The decision is final: in a sweeping move to reduce the volume of dual citizenship applications, the Italian Parliament has enacted a law that effectively shuts the door on millions of Italian Americans and Italian descendants around the world.

Moving forward, only the children or grandchildren of Italian citizens will be eligible to apply for dual citizenship. Great-grandchildren, and all who come after them, no longer qualify.

On March 28, 2025, the Italian government issued an emergency decree known as the “Citizenship Package.” Championed by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, the measure took immediate effect. Parliament confirmed the law on May 20, making the restrictions permanent.

The new law does not affect those who have already acquired dual citizenship or who submitted their applications on or before the March 27 cutoff. Many who have spent years collecting, translating and notarizing documents now find themselves at a dead end.

According to Italy’s Interior Ministry, over 80 million people worldwide are of Italian descent, and more than 60,000 legal cases remain pending related to citizenship applications.

Government officials claim the move is necessary to restore order to an overwhelmed system, citing concerns about fraud and improperly submitted documentation, though such issues have been reported in countries like Argentina and Brazil — not the United States.

Those who are now ineligible can only obtain Italian citizenship by moving to Italy and applying through residency, a multi-year process that has become even more difficult due to stricter visa requirements for non-European Union citizens.

“For Italian Americans, the path to dual citizenship is an almost sacred journey,” said ISDA National President Basil Russo. “It’s a painstaking, yearslong and expensive process — a way to reconnect with our roots, with the people and places who built our culture at home and abroad. Closing the door on this process is a regrettable and mistargeted solution to a problem we didn’t create.”

U.S. Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Peter Welch (D-VT) on Thursday introduced the Carla Walker Act, which would dedicate existing federal grant funds to support forensic genetic genealogy (FGG) DNA analysis and help solve previously unsolvable cold cases. The bill is named for Carla Walker, a Fort Worth native whose murderer was finally identified 46 years after her death with the help of this advanced technology.

“Fort Worth native Carla Walker was abducted in a bowling alley and tragically murdered in 1974, but it took more than four decades and the advent of forensic genetic genealogy DNA analysis for her killer to be identified and brought to justice,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I am proud to have authored this legislation, which would make this cutting-edge DNA testing technology more widely available to law enforcement so they can better identify and prosecute offenders, solve cold cases, and bring closure to victims’ families.”

“Advancements in forensic DNA technology have revolutionized our ability to combat crime. In Vermont, detectives were able to use forensic genetic genealogy analysis to help provide answers to a family who thought they might never come. We’ve also seen how this technology can be a powerful tool in giving those wrongly accused a chance to clear their names,” said Sen. Welch. “Our bipartisan bill will help investigators across the country harness the incredible power of FGG technology to crack cold cases and deliver justice to countless victims and families, and I’m thankful for Senator Cornyn’s leadership on it.”

U.S. Congressman Wesley Hunt (TX-38) is leading companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Background:

Typically, when a suspect’s identity is unknown, a crime laboratory uploads the genetic material recovered from a crime scene into the FBI’s national database to search for DNA matches between the forensic sample and any known offenders. While this traditional form of forensic DNA profiling only examines 13-20 Short tandem repeat (STR) DNA markers, forensic genetic genealogy (FGG) technology examines over half a million Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) that span the entirety of the human genome. It does so by cross-referencing shared blocks of SNP markers to identify relatives of the genetic profile by uncovering shared blocks of DNA. This enables criminal investigators to build family trees that ultimately help determine the sample’s identity and solve cases.

Carla Walker was abducted from a bowling alley parking lot in Fort Worth, Texas, on February 17, 1974. Her body was found three days later in a drainage ditch 30 minutes south of Fort Worth. The Fort Worth Police Department was able to collect a few forensic samples and clothing items from the crime scene, but law enforcement could not solve the murder due to limited forensic technology at the time. Carla’s brother, Jim Walker, never stopped searching for answers and nearly 50 years later, FGG DNA analysis was conducted on the last remaining DNA on a piece of Walker’s clothing, which led to a successful DNA match with the McCurley family and ultimately identified Glen McCurley, Jr. as the killer, who confessed in 2021 and died in prison on July 14, 2023.

Sen. Cornyn’s Carla Walker Act would create a pilot program to make this cutting-edge FGG DNA analysis more widely available to investigative agencies to:

• Aid in resolving previously unsolvable cold cases;
• Assist in the identification of criminals;
• Seek justice for previously unidentified victims;
• Help exonerate wrongly accused suspects;
• And bring closure for the victims’ loved ones.

Various bones that washed up on New Jersey beaches starting 30 years ago were finally determined to belong to the captain of a 19th-century shipwreck, officials revealed Wednesday.

The remains found on several South Jersey shorelines between 1995 and 2013 were connected to Henry Goodsell, the 29-year-old captain of the doomed schooner Oriental, according to the Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center.

The incredible breakthrough was made thanks to a group of Ramapo College students who worked the cold case for nearly two years by tapping into DNA testing and combing through records that were hundreds of years old.

“The ability to bring answers to families — even generations later — shows how far science and dedication can take us,” New Jersey State Police Superintendent Patrick Callahan said in a statement.

Five crew members, including Goodsell, were sailing from Connecticut to Philadelphia to deliver marble to a yet-to-be-opened college preparatory boarding school in 1844 when the ship likely sprang a leak and submerged less than a mile from the coast of Brigantine Shoal, killing everyone aboard.  

A skull, which was initially deemed a John Doe, first washed ashore in Longport in 1995 before more bones were discovered in Margate four years later — both towns in Atlantic County.

More bones were unearthed in 2013 in Ocean City, in neighboring Cape May County, but despite the growing evidence, the typical methods of investigation couldn’t lead to an identification.

A decade later, state police tapped the Ramapo College IGG Center for help.

A newspaper article regarding the incident was published in the Boston Daily Bee on Christmas Eve in 1844. Ramapo College of New Jersey Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center (IGG).

A genetic sample was sent in November 2023 to Intermountain Forensics, which then uploaded the DNA to different ancestry databases a few months later, Ramapo College said.

Ramapo undergrads and students part of the IGG Center certificate program then scoured through records, finding ancestry from the 1600s with genetic relatives who lived in a pair of Connecticut counties.

Students also looked into shipwrecks and found clips from two newspapers dated Dec. 20 and Dec. 24, 1844, that described the sinking.

Only one body was recovered at the time of the ship’s demise, according to one of the old articles.

It was also reported that Goodsell was the captain and left behind a wife and three young children.

The York Democratic Press reported the captain’s death on December 20, 1844. Ramapo College of New Jersey Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center (IGG).

State police were finally handed the case back and collected a family reference sample from a great-great-grandchild of Goodsell in March. The following month, the identification was confirmed.

“Using modern genealogy testing to identify bone fragments from the 19th century is a powerful reminder of our unwavering commitment to resolving cases no matter how old,” Callahan said.

This is one of the oldest cold-case identifications made with the help of investigative genetic genealogy, the college said.

“Identifying human remains is one of the most solemn and challenging responsibilities law enforcement is charged with,” said Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of County Detectives Patrick Snyder.

“Law enforcement works hard knowing that behind every case is a promise: that no one will be forgotten, and that we will pursue the truth until families have the answers they deserve.”

The following is a press release from the (U.S.) National Archived and Records Administration:

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the end of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. You can see iconic images from the conflict in "Casting Light: Photographs of the Vietnam War" at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library and Museum. This new exhibit is on display at both the Library in Ann Arbor and the Museum in Grand Rapids until December 14, 2025. Pictured by the opening exhibit panel are members of the Ford Museum staff who are veterans. From left to right: Sales Operations Manager Brian Billett, Administrative Officer Peter Kalogiros, and Exhibits Specialist Kyle Perkins. National Archives photo by Andrea Mantakounis Presidential Libraries Paintings by former President George W. Bush are now on exhibit at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas, Texas. To see "A Shining City on the Hilltop," purchase your tickets in advance online. Painting by President George W. Bush showing the opening of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in 2013. Image provided courtesy of President George W. Bush   Can You Read Cursive? In the billions of records in the National Archives, not everything is spelled consistently—and that can make Catalog searches challenging. Become a Citizen Archivist, join the National Archives' new tagging mission, and help tackle this challenge!    Watch the video below to see how easy it is to add tags to Revolutionary War Pensions. VIP Visitors Utah Gov. Spencer Cox tweeted about fulfilling his dream of visiting the Reagan Library this week—and he did! Governor Spencer Cox and his wife Abby Palmer Cox in front of a portrait of President Reagan.

A study published in the book Genìa Da Vinci revealed that Leonardo da Vinci has at least six living male descendants who share his Y chromosome, according to Il Giornale. For the first time, an international team of scholars managed to identify the Y chromosome shared by these descendants of the paternal line of the da Vinci family.

Through meticulous analysis of sources and archival documents, researchers Alessandro Vezzosi and Agnese Sabato reconstituted branches of the family to which Leonardo belonged. By identifying 15 descendants in the direct male line, they traced genealogical links to Leonardo's father and half-brother, Domenico di ser Piero da Vinci.

The analysis revealed that these descendants have common portions of the Y chromosome, an essential marker for determining male inheritance. This confirms the genetic continuity of the male line of the da Vinci family starting from the 15th generation.

JPost Videos

The book Genìa Da Vinci documents a family tree that dates back to 1331, encompassing 21 generations and including more than 400 individuals. The volume provides an account of the da Vinci family lineage, offering readers a journey through genealogy, history, geography, documents, places, and historical figures to rediscover the environment that shaped Leonardo.

"Studying Leonardo's DNA can lead us to discover the biological bases of his genius, his visual acuity, creativity, and perhaps even his health and the causes of his death," said Vezzosi, a Leonardo scholar and co-author of the volume, according to Il Giornale. This discovery opens the way to the possible reconstruction of the genetic profile of the Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci.

"A more detailed analysis is needed to determine if the extracted DNA is sufficiently preserved," said David Caramelli, President of the Museum System of the University of Florence and coordinator of the project for anthropological and molecular aspects. "Based on the results, we can proceed with the analysis of Y chromosome fragments to compare them with current descendants."

Archaeological excavations have started in the Church of Santa Croce in Vinci, historically documented as the burial place of the da Vinci family. The authors confirmed the existence of a da Vinci family tomb in the church, which may be the burial site of Leonardo's grandfather Antonio, his uncle Francesco, and several half-brothers: Antonio, Pandolfo, and Giovanni. The excavation is being conducted in collaboration with the University of Florence.

Anthropologists Alessandro Riga and Luca Bachechi from the University of Florence, leaders of the excavation, made progress in efforts to identify the DNA of Leonardo da Vinci and his ancestors. They recovered bone fragments, some of which were dated by radiocarbon. Preliminary investigations conducted by Martina Lari and results from Caramelli indicate that the recovered fragment belongs to a male individual compatible with the age of Leonardo's presumed relatives.

A specimen, whose age corresponds to that of the supposed relatives of Leonardo, was submitted to paleogenomic analysis. The next step in the project is to compare the DNA taken from the remains with that of individuals considered to be the living descendants of Leonardo da Vinci. If the Y chromosome of living descendants is also found in the older remains from the tombs in the da Vinci churches, this would support the accuracy of the paternity records and allow a more in-depth examination of the biological material attributed to Leonardo.

Launched in 2016, the Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project is supported by the Municipality of Vinci and is coordinated by Rockefeller University in New York, involving institutions such as the University of Florence and the J. Craig Venter Institute in California. The research aims to shed light on the biological traits of the Renaissance master.

"Leonardo is not just the creator of the Mona Lisa. He is a challenge to redefine the limits of historical and cultural knowledge," said Jesse H. Ausubel of Rockefeller University, according to Il Giornale. The research will also be the basis of an international documentary and a future film production.

The guiding principle of the project is the traceability of the Y chromosome, which has remained unchanged for centuries. If successful, the sequencing of DNA fragments could reveal biological traits such as left-handedness, visual perception, diet, health predispositions, and physical appearance. This would also support the historical reconstruction of the lineage established through death records.

Credit: Othram

In 2006, a man who had gone by the name "Steven A. Mason" for at least 10 years before his death, died of natural causes in his home in Apopka, a northern suburb of Orlando, Florida. He was identified visually by his wife, and his identity was confirmed with fingerprints. However, after he died, it was discovered that he was living under a fake name and his real identity was unknown.

He was described as a white man with blue eyes and short graying hair.He was between 45 to 65 years old when he died and his left earlobe was pierced twice and his right ear was not pierced. On his right forearm, he had a tattoo of "Yosemite Sam." On his left forearm, he had a tattoo of the "Tazmanian Devil" and near his left wrist, he had a tattoo of a heart with an arrow through it. Despite efforts by investigators to determine who he was, his real identity was a mystery and details of the case were entered into NamUs as UP9397.

In 2024, the Orange County Sheriff's Office teamed with Othram in The Woodlands, Texas to determine if advanced DNA testing could help identify the man. Othram scientists developed a DNA extract from the forensic evidence and used Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing to build a comprehensive DNA profile that can be used for forensic genetic genealogy analysis. Othram’s in-house forensic genetic genealogy (FGG) team used this profile to conduct extensive genetic genealogy research, ultimately providing new investigative leads to law enforcement to identify the man.

Using those leads, the Orange County Sheriff's Office continued to investigate and were able to locate possible relatives of the unknown man. Investigators then interviewed some of those possible relatives. One person submitted a reference DNA sample which was compared to the unidentified man's DNA profile using KinSNP Rapid Relationship Testing. This investigation led to the positive identification of the man as David D’intinosanto, who was born September 12, 1958. He was estranged from family in Massachusetts and New Hampshire and had been known to use fake identities.

The identification of David D’intinosanto is the 41st case in the State of Florida where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Visit DNASolves to learn about other Florida cases, where your support can help bring long-awaited answers to families.

On the eve of Juneteenth, American Ancestors® and the National Urban League® present the profound, free virtual program 10 Million Names: A Conversation About African American Family History and Healing, on Wednesday, June 12, 5:00 to 6:30 pm EDT. 

This online gathering features a compelling conversation between two prominent figures: Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, and Kenyatta D. Berry, acclaimed genealogist, entrepreneur, television host of PBS’s Genealogy Roadshow, and author.  Registration for the virtual event is open at tinyurl.com/2pz3uauf.

This isn’t just an event. It’s a homecoming.  This special event honors the lives, stories, and legacies of the 10 million enslaved African American men, women, and children whose names and histories were systematically erased by slavery—and celebrates the modern descendants reclaiming those stories today.  Together, we will Recover. Restore. Remember.

10 Million Names is a collaborative project dedicated to recovering the names of the estimated 10 million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in pre- and post-colonial America (specifically, the territory that would become the United States) between the 1500s and 1865. The project seeks to amplify the voices of people who have been telling their family stories for centuries, connect researchers and data partners with people seeking answers to family history questions, and expand access to data, resources, and information about enslaved African Americans.

There are at least 44 million descendants of enslaved individuals living today, but slavery separated families, erased names, and obscured facts. The 10 Million Names Project, launched by American Ancestors and its partners in 2023, aims to connect the family stories of these descendants to the 10 million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in the U.S. prior to emancipation and to restore their names to history.

Featured Guests and Highlights:

Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League, will share personal reflections on his own ancestry, identity, and legacy in a live conversation with Kenyatta D. Berry, a pioneer in African American genealogy and a passionate advocate for the power of knowing one’s roots.  The conversation will culminate in a special live reveal by Kenyatta Berry—sharing new research into Marc Morial’s personal family history.

The evening will also feature the debut of a short impact reel showcasing the progress of 10 Million Names, including the more than one million names already recovered.

About 10 Million Names

10 Million Names is a collaborative project dedicated to recovering the names of the estimated 10 million men, women, and children of African descent who were enslaved in pre- and post-colonial America (specifically, the territory that would become the United States) between the 1500s and 1865. The project seeks to amplify the voices of people who have been telling their family stories for centuries, connect researchers and data partners with people seeking answers to family history questions, and expand access to data, resources, and information about enslaved African Americans.  For more information, visit 10millionnames.org.

About American Ancestors   

American Ancestors® is a national nonprofit center for family history, heritage & culture based in Boston, Massachusetts that has been setting the gold standard for genealogical research since its founding in 1845. Today, American Ancestors serves 400K+ members and subscribers through AmericanAncestors.org, one of the world’s largest online collections of family history resources. In 2025, American Ancestors launched the Family Heritage Experience, an interactive, state-of-the-art exhibition that introduces visitors to the joy of family history research, located at 97 Newbury Street at our headquarters in Boston. American Ancestors is also home to the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center, which preserves New England’s Jewish history, and 10 Million Names, a project dedicated to finding the names of the enslaved men, women, and children in pre- and post-colonial America before emancipation.   For more information,

visit americanancestors.org.

About National Urban League

The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment, equality, and social justice.  Founded in 1910 and headquartered in New York City, the Urban League collaborates at the national and local levels with community leaders, policymakers, and corporate partners to elevate the standards of living for African Americans and other historically underserved groups. The organization spearheads the efforts of its local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research, and advocacy. Today, the National Urban League has 92 affiliates serving 300 communities in 37 states and the District of Columbia, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than two million people nationwide.  The League promotes economic empowerment through education and job training, housing and community development, workforce development, entrepreneurship, health, and quality of life.  

For more information, visit nul.org.

Photo credit: Marc H. Morial

The following is a press release from Inside Genealogy:

Inside Genealogy’s United States Checklist is an interactive research tool designed to help genealogists stay organized and ensure they don’t miss key sources. It covers over 350 U.S. record collections, research strategies, and tools—from Ancestry and FamilySearch to smaller, lesser-known websites—and it works as both a to-do list and a research log.

I’m also offering a free FamilySearch-only edition, which focuses on the often-overlooked resources available at FamilySearch.org. The full version includes everything in the FamilySearch edition, plus much more.

Here’s a quick look at what sets this checklist apart from other genealogy checklists:

• Organized into 35+ categories with clickable links
• Includes expert tips for using record types and modern tools like AI chatbots
• Designed for digital use: check off sources, add notes, and track your progress
• Available as a PDF that works with any standard viewer

More information is available at: http://www.insidegenealogy.com. 

After 35 years of waiting, Jackie Meggison could see someone face a jury for the death of her sister-in-law. 

“It’s a relief,” Meggison told MLive/The Ann Arbor News outside the courtroom of Washtenaw County Trial Court Judge Jinan Hamood on Tuesday morning. 

Moments before, Hamood had ruled Buster Robbins should stand trial for felony murder in the death of Beverly Ann Wivell. The ruling overturned a lower court decision from District 14-A2 Judge Karl Barr.

Barr declined to send the case to trial after a March 18 preliminary examination, saying the evidence failed to show Robbins was responsible for her death. 

“I think (Barr) was conflicted with what he should do,” Hamood said from the bench. “…That in itself should have been an indicator that the standard of exam was met.” 

Officials allege Robbins abducted Wivell, 31, from a Canton park and sexually assaulted her before taking her to Superior Township and shooting her. She was found around 10 a.m. Sept. 18, 1989, near Gotfredson Road and Ford Road in Superior Township, testified Ronald Smith, a Superior Township firefighter at the time. A nearby resident also testified to hearing a gunshot and seeing someone matching Robbins description leave the scene. 

Although detectives originally suspected Wivell’s boyfriend, they found he was at work at the time, testified Paul Wade, then a Washtenaw County Sheriff’s detective.

Swabs taken from Wivell’s body revealed DNA from her boyfriend and an unidentified man, according to testimony.

“We had no suspect at that time,” Wade said.

Other leads were exhausted, and the case sat cold until January 2024.

The virtual program, “Focus on Free Resources for New York Genealogical Research,” will be offered Tuesday, May 27 by the Southington Genealogical Society. This free event will take place at 7 p.m. at the Southington Historical Center, 239 Main St. People are welcome to view in-person with others or receive the Zoom link.

Speaker Marian Burk Wood will present the program which provides free resources from throughout New York State to investigate ancestors’ lives and family history context. Wood is the author of the genealogy book, “Planning a Future for Your Family’s Past,” and a long-time blogger about family history methodology and issues. She takes special interest in researching, preserving and sharing family history for the sake of future generations.

The Southington Genealogical Society Inc., founded in 1984, is a nonprofit organization that promotes the accurate recording, research and preservation of family history. The organization meets monthly on the fourth Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Southington Historical Society. To receive the link for the virtual programs, email southingtongenealogicalsociety@gmail.com.