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Chicago native Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected head of the Roman Catholic Church yesterday, becoming the first US citizen to hold the office. The 69-year-old (who is also a citizen of Peru) selected Leo XIV as his papal name—a nod toward the late 19th-century Pope Leo XIII, known for opening the church to modernity and emphasizing workers' rights.
Born in Chicago in 1955, Prevost joined the Augustinians in 1977, a missionary order dedicated to unity, harmony, and service. The order stationed Prevost in Peru in 1985, where he served for over a decade, later becoming its leader. In 2015, Pope Francis made Prevost bishop of the diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, later naming him a cardinal and head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops (read bio). Prevost is seen as a centrist; see how his stances compare to Pope Francis’ pontificate here.
Many world leaders applauded the election. A group of survivors of priestly sexual abuse demanded further investigation into allegations Prevost mishandled abusive priests under his watch. |
The US and UK announced a framework for a trade deal yesterday, the largest step toward a potential trade agreement since President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on US trading partners. The deal, pending finalization, focuses on tariff relief for autos, steel, and select industrial goods.
The US is the UK’s largest trading partner, accounting for over 17% of annual UK trade, with total trade between the two nations valued at roughly $417B. A 10% base tariff on many UK imports will remain, but tariffs on UK car imports to the US will drop from 27.5% to 10% for up to 100,000 vehicles annually, and tariffs on UK steel and aluminum will be eliminated. In return, the UK will ease trade barriers on US beef and ethanol while keeping its digital services tax on major tech giants. See details here.
Talks with other major US trading partners—including Japan, India, South Korea, and the European Union—are ongoing, with US-China negotiations scheduled for this weekend. |
A Soviet-era rocket capsule, Kosmos-482, is due to hit Earth late tonight or early tomorrow. It is unclear where the 1,100-pound spacecraft will crash, with experts estimating a low (1 in 25,000) risk to humans. Track the spacecraft here.
Kosmos-482 was launched in March 1972, slated to become the Soviet Union’s ninth uncrewed mission to Venus as part of its Venera program (1961-83). While a similar mission launched days earlier made it to Venus, Kosmos-482 failed to escape low orbit, instead separating into four pieces. One piece burned up and two landed in New Zealand fields. Atmospheric drag has since pulled the landing capsule toward Earth. The titanium spacecraft is currently traveling at 17,000 miles per hour; it will hit Earth's surface at 150 miles per hour.
The Venera program notched many successes, including humans’ first probe to land on another planet and the first to return images and sounds from another planet’s surface. Learn more about Venera here (w/photo). |
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Sports, Entertainment, & Culture |
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> US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.6%, Dow +0.6%, Nasdaq +1.1%) after US unveils outline of UK trade deal and signals optimism for talks with China (More) | Bank of England lowers interest rates to 4.25% from 4.5% (More) |
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> India accuses Pakistan of attacking three military bases with drones and missiles; Pakistan denies the claim (More) | Pakistan says its air force downed five Indian fighter jets, more drones (More) | Pakistan also says 125 Indian and Pakistani jets fought in the air for over an hour Wednesday; if true, would be among biggest air battles since World War II (More) |
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