October 14, 2026 - Pope Has Cancerous Lobe Removed

Good morning. Please let me tell you about my night. In Washington, D.C., I was honored to serve as master of ceremonies for the annual George H.W. Bush Points of Light Awards. The evening was moving and inspiring. Points of Light is the world’s largest organization dedicated to volunteer service, engaging nearly 4 million volunteers across 32 countries. Neil Bush, who joined me on radio yesterday, serves as chairman. In the interest of full disclosure, I recently joined that board. This year’s honorees:

David Rubenstein, co-founder of The Carlyle Group, whose “patriotic philanthropy” has restored the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial.

Evan Spiegel, CEO of Snap, whose foundation helps Los Angeles young people find a path into creative careers.

Wilmer Valderrama, the actor, a USO Global Ambassador who has made more than 45 trips around the world to support our troops and their families.

Karen and Morrill Worcester of Maine, founders of Wreaths Across America, which places wreaths on veterans’ graves every December.

Olivia Zhang, who founded Cancer Kids First at 14. It now has 43,000 volunteers in 80 countries supporting children with cancer.

Points of Light is perhaps President Bush’s greatest legacy.

In 1988, I was in the Louisiana Superdome when as Vice President he closed his RNC acceptance speech with “a thousand points of light.” We all remember that line. (And the one about taxes!) But this week I went back and watched the rest of the speech, and found his greater meaning:

“For we’re a nation of community, of thousands and tens of thousands of ethnic, religious, social, business, labor union, neighborhood, regional and other organizations, all of them varied, voluntary and unique. This is America: the Knights of Columbus, the Grange, Hadassah, the union hall, the Bible study group... a brilliant diversity spread like stars, like a thousand points of light in a broad and peaceful sky.”

That message of community has never been more timely. I believe the nation’s greatest problem is societal disconnect. Fueled by technology, we’ve sorted ourselves into separate camps. The answer to that fragmentation is restoring common experience, and nothing restores common experience better than volunteering. It's a great way to mingle.

Please visit PointsofLight.org. 

##

Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery at Gemelli Hospital in Rome to remove the lower lobe of his right lung after tests confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma, with doctors reporting a successful operation with no complications.

Vatican News

The U.S. Treasury Department is imposing $1.2 billion in fines on Bank of America for alleged failures to comply with anti-money laundering and sanctions laws, including risks tied to Chinese money laundering networks and illicit financial activity along the southwest border.

Associated Press

A bipartisan majority of Americans say the federal government should spend more tax dollars to lower healthcare costs, according to the latest Axios/Ipsos American Health Index, which also found declining trust in the CDC and in health information from President Trump and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

Ipsos

Eric Lewis, charged with killing Philadelphia Police Officer Shane Seiber, was acquitted of a separate murder in 2023 after problems with the police investigation and prosecution undermined his case, prompting renewed scrutiny of how the case was handled and anguish for Williams’ family.

The Philadelphia Inquirer

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told NPR that the Trump administration threatened to cut off intelligence-sharing unless Ukraine halted long-range drone strikes on Russian oil refineries, as he criticized Washington’s easing of Russian diesel sanctions and insisted that Kyiv’s attacks are necessary to weaken Moscow’s war effort.

NPR

President Michael Kotlikoff suspended all parties and social events at Cornell Interfraternity Council houses for the 2026-27 academic year following a lawsuit alleging a student was gang raped at the Chi Phi fraternity house in 2024.

The Cornell Daily Sun

Montana Democratic Party Chair Shannon O’Brien resigned and endorsed independent Senate candidate Seth Bodnar, criticizing Democratic nominee Alani Bankhead’s electability and policy positions as the three-way race against Republican Kurt Alme threatens to split opposition votes in the closely watched contest for retiring Sen. Steve Daines’s seat.

The Hill

Iran has rejected the UK’s accusation that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps orchestrated a suspected plot near RAF Fairford, calling the allegations a “false flag operation” intended to deflect criticism of Britain’s role in the war against Iran, as Prime Minister Andy Burnham announced sanctions on two Iranian nationals linked to the suspected attack on the base that hosted US B-1 bombers.

Al Jazeera

The mysterious death of a Russian researcher at a Siberian anti-plague institute has renewed concerns about Moscow’s alleged biological weapons program, its history of secrecy and treaty violations, and the possibility that dangerous pathogens are being developed or mishandled in laboratories with limited international oversight.

Tablet Magazine

After singer and host Kelly Clarkson accused Brooklyn curiosity store Art of Play of snubbing her over a $15,000 mechanical singing bird named Molly, co-owner Adam Rubin says the shop has been flooded with threats but also a surge in foot traffic and sales, and has now relisted the bird for $15 million.

USA Today