The Great America Show - April 21, 2025


Monday Update： April 21, 2025


Episode Stats

Length

5 minutes

Words per Minute

173.14465

Word Count

934

Sentence Count

48

Hate Speech Sentences

1


Summary

The death of Pope Francis has begun the process of choosing a new pontiff. Israel is willing to ignore President Trump and proceed with a largely targeted strike on Iran s nuclear facilities, and a woman is robbed in Washington, D.C.


Transcript

00:00:00.000 Hello, everybody. I'm John Fawcett with this Great America Show midday update for Monday, April 21st.
00:00:04.900 Happy Monday, folks. I hope you all had a great weekend, a great Easter weekend, and your weeks are off to a great start.
00:00:10.580 Billions around the world this morning, mourning the loss of Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, December 1936,
00:00:18.840 passed away this morning at the age of 88.
00:00:21.720 Pope Francis having numerous medical conditions over the last year or so, succumbing to those injuries earlier this morning.
00:00:30.900 Pope Francis served for just over 12 years as the Pope of the Catholic Church.
00:00:37.060 The process now begins to find his successor.
00:00:40.960 Now, the death of the Pope starts a centuries-old ritual involving sacred oaths by cardinals electing a successor,
00:00:47.120 the piercing of the ballots with a needle and a thread after they're counted,
00:00:51.560 and then burning them to produce either white or black smoke to signal
00:00:55.480 if the new leader for the world's 1.3 billion Catholics has been chosen.
00:01:01.260 The election itself is shrouded in secrecy with cardinals forbidden from communicating with the outside world
00:01:06.320 with what happened voting in conclave behind the frescoed walls of the Sistine Chapel.
00:01:11.800 Now, I must say, as a product of Catholic schools and the Catholic Church myself,
00:01:14.980 it is a truly fascinating process, regardless if you're Catholic or Jewish or Muslim or Christian,
00:01:21.120 to watch this all play out.
00:01:23.160 So now you folks are probably wondering, who's in charge?
00:01:26.040 Well, after the Pope has died, the Camerolingo or the Chamberlain must certify the death and seal the papal apartment.
00:01:31.840 He runs the administrative and financial duties of the Holy See until the new Pope takes over.
00:01:37.000 The larger ceremonial job of the Camerolingo is currently led and held by Cardinal Kevin Farrell,
00:01:42.040 the Irish-born American head of the Vatican latency office, who has announced the death on Monday morning.
00:01:48.440 Nearly all the perfects of the Vatican office lose their jobs when the Pope dies,
00:01:52.960 but a few stay on, including the foreign minister and the master of ceremonies,
00:01:57.600 who plays a key role in assembling the conclave.
00:02:00.440 The dean of the College of Cardinals summon the cardinals for the funeral,
00:02:04.020 residing at the mass before the conclave begins.
00:02:06.560 That position is currently held by Cardinal Giovanni Battistri, the retired head of the Vatican office for bishops.
00:02:14.000 We'll keep you up to date here, folks, on The Great America Show as the process plays out
00:02:17.480 and as we get any updates as to what's going on.
00:02:20.880 Now let's turn to some news of the day.
00:02:23.280 Israel is willing to ignore President Trump and proceed with a largely targeted strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.
00:02:29.760 According to sources from Reuters, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is willing to disregard Trump's preference not to strike Iran
00:02:36.580 and instead focus on diplomatic routes for blocking Iran's nuclear program.
00:02:41.660 Over the past few months, Israel has proposed to the Trump administration a series of options
00:02:45.620 to attack Iran's facilities, including some in the late summer and spring of this year.
00:02:51.120 These plans include a mix of airstrikes and commando operations of varying severity
00:02:55.620 and could set back Tehran's ability to weaponize its nuclear program by just months or even a year, the sources say.
00:03:02.600 New York Times reporting this week that Trump told Netanyahu in a White House meeting earlier this month
00:03:07.140 that Washington wanted to prioritize diplomatic talks with Tehran
00:03:10.660 and that he was unwilling to support a strike on the country's nuclear facilities in the short term.
00:03:17.440 But Israeli officials now believe that their military could instead launch a limited strike on Iran
00:03:23.160 that would require less U.S. support.
00:03:26.360 Such an attack would be significantly smaller than those that Israel had originally proposed.
00:03:32.820 DHS Chief Kristi Noem in the news today.
00:03:36.360 Kristi Noem was apparently robbed by a masked man in Washington, D.C.
00:03:40.800 Kristi Noem has Secret Service protection,
00:03:42.720 but a masked man was somehow able to snatch her purse while she dined at a restaurant on Sunday night.
00:03:48.840 Now, the thief made off with her purse, which included $3,000 in cash,
00:03:52.600 her passport, her DHS bag, and other vulnerables.
00:03:55.980 The Secret Service says they're investigating the incident.
00:03:59.320 Folks, we won't even get into how a man was able to get so close to the DHS chief.
00:04:05.460 Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is threatening to cut off approval and funding for construction projects in New York City.
00:04:13.680 The state's congestion pricing program continues after President Trump's administration deadline for it to end passed this Sunday.
00:04:21.680 Duffy sending a letter to New York Governor Kathy Hochul that marks a stem,
00:04:25.840 a warning of serious consequences if the program continues despite Trump's administration
00:04:30.320 having revoked the federal funding approval for it in February.
00:04:34.360 Now, he directed the New York State Department of Transportation to explain by May 21st
00:04:40.360 why the Federal Highway Administration, the FWHA, shouldn't take action to force compliance.
00:04:46.920 The program, which the Biden administration initially granted approval for in November,
00:04:50.700 implemented a $9 toll on cars entering Manhattan to reduce congestion on highways and, of course, air pollution.
00:04:57.960 Hochul originally planned a $15 toll before lowering it.
00:05:01.060 Folks, the war on the middle class, the war on the working class American in New York is alive and well.
00:05:07.760 Thanks to the Trump administration for standing up against these tyrants.
00:05:12.280 Folks, please be sure to join us today and each and every day for The Great America Show
00:05:15.540 and The Great America Show Midday Updates.
00:05:17.760 I'm John Fossett with this Midday Update.
00:05:19.880 Happy Monday, folks.
00:05:20.740 I hope your weeks all, all are amazing.