How Trump’s Jesus-like image and feud with the Pope are sparking backlash
Trump’s Backlash and Papal Rivalry
Donald Trump has drawn increasing criticism following a post on Truth Social that portrayed him in a Jesus-like manner. The AI-generated image, which was later removed, depicted the president seemingly performing a miraculous act of healing a sick individual in a hospital bed. This came shortly after Trump issued a detailed critique of Pope Leo XIV, sparking a public dispute. The president later clarified that he believed the image represented him as a physician. BBC’s Science Editor Rebecca Morelle recently interviewed the Artemis II crew ahead of their scheduled splashdown on Saturday.
The mission, Artemis II, marks a significant milestone as the astronauts set a new record for distance from Earth. They surpassed the previous mark of 248,655 miles (400,171km), previously held by the Apollo 13 crew in 1970, and are still moving further into space. Astronaut Christina Koch expressed her relief upon reestablishing contact with Earth, stating:
“It is so great to hear from Earth again.”
The crew, including Canada’s first deep-space astronaut Jeremy Hansen, remains in Earth’s orbit, with plans to complete their 10-day journey around the Moon.
Artemis II Mission Breaks Records
The Artemis II crew, comprising four astronauts, has broken the distance record for human space travel. Their nine-day voyage around the Moon exceeded the 248,655-mile (400,171km) mark set by Apollo 13 in 1970. Despite not landing on the Moon during this mission, NASA is preparing for a potential lunar landing by 2028. The astronauts, including Commander Reid Wiseman, who lost his wife to cancer in 2020, are currently on the third day of their lunar orbit journey.
During their mission, the crew conducted various tests on the Orion spacecraft, such as practicing capsule maneuvers. A commercial flight passenger got a rare glimpse of the launch of NASA’s first crewed Moon mission in 50 years, as the most powerful rocket ever built launched from Florida. The mission, delayed by technical issues, is now in orbit. Meanwhile, the BBC’s Ione Wells reported on public reactions outside the Supreme Court during Trump’s executive order hearing, highlighting the ongoing debates surrounding the president’s policies.
