On the night he was elected, Pope Francis declined a ride in the papal limousine and took a bus with the other cardinals back to the hotel he had been staying at before the conclave. When he checked out, he insisted on paying his bill. He chose not to live in the Vatican Palace and instead resided in the Vatican guest house. During his first trip abroad, Francis denounced the "globalization of indifference" around migrants. He was known for his humility and concern for the poor. In the first speech by a pope at the US Capitol, Francis focused on climate change, immigration, and poverty reduction. He famously stated that, "those who build walls will become prisoners of the walls they put up." In the other words, he was in many ways the yin to the yang of Trumpism, and the noxious stench of authoritarianism that is engulfing America and the world. I'm not an expert on religion and I'm certainly no expert on popes. But Francis was a leader who moved his organization in the direction of decency at a moment in history when doing so was going decidedly against the grain. The big question now is whether the Church will elect a new pope that carries on in that direction, or one who follows the demands of so many of Francis's detractors, including those among America's right wing, who want to reverse course, and essentially make Vatican City great again. NYT (Gift Article): "Pope Francis, who rose from modest means in Argentina to become the first Jesuit and Latin American pontiff, who clashed bitterly with traditionalists in his push for a more inclusive Roman Catholic Church, and who spoke out tirelessly for migrants, the marginalized and the health of the planet, died on Monday at the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. He was 88." 2Trump StakesA new week brings more pain to the markets. Trump called Fed Chair Jerome Powell 'a major loser,' a move that spooked investors and damaged the dollar (which is becoming less almighty by the day). "Perhaps more worryingly, the value of the U.S. dollar also sank as a retreat continues from U.S. markets. It’s an unusual move because the dollar has historically strengthened during past episodes of nervousness. But this time around, it’s policies directly from Washington that are causing the fear and potentially weakening the dollar’s reputation as a pillar of the global economy." Wall Street and the dollar tumble as investors retreat further from the United States. 3The Russell Index"A self-described 'boring budget guy,' he’s best known for co-authoring the 900-page policy playbook of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, which has become something of a bible for Trump’s second term. Vought’s think tank, the Center for Renewing America, has produced numerous policy papers that advocate for such Trump fixations as the annexation of Greenland ('a prudent aim,' according to a CRA paper) and enacting broad tariffs ('just as sometimes a nation must go to war with guns and bombs, so sometimes are trade wars necessary'), among others. At the center of Vought’s ideology is the unitary executive theory, which critics say amounts to an argument that Trump should have wide latitude to do whatever he wants." The always interesting Max Chafkin in Bloomberg (Gift Article) on The Architect: Behind Trump’s imperial presidency (and Elon), there’s Russell Vought. 4Dine KampfA little more than a week ago, Bill Maher shared the details of his friendly dinner with Donald Trump. To some, his description sounded a bit like a fiddle reporting on what it feels like to be played. Larry David has offered his retort in the form an NYT(Gift) Op-ed: My Dinner With Adolf. "I joked that I was surprised to see him in a tan suit because if he wore that out, it would be perceived as un-Führer-like. That amused him to no end, and I realized I’d never seen him laugh before. Suddenly he seemed so human. Here I was, prepared to meet Hitler, the one I’d seen and heard — the public Hitler. But this private Hitler was a completely different animal. And oddly enough, this one seemed more authentic, like this was the real Hitler. The whole thing had my head spinning." (Heil have what she's having.) 5Extra, ExtraSignal Crossed: "The previously unreported existence of a second Signal chat in which Mr. Hegseth shared highly sensitive military information is the latest in a series of developments that have put his management and judgment under scrutiny." Hegseth Said to Have Shared Attack Details in Second Signal Chat. Politico: Former Top Pentagon Spokesperson Details ‘Month From Hell’ Inside the Agency. (Reminder: This job couldn't be more important and Hegseth couldn't have been more unqualified for it, yet the Senate confirmed him.) 6Bottom of the News"A Michigan man who ended up waist-deep on an unstable beach was rescued, and found himself in a relationship." NYT (Gift Article): Man Sinks in Quicksand and Emerges With a Girlfriend. (At least he wasn't being misleading about his future prospects...)
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