AURN News

Cardinal Robert Prevost has become the first American pope. The sound of the crowd roaring as he greeted thousands gathered for the historic moment echoed throughout the Vatican.

For the first time, the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics hails from the United States — more specifically, the South Side of Chicago. The name he has chosen: Pope Leo XIV.

The 69-year-old Augustinian and former missionary in Peru stepped onto the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica and delivered his first message:

"Peace be with you all."

His choice of languages: Italian, Spanish and Latin — not English — reflecting a global perspective shaped far beyond U.S. borders.

Pope Leo XIV is no stranger to international work. Before being tapped to lead the Vatican's Dicastery for Bishops, he served for four years as a bishop in Peru and even holds Peruvian citizenship.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Not guilty. That’s the verdict delivered by an all-white jury in Tennessee for three former Memphis police officers in the brutal 2023 beating of Tyre Nichols.

Nichols, a 29-year-old unarmed Black man, died just days after being kicked, pepper-sprayed and pummeled by officers from a now-disbanded special unit.

Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith were all cleared of state charges: second-degree murder, aggravated assault, kidnapping and official misconduct — despite graphic body cam footage and expert testimony labeling their force excessive and unnecessary. His only crime was allegedly fleeing a traffic stop.

Civil rights attorneys Ben Crump and Antonio Romanucci called the acquittal a "devastating miscarriage of justice." The Rev. Al Sharpton, who eulogized Nichols and spoke with his parents after the verdict, blasted the decision and questioned why a jury was brought in from outside Memphis.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Three former Memphis police officers were acquitted of all state charges — including second-degree murder — in the 2023 beating death of Tyre Nichols, according to The New York Times.

The acquittal follows an earlier federal trial in which they were found guilty of lesser offenses, including witness tampering.

Nichols, a 29-year-old Black man, was violently beaten after a traffic stop and died three days later. Video footage of the assault sparked national outrage.

Prosecutors argued that the officers used excessive force, while defense lawyers claimed they were reacting to a fleeing suspect.

Nichols’ family and civil rights advocates condemned the verdict as a miscarriage of justice, reigniting concerns about police accountability and systemic bias.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to deport migrants to Libya — a country that the U.S. government itself warns Americans not to visit due to violence, kidnappings and chaos.

According to Reuters, as early as this week, migrants — some not even from Africa — could be flown by U.S. military transport to the war-scarred nation without formal agreement or coordination from Libyan authorities.

Both of Libya's rival governments have publicly rejected the move, calling it a violation of sovereignty.

One Mexican detainee in Texas said he was told to sign papers agreeing to be sent to Libya — despite being just 200 miles from his hometown in Mexico. He begged to go home, but under this crackdown, logic does not seem to matter.

Since January, Trump has deported more than 152,000 people and is now pushing the boundaries of where the U.S. can send them — even into conflict zones.

Due process or human rights? The administration is rewriting the rules — and if Libya is on the table, where does it stop?

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(AURN News) — The wild economic ride of President Donald Trump’s second term continued Wednesday as the Federal Reserve announced it would hold interest rates steady.

“The Committee seeks to achieve maximum employment and inflation at the rate of 2 percent over the longer run. Uncertainty about the economic outlook has increased further. The Committee is attentive to the risks to both sides of its dual mandate and judges that the risks of higher unemployment and higher inflation have risen,” the Fed said in a statement.

The move comes as uncertainty around tariffs continues to ripple through the economy. Some economists argue it is the American consumer who ends up footing the bill as corporations pass on higher costs.

Trump has defended his approach, insisting his tariff plan is about forcing other countries to pay their fair share. But as inflation remains high and concerns grow over stagnating growth, some warn the U.S. may be headed toward stagflation.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Imagine one government brain tracking your Social Security, tax returns, disability status — even your medical diagnoses.

Well, that's exactly what DOGE — the Department of Government Efficiency — under Elon Musk's leadership is racing to build, and it's being sold as modernization.

But critics call it a digital dragnet. DOGE is pulling private data across federal agencies, often bypassing traditional security protocols, and civil rights experts warn it's a hacker's dream and a democracy's nightmare.

Inside government, workers say they are being pushed to merge systems once kept separate for a reason.

Experts say consolidating this much data breaks basic cybersecurity principles, making the government a bigger target — especially as Chinese hacking escalates.

But still, the White House insists it is legal, safe and necessary to root out fraud and deport undocumented immigrants. But at what cost?

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Supreme Court has given the Trump administration the green light to start enforcing a ban on transgender Americans serving in the military. Again, with no explanation, the conservative majority halted a lower court's injunction that had blocked the ban, allowing Trump's new Department of Defense rules to take effect immediately.

The policy bars anyone diagnosed with or even showing signs of gender dysphoria from serving — and that includes thousands already in uniform. Think about that. People trained, deployed and honored now face discharge — not for conduct or capability, but for identity.

And it is happening despite a federal judge's findings that trans troops have served openly for years without harming readiness. In fact, data shows their presence enhanced it. But Trump's Pentagon says they are a threat to cohesion. Yet there is no evidence, no disruption — just political discrimination dressed up as military necessity.

Related Articles

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

According to Sports Illustrated, Dick Crews—the first Black men’s basketball player at the University of Washington—has died at 89 after a battle with Alzheimer’s.

A Garfield High School graduate, Crews broke the color barrier at UW in the 1955–56 season, despite initial resistance from alumni and even the coach, Tippy Dye.

His courage paved the way for future stars like Brandon Roy and Isaiah Thomas.

Crews endured racism on and off the court, including being denied service at restaurants while traveling with the team.

“You have to stand up… or you run away from everything,” he once said.

His legacy as a trailblazer still shapes the University of Washington’s basketball team today.

Rest in peace, Dick Crews.

Related Articles

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(AURN News) — A recent survey from the Pew Research Center finds that most American teens believe children can thrive even when both parents work — and Black teens are by far the most likely to say so.

Among U.S. teens ages 13 to 17, 57% say children are just as well off when both parents have jobs. But when broken down by race, 77% of Black teens hold that view — the highest among all racial groups surveyed. Only 22% of Black teens say children are better off when one parent stays home to focus on the family.

In contrast, White and Hispanic teens were more likely to say having one stay-at-home parent is better for children — 46% in each group.

Income also played a role. Among teens in households earning less than $30,000 a year, 57% said children do better when one parent doesn’t work outside the home. But among teens in higher-income households, most said children are just as well off when both parents have jobs.

Politics mattered too. A majority of teens who identify as Republican or lean Republican — 53% — said children are better off when one parent stays home. In contrast, 65% of Democrat-leaning teens said children are just as well off with two working parents.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Trump administration has confirmed it is looking to reopen and expand the infamous Alcatraz prison.

Yes, the same prison that shut down in the 1960s for being inhumane. But that's not all. The administration is negotiating with countries such as El Salvador — and now Rwanda — to house U.S. detainees abroad, including people with American citizenship.

Right now, Rwanda is considering using dorms funded by British taxpayers to house migrants deported by the U.S. In El Salvador, the administration is already sending detainees to a mega prison condemned for human rights violations.

Some were deported by mistake. The court said to bring them back, but the White House refused.

What we're seeing is the outsourcing of incarceration, and it raises massive legal, ethical and constitutional red flags. This isn't just about immigration or crime — it's about whether American citizens, or anyone else, can be disappeared across borders without due process.

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.