A Soviet-era spacecraft plunged to Earth on Saturday, more than a half-century after its failed launch to Venus.

Its uncontrolled entry was confirmed by both the Russian Space Agency and European Union Space Surveillance and Tracking. The Russians indicated it came down over the Indian Ocean, but some experts were not so sure of the precise location. The European Space Agencys space debris office also tracked the spacecraft's doom after it failed to appear over a German radar station.

It was not immediately known how much, if any, of the half-ton spacecraft survived the fiery descent from orbit. Experts said ahead of time that some if not all of it might come crashing down, given it was built to withstand a landing on Venus, the solar systems hottest planet.

The chances of anyone getting clobbered by spacecraft debris were exceedingly low, scientists said.

RELATED STORY | Scientists find 'strongest hints yet' of life on another planet called K2-18b

Launched in 1972 by the Soviet Union, the spacecraft known as Kosmos 482 was part of a series of missions bound for Venus. But this one never made it out of orbit around Earth, stranded there by a rocket malfunction.

Much of the spacecraft came tumbling back to Earth within a decade of the failed launch. No longer able to resist gravitys tug as its orbit dwindled, the spherical lander an estimated 3 feet (1 meter) across was the last part of the spacecraft to come down. The lander was encased in titanium, according to experts, and weighed more than 1,000 pounds (495 kilograms).

Any surviving wreckage will belong to Russia under a United Nations treaty.

After following the spacecrafts downward spiral, scientists, military experts and others could not pinpoint in advance precisely when or where the spacecraft might come down. Solar activity added to the uncertainty as well as the spacecrafts deteriorating condition after so long in space.

After so much anticipation, some observers were disappointed by the lingering uncertainty over the exact whereabouts of the spacecrafts grave.

If it was over the Indian Ocean, only the whales saw it, Dutch scientist Marco Langbroek said via X.

As of Saturday afternoon, the U.S. Space Command had yet to confirm the spacecraft's demise as it collected and analyzed data from orbit.

The U.S. Space Command routinely monitors dozens of reentries each month. What set Kosmos 482 apart and earned it extra attention from government and private space trackers was that it was more likely to survive reentry, according to officials.

It was also coming in uncontrolled, without any intervention by flight controllers who normally target the Pacific and other vast expanses of water for old satellites and other space debris.

RELATED STORY | Astronauts won't get overtime for their extended stay aboard the Space Station

A sixth-grade student at Sacred Heart Catholic School in Boise had a surprising prediction come true when she randomly selected the cardinal who would become the next pope.

"They were like, he's the pope, he's the pope, and they screamed it down the halls, and we were, like, 'Yay he got elected,' and I was like, 'That's my guy, that's my guy.'"

Olivia Fisher and her classmates were given an assignment to pick a cardinal at random who might become the next pope. Her selection, Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV, made her the only student to correctly predict the historic choice.

RELATED STORY | Pope Leo XIV holds historic first mass, calls for humility among cardinals

"I got who is now the pope, and we had to do it on this bag," Olivia said.

The assignment required students to research their selected cardinal and create a portrait with facts about them. Fisher included details about the new pope in her drawing.

"He was born September 19th, 1955 in Chicago, Illinois," Olivia said.

Pope Leo XIV is the first American pope, a fact that excited Fisher and many others.

"It's cool because we're from the U.S. and I think it's cool to know that he knows where we are, and that he could probably speak American too," Fisher said.

As part of the project, the class made red zucchettos, the small, red skullcaps worn by cardinals. Fisher's drawing featured a white one, reserved for the pope perhaps a sign of her lucky prediction.

Fisher's research highlighted qualities she believes are important for a successful pope, including "prudence, leadership, pastor, experience, intellectual, diplomacy, humility, compassion and mercy."

Her extensive research has paid off, giving her knowledge about the new pope and excitement to learn even more.

This article was written by

Jessica Davis for the Scripps News Group in Boise.

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Up to 1,000 transgender troops will be kicked out of the military in the next 28 days. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth set a deadline for the Pentagon to discharge those troops by June 6. He posted on X that his department is leaving wokeness and weakness behind.

Hegseth added that the Trump administration's policy is "what the American people voted for."

This decision comes days after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of allowing the transgender ban to go into effect while legal challenges work their way through the courts.

RELATED STORY | Pilots eject after fighter jet goes overboard on US aircraft carrier

President Donald Trump issued an executive order banning transgender individuals from serving in the military. The order argued that the presence of transgender service members conflicts with the soldiers commitment and harms military readiness.

In March, U.S. District Judge Benjamin Settlea George W. Bush appointeeruled in favor of transgender service members challenging the policy, stating that discharging them would damage their careers and reputations.

An Obama-era policy implemented in 2016 allowed transgender individuals to serve openly. However, during Trumps first term, he reversed that policy, issuing a ban that allowed exceptions for active-duty service members who had already begun the transitioning process.

When President Joe Biden took office, the ban was rescinded.

Thousands of transgender individuals serve in the military, though they make up less than 1% of the total active-duty personnel.

RELATED STORY | Pete Hegseth directs military to cut one fifth of its four-star general officers

GLAADs President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis called the Supreme Court's decision a "disgrace."

"Allowing this discriminatory ban to go into effect is out of step with the views of the American people, compromises military readiness, and will make America less safe. Americas brave service members and their families deserve to be treated with dignity and respect," she said.

Public health officials are searching for San Diego Zoo Safari Park visitors who may have been exposed to a wild bat that tested positive for rabies on Wednesday, May 7.

Officials confirmed the bat does not reside in any of the park's animal exhibits and was safely collected by a trained staff member.

According to a press release, the bat was found near a public elevator in the African Loop, close to a hot air balloon ride. This is the only elevator located in this section of the park.

Park visitors who had no physical contact with the bat are not at risk for rabies.

RELATED STORY | Elephants can't pursue their release from a Colorado zoo because they're not human, court says

County Interim Public Health Officer Dr. Ankita Kadakia said rabies symptoms in people can take weeks or months to develop upon exposure and become "fatal without prompt post-exposure vaccine and treatment."

Rabies transmission can happen from a bat bite or if a bats saliva comes in contact with a cut or abrasion, or with mucous membranes, such as the eyes, nose or mouth," Kadakia said. "Although bats can carry rabies, they are an important part of nature in San Diego County. It is important to respect the space of wildlife and do not touch them.

This article was written by Elizabeth Dieguez for the Scripps News Group in San Diego.

U.S. President Donald Trump says India and Pakistan have agreed to a ceasefire after U.S.-mediated talks, but neither country has immediately confirmed a deal.

It follows weeks of hostilities between the nuclear-armed rivals, who have traded missile strikes, drone attacks and artillery fire and is their most serious confrontation in decades. Tensions have flared since a gun massacre last month that India blames on Pakistan.

Pakistans foreign minister said his country would consider de-escalation if India stopped further attacks. However, Ishaq Dar warned that if India launched any strikes, our response will follow.

Dar told Pakistans Geo News that he also conveyed this message to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who contacted him after Rubio spoke to New Delhi earlier.

RELATED STORY | Pakistan says it shot down 12 Indian drones amid fears of growing conflict

We responded because our patience had reached its limit. If they stop here, we will also consider stopping, Dar added.

India said it targeted Pakistani air bases after Islamabad fired several high-speed missiles at military and civilian infrastructure in the countrys Punjab state early Saturday.

Pakistan earlier said it intercepted most missiles and responded with retaliatory strikes on India.

Rubio spoke to his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and emphasized that both sides need to identify methods to de-escalate and reestablish direct communication to avoid miscalculation, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said Saturday, and offered U.S. support to facilitate productive discussion.

A Marana, Arizona, man accused of leaving his young child in a hot car, leading to her death, reportedly got approval by the court to take a family vacation to Hawaii.

Court paperwork shows the counsel for 37-year-old Christopher Scholtes requested the vacation in early April.

It was then approved by the courts for the trip in early May.

RELATED STORY | Impersonators targeting medical offices, everyday citizens with fake fines

In July 2024, first responders were called to the Marana home for a report of an unresponsive child in a vehicle.

They found a young girl in the car. She was rushed to the hospital but was later pronounced dead.

Scholtes originally told police he left the sleeping two-year-old in the car for 30 minutes to an hour, and he had left the car on with the AC because he didn't want to wake her up.

Police later determined through next-door surveillance video that the girl had been in the car for about three hours.

Scholtes faces charges of first-degree murder and child abuse.

The Trump administration must halt much of its dramatic downsizing of the federal workforce, a California judge ordered Friday.

Judge Susan Illston in San Francisco issued the emergency order in a lawsuit filed last week by labor unions and cities, one of multiple legal challenges to Republican President Donald Trumps efforts to shrink the size of a federal government he calls bloated and expensive.

The Court holds the President likely must request Congressional cooperation to order the changes he seeks, and thus issues a temporary restraining order to pause large-scale reductions in force in the meantime, Illston wrote in her order.

The temporary restraining order directs numerous federal agencies to halt acting on the presidents workforce executive order signed in February and a subsequent memo issued by the Department of Government Efficiency and the Office of Personnel Management.

RELATED STORY | Supreme Court blocks order to reinstate thousands of federal workers

The order, which expires in 14 days, does not require departments to rehire people. Plaintiffs asked that the effective date of any agency action be postponed and that departments stop implementing or enforcing the executive order, including taking any further action.

They limited their request to departments where dismantlement is already underway or poised to be underway, including at the the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which announced in Marchit will lay off 10,000 workers and centralize divisions.

Illston, who was nominated to the bench by former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, said at a hearing Friday the president has the authority to seek changes in the executive branch departments and agencies created by Congress.

But he must do so in lawful ways, she said. He must do so with the cooperation of Congress, the Constitution is structured that way.

Trump has repeatedly said voters gave him a mandate to remake the federal government, and he tapped billionaire Elon Musk to lead the charge through DOGE.

Tens of thousands of federal workers have been fired, left their jobs via deferred resignation programs or have been placed on leave as a result of Trumps government-shrinking efforts. There is no official figure for the job cuts, but at least 75,000 federal employees took deferred resignation, and thousands of probationary workers have already been let go.

In her order, Illston gave several examples to show the impact of the downsizing. One union that represents federal workers who research health hazards faced by mineworkers said it was poised to lose 221 of 222 workers in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, office; a Vermont farmer didnt receive a timely inspection on his property to receive disaster aid after flooding and missed an important planting window; a reduction in Social Security Administration workers has led to longer wait times for recipients.

All the agencies impacted were created by Congress, she noted.

Lawyers for the government argued Friday that the executive order and memo calling for large-scale personnel reductions and reorganization plans provided only general principles that agencies should follow in exercising their own decision-making process.

It expressly invites comments and proposals for legislative engagement as part of policies that those agencies wish to implement, Eric Hamilton, a deputy assistant attorney general, said of the memo. It is setting out guidance.

But Danielle Leonard, an attorney for plaintiffs, said it was clear that the president, DOGE and OPM were making decisions outside of their authority and not inviting dialogue from agencies.

They are not waiting for these planning documents" to go through long processes, she said. Theyre not asking for approval, and theyre not waiting for it.

RELATED STORY | The Trump administration is considering suspending habeas corpus

The temporary restraining order applies to departments including the departments of Agriculture, Energy, Labor, Interior, State, Treasury and Veterans Affairs.

It also applies to the National Science Foundation, Small Business Administration, Social Security Administration and Environmental Protection Agency.

Some of the labor unions and nonprofit groups are also plaintiffs in another lawsuit before a San Francisco judge challenging the mass firings of probationary workers. In that case, Judge William Alsup ordered the government in March to reinstate those workers, but the U.S. Supreme Court later blocked his order.

The Trump administration is looking to suspend habeas corpus to expedite the removal of migrants who are not legally in the country without giving them the right to challenge detention, according to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.

Habeas corpus is a legal procedure that allows people in custody to challenge the government's decision to detain them before a court or judge, ensuring individuals cannot be imprisoned without due process of law.

Miller's comment echoes efforts by the administration to use the current state of illegal border crossings to claim there is an invasion.

RELATED STORY | Judge says 18th-century wartime law can't be used for deportations in first-of-its-kind ruling

"Well, the Constitution is clear, and that, of course, is the supreme law of the land, that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended in a time of invasion. So it's an option we're actively looking at. Look, a lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not," Miller said to the press outside of the White House on Friday.

In the United States, the writ of habeas corpus is enshrined in the Constitution. There are a number of pending cases challenging the Trump administrations deportation of migrants based on habeas claims.

"A lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not," said Miller.

RELATED STORY | Judge weighs contempt over deportation flights carried out by Trump admin

It's unclear whether the idea of suspending habeas corpus is currently under serious discussion at the White House.

This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

A popular Chicago restaurant chain is honoring the new pope with a special menu item.

Portillo's unveiled a new sandwich named "The Leo" on Friday, created to celebrate Pope Leo XIV, who hails from Chicago.

The sandwich features seasoned Italian beef, gravy, and what the owners call a "trinity of peppers" sweet, hot or a combination of both.

RELATED STORY | The first American pope grew up just outside Chicago

The chain told People magazine its new sandwich will be sacred and flavorful.

The specialty item will only be available for a limited time.

This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

President Donald Trump fired three members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission on Thursday, all of whom were nominated by former President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate.

The dismissed commissioners include Richard Trumka Jr., Alexander Hoehn-Saric and Mary Boyle.

"I am fighting the dismissal in court," Trumka said.

CPSC is an independent federal regulatory agency formed to protect the public against unreasonable risks of injury or death from consumer products.

Both Hoehn-Saric and Boyle issued statements accusing the administration of threatening and attacking federal agencies.

The president's decision comes as his administration faces legal scrutiny over its efforts to permanently fire board members at other independent agencies.

Consumer Reports, a nonprofit organization, put out a statement condemning the action.

This is an appalling and lawless attack on the independence of our countrys product safety watchdog. Anyone who cares about keeping their family safe should oppose this move and demand that it be reversed," said William Wallace, director of safety advocacy for Consumer Reports. "This isnt really about the individual leaders, as commendable as they are. Its about whether Congress can maintain a federal agency that takes strong action to protect the public, based on scientific evidence and insulated from political whims."

This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

The U.S. is on track to run out of money to pay its bills as early as August without congressional action, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned Friday.

He is calling on Congress to either raise or suspend the debt ceiling by mid-July.

"A failure to suspend or increase the debt limit would wreak havoc on our financial system and diminish America's security and global leadership position," Bessent wrote in the letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson. "Prior episodes have shown that waiting until the last minute to suspend or increase the debt limit can have serious adverse consequences for financial markets, businesses and the federal government."

Earlier this week, Bessent twice testified in front of congressional committees that the Treasury's debt ceiling is "on the warning track."

After the debt limit was reinstated in January, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen in one of her last acts in the position said the agency would institute "extraordinary measures" intended to prevent the U.S. from reaching the debt ceiling.

Since then, the Treasury Department has stopped paying into certain accounts, including a slew of federal worker pension and disability funds, to make up for the shortfall in money. Bessent has continued to notify Congress about the use of extraordinary measures in an effort to prevent a breach of the debt ceiling. In his latest letter, Bessent attributed the August deadline, known as the "X-date," in part to receipts from the latest tax filing season.

A Bipartisan Policy Center analysis released in March estimated that the U.S. could run out of cash by mid-July if Congress did not raise or suspend the nation's debt limit.

President Donald Trump had previously demanded that a provision raising or suspending the debt limit something his own Republican Party routinely resists be included in legislation to avert the last potential government shutdown under his Democratic predecessor, President joe Biden.

"Anything else is a betrayal of our country," Trump said in a statement in December. That deal did not ultimately address the debt limit.

The letter to Johnson comes as Republicans consider a massive tax cut and border security package that includes an increase in the debt limit. Bessent's request could give GOP lawmakers greater incentive to reach an agreement.

Theres a baby boom happening behind the nurses' station at Hospital Sisters Health System St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay.

Fourteen labor and delivery nurses are all pregnant at the same time, creating a one-of-a-kind support system inside the hospital.

When she said she was pregnant pretty early on then I was like I am, too! laughed labor and delivery nurse, Anna Cody.

Ashlyn Short, Anna Cody, and Molly Van Enkenvort are among the nurses who are expecting.

Well, I found out Molly and I are four days apart, Cody said. I think it's cool, too, because normally maybe people, like, wouldn't know you're pregnant yet, where we all kind of knew each other, was like, was able to, like, support, like, in that way."

We're all keeping tabs on each other, though," Van Enkenvort said.

Short describes what it's like when their patients notice what the labor and delivery nurses have in common.

A lot of our patients will be walking down the hallway, and they'll say, there's a pregnant one, there's another one all the nurses are pregnant! Short said, laughing.

Amy Bardon, Director of Nursing for Womens and Infants and Childrens Hospital at HSHS St. Vincent, said the timing makes it even more meaningful, falling during Nurses Week and just before Mothers Day.

Many of them are friends outside of work, and some of them have this as their first baby," Bardon said. "Some of them, it's their subsequent children for them. And so they all have their own story, and they're able to share that and go through this journey together.

This shared experience strengthens a team in ways that go far beyond the job, they said.

It's just really special," Short said. "All of these women hold such a special place in my heart, and we have worked together for years. I've been there for some of their other babies, and now we just get to all raise all these babies at the same time."

The nurses tell the Scripps News Group in Green Bay that their babies are all due between May and the fall.

Hospital representatives said theyve had plenty of time to prepare for the maternity leave absences and have a plan in place to make sure there are no gaps in care for patients.

This story was originally published by Nina Sparano with the Scripps News Group in Green Bay.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka was released after spending several hours in custody following his arrest at a new federal immigration detention center he has been protesting against.

Baraka was accused of trespassing and ignoring warnings to leave the Delaney Hall facility and was finally released around 8 p.m. Friday. Stepping out of an SUV with flashing emergency lights, he told waiting supporters: The reality is this: I didn't do anything wrong.

The mayor said he could not speak about his case, citing a promise he made to lawyers and the judge. But he voiced full-throated support for everyone living in his community, immigrants included.

All of us here, every last one of us, I dont care what background you come from, what nationality, what language you speak, Baraka said, at some point we have to stop these people from causing division between us.

Baraka, a Democrat who is running to succeed term-limited Gov. Phil Murphy, has embraced the fight with the Trump administration over illegal immigration.

He has aggressively pushed back against the construction and opening of the 1,000-bed detention center, arguing that it should not be allowed to open because of building permit issues.

Linda Baraka, the mayors wife, accused the federal government of targeting her husband.

They didnt arrest anyone else. They didnt ask anyone else to leave. They wanted to make an example out of the mayor, she said, adding that she had not been allowed to see him.

Alina Habba, interim U.S. attorney for New Jersey, said on the social platform X that Baraka trespassed at the detention facility, which is run by private prison operator Geo Group.

Habba said Baraka had chosen to disregard the law.

Video of the incident showed that Baraka was arrested after returning to the public side of the gate to the facility.

Witnesses describe a heated argument

Witnesses said the arrest came after Baraka attempted to join three members of New Jerseys congressional delegation, Reps. Robert Menendez, LaMonica McIver, and Bonnie Watson Coleman, in attempting to enter the facility.

When federal officials blocked his entry, a heated argument broke out, according to Viri Martinez, an activist with the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice. It continued even after Baraka returned to the public side of the gates.

There was yelling and pushing, Martinez said. Then the officers swarmed Baraka. They threw one of the organizers to the ground. They put Baraka in handcuffs and put him in an unmarked car.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the lawmakers had not asked for a tour of Delaney Hall, which the agency said it would have facilitated. The department said that as a bus carrying detainees was entering in the afternoon a group of protestors, including two members of the U.S. House of Representatives, stormed the gate and broke into the detention facility.

Watson Coleman spokesperson Ned Cooper said the three lawmakers went there unannounced because they planned to inspect it, not take a scheduled tour.

They arrived, explained to the guards and the officials at the facility that they were there to exercise their oversight authority, he said, adding that they were allowed to enter and inspect the center sometime between 3 and 4 p.m.

Watson Coleman later said the DHS statement inaccurately characterized the visit.

Contrary to a press statement put out by DHS we did not storm the detention center, she wrote. The author of that press release was so unfamiliar with the facts on the ground that they didnt even correctly count the number of Representatives present. We were exercising our legal oversight function as we have done at the Elizabeth Detention Center without incident.

Video shows the mayor standing on the public side of the gate

In video of the altercation shared with The Associated Press, a federal official in a jacket with the logo of the Homeland Security Investigations can be heard telling Baraka he could not enter the facility because you are not a congress member.

Baraka then left the secure area, rejoining protesters on the public side of the gate. Video showed him speaking through the gate to a man in a suit, who said: Theyre talking about coming back to arrest you.

Im not on their property. They cant come out on the street and arrest me, Baraka replied.

Minutes later several ICE agents, some wearing face coverings, surrounded him and others on the public side. As protesters cried out, Shame, Baraka was dragged back through the gate in handcuffs.

Several civil rights and immigration reform advocates, as well as government officials, condemned Barakas arrest. New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, whose office is defending a state law barring private immigration detention facilities, criticized the arrest during a seemingly peaceful protest and said no state or local law enforcement agencies were involved.

The new and first American Pope Leo XIV's older brother, Louis Prevost, has been living in Florida for about four years and couldn't be more proud of his sibling's elevation to the papacy.

Louis, a Navy veteran, watched with joy and amazement as his younger brother, former Cardinal Robert Prevost, was announced as the new leader of the Catholic Church on Thursday.

"Shock and awe...we heard them read the name so we knew it was coming and then to see him...it all hit home and became real and it was like oh that's Rob oh my god yay Rob," Louis said.

RELATED STORY | Leo XIV's brother, John, recalls feeling of 'disbelief' over his sibling becoming pope

The brothers grew up in Chicago with their other sibling, John Prevost. Louis said many people recognized something special in his younger brother from an early age.

"We used to tease him about being Pope because he always had that holy way about him, and the neighbors on the street we grew up with a lot of them used to say you're going to grow up to be Pope one day, Robert. Our brother? Pope? nah not going to happen," Louis said.

Despite the jokes, Louis revealed that he and his brother had discussed the possibility before the conclave began.

"We talked a little bit about it, and I said, 'You know what happens if you win? If they vote for you? Are you going to accept it?' [He said] 'I will accept it. It's God's will. It's in his hands'," Louis said.

RELATED STORY | Pope Leo XIV marks new beginning with American and global outlook

Watch: Pope Leo XIV's brother, Louis, reacts to his brother becoming pontiff

"A man of the people": New pope's brother reacts from Port Charlotte

While the world celebrates a new pontiff, Louis acknowledges the bittersweet reality that his close relationship with his brother will likely change. The brothers currently speak by phone two to three times per week.

"That's the hardest part. All day I've been like I wonder if we'll actually be able to see him again and be with him and shake his hand and hug him. Yeah I'm the pope's brother, but it's hard to get in to see the pope," Louis said.

Despite the personal challenges, Louis believes his brother will excel in his new role leading the Catholic Church.

"He'll do a really good job of being pope and all the things that entails just because he's a man of the people, and he's been with the people all around the world in his worldly travels," said Louis.

Born in Chicago in 1955, Leo XIV joined the Order of St. Augustine in 1977. He attended Villanova University near Philadelphia, where he received a Bachelor of Science in 1977. He got a Master of Divinity degree from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago in 1982.

RELATED STORY | The first American pope grew up just outside Chicago

Leo XIV is also a Peruvian citizen and lived for years in Peru, first as a missionary and then as an archbishop.

Their brother John still lives in Illinois.

This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

This story was originally published by Alex Orenczuk with the Scripps News Group in Fort Myers.

When white smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel, revealing that a new pope had been chosen, John Prevost turned on his television in Illinois, called his niece and they watched in awe as his brother's name was announced.

"She started screaming because it was her uncle and I was in the moment of disbelief that this cannot be possible because it's too far from what we thought would happen," Prevost said Thursday in an interview with The Associated Press from his home in New Lenox, Illinois.

Next, he said he felt an intense sense of pride that his brother, Cardinal Robert Prevost, had become the 267th pontiff to lead the Catholic Church, making the Chicago-born missionary the first U.S. pope.

"It's quite an honor; it's quite a once-in-a-lifetime," he said. "But I think it's quite a responsibility and I think it's going to lead to bigger and better things, but I think people are going to watch him very closely to see what he's doing."

RELATED STORY | Pope Leo XIV marks new beginning with American and global outlook

Robert Prevost, a 69-year-old member of the Augustinian religious order who spent his career ministering in Peru, took the name Leo XIV.

John Prevost described his brother as being very concerned for the poor and those who don't have a voice. He said he expects him to be a "second Pope Francis."

"He's not going to be real far left and he's not going to be real far right," he added. "Kind of right down the middle."

At one point during the interview, John Prevost realized he had missed several calls from his brother, so he gave the new pope a call back.

RELATED STORY | 'A man of the people': Pope Leo XIV's brother, Louis, says there was always something special about him

Leo told him he wasn't interested in being part of the interview and after a brief message of congratulations and a discussion in which they talked like any two brothers about travel arrangements, they hung up.

The new pope grew up the youngest of three boys. John Prevost, who was only a year older than him, said he remembers Robert Prevost being very good in school as a kid and enjoying playing tag, Monopoly and Risk.

RELATED STORY | Who is Pope Leo XIV, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, the first American pope?

From a young age, he said he knew his brother was going to be a priest. Although he didn't expect him to become pope, he recalled a neighbor predicting that very thing when Robert Prevost was only a first grader.

"She sensed that at 6 years old," he said. "How she did that, who knows. It took this long, but here he is, first American pope."

When Robert Prevost graduated eighth grade, he left for seminary school, his brother said.

"There's a whole period there where we didn't really grow up together," he said. "It was just on vacations that we had contact together."

These days, the brothers talk on the phone every day, John Prevost said. Robert Prevost will call him and they'll discuss everything from politics to religion and even play the day's Wordle.

RELATED STORY | The first American pope grew up just outside Chicago

John Prevost said he's not sure how much time his brother will have to talk as the new pope and how they'll handle staying in touch in the future.

"It's already strange not having someone to talk to," he said.

President Donald Trump declared the week of Monday, May 5 National Hurricane Preparedness Week, calling on Americans to plan and prepare for the risk of major coastal storms before hurricane season begins.

"As hurricane season approaches, I urge every household to recognize the dangers of severe weather, assess their risk, and develop a comprehensive plan to ensure disaster preparedness," read a proclamation from President Trump marking the event. "I call upon Americans living in hurricane-prone areas to safeguard their families, homes, and businesses from the dangers of hurricanes."

Hurricane season officially begins on June 1 every year, though it is possible for hurricane-strength storms to form before that date.

U.S. forecasters say 2025 is expected to be an above-average year for Atlantic storm activity. They forecast 17 named storms, with nine becoming hurricanes and four becoming major hurricanes. The report indicates there is a better than 50% chance of a major hurricane striking the U.S. coastline this year.

RELATED STORY | Forecasters predict another active hurricane season for the Atlantic basin in 2025

This comes as President Trump has since the beginning of his term made deep staffing cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which includes the National Hurricane Center and the National Weather Service.

Weather experts and U.S. lawmakers have warned of potentially "devastating" consequences for the American public, who often owe their lives to minute-by-minute forecasting and guidance during extreme weather like hurricanes.

"People nationwide depend on NOAA for free, accurate forecasts, severe weather alerts, and emergency information," warned U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Jared Huffman. "Purging the government of scientists, experts, and career civil servants and slashing fundamental programs will cost lives."

"I remain steadfastly committed to supporting hurricane recovery efforts and ensuring that Federal resources and tax dollars are allocated to American citizens in need," President Trump wrote in Tuesday's proclamation, saying that his executive orders have given state and local authorities more leeway to prepare and respond to weather disasters. "Local officials have the insight to make risk-informed decisions, deploy resources, manage operations, and eliminate ineffective bureaucracy so we can better serve affected communities."

Federal officials filed charges Tuesday against five people in connection to a boat carrying migrants that capsized a day earlier off San Diego's Pacific coast, killing three people, including a 14-year-old boy from India.

The boy's 10-year-old sister is still missing at sea and is presumed dead, the U.S. Attorney's Office in San Diego said in a statement. Their parents were among the four people who were injured and taken to the hospital, including the father, who is in a coma.

Nine people were initially reported missing. All but the 10-year-old girl were found late Monday by Border Patrol agents conducting operations in the San Diego area, officials said.

Two Mexican citizens were arrested at the beach near where the boat overturned. They were charged with human smuggling resulting in death, a crime that carries a maximum penalty of death or life in prison.

Border Patrol agents found eight migrants who managed to make it to shore. The agents also identified vehicles with drivers who were waiting to pick up the migrants as part of the smuggling scheme, according to court documents.

U.S. authorities also arrested three Mexican citizens and charged them with unlawfully transporting migrants. One had been deported in 2023 from the U.S.

It was unclear if any of the defendants had defense attorneys, and they could not be reached for comment.

RELATED STORY | 3 dead, 9 missing after boat overturns off California beach

The drowning deaths of these children are a heartbreaking reminder of how little human traffickers care about the costs of their deadly business, said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. We are committed to seeking justice for these vulnerable victims, and to holding accountable any traffickers responsible for their deaths.

The search efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard stopped late Monday. Crews combed the area via helicopter and a cutter for hours after the boat flipped shortly after sunrise about 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of the Mexico border. Officials described the skiff as a panga, a small wooden open-air boat used to fish but also commonly used by smugglers to bring people into the U.S. from Mexico.

Migrants are increasingly turning to the risky alternative offered by smugglers to travel by sea to avoid heavily guarded land borders, including off Californias coast. Pangas leave the Mexican coast in the dead of night.

In 2023, eight people were killed when two migrant smuggling boats approached a San Diego beach in heavy fog. One capsized in the surf. It was one of the deadliest maritime smuggling cases in waters off the U.S. coast.

A federal judge sentenced a San Diego man to 18 years in prison in 2022 for piloting a small vessel overloaded with 32 migrants that smashed apart in powerful surf off San Diegos coast, killing three people and injuring more than two dozen others.

Florida resident Deb Bostock-Kelley has been closely reading food labels for years. It started when she noticed strange symptoms in her daughter.

She would have welts all over her body, said Bostock-Kelley.

She couldnt figure out what was causing them until she took her daughter to get tested for allergies.

When she had to go through that and have all the little pin things put on a child to find out that it was Red Dye 40 that was causing her all these incidences, it was just, it broke my heart that she had to go through this, said Bostock-Kelley.

After she got answers, she started paying attention to food labels so she wouldnt buy anything with Red No. 40 in it.

You do not realize how many things that this is in, said Bostock-Kelley.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT | FDA rolls out plan to remove artificial dyes from US foods

That was several years ago, and to this day, she still avoids artificial food dyes. So when she heard the federal government is making an effort to remove them from our food supply, she was thrilled.

I think its phenomenal, said Bostock-Kelley.

In January, the FDA announced it was banning the use of Red No. 3 in food and drugs. Now, the U.S. Department of Health along with the FDA are looking to revoke authorization for two synthetic food colorings, Citrus Red No. 2 and Orange B within the coming months.

Theyre also working with the food industry to eliminate six other synthetic dyes FD&C Green No. 3, FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5, FD&C Yellow No. 6, FD&C Blue No. 1, and FD&C Blue No. 2 from the food supply by the end of next year. The dyes are used in things like cereal, candy, and yogurt.

Dr. David Berger, a pediatrician at Wholistic Pediatrics & Family Care, told the Scripps News Group that hes very supportive of this.

These are synthetic," he said. "Theyre made from petroleum, and theres absolutely no nutritional benefit to them whatsoever."

Health experts said theres growing evidence that certain dyes could be linked to potential health risks, particularly in children.

The concern is the research thats come out that there may be some relationship to neurodevelopmental disorders, said Berger.

IN RELATED HEALTH NEWS | HHS, EPA to revisit their recommendations for fluoride in drinking water

The Scripps News Group spoke about these potential risks with Lauri Wright, associate professor and director of nutrition programs for the University of South Florida College of Public Health.

These include hyperactivity or behavioral symptoms, some allergic reactions, and in the case of Red 3, some links between cancer in animal studies, said Wright.

While this is important, experts believe many of these side effects arent widespread, so people shouldnt panic.

The health effects of food dyes tend to occur over time and really more in sensitive individuals, said Wright.

As part of this new effort, the FDA is also working to authorize four natural food colorings. In the meantime, doctors encourage people to read grocery store labels and avoid ultra-processed foods.

Its always going to be a benefit to move to more whole, minimally processed, and colored foods like fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Thats going to help reduce your health risks for many, many different diseases, said Wright.

This story was originally published by Larissa Scott with the

Scripps News Group

in Tampa Bay.

India fired missiles into Pakistani-controlled territory in several locations early Wednesday, killing at least eight people including a child, Pakistani authorities said. India said it was striking infrastructure used by militants.

The Indian army said later on Tuesday three civilians were killed in shelling by Pakistani troops in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

It said in a statement the Pakistani army resorted to arbitrary firing, including gunfire and artillery shelling, across the Line of Control, the de facto border that divides disputed Kashmir between the two countries, and their international border.

The Indian army was responding in a proportionate manner, it said.

Tensions have soared between the nuclear-armed neighbors since last month's massacre of tourists in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir. India has blamed Pakistan for backing the militant attack, which Islamabad has denied.

Pakistans Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned Wednesday's airstrikes and said the deceitful enemy has carried out cowardly attacks at five locations in Pakistan and that his country would retaliate.

Pakistan has every right to give a robust response to this act of war imposed by India, and a strong response is indeed being given, Sharif said.

He said his country and its armed forces know very well how to deal with the enemy.

Sharif has convened a meeting of the National Security Committee for Wednesday morning.

The missiles struck locations in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and in the country's eastern Punjab province. One hit a mosque in the city of Bahawalpur in Punjab, where a child was killed and a woman and man were injured.

Pakistans military spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Ahmed Sharif, said that India launched attacks at six different locations, resulting in the martyrdom of eight people and injuries to 38 others.

RELATED STORY | Indian police say gunmen kill at least 20 tourists in Kashmir

State-run Pakistan Television, quoting security officials, said the country's air force shot down three Indian jets in retaliation but provided no additional detail. There was no immediate comment from India about Pakistan's claim.

Pakistans Foreign Affairs Ministry said Indian forces had launched the strikes while staying in Indian airspace. Other locations hit were near Muridke in Punjab and Kotli in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

It said the attack reportedly resulted in civilian casualties and posed a significant threat to commercial air traffic. This reckless escalation has brought the two nuclear-armed states closer to a major conflict, the statement said.

Indias Defense Ministry said at least nine sites were targeted where terrorist attacks against India have been planned.

Our actions have been focused, measured and non-escalatory in nature. No Pakistan military facilities have been targeted, the statement said, adding that India has demonstrated considerable restraint in selection of targets and method of execution.

We are living up to the commitment that those responsible for this attack will be held accountable, the statement said.

Stephane Dujarric, the United Nations spokesperson, said in a statement late Tuesday that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was very concerned about the Indian military operations across the Line of Control and international border and called for maximum military restraint from both countries.

The world cannot afford a military confrontation between India and Pakistan, the statement read.

U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce commented on the escalating tensions in the region on Tuesday:

"We continue to urge Pakistan and India to work towards a responsible resolution that maintains long-term peace and regional stability in South Asia," Bruce said. "We remain in touch with the governments of both countries at multiple levels we are not watching from afar in that regard."

State Department comments on escalating tensions in Kashmir region

In Muzaffarabad, the main city of Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, resident Abdul Sammad, said he heard several explosions and that some people were wounded in the attack. People were seen running in panic and authorities immediately cut the power, leading to a blackout.

The blasts ripped through walls. Locals inspected the damage to their homes in the aftermath of the missile attacks, rubble and other debris crunching underfoot.

People took refuge on the streets and in open areas, fearful of what might happen. We were afraid the next missile might hit our house, said Mohammad Ashraf.

Waqar Noor, the region's interior minister, said authorities have declared an emergency in the region's hospitals.

Pakistan shut schools in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and Punjab province after the missile strikes. It had already had closed religious seminaries in Kashmir in anticipation of an attack by India.

Along the Line of Control, which divides the disputed region of Kashmir between India and Pakistan, there were heavy exchanges of fire between both armies.