Pope Francis, first Latin American and Jesuit pontiff, dies at 88
Church bells tolled across the world to mourn the life of Pope Francis, who died at 88 in Rome April 21, one day after Easter Sunday. Catholics and global leaders remembered the pontiff for his humility, consideration for the impoverished and efforts to bring the 2,000-year-old institution into discussions of modern issues.
The Vatican announced Francis died of a stroke that led to a coma and heart failure. He had a history of lung problems and was hospitalized for 38 days with double pneumonia beginning Feb. 14, the Associated Press reported.
Francis, the first Latin American and Jesuit pope, was elected to the highest position in the Roman Catholic Church in 2013 following Pope Benedict XVI’s shocking resignation from the papacy — the second in over two millennia.
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, Francis was formerly the archbishop of Buenos Aires. His leadership of the Church came after decades of conservative tradition and sexual abuse scandals marred the reputation of the institution. Throughout his papacy, Francis was outspoken about humanitarian issues and forged connections with marginalized communities, often traveling to countries where Christians were the minority.
President Donald Trump issued a proclamation April 21 in honor of Francis that called for American flags to fly at half-staff at all federal buildings until the day of interment. In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump offered condolences for the late pontiff.
“Rest in Peace Pope Francis! May God Bless him and all who loved him!” wrote Trump.
Shortly before his death, Francis met with Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic convert, at the Vatican April 20.
In his final public appearance Easter Sunday, Francis gave a blessing to thousands of worshippers gathered outside St. Peter’s Basilica for Easter Mass. Archbishop Diego Ravelli delivered a papal address written by Francis that urged world leaders to search for peace in global conflicts and called for a ceasefire in Gaza.
“I express my closeness to the sufferings of Christians in Palestine and Israel, and to all the Israeli people and the Palestinian people,” wrote Francis. “I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace!”
Following the rituals of papal funeral rites, Francis’ body will be on view for mourners to pay their respects before a funeral mass and burial April 26. Cardinals will gather in Rome for a conclave to elect the next pope after the funeral.
Two die, six injured in shooting at Florida State
Two people died and six were left injured after a shooting at Florida State University April 17. The suspect, Phoenix Ikner, 20, was also injured and is now in custody. All that were injured are expected to survive.
Ikner is a student at FSU and the stepson of a sheriff’s deputy. The handgun used in attack belonged to the sheriff deputy and was identified as her former service weapon.
The two victims that were killed in the attack were Robert Morales and Tiru Chabba.
Morales was a dining coordinator for the University and had worked there for nearly a decade and was also an alum who graduated with a degree in criminology. His family confirmed his death April 18.
Chabba was a father of two children from South Carolina who was on campus during the shooting as an employee of a campus vendor. His death was confirmed by the law firm his family has retained.
At least some of the six injured survivors of the shooting were confirmed to be students at the University, but no other identifications have been released.
There has been no sign that the suspect had personal connections to the people involved in the shooting, according to The New York Times.
According to the Gun Violence Archives, there have been 84 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2025. Six of these shootings have been in Florida.
Hegseth revealed plans to stike Yemen in second group chat
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, is under scrutiny for sharing more sensitive government information on unsecure Signal messaging chats.
About a month after Atlantic Editor Jeffrey Goldberg was added to a Signal group chat that discussed planned attacks on Yemen, Hegseth is back in the headlines regarding sharing Yemen attack details on another personal Signal group chat with his wife, brother and personal lawyer.
According to people in the chat “Defense | Team Huddle,” Hegseth shared similar information as was shared in the other group chat “Houthi PC Small Group.” However, this chat was sent from Hegseth’s personal phone instead of his government one, according to the New York Times.
On April 20, former top Pentagon Spokesperson John Ullyot, wrote an opinion piece for Politico detailing the “month from hell” — which was sparked by Hegseth’s leaked war plans. According to Ullyot, a number of employees under Hegseth were fired over the information leak.
The Guardian reported that Ullyot called the situation a “full-blown meltdown” that could cost Hegseth his job.
According to Trump, the first information leak was the administration’s “first glitch” and he continues to defend Hegseth saying that these discussions were a “waste of time.”
Harvard sues Trump administration over federal funding freeze
Tensions between Harvard University and the Trump administration continued to rise April 21 when the university filed a lawsuit against the administration for “imposing unprecedented and improper control over the University.”
The lawsuit comes after $2.2 billion of federal funding was frozen by the Trump administration April 14. With the administration claiming that the university was in violation of civil rights laws by failing to protect Jewish students.
In a statement from Harvard April 21 said that the demands made by the Trump administration would have given them power to control who the university hires and what they are able to teach, an infringement on the first amendment according to the university.
“Today, we stand for the values that have made American higher education a beacon for the world. We stand for the truth that colleges and universities across the country can embrace and honor their legal obligations and best fulfill their essential role in society without improper government intrusion,” said Harvard President Alan Gerber in the statement.
The lawsuit Harvard filed claimed the freezing of federal funds was unlawful and the demands from the administration were unconstitutional.
The case was assigned to U.S. District Court Judge Allison Burroughs, according to Politico reporter Josh Gerstein.
