Pope Leo XIV, 71, the first American-born pope and leader of 1.4 billion Catholics, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. The Vatican confirmed he underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung, describing the operation as "successful, on schedule and as planned." His appointments are cancelled until 20 October. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a practising Catholic, said he and his wife were "united in prayers" for Leo. The diagnosis introduces succession uncertainty into the world's largest religious institution barely into Leo's papacy. Donald Trump suffered a judicial rebuke in his campaign to control media access. Federal Judge Kelly ruled that journalists from CNN, MS Now, and Politico must retain White House access while their lawsuit proceeds, writing that plaintiffs "are likely to succeed not only on their due process claim, but also on their two first amendment claims." The ruling reinforces established precedent: once press access is granted, it cannot be revoked for editorial or viewpoint-based reasons. Separately, the BBC is asking a Florida judge to compel Trump to sit for a deposition in his $10bn defamation lawsuit against the broadcaster. Kimberly Guilfoyle has stepped down as US ambassador to Greece following weeks of reporting that she sought payment from a Trump donor in exchange for access to administration officials. The Wall Street Journal reported she used Signal messages to press donor Eric Deters to pay a $100,000 credit card bill in what Deters described as a quid pro quo. She was also accused of accepting improper gifts and promoting a private Greek firm during official business. Guilfoyle disputes all allegations and the authenticity of the messages. Elon Musk has become the largest donor of the US midterms cycle, spending $366m mostly on rightwing candidates and causes — surpassing his 2024 Trump contributions. Meanwhile, Ukrainian soldiers in combat have had their access to Starlink satellite internet terminals suddenly restricted. Managed by Musk's SpaceX, these terminals are a key component of Ukraine's military operations, and the restrictions led to the failure of several combat missions. The juxtaposition is stark: one man's political spending reshapes domestic elections while his infrastructure decisions affect a foreign war. Cornell University suspended fraternity parties for the remainder of the academic year amid backlash over its handling of a 2024 sexual assault allegation, and will involve New York state police in investigating alleged sex crimes on campus. Duane "Keffe D" Davis received 40 years to life for orchestrating Tupac Shakur's 1996 murder. In Pennsylvania, a sixth death from the measles outbreak has been announced as cases surpass 1,100. Florida confirmed six deaths in the aftermath of Hurricane Isaias, with the governor crediting precautions for keeping the toll lower than previous storms. An Iranian woman has received a death sentence for "blasphemy" in a social media post, as rights groups report at least 600 executions in Iran this year. On lighter fronts, Joni Mitchell, 82, has become a US citizen after 62 years in the country, and Lena Dunham's Girls is returning for a five-episode revival on HBO. The through-line across these stories is institutional accountability under test. Courts checking executive overreach on press freedom. Diplomatic consequences catching up to alleged corruption. A religious institution managing health uncertainty transparently. Where guardrails function, they function because someone — a judge, a journalist, a whistleblower — forced the question.
