Social media posts give insight into first American pope’s politics
Pope Leo XIV celebrates his first mass at the Sistine Chapel less than 24 hours after the College of Cardinals named the 69-year-old Chicagoan the first-ever pope from the U.S. Also, trade talks between the U.S. and China will take place this weekend in Switzerland. These stories and more highlight your Unbiased Updates for Friday, May 9, 2025.
Social media posts give insight into first American pope’s politics
Over 1 billion Catholics around the world celebrate the election of the first American pope, as we learn more about the Chicago-born pontiff and his politics. Before becoming Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost occasionally posted messages on social media that appeared critical of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance.
While it seems Prevost did not personally write any of the critical posts, multiple articles and headlines from others were reposted on an X account under his name.
Trump said Thursday he was “very happy” about the news of the first American pope. In a post on his Truth Social platform, the president stated he looks forward to meeting the new pope, saying it will be a “very meaningful moment.”
While Vice President Vance, a recent convert to the Catholic Church, posted his congratulations on X, Trump also confirmed to reporters on Thursday, May 8, that he had received a call from the new Pope’s team.
Pope Leo XIV has hit the ground running, paying a surprise visit to greet staff at his former residence just outside the Vatican. Then he led a mass for the College of Cardinals in the Sistine Chapel.
On Sunday, he will pray the Regina Coeli, a special prayer in honor of the Virgin Mary. The new pontiff will lead the prayer from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at noon local time. Then, on Monday, he’s set to have his first meeting at the Vatican with journalists.
Russia, Ukraine accuse each other of breaking 3-day ceasefire
Ukraine has accused Russia of violating its own ceasefire.
The Ukrainian foreign minister posted on X, calling the ceasefire a “farce” and saying, “Russian forces continue to attack across the entire frontline, claiming from midnight to midday, Russia committed 734 ceasefire violations and 63 assault operations, 23 of which are still ongoing.”
At the same time, Russia claimed Ukraine has carried out 488 attacks on Russian targets and attempted to breach the border in the Kursk region twice. This situation arises as Trump proposes a 30-day unconditional ceasefire in the Russia-Ukraine war and has threatened additional sanctions against Russia if the pause in fighting is not respected.
Also, Ukraine’s parliament unanimously voted to ratify a landmark minerals deal with the U.S. on Thursday afternoon, May 8, which includes the Trump administration sending $50 million in defense goods to Ukraine as the war with Russia continues.
Trump admin could cut Chinese tariffs by 50% as early as next week: Report
This weekend, top U.S. and Chinese officials will head to Switzerland to start talks aimed at de-escalating the trade war. According to sources close to the negotiations, the Trump administration is considering a plan to cut the 145% tariff on Chinese imports by more than half as early as next week, the New York Post reported.
The source stated that the U.S. would cut tariffs on neighboring South Asian countries to 25%, according to the report.
This announcement follows the U.S. reaching its first official trade deal since Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on more than 100 countries worldwide. Straight Arrow News reporter Lauren Keenan took a deeper look at the agreement between the U.S. and the United Kingdom.
The president has delayed sweeping tariffs on dozens of countries for 90 days to allow for similar negotiations, but he has kept the blanket 10% baseline tariff in place.
Trump appoints Fox News legal expert as interim US Attorney for DC
Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he is appointing Jeanine Pirro as the interim U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia. Another familiar face from cable news is stepping up for a significant role in the Trump administration, at least temporarily.
The president referred to her as a powerful crusader for victims of crimes during her tenure as an assistant district attorney in Westchester County, New York, later as the D.A. and a county judge. She has served as a legal expert on Fox News for nearly two decades and has hosted her own show.
The move came after Trump on Thursday, May 8, pulled the nomination of Ed Martin when it appeared Martin would not get Senate confirmation.
Republican Sen. Thom Tillis said he would not vote to confirm Martin as the top federal prosecutor in D.C. because Martin had supported the Jan. 6, 2021, rioters and represented defendants who were prosecuted. Trump is now assigning Martin to the Department of Justice.
In another matter, Trump has fired the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden. Hayden was the first woman and first African American to be confirmed to that position back in 2016. Her term was set to expire in 2026.
A conservative group, known as the American Accountability Foundation, had called for her to be fired, calling her woke and anti-Trump while also claiming she and other librarians promoted children’s books with radical content.
The Trump administration also fired the acting administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Cam Hamilton. He had testified before a House committee that he was against the dismantling of FEMA.
Fan sues NFL over Shedeur Sanders’ drop from Round 1 to Round 5 during draft
The drop of quarterback Shedeur Sanders from the first round all the way to the fifth round, extending into day three, has raised eyebrows. A fan has filed a lawsuit in Atlanta against the NFL, claiming that all the teams made a concerted effort not to draft Shedeur. In other words, they are accusing the teams of collusion.
The fan, identified as John Doe, is seeking $100 million.
Sanders, who had a great year as the quarterback of the Colorado Buffaloes, won the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year award after passing for more than 4,000 yards and accounting for 37 touchdowns. He waited anxiously to get drafted while the drama unfolded in front of millions of viewers on TV.
“The NFL’s actions and the spread of harmful statements about Sanders have caused me severe emotional stress and trauma,” the fan claimed in the lawsuit.
In legal terms, he claimed that the NFL teams violated the Sherman Antitrust Act, there might have been racial discrimination regarding the Civil Rights Act, and that the NFL misled fans about how the draft process works and how players are evaluated, violating consumer protection laws.
Draft analysts repeatedly explained why Deion Sanders’ son, expected to be selected in the first round, was not drafted until day three when the Cleveland Browns finally chose him on Saturday, April 26.
The NFL has not yet commented.
Large underwater volcano could soon erupt, but it’ll likely go undetected
Scientists report that a mile-wide underwater volcano a few hundred miles off the U.S. West Coast shows signs of a possible eruption.
Current forecasts project that the volcano, known as the Axial Seamount, could erupt anytime between now and the end of the year.
The volcano sits about a mile underwater on a geological hotspot. While it’s common for hotspot volcanoes to form on the seafloor, the Axial Seamount also lies on the Juan de Fuca Ridge, where two massive tectonic plates constantly spread apart. This movement causes a steady buildup of pressure beneath the Earth’s surface.
Scientists claim that Axial Seamount resembles the volcanoes in Hawaii that erupt and spew lava. However, people will likely never know when it erupts because its activity remains undetectable on land.
The last time it erupted was April 2015.
Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
