Pope Francis’ Death and Klaus Schwab’s Resignation – 4/21/2025

Global leaders mourn the passing of Pope Francis, who died hours after meeting U.S. Vice President JD Vance, while Klaus Schwab steps down as chairman of the World Economic Forum, marking significant shifts in international leadership. Meanwhile, U.S. markets face challenges with dipping stocks and a weakening dollar, alongside domestic political tensions and policy debates.

United States

  • Trump firmly supports Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, dismissing recent media attacks as “fake news,” says WH Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
  • Zuckerberg admits in leaked 2022 emails that Facebook’s friend-based system is “outdated” and uncool, proposing to “wipe everyone’s graphs,” per TechCrunch.
  • Trump labels Fed Chair Powell a “major loser,” alleging he aided Biden and Harris by cutting rates before the election and warning of an economic slowdown.
  • Pete Hegseth slams media hit pieces, saying, “They take anonymous sources from disgruntled former employees and then they try to slash and burn people.”
  • Karoline Leavitt blasts Democrats for defending an MS-13 gang member, saying, “SHAME on Senator Chris Van Hollen and the entire Democrat Party.”
  • Microsoft’s BitNet b1.58 AI runs on basic computers with just 0.4GB of memory, performing nearly as well as larger models, per Ars Technica.
  • Americans anticipate inflation hitting 4.1% over the next 5-10 years, the highest expectation since February 1993, per University of Michigan.
  • Former President Joe Biden praises Pope Francis as “one of the most consequential leaders of our time” following the pontiff’s death, per CBS News.
  • Former President Barack Obama honors Pope Francis, saying he “made us want to be better people” after the pontiff’s passing.
  • Federal workers reportedly mock and ignore weekly emails mandated by President Trump and Elon Musk, treating them as a “joke,” per Raw Story.
  • Wall Street stocks dip and the dollar hits multiyear lows against the euro and other currencies as the “Sell America” trade resumes, per The Wall Street Journal.
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth allegedly used Signal chats to share Yemen military plans, blaming leaks on “disgruntled former employees,” per NBC News.
  • Airbnb will display total rental prices, including fees, for US customers to meet a new Federal Trade Commission rule effective May, per Bloomberg.
  • AI transforms youth sports by tracking performance and providing precise feedback, replacing traditional coaching methods, per NBC News.
  • Most U.S. drones rely on Chinese components, raising security concerns despite Pentagon restrictions, per Forbes.
  • Governor DeSantis mourns Pope Francis’ reported passing, offering prayers for Catholics worldwide, per Gov. DeSantis.
  • Hollywood faces a crisis as film production in LA drops 22.4%, with studios relocating to cheaper cities, per Daily Mail, FilmLA.

International

  • Klaus Schwab, founder and chairman of the World Economic Forum, steps down effective immediately, per NZZ.
  • Pope Francis dies hours after meeting VP JD Vance, who mourns, saying, “My heart goes out to the millions of Christians all over the world who loved him.”
  • Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdő and Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin emerge as top candidates for the next Pope, per Polymarket Intel.
  • Travel influencer Vanessa Konopka, 28, dies in a Philippines hospital from pneumonia and liver damage after a party, per New York Post.
  • VP JD Vance meets PM Narendra Modi in Delhi as India pushes for a swift trade deal to avoid Trump’s planned tariff increases, per Bloomberg.
  • Pope Francis, in his final hours, urged better treatment of migrants during an Easter message after meeting VP JD Vance, per The Wall Street Journal.
  • Chilean presidential candidate’s adviser, Victor Espinosa, proposes libertarian economic policies rivaling Argentina’s Javier Milei, per Bloomberg.
  • Pope Benedict XVI praised Cardinal Sarah as a spiritual teacher who speaks from deep faith, offering wisdom to all, per Pope Benedict XVI.
  • Cardinal Pietro Parolin emerges as the top contender to succeed Pope Francis, per Polymarket.
  • Cardinal Robert Sarah warns that denying Christian roots threatens the West’s survival, per Cardinal Sarah.
  • China imposes sanctions on U.S. officials and NGO leaders over Hong Kong disputes.
  • Ancient humans in Morocco held funeral feasts with 44-pound great bustards 15,000 years ago, per Popular Science, IBIS Journal.
  • Conservative Catholics globally support Cardinal Robert Sarah as the next Pope for his stance against mass immigration, per reports.

Europe

  • Klaus Schwab, founder and chairman of the World Economic Forum, steps down effective immediately, per NZZ.
  • Hungarian Cardinal Péter Erdő and Italian Cardinal Pietro Parolin emerge as top candidates for the next Pope, per Polymarket Intel.
  • Cardinal Pietro Parolin emerges as the top contender to succeed Pope Francis, per Polymarket.
  • Cardinal Robert Sarah warns that denying Christian roots threatens the West’s survival, per Cardinal Sarah.
  • Conservative Catholics globally support Cardinal Robert Sarah as the next Pope for his stance against mass immigration, per reports.