Gotta keep it short today. (You’re welcome.) But there’s plenty to make up for it on today’s very lively BradCast. [Audio link to full show follows this summary.]
Among our coverage…
- Habemus Papam! And all signs are that Pope Leo XIV may be a good one…even if he’s from Chicago.
- Happily, the new Pope tossed Donald Trump‘s dumb, first and only, but not-actually-done trade deal with U.K. right off today’s front pages. But, suffice to say, it ain’t much of a deal anyway, done or otherwise. At least not for the U.S.
- Speaking of deals from the world’s greatest (read: worst) negotiator, the one that Trump struck last week with Ukraine, to share some profits from exploitation of rare earth minerals in the war-torn nation in exchange for our continuing support, actually is a good deal! Especially for Ukraine, which seems to have outfoxed Trump. (Which apparently isn’t all that difficult.)
- In other dumb Trump trade news, California Governor Gavin Newsom and U.S. Senator Adam Schiff — not to mention film and TV producers and unions, etc. — are calling Trump’s weekend bluff, when he claimed to want to save the U.S. film industry. He declared an unworkable, potentially industry-crushing 100% tariff on all films “produced in Foreign Lands”. The serious people, however, want to see federal tax credits to encourage more production in the U.S. So, does Donny really want to keep the industry from “DYING a very fast death”, as he claimed? If so, his Democratic friends in California have an actual solution. (Don’t hold your breath he’ll take it.)
- Arizona‘s two-time statewide loser and election fraud fraudster Kari Lake has a new job with the Trump Administration. She’s helping him shut down the world-revered Voice of America news and culture outlet and its global sister networks, despite the Congressionally-mandated and funded outlets’ charter to produce accurate and unbiased news and cultural programming — particularly in regions where a free press is restricted. VOA has done exactly that for the past 83-years since WWII, until being silenced by the Trump Administration. As lawsuits filed by VOA journalists, unions and contractors move forward to reopen the networks, Lake announced this week that she plans to replace the programming with far-right wingnut propaganda produced by the loons at the One America News Network (OAN). Which would, of course, be against the law.
- Finally, Desi Doyen is here with some alarming news that came in after we’d already laid down today’s Green News Report. We close today’s program with both…
The BradCast
with Brad Friedman
5/8/2025
Blowing Smoke. At the Vatican and White House: ‘BradCast’ 5/8/2025 | We have a new Pope; Trump's pretend deals; Rightwing propaganda set to replace Voice of America?; And other disasters of the moment... · · · · · Blowing Smoke. At the Vatican and White House: ‘BradCast’ 5/8/2025 | We have a new Pope; Trump's pretend deals; Rightwing propaganda set to replace Voice of America?; And other disasters of the moment...
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A truly great pope would order the immediate mass-exorcism of all Magas in the US.
Maga heads would be spinning all over the country, splattering pea-soup over their families, and growling with hostile, unearthly knowledge —- “Your mother wore combat boots!”, “I voted for Obama in 2008!” etc etc
OK, I’m probably hoping for too much.
DonL –
They’re kinda doing that in response to the new Pope. Check out their reactions on Twitter. It’s nuts.
(UPDATE: Here’s a quick summary.)
DonL, Brad:
Some of them held their own conclave with a winner, a prophet of boom profits for the worthy, or else (The Times Are/Not A’changin’ – 2).