Latest news with #CloudGate
San Francisco Chronicle
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
First American pope sparks flood of viral memes
The Catholic Church has elected its first-ever American Pope, and the internet is having a field day. Chicago-born missionary Robert Prevost took the name Leo XIV on Thursday, May 8, becoming the successor of Pope Francis, who died on April 21. Prevost, 69, spent his career ministering in South America and recently led a powerful Vatican office for bishop appointments. His Midwest upbringing quickly stirred discourse and memes online. Many cracked jokes about what it will be like to have an American at the helm of the Augustinian religious order, referencing mundane staples of American culture the new pontiff likely grew up with. X user @HeroDividend shared an image of Vatican City with images of a Costco, restaurant chain Waffle House and popular Midwest gas station Buc-ees photoshopped over the buildings with the caption: 'Vatican City after electing an American Pope.' 'Do we have a photo of the new pope at the bean,' asked @meganconye23, referencing the landmark reflective sculpture, officially titled 'Cloud Gate,' in the pope's hometown. In another nod to Prevost's Chicago upbringing, @biz_socks shared a photo of deep dish pizza with the caption, 'New Pope serving the body of Christ at mass.' On X, Netflix shared a screenshot from its show 'Emily in Paris' in which Lily Collins' title character says cheerfully, 'I'm from Chicago, but I moved here for a job.' Popeyes also got in on the conversation, tweeting 'pope yes,' in a playful nod to the franchise's name. Fans of pop singer Lorde pointed out that the singer announced her upcoming Ultrasound Tour on social media right as the new pope was unveiled, joking that she really is 'kind of like a prettier Jesus,' referencing a line from her 2021 song 'Solar Power.' Others focused on Prevost's political views, clarifying his stances on President Donald Trump's administration, the LBGTQ+ community, immigration and more. 'The new Pope's most recent tweet is a retweet of a criticism of @realDonaldTrump's treatment of migrants,' @AlexanderMcCoy4 pointed out, along with a screenshot of the new pope's X account. @CalltoActivism reshared one of Prevost's February posts in which he called out the vice president, noting that 'J.D. Vance is wrong: Jesus doesn't ask us to rank our love for others.' 'Holy moly,' read the retweet from the Joe Gallina-founded account. Prevost is the 267th pope, and was elected by the Catholic Church's cardinals just a day after the conclave began. He was selected by 133 red-robed cardinals who gathered in the Sistine Chapel, and will now lead the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.
NBC News
28-02-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
Former Navy sailor admits plotting terror attack against Naval Station Great Lakes
A U.S. sailor plotted to attack Naval Station Great Lakes with bombs and guns and also targeted tourist locations in Chicago including the Magnificent Mile and the famous Bean statue in Millennium Park. Xuanyu Harry Pang, who has since left the Navy, admitted to his involvement in the terror attack scheme and pleaded guilty to federal charges in Chicago on Thursday. Pang, a Chinese native who became an American citizen in 1998, was charged two and a half years ago but the case was just unsealed on Thursday in Chicago. . The attack plot targeting Great Lakes, the Navy's main boot camp training facility, was from the inside. The schemed aimed at avenging the killing of a top Iranian military figure-taken out during President Donald Trump's first term. Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian general who was killed during an American drone strike in 2020, had inspired radical Islamists worldwide. Pang, 36 at the time, began communicating with several civilians he thought were like-minded plotters, but who were actually working undercover for the FBI. According to this federal complaint unsealed Thursday in Chicago, Pang 'displayed photos and videos on his phone of multiple locations inside the Naval Station. He also provided two U.S. military uniforms — for operatives to wear inside the base during the attack — and a cell phone that could be used as a test for a detonator.' Pang admits to having scouted other potential targets including Michigan Avenue, city festivals and food fairs. Plotters arranged to buy machine guns that could be used on Michigan Avenue tourists. The famous-and popular 'Cloud Gate' sculpture in Millennium Park, more popularly known as 'The Bean,' was also a discussed target. Federal investigators say the attackers talked about using radiation bombs during the attack to produce what Pang referred to as 'max damage' in one of the recorded conversations. Soleimani was killed near the Baghdad Airport, 6,500 miles from Chicago, but authorities now say had this revenge terror plot not been interrupted, metro Chicago would have paid the price half a world away. Pang's guilty plea today could land him in prison for 20-years. It isn't known why the case was held for two and a half years, or why it was just unsealed.
