Good morning. Pope Francis has died. Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon is in a “full-blown meltdown,” according to the defense secretary’s former spokesman. And robots find it hard to complete even a half-marathon (don’t we all). Listen to the day’s top stories.

Pope Francis died at his Vatican residence this morning, aged 88. He was hospitalized in mid-February with bronchitis, which progressed to pneumonia in both lungs. The pope will be remembered for encouraging Catholics to embrace a more compassionate view on many issues, while finding it difficult to close the book on past abuses by clergy. On Sunday, he met with Vice President JD Vance and blessed thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square for Easter. Here’s how the next pontiff will be chosen.

Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon has been overwhelmed by staff drama and turnover, going into a “full-blown meltdown” that may cost the defense secretary his job, according to Hegseth’s former spokesman. The warning from John Ullyot, who resigned last week, followed pushback from three top department officials who were reportedly fired amid a inquiry into leaks. In the latest controversy, the NYT said Hegseth shared sensitive plans about Yemen strikes in a Signal chat with his wife, brother and personal lawyer.

The dollar fell to its lowest since December 2023 and futures retreated as the sell-America trade gathered momentum on Donald Trump’s criticisms of Jerome Powell. Trump’s top economist said on Friday that the president is studying whether he’s able to fire the Fed chairman. Meanwhile, Vance arrived in India with Trump’s trade war hanging over the visit. Trade discussions are also likely to be front and center as global economic and finance chiefs gather in Washington this week for the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. 

Mark Zuckerberg. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Getting the timing right. Insiders including Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and JPMorgan's Jamie Dimon cashed out shares worth billions before Trump's tariff onslaught upended markets. One of Tesla's biggest bulls said Elon Musk should step back from the Department of Government Efficiency and focus on his real job as the company faces a "code red" moment. And later today, Google will square off in court against the Justice Department and dozens of state attorneys general over how to fix the online search market.

Geopolitics: Israel’s army dismissed a commander over an attack on aid vehicles last month in Gaza that killed 15 Palestinians. Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskiy accused Russia of violating a 30-hour truce and reiterated his proposal for an extension. Iran said it made progress in Saturday’s talks with the US in Rome on its nuclear program, with negotiations set to continue this week.

Bloomberg Tech: Join top tech decisionmakers and influencers on June 4-5 in San Francisco. Decode technology’s evolving role across business, culture and healthcare as we discuss the advances transforming industries and how they impact society. Learn more.

Deep Dive: Deportations and the Courts

The Supreme Court building in Washington, DC. Photographer: Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to roll back its decision to block the deportation of Venezuelans to a notorious prison in El Salvador.

• The high court intervened around 1 a.m. Saturday in Washington after detainees filed urgent requests to block their deportation from the Bluebonnet Detention Center in Anson, Texas.
• Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented, with Alito saying the court acted on “unprecedented and legally questionable” grounds.
• The deportations are one of many Trump administration policies facing challenge. Last week, the Supreme Court said it will hear arguments on Trump’s bid to start restricting automatic birthright citizenship in a clash that could upend a longstanding constitutional right.
• Trump has been testing the boundaries of his authority over immigration since beginning his second term. Here’s our QuickTake on the deportations to El Salvador.

The Big Take

Russell Vought on Capitol Hill on Dec. 9, 2024. Photographer: Al Drago/Bloomberg

The man behind Trump's imperial presidency isn't Elon Musk—it's Russell Vought. Bloomberg Businessweek interviewed dozens of his key allies, influences, enemies and targets, and reviewed hundreds of pages of federal records, to analyze the agenda of the man quietly steering the DOGE crusade.

Opinion

Firing Jerome Powell may trigger an epic market disaster, John Authers writes. Trust in the dollar is already shaken but it’s not yet broken. Getting rid of the Fed boss might just finish the job.

Before You Go

A humanoid robot named Tiangong runs with support technicians.  Photographer: Kevin Frayer/Getty Images

Robot runners struggled in the world’s first half-marathon for androids this weekend in Beijing. Mishaps included bots tripping, losing their heads (literally) and emitting smoke, with only four out of 21 making it to the finish line. 

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