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Pope Leo XIV Calls for AI Regulation, Sparks Memes and Cultural Revival","description":"The first U.S.-born pope is tackling artificial intelligence, igniting viral memes, policy debates and a renewed cultural engagement within the Vatican.","summary":"Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas” urges rigorous AI regulation and echoes the Vatican’s modernization efforts, prompting both backlash and widespread internet memes. While critics point out the pope’s alliance with tech companies, supporters highlight his willingness to engage with contemporary culture, from pop‑culture references to public memetic moments. The article examines how Leo XIV’s stance on AI sparks dialogue about governance, justice, and the church’s evolving role in a digital world.","image":"https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/0c2adf4/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4644x3096+0+0/resize/599x399!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F09%2F50%2Fd6d54d85acef2b245afb32528215%2F9b934d6605e94cbcb0d692ade798c929","text":"<p>LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shortly after <a href=\"https://apnews.com/hub/pope-leo-xiv\">Pope Leo XIV</a> issued his <a href=\"https://apnews.com/article/pope-ai-tech-trump-vatican-anthropic-d92d0108730d146baa46da041b8523da\">sweeping manifesto</a> calling for robust regulation of artificial intelligence, the Instagram meme account <a href=\"https://apnews.com\">Saint Hoax</a> posted a 15‑second video to its more than 3 million followers, asking the pope to “disarm” AI. A caption read, “Love my woke pope (I’m not even Catholic).”</p><p>Elsewhere on X, a user quoted a meme in response to the encyclical, writing: “The atheism leaving my body the moment the pope starts talking about how AI is an affront to God and the new Tower of Babel.” The reaction to Leo’s inaugural encyclical, <a href=\"https://apnews.com/article/pope-ai-tech-trump-vatican-anthropic-d92d0108730d146baa46da041b8523da\">Magnifica Humanitas</a> (Magnificent Humanity), has been rife online since its release last week, fueled by a perception that few leaders grapple with AI’s rapid ascent.</p><p>Isabel Thurston, a 27‑year‑old comedian from Boston, said, “People have really been looking for a response to AI. This was the first — at least in my sphere of the world — world leader to make an announcement to this magnitude.”</p><p>History’s first U.S.-born pope has embraced contemporary culture: he was spotted wearing Nike sneakers under his vestments, and in his encyclical, Leo quoted Gandalf from J. R. R. Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings.”</p><p>“It’s clear that this is written by an American pope,” said Robert Orsi, Northwestern University professor of religious studies, noting a spirit of individual freedom and human dignity that echoes the Declaration of Independence. He added that Leo’s language resonates with modern desire for self‑determination.</p><p>Leo’s pop‑culture savvy has produced viral moments: during a visit, a group of youths coaxed him into a 6‑7 meme gesture; he complied despite not understanding its meaning, to enthusiastic cheers. A week later, he repeated the gesture while waving from the popemobile.</p><p>His encyclical invites all “men and women of goodwill” to “not be afraid to get their hands dirty on the ‘construction site’ of our time.” This willingness has resulted in public rebukes of policies, including those of former President Donald Trump and the ongoing war in Iran. Vice President J.D. Vance, a Catholic convert, referenced “just war” theory in response to Leo’s critique of that doctrine, which the pope called “outdated.” He argued that humanity now has more effective tools such as dialogue, diplomacy, and forgiveness.</p><p>Leo has also embraced American entertainment: he hosted a World of Cinema day with Cate Blanchett, Viggo Mortensen, Gus Van Sant and Spike Lee, who gifted him a custom New York Knicks jersey bearing his name. He praised cinema and baseball as “beating hearts” of community and an antidote to algorithmic repetition.</p><p>Shortly after <a href=\"https://apnews.com/article/pope-ai-tech-trump-vatican-anthropic-d92d0108730d146baa46da041b8523da\">Magnifica Humanitas</a> was released, Vatican moderators posted a meme of Leo holding a baseball bat, igniting a flurry of sub-genres of Leo memes on X.</p><p>In the context of recent scrutiny following years of clergy sexual‑abuse revelations, Orsi notes that the pope’s engagement may invite those who left the church back in: “They’re saying, ‘Wait, maybe the church does have something to say to the modern world.’”</p><img src=\"https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/c9fe054/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2922x1948+0+0/resize/599x399!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F06a17af%2F%2F%29+\" alt=\"Pope Leo riding his popemobile\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:600px;\">

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United Airline Flight Diverts to Madison After Passenger Incident","description":"A United flight heading to Minneapolis was diverted to Madison, Wisconsin, after an unruly passenger was subdued and removed from the aircraft.","summary":"United Airlines Flight 2005, bound from Chicago to Minneapolis, made an emergency diversion to Madison, Wisconsin, at 11 pm Thursday after security concerns arose over an unruly passenger. Crew and law‑enforcement officers on board quickly restrained the individual, who was later handcuffed and removed by the Dane County Sheriff’s Office upon landing. The Boeing 737 carried 147 passengers and a crew of six; no injuries were reported. Federal authorities are investigating the incident.","image":"https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/f97aab0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4256x2832+0+0/resize/599x399!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F39%2Fef%2Fc25dfd96b5d66539b0761b70aa6d%2F8a263c59529e41ca87a5bac728b03f92","text":"<p>United Airlines Flight 2005, operating between Chicago and Minneapolis, diverted to Madison, Wisconsin, at the end of Thursday night after crew identified an unruly passenger on board. The flight, a Boeing 737 with 147 passengers and six crew members, received an email from an airline spokesperson confirming the diversion.</p>\n<p>The passenger was quickly restrained by law‑enforcement officers already aboard the aircraft. Upon arrival at Dane County Regional Airport, Deputies from the Dane County Sheriff’s Office mediate the situation and took the passenger off the flight. Federal authorities are now leading the investigation. </p>\n<p>ATC audio transcribed by AP shows a crew member informing controllers that “it took some time” before the passenger was subdued. The pilot and flight attendants reported the individual’s calm demeanor after the incident and the flight continued to Minneapolis, arriving in early Saturday morning.</p>\n<p>Passenger Mike Rundle recalled that the man, who appeared to be in his 70s and seemed confused to other passengers, stood up unexpectedly as the plane was on the Chicago runway. Flight attendants called for him to sit, and if anyone could speak Russian. Rundle also noted the commotion aboard and that men led the passenger to his seat. The man was seated quietly for the remainder of the flight, while the crew praised the calm handling of the situation.</p>\n<p>After the diversion, the flight completed its route and landed in Minneapolis. No injuries were reported and the airline maintains that the passenger was safely removed from the aircraft.</p>

North Carolina Authorities Arrest Suspect in Virginia Sheriff's Deputy Shooting","description":"After a dramatic hunt that included wildlife camera footage and drone surveillance, North Carolina officials arrested the man who killed a Virginia sheriff’s deputy during a welfare check.","summary":"Investigators in North Carolina used a wildlife game camera and drone footage to locate Michael Puckett, the 55‑year‑old suspect in the fatal shooting of a Virginia deputy. Puckett was arrested on Sunday evening after being found in Surry County, just a few miles from the Virginia state line. He was booked without bond and is awaiting extradition to Virginia where he faces charges related to the killing of Deputy Logan Utt during a welfare check on Friday. The incident marked a tragic incident involving two deputies who were injured, and the suspect’s rapid apprehension highlights cross‑state cooperation between law‑enforcement agencies.","image":"https://dims.apnews.com/dims4/default/599x399/2147483647/strip/true/crop/599x399+0+0/resize/599x399!\/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.apnews.com%2F36%2Fe4%2F752188ccdd0a90d04a915b4c4bb6%2Fe1769a47a1b34f3795f073940914e037","text":"<p>Investigators in North Carolina used a wildlife game camera image and a drone to find and arrest a man wanted in connection with the fatal shooting of a Virginia sheriff’s deputy who was conducting a welfare check, authorities said.</p>\n<p>The suspect, identified as Michael Puckett, was found with a gun on Sunday night, two days after the shooting, as he was ringing the doorbell of a home less than several miles from the Virginia state line in Surry County, North Carolina. He was arrested and booked without bond, the state’s bureau of investigation said in a news release. Multiple law enforcement agencies took part in the search.</p>\n<p>Puckett, 55, appeared for an extradition hearing Monday, where he waived his right to a court-appointed lawyer and awaited transport to Virginia, WXII-TV reported.</p>\n<p>In Virginia, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said the fatal shooting occurred after law enforcement received a request from a family member to do a welfare check on Friday.</p>\n<p>A man at the home began shooting, and the two sheriff’s deputies who had responded returned fire, the sheriff’s office said. Both deputies were hit and the man ran away. Other people were in the home at the time. They were not hurt, according to Carroll County Sheriff Kevin Kemp.</p>\n<p>There was a massive search for the suspect, who was “spotted on wildlife game camera in Surry County North Carolina,” north of the city of Mount Airy, on Sunday morning, police said. A drone was used to track his movements.</p>\n<p>Utt, 31, was a military veteran who joined the department in 2023. A funeral procession was scheduled Monday afternoon from Roanoke, Virginia, to Mount Airy, where Utt was a former firefighter.</p>\n<p>“He had a servant’s heart. He cared for others, he cared for his country, he cared for his family,” Kemp said.</p>