Everybody's closing tabbies for the weekend ...
WATCH: CNN's Harry Enten says he believes there's a "revolt" happening in the Democratic Party.
— Election Wizard (@ElectionWiz) April 25, 2025
pic.twitter.com/6zfQRFzami
Ed: There are other polling numbers for Republicans this week that don't look good either, but ... holy moly, that's bad. And that's among Democrat voters, too. Maybe Capitol Hill Democrats should start dialoguing with Trump to engage on policy rather than keep playing with La Résistance 2.0.
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George Santos, the former Republican congressman from New York whose outlandish fabrications and criminal schemes fueled an unforeseen rise and spectacular fall, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison on Friday.
His sentence will bring an end, or at least a pause, to a turbulent period in which Mr. Santos was catapulted from anonymity to political and pop cultural infamy, a national spotlight that, even when negative, he often relished more than rejected.
Ed: No surprise here, right? He pled guilty a year ago after his archipelago of lies about his life came crashing down. Some criticized House Republicans for expelling Santos before his trial, but this was such an obvious case of winning office by fraud that the House had to act.
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This is the last hour for people to pay their respects before the casket of #PopeFrancis. No one else is being allowed in line. The casket will be sealed during a prayer service this evening. pic.twitter.com/KTlB8mPD4f
— Catholic News Service Rome (@CatholicNewsSvc) April 25, 2025
Ed: As I mentioned earlier today, the funeral for Pope Francis will start at around 4 am ET tomorrow. Relevant Radio® will carry live coverage and commentary, and I suspect most news agencies will do the same on YouTube and their own platforms.
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When you’re in love, you are happy. Your happiness shows. It is so important that the next pope radiate something like joy—the joy of knowing there is a God and he is good and he is always with us. Let the world look and think, “He seems happy. He must know something.” Really, they should drop the stricken look.
The coming conclave should keep in mind St. Philip Neri, patron saint of joy, sometimes called even the patron saint of laughing. Born in Florence in the 16th century, lived in Rome. A scholar and poet who studied philosophy, became a priest, founded great holy communities, fought Rome’s corruption but always with good cheer. He loved the arts, loved music. The prostitutes and street urchins to whom he ministered loved him; it wasn’t enough he converted them, he took them for picnics on the lawns of the rich and had musicians play. Rome’s royalty and elites cared for him too. His general approach: leave outward, worldly things alone, reform your own heart, this, heart by heart, leads to external reforms. He kept a distance from ecclesiastical controversies yet was somehow a force in their resolution.
Ed: Not a bad model for a modern pontiff, I agree. But I think that this has to be combined -- as Peggy Noonan also writes -- with a more scholarly approach to proclaiming and defending the teachings of the Church. That's only to prevent more confusion and misunderstandings for the faithful, and I'd bet that the cardinal-electors will be thinking about that as well.
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Even before the death of Pope Francis, we had arranged to be in Rome for a pilgrimage for the Jubilee. One of the big marks of the Holy Year is the entrance through the Holy Door at the four main Basilicas in Rome. When we pass through the door, it’s as if we’re accepting the… pic.twitter.com/IahnkKofSV
— Cardinal Dolan (@CardinalDolan) April 25, 2025
Ed: I have always appreciated Cardinal Dolan's openness and joyful demeanor. I actually met him in person at the airport in Rome on my flight back from the 2014 Synod on the Family. He's as friendly in person as he is on screen. But of course, we were both pretty occupied with the logistics of travel, too.
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The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced the reversal of a Biden-era policy that gave legal immunity to the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa).
In a letter to Analisa Torres, the judge presiding over a case in New. York against Unrwa, the DOJ withdrew its provision for legal immunity and even suggested that the agency had been founded unlawfully.
Ed: Release the Kraken! Seriously. It's time for accountability for terror collaborators, including and especially at the UN.
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Good move. There are thousands of committees that take up a lot of time without clear accomplishments.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 25, 2025
A reset was needed. https://t.co/TkoANWTNCU
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Hours after President Trump publicly appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to stop striking Ukraine, a Russian drone slammed into an apartment building in the Ukrainian city of Pavlohrad, killing three people including a child.
Then, as Trump’s chief negotiator Steve Witkoff landed in Moscow on Friday for further talks with Putin aimed at ending the war, a Russian general was killed in an explosion that Russia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said bore the hallmarks of Ukrainian security services.
As Trump intensifies efforts to broker peace, the three-year war shows no sign of cooling.
Ed: At least the general was a legitimate war target. The Russians are striking civilian structures as part of a terror campaign. They have no standing for bitching about the "Ukrainian security services."
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🚨White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt addresses the Trump 2028 Hat!
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) April 25, 2025
"It's just a hat...though I her the hats are flying off the shelves!"
The Axios co-founder couldn't have been happy about that answer...
👀 pic.twitter.com/goP9MIOgiE
Ed: To paraphrase Freud, sometimes a hat is just a hat, Matt.
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On Wednesday, Leno appeared on the "In Depth with Graham Bensinger" podcast and, in a rare moment, he spoke out about his wife's condition, their marriage, and what being her primary caregiver means to him. He agreed that taking care of her is a challenge, but there's no other place he'd rather be.
"I have never been particularly challenged. I was not in the Army. I didn’t have to shoot anybody. I didn't have to risk my life. When you get married, you take a vow—will I live up to this? Or will I be like a sleazy guy, if something happens to my wife, I’m out banging the cashier at the mini-mart?" he said, also adding, "At some point in my life, I’m going to be called upon to defend myself, stand up, whatever it might be. I think that’s really what defines a marriage. That’s really what love is. That’s what you do. I’m glad I didn't cut and run, I’m glad I didn’t run off with some woman half my age or any of that silly nonsense. I would rather be with her than doing something else."
Ed: May God bless Jay Leno, and may the Lord give Mavis as much grace and comfort as possible through this last passage.
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Ed: One more good news entry for the weekend.
🚨#BREAKING: Grading company owner, Jake Jarvis, confirms he and his 9 year old daughter have worked 205 days straight rebuilding roads, bridges, and homes FOR FREE in Western North Carolina.
— Matt Van Swol (@matt_vanswol) April 25, 2025
They have refused to accept a penny from any of the victims they have helped.
HEROS!!! pic.twitter.com/m3AcBe7iA4
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