By Jade Walker

President Donald Trump has elevated yet another Fox News personality to a position of power. On Thursday, Trump announced that he was appointing Jeanine Pirro as the interim US attorney for Washington, DC, after his first pick — Ed Martin — received pushback from Republicans on Capitol Hill. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth previously worked at Fox News, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy was employed by Fox Business. Dan Bongino, the host of “Unfiltered with Dan Bongino” on Fox News, now serves as deputy director of the FBI. Tulsi Gabbard, the director of national intelligence, was also a paid contributor to the network.

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Pope Leo XIV

Former Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, the first American to be elected pope, will reveal more about the direction he wishes to take the Catholic Church in the months to come. If you’ve never heard of the new pontiff, here are a few tidbits about his background. The 69-year-old from Chicago stepped into his role as the 267th pope on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica Thursday bearing a message of peace. He has chosen the name Leo XIV. Leo is now tied for the fourth most common name chosen by popes, along with Clement. According to a family historian who researched his genealogy, the new pontiff has Creole of color roots in New Orleans, Louisiana. He earned a bachelor’s in mathematics from Villanova University in Pennsylvania and a diploma in theology from the Catholic Theological Union of Chicago. Leo is a dual citizen of the US and Peru and enjoys playing tennis.

India-Pakistan 

Tensions remain high between India and Pakistan as both countries continue to blame each other for violence in Kashmir. The latest breakdown in relations was sparked by a group of gunmen who killed at least 26 sightseers in the disputed region. New Delhi blamed Pakistan for harboring terrorists and retaliated by downgrading ties and suspending its participation in a crucial water-sharing treaty. Although it denied involvement in the shooting, Pakistan responded by suspending trade and expelling Indian diplomats. This week, India launched missile strikes on Pakistan, targeting what it said was “terrorist infrastructure,” and killing at least 31 people. Shelling from Pakistan then claimed the lives of at least 16 civilians. 

Trump firings  

The White House fired Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden on Thursday. Hayden became the country's top librarian in 2016 and had about a year and a half left on her 10-year term. She was the first woman and the first Black person to hold the position. Democrats swiftly criticized the action. “Donald Trump’s unjust decision to fire Dr. Hayden in an email sent by a random political hack is a disgrace and the latest in his ongoing effort to ban books, whitewash American history and turn back the clock,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in a statement. The acting administrator of FEMA was also fired on Thursday, mere weeks before the start of hurricane season. Cameron Hamilton, who was appointed by Trump, was reportedly escorted out of FEMA’s headquarters just one day after he defended the agency during testimony in front of the House Appropriations Committee, saying he did not support its dismantling. For months, Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem have called for FEMA to be “eliminated.”

VOA

Two months ago, the Trump administration stopped broadcasting news reports on the Voice of America’s networks. Kari Lake, the MAGA loyalist the president picked to run the US Agency for Global Media, placed about 1,400 employees and contractors on leave and terminated all financial support. Since then, staffers have been stuck in a form of bureaucratic limbo as their case winds through the legal system. Earlier this week, Lake announced that the agency had partnered with One America News Network, the far-right TV outlet known for promoting Trump’s 2020 election lies. The cable channel, which has also settled multiple defamation lawsuits resulting from its on-air claims, will now provide “newsfeed services” to VOA and other US-funded international broadcasters.

Great Lakes

One year ago, JD Vance praised efforts to restore the Great Lakes, calling them “an invaluable asset” and supporting more funding to fight “invasive species, algal blooms, pollution and other threats to the ecosystem.” Now that Vance is vice president — and not just a senator from Ohio — things have changed. As part of the Department of Government Efficiency's effort to reduce spending, the Trump administration has gutted the staff at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory and enacted severe spending limits, according to ProPublica. “It has taken over a century of bipartisan cooperation, investment and science to bring the Great Lakes back from the brink of ecological collapse,” said Nicole Rice, who was fired from her position at the lab after a promotion put her on probationary status. “But these reckless cuts could undo the progress in just a few short years, endangering the largest surface freshwater system in the world.”

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Lainey Wilson has a big night at ACM Awards
Wilson triumphed at the 60th Academy of Country Music Awards on Thursday, winning in the categories of entertainer of the year, female artist of the year, album of the year and artist/songwriter of the year. 

‘Boardwalk Empire’ star arrested in New York
Michael Pitt has been accused of sexually assaulting and physically attacking his ex-girlfriend, according to a grand jury indictment. The 44-year-old actor was arrested last week on nine counts, including first-degree sexual abuse, criminal sexual acts, assault, attempted assault and strangulation. 

Krispy Kreme to McD’s: We’re on a break
Krispy Kreme had decided to halt the growth of its partnership with McDonald's. The doughnut chain had originally planned to sell its sweet treats at all of McD’s 13,000 restaurants.

Stamp of approval from one first lady to another
First lady Melania Trump made a rare public appearance at the White House on Thursday to unveil a new US postage stamp of Barbara Bush. As the mother to one GOP president and the wife of another, the late first lady was the matriarch of a Republican political dynasty. 

Upcoming movie highlights ‘the most important place on Earth’
“Ocean with David Attenborough” is a new documentary that chronicles the wonders of the ocean and the threats it faces. The film’s release this week coincides with the veteran broadcaster’s 99th birthday. 

President Trump announced plans to reopen which notorious prison to “house America’s most ruthless and violent offenders.”
A. Eastern State Penitentiary
B. Alcatraz
C. Fort Delaware
D. Ohio State Reformatory

$1 billion

That’s how much funding the Department of Education will stop paying out for school mental health programs. The terminated grants were part of the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, a gun safety bill passed in the wake of the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting that killed 19 students and two teachers.  

“We’re the United States of America. We’re not Kaiser Wilhelm’s Germany or Napoleon France. We’re better than this. It just sounds like a sophomore thing to do.”

— Republican Rep. Don Bacon, explaining why he did not vote for a bill that would rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

The trick to making a cup of joe for less
Scientists recently conducted a study to determine how to brew stronger coffee using fewer beans.

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