Pope Leo recovering from surgery after lung cancer diagnosis

Good morning. Pope Leo XIV, the head of the 1.4 billion-strong Roman Catholic Church, has been diagnosed with lung cancer. The Vatican announced this news after Leo, 71, the first US-born leader to assume the role, underwent surgery to remove the lower lobe of his right lung. A statement confirmed that the surgery was "successful, on schedule and as planned." The Vatican added that Leo has "now returned to his room" following the operation. All of his appointments have been cancelled until October 20.

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, a practicing Catholic who has met the Pope, expressed his support, stating he and his wife were "united in prayers" for Leo after the diagnosis.

In related news, Donald Trump faced another setback in his battle over media coverage. A federal judge ruled that journalists from CNN, MS Now, and Politico must still have access to the White House as the media coalition’s lawsuit against the administration continues. Judge Kelly noted that the plaintiffs "are likely to succeed not only on their due process claim, but also on their two First Amendment claims." While access to the White House is not guaranteed, court precedent dictates that once it is provided to journalists, it cannot be revoked for editorial or viewpoint-based reasons.

The BBC is seeking a federal judge in Florida to compel Donald Trump to sit for a deposition as part of the president’s $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the British broadcaster. The president has yet to set a date for his appearance. The BBC’s motion states, "Plaintiff chose to file this lawsuit and, in doing so, he accepted the obligations of civil litigation."