Pope Leo and American politics
A profile of Pope Leo XIV and the Vatican community examines how his public statements and pastoral choices are reverberating across the United States. Reporters trace the lines between spiritual guidance and political consequence, placing the pope’s comments in a wider institutional and cultural context. Interviews with Vatican officials, parish priests, lay parishioners and outside commentators reveal the priorities that shape his messaging, and how those priorities play to different audiences. The reporting explores how his rhetoric aligns with or challenges U.S. Catholic leaders, how it lands among voters and activists, and the practical limits of papal influence in a pluralistic society. The piece shows how spiritual authority, internal church dynamics and the media environment combine to shape both what the pope says and how his voice is heard in public life.
Risk on the road
An in-depth investigation looks at rising dangers on U.S. roadways that experts warn are becoming a ticking time bomb. The story maps the mix of causes driving higher crash rates and fatalities: distracted and impaired driving, vehicle mismatch and emerging vehicle technologies, aging and failing infrastructure, and gaps in enforcement and regulation. Reporters interview transportation researchers, safety advocates, first responders and families who have lost loved ones to create a human picture behind the statistics. The piece highlights shortcomings in data collection that obscure trends, reviews policy options from automated enforcement to safer road design, and considers the promise and limits of new technologies such as advanced driver assistance systems. It also documents political and economic obstacles to change, including industry resistance, funding constraints and local decision-making patterns, and points to community-level strategies that have worked to reduce harm.
What happened to the great white sharks?
Researchers and taggers on South Africa’s coast describe an abrupt decline in great white shark sightings and catches, prompting urgent fieldwork and data analysis. Scientists are piecing together multiple, sometimes competing, explanations: increased predation by orcas, shifts in the distribution of seals and other prey, commercial and recreational fishing impacts, habitat alterations and wider oceanographic changes. The reporting follows tracking teams deploying tags and compiling long-term datasets, and it frames the decline in ecological and economic terms — from potential cascading effects on marine ecosystems to impacts on shark-viewing tourism. Conservationists and policymakers weigh options for response, from protective measures and fishing restrictions to expanded monitoring and international collaboration. The story emphasizes uncertainty, the need for better baseline data, and the importance of strategies that protect both marine life and coastal communities while restoring ecological balance.