FIRST AMERICAN POPE: The identity of the new pope has been revealed as Robert Francis Prevost. He will now deliver his first public address and blessing to the gathered crowds in St Peter’s Square.
Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, an American missionary from Chicago who spent his career ministering in Peru and leads the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, was elected the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church. The 267th pope, who has taken the name Leo XIV, emerged from the balcony at St. Peter’s Basilica. He waved to the thousands in the square as they cheered and chanted his name. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
Six people in a rural Texas county, including two City Council members and a school board trustee, have been indicted in a widening elections investigation led by Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton, bringing felony charges to a case that Latino rights activists have criticized as politically driven. The top executive in Frio County, home to about 18,000 residents, a county elections worker and a local resident were also among those indicted on May 1, Paxton said Wednesday. The charges expand an investigation that included raids last year on the homes of Latino campaign volunteers near San Antonio, including an 87-year-old woman, although none of them have been indicted. Most of the six are charged with what is known in Texas as vote harvesting, a felony that often involves payment for collecting and dropping off other people’s absentee ballots. Several of the officials indicted in Frio County are accused of using Cash App to pay for vote harvesting services. “The people of Texas deserve fair and honest elections, not backroom deals and political insiders rigging the system. Elected officials who think they can cheat to stay in power will be held accountable,” Paxton said in a statement. The League of United Latin American Citizens last year called for a federal investigation into Texas authorities after its members’ homes were raided. No charges have been filed against any targets of those searches, according to spokesperson David Cruz, and the organization said it had not made decisions on whether to represent those who were indicted. Gabriel Rosales, the Texas director for LULAC, called the charges unsubstantiated. “This is voter suppression 101,” he said. “There’s no vote harvesting going on. There’s nobody creating these ballots. That’s a lie.” The vote harvesting charges are third-degree felonies and carry up to 10 years in prison. Those accused are Frio County Judge Rochelle Camacho, the county’s top official; Pearsall City Council members Ramiro Trevino and Racheal Garza; Pearsall ISD Trustee Adriann Ramirez; and Frio County resident Rosa Rodriguez. Another official, former Frio County Elections Administrator Carlos Segura, is charged with tampering with evidence. “The only word I have right now is that it’s ridiculous,” Segura said. He added that his lawyer advised him not to speak further. Camacho, Trevino, Garza and Ramirez did not immediately respond to phone calls or an email requesting comment. A number could not be found for Rodriguez. The indictments were the latest development in an investigation that Paxton started after the 2020 election to root out voter fraud, which is rare and typically occurs in isolated instances. Texas has tightened its voter laws in recent years and increased penalties that Democrats and opponents say are attempts to suppress turnout among Black and Latino voters. Investigators with the Texas Attorney General’s Office were first told of allegations of vote harvesting by Mary Moore, who was Camacho’s opponent in the March 2022 Democratic primary for county judge, according to search warrant affidavits. Moore accused Camacho of hiring a woman who had been collecting mail ballots for candidates in Frio County for nearly three decades. Moore alleged that the woman charged candidates anywhere from $1,500 to $2,500 to collect mail ballots, applications for ballot by mail and to even drive people to vote curbside, according to the affidavit. Investigators allege that the vote harvesting scheme […]
The IDF releases footage showing its airstrikes earlier today against an underground Hezbollah facility near the Beaufort Castle in southern Lebanon. The footage also shows a drone strike on a Hezbollah operative in the area of the facility, according to the military.
Since the beginning of the year, 340 Israelis who received draft orders and did not respond to them were arrested at Ben Gurion Airport while trying to leave the country. Out of the 340 people arrested, 52 were Chareidim who received draft orders in recent months. Of those 52, 23 enlisted in the IDF. The data was presented on Thursday to the members of the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee by Brig. Gen. Shay Tayeb, a senior official in the IDF’s Personnel Directorate. Tayeb said that approximately 14,000 draft orders have been sent to Chareidim since June. (YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)
In a sharp departure from the very policy he once championed, President Donald Trump has quietly removed a key requirement in U.S.-Saudi nuclear negotiations: normalization with Israel. According to a bombshell Reuters report citing sources close to the talks, the Trump administration is no longer insisting that Saudi Arabia recognize the Jewish state as a precondition for advancing civil nuclear cooperation — a move that could signal a troubling shift in the region’s diplomatic balance. The reversal comes just days before Trump is set to visit Riyadh, where he’s expected to finalize a series of high-stakes agreements with the kingdom. The change not only marks a major U.S. concession but also raises eyebrows, given Trump’s long-standing assertion that he is “the most pro-Israel president in history.” Under the Biden administration, nuclear cooperation with Riyadh was carefully tied to a broader package that included a U.S.-Saudi defense pact and Saudi recognition of Israel — part of an effort to expand on Trump’s own Abraham Accords. But those talks sputtered amid rising Arab anger over the Gaza war and Saudi insistence that no normalization would occur without a path to Palestinian statehood. Trump’s new posture suggests a pragmatic — or some would say cynical — shift. By decoupling the nuclear talks from Israeli recognition, Trump appears to be prioritizing strategic deals and economic gains over diplomatic solidarity with Jerusalem. “When we have something to announce, you’ll hear it from the President,” said National Security Council spokesperson James Hewitt, offering little clarity. Energy Secretary Chris Wright has hinted at creative solutions to satisfy non-proliferation safeguards, including a potential “black box” uranium enrichment arrangement — but sources say a final agreement remains distant. Saudi Arabia has resisted a standard Section 123 agreement, which would restrict enrichment and reprocessing, both seen as potential paths to nuclear weaponization. The kingdom’s energy ambitions, economic diversification goals, and regional rivalries — especially with Iran — make the stakes enormous. Compounding Israeli unease, Vice President JD Vance told Reuters that talks with Iran are progressing and could lead to Tehran’s reintegration into the global economy — another red flag for Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Trump is pressing for massive Saudi investments in the U.S., reportedly urging Riyadh to raise its commitment from $600 billion to a staggering $1 trillion. A multibillion-dollar U.S. arms package is also on the table. This marks Trump’s second foreign trip since returning to the Oval Office — and though it recalls his lavish 2017 visit to Riyadh, the policy signals emanating from this journey may be far more ominous for Israel. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
*ELIMINATED:* The IDF and Shin Bet announced that Mohammed Rasmi Marzouk Baraka, a Hamas terrorist from the intelligence division involved in the kidnapping of 85-year-old Yaffa Adar from Kibbutz Nir Oz on October 7, 2023, was killed in an airstrike in Gaza City. Baraka was seen in footage of Adar’s abduction, and she was released from captivity in November 2023.
The Republican-led House passed a bill Thursday that would rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and direct federal agencies to update their documents and maps to incorporate the new name. President Donald Trump already signed an executive order during his first day in office to rename the Gulf. House Republicans are looking to show their support, though it is unclear whether he Senate will go along. The bill passed by a vote of 211-206. The body of water has shared borders between the United States and Mexico. Trump’s order only carries authority within the U.S. Mexico, as well as other countries and international bodies, do not have to recognize the name change. Democrats said the vote demonstrated that Republicans are not focusing on the priorities of most Americans. New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House’s top Democrat, asked Democrats to vote against this “silly, small-minded and sycophantic piece of legislation.” “It’s easy to mock this legislation because it’s so inane and embarrassing — and we have,” said Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa. “But it’s very existence and the fact that House Republicans have chosen to waste time and taxpayer dollars to bring it up for a vote, is worth considering.” Republicans said the nomenclature of the Gulf extended back to a time before the U.S. existed and when Spanish influence over Central American and the Caribbean was at its zenith. But now, it is the U.S. that dominates economic activity in the Gulf. “In short, this legislation recognizes the strategic influence America has over this geography, not to mention the existing economic, cultural, and commercial might that we passively exert on the Gulf,” said Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., a Trump ally and an influential voice in the Republican conference who wore a red “Make American Great Again” hat during last year’s State of the Union address. “The Gulf of America is one of the most important things we can do this Congress,” Greene said, adding that it promotes pride in the country. The Gulf of Mexico has carried that name for more than 400 years. The Associated Press refers to it by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen. The White House moved in February to block the AP from being among the small group of journalists to cover Trump in the Oval Office or aboard Air Force One, with sporadic ability to cover him at events in the East Room. The AP sued three Trump administration officials over access to presidential events, citing freedom of speech in asking a federal judge to stop the blocking of its journalists. A federal judge ordered the White House last month to restore The AP’s full access to cover presidential events, affirming on First Amendment grounds that the government cannot punish the news organization for the content of its speech. The GOP leadership in the House promoted the legislation during a news conference earlier in the week. “The American people are footing the bill to protect and secure the Gulf of America. It’s only right that it’s named appropriately,” said House Republican Conference Chair Lisa McClain of Michigan. Several Democrats spoke out against the bill on the House floor. Rep. George Latimer, D-N.Y., said that […]
REPORTER: The ports here in the U.S., the traffic has really slowed and now thousands of dock workers and truck drivers are worried about their jobs. TRUMP: That means we lose less money.
The Republican-led House passed a bill Thursday that would rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America and direct federal agencies to update their documents and maps to incorporate the new name.
HOWARD LUTNICK: “We started at 10% and ended at 10% and the market for America is better and this is a perfect example of why Donald Trump produced Liberation Day”
Trump says the deal with the UK will bring in $6 billion in tariff revenue, unlock $5 billion in new export opportunities for American farmers and producers, and strengthen national security through a joint Aluminum & Steel Trading Zone and a secure pharmaceutical supply chain. “America is OPEN FOR BUSINESS!” Trump declared.
Thousands request early access in just days; new underwriting tool gives novices the power to analyze deals like pros. Lakewood, NJ — May 8, 2025 — GPARENCY, the only commercial mortgage brokerage that guarantees clients the best financing, has launched a free app designed to help real estate investors protect themselves from bad deals. In just the first few days of its beta release, the app has gone viral, generating thousands of requests for access. The new tool is being offered free of charge as a thank you to the market, as GPARENCY’s “mortgage assurance brokerage” model surges to over a quarter billion dollars in deal volume each month. At the core of the app is a $2 million underwriting calculator developed to solve a widespread problem: most investors don’t truly know how to underwrite a deal—and traditional models are overly complex and inaccessible. GPARENCY’s calculator simplifies everything. With just a deal OM (offering memorandum), even a novice can now underwrite a property in under three minutes. The tool produces a full model down to the LP’s IRR and equity multiplier. From there, users can adjust every assumption—rents, expenses, debt terms, equity splits—and instantly see how it impacts their returns. “95% of investors admit they don’t know if they’re getting the best deal,” said Ira Zlotowitz, founder and CEO of GPARENCY. “Now they don’t have to guess. This app turns any investor into a smarter buyer with real data, real comps, and real underwriting power.” Additional features include: • A Google Maps interface with public-data overlays • Parcel lines visible for every property • 125,000+ for-sale listings with direct access to brokers • Real-time lender rates, spreads, and indexes • AI-generated write-ups summarizing underwriting output The beta app is currently being released on an invite-only basis. To request early access, visit Ira Zlotowitz’s viral LinkedIn post and comment “APP”:linkedin.com/posts/irazlotowitz_the-cre-game-just-changed-get-ready-to-be-activity ⸻ About GPARENCYGPARENCY is revolutionizing commercial real estate finance by offering a fixed $4,500 fee per deal—bringing full transparency to a historically opaque industry. GPARENCY guarantees clients the best terms by creating competition across the entire lending market, all while allowing owners to keep control of their lender relationships. The company is currently brokering over a quarter billion dollars in deal volume each month and continues to disrupt the space with innovations like its new underwriting-first CRE app. For media inquiries, contact:press@gparency.com
POTUS: “This morning, I’m thrilled to announce that we have reached a breakthrough trade deal with the United Kingdom… it’s really in particular, the agreement with one of our closest and most cherished allies and we’re so happy that that’s the way it worked out.”
Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu in a meeting with reserve soldiers from Brigade 5: “We need to bring the hostages back home and defeat Hamas…Let them raise a white flag…They can also raise the flag of exile…We are working hard with the Americans to transfer them to a different country.”
