Human Race: A look at the pope

When the Vatican announced Cardinal Robert Prevost as the new Roman Catholic pope May 8, teacher Maddie Creighton’s class of eighth graders at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic School in Seattle erupted in cheers. They joined thousands across the country watching history in the making: Chicago-raised Pope Leo XIV is the first American to hold Catholicism’s highest office.

Some unhappy with Catholicism’s perceived leftward slide saw Leo’s decision to wear the customary red cape—garb his predecessor, Pope Francis, shunned on his election in 2013—as a hopeful sign Leo will faithfully uphold Catholic tradition. But standing just outside her classroom, Maddie Creighton illustrated the mixed views among Catholics, admitting she’d like to see Francis’ more progressive legacy continue through his successor. “My hope is that we’ll see more women in leadership roles,” she told KOMO News. “I think that’s extremely important, and it’s overdue.” (Pope Leo has opposed allowing women to serve as deacons.)

Leo, 69, also holds citizenship in Peru, his place of ministry for decades, where a local bishop described him as “a shepherd with the smell of sheep … always sensitive to the needs of human beings.” In a press release, Frank Pavone and others with Priests for Life stated they were encouraged by the new pope’s “pro-life passion.”

Helene victim found

Washington County, Tenn., police announced May 3 they had recovered the remains of local resident Steve Cloyd two days after a cleanup crew caught a glimpse of his wedding band amid debris along the Nolichucky riverbank. Cloyd went missing on Sept. 27 after flooding from Hurricane Helene caused the Nolichucky to overflow. Eighteen Tennesseans died during the floods, and Cloyd was one of two Washington County residents who remained missing six months later. In North Carolina, five Helene victims remain missing, out of 107 total. —Bekah McCallum

Librarian dismissed

President Donald Trump fired the librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden, via email on May 8. The first woman and first African American to hold the position, Hayden’s term was set to expire next year. But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Hayden had supported diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives and promoted inappropriate books in ­children’s libraries. Following Hayden’s dismissal, Robert Newlen, the principal deputy librarian, stepped up to cover her duties until further notice. Trump subsequently named Todd Blanche, his deputy attorney general, to replace Hayden, but the appointment requires approval of Congress. —Elizabeth Russell

Billionaire’s exit

Warren Buffett, 94, announced May 3 he will step down as Berkshire Hathaway’s CEO at year-end. The “Oracle of Omaha,” currently the world’s fifth-­wealthiest man, took control of the failing textile manufacturer in 1965 and turned it into a multibillion-dollar conglomerate that includes insurers, railroads, retail and services providers such as Dairy Queen, and cash for future purchases. Greg Abel, Berkshire’s vice chairman of non-insurance operations, will replace Buffett, who will remain chairman of the board. —Todd Vician

Officers cleared

Three Memphis, Tenn., police officers embraced one another and their lawyers after a Tennessee jury acquitted the trio of state charges May 7 for their roles in a deadly traffic stop two years ago. Protests racked Memphis after five police officers pulled over 29-year-old Tyre Nichols on suspicion of reckless driving and pepper sprayed, tasered, and severely beat him. Nichols died three days later from blunt force trauma. The state charged the men with second-degree murder and other counts of assault and misconduct. While the other two officers pleaded guilty and testified against their former colleagues, the jury surprised prosecutors by clearing Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, and Justin Smith of all charges. The three are still scheduled to be sentenced for federal convictions regarding witness tampering. —Addie Offereins

Maha nominee

President Trump on May 7 nominated Dr. Casey Means for U.S. surgeon general. Means, 37, has close ties to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement. A Stanford Medical School graduate, Means dropped out of her surgical residency at Oregon Health and Science University to instead pursue functional medicine, an approach that focuses on identifying and addressing root causes of disease. She and her brother Calley Means co-wrote the best­selling Good Energy: The Surprising Connection Between Metabolism and Limitless Health. Calley Means is currently a White House adviser on health policy. Critics of the nomination note that Casey Means does not currently have an active medical license. Some MAHA loyalists are unhappy with her nomination, suggesting she only recently and opportunistically joined their movement. —Emma Freire

Guard pleads guilty

Former New York corrections officer Christopher Walrath pleaded guilty May 5 to participating in the fatal beating of Robert Brooks, a Marcy Correctional Facility inmate. Less than an hour after Brooks was transferred to Marcy prison on Dec. 9, Walrath left his post to join other officers in the alleged assault on Brooks, who was serving a 12-year sentence for stabbing his girlfriend. Body camera footage showed the officers punching and kicking the handcuffed Brooks, who died the following day. Out of 10 officers charged in connection to the incident, Walrath is the first to receive a formal plea deal. Under the deal, Walrath will spend 15 years in prison for first-degree manslaughter. He awaits formal sentencing on Aug. 4. —Bekah McCallum

Smuggling charges

A San Diego federal court charged five individuals May 6 with crimes related to a deadly ocean smuggling accident the day before. The alleged smugglers, including Mexican nationals Julio Cesar Zuniga Luna and Jesus Ivan Rodriguez Leyva, attempted to bring a group of 15 immigrants to California in a boat that capsized off Del Mar, resulting in the deaths of at least three migrants, authorities said. Another passenger, a 10-year-old Indian girl, was still missing and presumed dead. It was the deadliest smuggling incident in the region since eight Mexican nationals drowned off the coast of La Jolla in 2023. —Addie Offereins