Trump names Stephen Miller as new White House chief of staff
President Donald Trump announced on Friday that Stephen Miller will replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, the most senior staff shake-up since Republicans lost control of Congress in this week’s midterm elections. Miller, who has been one of Trump’s closest advisers since 2016 and the principal architect of the administration’s hardline immigration agenda, is due to take over the post on Monday. Wiles, the first woman to serve as White House chief of staff, is stepping down.
Miller’s elevation follows a campaign of mass detentions, deportations and the deployment of armed immigration agents in U.S. cities, policies that turned immigration from a political strength into a liability for Trump in the midterms. He has also drawn criticism over the deadly shootings of two Minneapolis protesters by ICE agents in January.
Wiles’s departure comes amid separate allegations from former top health adviser Calley Means, who said in an interview with podcaster Joe Rogan that Wiles repeatedly bowed to lobbying pressures and blocked health policies to attract campaign donations. Those claims remain allegations.
Kenyan cult leader Paul Mackenzie sentenced to 200 years
A Kenyan court has sentenced doomsday cult leader Paul Mackenzie to 200 years in prison for one of the worst cult massacres in recent memory. Prosecutors said he ordered followers in Shakahola Forest to starve themselves and their children to death so they could “meet Jesus” before an expected apocalypse, killing 190 children and one adult between January 2021 and September 2023. Some victims were beaten, buried alive or dumped in latrines.
The sentence reportedly comprises 100 years for murder by starvation and 100 years for direct homicide, and 28 accomplices have also been jailed. Most reports put the total number of victims at 191, while the BBC described the penalty as a life sentence, a conflicting account. The case has raised serious questions about how Kenyan authorities allowed the sect to operate.
Meghan Markle’s father arrested on child abuse material charges
Thomas Markle Sr., the 82-year-old estranged father of Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, was arrested by federal agents near Tampa, Florida, early on Friday and charged with possession of child sexual abuse material. U.S. prosecutors said the charges follow an investigation that began after his son, Thomas Markle Jr., discovered boxes containing hundreds or possibly thousands of images at the elder Markle’s former home in the Philippines.
Markle, who recently moved to Florida after many years in the Philippines, has denied the accusations. His daughter said through a spokesperson that she was “deeply distressed” by the charges. He has appeared in court; the legal process is ongoing.
Pope Leo begins Latin America tour after cancer surgery
Pope Leo XIV arrived in Uruguay to begin a 12‑day tour of South America, his first major journey since undergoing lung cancer surgery less than a month ago. The itinerary also includes Argentina and Peru, and the 71‑year‑old pontiff, who lived in Peru for almost two decades, holds dual citizenship with the United States. En route, he told reporters he felt better than he looked, despite an intense schedule that had put the trip in doubt.
At least five killed in Krakow market square shooting
At least five people were killed and several others wounded on Saturday when a shooter opened fire from a car in Krakow’s Main Market Square, according to regional police. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said police are investigating the “tragic shooting” in the country’s second-largest city. One report estimated the number of injured at about a dozen.
Judge blocks Trump’s triumphal arch construction for 14 days
A federal judge issued a 14‑day temporary restraining order blocking construction of President Trump’s planned triumphal arch in Washington, D.C., just hours after a federal planning panel approved the project late on Thursday. Trump has said the 250‑foot structure would become a “top‑grade military complex” housing drones, snipers and ammunition. The ruling halts work for now.
The arch is one of the most prominent elements of Trump’s effort to remake the capital’s monumental core. The planning commission that approved it is led by presidential allies.
Harmeet Dhillon resigns as Justice Department civil rights chief
Attorney General Todd Blanche announced that Harmeet Dhillon has resigned as assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division after 18 months in which she dramatically shifted the office’s direction. Dhillon, a longtime Trump ally, was the first high-level Justice Department official to leave following the Republican Party’s defeat in the midterm elections.
People familiar with the matter said her departure followed conflicts with department leaders, including disagreements over legal strategy during the midterms. A newly Democratic Congress is expected to scrutinize the division’s handling of Epstein files and ICE killings.
Democratic socialist Nithya Raman unseats Los Angeles Mayor Bass
City Council member Nithya Raman, a democratic socialist, defeated incumbent Mayor Karen Bass in a narrow upset that completes a generational shift at Los Angeles City Hall. Raman, 45, an India-born progressive urban planner, overcame Bass, 73, after a campaign that reflected growing voter dissatisfaction with the city’s direction. The victory follows democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani’s election as mayor of New York last year, meaning the two largest U.S. cities will be led by democratic socialists.
Armed man arrested near White House allegedly threatened Trump
U.S. Secret Service officers arrested Ronny Guanipa-Chrinos after finding multiple firearms in a vehicle parked near the White House. The Department of Homeland Security said the suspect told officers he had heard voices instructing him to come to Washington and assassinate President Trump. Three weapons were recovered. He has been charged with possession of dangerous weapons and theft and is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Ousted Paraguay president placed under house arrest in bank crisis
Paraguay’s Senate unanimously removed President Santiago Peña from office on Friday over a banking crisis that has frozen millions of accounts and left roughly half of the population unable to access their savings. Minutes after impeachment, authorities placed him under house arrest. Peña had offered to resign, but lawmakers proceeded with impeachment and stripped him of political immunity. He is now under investigation.
Chinese giant pandas make public debut at Atlanta zoo
Two giant pandas on loan from China, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, made their public debut at Zoo Atlanta, the first pandas housed there in two years. The pair will remain in Atlanta for 10 years as part of Beijing’s “panda diplomacy” program, which uses animal loans to cultivate foreign ties.
Cornell faculty votes no confidence in university leadership
Cornell University’s Faculty Senate has approved a resolution declaring no confidence in the institution’s leadership over its handling of sexual violence on campus. The vote follows a lawsuit by a former student who alleged she was drugged and gang-raped at a fraternity house in October 2024. The faculty body has no formal power to remove leaders, but supporters said they hoped the measure would pressure trustees to address what they called longstanding institutional failures.