Pope Francis was hospitalized on Friday to receive treatment for a bout of bronchitis that he has reportedly been dealing with for a week, the Vatican confirmed to Fox News.
The 88-year-old pope is also expected to undergo tests in addition to the treatment, The Associated Press reported.
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.
A Virginia man named Mack Donahue has started a petition on Change.org, calling for football fans to boycott the NFL over recent officiating.
Donahue is calling for the league to introduce “rigorous referee training and accountability mechanisms” in response to suspected favoritism by referees toward the Kansas City Chiefs, which has become a hot talking point for fans this season.
“A growing concern over the inconsistent refereeing, particularly evident while observing games involving the Kansas City Chiefs, is tarnishing this beautiful sport’s spirit. The aggravation has reached a point where many of us are contemplating boycotting not just the Super Bowl, but all future games until there is significant change,” Donahue wrote in the petition’s description.
“It’s time we took a stand against unjust refereeing and call on the NFL to introduce rigorous referee training and accountability mechanisms that will guarantee fair game-play for all teams. By signing this petition, you are agreeing to join the boycott and work towards restoring the joy and integrity of NFL games that we so dearly love.”
SIGN UP FOR TUBI AND STREAM SUPER BOWL LIX FOR FREE
Patrick Mahomes talks to referee Clete Blakeman before the AFC championship game against the Buffalo Bills at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium Jan. 26, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo. (Todd Rosenberg/Getty Images)
The petition launched over the weekend had less than 200 signatures at the time of publication. Many of those who have signed have expressed their support for the petition’s cause in the comments.
“This [is an] important cause for democracy,” one signer wrote.
“So many plays were clearly not the right call that even the announcer was confused,” another wrote. This comment may have been referring to a moment in the Chiefs’ 32-29 win over the Buffalo Bills when officials ruled that Bills quarterback Josh Allen was stopped short of a first down in the fourth quarter. CBS rules analyst Gene Steratore said during the broadcast he believed Allen got the first down.
That call prompted mass backlash from NFL fans on social media, but it was not the only one.
During the second quarter, officials ruled Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy made a catch despite video replay showing the ball touching the ground.
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Super Bowl LIX will be streamed on Tubi. (Tubi)
Referees came under similar scrutiny during the Chiefs’ divisional round playoff win against the Houston Texans one week earlier when a pair of roughing the passer penalties were called against the Texans for hits on Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
Houston edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. was called for roughing the passer on a third down in the first quarter. Anderson appeared to push Mahomes in the chest after he had thrown the ball incomplete to tight end Travis Kelce. Anderson was flagged.
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The second penalty came during a Mahomes scramble in the third quarter. He had two blockers on a run and three defenders bearing down on him. He moved to his right and then back to his left when he decided to slide.
ESPN broadcaster Troy Aikman criticized the penalty and said it’s something the league has to address in the offseason.
Texans players and head coach DeMeco Ryans suggested after the game the referees were against them as well.
Mahomes addressed the issue when asked by reporters last Wednesday if he believed referees were giving him preferential treatment.
Referee Carl Cheffers speaks to Patrick Mahomes during a break in the third quarter against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium Dec. 21, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo. (David Eulitt/Getty Images)
“I don’t feel that way,” Mahomes answered. “At the end of the day, the referees are doing their best to call the game as fair and as proper as they possibly can. And all you can do is go out there and play the game that you love as hard as you can and live with the results. … I think that’s what we preach here in Kansas City.
“You get new referees every year, you get new circumstances and you never can really tell because every play’s different. And that’s what makes the NFL so special. I feel like I’ve just continued to play the game, and I just try to win. And whatever happens kind of happens.’”
Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce refused to address the issue when asked by his brother Jason Kelce about the officiating during an episode of their “New Heights” podcast last week.
“I’d like to plead the Fifth,” the tight end said, jokingly referring to his constitutional right to remain silent, when Jason brought up the issue.
Now the Chiefs get a Super Bowl rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles. When the two teams last met in the Super Bowl two years ago, that game was determined by a controversial penalty called late in the game against Eagles cornerback James Bradberry, which set up the Chiefs for a 38-35 win.
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American-born gymnast Levi Jung-Ruivivar, who represented the Philippines at last year’s Paris Olympics, announced plans to step back from competition to address her health.
She said she would begin treatment for an eating disorder.
“Hi everyone, I wanted to come on here today to share some deeply personal information. I have decided to redshirt this season and take a brief leave of absence from Stanford (just the winter quarter) to heal from an eating disorder I have been struggling with. I will return to school and training before the spring quarter starts,” Jung-Ruivivar wrote in a statement via a collaborative Instagram post with the Stanford gymnastics account.
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Levi Jung-Ruivivar during the 2023 U.S. Gymnastics Championships at SAP Center Aug. 25, 2023. (Kyle Terada/USA Today Sports)
Jung-Ruivivar, 18, is a student at Stanford University. She added that her struggle with the disorder has hurt her athletic career and her time as a student.
“My time at Stanford has been everything I dreamed of and more. I have been loving gymnastics and school and both have been going well, however I felt the disorder was infringing on my ability to fully enjoy these aspects of my life; it was pulling an abundant amount of my mental and physical energy away from the things I hold dear,” the star gymnast wrote.
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Jung-Ruivivar admitted she experienced “lots of trepidation” as she weighed whether to speak out about her private battle. But she determined it was “important” for her to share what she was grappling with.
Levi Jung-Ruivivar competes in the uneven bars during the women’s senior division of the U.S. Classic at Maverik Center July 30, 2022, in West Valley City, Utah. (Alex Goodlett/Getty Images)
“As an elite athlete, I felt it was vital to stop the damage it was doing to my body and mind by seeking help,” she added.
Jung-Ruivivar also expressed appreciation for the support she’s received from loved ones and coaches, adding she looks “forward to getting to relish all of this and more as I overcome my eating disorder.”
Levi Jung-Ruivivar at the Mixed Cup March 20, 2022. (Marijan Murat/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Fellow gymnast Hezly Rivera showed support for Jung-Ruivivar, writing “i love you Levi,” below the social media post. Gymnast Skye Blakely added a pair of heart emoji in the comment section.
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In a separate social media post directed at Jung-Ruivivar, Stanford University wrote, “supporting you every step of the way.”
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The House of Representatives has passed a bill that would penalize doctors who do not provide life-saving care to infants born alive after an abortion attempt.
All but one Democrat voted against the bill, which passed 217 to 204, with all Republicans in favor. One Democrat, Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-Texas, voted “present.”
The bill directs health care practitioners to operate with the “same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence” for a baby born with a heartbeat after an abortion as during a normal birth. Doctors who run afoul of the rule would be fined or given up to five years behind bars.
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All House Democratic leaders voted against the bill (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
House GOP leaders lauded the bill, with Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., telling Fox News Digital, “Requiring medical care for babies born alive after a failed abortion isn’t controversial, it’s common sense.”
“The fact that Democrats would rather support infanticide than vote in favor of this bill shows how extreme and out-of-touch their party has become,” Emmer said.
Democrats have argued that the bill is redundant, given existing laws against infanticide and murder, and could imperil the lives of women seeking late-term abortions due to medical emergencies while unfairly penalizing doctors.
TRUMP TO DEPLOY MILITARY TO BORDER, END BIDEN PAROLE POLICIES IN FLURRY OF DAY ONE EXECUTIVE ORDERS
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer criticized all Democrats who voted against the bill. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
“No one goes through pregnancy and all that comes with it…and then after eight or nine months of that is like ‘nah, I don’t want to do this,’” Rep. Sara Jacobs, D-Calif., said during debate on the bill, adding that late-term operations made up about 1% of abortions. “It is because of a serious fetal abnormality or the health of the mother.”
She said the bill was “not based on science or reality.”
Several Democrats who spoke out against the bill themselves went through emergency abortion procedures with a nonviable pregnancy.
Among them was Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez, D-N.M., who said the bill would allow women to “die on the operating table because doctors are scared of going to jail.”
Rep. Sara Jacobs was among the Democrats who spoke out in favor of the bill. (Getty Images)
Republicans, meanwhile, argued the bill would stop babies from being “left to die in a closet, alone and discarded like medical waste,” as Rep. Michelle Fischbach, R-Minn., said during debate.
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“These precious babies, fellow Americans, deserve protection because they are alive,” said Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas.
The vote comes after Democrats tanked the bill in the Senate earlier this week. The legislation failed to pass a procedural hurdle that needed 60 votes to allow for debate on its final passage.
American tennis star Ben Shelton called out the TV interviewers at the Australian Open on Tuesday following his quarterfinal victory, saying that he believes several of the post-match interviews throughout the tournament have crossed a line.
Speaking to the media following his hard-fought victory over Lorenzo Sonego, Shelton closed his press conference with an unprompted remark about player interviews, which have come under the spotlight this week after Novak Djokovic refused to do an interview following comments made about him and his fan base.
Novak Djokovic reacts after defeating Tomas Machac following their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, on Friday, Jan. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)
“I’ve been a little shocked this week with how players have been treated by the broadcasters,” Shelton, 22, said. “I don’t think that guy who mocked Novak – I don’t think that was just a single event. I’ve noticed it with different people, not just myself.”
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Shelton named a number of incidents, including his on-court interview following his fourth round victory over 38-year-old French veteran Gael Monfils. The interviewer, Roger Rasheed, noted that Monfils is “almost your dad.”
Shelton responded, “Was that a Black joke?” Both players are Black.
Rasheed replied, “I’m not sure.”
Ben Shelton, pictured here, plays a backhand to Lorenzo Sonego during their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
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Shelton also spoke about his interview after the quarterfinal match, in which the interviewer commented that he likely would not have many fans in his semifinal match against reigning champ Jannik Sinner.
“I just don’t think that comment [is] respectful from a guy I’ve never met before in my life,” Shelton said.
“I feel like broadcasters should be helping us grow our sport and help these athletes who just won matches on the biggest stage enjoy one of their biggest moments. I just feel like there’s been a lot of negativity and I think that’s something that needs to change.”
Ben Shelton celebrates after defeating Lorenzo Sonego in their quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, on Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
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Broadcasters at this year’s Grand Slam came under fire after Australian Channel 9 journalist Tony Jones called Djokovic “overrated” and “a has-been” while mocking Serbian fans. Djokvic refused an on-court interview after the incident until he received an apology.
On Monday, the network said in a statement it apologized “for any offense caused from comments made” while live on air.
“No harm was intended towards Novak or his fans,” the statement continued. “We look forward to further showcasing his Australian Open campaign at Melbourne Park.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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