Friedrich Merz had a rough day after losing the first round of what is usually a ceremonial vote to pick a new chancellor before clenching the vote in the second round. Israel is choosing to block aid from getting into Gaza and upend humanitarian organizations in the process. And the Romanian elections, which are happening for a second time after the first ones were cancelled, saw the leader of the far right take the biggest slice, but a second round is on its way.

Then, in Have You Heard Headlines, Erin & Jake break down the rest of the week's headlines to keep you in the know about what is happening in the rest of the world.

This podcast turns into an article summary at each week's episode over on Substack. We'd love for you to subscribe! You can also follow us on Instagram (@staywithmeherepod), Facebook, or Bluesky (@swmhpod.bsky.social).

Stay With Me Here is an independent project, and all views and opinions expressed in this show, and in this writeup, represent our personal views and not that of any organization we’re affiliated with.

Erin Flanagan is a former U.S. Coast Guard intelligence officer and Agence France-Presse digital investigations journalist.

Jacob Shropshire is an editorial intern at Worldcrunch and the managing editor of Peacock Media at the American University of Paris. He spent two years working for Democratic political campaigns in the U.S.

Liam Kuhns provided editing assistance for the podcast.

Pope Francis died on Monday at the age of 88, and his legacy was one of humble modesty and moderation of the church. Harvard takes on the Trump administration in court to challenge executive overreach. And Canada gears up for national elections, with the Liberal party showing up for a tighter race than was expected.

Then, in Have You Heard headlines, Erin & Jake break down the rest of the week's headlines to keep you in the know about what is happening in the rest of the world.

This podcast turns into an article summary at each week's episode over on Substack. We'd love for you to subscribe! You can also follow us on Instagram (@staywithmeherepod), Facebook, or Bluesky (@swmhpod.bsky.social).

Stay With Me Here is an independent project, and all views and opinions expressed in this show, and in this writeup, represent our personal views and not that of any organization we’re affiliated with.

Erin Flanagan is a former U.S. Coast Guard intelligence officer and Agence France-Presse digital investigations journalist.

Jacob Shropshire is an editorial intern at Worldcrunch and the managing editor of Peacock Media at the American University of Paris. He spent two years working for Democratic political campaigns in the U.S.

Liam Kuhns provided editing assistance for the podcast.

In recent weeks, several men have been sent from the U.S. to El Salvador’s CECOT prison without due process. The prison functions more as a torture facility, with prisoners kept malnourished, isolated, and as far as we can tell, no one has ever come out alive. Among them is Andrys, a gay makeup artist deported after seeking asylum in the U.S. due to tattoos that read “Mom” and “Dad.” The case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia stands out: he fled gang violence, lived legally in Maryland with his American wife and child, and was deported even after a judge acknowledged the danger he faced and ordered him to be protected in the U.S. Though the conservative Supreme Court unanimously ruled he must be returned, the White House has said it cannot act for the El Salvador government, despite the fact that Trump met with El Salvador’s president just yesterday. Lawyers continue to fight, but experts say legal options are nearly gone, so political pressure is what's left.

You can go to congress.gov/contact-us to find out how to get in touch with your members of congress, and let them know that what’s going on in El Salvador is simply unacceptable.