Eudaemonius posted a photo:

Eudaemonius posted a photo:

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Scanned vintage negative photo.

It wasn’t the first time he’d stayed in a hotel near the ruins and spent the day planning something big and sinister at the pyramids, something that in his mind resembled those school or church shootings so common in the United States. Last Sunday he did it again. He arrived by bus from the north of Mexico City, rented a room in a nearby hotel, and on Monday morning entered the Teotihuacán archaeological site in the State of Mexico. For his big day, he chose to wear black pants and a plaid shirt. In his backpack, he put some sheets of paper on which he had handwritten what he was about to do with an old revolver and 42 rounds of .38 caliber ammunition.

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Aldeas, The Final Dream of Pope Francis is being screened to commemorate the first anniversary of Francis’s death

Martin Scorsese’s documentary about Pope Francis is to have its world premiere in the Vatican today as one of a set of events commemorating the first anniversary of Francis’s death.

The screening of the film, titled Aldeas, The Final Dream of Pope Francis, is being staged by Scholas Occurrentes, an international organisation aiming to “to encourage social integration ‎and the culture of encounter through sports, arts and technology”, which was set up in Argentina by Francis in 2001 while he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and made into a foundation when he became pope in 2013.

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© Photograph: Divisione Produzione Fotografica/Vatican Media

© Photograph: Divisione Produzione Fotografica/Vatican Media

© Photograph: Divisione Produzione Fotografica/Vatican Media

Somehow, my calendar has gone from slow winter evenings to fully booked days—work plans, dinners, workouts, and a to-do list that never really ends. I’m not complaining (it’s all things I love), but it does mean I need dinners that can keep up.

I’ve never been a meal-prep person, but I do rely on a few simple components that I can make ahead and use throughout the week. Enter: these crispy baked black bean tacos. They come together fast, feel satisfying, and hinge on a smashed black bean filling you can prep in advance and turn into dinner in minutes. (Win. Win. Win.)

Ingredients for Crispy Black Bean Tacos

The beauty of these tacos is that they rely on ingredients you probably already have—or can grab in one quick trip. Nothing complicated, just a handful of pantry staples that alchemize into something far more satisfying than they should be. Work smarter, not harder, folks!

• Onion. Adds a subtle sweetness as it cooks down and builds the base of flavor.
• Garlic. For depth. Optional, but is garlic ever really optional?
• Tomato paste. A small amount goes a long way in adding richness and that savory, slow-cooked flavor.
• Chipotle in adobo. Smoky, a little spicy, and what makes these taste like more than just beans.
• Taco seasoning. You could pull individual spices, but this is my favorite shortcut.
• Salsa. Another shortcut that works. It adds flavor, texture, and saves you from extra chopping.
• Black beans. The base of it all. Pinto or kidney beans work too, but black beans hold up best here.
• Cheese. Go for something that melts well and has a little sharpness.
• Tortillas. I usually reach for flour, but corn works just as well—use what you love.

How to Prepare These Crispy Baked Black Bean Tacos

The best part of this recipe is that the filling can be made days in advance. When you’re ready to eat, all that’s left is assembling and crisping the tacos. The black bean filling is deeply savory and smoky, and honestly works far beyond tacos. Use it for nachos, grain bowls, or anything that needs a little extra substance during the week.

Build Flavor First (It Matters)

This is where the magic happens. Trust me, it’s worth taking a few extra minutes here.

• Start with the onions. Cook them until soft and just golden. This adds a subtle sweetness and gives the filling that cooked-all-day flavor.
• Cook the tomato paste. Let it deepen to a brick red before moving on. This removes any sharpness and adds richness.
• Bloom the spices. Stir them into the aromatics and let them get fragrant. It’s a small step that makes a big difference.

Get the Texture Right

The goal: thick, scoopable, and not watery (so your tacos stay crisp).

• Use the bean liquid. Add the beans with their liquid—it keeps everything creamy without needing anything extra.
• Mash as you go. Use the back of a spoon to smash the beans in the pan. Cook until the mixture thickens and the excess liquid cooks off.

Assemble + Crisp

• Layer strategically. Add cheese to the edges of the tortilla so it crisps directly against the pan.
• Don’t skip the second layer of cheese. Once cooked, open the tacos slightly and add a bit more cheese. Let it melt slowly for that perfect finish.

How to Get Them Extra Crispy

• Let the pan do the work. Don’t move the tacos around too much. Give them time to sit and develop that golden, crispy edge.
• Cheese goes on the edges. Let a little cheese spill out onto the pan—it crisps up and creates that perfect, lacy texture.
• Don’t overcrowd the pan. Cook in batches if you need to. Too many tacos at once = steam, not crisp.

What to Serve with These Crispy Baked Black Bean Tacos

These tacos absolutely hold their own, but if you’re making a night of it, this is where it gets fun. Think: a simple taco bar with a few really good sides.

• Guacamole. You can’t go wrong here. Keep your guac classic, or go for something a little more interesting, like this Indian street corn-inspired version.
• Avocado crema. My go-to recipe. It’s smooth, bright, and makes everything taste better.
• Salsa. If you’re not making your own, a really good store-bought option is more than enough.
• Corn salad or chopped salad. Something crisp and fresh to offset the richness and bring everything together.

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The post For a Simple Weeknight Dinner, Try These Crispy Black Bean Tacos appeared first on Camille Styles.

Images of tourists cowering under the fire of a gunman atop the Pyramid of the Moon at the Teotihuacán archaeological site have dealt a severe blow to Mexico’s international image as a safe destination in a year when the country, a co-host for the tournament, expects to receive five million visitors for the World Cup alone. A Canadian woman was killed in the attack, and seven others were wounded by gunfire — two of them children aged six and 13. Six more people suffered injuries while fleeing. All were foreigners. The assailant, who was carrying a backpack with ammunition and a knife, shot himself at the scene.

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Catholics around Atlanta share mixed feelings on faith and politics as Trump engages in rhetorical war with pope

Alex Sullivan tended to his five children on the lawn after a traditional Latin mass at the Catholic church of Saint Monica in Duluth, Georgia, and contemplated his faith in the light of God and the shadow of Donald Trump.

Sullivan, a self-described conservative who once staffed a libertarian state representative at the Georgia capitol, described his faith as almost medieval.

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© Composite: AP/Shutterstock

© Composite: AP/Shutterstock

© Composite: AP/Shutterstock

Actor who worked with the great French auteurs in the 1970s and 80s and starred in Spielberg’s Catch Me if You Can died of Lewy body dementia, says family

The French film star Nathalie Baye, who starred in a string of highly regarded French films as well as Steven Spielberg’s Catch Me If You Can, has died at the age of 77, her family said on Saturday.

Baye, a stalwart of France’s domestic cinema, starred in about 80 films and took home the best actress César, France’s equivalent of the Oscars, four times, including three years running from 1981 to 1983. She died on Friday evening at her home in Paris from Lewy body dementia, her family told AFP.

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© Photograph: Laurent VU/SIPA/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Laurent VU/SIPA/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Laurent VU/SIPA/Shutterstock

Statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

The terror seemed endless. But the clock only registered 10 minutes. Between 7:30 and 7:40 a.m. on Tuesday, everything changed at the Antón Makarenko high school in Michoacán. In those 10 minutes, the lives of teachers María del Rosario and Tatiana were taken by the roar of 14 gunshots. In that brief moment, Osmer H, just 15 years old, fulfilled the threat he had made hours earlier in a video on social media, with a rifle in his hand and images linked to the extremist and misogynistic incel movement: “Today is the day.”

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© @vodka.om

In an unexpected move, the Cuban Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday night that the Cuban government would release 51 prisoners in the coming days “in the spirit of goodwill”. 

According to the Cuban government the decision, described as “sovereign” in the statement, was taken as a result of its “close relationship” with the Vatican, suggesting that the Holy See had a significant part to play in the prisoner release.

The prisoner release comes amidst severe tensions between Cuba and the U.S. as Washington continues its campaign of economic pressure to try to force regime change on the island. 

Although the Cuban government denies that its decisions are influenced by U.S. economic pressure, the release could be a sign of its willingness to make concessions in order to de-escalate tensions with Washington, which often criticizes its arbitrary detention of political prisoners.  

The Cuban government did not specify who it would release, but said that the prisoners selected “have all served a significant part of their sentence and have maintained good conduct in prison”. 

This is not the first time that Havana has released prisoners to soften relations with Washington. In early 2025 the Cuban government granted over 500 prisoners early release in accordance with the terms of a deal between the Miguel Díaz-Canel and Joe Biden administrations.

In return, Biden removed Cuba from the U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism just days before his term ended. Cuba was, however, redesignated a state sponsor of terrorism immediately after Donald Trump came to power; the prisoners were released regardless. 

The 2025 deal was also brokered by the Vatican, highlighting the traditional importance of the papal state as a mediator between the two nations. 

The Vatican appears to have adopted this role of interlocutor again, as Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin stated earlier this week that the “necessary steps” had been taken to ensure a “negotiated solution” between the two adversaries. 

In the context of current tensions, Pope Leo XIV called for Cuba and the U.S. to engage in “sincere dialogue” to “avoid violence” in early February and recently held talks with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla. 

The top U.S. diplomat in Cuba – Chief of Mission Mike Hammer – also met with a representative of the Holy See to discuss the “deteriorating situation in Cuba”. 

Read more: Cuba, U.S. reportedly “talking” as Pope calls for de-escalation of tensions

“Historically, [the Vatican’s role] has been important because in Cuba the Catholic Church has remained a presence more than in most other communist countries, certainly more than in [Soviet] Russia,” Professor Massimo Faggioli, a professor of ecclesiology at Trinity College Dublin and a Vatican specialist, told Latin America Reports 

Although that “history of coexistence” has been “difficult” – religious celebrations were once banned on the island and the Cuban Communist Party seized Church property after coming to power – the Church’s continued existence in Cuba has meant that “all popes since John Paul II have had some kind of relationship with the Cuban leadership, to the dismay of the Americans”.

That relationship has become more important as the Vatican now, according to the Professor, perceives “a clearer threat” on the part of the United States “to do something about Cuba” and its communist regime in the wake of the Venezuelan and Iranian operations.

The Vatican’s “traditional approach to international relations … based on multilateralism, on the role of international organizations, on the rule of law” means that the Holy See finds itself “at odds” with the current American policy of potentially destabilizing unilateral regime change operations. This, in turn, has led it to push “to prevent the escalation” of the U.S.-Cuba tensions into a military conflict, Faggioli argued.  

The Vatican has historically been successful in mediating difficult negotiations between adversaries, the ecclesiologist pointed out, because their representatives engage in diplomacy as a “service to the Church” borne from faith and therefore tend to be less career-oriented.

Furthermore, the Vatican’s experience in mediating conflicts worldwide means “there is a treasure of knowledge and of relationships and of connections”  within the papal diplomatic corps, which operates “in every part of the world”.  

Although Faggioli suggested that some senior figures in the American administration – such as the Catholic Marco Rubio and Trump himself – may not be the most amenable to the Vatican’s overtures, he also recognized that “there are some voices in the U.S. Department of State that are more cautious than … [those] in the cabinet of Donald Trump” and might represent “different views when they talk with the Vatican”. 

With today’s official confirmation of ongoing Cuba-U.S. negotiations by Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, perhaps the Vatican will be called upon to act as intermediary between the two adversaries once again. 

Featured Image: The current Pope Leo XIV. He is the first American-born Pope and has called for de-escalation between his country of birth and Cuba. 

Image Credit: Edgar Beltrán via Wikimedia Commons

License: Creative Commons Licenses

The post Cuban government pledges to release 51 prisoners after talks with Vatican appeared first on Latin America Reports.