Rubio meets with Pope Leo XIV days after latest Trump attack

Secretary of State Marco Rubio kicked off a two-day visit to Vatican City and Italy Thursday by meeting Pope Leo XIV, days after President Trump claimed the first American-born pontiff was “endangering a lot of Catholics and a lot of people.” Leo has repeatedly criticized the Trump administration over its hardline immigration policies and, more recently, over the war in Iran. The president has responded aggressively, attacking the Bishop of Rome last month as “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy.“ “The pope would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon,”…

USC men’s basketball transfer Jadis Jones tries to forge fairy tale

USC men’s basketball coach Eric Musselman has added a Cinderella story to his collection of proven returners and heralded newcomers. It involves Jadis Jones, a guard from Lindenwood in the relatively obscure Ohio Valley Conference. Jones announced his commitment to the Trojans on Wednesday, posting a picture of himself in…

Mets win third straight game as bats come alive against Rockies

DENVER — The colder it got Wednesday night, the louder the Mets bats crackled.  By the middle innings, the temperature had dropped to 37 degrees at Coors Field and the Mets were rolling. All that remained was for the bullpen to secure the final outs.  The Mets survived for a…

76ers couldn’t hold Jalen Brunson down forever in Knicks crunch time

Jalen Brunson was searching for answers. He was searching for his shot.  The Knicks superstar was forcing the action, missing his first three shots. Nearly nine minutes passed before he scored his first points. More than 10 minutes elapsed before he hit his first field goal. When Game 2 of…

A.J. Minter gets removed from Mets rehab assignment over hip issue

DENVER — The anticipated return of a key Mets reliever has been placed on hold.  A.J. Minter is dealing with left hip discomfort, according to manager Carlos Mendoza, and has been removed from his minor league rehab assignment. The lefty reliever was completing a rehab at Triple-A Syracuse from lat…

DOJ investigating woke, Soros-backed Virginia DA over ‘sweetheart’ deals given to illegal migrants

The Justice Department has launched an investigation into a radical Northern Virginia prosecutor who allegedly discriminated against US citizens by offering preferential treatment “only to illegal alien” criminal defendants.   The DOJ notified Fairfax County Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano on Wednesday that it is looking into potential civil rights violations related…

How Burger King’s turnaround is taking a bite out of McDonald’s

Beef patties aren’t the only thing sizzling at Burger King — and its booming business is taking a bite out of McDonald’s. The fast food chain owned by Restaurant Brands International reported an eye-popping 5.8% increase in comparable sales at its US eateries – its highest growth in nine quarters…

Popular Italian food brand accused of ‘tomato fraud’ in new lawsuit

It’s a canned conspiracy. Two Californians are suing Cento Fine Foods for allegedly committing “tomato fraud” — claiming the fruits in its canned products are not the coveted “Ferrari” of tomato varieties they boast, according to a saucy new lawsuit. The plaintiffs alleged that New Jersey-based Cento is the “primary…

UCLA women’s basketball rallies from big early deficit to beat Washington

The top seed was getting bullied. Struggling on both ends of the court, UCLA did not look like one of the nation’s top women’s basketball teams for much of the first half Friday afternoon. Eighth-seeded Washington was tougher, more disruptive defensively and more cohesive on offense. With her team trailing…

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