favorite childhood maids for his grandchildren to debase.The post Trump Argues Toy Shortages Easily Overcome By Making Servants Dance appeared first on The Onion.

And you can use it at home, too.READ MORE...

Vehicle assembly technician Kevin Zepernick works on a 2025 Ford Expedition during a media tour to launch the 2025 Ford Expedition at the Ford Motor Company Kentucky Truck Plant, Wednesday, April 30, 2025, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)2025-05-02T04:01:06Z WASHINGTON (AP) American employers added a better-than-expected 177,000 jobs in April as the job market showed resilience in the face of President Donald Trumps trade wars.Hiring was down slightly from a revised 185,000 in March and came in above economists expectations for a modest 135,000. The unemployment rate remained at a low 4.2%, the Labor Department reported Friday.President Donald Trumps aggressive and unpredictable policies including massive import taxes have clouded the outlook for the economy and the job market and raised fears that the American economy is headed toward recession.But Fridays report showed the damage isnt showing up in the labor market yet. The labor market refuses to buckle in the face of trade war uncertainty, Christopher Rupkey, chief economist at fwdbonds, a financial markets research firm. Politicians can count their lucky stars that companies are holding on to their workers despite the storm clouds forming that could slow the economy further in the second half of the year. Transportation and warehousing companies added 29,000 jobs last month, suggesting that companies have been stocking up before essential, imported goods are hit with a wave of new tariffs, driving prices higher. Healthcare companies added nearly 51,000 jobs and bars, restaurants almost 17,000 and construction firms 11,000. Factories lost 1,000 jobs. Labor Department revisions shaved 58,000 jobs from February and March payrolls. Average hourly earnings ticked up 0.2% from March and 3.8% from a year ago, nearing the 3.5% that economists view as consistent with the 2% inflation the Federal Reserve wants to see. The report showed that 518,000 people entered the labor force, and the percentage of those working or looking for work ticked up slightly.We are not seeing right now any really adverse effects on the employment market, Boston College economist Brian Bethune said before the report came out. Yet many economists fear that the U.S. job market will deteriorate if economic growth takes a hit from trade wars.Trumps massive taxes on imports to the U.S. are likely to raise costs for Americans and American businesses that depend on supplies from overseas. They also threaten to slow economic growth. His immigration crackdown threatens to make it more difficult for hotels, restaurants and construction firms to fill job openings. By purging federal workers and cancelling federal contracts, Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency risks wiping out jobs inside the government and out.Looking ahead, we expect the steep tariff increases and the surge in uncertainty and financial market volatility will result in a more pronounced labor market downshift than previously anticipated, Lydia Boussour, senior economist at the accounting and consulting giant EY, wrote this week. Large cuts to the federal workforce and the cancellations of many government contracts will also be a drag on payroll growth in coming months.A slowdown in immigration will weigh on labor supply dynamics, further constraining job growth. We foresee the unemployment rate rising toward 5% in 2025. Trumps policies have shaken financial markets and frightened consumers. The Conference Board, a business group, reported Tuesday that Americans confidence in the economy fell for the fifth straight month to the lowest level since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.American workers have at least one thing going for them. Despite the uncertainty about fallout from Trumps policies, many employers dont want to risk letting employees go not after seeing how hard it was to bring people back from the massive but short-lived layoffs of the 2020 COVID-19 recession.They laid millions of these people off, and they had a hell of a time getting them back to work, Boston Colleges Bethune said. So for now, the unemployment rate and the number of people filing claims for jobless benefits every week remain low by historical standards.The federal governments workforce fell by 9,000 on top of 17,000 job losses in February and March, Still, the full effect of Musks DOGE cuts may not be showing up yet. For one thing, Bethune noted, job cuts orders by the billionaires DOGE are still being challenged in court. For another, some of those leaving federal agencies were forced into early retirement and dont show up in the Labor Departments count of the unemployed. Solid hiring and low unemployment will likely keep the Federal Reserve on the sidelines as it takes time to evaluate the impact of tariffs on the economy. Fed chair Jerome Powell has underscored that the duties are likely to push up prices in the coming months, making the central bank wary of the potential for higher inflation.The Fed typically fights inflation with higher interest rates, so it is unlikely to cut its key short-term rate anytime soon. It might change course and reduce rates if layoffs spiked and unemployment rose, but Fridays report suggests that isnt happening yet.____AP Economics Writer Christopher Rugaber contributed to this story.

The New York Stock Exchange is seen in New York, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)2025-05-02T04:48:02Z Wall Street was poised to open with gains Friday after Chinas Commerce Ministry said Beijing is evaluating overtures from the U.S. regarding President Donald Trumps tariffs.Futures for the S&P 500 gained 0.3% before the bell and were on track for a ninth straight day of gains. Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.4% and Nasdaq futures ticked up 0.2%.Exxon Mobils reported its lowest first-quarter profit in years, stung by weaker crude prices and higher costs. Its shares ticked up less than 1% before markets opened Friday.Shares in rival Chevron fell more than 2% after it also reported its smallest first quarter profit in years.A barrel of U.S. benchmark crude fell below $60 this week, a level at which many producers can no longer turn a profit. On Friday, a barrel of U.S. crude fell another 66 cents to $58.58. Brent crude, the European standard, declined 64 cents to $61.49 per barrel. Energy prices mostly have been in decline since Trumps inauguration in January, with the cost of a barrel of oil sliding as much as $20. At this time last year, a barrel of U.S. crude cost $78. Uncertainty about the impact of Trumps on-again-off-again tariff announcements has consumers and businesses feeling anxious about the future. Rapidly falling oil prices signal pessimism about economic growth and can be a harbinger of a recession as manufacturers cut production, businesses cut travel costs and families rethink vacation plans. Late Thursday, technology behemoths Amazon and Apple reported their latest results. Shares of Apple fell about 3% overnight after the iPhone company beat Wall Street expectations but forecast an additional $900 million to its costs in the current quarter as a result of the tariffs, if they remain in place as announced.Amazon shares fell close to 1% after the online retailer reported better-than-expected results but also said that tariffs were clouding its near-term forecast. Friday the government released its April jobs report showing that American employers added a better-than-expected 177,000 jobs.Economists expected the U.S. Labor Department to report that employers added 135,000 jobs last month. Thats a healthy number, but it would be down sharply from the surprisingly strong 228,000 jobs added in March. Many economists worry the job market could deteriorate with Trumps massive taxes on imports to the U.S. likely to raise costs for Americans and American businesses, which could result in slower economic growth.However, hopes that Trump may eventually roll back some of his tariffs after reaching trade deals with other countries has helped to support markets this week. On Thursday, the S&P 500 rose 0.6% for an eighth straight gain, its longest winning streak since August. In Europe at midday, Germanys DAX advanced 1.5%, the CAC 40 in Paris climbed 1.3% and Britains FTSE 100 was 0.7%.In Asian trading, Hong Kongs Hang Seng surged 1.7% to 22,504.68 while markets in Shanghai were closed for a public holiday. Taiwans benchmark jumped 2.7%. An unnamed Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesperson was cited as saying that Beijing had taken note of various statements by senior U.S. officials indicating a willingness to negotiate over tariffs.At the same time, the U.S. has recently taken the initiative to convey information to the Chinese side on a number of occasions through relevant parties, hoping to talk with the Chinese side. In this regard, the Chinese side is making an assessment, it said. Tokyos Nikkei 225 picked up 1% to 36,830.69. Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato drew attention by mentioning that the countrys more than $1.1 trillion in U.S. Treasury bonds could potentially be a card on the table in negotiations with Washington over Trumps steep tariffs on autos and other imports. Elsewhere in Asia, South Koreas Kospi rose 0.1% to 2,558.84 and Australias S&P/ASX 200 added 1.1%, closing at 8,238.00.

Nature, Published online: 02 May 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01363-xA report into Thomas Crowthers conduct at ETH Zurich finds that the professor breached some internal rules, but cleared him of misusing funds.

Nature, Published online: 02 May 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01395-3Scientists working on disrupted national climate and nature assessments arent giving up.

Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. is a Trump nominee with conservative credentials. But he found White House claims about a Venezuelan gang invasion went too far.

A possible contender for the papacy, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi has worked with the needy and the disenfranchised, even as he participated in peace talks around the world.

Sinners, the new movie from Ryan Coogler starring Michael B. Jordan, has received widespread praise from critics and audiences. The Onion shares everything you need to know about the film.Q: What is Sinners about?A: Americas inability to discuss its complex racial history without bringing the Irish into things.Q: Has Sinners broken any box office records?A: It is the highest-grossing Black Southern gothic vampire horror musical fantasia of 2025.Q: What are the vampires in the film meant to represent?A: Werewolves.Q: Who is the movie for?A: Anyone who doesnt want to be left out of conversations for the next three months.Q: Will Sinners have a sequel?A: If they can figure out how to get a third Michael B. Jordan on screen, sure.Q: Are the vampires in the movie real?A: Were almost positive they arent.Q: When will Sinners be streaming?A: It will likely be available on Max in July, you lazy, cheap son of a bitch.The post What To Know About Sinners appeared first on The Onion.

ORLANDO, FLClaiming epiphanies just seem to come to him when he sits by an orca tank, local man Troy Morales told reporters Friday that he always gets his best ideas in the splash zone. Something about a 10-foot wall of water crashing onto me really gets the brain juices flowing, said Morales, who described a phenomenon in which his mind is able to ideate freely given the lack of distractions at the edge of the orca pool, allowing inspiration to strike while he is drenched by a whale-induced tsunami. The only difficulty is not being able to jot my revelations down in my notepad because of how wet it gets in the splash zone. So I have to remember all my ideas, which can be hard when a sea lion is doing belly flops right in front of you. Morales admitted that he often second-guesses his ideas after giving it some time on the log ride.The post Man Gets Best Ideas In Splash Zone appeared first on The Onion.

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Prince Harry waves as he leaves the Royal Courts of Justice in London, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)2025-05-02T13:21:49Z LONDON (AP) Prince Harry lost his appeal Friday challenging the U.K. governments decision to strip him of his publicly funded security after he stepped away from royal family duties and moved to the U.S.The Court of Appeal ruled unanimously that a committee hadnt treated Harry unfairly when it decided to review his protection on a case-by-case basis each time he visits the U.K.Justice Geoffrey Vos said in a 21-page judgment that the Duke of Sussex felt badly treated and his lawyer had made powerful and moving arguments on his behalf. But he said that Harrys grievance wasnt legal grounds to challenge the decision to deny him regular security. From the Duke of Sussexs point of view, something may indeed have gone wrong, in that an unintended consequence of his decision to step back from royal duties and spend the majority of his time abroad has been that he has been provided with a more bespoke, and generally lesser, level of protection than when he was in the U.K., Vos said. But that does not, of itself, give rise to a legal complaint. The ruling is likely to leave the Duke of Sussex with a large bill to pay the U.K. governments legal fees in addition to his own lawyers costs. It wasnt immediately clear if he would try to appeal to the U.K. Supreme Court.The ruling upheld a High Court judges decision last year that found that a bespoke plan for the Duke of Sussexs security wasnt unlawful, irrational or unjustified. Harry made a rare appearance for the two-day hearing last month as his lawyer argued that his life was in danger and the Royal and VIP Executive Committee had singled him out for inferior treatment.There is a person sitting behind me who is being told he is getting a special bespoke process when he knows and has experienced a process that is manifestly inferior in every respect, attorney Shaheed Fatima said. His presence here and throughout this appeal is a potent illustration -- were one needed -- of how much this appeal means to him and his family. A lawyer for the government said that Harrys argument repeated his misconceived approach that failed in the lower court.It involves a continued failure to see the wood for the trees, advancing propositions available only by reading small parts of the evidence, and now the judgment, out of context and ignoring the totality of the picture, attorney James Eadie said.Harry and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, had stepped back from their official roles in the family in 2020, because they didnt feel they were being protected by the institution, his lawyer said. After doing so, a Home Office committee ruled there was no basis for publicly funded security support for the duke and duchess within Great Britain.Harry claimed that he and his family are endangered when visiting his homeland because of hostility aimed at him and Meghan on social media and through relentless hounding by news media.Since he lost his government-sponsored protection, Harry faced at least two serious security threats, his lawyer said in court papers. Al-Qaida had published a document that said Harrys assassination would please Muslims, and he and his wife were involved in a dangerous pursuit by paparazzi in New York. Harry, 40, the younger son of King Charles III, has bucked royal family convention by taking the government and tabloid press to court, where he has a mixed record.He lost a related court case in which he sought permission to privately pay for a police detail when in the U.K. A judge denied that offer after a government lawyer argued officers shouldnt be used as private bodyguards for the wealthy.But he won a significant victory at trial in 2023 against the publisher of the Daily Mirror when a judge found that phone hacking at the tabloid was widespread and habitual. He claimed a monumental victory in January when Rupert Murdochs U.K. tabloids made an unprecedented apology for intruding in his life for years, and agreed to pay substantial damages to settle his privacy invasion lawsuit.He has a similar case pending against the publisher of the Daily Mail.

Nature, Published online: 02 May 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01364-wThe collaborative system generated more than 100 hypotheses relating to the origins of life in the Universe.

Nature, Published online: 30 April 2025; doi:10.1038/d41586-025-01254-1Greater insights into what makes people happy, secure and hopeful will make for a better world.

Ms. Sobule, 66, died Thursday morning in Woodbury, Minn., her publicist said. She had been scheduled to perform songs from her musical later in the week.

As Secretary of State, Marco Rubio has been Donald Trumps reliable echo on issues like Iran, Ukraine and Gaza. But Steve Witkoff, the presidents friend, remains the chief negotiator.

NEW BERLIN, NYTaking the rookie employee aside to offer him a word to the wise, Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya warned new hire Austin Cook that he was in the yogurt game now, company sources confirmed Friday. I dont know what they taught you back in the boonies of the almond milk world, but you better be ready to step up, because youre doing bacterial fermentation now, playboy, Ulukaya said as he firmly jabbed a finger into Cooks chest, adding that if the new hire couldnt hack it in the yogurt games cutthroat climate of competition and live cultures, he should do them both a favor and resign on the spot. Youre running with the big dogs here, and I need you to eat, sleep, and breathe yogurt. You see that portrait hanging above my desk? Thats the guy who invented Go-Gurt. You work hard, you can end up like him. You dont, this industry will grind you up like the fruit on the bottom of a cup of Dannon. And dont just tell me we should make kefir. I know about kefir. What I want to know is: Whats seven steps beyond kefir? At press time, Ulukaya had quietly told the new hire to get the fuck out of his building after the man proposed branching out into skyr.The post Chobani CEO Warns New Hire They In The Yogurt Game Now appeared first on The Onion.

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The Harvard University logo is displayed on a building at the school, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, in Cambridge, Mass. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)2025-05-02T13:53:03Z WASHINGTON (AP) President Donald Trump on Friday re-upped his threat to strip Harvard University of its tax-exempt status, escalating a showdown with the first major college that has defied the administrations efforts to crack down on campus activism. Hes underscoring that pledge even as federal law prohibits senior members of the executive branch from asking the Internal Revenue Service to conduct or terminate an audit or an investigation. The White House has said any IRS actions will be conducted independently of the president. We are going to be taking away Harvards Tax Exempt Status, Trump wrote on his social media site Friday morning from Palm Beach, Florida, where he is spending the weekend. Its what they deserve!The president has questioned the fate of Harvards tax-exempt status which a majority of U.S. colleges and universities have ever since the school refused to comply with the administrations demands for broad government and leadership changes, revisions to its admissions policy, and audits of how diversity is viewed on the campus. That prompted the administration to block more than $2 billion in federal grants to the Cambridge, Massachusetts, institution. The Treasury Department directed a senior official at the Internal Revenue Service to begin the process of revoking Harvards tax-exempt status shortly after a social media post from Trump in mid-April questioning it, although the White House has suggested that the tax agencys scrutiny of Harvard began before Trumps public comments targeting the school. Democrats say Trumps actions against Harvard are purely political. The Senate minority leader, Chuck Schumer, along with Massachusetts two Democratic senators, Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, and the Senate Finance Committee chairman, Ron Wyden of Oregon, called for an inspector general investigation into Trumps attempts to strip Harvard of its tax-exempt status. Trumps move raises troubling constitutional questions, including whether the president is trying to squelch Harvards free speech rights and whether the revocation of its tax-exempt status will deprive the university of its due process rights, the senators wrote in a letter Friday to Heather Hill, the acting Treasury inspector general for tax administration. Mike Kaercher, deputy director of NYUs Tax Law Center, said: Overwhelming bipartisan majorities in Congress have enacted laws making it a crime for the President and his staff to request an audit or investigation of a particular taxpayer.An IRS representative did not respond to an Associated Press request for comment. Trumps battle against Harvard is part of a broader campaign the administration is framing as an effort to root out antisemitism on college campuses. But the White House also sees a political upside in the fight, framing it as a bigger war against elite institutions decried by Trumps loyal supporters. The next chapter of the American story will not be written by The Harvard Crimson, Trump said Thursday night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, where he delivered the commencement address at the University of Alabama. It will be written by you, the Crimson Tide. The Harvard Crimson is that schools student newspaper. The Crimson Tide refers to the Alabama schools football program.In addition to threatening Harvards tax-exempt status and halting federal grants, the Trump administration wants to block Harvard from being able to enroll international students.___Associated Press writer Fatima Hussein contributed to this report. SEUNG MIN KIM Kim covers the White House for The Associated Press. She joined the AP in 2022 and is based in Washington. twitter mailto

A flu vaccine is displayed at a pharmacy in New York, on Tuesday, Sept. 24, 2024. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon, File)2025-05-02T15:20:23Z NEW YORK (AP) More U.S. children have died this flu season than at any time since the swine flu pandemic 15 years ago, according to a federal report released Friday.The 216 pediatric deaths reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eclipse the 207 reported last year. Its the most since the 2009-2010 H1N1 global flu pandemic.Its startling that the number already is this high, given that the flu season is still going on. The final pediatric death tally for the 2023-2024 flu season wasnt counted until autumn.This number that we have now is almost certainly an undercount, and one that when the season is declared over, and they compile all the data its almost certain to go up, said Dr. Sean OLeary of the American Academy of Pediatrics.There are likely several contributors to this seasons severity, but a big one is that fewer children get flu shots, added OLeary, a University of Colorado pediatric infectious diseases specialist. The flu vaccination rate for U.S. children has plummeted from about 64% five years ago to 49% this season. Flu vaccinations may not prevent people from coming down with symptoms, but research shows they are highly effective at preventing hospitalizations and deaths, OLeary said, adding that the decline in vaccinations is certainly playing a role in this seasons loss of life. The season has not only been hard on children. CDC officials have described it as highly severe, and estimate that so far there have been at least 47 million illnesses, 610,000 hospitalizations and 26,000 deaths this season. The good news is that flu indicators have been waning since February. ___The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institutes Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

This is Behind the Blog, where we share our behind-the-scenes thoughts about how a few of our top stories of the week came together. This week, we discuss eyebrow-raising apps, more media mess, and lovingly gazing at AI slop.JASON: I was planning on BTBing about the Reddit AI experiment, but today is my birthday and my 404 Media colleagues got me an incredibly thoughtful gift: A smart picture frame preloaded with a picture of the three of them (and not me) from our anniversary party that says fuck you bitch and dozens of images of AI slop. I love it, it brought a tear to my eye. Many of the images are NSFL just as Id want them to be.One of the interesting things about this picture frame is that it essentially lets the people who bought it drop new pictures onto it, which means, as Emanuel pointed out, its more a present for us than for you.

Nature, Published online: 30 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08889-0Geochemistry and geochronology show that Samoa and RurutuArago are the longest-lived Pacific hotspots, providing better constraints on plate rotation and support for a link between the Louisville volcanic track and the Ontong Java Nui Plateau.

Nature, Published online: 30 April 2025; doi:10.1038/s41586-025-08933-zIncreasing the activity of individual parvalbumin-expressing interneurons in the mouse brain modulates the number and strength of inhibitory parvalbumin synapses received by these cells through changes in the expression of the neuropeptide-encoding genes Vgf and Scg2.

The standoff over terms of negotiations, and whether they are happening, signals that a protracted economic fight lies ahead.

Researchers diving in a submersible in the eastern Pacific realized that the landscape they had studied the day before had been glassed over by fresh lava.

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San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, center, claps during the basketball team's parade and celebration for their fifth NBA Championship, Wednesday, June 18, 2014, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas, File)2025-05-02T16:07:33Z Gregg Popovich stepped down as coach of the San Antonio Spurs on Friday, ending a three-decade run that saw him lead the team to five NBA championships, become the leagues all-time wins leader and earn induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame.While my love and passion for the game remain, Ive decided its time to step away as head coach, Popovich said.He will remain as team president.Popovich, 76, missed all but five games this season after having a stroke at the teams arena on Nov. 2. He has not spoken publicly since, though had addressed his team at least once and released a statement in late March saying that he hoped to return to coaching.That wont be happening.Im forever grateful to the wonderful players, coaches, staff and fans who allowed me to serve them as the Spurs head coach and am excited for the opportunity to continue to support the organization, community and city that are so meaningful to me, Popovich said. Popovichs career ends with a record of 1,422-869, which does include the 77 games 32 wins and 45 losses that were coached by Spurs assistant Mitch Johnson this season. He also won 170 playoff games with the Spurs, the most by any coach with any one team and the third-most overall behind only Phil Jacksons 229 and Pat Rileys 171.The best there ever was, Spurs great Manu Ginobili said last year of Popovich. An NBA and Olympic championPopovich was a three-time coach of the year, led the U.S. to a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics and coached six Hall of Famers in San Antonio Ginobili, David Robinson, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Dominique Wilkins and Pau Gasol. He went up against 170 different coaches during his time in the NBA and there have been 303 coaching changes made in the league, including interim moves, during the Popovich era.Ive got a video on my phone thats, like, priceless, said Chris Paul, who played for the Spurs this past season going there, in large part, because of the lure of playing for Popovich. It was us in Oklahoma City, before shootaround, and Pop is doing ballhandling stuff. All these years Ive always seen Pop coaching in a suit, but I didnt know how hard of a worker he was when it comes to training. That work ethic, Paul said, carried over into this year after the stroke and Popovichs commitment to his rehabilitation process.I was the first one to get to the arena for games, and I would walk past the training room and Pop would be on the treadmill, Paul said. I actually had a chance to be in there while Pop is doing rehab or whatnot. So, to see how hard he works, thats what Im glad I got a chance to see. It had nothing to do with basketball. It just showed who he is. He took over in 1996Popovich, in his role as general manager of the Spurs, made the move to fire coach Bob Hill and promote himself into that job on Dec. 10, 1996. The timing seemed, at best, awkward. The Spurs were 3-15 at that point, having played all 18 of those games without Robinson, who was just about to come back from injury. Popovich took over on the day that Robinson returned to the lineup.A change in direction was necessary, Popovich said that day.The Spurs hadnt changed direction again since.Coach Pops extraordinary impact on our family, San Antonio, the Spurs and the game of basketball is profound, Spurs managing partner Peter J. Holt said. His accolades and awards dont do justice to the impact he has had on so many people. He is truly one-of-one as a person, leader and coach. Our entire family, alongside fans from across the globe, are grateful for his remarkable 29-year run as the head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.The fortunes changed Duncan was picked No. 1 overall in the 1997 draft but the direction under Popovich always stayed the same. The first championship came in 1999; others followed in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014. In his first 22 seasons as head coach, the Spurs had 22 winning records, the first 20 of those seasons winning at least 60% of the time.His decision to step away now comes with the Spurs having just completed the second year of a rebuild around French star Victor Wembanyama, who arrived touted as the next San Antonio great and has done nothing to suggest he wont live up to that billing. How he startedPopovich played at the U.S. Air Force Academy, famously wasnt picked in a bid to make the 1972 U.S. Olympic team some still say he merited a spot on that team and wound up becoming a coach who might have been perfectly content to run Pomona-Pitzer, a Division III program in California, for the entirety of his professional life. That school had lost 88 consecutive conference games when he arrived; it didnt take long for Popovich to deliver a conference championship.Eventually, the NBA called. In time, Popovich would be paired with Robinson, then the patriarch of a dynasty fueled by Duncan, Parker and Ginobili. And out of that, Popovich put together a career like none other.Everyone knows the amazing job hes done and all the accomplishments, longtime coach Larry Brown said in 2021. I wish more people really could know the type of person that he is.He was famously grumpy, liked to clash with reporters, rarely offered any details of his basketball or private life other than what was necessary. It was simultaneously real and an act; Popovich has a much softer side as well he quietly championed causes like the San Antonio Food Bank for years and wasnt afraid to make his political views known. And those lucky enough to know him find him hilarious.He has an amazing sense of humor, Boston forward Jayson Tatum said while playing for Popovich during the Tokyo Olympics four years ago. I guess the casual fan sees the person who does those interviews postgame, but thats not the case of who he is at all. I absolutely love spending time with him.A loss in the 2013 NBA Finals crushed Popovich, whose Spurs were in position to close out the Miami Heat in six games, lost Game 6 in overtime after Ray Allens 3-pointer with 5.2 seconds remaining in regulation kept the Heat alive, then fell in Game 7. But in the moments after the final horn, as Miami coach Erik Spoelstra embraced his staff, Popovich joined the hug with a wide smile.Spoelstra, who became head coach of the Heat in 2008, now becomes the leagues longest-tenured in his current position.Hes always just been an incredible example of class, dignity, Spoelstra said of Popovich. To be able to do that after wins or losses, I just think its a great example that you can still have class regardless of how the outcome comes during a game.When the Spurs beat the Heat for the title in a finals rematch in 2014, it was Spoelstra who felt the sting of losing. And once again, it was Popovich who sent congratulations on a job well done.There is no one out there like Pop, Golden State coach Steve Kerr said.A tenure like almost none otherPopovichs was a tenure like few others. Popovich coached the Spurs for 29 seasons, a span nearly unmatched in U.S. major pro sports history. Connie Mack managed the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 years, George Halas coached the Chicago Bears for 40 years and John McGraw managed the New York Giants for 31 years. Those three tenures all wrapping up well over a half-century ago are the only ones exceeding the length of Popovichs coaching run with the Spurs; his 29-year era in San Antonio was matched by the Dallas Cowboys Tom Landry and the Green Bay Packers Curly Lambeau.It means Im old, Popovich said last year.Popovich broke a gender barrier of sorts in the league when he hired Becky Hammon as the leagues first female full-time paid assistant coach. Hammon, now coach of the WNBAs Las Vegas Aces, would also become the first female head summer league coach in the NBA and first female acting head coach when she replaced Popovich for a game in 2020.Basketball is basketball, South Carolina womens coach Dawn Staley said when asked about Popovich in 2017. It doesnt have a gender. It has a mind. It has an approach. It has a willingness. Given the opportunity, women can excel in this game. As you can see. Becky Hammon is doing a great job. You need more people like Coach Popovich to give them opportunities to learn, to grow, and to embrace it. I dont think he sees gender. I think he sees someone that has a great basketball mind, thats tireless. Once youre given that opportunity, you see great things come out of it.Popovich spoke about wine whenever he could and offered his views on politics and current events but rarely offered much insight into coaching decisions or personnel matters. It was almost military-like secrecy, which made sense given that Popovich was a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and was an expert on, among other things, the rise and fall of the Soviet Union.His love of country led to him taking a small side job during his San Antonio tenure that being coaching USA Basketball for the 2019 World Cup and the Tokyo Olympics two years later. His World Cup team finished seventh, the worst placing ever for a U.S. team with NBA players. His Olympic team won gold.Its impossible to separate it if you have been in the military, Popovich said when asked about the parallels of being at the Air Force Academy and coaching the countrys national team. Ive had classmates that have fought in wars I have not and some of them are no longer with us. You get an appreciation for people who have sacrificed. So, when you have an opportunity to do this for your country, its impossible to say no. I love being part of it.___AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba TIM REYNOLDS Reynolds is an Associated Press sports writer, based in South Florida. twitter mailto