Month: May 2025

In a historic decision on Thursday, American Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected as the 267th pope of the Roman Catholic Church. His papal name is Pope Leo XIV — the first pontiff in history to hail from the United States. The College of Cardinals selected the American cleric to lead the Catholic Church, becoming the spiritual leader of over 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide.

The announcement came roughly an hour after white smoke billowed from the chimney atop the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City on Thursday afternoon, a traditional sign that a new pope had been successfully chosen by the 133 cardinal electors during their conclave, which began on May 7, lasted two days. A short time later, protodeacon of the College of Cardinals came out onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and announced “habemus papum,” which means “we have a pope.”

Shortly thereafter, Pope Leo XIV made his first public appearance, stepping onto the balcony to address the world. He began in Italian: “Peace be with you. Here is the face of the risen Christ — humble, disarming. A God who loves each of us without condition. We still hear the gentle, brave voice of Pope Francis, who blessed not only Rome, but the entire world that Easter morning. I wish to continue in that blessing. God loves us — all of us. Evil shall not triumph; we are in God’s care. Let us walk forward with courage, together, as followers of Christ. The world needs His light now more than ever. Humanity longs for that light.”

Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1955, earning his bachelor’s in mathematics from Villanova University in Pennsylvania and went on to receive his diploma in theology from the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago. He was later sent to Rome to study canon law at the Pontifical Saint Thomas Aquinas University and was ordained as a priest in June 1982. Later in his career, he taught canon law in the seminary in Trujillo, Peru, and also holds Peruvian citizenship. Before his election, Prevost led the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops, a department responsible for selecting new bishops throughout the Church.

Pope Leo is generally viewed as a moderate within the Church hierarch, and is considered progressive on many social issues — echoing Pope Francis’ focus on outreach to the poor and marginalized communities, including migrants. However, when it comes to doctrinal matters, he holds more traditional views, i.e, he does not support the ordination of women as deacons.

President Donald Trump congratulated the new pope in a social media post, writing: “It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!”

Editorial credit: MartiBstock / Shutterstock.com

Motown music legend Smokey Robinson broke his silence following a civil lawsuit filed by four former employees who have accused him of sexual misconduct. Speaking briefly to the Daily Mail by phone on Wednesday, May 7, Robinson, 85, expressed his shock over the accusations: “I’m in disbelief … I can’t comment on this right now.”  

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles on Tuesday, May 6, alleges a series of serious offenses against Robinson, including sexual battery, assault, false imprisonment, gender-based violence, and the creation of a hostile work environment. The claims come from four women, identified as Jane Does, who say they worked for Robinson and his wife, Frances Glandney, over nearly two decades. Glandney, whom Robinson married in 2002, is also named as a defendant, with claims that she was aware of Robinson’s past behavior and failed to take action, even after reportedly settling prior cases involving similar accusations. All four plaintiffs, who were employed as housekeepers, also allege they were denied proper wages and overtime compensation.

According to the filing, Jane Doe 1 worked for the couple from January 2023 until she left in February 2024; during that time, she claims Robinson assaulted her on at least seven occasions.  Jane Doe 2 was employed between May 2014 and February 2020; she claims Robinson sexually assaulted her 23 times. Jane Doe 3 worked as a housekeeper for Robinson from February 2012 through April 2024; with claims she endured at least 20 rapes during her employment. Jane Doe 4 says she began working for the couple in October 2006 and resigned in April 2024; serving as a housekeeper, cook, hairstylist, and personal assistant to Glandney. The lawsuit states that in 2007, Robinson sexually assaulted her, and those assaults continued until her resignation.

The women stated in the complaint they chose not to come forward sooner out of fear of losing their jobs, and also due to concerns about retaliation. They are jointly seeking a minimum of $50 million in damages for the physical, emotional, and psychological harm they claim to have suffered.

Attorney John Harris said during a press conference Robinson’s alleged actions were “despicable and reprehensible misconduct. These courageous four women have collectively decided to come forward and share their experiences of being sexually assaulted by Mr. Smokey Robinson and stand up for their rights as well as the rights of other women, particularly those that may be victimized by him in the future.”

Robinson’s attorney Christopher Frost said the complaint as “an ugly method of trying to extract money from an 85-year-old American icon,” adding that his team would be “addressing the numerous aspects of the complaint that defy credulity as well as issues relating to purported timelines, inconsistencies, and relationships between the plaintiffs and others.”

Frost — who is also representing Glandney — said Robinson will “respond in his own words” in time, and “we ask anyone following this case to reserve judgment as the evidence comes to light and all the actual facts of the case unfold We will be asking the Court to dismiss the lawsuit. We will also be asking the Court to address that in their statements to the press about Mr. Robinson, the plaintiff’s attorneys have reached beyond the bounds of liberties that even lawyers are typically allowed in this context.”

Editorial credit: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com

The Federal Reserve announced Wednesday that it will leave interest rates unchanged, opting for caution amid ongoing economic uncertainty linked to the Trump administration’s trade policies.

The central bank confirmed that its benchmark lending rate will remain within the current range of 4.25% to 4.5%, despite President Donald Trump’s push for a rate cut to counter potential inflationary effects from his tariff measures and resulting global trade tensions.  Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said at a May 7 press conference: “We are comfortable with our policy stance. We think right now the appropriate thing to do is to wait and see how things evolve. There’s so much uncertainty.”

Trump has been pressuring the Fed to lower rates, arguing it would help offset inflation triggered by his administration’s tariffs. However, central bank officials cited persistent inflation concerns and slowing economic growth as key reasons for maintaining the current rate. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) said in a statement: “The unemployment rate has remained stable at historically low levels, and the labor market continues to show strength. However, inflation remains above our preferred levels, and economic uncertainty has continued to grow.”

While the Fed remains committed to its dual mandate of full employment and stable inflation, it is also carefully weighing the risks of lowering rates too soon, especially as inflationary pressures rise due to the tariff policies. Adding to the Fed’s challenges, the U.S. economy shrank in the first quarter of 2025, with gross domestic product (GDP) declining by an annualized 0.3%. Meanwhile, consumer confidence fell sharply in late April, hitting its lowest level since the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020.

Unless there is a significant downturn in employment, analysts say the Fed is unlikely to reduce rates in the near term. The central bank remains focused on bringing inflation back to its 2% target without triggering a broader economic downturn. Speaking in April, Powell noted that the scale of the tariff increases had exceeded expectations, warning that the economic consequences—namely higher inflation and reduced growth—would likely be more severe than initially projected. President Trump publicly criticized Powell and even suggested he should be removed from his position following those comments.

Editorial credit: miss.cabul / Shutterstock.com

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to move forward with its policy restricting transgender individuals from serving in the military. The decision lifts a lower court’s injunction that had blocked the policy from taking effect, following a ruling that had described it as an unjustified and overtly discriminatory measure.

A federal judge in Washington state had previously blocked the policy in a March 27 ruling, calling the issue “not an especially close question.” When the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to pause that decision, the Trump administration escalated the matter to the Supreme Court.

In a brief order, the justices approved the administration’s emergency request to end the injunction while legal challenges to the policy continue in lower courts. Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, and Ketanji Brown Jackson dissented, signaling they would have rejected the request to implement the policy while the appeal plays out. The high court offered no detailed explanation for its order but clarified that the stay could be lifted if it eventually hears the case and rules against the policy. Meanwhile, the legal battle continues in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The ruling marks a setback for a group of seven transgender service members, including lead plaintiff Navy Commander Emily Shilling, who had filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the ban from taking effect. Lambda Legal and the Human Rights Campaign Foundation in a joint statement: “This decision is a devastating setback for the brave transgender Americans who have served our country honorably. The organizations, which are representing the plaintiffs, added that the policy “is rooted in bias, not in legitimate military concerns.”

In a separate but related case, a federal judge in Washington, D.C., had also issued an order stopping the policy from being enforced nationwide. However, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily paused that ruling while it considers whether to uphold it. A final decision from that court is still pending.

The policy in question was introduced in February and represents a more sweeping restriction than a similar measure proposed earlier in Trump’s presidency. According to Solicitor General D. John Sauer, the regulation bars most individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria or those who have undergone treatment related to the condition from joining the armed forces. Sauer emphasized in his argument to the Supreme Court that courts traditionally defer significantly to military leadership on national defense matters. The administration has defended the policy by referencing a Pentagon study conducted during Trump’s first term, which claimed that allowing individuals with gender dysphoria to serve could compromise “military effectiveness and lethality.”

Editorial credit: Evgenia Parajanian / Shutterstock.com

President Trump met with newly-elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Tuesday, just one week after Carney’s Liberal Party secured victory in that country’s election.

Carney’s visit to Washington began with a focus on rebuilding economic ties, once a hallmark of U.S.-Canada cooperation. Ahead of the meeting, Carney had signaled the agenda would include pressing trade concerns and discussions about the broader economic and security partnership between the two independent nations; and he posted on X shortly after landing in the U.S. capital that “Our countries are at their best when we collaborate. That effort starts now.”  

During their meeting in the Oval Office, Carney’s remarks included Canadian sovereignty, telling Trump that “his country is not for sale.” The statement came in response to the U.S. president’s repeated suggestions that Canada could become the 51st state of the United States.

After Carney stated that “there are places in this world that are simply not up for sale,” Trump responded in a light-hearted (yet persistent) tone: “never say never.”  Trump also emphasized that the U.S.-Canada relationship remains fundamentally strong, telling reporters that “No matter what happens, we’ll always be friends with Canada.”

Tensions between the countries escalated in March when the Trump administration imposed a 25% import tariff on Canadian goods not covered under the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement). Trump claimed the move was a response to Canada’s failure to curb illegal migration and fentanyl smuggling across the border. In retaliation, Canada enacted tariffs on a wide range of American imports.

Carney’s Liberal Party campaign leaned heavily into criticism of Trump’s trade policies, with Carney—once governor of the Bank of Canada—calling the tariffs a “betrayal” and a significant deviation from the historically stable U.S.-Canada relationship.

Editorial credit: bella1105 / Shutterstock.com