Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi as the new Archivist and Librarian of the Holy Roman Church. The announcement, made on March 28, follows the retirement of Archbishop Angelo Vincenzo Zani, who recently turned 75 after three years in the role.

This appointment entrusts Archbishop Pagazzi with the stewardship of the Vatican Apostolic Archive and the Vatican Library—two of the most prestigious institutions preserving centuries of Church history, theological scholarship, and cultural heritage. His academic background and deep engagement in theological studies signal a continued commitment to the intellectual and educational mission of the Church.

Born in Crema, Italy, on June 8, 1965, Giovanni Cesare Pagazzi was ordained a priest on June 23, 1990. His early ministry included serving as a parish vicar in Lodi before pursuing advanced theological studies. He earned his licentiate and doctorate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, establishing himself as a distinguished scholar.

Over the years, Archbishop Pagazzi has held teaching positions at various academic institutions and played a pivotal role at the Higher Institute of Religious Sciences «Sant’Agostino,» serving dioceses including Crema, Cremona, Lodi, Pavia, and Vigevano. His expertise in ecclesiology and family studies led to his appointment as a full professor at the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for the Sciences of Marriage and Family in Rome, where he also coordinated research initiatives.

His leadership and theological acumen caught the attention of Pope Francis, who appointed him Secretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education on September 26, 2022. In recognition of his contributions, the Pope elevated him to the rank of archbishop in November 2023, assigning him the titular see of Belcastro. Archbishop Pagazzi received episcopal ordination on February 10, 2024, from Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Culture and Education.

Now, as the Vatican’s chief custodian of its vast archives and library, Archbishop Pagazzi steps into a role that bridges the Church’s past and future. His task will be to safeguard invaluable historical documents while ensuring they remain accessible to scholars and researchers worldwide.

The Vatican Library and Archives hold some of the most precious manuscripts and records in the world, spanning centuries of Church history, diplomacy, and theological thought. The role of the Archivist and Librarian of the Holy Roman Church is not merely custodial but deeply intertwined with the Church’s mission to preserve and disseminate knowledge.

Given his background in theology, education, and family studies, Archbishop Pagazzi’s appointment suggests a continuity of Pope Francis’ vision—one that emphasizes intellectual depth, cultural engagement, and a commitment to making the Church’s historical and theological treasures more widely available.

Non-paying Gemini users can now play around with Google’s newest model, the experimental version of Gemini 2.5 Pro. The company announced this weekend that it’s making Gemini 2.5 Pro (experimental) free for everyone to use, albeit with tighter rate limits for non-subscribers. Google introduced Gemini 2.5 Pro just last week, touting it as its “most intelligent AI model” yet, and rolled it out to Gemini Advanced users first. It’s available now in Google AI Studio and the Gemini app.

While free users can now try it out too, Google added that “Gemini Advanced users have expanded access and a significantly larger context window.” Gemini 2.5 Pro (experimental) is the first of Google’s Gemini 2.5 “thinking” models, which are said to deliver more accurate results through reasoning. In a blog post, the company explained that this “refers to its ability to analyze information, draw logical conclusions, incorporate context and nuance, and make informed decisions.”

The Knox County (Tennessee) Regional Forensic Center said remains found in North Knoxville in 2022 have been identified.

Officials said the remains were found on Aug. 16, 2022 in a wooded area of North Knoxville near Fourth and Gill.

After an examination, it was determined the remains belonged to a white woman estimated to be 4′10″ to 5′5″ tall and between 30 and 50 years old.

The forensic center then partnered with Othram, a company that specializes in cold cases through DNA analysis and traditional genealogy, in March 2023 to help identify the remains through Forensic Genetic Genealogy.

After a thorough investigation, the remains were identified to be Erin C. Callahan, from Knoxville.

“The Knox County Regional Forensic Center is grateful for its hardworking team that doesn’t quit working for the unidentified,” said Chris Thomas, the center’s chief administrative officer. “We want the families to have closure.

The Harrison County Genealogical Society, along with the Clarksburg History Museum, is offering county high school seniors the chance to win a $1,000 scholarship towards their future education.

In order to be awarded the scholarship, students who plan on attending college, technical school or trade school must fill out an application and write a 500 word essay on their family genealogy. However, if a student includes a pedigree chart (or family tree) a 400 word essay will be accepted.

The deadline to submit the application and essay is April 30, and the winner will be announced in May with a presentation at the Clarksburg History Museum.

Applications can be found at your local Harrison County high school. For more information, you can call Marsha Viglianco at 304-844-4397, or Roger House at 304-203-3316.

23andMe, a standard-bearer for the at-home health movement, announced on March 23 that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to facilitate a sale, prompting many of its 15 million customers to wonder: What happens to my genetic data now?

Privacy advocates and two state attorneys general have urged Americans to delete their data on the service, even as 23andMe said the bankr uptcy won’t change how it handles user data.

It’s unclear what’s next for 23andMe, but experts say there’s a big incentive for corporations and researchers alike to get their hands on the company’s trove of genetic data.

Genetics can reveal a lot about a person, from their health predispositions to their food preferences, offering a rare glimpse into details about a person and their family for generations to come. Despite possible privacy issues, genetic data offers huge potential for everything from medical research to advertising.

“Genetic data is permanent and unique,” said Katie Hasson, associate director for the Center for Genetics and Society. “It could reveal information about people who don’t exist until many years from now.”

23andMe says on its website that any buyer must comply with laws around handling customer data. The company plans to continue selling kits and offering subscriptions.

Gideon Nave, an associate professor of marketing for the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, told CNN that any company looking to personalize their products or advertising would find such data highly useful.

For example, genetics can be linked to certain taste preferences in food. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and Human Technopole, Milan found that hundreds of genetic variants were tied to likings of specific foods.

Nave, who co-authored a paper on the potential uses of genetic data in marketing, said genetic data can be more telling than what’s in your grocery cart since the purchased items could be for someone else.

“In some cases, genetic data is more informative than even what people say that they eat,” he said.

The most obvious use for genetic data is discovering one’s health predispositions; 23andMe offers a subscription that shows whether a person’s DNA is associated with a likelihood for certain diseases, such as Type 2 diabetes or celiac disease. That’s why this type of data could also be helpful for healthcare research and developing personalized medicine, Nave said.

There’s also promise in combining genetic information with clinical data to make more accurate diagnoses, according to Vasant Dhar, a professor of business and data science at New York University’s Stern School of Business. That’s why he believes 23andMe’s bidders will most likely be interested in using the data for health and medical research.

“Doctors (are) guessing. They’re following rules. They’re doing tests and they’re trying to figure out what’s wrong with you,” Dhar said. “But you know, a lot of the diseases have very similar symptoms.”

That also raises the question of whether genetic data could be used elsewhere in the healthcare industry. The Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act prevents genetic information from being used for discrimination in health insurance coverage or employment.

But there aren’t many rules or restrictions in place to prevent genetic discrimination in other scenarios, such as disability insurance, according to Hasson. The use of online genetic databases by law enforcement has also raised concerns about personal privacy rights.

A 23andMe sale wouldn’t be the first time a genetic testing firm has sold itself in recent years; private equity firm Blackstone acquired Ancestry.com in 2020.

But since genetic data doesn’t have an expiration date, companies could use it well into the future, even if it’s not being used now, Hasson said. If genetic data were to ever be used in advertising, Nave worries it could potentially be used to target consumers based on certain health traits — possibly ones they’re not even aware of.

“One of the dark sides of this space is that with genetics, people know a hell of a lot about you,” said Dhar. “And, yeah, they could exploit that.”

A fragile 13th century manuscript fragment, hidden in plain sight as the binding of a 16th-century archival register, has been discovered in Cambridge and revealed to contain rare medieval stories of Merlin and King Arthur.

The manuscript, first discovered at Cambridge University Libraryin 2019, has now been identified as part of the Suite Vulgate du Merlin, a French-language sequel to the legend of King Arthur. The story was part of the Lancelot-Grail cycle, a medieval best seller but few now remain.

There are less than 40 surviving manuscripts of the Suite Vulgate du Merlin, with each one unique since they were individually handwritten by medieval scribes. This latest discovery has been identified as having been written between 1275 and 1315.

The manuscript had survived the centuries after being recycled and repurposed in the 1500s as the cover for a property record from Huntingfield Manor in Suffolk, owned by the Vanneck family of Heveningham. 

It meant the remarkable discovery was folded, torn, and even stitched into the binding of the book - making it almost impossible for Cambridge experts to access it, read it, or confirm its origins.

What followed the discovery has been a ground-breaking collaborative project, showcasing the work of the University Library’s Cultural Heritage Imaging Laboratory (CHIL) and combining historical scholarship with cutting-edge digital techniques, to unlock the manuscript's long-held secrets - without damaging the unique document. 

Dr Irène Fabry-Tehranchi, French Specialist in Collections and Academic Liaison at Cambridge University Library, was among those who first recognized the importance of the find. 

"It was first thought to be a 14th century story about Sir Gawain but further examination revealed it to be part of the Old French Vulgate Merlin sequel, a different and extremely significant Arthurian text."

As every manuscript of the period was copied by hand, it means each one is distinctive and reflects the variations introduced by medieval scribes. 

This one is believed to belong to the short version of the Vulgate Merlin, and small errors—such as the mistaken use of the name "Dorilas" instead of "Dodalis"— will help Dr Fabry-Tehranchi and her colleague Nathalie Koble (ENS Paris), to trace its lineage among surviving manuscripts. 

The text is written in Old French, the language of the court and aristocracy in medieval England following the Norman Conquest and this particular fragment belongs to the genre of Arthurian romances which were intended for a noble audience, including women. 

The second passage presents a more courtly scene, set on the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, with Merlin appearing at Arthur’s court disguised as a harpist—a moment that highlights his magical abilities and his importance as an advisor to the king.

Press Release · Friday, January 30, 1998

Washington, DC

More than seventy government records officers and interested members of the public turned out today for a wide-ranging discussion at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) of the problems of managing, preserving, and providing access to government records in electronic forms.

Electronic records such as e-mail, word-processing files, and digital databases pose special problems for archivists and records managers because of the ease with which such records can be deleted, the instability of the computer disks and tapes on which they are generated, and the rapid obsolescence of the software and hardware on which they can be read. Records managers are under pressure from two sides, participants noted, to deal with these problems. The Federal Government itself is wanting to do more of its business internally and with the public electronically. And the public is increasingly expecting to be able to access government records electronically.

Today’s meeting was the second public meeting of an Electronic Records Work Group formed last December by Archivist of the United States John Carlin. Charged by Mr. Carlin to "review issues relating to the creation, maintenance, and disposition of certain types of electronic information," the Work Group is focusing on what NARA calls General Records Schedule 20, which provides guidelines to federal agencies on the disposition of computer generated material. Noting that GRS-20 needs changing to be sure that programmatic records are protected, that schedules for the disposition of records are record-oriented rather than medium-oriented, and that records schedules are devised so that federal agencies can and will use them, Mr. Carlin requested a final report with an implementation plan from the Work Group by next September 30.

"We are delighted with the turnout at today’s meeting and the intensity of the discussion," declared Lewis Bellardo, deputy archivist of the United States, who joined the group’s project director, Michael Miller, in chairing the proceedings. "This is a clear indication of the seriousness with which government records managers are taking electronic records issues. Together we are making real progress."

The Work Group itself consists of seven NARA staff members and eight federal agency officers. Members were invited to participate in the Work Group not as representatives of agencies but as records professionals whose experience with automated information would be useful in the group’s deliberations. Also NARA lined up as outside consultants individuals whose expertise it wished to be sure of having available to the Work Group. And the Work Group has now welcomed input from others as well at two public meetings.

To encourage additional contributions, NARA has established a special Web site, where anyone can get on-line access to information about the Work Group’s activities, provide recommendations, and comment on products produced in the group’s deliberations. The Work Group’s internet address is www.archives.gov/records_management/policy_and_guidance/electronic_records_work_group.html. In addition, notices are published in the Federal Register to provide information about the activities and products of the Work Group to those members of the public without Internet access.

The following people are members of the Work Group:
FEDERAL AGENCY MEMBERS: Edward Barrese, records officer, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Maya Bernstein, Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, O.M.B.; Elizabeth Behal, departmental records officer, Department of Agriculture; Dan Hocking, computer scientist, Army Research Laboratory; Eleanor Melamed, Department of Energy; Chris Olsen, chief, Records Classification and Management Group, Office of Information Management, C.I.A.; Alan Proctor, Department of the Treasury; and Catherine Teti, director for records management and information policy, Office of Thrift Supervision.

NARA MEMBERS: Michael L. Miller, director, Modern Records Programs; Nancy Allard, Policy and Communications Staff; Miriam Nisbet, special counsel; Susan Sallaway, Information Resources Policy and Projects Division; and Ken Thibodeau, Mark Giguere, and Jean Keeting of Modern Records Programs.

NON-FEDERAL EXPERTS who have agreed to be consultants on the project are Rick Barry of Barry Associates, Luciana Duranti of the University of British Columbia, Bruce Evans of CRM/NS Ciber Consulting, Inc., Margaret Hedstrom of the University of Michigan, James Henderson of the Maine State Archives, Alan Kowlowitz of the New York State Archives and Records Administration, John McDonald of the National Archives of Canada, Charles Robb of the Kentucky Department for Library and Archives, and Robert Williams of Cohasset Associates.

For additional PRESS information, please contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff at (301) 837-1700 or by e-mail.

The case was cold for five decades before genetic genealogy experts at Ramapo College looked at DNA from a stocking cap left at the scene.

 A Minnesota man will spend the rest of his life behind bars after pleading "no contest" in court to killing a Minneapolis woman he picked up hitchhiking five decades ago. 

Jon Keith Miller was charged last November with first-degree intentional homicide for the killing of 25-year-old Mary Schlais. She was found dead in the town of Spring Brook, Wisconsin, on February 15, 1974. Miller was 33 at the time. 

The case was cold for five decades despite a stocking cap being left at the scene and a witness seeing Miller's car. The witness misremembered the car's color, leading Miller to believe he "got away with it." 

Miller spoke to KARE 11, admitting to reporter Lou Raguse he wanted to have sex with Schlais and stabbed her when she said no. He said he didn't know his stocking cap was left behind until officers investigating the case showed him a photo of it in 2024. In court Thursday, video was played by the prosecution where Miller told investigators that the photo he was being shown was of his cap. 

The cold case heated up when genetic genealogy experts at Ramapo College looked at DNA from that stocking cap. It's the same method that has been used to solve cold cases across the country since it was famously used to catch the Golden State Killer in 2018. 

Miller told Raguse he planned to plead guilty "because I know I am. Why go through all the mess?" he said. "Put me away for the rest of my life." 

In court on Thursday, Miller was given the opportunity to speak but chose not to. A portion of his interview with KARE 11 was played by the prosecution, when he said he didn't think of the murder much over the past 50 years. 

Schlais was a University of Minnesota honors graduate living in Minneapolis in 1974. She was hitchhiking to Chicago for an art show. Dunn County Sheriff Kevin Bygd said at the November press conference announcing the charges that back then it "wasn't that unusual to hitchhike from Minneapolis to Chicago. But stories like this are the reason we don't let our kids do that anymore."

Family members of Schlais were in court Thursday to watch the verdict. 

• Bankrupt 23andMe will be allowed to sell customers’ genetic data to other companies. The company claims its security measures surrounding the data will remain in place, but its privacy policy says it can change those procedures at any time. 23andMe customers do have a way to delete their genetic and ancestral data, however.

A U.S. bankruptcy judge ruled DNA-testing company 23andMe, which filed for bankruptcy Sunday,  has the right to sell customers’ medical and ancestry data to potential bidders. Offers will be due on May 7, and a final hearing will be held in June.

Once the hottest start-up in Silicon Valley, shares for the San Francisco-based company soared as much as 158% on Thursday. Investors see the sensitive data of 23andMe’s 15 million customers as the company’s most valuable asset.

After 23andMe set hurried deadlines for potential bidders, U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Brian C. Walsh later delayed those dates by two weeks to gratify his schedule as well as to allow creditors a chance to evaluate before the court arrives at a decision. 

While genetic data of 23andMe’s customers will be up for grabs, the company says security measures will remain in place surrounding customer data. The company will continue to be “transparent about the management of user data going forward, and data privacy will be an important consideration in any potential transaction,” board chairman Mark Jensen said in a statement. 

According to the company’s privacy policy, in a bankruptcy, merger, or acquisition, sensitive customer data will carry the same contingencies, but the policy also mentions that these procedures can be changed at will. 23andMe emphasized any potential bidders must agree to comply with the company’s security measures concerning customer data, according to its privacy policy.

“There’s health insurance companies that are interested in this data, there’s life insurance companies that are interested in this data,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta told ABC News7 earlier this week.

How to delete your data

While 23andMe claims user data will remain protected, the company also allows users to wipe their data from the platform. Here’s how to do it.

Once logged into your account, toggle over to the “Settings” portion of your profile. Find the “23andMe” data section located at the bottom of the page, then click “view.” Users can opt to download their data at this stage. Then, users can scroll to the “Delete Data” section and select the “Permanently Delete Data” option. 23andMe will make users confirm their request via email, and once more through a link. 

Customers who have chosen to have saliva samples preserved by 23andMe previously can request they be discarded via the settings page under “Preferences.” Additionally, if a user has allowed their data from 23andMe to be used by third-party researchers, they can withdraw their consent within the setting page under “Research and Product Consents.”