Feb 26, 2019

Vatican treasurer George Pell convicted of child sexual assault

Cardinal George Pell. Photo: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

A jury in Melbourne, Australia, has found Vatican treasurer George Pell guilty of child sex offenses, making him the highest ranking Catholic Church official to go to trial and be convicted for sex abuse, the BBC reports.

Details: The 77-year-old cardinal was on trial in December for sexually abusing two choir boys in the late 1990s. The verdict was delivered at the time, but couldn't be reported until Monday due to Australian procedural laws. Pell will be sentenced Wednesday, and his defense team plans to appeal the conviction.

Go deeper: The stunning scale of the global Catholic sex abuse crisis

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Axios

Updated 5 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Coronavirus dashboard

Illustration: Eniola Odetunde/Axios

Global: Total confirmed cases as of 5 p.m. ET: 11,520,461 — Total deaths: 535,499 — Total recoveries — 6,231,052 — Map.
U.S.: Total confirmed cases as of 5 p.m. ET: 2,911,888 — Total deaths: 130,101 — Total recoveries: 906,763 — Total tested: 35,515,075 — Map.
Public health: Case growth outpacing testing in hotspots.
States: West Virginia becomes latest state to mandate facial coverings in public.
Politics: Cuomo accuses Trump of "enabling" the coronavirus surge — Sen. Chuck Grassley opts out of attending GOP convention over coronavirus concerns.

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Axios

31 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Trump ramps up culture war attacks

Photo: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

President Trump's attacks are spreading to sports that are cornerstones of rural, conservative white American life.

Why it matters: The culture war that engulfed the NBA and NFL is reaching other major leagues, with teams that stonewalled activists for years suddenly showing a willingness to listen.

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Stef W. Kight

44 mins ago - Politics & Policy

Foreign students could be forced to leave U.S. if colleges move online

Harvard University campus in April 2020. Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Foreign college students could be forced to leave the U.S. or transfer schools if their universities move classes entirely online this fall, according to guidance released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Monday.

Why it matters: Several U.S. colleges and universities — most recently Harvard — have announced plans to move most or all courses online this fall due to coronavirus concerns. Many institutions rely heavily on tuition from international students.