The Day's Top 10 Stories · October 12th

Last week, President Donald Trump said he considered the ads to be a "positive promotion for our great USA." However, the New York district judge ruled that the commercials were an illegal misuse of funds.

Global forecasters have been warning for months that this El Nino would likely become the strongest ever observed and the latest record has tumbled even before the episode's expected peak later this year. The warming phase of a natural climate cycle, El Nino raises sea temperatures in the tropical Pacific, triggering changes in weather that can increase the risk of drought and flooding, and exacerbate man-made global warming.

Global forecasters have been warning for months that the El Nino in 2026 would likely become the strongest ever observed and the latest record has tumbled even before the episode’s expected peak later in the year. The warming phase of a natural climate cycle, El Nino raises sea temperatures in the tropical Pacific, triggering changes in weather that can increase the risk of drought and flooding, and exacerbate man-made global warming.

Global forecasters have been warning for months that this El Nino would likely become the strongest ever observed and the latest record has tumbled even before the episode’s expected peak later this year

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham recently stated that there is evidence of Russian interference in the 2016 Brexit vote, a claim he made during an interview on The Rest Is Politics podcast. This marks a significant shift, as he is the first UK leader to openly acknowledge such interference. While he didn’t provide specific details about how Russia interfered or the evidence backing his statement, Burnham emphasized the importance of informing voters in France and Germany about potential disruptions to their political landscapes by Russia.

His comments diverge from former Prime Minister Boris Johnson's stance, who had previously asserted that there was no evidence of Russian meddling. The Brexit referendum resulted in a narrow vote to leave the EU, leading to significant political upheaval in the UK. Burnham also referenced a 2020 intelligence report that failed to conclusively determine whether Russia had meddled in the referendum, though it noted attempts to influence Scotland's independence vote in 2014.

As Burnham considers the possibility of campaigning for the UK to rejoin the EU in future elections, he aims to shed light on the broader implications of foreign interference in democratic processes.

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Pope Leo XIV announced Sunday at the Vatican that he will soon undergo surgery to remove a nodule in his lung. The pontiff made the announcement while addressing those gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the Angelus prayer, as subsequently on social media. “Dear friends, during some recent medical examinations, the doctors found a small, localized nodule in my lung,” Pope Leo XIV wrote. “It was detected at a very early stage and is well-localized. The doctors believe that it is best to intervene, so, following their advice, I have decided to undergo surgery to remove it.

Thank you for reading! Letters from Leo is a reader-supported publication and the fastest-growing Catholic community in the country. To receive new posts and support this movement, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Pope Leo XIV told the faithful in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday that doctors had found a nodule on his lung, and that he will have surgery to remove it in the coming days. He delivered the news himself, in Italian, from the window of the Apostolic Palace, moments after his reflection on the parable of the wedding banquet.

Pope Leo says he will undergo surgery to remove a lung nodule. The 71-year-old pontiff, who is relatively young for a church leader, did not say whether the lesion was malignant during his Sunday address to the faithful. What's next? The Catholic leader is due to make an 11-day tour of Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6-17. Pope Leo has announced that doctors have detected a small growth on his lung and that he will be undergoing surgery this week to remove it, in the first health scare of the 71-year-old pontiff's tenure.