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Pope Francis Dies

Pope Francis died at the age of 88 of a stroke and irreversible heart failure, the Vatican announced yesterday. The Argentine-born pontiff had returned to work following a battle with double pneumonia and related health complications in late March after a five-week hospital stay. He made his last public appearance at St. Peter’s Basilica on Easter Sunday, offering a final blessing for the world’s 1.3 billion Catholics.

Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, he was the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Americas, and the 266th leader of the Catholic Church. His papacy, which began in 2013, was marked by reforms addressing climate change, Vatican finances, a focus on synodality—where all members of the church participate in its mission—and efforts to tackle clerical abuse and promote social justice. Pope Francis lived simply in a small Vatican apartment rather than in the Apostolic Palace.

The church now enters the "sede vacante" period with Irish American Cardinal Kevin Farrell acting as the camerlengo, or acting head of the Vatican until a new pontiff is elected. Cardinals under the age of 80 will convene within 15 to 20 days to elect a new pope through a secret ballot conclave. See the significance of black or white smoke here.

Defaulted Student Loans

The US Education Department announced yesterday it will resume involuntary collections on defaulted federal student loans for the first time starting May 5, ending a pause that began five years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Under a Treasury Department program, the government will deduct overdue loan payments from tax refunds, federal salaries, and benefits. Wage garnishment—where a portion of wages are withheld and sent to loan holders—will resume after a 30-day notice period. Impacted borrowers will receive notifications within two weeks. More than 5 million borrowers are currently in default, while an additional 4 million have made late payments. Roughly one-third of 38 million borrowers are making payments on their student loans, per government data. 

Separately, Harvard sued the Trump administration yesterday after the government withheld more than $2.2B in grants and $60M in contracts to pressure the university into complying with a list of policy and program reforms.  

For background, check out 1440's pages on college tuition and student debt. 

Boston Marathon Winners

Kenya’s John Korir won yesterday’s Boston Marathon, finishing the race in 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 45 seconds on the men's side. Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi won on the women’s side with a time of 2:17:22—a new women's course record.

Korir’s winning time falls less than 5 minutes shy of the marathon world record set in 2023 by Kenyan runner the late Kelvin Kiptum at 2:00:35. Korir joins his older brother Wesley (who won the Boston Marathon in 2012) as the first siblings to have won the race. Kenyans have historically dominated some of the top marathon times, a trend that may be attributable in part to the Rift Valley’s high elevation serving as a natural training ground for young athletes.

The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest, dating back to 1897, and is widely considered the most prestigious (see history). Over 30,000 runners competed in this year’s 26.2-mile course, beginning in the town of Hopkinton and ending in Boston's Copley Square. Visualize how far 26.2 miles is here.  

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