The 2025 Academy of Country Music Awards are taking place Thursday at the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, just north of Dallas. This year marks the 60th annual edition of the ceremony and Reba McEntire will once again host.

From the St. Peter’s Basilica to his native Chicago to his diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, Catholic faithful around the world greeted the election of Robert Prevost as the new pope. Prevost, a 69-year-old member of the Augustinian religious order, took the name Leo XIV. Peruvians, in particular, were elated by the selection of a Catholic cardinal who spent years guiding the faithful there and they saw as one of their own.

Pope Francis brought Robert Prevost to the Vatican in 2023 as the powerful head of the office that vets bishop nominations, one of the most important jobs in the Catholic Church. On Thursday, he ascended to become Pope Leo XIV — the first pope from the U.S.

May 7, 2025

President taps wellness influencer after withdrawing initial pick, former Fox News contributor Janette Nesheiwat

Donald Trump has tapped Dr Casey Means, a wellness influencer with close ties to Robert F Kennedy Jr, the US health secretary, as nominee for surgeon general after withdrawing his initial pick for the influential health post.

The US president said in a social media post on Wednesday that Means has “impeccable ‘MAHA’ credentials” – referring to the “make America healthy again” slogan – and that she will work to eradicate chronic disease and improve the health and wellbeing of Americans.

Men, who have been convicted of federal charges, found not guilty in death of Black man, 29, after he fled traffic stop

Three former Memphis officers were acquitted on Wednesday of state charges, including second-degree murder, in the fatal beating of Tyre Nichols after he ran away from a traffic stop in 2023.

A jury took about eight and a half hours over two days to find Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley and Justin Smith not guilty on all charges after a nine-day trial in state court in Memphis. After the jury’s verdict was read, the defendants hugged their lawyers as relatives of the former officers cried. One relative yelled: “Thank you, Jesus!”

Exposure to small particulate matter from fires contributes to thousands of annual deaths in US, according to study

Wildfires driven by the climate crisis contribute to as many as thousands of annual deaths and billions of dollars in economic costs from wildfire smoke in the United States, according to a new study.

The paper, published on Friday in the journal Nature Communications Earth & Environment, found that from 2006 to 2020, the climate crisis contributed to about 15,000 deaths from exposure to small particulate matter from wildfires and cost about $160bn. The annual range of deaths was 130 to 5,100, the study showed, with the highest in states such as Oregon and California.

• Guard picked up injury during Game 1 victory
• 37-year-old will miss at least three games of series

The Golden State Warriors are planning to play without Stephen Curry for at least the next three games of their playoff series against Minnesota, after an MRI exam on Wednesday confirmed the guard has a strained hamstring.

The Warriors said the 37-year-old will be sidelined at least a week after he picked up the injury during Tuesday night’s Game 1 victory over the Timberwolves. When he left the court, he had 13 points in 13 minutes to help Golden State build a comfortable lead and take home-court advantage away from the Timberwolves.

The 43-year-old suspect was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder