Actor George Wendt, best known for his portrayal as bar regular Norm Peterson for all 11 seasons of the legendary NBC sitcom “Cheers,” has died at the age of 76, his family announced on Tuesday.
“Beloved actor and comedian, George Wendt, best known for starring in the NBC hit comedy &#8216;Cheers,&#8217; has passed away,” a statement from his rep said, per <a href="https://people.com/george-wendt-cheers-star-dead-at-76-8610776">People</a>. 
“George’s family confirmed the news of his death early Tuesday morning, announcing he died peacefully in his sleep while at home,” the statement continued. “George was a doting family man, a well-loved friend and confidant to all of those lucky enough to have known him. He will be missed forever. The family has requested privacy during this time.”
Wendt is one of nine children. His sister Kathryn is the mother of actor and comedian Jason Sudeikis, according to <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/george-wendt-dead-cheers-norm-obit-1236222950/">The Hollywood Reporter</a>.
The actor hailed from Chicago and got his start with the famed improv comedy troupe Second City, also the launchpad for famous names like Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, John Candy, Steve Carell, Bill Murray, Chris Farley, and a host of others.
Wendt also appeared on “Saturday Night Live,&#8221; including his recurring role as Bob Swerski in the &#8220;Chicago Superfans&#8221; sketches. 
His movie acting credits include “Dreamscape” (1984), “House” (1985), “Fletch” (1985), “Gung Ho” (1986), “Plains Clothes” (1987), “Never Say Die” (1988), “Guilty by Suspicion” (1991), “Forever Young” (1992), and “Spice World” (1997).
Besides &#8220;Cheers,&#8221; Wendt’s TV appearances include “Seinfeld,” “The Simpsons,” “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” “Hot in Cleveland,” “Portlandia,” and “Fresh Off the Boat.” He had a self-titled show in 1995 that was canceled after one season. 
Wendt received Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for six consecutive years for “Cheers,” and though he never won, the role was beloved by fans. He became very close to castmates Ted Danson, Shelley Long, Rhea Perlman, John Ratzenberger, Kelsey Grammer, and Woody Harrelson.
When the series ended in 1993, Wendt’s wife told <a href="https://people.com/archive/cover-story-lights-out-at-sams-place-vol-39-no-20/">People</a> that the “Cheers” cast really were friends in real life. “They get along like siblings. To somebody peeking in from the outside, they look like they’re having the greatest time in the world,” she said at the time.

George Wendt

Beloved ‘Cheers’ Actor George Wendt Dies At 76

Beloved 'Cheers' Actor George Wendt Dies At 76

Celebrities

Death

Entertainment

Television

It was just a few days ago that we discussed the extreme level of disdain that Democrats were displaying, seemingly out of nowhere, toward a small number of white refugees who were arriving in the United States. All at once, the same people with the yard signs that proclaim &#8220;no one is illegal&#8221; and &#8220;love is love&#8221; were suddenly overcome with bloodlust, all because a handful of Afrikaners landed at Dulles airport. In the history of &#8220;mask-off moments&#8221; in this country, this one ranks pretty high on the list. It&#8217;s a bit like when the Manson Family single-handedly destroyed the reputation of the hippie movement. Once you start talking about murdering people &#8212; or actually murdering people &#8212; you can&#8217;t really recover from it. No one&#8217;s going to buy your &#8220;peace and love&#8221; schtick ever again. They&#8217;re going to see you for exactly what you are.
In the case of the Afrikaners, what underlies the race hatred on the Left is their transparent desire to see all of Western civilization crumble. Everyone understands that now. They want to import Somali fraudsters and Central American gangsters while turning away white farmers precisely because they know that the white farmers will improve this country, while the criminals will destroy it. There has never been another point in American history where the political divide has been so stark: One side wants the United States to prosper, while the other wants the entire continent to devolve into a dysfunctional wasteland. They want to bring ruin to one of the few remaining functional countries on the planet. What this means is that, in essence, Democrats have adopted nihilism. They do not believe human life has any inherent worth or purpose. They reject truth and objectivity in all contexts. They are anti-human, and they&#8217;re no longer being very subtle about it.
For years, it&#8217;s been evident that nihilists and pro-human conservatives have been on a collision course. After all, these are not remotely compatible ideologies. They are not capable of co-existing in one place for any significant length of time. Humanity, simply by existing, enrages anti-human nihilists. And these nihilists are realizing that, despite their best efforts, there&#8217;s only so much destruction you can achieve by importing the third world and murdering children in the womb. Therefore, it was only a matter of time until one of these nihilists decided to take matters into his own hands and commit an act of terrorism. And on Saturday morning, that&#8217;s exactly what happened.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/mws-ep-1600-member-exclusive?elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+Show+Episodes+Carousel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h3>
Just before noon, less than an hour from downtown Palm Springs, California, a 25-year-old man detonated a vehicle-borne explosive device in the car park outside a fertility clinic called &#8220;American Reproductive Centers.&#8221; According to the authorities, the result was &#8220;the largest bombing scene that we&#8217;ve had in Southern California.&#8221; Several people were injured. Offices were damaged, although the lab at the fertility clinic, which houses eggs and embryos, was not affected. One man was thrown from his bike, and the impact was felt two miles away. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Police say Palm Springs bombing near fertility clinic was intentional" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xwFA1KrUxQc?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
You can listen to that whole news report, and you won&#8217;t find any explanation of the suspect&#8217;s motives. And you know why that is: It&#8217;s highly inconvenient for these people to tell the truth about Left-wing terrorism, because they&#8217;re still trying to convince everyone that white supremacy is the greatest threat facing the country. So here&#8217;s the truth: The bomber left behind extensive writings and audio recordings on the internet, meticulously explaining that he committed this act of terrorism as part of a &#8220;war against pro-lifers.&#8221; Those are his words. He says that &#8220;the bible is slander against Satan,&#8221; that God is a &#8220;creep,&#8221; and that &#8220;Your God definitely doesn&#8217;t exist, but if he did, I&#8217;d choose satan over your evil God.&#8221; The bomber also states that he wants to begin the process of &#8220;sterilizing this planet of the disease of life.&#8221; There&#8217;s also reportedly some rage against Elon Musk, who famously opposes the depopulation of the planet.
A day before the attack, according to researcher Erin Cruz, the bomber openly <a href="https://x.com/ghostmthr/status/1924158158471098647" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> his plans on a message board devoted to &#8220;sanctioned suicide,&#8221; right down to the precise bomb-making techniques he planned to use, and how he planned to be high on opiates at the time of the explosion. But apparently no one reported this post, even though several people &#8220;liked&#8221; it and responded. If this reporting is accurate, and it appears to be, then it&#8217;s obviously yet another indictment of our intelligence services. It&#8217;s also a sign of how pervasive this anti-human death cult is. There are entire communities devoted to ending the human race. And even when they&#8217;re talking about acts of terrorism, no one&#8217;s paying any attention to them.
But we should be paying attention, because what happened on Saturday was not an aberration. Nihilism is the guiding ethos of the elites, which is why every day, they&#8217;re promoting it in one context or another. Maybe the most striking <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/controversy-rages-as-brain-dead-woman-kept-alive-to-save-unborn-child?author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Controversy+Rages+As+Brain-Dead+Woman+Kept+Alive+To+Save+Unborn+Child" target="_blank" rel="noopener">case</a> involves the Left&#8217;s current effort to secure the murder of a 21-week-old child in the state of Georgia. Here&#8217;s the background. In February, a 30-year-old woman named Adriana Smith was nine weeks pregnant when she began suffering from severe headaches. She went to the hospital, which gave her medications and sent her home. The next day, according to her boyfriend, she began gasping for air and making gurgling noises. A CT scan showed that she had multiple blood clots in her brain. As of now, she&#8217;s 21 weeks pregnant and brain-dead. She&#8217;s been kept alive on a ventilator for months so that she can give birth. In other words, the doctors are doing everything they can to preserve the life of the unborn child.
This is an outcome that, unless you&#8217;re a demon who despises humanity, you would obviously support. The alternative is to kill the child solely because his mother is brain-dead. But that alternative outcome is precisely what the corporate press is pushing for. In fact, it also appears to be what the woman&#8217;s family is pushing for. The woman&#8217;s mother, April Newkirk, just gave an interview with NBC News, where she suggested that they might want to kill the child because of the possibility that it will be difficult to raise him. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Pregnant woman declared brain dead is being kept alive due to Georgia’s heartbeat law" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I4c-P0ZYSbo?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
You can tell what&#8217;s going on here. She understands that, if she comes out and tells doctors to murder her own grandchild, everyone will immediately recognize what a cartoonishly evil goblin that she is. So instead, she suggests that she just wants the &#8220;choice&#8221; to decide whether to kill her grandchild, without saying definitively whether she&#8217;d follow through with it. (Never mind the fact that, obviously, the only reason she&#8217;d want the &#8220;choice&#8221; is so that she can exercise that choice).
And that&#8217;s evident by the end of the interview, where she states that she&#8217;s &#8220;in her 50s,&#8221; and therefore she&#8217;s incapable of taking care of a child. That&#8217;s literally one of the excuses she uses to murder her own grandchild. &#8220;Oh, I&#8217;m in my 50s and so is my husband; how could I possibly help raise this child? Better kill him instead.&#8221; Just pause to consider the implications of that statement for a second. And then realize that a major television network aired it, sympathetically, as if there&#8217;s nothing deranged and demonic about it. She&#8217;s looking at one tragedy &#8212; the death of her daughter &#8212; and then openly fantasizing about killing another member of her family. There are women in their 90s who would leap at the opportunity to help raise their grandchild, especially if it meant saving his life. But this woman&#8217;s just too old for that, apparently. Of course, if she were in her 20s or 30s, we&#8217;d be hearing about how the grandchild is just too inconvenient for her career or whatever. These people will rationalize murder in one way or another. That&#8217;s a given.
Now, to be as fair as possible to this force of personified evil that walks among us, she does offer another excuse, besides being &#8220;in her 50s.&#8221; She also says that it&#8217;s possible her grandchild might be &#8220;blind, and may not be able to walk.&#8221; Therefore, we&#8217;re supposed to sympathize with her decision to kill the child. Again, in a functioning, moral society, this woman would be in prison for plotting to kill her disabled grandchild. At the very least, she&#8217;d be receiving a psych evaluation as we speak. Instead, she&#8217;s being encouraged to say all of this. The corporate press and the Left are completely behind her. And of course that&#8217;s *why* she&#8217;s doing it. She&#8217;s flippantly justifying the murder of her own grandchild because, for her whole life, she&#8217;s been told that it&#8217;s her right to commit murder. And she lacks the moral character and intelligence to come to any other conclusion.
For Democrats and the media, the angle is pretty clear. They&#8217;re suggesting that Georgia&#8217;s &#8220;heartbeat law,&#8221; which bans abortions after roughly six weeks in most cases, has resulted in a dystopian scenario where women are being chained to beds and forced to give birth. They&#8217;re not talking about the life of the child at all. They&#8217;re not even discussing the extraordinary circumstances involved in this particular case. Instead, they&#8217;re pretending that women are going to be lined up, enslaved and turned into baby-making machines, at scale. Here&#8217;s one representative social media <a href="https://x.com/DarthandDogs/status/1923383548880331217" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> — it has more than five million views and hundreds of thousands of &#8220;likes&#8221;:
&#8220;Remember the episode in the Handmaid&#8217;s Tale, where a brain dead, black handmaid is kept on life support long enough to give birth? This is happening in Atlanta, GA right now. Her name is Adriana Smith. She was only 9wks when the state kidnapped her body from her family.&#8221;
Yes, the state &#8220;kidnapped her body from her family,&#8221; according to this post. Of course, they omit any explanation of what actually happened. They don&#8217;t explain that the alternative is to murder the child, either. Instead, we just get a pop culture reference. And this really gets at a larger problem, which is that a large proportion of the population is only capable of engaging in any kind of moral reasoning by using analogies to recent works of fiction.
This is how most Democrats are taught to think. And of course, they dutifully obey. But it&#8217;s not how the leaders of the Democrat Party think. They&#8217;re far more intelligent, and far more evil. And if you listen to them long enough, they&#8217;ll explain exactly what they have in mind for the future of this country. They won&#8217;t simply embrace the so-called &#8220;great replacement&#8221; theory. They&#8217;ll go into great detail, explaining why it&#8217;s bad for Americans to have nuclear families and to believe in Christ. They&#8217;ll also elaborate on why it&#8217;s better for foreigners to come into this country and have large families to replace all of the natives. Here&#8217;s Hillary Clinton to explain:
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We&#8217;ve been having a lot of &#8220;mask off&#8221; moments lately on the Left. This is one of the more revealing ones. Notice what she&#8217;s *not* saying. She&#8217;s not explaining what&#8217;s wrong with Christianity. She&#8217;s also not explaining why it&#8217;s wrong to advocate for stable, two-parent households. Twenty years ago, this would&#8217;ve been an issue that 100% of Americans would agree on. Every single person would&#8217;ve told you that intact, two-parent households are a good thing. But now we have one of the most prominent Democrats in the world stating, as if it&#8217;s obvious to everyone, that it&#8217;s bad to advocate for Christian nuclear families.
And then she immediately reveals exactly what she doesn&#8217;t like about the nuclear family. She wants illegal aliens, whom she calls &#8220;undocumented,&#8221; to &#8220;replenish&#8221; the American population. She wants this country to lose its national identity as quickly as possible. And the nuclear family stands in the way of that. Of course, even if Hillary Clinton really believed that foreign nationals are a net benefit to the American economy &#8212; which they aren&#8217;t &#8212; there&#8217;s still no reason whatsoever for her to advocate *against* stable American families. That part of her argument is completely unexplained. You&#8217;d think she&#8217;d support foreign migration in addition to American families. But she doesn&#8217;t. She only supports the illegal aliens because she knows that, eventually, they will completely replace this country&#8217;s population. And once they do that, every country will be just as dysfunctional as Somalia and Haiti and Venezuela. Food shortages and disease will spread, and millions of people will die. Hillary Clinton knows all of this, and she&#8217;s doing everything in her power &#8212; which is thankfully limited at the moment &#8212; to make it happen.
And that tells you, for at least the third time this week, that Democrats are fundamentally an anti-human party. They reject the idea that human life has any intrinsic value. They also despise Western civilization and see third-world migration as a way to destabilize and destroy it. And anti-natalism is the core plank of this ideology. It&#8217;s evident in the terrorist attack in California. It&#8217;s evident in this deranged effort by a grandmother to unlock the &#8220;option&#8221; of murdering her own grandchild. And it&#8217;s evident if you listen to Hillary Clinton speak for five seconds. This is a worldview that&#8217;s taken hold at every level of the Left. It&#8217;s only sustainable because most people don&#8217;t see what&#8217;s happening. For the sake of the future generations &#8212; generations that these people badly do not want to exist &#8212; it&#8217;s time to start paying attention.

American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic bombing

Leftist Terrorist Blows Up A Fertility Clinic. This Is Part Of A Much Bigger Problem.

Abortion

Democrats

Hillary Clinton

Matt Walsh

Opinion

Pro-Life Movement

The families of three Florida law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty last year were presented the first-ever &#8220;Medals of Sacrifice&#8221; by President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Monday.
Trump handed out the medals to the loved ones of Cpl. Luis Paez, Jr., Deputy Sheriff Ralph Butch Waller, Jr., and Deputy Sheriff Ignacio Dan Diaz, all former officers with the Palm Beach County, Florida, Sheriff&#8217;s Office. The officers were killed after they were struck by an SUV on November 21, 2024.
&#8220;Today, we also remember three remarkable heroes who will become the medal&#8217;s first-ever recipients. It&#8217;s a big honor,&#8221; Trump said.
&#8220;This was a terrible tragedy, shook the entire Palm Beach community like very, very few events I&#8217;ve ever seen,&#8221; added Trump, whose Mar-a-Lago estate is in Palm Beach County. &#8220;All of Florida mourned their loss, and today, our entire nation joins in honoring these three incredible patriots taken from us. Much too soon, much, much too soon.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> announces three fallen Palm Beach County officers killed in the line of duty as the recipients of the first ever Medals of Sacrifice:
Cpl. Luis Paez, Jr. Deputy Sheriff Ralph Butch Waller, Jr. Deputy Sheriff Ignacio Dan Diaz.
RIP to these heroes. 🙏 <a href="https://t.co/5ZTc0gjxP4">pic.twitter.com/5ZTc0gjxP4</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1924574363925270850?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 19, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Paez, Waller, and Diaz were struck as they were on the side of the road attempting to start a broken-down patrol motorcycle following a traffic stop. The driver of the SUV attempted to pass a slower car but overcompensated and hit all three law enforcement officers on the side of the road. A fourth officer who was on his way to help his colleagues restart the motorcycle witnessed the fatal collision.
<a href="https://www.palmswestfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Luis-Paez-2/#!/Obituary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Paez</a>, 58, had served in law enforcement for 36 years and was described as a &#8220;devoted family man.&#8221; Fifty-one-year-old <a href="https://www.palmswestfuneralhome.com/obituaries/ignacio-dan-diaz/#!/Obituary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Diaz</a> had served for 20 years and received several awards recognizing his work over that time. He is &#8220;remembered as a caring and devoted father, partner, and lover of animals.&#8221; <a href="https://www.palmswestfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Ralph-Waller-2/#!/Obituary" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Waller</a>, 54, had served for 18 years and was known for his &#8220;charm, wit, and an infectious smile.&#8221; The president told the officers&#8217; loved ones in the Oval Office that the country is &#8220;eternally grateful for their sacrifice.&#8221;
&#8220;We&#8217;ll never forget their legacy, and we&#8217;ll never forget the debt we owe all of these great law enforcement heroes who have given their lives to keep our communities safe, and make America strong again,&#8221; the president added.

Donald Trump

Trump Presents First-Ever ‘Medals Of Sacrifice’ To Families Of Slain Law Enforcement Officers

Executive

Florida

Law Enforcement

Oval Office

U.S.

White House

A 15-year-old illegal immigrant in Aurora, Colorado, received probation and community service as part of a plea deal with prosecutors after he killed 24-year-old Kaitlyn Weaver last July by plowing a Jeep into the side of her vehicle.
After initially promising to pursue the maximum sentence of two years in a correctional facility for the illegal immigrant, Weaver&#8217;s father, John Weaver, said that the Arapahoe District Attorney&#8217;s Office changed course after different leadership took over a few months later, CBS News Colorado <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/colorado-prosecutor-offers-unlicensed-undocumented-teen-probation-deadly-crash/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
&#8220;The DA&#8217;s office said this would be a &#8216;no plea deal&#8217; case, so they were not going to offer anything; any concession,&#8221; Weaver said.
Kaitlyn, who worked at a drug rehab center in Aurora, was <a href="https://x.com/Bubblebathgirl/status/1922666291401265323" target="_blank" rel="noopener">driving home</a> and talking over speaker phone with her boyfriend when the illegal immigrant teenager slammed into the side of her car, driving around 90 mph in a residential area, according to authorities. Footage from a Ring doorbell camera captured the crash, showing the illegal immigrant&#8217;s jeep speeding down the road before the massive collision. Kaitlyn was &#8220;effectively killed instantly,&#8221; her father said. John Weaver and his wife Michelle made the decision to remove Kaitlyn from life support two days later.
The juvenile also had other minors in his vehicle when he crashed into the 24-year-old woman. The Jeep, which the teenager was driving illegally, was uninsured, and his mother said that he took it without her permission. The teen was charged with vehicular homicide.
Under the new Democratic District Attorney, Amy Padden, the illegal immigrant was offered two years of probation if he pleaded guilty, according to Weaver. Arapahoe County Assistant District Attorney Ryan Brackley said the plea deal was handled by an experienced prosecutor and was not influenced by the new district attorney. The deal was upheld by a judge after hearing from the Weaver family, Brackley added.
&#8220;Why the change? If he had taken a firearm and recklessly just shot it and killed someone, this would be a different case. They would be pushing it completely differently,&#8221; Weaver said. &#8220;There&#8217;s no deterrence.&#8221;
&#8220;Immigration and the criminal justice system and all these things landed together one day in Aurora, and now I sit here today without a daughter,&#8221; Weaver added.
Brackley defended the plea deal, saying that before any plea deal is negotiated prosecutors consider &#8220;the impact on the victims and the community,&#8221; &#8220;the characteristics of the defendant such as age, culpability, and level of remorse,&#8221; and the &#8220;goals of sentencing, including deterrence, rehabilitating the offender, treating similarly situated offenders equitably, and holding each offender accountable.&#8221;
&#8220;The negotiated sentence acknowledges the seriousness of this preventable tragedy,&#8221; the assistant district attorney stated.

Police officers

Illegal Immigrant Teen Gets Off Easy After Killing Colorado Woman In High-Speed Crash

Car Crash

Colorado

Crime

illegal immigrant

Plea deal

Teenagers

Mourners waiting in line to view the body of Pope Francis as he lies in state inside St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica are complaining about the number of people taking selfies.
The Bishop of Rome passed away on Monday morning, as the Vatican announced, following a prolonged period of poor health. Pope Francis was 88 years old at the time of his death.
Vatican officials released photos of Francis in his velvet-lined coffin on Tuesday. The Holy Father is laid out wearing a red robe with the papal mitre on his head and a rosary intertwined in his hands.
“What did surprise me is the fact that earlier we were told no photos in the Sistine Chapel and here people were getting their phone out and doing selfies with the coffin,” one mourner <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14642673/The-faithful-queueing-selfie-popes-corpse-Mourners-wait-eight-hours-pose-pontiff.html">told</a> the Daily Mail. “I did think that was a bit in poor taste and I’m surprised no one stopped them.”
“I was very moved coming so close to Pope Francis, but it was awful seeing so many people taking pictures,&#8221; another person told The Sun.
“I found the mobile phones very distasteful,” another mourner <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/24/world-news/disrespectful-mourners-taking-selfies-with-dead-pope-spark-outrage/">said</a>. “I was very surprised there were photos.”
While photos of the deceased pope are not technically prohibited, many of the thousands of mourners are saying the practice of taking selfies with cell phones or even using selfie sticks is in poor taste. Visitors to St. Peter’s Basilica said sometimes security intervened to stop the photo takers, but other times they did not.
The last time a pope died in office was Pope John Paul II in 2005, before selfies and cell phone cameras were commonplace. The pope who served before Francis, Pope Benedict, resigned voluntarily in 2013 due to stated reasons of advanced age and declining health. He died in 2022.
The Vatican stated that around 50,000 people have lined up to view the body of Pope Francis. They are standing in line for up to eight hours to get a chance to see the Holy Father before his burial this weekend.
Large crowds are expected on Saturday for Pope Francis’ funeral in St. Peter&#8217;s Square. Some famous attendees are expected to include President Donald Trump, French President Emmanuel Macron, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, and Prince William, heir to the British throne.
Per the late pope&#8217;s wishes, Francis will be buried at the Basilica of St Mary Major in Rome, which is a departure from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/funeral-for-pope-francis-will-deviate-from-tradition">tradition</a>. Popes have typically been laid to rest in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica, but the late pope opted to be interred at St. Mary Major due to the “very strong” connection he had there.

Pope Francis

Mourners Complain After Some People Taking Selfies With Late Pope Francis

Catholic Church

Religion

Rome

World

The funeral of Pope Francis will depart from the traditional funeral proceedings of popes in several significant ways at the request of the late pontiff.
Francis died on Monday at the age of 88 after a severe bout of double pneumonia. Before he passed away, the Bishop of Rome made some stark changes to his funeral rites last year, breaking from the forms followed by his predecessors.
Popes have typically been laid to rest in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica. Francis directed that he should be interred in Rome’s St. Mary Major Basilica, to which the late pope had a “very strong” connection. Francis, as pope, visited St. Mary’s more than 100 times, <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/21/world-news/pope-francis-burial-plans-differ-drastically-from-his-predecessors/">according</a> to the New York Post.
Francis’ coffin will also be a marked departure from tradition. Popes have typically been buried in a series of three interlocking coffins made of cypress, elm, and lead. Francis has directed that he should be buried in a simple wooden casket with a zinc lining.
The Vatican’s death bells rang out 88 times to mark the pope’s passing at noon on Monday. Traditionally, the bells have been saved until the hour of the pope’s death or the announcement of his death.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
VATICAN CITY—Already departing from Tradition, the Vatican chose to ring the death bells for Pope Francis, not at the hour of his death (or even when it was announced), but at noon, today.
The bells rang 88 times for his 88yrs on earth:
🎥: <a href="https://twitter.com/MountainButorac?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MountainButorac</a> <a href="https://t.co/1a7mbcgYkD">pic.twitter.com/1a7mbcgYkD</a>
&mdash; Bree A Dail (@breeadail) <a href="https://twitter.com/breeadail/status/1914316829570330953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Vice President JD Vance was one of the last people to see Francis alive, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/jd-vance-pays-brief-visit-to-pope-francis-on-easter">meeting</a> with the pontiff on Easter Sunday during an official visit to Rome to meet with members of the Italian government. Francis gifted Vance a Vatican tie, rosaries, and three chocolate Easter eggs for his children. The Vatican said that the vice president and the pope shared a “cordial conversation” during the brief visit.
<a href="https://youtu.be/uwdJ2UEtFtk?si=9nyTfXeCB0U0Cvpu">WATCH: MICHAEL KNOWLES EXPLAINS HOW THE NEXT POPE WILL BE SELECTED</a>
Vance reacted to the pope’s passing in a post on X on Monday.
“I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful. May God rest his soul,” Vance posted, sharing a <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/homilies/2020/documents/papa-francesco_20200327_omelia-epidemia.html">homily</a> Francis gave in 2020.
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I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him. 
I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days…
&mdash; JD Vance (@JDVance) <a href="https://twitter.com/JDVance/status/1914239114406191255?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Funeral For Pope Francis Will Deviate From Tradition

Pope Francis’ Funeral To Include Significant Breaks From Predecessors

funeral

Vatican

The world is mourning the death of Pope Francis, the leader of the Catholic church who died on Easter Monday at the age of 88.
“Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,” Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber announced Monday.
“His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized.”
Francis’ death comes a few months after he contracted bronchitis in February and was hospitalized in Rome, per <a href="https://apnews.com/article/pope-vatican-pneumonia-conclave-a3f2410a612aa93c18fd638d08236ed3">Associated Press</a>. He later contracted double pneumonia and experienced “two episodes of acute respiratory failure,” according to the Vatican.
On March 23, he was released from the hospital after a 38-day stay. Pope Francis made a few public appearances after his release from the hospital, including waving to the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday.
World leaders have posted their messages of condolences, as did several celebrities who shared about Pope Francis’ death on social media.
Vice President J.D. Vance, who just met with Pope Francis on Sunday, shared his thoughts with a post on X.
“I just learned of the passing of Pope Francis. My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him,” Vance wrote. “I was happy to see him yesterday, though he was obviously very ill. But I’ll always remember him for the below homily he gave in the very early days of COVID. It was really quite beautiful,” he continued. “May God rest his soul.”
“The View” host Whoopi Goldberg showed a photo of herself meeting the Holy Father. “He was the closest in a long time that seemed to remember that Christ’s love enveloped believer and none [sic] believer,” she <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DIs-eVhuEM3/#">wrote</a> in an Instagram post. “He felt more like Pope John the 23rd who made belief real. Sail on Pope Frances [sic] with your love of humanity &amp; Laughter.”
“Truly anointed,” actress Viola Davis wrote on Instagram.
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“Pope Francisco has died — a man who, at the head of the Catholic Church, showed kindness, love, and mercy to the neediest people,” actor Antonio Banderas <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DIs82utAh8_/">wrote</a> on Instagram alongside a photo of himself with the Holy Father.
“A beautiful day in Rome, but, a sad day for the faithful. RIP Francis,” <a href="https://x.com/russellcrowe/status/1914271755184542106">wrote</a> “Gladiator” star Russell Crowe alongside a photo of Rome.
“A wonderful, wonderful man!” Sylvester Stallone wrote. “Rest in peace holy father!”
Prince Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, wrote in Instagram Stories, “No better example of total humility in kindness and compassion. Thank you for leading us with not just your words, but with your unwavering service to humanity.”

Pope Francis and Whoopi Goldberg

Celebrities React To The Death Of Pope Francis: ‘Truly Anointed’

Celebrities React To The Death Of Pope Francis: 'Truly Anointed' 

Hollywood

Pope Francis, a charismatic and controversial leader whose decade-long tenure marked a turning point for the Catholic Church, died Monday morning, the day after Easter. He was 88.
&#8220;Dearest brothers and sisters, with deep sorrow I must announce the death of our Holy Father Francis. At 7:35 this morning, the Bishop of Rome, Francis, returned to the house of the Father,&#8221; Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Camerlengo of the Apostolic Chamber announced Monday. &#8220;His entire life was dedicated to the service of the Lord and of His Church. He taught us to live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially in favor of the poorest and most marginalized.&#8221;
Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Francis was elected in March 2013, after Pope Benedict XVI resigned, the first pontiff to step down since Gregory XII in 1415. The first Latin American pope, Francis&#8217; papacy often adopted a progressive tone, with the pope recently <a href="https://www.ncregister.com/cna/pope-francis-vance-clash-over-ordo-amoris" target="_blank" rel="noopener">making</a> headlines for criticizing Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, and the Trump administration&#8217;s “program of mass deportations.”
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Pope Francis died on Easter Monday, April 21, 2025, at the age of 88 at his residence in the Vatican&#39;s Casa Santa Marta. <a href="https://t.co/jUIkbplVi2">pic.twitter.com/jUIkbplVi2</a>
&mdash; Vatican News (@VaticanNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/VaticanNews/status/1914226689065865254?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Francis made many significant changes during his papacy, naming women to traditionally male positions and appointing cardinals from countries that had not previously had cardinals. He was <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/how-francis-radically-reshaped-catholic-church-2035465" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized by some</a> for not excommunicating clerics who had committed sexual abuse.
In 2013, six months after his election as pope, he <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/20/world/europe/pope-bluntly-faults-churchs-focus-on-gays-and-abortion.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the church had grown &#8220;obsessed” with abortion, gay marriage and contraception, stating, “It is not necessary to talk about these issues all the time. The dogmatic and moral teachings of the church are not all equivalent. The church’s pastoral ministry cannot be obsessed with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines to be imposed insistently.”
In 2017, Francis <a href="//F22E832E-9D57-4FC3-88A2-6F52BB0F6318/v" target="_blank" rel="noopener">amended</a> the Code of Canon Law, giving bishops more authority to translate the Latin liturgical language.
As pope, Francis championed immigrants. In 2016 he criticized Donald Trump, saying he was “not Christian” because he wanted to build walls instead of bridges. “For a religious leader to question a person’s faith is disgraceful. I am proud to be a Christian,” Trump replied.
In February 2025, just weeks after President Trump was inaugurated, Francis sent a letter to American bishops, <a href="https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2025/documents/20250210-lettera-vescovi-usa.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">writing</a>: &#8220;the act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of many men and women, and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defenselessness.&#8221;
WATCH: MICHAEL KNOWLES EXPLAINS HOW THE NEXT POPE WILL BE CHOSEN
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Francis was born on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires to Mario Bergoglio and Regina (Sivori) Bergoglio, Italian immigrants. His grandmother, a member of Catholic Action, a movement that defended the church against Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, was a primary influence.
Although his mother wanted him to become a doctor, after high school he told his parents of wanting to become a priest. His sister, Maria Elena, recalled him telling his mother, “I didn’t lie to you, Mom. I’m going to study the medicine of the soul.”
Ordained a Jesuit priest in 1969, Father Bergoglio “later faced accusations that as leader of the Argentine Jesuits he had done too little to protect two priests who were kidnapped and tortured by the junta, allegations later challenged by biographers and others. He eventually reconciled with one of the priests, but the other remained bitter,” The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/21/world/europe/pope-francis-dead.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, adding, “His Jesuit leadership ended in controversy.&#8221;
In 1992, he was chosen as auxiliary bishop of the Buenos Aires Diocese, becoming archbishop six years later. Bergoglio “had chilly relations with the Vatican,” The Times reported. Yet by 2005, when Benedict was elected pope, Bergoglio finished second.
The mourning period for a pope typically lasts nine days as the College of Cardinals comes together to pray. After the funeral, the conclave of cardinals will elect a new pope.

Pope Francis Leads Way Of The Cross On Rio’s Copacabana Beach

Pope Francis Is Dead At 88

The cause of death for Michelle Trachtenberg, who died suddenly in February at the age of 39, has been revealed.
The “Gossip Girl” star’s death was ruled as natural and was a result of complications of diabetes mellitus, according to the New York City Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. 
A spokesperson for the medical examiner told <a href="https://people.com/michelle-trachtenberg-official-cause-of-death-revealed-11688954">People</a> that &#8220;the amended determination was made following review of toxicology testing results” and noted that &#8220;toxicology testing can be done without autopsy.&#8221;
Trachtenberg, who was best known for her roles in “Gossip Girl” and “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” was discovered unresponsive and unconscious in a New York City apartment after her mother placed a call to 911. 
Sources told the outlet that Trachtenberg had undergone a liver transplant, but that was never confirmed. The “Buffy” star made headlines last year after leaving comments on fan posts saying she looked unhealthy, as The Daily Wire previously reported.
“Explain to me how I look sick,” the actress replied to one commenter. “Did you lose a calendar and not realize I’m not 14. I’m 38. How sad for you to leave such a comment.”
“I’ve received several comments recently about my appearance. I have never had plastic surgery I am happy and healthy,” she added in another post. “Check yourself haters.”
The former child star first got her big break when she landed the role of Harriet in the 1996 children’s movie “Harriet the Spy” alongside Rosie O’Donnell, who played her nanny.
Trachtenberg is also known for her work in films such as the 2005 children’s movie “Ice Princess” and the 2009 romantic comedy “17 Again,” which starred Zac Efron and Matthew Perry.
“Harriet the Spy” director Bronwen Hughes shared a tribute to the late actress after news of her death in February. 
“Michelle was like a lightning bolt of a casting discovery. She had fire, she had spark, she had truth, and she had Harriet’s conviction, like her sense of self,” she <a href="https://x.com/THR/status/1894854106566762568">told</a> The Hollywood Reporter. 
“No one else came in the room like that,” she added. “So she had that acting gene that you can’t really teach. It’s innate, which is not something you find very often.”

Michelle Trachtenberg

Actress Michelle Trachtenberg’s Cause Of Death Revealed

Actress Michelle Trachtenberg's Cause Of Death Revealed

New York City

Legendary game show host and radio personality Wink Martindale passed away on Tuesday, April 15, at the age of 91. He died at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage, California, after a year-long battle with lymphoma, per the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/wink-martindale-dead-d2f333da86b6efb3b99b36bb7a71a7a4">Associated Press</a>. 
Born Winston Conrad Martindale on December 4, 1933, in Jackson, Tennessee, he began his broadcasting career at 17 as a radio DJ. Wink said he received his nickname from a childhood friend.
&#8220;When I was a kid in Jackson, Tennessee, one of my playmates, Jimmy McCord, couldn’t say ‘Winston,’ which is my given name. He had a speech impediment, and it came out sounding like ‘Winky.&#8217; So Winston turned into Winky, and then I got into the business and Wink it was! It served me well,&#8221; he <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wink-martindale-explains/story?id=27034447">told</a> ABC in 2014.
His early career included a television interview in 1956 with a young Elvis Presley. This was a defining moment as the two celebrities became lifelong friends.
&#8220;Very few people knew that he gave away literally millions and millions of dollars to charitable organizations not only in this country but all over the world,&#8221; Martindale <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/wink-martindale-iconic-game-show-host-dead-91">told</a> Fox News Digital in 2019. 
&#8220;He was a great giver. If he was your friend, he was your friend until the day you died. I mean, he would always be your friend and do anything for you that you needed him to do. He was that kind of a person.&#8221;
Martindale’s wife Sandra said Presley is the reason she and Wink married. She dated The King on and off before he married Priscilla in 1967.  
&#8220;When [Martindale] said [Presley] was from Tennessee, I said, ‘He must be a nice guy,’ because I loved the state. I loved all the guys. I loved everything in the state of Tennessee because Elvis was such a wonderful part of my life,&#8221; Sandra said, per <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/wink-martindale-dead-tic-tac-dough-game-show-host-1236191994/">The Hollywood Reporter</a>. 
Martindale&#8217;s television career took off in the 1960s, leading to his role as host of NBC&#8217;s &#8220;What&#8217;s This Song?&#8221; He gained national prominence with game shows like &#8220;Gambit&#8221; and &#8220;Tic-Tac-Dough.&#8221; Martindale hosted more than 20 game shows over the course of his career, including &#8220;High Rollers,&#8221; &#8220;Debt,&#8221; and &#8220;Headline Chasers.&#8221;
Beyond television, Martindale achieved musical success with his 1959 spoken-word hit &#8220;Deck of Cards,&#8221; which reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The game show host was also a frequent contributor to charitable causes, including St. Jude Children&#8217;s Hospital.
Martindale is survived by his wife of 49 years, Sandra; his daughters Lisa, Lyn, and Laura; his sister Geraldine; and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Wink Jr. 
His enduring charm and warmth made him a beloved figure in American entertainment.

Wink Martindale

Beloved Game Show Host Wink Martindale Dies at 91

A Spanish couple killed when a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/split-in-half-six-people-killed-in-nyc-helicopter-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">helicopter crashed</a> in the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday was identified by authorities as the investigation into the tragedy continues.
Agustín Escobar, a senior executive at German technology firm Siemens, and his wife, Merce Camprubi Montal, were both killed after a tourist helicopter appeared to break apart mid-air before falling into the water, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hudson-helicopter-crash-victims-named-rcna200801" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Three minors, who are reportedly the children of Escobar and Montal, were also killed but have not been identified. The name of the pilot who died in the crash has also not been released as of Friday morning.
Escobar brought his family to New York City after a business trip, and the family was celebrating Montal&#8217;s 40th birthday on Thursday when they went on the tourist helicopter flight, according to Jersey City Mayor Steven Fulop, who added that the children were all 11 years old and under. The Spanish newspaper El Diario <a href="https://www.eldiario.es/internacional/muere-familia-espanola-accidente-helicoptero-nueva-york_1_12212531.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the trip was to celebrate the birthday of one of the children.
A video posted on social media showed the Bell 206 helicopter falling from the sky after it appeared to lose its propellers. Witnesses described hearing a loud boom and then seeing the helicopter &#8220;split in half.&#8221; One witness told ABC News that she “heard five or six loud noises that sounded almost like gunshots in the sky and saw pieces fall off, then watched it fall into the river.”
Authorities quickly recovered all six bodies from the Hudson River Thursday evening. Four of the victims were pronounced dead at the scene, and two more were transported to a hospital, where they were later pronounced dead. Later that night, the helicopter was removed from the river.
Michael Roth, the CEO of New York Helicopter Tours, said the pilot called in before the crash to say that he needed fuel and was preparing to return, The Telegraph <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2025/04/10/helicopter-hudson-river-crash-live-latest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Roth added, &#8220;It should have taken him about three minutes to arrive, but 20 minutes later, he didn’t arrive.&#8221;
&#8220;We’re all devastated,&#8221; he said.
Leaders in the United States and Spain mourned the deaths. Spain&#8217;s prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, called the crash &#8220;an unimaginable tragedy.&#8221; President Donald Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114316199673595819" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> on Truth Social, &#8220;The footage of the accident is horrendous.&#8221;
&#8220;God bless the families and friends of the victims,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, and his talented staff are on it. Announcements as to exactly what took place, and how, will be made shortly!&#8221;

Helicopter crashes into Hudson River

Authorities Identify Husband, Wife Who Died In NYC Helicopter Crash

Air and Space

New Jersey

New York

Spain

Six people were killed when a Bell 206 helicopter fell from the sky and crashed in the Hudson River in New York City on Thursday, the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/new-york-helicopter-crash-e0368ea529659ee1513d92dcbf05a28d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
<a href="https://x.com/xpertcommander/status/1910424640595312989" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Video</a> posted on social media showed the chopper falling into the water after it appeared to lose its propellers mid-air. Emergency crews responded to the crash after the fire department said it received a call at 3:17 p.m. ET.
Witnesses told <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/04/10/us-news/helicopter-crashes-into-hudson-river-near-pier-40-in-nyc/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the New York Post</a> that the helicopter &#8220;split in half&#8221; in the air before crashing into the water near Pier 40 on West Hudson Street. There was one pilot and five passengers on board. The passengers were three children, a man, and a woman, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnewyork.com/new-york-city/helicopter-crash-hudson-river-live-updates/6220718/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NBC 4 New York</a>. Law enforcement sources told <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/helicopter-crashes-hudson-river-new-york-city/story?id=120691975" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC News</a> that the passengers were family members from Spain. The helicopter departed from downtown New York City and was in the air for around 15 minutes before it crashed into the Hudson.
One witness told ABC News that she &#8220;heard five or six loud noises that sounded almost like gunshots in the sky and saw pieces fall off, then watched it fall into the river.&#8221;
Another witness said he heard something that &#8220;sounded like a sonic boom&#8221; before seeing the &#8220;helicopter splitting in two with the rotor flying off.&#8221;
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the Bell 206 was on its sixth flight of the day.
This article has been updated with additional information.

Helicopter crash

‘Split In Half’: Six People Killed In NYC Helicopter Crash

Air Travel

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