5 things to know for April 21: Pope Francis, Pete Hegseth, Israel, Abrego Garcia, Harvard

CNN

Jade Walker, CNN

(CNN) — Saturday was the 30th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing. The attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building claimed the lives of at least 168 people, including 19 children, and was the deadliest act of domestic terrorism in US history. Among the victims was former Secret Service agent Alan Whicher, who once worked on Bill Clinton’s detail. During a remembrance ceremony over the weekend, the former president shared a touching story about the agent and called for Americans to unite.

Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On with Your Day.

1. Pope Francis

Pope Francis, the first non-European pontiff in nearly 1,300 years and one of the oldest popes in the church’s history, has died, the Vatican announced. He was 88. Born in Buenos Aires, Francis was 16 when he decided to become a priest. He entered the seminary and after three years began training to become a Jesuit, a religious order known for its missionary work. At 36, he was appointed head of the Jesuit order in Argentina. Francis became the first Latin-American pontiff in 2013 after Pope Benedict XVI resigned. Benedict remained as pope emeritus until his death at 95 in 2022. Unlike his predecessor, who was admired by conservatives for railing against secular trends, Francis sought to modernize the church. A believer in humility, he eschewed the opulence of the office and turned down the opportunity to move into the luxurious papal apartments. Francis also championed the poor, migrants and the environment and he took a more compassionate approach to divorced and gay Catholics. His efforts, particularly concerning same-sex relationships and how to tackle the scourge of sexual abuse scandals, faced unprecedented resistance from ultra-conservatives.

2. Pete Hegseth

Last month, a national security scandal involving Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and other top officials rocked the Trump administration. Those officials were caught discussing a US military attack on Houthis in Yemen in a group chat on Signal, a conversation that inadvertently included a journalist. Despite sharing highly confidential — and likely classified — information on a commercially available app with a member of the media, none of those involved were punished for their actions. That chat is still under investigation. Now, it seems that wasn’t the only time such material was posted on the app. Hegseth reportedly created a second Signal group chat during his confirmation hearing and continued using it after he was confirmed. And he allegedly shared the same sensitive details about the airstrikes in the second group chat, which contained at least 12 people, including his wife Jennifer, a former Fox News producer; his brother Phil; and lawyer Tim Parlatore, three people familiar with the chat told CNN.

3. Israel

The Israeli military now says “professional failures” led to the deadly March 23 attack on first responders in southern Gaza. An ambulance crew in Rafah disappeared that day, prompting the dispatch of a convoy of emergency vehicles. The fate of those emergency workers would also remain a mystery for over a week until rescue teams were allowed into the area and discovered a mass grave containing the bodies of the 15 first responders and their crushed emergency vehicles. The Israel Defense Forces originally claimed the convoy was moving suspiciously, without headlights or flashing lights, toward Israeli troops and that members of the emergency teams were militants. But a video found on one of the bodies showed the convoy’s lights were on, their vehicles were clearly marked, and the rescuers were wearing reflective emergency responder uniforms when the Israeli troops opened fire. The latest Israeli probe identified several failures during the incident, as well as breaches of orders and a failure to fully report what happened.

4. Abrego Garcia

Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Maryland man who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador and detained in the country’s notorious CECOT prison, has been moved to another detention center. Sen. Chris Van Hollen met with Abrego Garcia last week and said he was traumatized by his incarceration. “He said he was not afraid of the other prisoners in his immediate cell but that he was traumatized by being at CECOT and fearful of many of the prisoners in other cell blocks who called out to him and taunted him in various ways,” the Maryland Democrat told reporters after landing back in the US. Although the Supreme Court said the Trump administration must “facilitate” Abrego Garcia’s return, so far it has refused to do so.

5. Harvard

Harvard University’s battle with the Trump administration may have escalated over a letter it should never have received. According to a report in The New York Times, the letter outlined a slew of demands, which, if not followed, would result in a loss of federal funding. When Harvard responded by refusing to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion policies, audit the viewpoints of students, faculty and staff and alter rules for on-campus protests, the Trump administration froze $2.2 billion in federal grants. The Department of Homeland Security canceled two federal grants worth $2.7 million and threatened to strip Harvard of its ability to enroll international students. The IRS is also making plans to rescind the university’s tax-exempt status. However, two people familiar with the matter say the letter was “unauthorized” and shouldn’t have been sent. “Even assuming the Administration now wishes to take back its litany of breathtakingly intrusive demands, it appears to have doubled down on those demands through its deeds in recent days. Actions speak louder than words,” a Harvard spokesperson said in a statement.

BREAKFAST BROWSE

Now that’s a golden goal
The US defeated arch rival Canada 4-3 in a nail-bitter matchup on Sunday and won the women’s ice hockey world championships. Tessa Janecke’s goal in overtime finally decided what was the longest game in the history of the women’s world championships and gave the US its 11th world title.

‘Sinners’ takes a bite out of the box office
The vampire film starring Michael B. Jordan earned $45.6 million in its theatrical debut, knocking “A Minecraft Movie” out of the top spot. It also earned a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, something that’s nearly unheard of for horror flicks.

A zombie show that breaks your heart
Did you see “The Last of Us” this week? Although the episode was officially titled “Through the Valley,” CNN’s Alli Rosenbloom believes a better description would be: “The One Where We All Cried For the Rest of Time.” Watch with tissues handy.

Osment: Sorry for my “disgraceful language”
Haley Joel Osment has issued a public apology for calling a police officer a Nazi and using an antisemitic slur during his arrest earlier this month. The 37-year-old former child star was booked for alleged public intoxication and possession of a controlled substance.

It’s a girl!
Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani missed a game against the Texas Rangers last week, but he had a good excuse: his wife was about to have a baby. She gave birth to their first child over the weekend and Ohtani took to Instagram to announce the arrival and to thank his wife and the team. He also had a message for the new baby.

IN MEMORIAM

War photographer Fatima Hassouna dies at 26
Hassouna, who had covered the conflict in Gaza for 18 months, was killed in an Israeli airstrike last week, along with at least seven members of her family. She was also the subject of “Put Your Soul on Your Hand and Walk,” a documentary that will be screened at the Cannes Film Festival in May.

TODAY’S NUMBER

$239 million
That’s how much President Trump raised for his inauguration this year, more than double the previous record of $107 million he raised for his first inauguration in 2017.

TODAY’S QUOTE

“If you can’t be trusted around Stacey Abrams’ memoir or Maya Angelou, you probably have no business being a Navy SEAL or holding an assault rifle or flying a fighter jet. You’re either an adult or you’re not.”

— Author Ryan Holiday, whose annual lecture at the US Naval Academy was canceled because he refused to avoid criticizing the academy’s decision to remove nearly 400 books from its main library.

TODAY’S WEATHER

Check your local forecast here>>>

AND FINALLY …

TK – video copy goes here

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.