Chicago celebrates cultural victory with native son, Pope Leo XIV
As much as the news media serves to inform the public, we’re also here to give you something to talk about. Learning about the world around us provides the connective tissue for spirited interactions and growing deeper bonds with each other.
What are you going to bring up at the dinner table to get the conversation flowing? Did you read that article everybody has been talking about, too?
Who is it? Well, this week’s main character is related to Pope Leo XIV, who was elected on the second day of voting during the papal conclave. But the real main star that has come out of this week’s online chatter is the illustrious Midwestern city of Chicago, Illinois.
What’s the big deal? In layman’s terms, you could say that Chicago stays winning. What other city can claim to be the incubator for a pope, a former U.S. president and a conceptual Sufjan Stevens album?
What are people saying? They’re talking a lot about Malört, the Chicago famous booze, hot dogs and general cultural supremacy. DA POPE!
BREAK OUT THE MALORT BOYS WE GOT A CHICAGO POPE
— america’s gassy lounge singer (@KrangTNelson) May 8, 2025
Translation:
He has eaten our dogs#chicagopope pic.twitter.com/AXnRL4FzaV— The Wieners Circle (@TheWienerCircle) May 8, 2025
So, what now? Pope Leo’s next few weeks will be filled with all of the administrative bits and bobs required from any new job — that includes his uniform, his ring and his schedule.
He’s also the first pope with a digital footprint, and as internet sleuths try to build an idea of what kind of pope he might be, some have already found answers to the questions they think are most important: Sox or Cubs?
Team USA faces tough Canadian squad in Olympic gold medal hockey game
In the first Olympics with stars of the NHL competing in over a decade, a talent-packed Team USA faces a tough test against Canada.
PHOTOS: Your car has a lot to say about who you are
Photographer Martin Roemer visited 22 countries — from the U.S. to Senegal to India — to show how our identities are connected to our mode of transportation.
Sunday Puzzle: TransformeR
NPR's Ayesha Rascoe plays the puzzle with listener Joan Suits and Weekend Edition Puzzlemaster Will Shortz.
Looking for life purpose? Start with building social ties
Research shows that having a sense of purpose can lower stress levels and boost our mental health. Finding meaning may not have to be an ambitious project.
Danish military evacuates US submariner who needed urgent medical care off Greenland
Denmark's military says its arctic command forces evacuated a crew member of a U.S. submarine off the coast of Greenland for urgent medical treatment.
Only a fraction of House seats are competitive. Redistricting is driving that lower
Primary voters in a small number of districts play an outsized role in deciding who wins Congress. The Trump-initiated mid-decade redistricting is driving that number of competitive seats even lower.
