• A humble 3-bedroom Illinois home listed for sale this week is now in the world spotlight.
• Chicago native Pope Leo XIV, also known as Robert Prevost, grew up in this house.
• Originally listed for $199,000, the home has been pulled off the market as the owner decides what to do.

News of a plain, brick, 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom home built in 1959 hitting the market outside Chicago wouldn't typically make headlines.

Then the world discovered that the 1,200-square-foot home is where Pope Leo XIV, until Thursday known as Cardinal Robert Prevost, spent his childhood.

According to Zillow, the home was most recently bought for $66,000 in May 2024. It was then flipped and re-listed for $205,000 in January, before being cut to $199,000.

Steve Budzik, a real estate agent working with the home's owner, said they were shocked to learn the news of the home's history.

"He was like, 'Wow,'" Budzik said of owner Paul Radzik. "It's better than winning the lotto. We were both very surprised and honored. It was a lot of emotions."

Budzik said the home garnered "steady interest" before Thursday, averaging one to two viewings a week, but that the fanfare surrounding the first American pope brightened the spotlight.

"Since yesterday, at around 10 o'clock, I would say my client and I have received seven to eight offers," Budzik said. "We took the listing off, so there were no showings, but if we had left it on the market, it would've probably been booked out all day."

The owner has decided to delist the home as they weigh their options.

"It's like a collectible car they only made one of," Budzik said.

Budzik said the owner might keep the home, but is considering several options, including turning it into a museum honoring Pope Leo XIV or a rental space where admirers could stay.

"Every day people are reaching out to us with their own ideas as well, so we're just going to wait and review everything and come up with a plan in the next few weeks," he said.

Budzik told BI that the owner has also considered reaching out the Pope Leo XIV's brother, who lives in Illinois, for his thoughts.

Hometown pride has swelled for Leo XIV. Weiner's Circle, a celebrated local hot dog joint, put up a Latin sign exclaiming: Canes Nostros Ipse Comedit ("He has eaten our dogs").

Chicago resident Frank Calabrese, 37, was among the first to discover the home's new place in history. As a self-professed Chicago history nerd, Calabrese started digging around on Thursday to find out more about the life of Pope Leo XIV.

As a law clerk for property tax cases, he also knew exactly where to look. He searched local tax records and found the deed that listed the Pope's father's name.

"It is strange to feel like there's a personal connection to the Pope," Calabrese told BI.

• Newark airport is facing delays due to ATC staffing and runway construction issues.
• Business Insider reporter Emma Cosgrove feared delays for an upcoming trip.
• So she hit up BI's aviation expert, Taylor Rains to find out how much she should really worry.

In a couple weeks I have a long-planned vacation to an idyllic European destination — and I'm flying out and then back into Newark airport.

I'm mostly excited for a break and some sun. I'm less excited about flying out of an airport that's been in the headlines for the last several weeks.

The airport is facing ongoing travel chaos amid Air Traffic Control issues, runway construction, and even a couple instances of equipment outages that have prevented controllers from talking to aircraft. The problems intensified last month when air traffic issues first forced dozens of delays and more than 100 cancellations. Increasingly, travelers are finding themselves stranded in Newark.

I'm not a nervous flyer most of the time, but given the news I'd be lying if I said I wasn't questioning whether I should change my flight as it gets closer.

So I did what journalists do. I consulted an expert. In this case, that's Taylor Rains, Business Insider's intrepid aviation reporter. Spoiler alert: she made me feel a lot better. Here's what she said.

Emma Cosgrove: I'm flying out of Newark airport in the next two weeks and the news is making me nervous. Should I be nervous?

Taylor Rains: Safety wise, no, even despite ATC staffing and equipment issues sounding like a scary thing. The controllers and pilots are professionals and can maintain extremely high levels of safety. Lower staffing will mean slower air traffic arrivals and departures rates, as to specifically not overload any controllers — so that's the main issue creating the disruptions regarding ATC. I'm not personally nervous about safety in Newark. The concern travelers should have is if you're connecting to or from Newark with a short layover. You could get delayed and miss that onward flight.

Should I think about changing my flight at considerable expense?

It depends on how important your travel is. People have missed out on nonrefundable hotel nights or train tickets because of delays or cancelations. Right now, I recommend avoiding Newark if your travel is flexible. Because most Newark travelers are United or its partners, that largely means your options are flying from LaGuardia, or switching your Newark layover to another United hub. United doesn't fly from JFK. You'd have to reroute via DC, Houston, Chicago, or Denver.

Say, for example, you're flying some regional city to Europe via Newark. Call United and ask to be rerouted via one of the other hubs. They have loads of international flying from up and down the East Coast and the middle of the country. Right now, their policy is scheduled flights between May 6 and May 23 (booked before May 4) can change their flight for free (no change fee or fare difference).

The flight must be between the same two cities (or from either LaGuardia or Philadelphia), be the same cabin, and be 2 days before or after the original flight, their policy says. If you're flying Spirit or another non-United airline, you'll need to call to see your options about changing.

If you're looking to a book a future flight, I'd recommend going through a different airport altogether, or making sure your Newark layover is long because the delays are not just out of Newark but into Newark, too.

To make your life easier if you are flying through Newark, only bring a carry-on if possible. It makes last-minute changes more flexible because you don't have a checked bag to worry about.

Also, please do not take your frustrations out on airport employees! They are just as stressed as the customers and are bound by the rules of the airline, and they cannot in any way change the weather or speed up controllers. Give everyone grace and pack your patience.

Is there any difference between flying in and out of Newark in terms of safety?

Nope! There's a series of different control facilities going in and out and they all work together. If that center that has had two outages already goes down, pilots are trained to stay the course or their last known clearance. They won't go rogue or panic because they don't hear back from ATC, they're trained for situations like this and can guide themselves if necessary.

Is the situation at Newark really all that unique?

Yes and no. Newark has had years of ATC staffing issues that have created similar problems, it's just compounded right now by the construction of its main runway. That's closed until at least mid-June, so people can expect delays relating to that until then, on top of any other ATC problems and weather. Days of bad summer weather would create a trifecta of issues that will leave people sitting at their gates for likely several hours.

What should I monitor in the days leading up to my flight to have the best info about safety and delays?

People should be checking their airline for updates, so sign up for email and text alerts about delays, cancellations, and gate changes. Check the boards, and honestly, just go in expecting delays so you don't have surprises or disappointments. You can also check the FAA Advisories website. EWR is the airport code for Newark. If you check today, May 9, you'll see 262 average minutes delay for weather and 75 average minutes delay for runway construction. If you're flying on a sunny day, then you'll want to look for the runway construction note and a volume note. The one that says "volume" at the end is referring to overcapacity or staffing issues causing air traffic delays.

• A 53-aircraft exercise put US military airpower on display in Japan earlier this week.
• Fighter jets, rescue helicopters, and spy planes taxiied the runway at Kadena Air Base.
• The massive aircraft display "sends a message you can't ignore," a senior enlisted leader said.

Dozens of fighter jets, military helicopters, and Patriot missile defense systems lined the runway at a US Air Force base, which could be the largest "elephant walk" ever in Japan.

The "elephant walk" exercise at Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, was part of a broader capability demonstration, showcasing US military airpower as China's growing military presence fuels tensions in the Indo-Pacific.

Here are the various military aircraft and assets featured in the exercise, which drills airmen on readying large numbers of aircraft to take off in rapid succession.

What is an elephant walk?

Dating back to World War II, the term "elephant walk" referred to the taxiing of military aircraft en masse before taking off in single-file formations like a herd of elephants walking trunk-to-tail.

Elephant walks not only demonstrate operational airpower and readiness but also train military pilots in wartime operations that involve launching a large number of sorties in a short period of time.

Third-largest elephant walk in Air Force history

Elephant walks typically involve a large number of aircraft, and the Kadena Air Base event on Okinawa was no exception — 53 Air Force and Navy aircraft, as well as two Army Patriot air defense batteries, participated in the runway display.

The elephant walk could be the largest to ever take place in Japan, nearly twice the size of last year's 33-aircraft display at the base, which featured F-22 Raptors and F-16 Fighting Falcons.

The Kadena elephant walk is among the largest ever by the US Air Force, outnumbering an elephant walk in 2020 at Hill Air Force Base in Utah that only featured F-35A Lightning II aircraft.

In April 2023, 80 aircraft were displayed in an elephant walk at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas.

At Seymour Johnson Air Force Base in North Carolina, a 70-aircraft demonstration consisted of only F-15E Strike Eagles, making it the largest single-type elephant walk.

Rescue helicopters, drones, and fighter jets

Fighter jets made up more than half of the elephant walk, with 24 F-35As, eight F-15Es, and two Navy EA-18 Growlers.

Six HH-60 Pave Hawk rescue helicopters led the herd, along with two MQ-9 Reaper drones, which are used for surveillance and precision strikes.

Cargo planes, tankers, and spy planes

Two MC-130J Commando II special operations cargo planes and six KC-135 Stratotanker refueling aircraft brought up the rear of the formation.

Three spy planes also made an appearance in the elephant walk — one E-3G Sentry radar surveillance aircraft, one RC-135 Rivet Joint signals intelligence aircraft, and one P-8 Poseidon operated by the Navy for maritime patrol and reconnaissance.

The formation was flanked by two US Army MIM-104 Patriot missile interceptors, which have proven to be vital assets in the US' air defense strategy against Chinese missile threats.

Exercise Beverly Herd

The airpower demonstration on Okinawa was an iteration of Exercise Beverly Herd, an annual military exercise that prepares US and allied forces for combat in the Pacific.

Aside from the elephant walk, rescue and maintenance squadrons stationed at Kadena also practiced surveilling damage on an airfield, and Air Force civil engineers worked with Navy specialists to remove simulated unexploded ordnance from the runway.

At Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, about 11 miles from Kadena, F-35 fighter squadrons from Eielson Air Force Base are also training in warfighting concepts and maneuvers focused on Agile Combat Employment, which is designed to increase lethality and survivability in combat.

'A message you can't ignore'

The military exercises come as China escalates its military presence in the Pacific over Taiwan, the self-governing island which Beijing claims as its own.

"An elephant walk like this sends a message you can't ignore," Chief Master Sgt. Brandon Wolfgang, 18th Wing command chief master sergeant, said in a statement. "It shows our Airmen, allies, and adversaries that we're united, capable, and ready."

China's rapid military build-up has been fueling tension with other US allies on the First Island Chain, which includes Japan and the Philippines. The latter nation also has ongoing territorial disputes with China, primarily in the South China Sea.

Deterrence in the Indo-Pacific

The Beverly Herd exercises were among a series of military drills the US and its allies are hosting in the Indo-Pacific theater to counter growing Chinese aggression in the region.

Earlier this month, the US and the Philippines held a joint exercise, Balikatan, at a strategic chokepoint south of Taiwan. China criticized the military drills, accusing the US and the Philippines of using Taiwan as an excuse to "provoke tension and confrontation."

"This kind of teamwork and presence is exactly how we maintain deterrence in the Indo-Pacific," Wolfgang said of the Kadena elephant walk.

• Kendrick Lamar and SZA performed at MetLife Stadium on Thursday for their Grand National Tour.
• Lamar performed "Euphoria" and "Not Like Us," keeping his beef with Drake at the forefront.
• Video interludes show Lamar in a faux deposition, seemingly poking fun at Drake's lawsuit.

When Kendrick Lamar and SZA took the stage at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium on the latest stop on their Grand National Tour, the duo's combined star power was a thing to behold (not to mention a major selling point for the ever-swelling cost of a concert ticket).

But there's another superstar whose name doesn't appear on the poster whose presence is felt throughout the show. And if you've been paying any attention to pop culture over the past year, you already know who I'm referring to.

Drake hangs like a wraith over the Grand National Tour, his business on Earth very much unfinished. Lamar makes sure of that: Instead of letting their rap beef grow stale, he performs two of his explosive Drake diss tracks in full ("Euphoria" and "Not Like Us") in addition to his hit collaboration with Future and Metro Boomin, "Like That," which was responsible for reigniting the feud in the first place. (For her part, SZA sings "Rich Baby Daddy," a collab with Drake from 2023, but erases Drake's contributions from her performance. The shade!)

These musical war cries are punctuated by fireworks, showers of sparks, and plumes of fire that burst from the stage with a vengeance. Lamar's production choices assume that his audience will rally behind him as the music industry's self-described "biggest hater," and on Thursday, that assumption paid off generously: The crowd of over 50,000 people was all too eager to sing along and revel in the bloodshed.

Some of the evening's loudest lines in the crowd were Drake-specific insults, including Lamar's incredulous, "What is it, the braids?" from "Euphoria" and, of course, the notorious "Not Like Us" rallying cry: "Tryna strike a chord, and it's probably A-minor."

The latter was the final solo track that Lamar performed — an emphatic, hard-earned finale. During Lamar's third verse, a mini history lesson that dubs Drake a "colonizer," my friend turned to me and deadpanned, "That man is so done."

While "Not Like Us" can still be enjoyed as a banger in its own right (shoutout to Lamar's producer, Mustard, for that indelible instrumental), by making his diss tracks a cornerstone of his set list, Lamar ensures that his triumph over Drake stays top of mind.

A full year after Drake's final diss track was released and Lamar was crowned victor by fans and critics, Lamar has baked this beef into his mythology as an artist. It wasn't enough just to win — he wants to be known forever as the winner.

Even in the face of legal threats, Lamar hasn't backed down. In fact, the lawsuit Drake filed against their shared record label, which Universal Music Group recently moved to dismiss, has arguably only emboldened Lamar's taunts.

The Grand National Tour is threaded with video interludes, many of which depict Lamar in a mock deposition. He chuckles when the off-camera interviewer accuses him of being "addicted to attention" and asks if his harshest lyrics should be taken as threats. "Whatever you wanna take it," Lamar replies.

In another clip, Lamar is asked to account for where he was on May 4, 2024, the day he unleashed "Not Like Us." Lamar shakes his head, protesting that he has too much going on to remember specific dates, driving his point home even further — that his dominance has no plottable beginning or foreseeable end.

"Not Like Us" was celebrated by fans as a musical kill shot, but even if Lamar's enemies are metaphorically dead, he'll labor to keep their memory alive. There's no rest for the wicked.

President Trump is half-heartedly floating the idea of raising taxes on rich people, creating a new tax bracket for those individuals earning more than $2.5. million.

Why it matters: This isn't as meaningful as it looks — the few high-income people it affects won't likely feel too much pain from the proposal, and other tax cuts under consideration would help offset any increase for them.

• But it's still surprising and extraordinary that the GOP, which has been cutting income taxes on rich people since the 1980s, is proposing anything like this at all.

The big picture: Republicans have been actively working to be seen as a working class party, not the party of the super rich.

• "This is to pay for working- and middle-class tax cuts that were promised, and protect Medicaid," an administration official told Axios' Hans Nichols.

How it works: Under the Trump idea, the tax rate on ordinary income past $2.5 million for an individual, or $5 million for a married couple, would rise 2.6 percentage points.

• That would create a new top tax bracket of 39.6% — exactly what the top tax bracket was back in 2017, before Congress passed Trump's first tax bill.

Yes, but: Back then the top tax bracket covered individuals earning more than $418,400 — this year the top bracket starts at $626,350 for an individual or $751,600 for a married couple.

• With this new proposal, all income between $626,350 and $2.5 million would still be taxed at 37%, a lower rate than the top tax rate in 2017 before Trump's first tax bill passed.
• The tax hike would only apply to ordinary income — but the incomes of the rich disproportionately come from capital gains. Those tax rates wouldn't change.

By the numbers: The proposal would impact about 0.1% to 0.2% of all taxpayers, estimates chief economist Josh Bivens of the left-leaning Economic Policy Institute, who a few years back floated the idea of levying a 10% surtax on those with incomes above $2 million — a far more painful measure.

• Those folks bringing home these jumbo paychecks likely include a lot of high-paid doctors, some professional athletes and executives.

For the record: "The President has said he himself, personally, would not mind paying a little bit more to help the poor in the middle class and the working class in this country," White House press secretary Karoline Karoline Leavitt said on Friday.

• But, she added "these negotiations are ongoing on Capitol Hill."

The bottom line: The Trump idea would likely raise under $30 billion a year, Bivens estimates. That's $300 billion for ten years — compared to $5 trillion cost of the tax cut extension.

• The Tax Policy Center at Brookings estimates that about 80,000 households would be impacted if there's a new bracket that starts at $2.5 million for individuals — that would raise $8.2 billion in 2025.
• "This proposal is better than nothing, but it's really weak tea," says Bivens.