5/8/25 Blog: A Half Hour But Rep. Ty Winter Joins Us, And Things On The Web

SINE DIE MEANS NO MORE BAD THINGS CAN BE DONE TO US AT THE CAPITOL and at 12:15 Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter joins me to talk about what was inflicted on us in this last session.

BASEBALL EATS THE SHOW AT 12:30 So I gathered up a bunch of stuff to keep you busy today.

IF YOU MISS ME WHILE BASEBALL IS ON You can always watch this.

WE HAVE A NEW POPE! And he is the first American pope! Wow! I'm oddly proud right now for some reason. Here is what Grok had to say about the new Pope:

Biography of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, O.S.A.

• Early Life and Education:
  • Born on September 14, 1955, in Chicago, Illinois, to Louis Marius Prevost (of French and Italian descent) and Mildred Martínez (of Spanish descent).
  • Grew up in Dolton, Chicago, attending St. Mary of the Assumption parish, where he was an altar boy and part of a vibrant Catholic community.
  • Completed secondary education at the Order of St. Augustine’s minor seminary in 1973.
  • Earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Villanova University (1977), a Master of Divinity from Catholic Theological Union in Chicago (1982), and both a Licentiate (1984) and Doctorate (1987) in Canon Law from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome. His doctoral thesis focused on the role of the local prior in the Order of Saint Augustine.
• Religious Life and Ordination:
  • Joined the Order of Saint Augustine (Augustinians) in 1977, taking first vows in 1978 and solemn vows in 1981.
  • Ordained a priest on June 19, 1982, in Rome by Archbishop Jean Jadot.
• Career in the Church:
  • Peru (1985–1986, 1988–1998): Served as a missionary in Peru, including roles as chancellor of the Territorial Prelature of Chulucanas (1985–1986), head of the Augustinian seminary in Trujillo, canon law teacher, prefect of studies, judge at the regional ecclesiastical court, and member of the Trujillo diocese’s college of consultors. Became a naturalized Peruvian citizen in 2015.
  • United States (1987, 1999–2001): Briefly served as pastor for vocations and director of missions for the Augustinian Province of Chicago (1987). Elected provincial of the Chicago Province (1999–2001).
  • Augustinian Leadership (2001–2013): Elected prior general of the Augustinians in 2001, serving two six-year terms, one of the fastest elections in the order’s history.
  • Peru (2014–2023): Appointed apostolic administrator of the Diocese of Chiclayo (2014) and bishop (2015–2023). Served as second vice-president of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference (2018–2023).
  • Vatican Roles (2023–present): Named prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America in January 2023, succeeding Cardinal Marc Ouellet. This role involves vetting and recommending bishops globally, giving him significant influence.
  • Cardinal Elevation: Created cardinal-deacon of Santa Monica degli Agostiniani on September 30, 2023, and promoted to cardinal-bishop of the Suburbicarian Diocese of Albano on February 6, 2025.
• Notable Characteristics:
  • Multilingual: Fluent in English, Spanish, Italian, French, and Portuguese; can read Latin and German.
  • Pastoral Emphasis: Advocates for bishops to be humble, close to their communities, and focused on proclaiming Jesus Christ rather than just doctrine. Supports Pope Francis’ vision of synodality, emphasizing inclusion and listening within the Church.
  • Global Experience: His extensive time in Peru, leadership of the Augustinians, and Vatican role give him a broad perspective, mitigating perceptions of being solely an “American” cardinal.
• Controversies:
  • Chicago (2000): As provincial, allowed Father James Ray, a priest suspended for credible allegations of sexual abuse, to reside at St. John Stone Friary near a Catholic school without notifying the school. Ray was monitored and moved in 2002 after stricter U.S. bishops’ rules were adopted. Prevost’s supporters argue he followed protocol, but critics question his judgment.
  • Chiclayo (2022): Accused by three women of failing to investigate allegations of abuse by two priests. The Diocese of Chiclayo stated Prevost met with victims, suspended one priest, and sent findings to the Vatican, but the Vatican and local authorities found insufficient evidence to proceed. Allegations resurfaced in 2024, with claims of a $150,000 payment to silence victims, which the diocese denied. These cases have drawn scrutiny due to Prevost’s role in enforcing abuse policies.
• Papal Candidacy (2025):
  • Following Pope Francis’ death on April 21, 2025, Prevost emerged as a “papabile” (potential pope) for the May 7, 2025, conclave due to his Vatican role, global experience, and alignment with Francis’ pastoral priorities.
  • Strengths include his multilingualism, missionary background, and administrative expertise. Weaknesses include his American nationality (historically a barrier due to U.S. geopolitical power), relative youth (potentially leading to a long papacy), and the unresolved abuse allegations.
  • Described as reserved, deliberate, and a “dignified middle of the road” figure, appealing to both conservatives and progressives.
• Personal Traits:
  • Known for a calm demeanor, good humor, and humility. Enjoys amateur tennis, though he has had little time for it since moving to Rome.
  • Colleagues praise his listening skills, ability to synthesize issues, and judicious questioning.

I have not fact checked any of this but Grok did cite sources. He seems to a be a man of the world, but he also hid sexual abuse at the bidding of the Church so there's that.

I played this yesterday on the show.

BOUT TRANS JESUS

The more I've been thinking about it, the more this really ticks me off. And you know what? Dude would NEVER invoke "trans Mohammed" because he knows it would probably get him killed. But making a mockery of the man believed by millions to be the Son of God, just fine.

SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS As if on cue straight out of Orwell's Animal Farm we have devoted socialist Bernie Sanders, who is currently flying around the country fighting the "oligarchy" in a private jet, defending doing so with Brett Baier.

Of course he's too good to stand in line with the peons who are supposed to listen to him rail against the rich while he flies around in a means of transportation at least 99% of us could never accord. Be with the hoi polloi??? NEVER, HE is far too important to actually be like the rest of us, proving once again the end result of socialism and communism every time, which is "some animals are more equal than other.

WASTE FRAUD AND GRIFT AT USAID The US AID office has got to the most corrupt government office of all time. Now the Daily Wire has an investigative report into the department that was supposed to be providing aid to Africa. What were they doing instead? Laundering money and paying friends and family with government money. You really should read this for more, and if these people don't go to jail then electing Trump meant nothing.

NEVER CHANGE FRONTIER AIRLINES...NEVER CHANGE Have you seen this bit on nonsense from the Frontier counter?

I don't understand this low IQ behavior. The repeating of the obnoxious denials, the idiocy of "my personal space" when there is LITERALLY a counter between them. Frontier issued this statement to the New York Post:

“We are aware of what occurred and have been directly in touch with the customer,” a Frontier spokesperson told The Post.

“The individuals in question, who work for a third-party contractor, are no longer associated with the Frontier account.”

Too little too late for me, Frontier. I quit you years ago because this IS on brand. When you make your gate agents the enforcers and incentivize them to ding people with fees no one is surprised when things like this happen.

Y'ALL, THIS AARON GORDON STORY.... You may ugly cry, I sure did.

SAVE BELMAR PARK IS OVER As the Lakewood Planning Commission voted to allow an apartment complex that will butt up against the park to be built. Read more here.

WHEN THE ADULTS COME TO SAVE THE DAY This editorial is a SCORCHER taking all the players who are trying to prevent immigration enforcement to the woodshed. I concur.

THEY SHOULD HAVE CALLED HER LEIA This story is my favorite today, thanks to a listener who sent it. A British woman was just awarded roughly $39,000 because her feelings were hurt when someone at work started calling her Darth Vader. You read that right. The British are too soft. There, I said it.

THE FIRST TRADE DEAL IS DONE And it's with the UK, which I like because we sprang from their loins so it's nice to reaffirm that relationship. But how big a win is this one, as we really had no tariffs between the UK and the US already, just some upper end restrictions of how much steel and aluminum can come in. But whatever, I hope it is the first of many.

BEST AIRLINE SAFETY VIDEO EVER Seriously.

MSU HAS A GREAT IDEA TO HELP STUDENTS And also help folks over 55 with some income and some companionship. I love this story so much.