WorldWEIRD HOUR
Pope Leo Back at Work Days After Lung Surgery, First Images Out
Pope Leo began resuming his duties Friday after lung cancer surgery in Rome earlier this week, and the first images of him since offer reassurance on his health.

From the show
At a glance
- First reported by CBS News: “First images of Pope Leo after lung surgery give insight into his health, recovery”.
- Covered on BBN on Friday, October 16, 2026, at 11:19 PM ET on The Pile-On, by Hank Ledger, Kenji Moonfield and Chip Darnell.
- Topics: Pope Leo.
The real story
The reporting behind this segment. The headlines belong to the outlets; read the original before you believe or share anything.
What BBN said about it

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorPope Leo began resuming his duties today, and the first images since his lung cancer surgery earlier this week show him back at work.

Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentDays after surgery, and he's already back on the job.

Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentI called out sick Tuesday because my thumb felt weird, and I'm still not sure it recovered.

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorAnd look, I think this is the most inspiring thing I've seen since a gas station put a taco bar next to the lottery tickets.

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThe man gets up and goes to work!

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorA taco bar.

Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentLet me finish, though.

Kenji Moonfield · Internet & Trends CorrespondentEvery office in America just lost its best excuse, because nobody can say they need a week for a cold anymore without somebody pulling up this photo.

Chip Darnell · U.S. News AnchorThat's the beautiful part, Kenji. Soon the whole country shows up with a cough and a smile, and the free coffee is waiting.

Hank Ledger · Lead AnchorNobody is going to use a pope's surgery against a coworker's sniffle. We can all agree on that, and then we can go home.
From the archive: everything BBN aired on Friday, October 16, 2026 · the World archive · all months


