World leaders and sea of mourners gather in Vatican City for Pope Francis’ funeral
There have been 266 papal leaders of the Catholic Church
since Jesus Christ’s death in the AD 30s through Pope Francis – Jorge Mario Bergoglio – who died on Easter Monday at 88.
The most prominent pope is considered to be St. Peter, the first holder of the title.
Christ had appointed him the inaugural Bishop of Rome, and the papal church – St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City – is named in his honor.
St. Peter’s writings to persecuted people in the Asia Minor region are also chronicled in the New Testament’s epistles.
Peter reportedly died around 64 and was succeeded by Pope Linus.
In the present day, there is wide agreement across the Catholic world that one of the most recent popes, John Paul II, deserves to be in consideration as the most influential pontiff.
John Paul II was also the first non-Italian pope since Pope Adrian in the 1500s. Born Karol Wojtyla in Poland, John Paul’s lengthy three decades in the Vatican were marked with very prominent situations for the Catholic Church.
This is an excerpt from an article written by Fox News’ Charles Creitz.
Pope Francis’ last words
before his death on Monday were an expression of thanks to his personal nurse and caregiver, Massimiliano Strappetti, the Vatican revealed Tuesday while describing the 88-year-old pontiff’s final hours.
Francis hesitated to surprise a throng of 50,000 faithful who amassed in St. Peter’s Square with a ride in the popemobile following his Easter blessing from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican News reported, with the pontiff asking Strappetti, “Do you think I can manage it?”
Once Francis was reassured, he took his tour of the square, stopping to embrace people, especially children, on his route.
Among Francis’ last words was a heartfelt message to Strappetti.
“Thank you for bringing me back to the Square,” Francis, widely known as “the People’s Pope,” told his personal health care assistant, Vatican News reported.
Francis rested the rest of Sunday afternoon and had a quiet dinner, according to the official Vatican news agency.
This is an excerpt from an article written by Fox News’ Stephen Sorace.
“The View” co-host Joy Behar reacted to Pope Francis’ death on Tuesday and lamented that the late Pontiff could be replaced by some “conservative guy.”
“I wonder because there might be a backlash against how good he was and how much humility he had compared to some of the leaders in this world right now, so there might be a backlash to it, and they’ll get some conservative guy in there who, you know, is anti-gay and everything else,” Behar said.
Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome and Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, died Monday morning, Vatican camerlengo Cardinal Kevin Farrell announced. The Pope’s funeral is set for Saturday at 10 a.m. in St. Peter’s Square.
This is an excerpt from an article written by Fox News’ Hanna Panreck.
Following the Vatican’s announcement of Pope Francis’ death on April 21, doctors are speaking about the health conditions he faced in recent months.
The Catholic faith leader, who died at the age of 88, had been under medical care for bilateral pneumonia
— a diagnosis that was confirmed via laboratory tests and chest X-rays — since February.
“The polymicrobial infection, which arose on a picture of bronchiectasis and asmatiform bronchitis, and which required the use of antibiotic cortisone therapy, makes the therapeutic treatment more complex,” the Vatican said in a statement at the time.
“The chest CT scan that the Holy Father underwent this afternoon … demonstrated the onset of bilateral pneumonia that required further pharmacological therapy.”
This is an excerpt from an article written by Fox News’ Melissa Rudy and Angelica Stabile.
Pope Francis was elected to the papacy on March 13, 2013, at the age of 76. He passed away at the age of 88 on Monday, April 21.
Born in Argentina as Jorge Bergoglio, Pope Francis joined the Society of Jesus at the age of 21. He was ordained a priest days before his 33rd birthday and was consecrated as an auxiliary bishop of his hometown of Buenos Aires in 1992.
In 1998, he was named the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, serving in that role until his election to the papacy in 2013. He was elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2001 by Pope John Paul II, whom he would later canonize.
Here are five ways the pope impacted the Catholic Church.
This is an excerpt from an article written by Fox News’ Christine Rousselle.
Pope Francis, 88, the oldest pope in over a century, died Monday morning, though quiet discussions on who could succeed him have reportedly already begun.
While any male Catholic could in theory be chosen to sit in the papal seat, historically, succeeding popes have been selected from the Sacred College of Cardinals since 1378, according to Religion News Service.
Currently, there are 252 cardinals in the body who have been selected by the Holy Father to serve as his advisors and assistants.
Here is a look at some of the most likely forerunners to serve as the 267th pope, according to public reporting.
This is an excerpt from an article written by Fox News’ Caitlin McFall.
During his twelve-year pontificate, Pope Francis canonized some of the most beloved figures of the modern Catholic Church, including Pope St. John Paul II in 2014, St. Teresa of Calcutta in 2016 and Francisco and Jacinta Marto of Fatima in 2017.
Most significant to the United States was the canonization of St. Junipero Serra whom Francis canonized
on Sept. 23, 2015, during his historic visit to Washington, D.C. Serra was an 18th-century Franciscan priest whose missionary work, which often involved walking hundreds of miles on foot, was crucial to the founding of California. Serra is one of two figures who represent the state of California in the Capitol’s statuary hall in D.C.
FOX NEWS TO AIR SPECIAL LIVE COVERAGE OF POPE FRANCIS’ FUNERAL ON SATURDAY
In total, Francis canonized 942 saints during his time as pope. However, 813 of those – known as the “martyrs of Otranto” – were canonized as a group.
Francis also advanced the canonization cause of Blessed Carlo Acutis, an Italian boy devoted to the Eucharist who died at the age of 15 and is expected to become the first millennial saint. Acutis was set to be canonized Saturday, April 26, which is now the day of Francis’ funeral. Acutis’ canonization has been postponed until there is a new pope.
Vice President JD Vance met Pope Francis on Easter Sunday, just hours before the pontiff’s death — making him one of the last visitors to see him.
Prior to meeting with the pontiff, Vance and his family were given a private tour of the Sistine Chapel.
The brief encounter between the two leaders was at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta residence, where Pope Francis, 88, was recovering from a severe bout of pneumonia and in a wheelchair.
The vice president, a convert to Roman Catholicism
since 2019, exchanged Easter greetings with the pope and received gifts for his children, including chocolate Easter eggs and rosaries.
The Vatican said in a statement that there was also “an exchange of opinions on the international situation, especially regarding countries affected by war, political tensions, and difficult humanitarian situations, with particular attention to migrants, refugees, and prisoners.”
“Finally, hope was expressed for serene collaboration between the State and the Catholic Church in the United States, whose valuable service to the most vulnerable people was acknowledged,” the statement read.
“In the Name of the Holy Trinity. Amen.
“Feeling that the sunset of my earthly life is approaching and with lively hope in the Eternal Life, I wish to express my testamentary will only with regard to the place of my Burial.
“I have always entrusted my life and the priestly and episcopal ministry to the Mother of Our Lord, Mary Most Holy. Therefore, I ask that my mortal remains rest waiting for the day of the resurrection in the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore.
“I want my last earthly journey to end in this ancient sanctuary Mariano where I went for prayer at the beginning and end of each Apostolic Journey to confidently entrust my intentions to the Immaculate Mother and thank Her for the docile and maternal care.
“I ask that my tomb be prepared in the hole of the aisle between the Pauline Chapel (Chapel of the Salus Populi Romani) and the Sforza Chapel of the aforementioned Papal Basilica as Indicated in the attached annex.
“The tomb must be in the earth; simple, without particular decorum and with the only inscription: Franciscus.
“The expenses for the preparation of my burial will be covered with the sum of the benefactor who I have arranged, to be transferred to the Papal Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore and of which I have provided to give appropriate instructions to Mons. Rolandas Makrickas, Extraordinary Commissioner of the Chapter Liberian.
“May the Lord give the well-deserved reward to those who have loved me and will continue to pray for me. The suffering that was made in the last part of my life I offered to the Lord for peace in the world and brotherhood among peoples.”
Pope Francis’ funeral will be held on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. local Rome time (4:00 a.m. ET) and more than 200,000 people are expected to attend the deceased Vicar of Christ’s services.
Thousands of mourners have taken to the Vatican this week to pay their final respects to Pope Francis following his death on Monday.
The funeral Mass will be held on the parvis of St. Peter’s Basilica, and His Most Reverend Eminence Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, Dean of the College of Cardinals, will preside over the Catholic rites and blessings.
There have been 266 papal leaders of the Catholic Church
since Jesus Christ’s death in the AD 30s through Pope Francis – Jorge Mario Bergoglio – who died on Easter Monday at 88.
The most prominent pope is considered to be St. Peter, the first holder of the title.
Christ had appointed him the inaugural Bishop of Rome, and the papal church – St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City – is named in his honor.
This is an excerpt from an article written by Fox News’ Charles Creitz.
Virginia Giuffre, Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew accuser, dies by suicide
Virginia Giuffre, a woman who accused Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew of abuse when she was underaged, has died by suicide, according to a report.
Giuffre, 41, was one of Epstein and Andrew’s most prominent accusers, filing a lawsuit against the English royal in New York in 2021, claiming she was forced to have sex with him three times between 1999 and 2002 when she was underage.
Giuffre died in Neergabby, Australia, where she had been living, NBC News reported.
JEFFREY EPSTEIN CONTACT LIST: AG PAM BONDI RELEASES HIGHLY ANTICIPATED DOJ DOCUMENTS
Epstein died by suicide in a New York City jail cell in 2019 after being federally charged with sex trafficking.
“It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,” her family said in a statement to NBC News. “She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.”
FORMER MODEL RECALLS JEFFREY EPSTEIN ABUSE AT PRIVATE ISLAND
“Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors,” the statement said. “In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight.”
Virginia Giuffre was much more than a client to me, she was a dear friend. Virginia was fearless, and her courage pushed me to fight harder,” Giuffre’s attorney, Sigrid McCawley, said in a statement. “Virginia’s sunny strength was contagious and her smile spread hope to so many. She lifted us all to be better, and so we must be better. The world has lost a light that shone bright. Rest in peace, my sweet angel.”
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A native of Florida, Guiffre said she was recruited by Epstein’s girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell to work for Epstein when she was just 16 years old.
AG Pam Bondi sends shiver down spine of every reporter by rejecting Biden-era policy
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on Friday the Department of Justice (DOJ) will change the policy that allows journalists to hide records and testimony related to suspects in a criminal investigation.
In a memo first obtained by Axios, Bondi wrote that federal employees intentionally leaking sensitive information to the media undermines the ability of the Department of Justice to keep America safe.
“This conduct is illegal and wrong, and it must stop,” Bondi wrote. “Therefore, I have concluded that it is necessary to rescind Merrick Garland’s policies precluding the Department of Justice from seeking records and compelling testimony from members of the news media in order to identify and punish the source of improper leaks.”
She noted investigative techniques relating to news-gathering are “an extraordinary measure to be deployed as a last resort when essential to a successful investigation or prosecution,” according to the memo.
AXED PENTAGON AIDS CLAIM THEIR CHARACTER WAS ‘SLANDERED,’ LITTLE DETAILS WERE SHARED ABOUT LEAK INVESTIGATION
She added the protections were being abused, with officials using “media allies” to leak sensitive information for political gain, and the policy often put their phone and other electronic records out of reach of prosecutors, Politico reported.
The memo comes after Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on Wednesday referred two intelligence community professionals accused of leaking classified information to the Justice Department for criminal prosecution.
The professionals allegedly shared classified information with the Washington Post and the New York Times, according to previous reporting.
A third criminal referral is expected, the DOJ said.
DNI GABBARD REFERS INTEL OFFICIALS TO DOJ FOR PROSECUTION OVER ALLEGED LEAKS OF CLASSIFIED INFORMATION
Former Attorney General Merrick B. Garland under former President Joe Biden in 2022 made significant revisions to the Justice Department’s regulations regarding obtaining information from members of the news media.
Garland’s policy prohibited the DOJ from seeking information from members of the news media, acting within the scope of news-gathering, except under limited, specified circumstances.
Bruce D. Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of Press wrote in a statement that he had not seen the language of the new policy, but stressed the importance of reporters being able to protect the identities of confidential sources.
“We’ll wait to see what the policy looks like, but we know reporters will still do their jobs, and there is no shortage of legal support to back them up,” Brown wrote in the statement.
GABBARD ESTABLISHES NEW INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY TASK FORCE TO RESTORE TRANSPARENCY
Bondi said the department will continue to limit the use of forced legal action to obtain information from or records of the media, which includes enhanced approval and advance-notice procedures.
The Office of Legal Policy is tasked with creating new language to reflect the rescission of Garland’s policies.
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Shedeur Sanders still unemployed after first three rounds of NFL Draft
Shedeur Sanders was not selected in the first three rounds of the NFL Draft, in one of the most shocking slides of any top quarterback prospect in league history.
The third round closed on Friday night with five quarterbacks being taken, while Sanders and his family remain uncertain about where and when his pro career will begin.
NFL DRAFT QUARTERBACK MISTAKES THAT SHAPED LEAGUE LANDSCAPE
After Cam Ward was selected with the first overall pick on Thursday night, experts assumed Sanders would soon follow as the second quarterback selected. Instead, Jaxson Dart was the second quarterback taken when the New York Giants traded back into the first round to take him at 25.
Early in the second round, the New Orleans Saints used the 40th pick to take Tyler Shough. Then, late in the third round, the Seattle Seahawks took Jalen Milroe at 92 and then the Cleveland Browns took Dillon Gabriel at 94.
Dart, Shough, Milroe and Gabriel were all projected to go much later than Sanders by scouts and analysts, and early projections even had Sanders going above Ward at No. 1.
Sanders led the Big 12 Conference with 4,134 passing yards and 37 touchdown passes and was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year. In his 50 college games, Sanders threw for 14,347 yards, 134 touchdowns and 27 interceptions.
GET FULL 2025 NFL DRAFT COVERAGE WITH REAL-TIME PICKS, EXPERT ANALYSIS AND CAN’T-MISS MOMENTS
For a quarterback prospect of that esteem to fall out of the third round is highly unusual in the NFL.
Top prospects like Sanders have seen shocking slides in past NFL Drafts. Aaron Rodgers slipped down to the 25th overall pick in the 2005 NFL Draft, and was passed on for Alex Smith by the 49ers.
Patrick Mahomes wasn’t taken until the 10th pick in the 2017 Draft, and was passed on for Mitch Trubisky by the Bears. Still, at the time, Mahomes was less of a hyped prospect than Sanders.
Lamar Jackson fell all the way to the 32nd pick in the 2018 draft, after four other quarterbacks were taken ahead of him.
But Sanders, who was once considered the top candidate to go No. 1 overall this year, falling to day three of the draft, is a historic anamoly.
To make matters worse for him and his family, Sanders was prank-called by an imposter during a livestream Friday night.
While he and his family live-streamed day two of their NFL Draft party on Twitch Friday night, Sanders was seen answering a phone call that he assumed was from a general manager making the decision to draft him.
Then the caller told the eager young athlete that he would “have to wait a little longer,” as Sanders’ smile quickly faded.
NFL teams’ decision not to draft Sanders has prompted mass controversy and debate throughout the draft, and even prior to it as rumors of Sanders falling down draft boards became public.
An anonymous NFL coach recently told the NFL Network Sanders was “the worst formal interview I’ve ever been in in my life.”
“He’s so entitled. He takes unnecessary sacks. He never plays on time. He has horrible body language. He blames teammates,” the coach continued. “But the biggest thing is he’s not that good.”
Another longtime AFC executive echoed that sentiment, telling the outlet, “It didn’t go great in our interview. He wants to dictate what he’s going to do and what’s best for him. He makes you feel small.”
Kansas City Chiefs superstar Patrick Mahomes seemingly alluded to Sanders’ draft slide in an X post later on Friday, simply writing “Crazy.”
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President Donald Trump even joined in on the debate on Friday, when he ripped “stupid” NFL owners for passing on the star Colorado quarterback and allowing him to fall into the second round.
“What is wrong with NFL owners, are they STUPID? Deion Sanders was a great college football player, and was even greater in the NFL. He’s also a very good coach, streetwise and smart! Therefore, Shedeur, his quarterback son, has PHENOMENAL GENES, and is all set for Greatness,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
“He should be “picked” IMMEDIATELY by a team that wants to WIN. Good luck Shedeur, and say hello to your wonderful father!”
Now, Sanders will have to wait until day three of the draft to hear his name called, if it is called at all.
However, he has seemingly expressed gratitude and patience throughout the process despite the dramatic slide.
In an X post late Friday night, while the third round was coming to an end, Sanders thanked go.
“Thank you GOD for EVERYTHING,” he wrote.
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Foreign policy expert reveals one side is quietly ‘caving’ in China v Trump tariff standoff
Early signs are emerging that China is now “caving” to the U.S. and President Donald Trump on tariffs, according to one foreign policy expert.
Gatestone Institute senior fellow Gordon Chang agreed there’s “a win for Trump” after the president revealed he’s spoken to China about trade tensions and the recent exemption of some U.S. goods from its 125% tariff.
“China is doing this, but it’s not announcing it. It’s just not imposing the tariffs on aviation products, industrial chemicals, and semiconductors. It’s sort of like the Chinese way of doing it,” Chang said on “Varney & Co.” Friday.
“It’s basically, they’re caving, but they don’t want to say they’re caving.”
TRUMP SAYS RECIPROCAL TARIFFS COULD BE RE-IMPOSED WITHIN WEEKS
From the White House lawn Friday morning, President Trump took questions from the press when he was asked the last time he spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“I don’t want to comment on that, but I’ve spoken to him many times,” Trump responded before pivoting to a question about what exactly they discussed: “I’ll let you know at the appropriate time. Let’s see if we can make a deal.”
Though China on Thursday publicly announced it was not negotiating with the U.S. on trade, a later report from Reuters claimed China’s Ministry of Commerce taskforce is collecting lists of items that could be exempted from tariffs and is asking companies to submit their own requests.
Washington has said the current status quo is economically untenable and has already offered tariff exemptions to some electronic goods. But Beijing has taken a harder stance, saying it is willing to fight to the end unless the U.S. lifts its tariffs.
Chang predicts the tariff back-and-forth between China and Trump’s America “can go on for a very long time.”
“Xi Jinping has boxed himself into the corner,” he said. “And I believe that if he comes to a deal with the U.S., he’s got to explain that to the Chinese people. That’s going to be very difficult for him.”
“You can’t say, ‘Well, I’m now dealing with the U.S.,’ because that would be undercutting everything that he has said to his own people for years,” he continued.
Weighing whether China is indeed “really vulnerable,” Chang noted the country’s negative consumer and producer price indices, shrinking gross domestic product and tax receipts down in the first quarter.
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“When you had India a couple days ago slap the 12% tariffs on steel, that was directed at China because they don’t want their market flooded with Chinese steel that otherwise would have gone to the U.S. You’re going to see other countries do the same thing, which really means China is going to have export problems because that’s where they’ve been looking for growth,” the expert analyzed.
“But they can’t grow it in a world like we have today. And besides, when you add deglobalization, this is a really bad story for Beijing.”
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Democrats change their tune after once declaring ‘no one is above the law’
Several Democrats who have argued that “no one is above the law” in President Donald Trump’s cases are now condemning the arrest of Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan, warning it could threaten the rule of law.
“This is not normal,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., tweeted of Dugan’s arrest by the FBI on proceeding obstruction charges for allegedly shielding an indicted Mexican migrant from ICE agents.
“The administration’s arrest of a sitting judge in Wisconsin is a drastic move that threatens the rule of law,” Klobuchar added, saying it’s a “grave step and undermines our system of checks and balances.”
During Trump’s 2019 impeachment, Klobuchar said his first impeachment case marked a “somber day for our country.”
FBI ARRESTS JUDGE, ALLEGING SHE OBSTRUCTED ARREST OF ILLEGAL ALIEN
“In America, no one is above the law, and the American people deserve to hear evidence and witness testimony during a full and fair trial in the Senate. If the president has any facts to present in his defense to the articles of impeachment, we should hear them,” she said.
After the 2022 FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago, Klobuchar said, “The law is king, and the former president isn’t.”
Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., also condemned Dugan’s arrest, saying, “If [FBI Director] Kash Patel and Donald Trump don’t like a judge, they think they can arrest them.
“This is stunning — we must stand up to this blatant power grab. Republicans: How is this not a red line for you?”
AG PAM BONDI OUTRAGED AT WISCONSIN JUDGE ARRESTED FOR OBSTRUCTING ARREST OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT
Commenting in 2020 on her vote to remove Trump from office over abuse of power allegations, Smith said she took her constitutional oath seriously and that “to condone corrupt behavior such as this undermines the core value that we stand for as a nation — that no one is above the law, including and most especially our president.”
Smith said she pored over presentations and evidence to reach that conclusion.
Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wis., who represents Dugan’s county, lambasted the White House, saying its “willingness to weaponize federal law enforcement is shocking and this arrest has all the hallmarks of overreach.”
“I will be following this case closely and facts will come out. However, I am very alarmed at the increasingly lawless actions of the Trump administration, and in particular ICE, who have been defying courts and acting with disregard for the Constitution.”
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Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., commented on an apparently deleted tweet from Patel, writing on X, “Donald Trump and JD Vance are arresting judges now. Deleting the tweet won’t undo the constitutional crisis you have just thrust us into.”
In a 2023 interview with radio host Hugh Hewitt, Khanna said of the Trump impeachment, “You can’t just say, ‘OK, because someone was president or someone is a candidate, that you’re above the law.’ Everyone is under the law, and that allegations, the evidence needs to be pursued.”
When reached for comment by Fox News Digital, Khanna said of the contrast that Trump has “waged war on the judiciary” and that there is no public evidence yet regarding Dugan, but “it is deeply concerning given the administration’s attacks on the courts.”
“Even Chief Justice Roberts has rebuked Trump’s conduct toward the judiciary,” Khanna added.
Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., said norms were being violated on the immigration and legal fronts for Dugan’s arrest.
In a statement obtained by Fox News Digital, Pocan laid out the differences he sees between the Dugan and Trump cases: “Judge Dugan’s arrest is outrageous and a fear tactic to our independent judiciary. Trump has always thought he was above the law, but now he’s enabling his goons to push that limit as far as it can go. His reckless deportations and flaunting of the Constitution will fail,” Pocan said.
“This is stuff I expect from Third World countries,” he told Axios.
In a December 2019 statement after his vote in favor of impeachment, Pocan said Trump was “never held accountable for his actions” over his 70-plus years of life.
“Today, Democrats sent a clear signal to this president and all future presidents: No one is above the law.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the offices of Klobuchar and Smith for comment.
Allegations mount against judge accused of housing illegal immigrant gangbanger
A former New Mexico judge and his wife allegedly tried to hide incriminating images and videos of an illegal immigrant believed to be a member of Venezuela’s notorious Tren de Aragua gang and harbored other migrants, the Justice Department said Friday.
Former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Joel Cano, 68, and his wife, Nancy Cano, 67, were arrested Thursday after federal agents raided their Las Cruces home. The pair face charges of evidence tampering amid allegations they harbored Cristhian Ortega-Lopez.
“Judges are responsible for upholding our country’s laws. It is beyond egregious for a former judge and his wife to engage in evidence tampering on behalf of a suspected Tren de Aragua gang member accused of illegally possessing firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to dismantling this foreign terrorist organization by disrupting its criminal operations in New Mexico. That starts by prosecuting those who support gang members — including judges.”
EX-NEW MEXICO JUDGE, WIFE ARRESTED FOR ALLEGEDLY HARBORING ILLEGAL TREN DE ARAGUA MEMBER
Ortega-Lopez was put on the Department of Homeland Security‘s (DHS) radar after a tipster said he was in the U.S. illegally and had guns. He initially entered the country Dec. 15, 2023, near Eagle Pass, Texas. He was taken into custody and released due to overcrowding at the U.S. Border Patrol facility.
Ortega-Lopez apparently posted multiple images and videos on social media showing him with other illegal immigrants handling guns at a shooting range in Las Cruces, federal prosecutors said. Among the weapons were a SIG Sauer P365 pistol, an AR-15 rifle equipped with a suppressor and other high-powered guns and ammunition.
NEW MEXICO JUDGE RESIGNS AFTER ALLEGED TDA MEMBER ARRESTED AT HIS HOME
His social media activity revealed content suggesting ties with the Venezuelan gang, including gang-related tattoos, hand gestures and clothing, prosecutors said. He also mocked a $5,000 reward to catch TdA members, Attorney General Pam Bondi said.
Among the images were also two people who were decapitated, she said.
In January, federal agents received a tip that Ortega-Lopez was living with other illegal immigrants on a property belonging to Cano, who was still a judge at the time, and his wife.
Authorities seized four guns during a Feb. 28 search of the property.
The four guns, along with three cellphones belonging to Ortega-Lopez, were seized, and he was arrested. During the search, Ortega-Lopez was allowed to make a phone call before being taken to the Doña Ana County Detention Center (DACDC).
He told the agents that the phone he wanted to use was not among the devices recovered. Video calls from DACDC later showed Nancy Cano holding a black iPhone believed to be Ortega’s fourth phone, prosecutors said.
During a March 7 call with Ortega-Lopez, Nancy Cano allegedly used the device to contact someone named “Michelle” via WhatsApp, before facilitating a FaceTime call between Michelle and Ortega-Lopez using her personal phone.
In an April 20 call, Nancy Cano and Ortega-Lopez discussed deleting his Facebook account, which he allegedly used to share incriminating content, including gang affiliations and images with guns.
On April 24, federal agents searched the Cano home to locate Ortega-Lopez’s missing phone. During questioning, Joel Cano admitted smashing the device with a hammer five weeks earlier because he believed it contained incriminating photos and videos of Ortega-Lopez with guns, and throwing it into a dumpster, said Bondi.
A forensic analysis of the recovered phones revealed messages linked to Ortega’s alleged criminal activities, including links with the TdA gang and images of him with guns, authorities said.
Joel and Nancy Cano face up to 15 years in prison.
FBI ARRESTS WISCONSIN JUDGE, ALLEGING SHE OBSTRUCTED ARREST OF ILLEGAL ALIEN
“The rule of law is very simple: It doesn’t matter what line of work you’re in. If you break the law, we will follow the facts, and we will prosecute you,” Bondi said in a video message Friday.
Another judge arrested for allegedly interfering in the arrest of an illegal immigrant in Wisconsin also faces federal charges. Milwaukee County Circuit Court Judge Hannah Dugan, 65, allegedly confronted federal agents inside a courthouse April 18 and ordered them to leave as they were trying to arrest Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, a Mexican citizen who was previously deported and recently charged with multiple counts of domestic abuse-related battery.
Flores-Ruiz allegedly punched a man 30 times and struck a woman, Bondi said. Both victims were in court when Dugan learned that ICE was outside to arrest him.
“After being made aware of a valid immigration arrest warrant, Judge Dugan told agents that they needed a judicial warrant and demanded that they go to the Chief Judge’s office, the Justice Department said in a news release Friday. “Once the agents were no longer in the vicinity of her courtroom, Judge Dugan allegedly elected not to conduct a hearing on Flores-Ruiz’s criminal case despite the fact that victims of his offense were present and instead personally escorted Flores-Ruiz and his attorney through a restricted ‘jury door’ exit not typically used by defendants or attorneys.”
The doorway led to a nonpublic hallway, which Flores-Ruiz and his attorney used to leave Dugan’s courtroom, prosecutors said. He was eventually arrested outside the courthouse after a brief foot chase.
Dugan is charged with obstruction of proceedings before a department or agency of the United States and concealing a person to prevent arrest. She faces up to six years in prison.
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Flores-Ruiz was previously deported in 2013 and reentered the U.S. illegally, authorities said.
“Sanctuary jurisdictions that shield criminal aliens endanger American communities,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This Justice Department will not stand by as local officials put politics over public safety. Reckless sanctuary city policies create a sanctuary for one class — criminals. Those days are over.”
Beloved fast-food chain closing up to 200 ‘underperforming’ locations
Jack in the Box announced that it plans to close 150 to 200 of its restaurants as it looks to boost the fast-food company’s financial performance.
The company said Wednesday that the restaurants in the planned “block closure program” were ones that were “underperforming” and, in many cases, several decades old.
“Our actions today focus on three main areas: addressing our balance sheet to accelerate cash flow and pay down debt, while preserving growth-oriented capital investments related to technology and restaurant reimage; closing underperforming restaurants to position ourselves for consistent net unit growth and competitive unit economics; and, an overall return to simplicity for the Jack in the Box business model and investor story,” Jack in the Box CEO Lance Tucker said.
TGI FRIDAYS’ US FOOTPRINT HAS SHRUNK TO 85 RESTAURANTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Roughly 80 to 120 of the total restaurants it plans to shutter under the program will close their doors for good before the end of the year, according to Jack in the Box.
The rest of the underperforming restaurants on the chopping block will stop operations “upon respective franchise agreement termination dates,” the company said.
“This program does not include the expected 1.5% to 2.0% of system unit closures for FY 2025, and an ongoing annual closure rate thereafter of approximately 1% of system units beginning in FY 2026,” Jack in the Box said.
The company anticipates “consistent, positive net unit growth” after closing the 150 to 200 underperforming locations.
44% OF RESTAURANT OWNERS IN WASHINGTON, DC, FEAR THEY MAY HAVE TO CLOSE IN 2025
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JACK | JACK IN THE BOX INC. | 24.52 | +0.55 | +2.30% |
The block closure plan is part of the “JACK on Track” initiative that Jack in the Box unveiled.
In addition to the restaurant closures, Jack in the Box said that the strategy includes other measures meant to help the company see “sustainable growth” in the coming years through improvements in its financial performance and balance sheet.
Jack in the Box is looking at a possible divestment and other “strategic alternatives” for the Del Taco brand as well, according to its announcement. It has owned the chain since 2022.
RED ROBIN CONSIDERS CLOSING 70 LOCATIONS AMID FINANCIAL WOES
Jack in the Box’s current store count includes roughly 2,200 namesake restaurants and 600 Del Taco restaurants.
The company said preliminary second-quarter same-store sales for Jack in the Box posted a 4.4% decline. Del Taco experienced a decline of 3.6%.
The company is slated to release its final second-quarter financial results in mid-May.
For its 2025 fiscal year, Jack in the Box forecasted Wednesday that the company will see operating earnings per share of $5.05 to $5.40, not including any effects of its JACK on Track initiative.
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It also foresaw its namesake business having a “low-to-mid-single digits” decline in same-store sales compared to the prior fiscal year.
Tucker became Jack in the Box’s permanent CEO in late March. He had been leading the company on an interim basis since the former chief executive, Darin Harris, left the company for a job “outside of the restaurant industry” in late February.
WNBA star goes viral after videos appear to show her sitting next to NFL draft pick
Los Angeles Sparks star Rickea Jackson seemed to raise some eyebrows during the opening round of the NFL Draft.
Videos circulated across social media Thursday night that apparently showed the 24-year-old WNBA player sitting next to the former Tennessee football star James Pearce Jr.
Moments after NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell walked to the draft stage’s podium in Green Bay to announce the Atlanta Falcons were using the 26th overall pick to select Pearce, cameras switched to the pass rusher’s home in North Carolina.
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Jackson appeared to smile, wrap an arm around Pearce and rub his leg as the football player’s family and friends celebrated the special moment.
Rumors about a romance between Jackson and Pearce have swirled for more than a year. Both athletes attended the University of Tennessee.
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Jackson eventually caught wind of the viral videos and took to X to issue a response to the chatter.
“Soooo I have a doppelganger. Wow,” she wrote on X late Friday night.
The post had drawn more than 1.7 million views as of Friday afternoon.
Jackson’s response was met with some skepticism, while others took notice of the apparent humor in the Sparks star’s message.
Jackson’s NCAA basketball career began at Mississippi State. She eventually transferred to Tennessee, where she rose to stardom during her two seasons as a member of the Lady Vols. The Sparks drafted Jackson in the first round in 2024. She averaged 13.4 points per game during her rookie WNBA season.
The Falcons had the NFL’s second-lowest sack total last season. Pearce finished his final season with Tennessee with 7½ sacks.
But the Falcons gave up significant draft capital to get back into the first round Thursday night to pick Pearce.
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Atlanta sent the Los Angeles Rams second-round and seventh-round picks in this year’s draft and the team’s first-round selection in 2026. In addition to the rights to the 26th overall pick, the Rams sent their third-round pick this year to the Falcons.