The Catholic Church Has Elected Cardinal Robert Prevost as Pope

Prevost, who will take the name Leo XIV, was elected as the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church

May 8, 2025

Live video feed from the Associated Press.

Cardinal Robert Prevost, an American missionary who spent his career ministering in Peru and led the Vatican’s powerful office of bishops, was elected the first American pope in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church. Prevost, 69, took the name Leo XIV.

White smoke poured out of the Sistine Chapel chimney Thursday at 6:07 p.m. local time, signaling that a pontiff had been elected to lead the Catholic Church.

Read more updated news on the Associated Press.

Library Spotlight

‘Cook the book,’ craft a donut, read to a therapy dog and more at Middletown Public Library

From a workshop on vegetable gardening to a look at the role of women and their wardrobes in the American Revolution, here’s what’s going on this month at the Middletown Public Library

June 2, 2026

Mareva Lindo

Climate + Environment

What creates more carbon pollution: beef or dairy?

We talk a lot about the carbon pollution that comes along with eating beef, but this week on Possibly we’re asking: what about eating dairy? How do they compare?

June 2, 2026

Nat Hardy

Health

Portsmouth caregiver shares hard-won advice for families facing brain disease

Katie Brandt became a full-time caregiver at 29. Now, she’s helping Rhode Island families understand what comes after an Alzheimer’s or dementia diagnosis

June 1, 2026

Luis Hernandez