Robert Prevost was ‘the pride and joy of every priest and nun’ at St. Mary’s on Chicago’s South Side

CHICAGO — Catholics across the region are celebrating the historic announcement that the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the church was born and raised in the Chicago area.

In his first words as Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost announced “peace be with you,” invoking a message of dialogue and care for those in need from Vatican City on Thursday.

“When I heard the news of the new Holy Father at that moment, at least here in Chicago, the sun came out,” said the Rev. Greg Sakowicz, rector of Holy Name Cathedral.

Some would say the sunny weather was just a coincidence, Sakowicz acknowledged. But “a coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous,” he added.

—Chicago Tribune

Melania Trump rarely visits the White House, report says

Melania Trump has reportedly spent fewer than two weeks in the White House since President Donald Trump began serving his second term in office on Jan. 20.

While she’s been photographed at highly publicized events like April’s White House Easter Egg Roll, sightings of the enigmatic first lady in Washington, D.C. have been rare in the 109 days her husband has been in office, according to The New York Times.

The corner residence long designated for the wives of the nation’s presidents reportedly remains empty and dark most of the time. Melania is believed to split her time between Trump Tower in Manhattan and the president’s Mar-a-Lago estate in south Florida.

The couple’s son, Barron Trump, attends classes at NYU. The president often spends weekend at Mar-a-Lago, though it’s unclear how often he and Melania are together there.

—New York Daily News

Billboards slam Death Valley staff cuts, warn of a deadly summer

LAS VEGAS — Death Valley National Park is an iconic day trip from Las Vegas, but some advocates are warning of a less-than-pleasant summer season — and this time, it’s not just because of the heat.

A pro-labor and left-leaning advocacy nonprofit, More Perfect Union, has put up 19 billboards in Reno and Las Vegas, calling out the Trump administration’s cuts to safety staff throughout the national park system, which saw record visitation numbers in 2024.

Since President Donald Trump took office, the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk, has taken broad strokes to axe the federal deficit, including firing park employees who many say are critical to visitor services and public safety.

The full extent of the layoffs remains unclear, and the park service has not responded to public records requests.

—Las Vegas Review-Journal

Pakistan hails role of Chinese jets in repelling India strikes

Pakistani said Chinese fighter jets were used to respond to military strikes by India and that it has kept Beijing fully informed of its action as tensions in the disputed Kashmir region escalate.

Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar told parliament late Wednesday that Chinese J-10C jets were used to shoot down five Indian fighter jets along the border, including French-made Rafale jets, the Associated Press of Pakistan news service cited him as saying.

India’s government hasn’t officially confirmed whether aircraft it deployed in the military strike in the early hours of Wednesday morning were destroyed.

Dar said it kept Beijing informed about the military action soon after the strikes began, with China’s Ambassador Jiang Zaidong visiting Pakistan’s Foreign Office at 4 a.m. local time on Wednesday.

—Bloomberg News