“Pope Francis marks 12 years as head of the Catholic Church on Thursday, seemingly out of danger after a month in hospital but with his health casting a shadow over his future. The 88-year-old was for a time critically ill as he battled pneumonia in both lungs at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, where he was admitted on February 14. The Argentine’s situation has markedly improved since then, with the Vatican confirming his condition as stable on Wednesday evening, and talk is now turning to when he might go home. But his hospitalisation, the longest and most fraught of his papacy, has raised serious doubts about his ability to lead the world’s nearly 1.4 billion Catholics.” (03/13/25)
“President Donald Trump on Thursday threatened to impose a massive tariff on European alcohol in response to the European Union’s retaliation against his steel and aluminum tariffs – a tit-for-tat escalation of a trade war that could easily get out of hand. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said his administration would impose a 200% tariff on alcoholic beverages from the EU unless it rescinds the 50% tariff the European government imposed Wednesday on US spirits. … After Trump’s 25% tariffs on aluminum and steel went into effect at midnight Wednesday morning, the EU immediately retaliated against what it called an ‘unjustified’ trade action from the Trump administration. The EU’s countermeasures included tariffs on €26 billion ($28 billion) worth of American goods, including tariffs on boats, bourbon and motorbikes. The measures, which are set to go into effect in April, are ‘swift and proportionate,’ the EU said in a statement.” (03/13/25)
“Every few years, cities fall into the same trap. A major event — whether it’s the World Cup, the Olympics, or the Super Bowl — gets dangled in front of local leaders like a golden ticket. The promises, as we are hearing time and again as Kansas City gears up to host some games in the 2026 World Cup, include floods of tourists, economic growth, and a new era of prosperity. The reality? A financial hangover that lasts long after the final whistle blows.” (03/12/25)
“North Dakota lawmakers are on the verge of making their state the first to tell the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its decade-old ruling that legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Similar efforts — which would not have any direct sway with the nation’s top courts — have been introduced in a handful of states this year. North Dakota’s resolution passed the Republican-led House in February but still requires Senate approval, which is not assured. … The North Dakota measure states that the Legislature ‘rejects’ the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges decision and urges the U.S. Supreme Court ‘to overturn the decision and leave unaddressed the natural definition of marriage as a union between one man, a biological male, and one woman, a biological female.'” (03/13/25)
“The Trump administration has removed all the migrants who were being held at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba and flown them back to the United States, a Defense Department official said Wednesday. The 40 men have been transported to Louisiana, where there is a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Alexandria. It comes two weeks after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security sent another group of 48 migrants back to the same city from Guantanamo. It is unclear why DHS routed the group of migrants back to the United States after the costly flights to the military base on Cuba. The agency did not immediately respond to a request about the latest transfer. The defense official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing operations.” (03/12/25)
“Since the 1950s, every effort to reduce the size and scope of government has been bulldozed by a political establishment more concerned with furthering its own interests than those of the American people. Between sacred cows and special interest groups, we’re always told why nothing can get cut. With the exception of Social Security, there is no bigger scared cow than the Department of Defense (DOD). Of course, defense policy is a legitimate function of government—a textbook example of a public good. It’s hard, though not impossible, to imagine national security being provided privately. However, it doesn’t follow that every dollar spent on defense is effective or even legitimate. It’s often the reverse. Sacred-cow status grants relative immunity to the Pentagon’s waste and poor strategic spending.” (03/13/25)
