TGIF Blogcast: Welcome home; Rose Pugliese; Construction defects

Not the most important thing but gotta start your day with this

The return of Valerie the sausage dog

Was she really in the wild or was someone taking care of her?

A note for Producer Dragon

Scientists say Denver is like Airbnb for miller moths, so don’t kill our guests

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Holy Moley, it's an American pope

Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago is now Pope Leo XIV. Based on his choice of name, clearly referencing the highly respected Pope Leo XIII from just over a century ago, I expect this pope to be slightly, but only slightly, less liberal than Pope Francis, but a lot more reserved and (I hope) to offer far fewer opinions on things outside of his expertise or the Church's proper domain (not that I'm the one to decide what's proper for the Catholic Church.)

His selection surprised a lot of people given that he was basically a 100-to-1 shot on the Polymarket betting site.

Biography of Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost - Vatican News

Oh, one other fun historical tidbit: It is believed that the first Pope Leo, sometimes called Leo the Great (one of only three popes who have had that adjective added to their names) met Atilla the Hun and caused him to spare Italy from his ravages: Attila the Hun, Leo the Great, and the Battle of Wills - Word on Fire

When Pope Leo met Attila the Hun | Charlotte Riggle

One wonders if Trump is the metaphorical Hun for this pope.

Finally, a good read if you want to learn more: The New Pope Might Have a Costco Membership

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Just One Thing: This is a huge policy mistake

And it's why nobody should ever think of Trump as a conservative

Trump tells Congress to raise taxes on the rich in budget bill - The Washington Post (may require subscription)

Trump urges Speaker Mike Johnson to raise taxes on the wealthy, adding new wrinkle to massive GOP bill

My more in-depth thoughts here, and please subscribe to my (free!) Substack:

Whatever he is, he's not that - by Ross Kaminsky

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Today's Guests

Dr Matthew Wielicki (PhD in earth science) is the proprietor of the Irrational Fear Substack. We'll discuss the mythology surrounding sea level rise and "climate science's biggest lie"

Irrational Fear | Dr. Matthew Wielicki | Substack

The Sea-Level Lie: Exposed - by Dr. Matthew Wielicki

Exposing Climate Science's Biggest Lie

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Mike Burg is a co-founder of the Burg Simpson law firm. We'll discuss the new law (or soon to be law) reforming "construction defects" law in Colorado. I probably like it much more than Mike does..and that's part of why I appreciate him so much as a morning show partner: he doesn't hold it against me when we disagree and he has never once asked me not to take a position on the show that was contrary to his views even on something that impacts his business.

Personal Injury Commercial Litigation Product Liability Lawyers

Colorado construction defects bill reaches Gov. Polis' desk - Denver Business Journal

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Republican State Rep Rose Pugliese is the Minority Leader in the Colorado House of Representatives. We'll talk about the end of this year's brutal legislative session, aka sine die. They're always brutal when there's one-party control.

Rose For House District 14 - Conservative Values, Proven Results

Rose Pugliese | Colorado General Assembly

Colorado legislature 2025: Top 101 bills debated at Capitol

Colorado lawmakers build blue wall to protect state from Trump - Axios Denver

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Other Stuff

I struggle with this one: It's such a descriptive word. I can imagine it's legitimately offensive to a very small number of people. I don't care about offending people who simply want to be offended but what about, for example, parents of "developmentally challenged" kids? The 'R-word,' embraced by Joe Rogan and Elon Musk, inches back into the mainstream

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Even for someone cynical about government, this is shocking. Seems like the sort of thing people should go to prison for: African Aid Agency Used Foreign Pass-Throughs To Hide Money That Went To D.C. Staff, Friends

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Not the sort of history I'd like Denver to make: Colorado Rockies off to a historically bad start - Axios Denver

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Maybe it’s good for DC but it’s definitely good for me as an occasional Fox viewer. She’s one of my least favorite folks there. Trump says he is naming Fox News host and former judge Jeanine Pirro as top federal prosecutor in DC

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She seems to misunderstand whose money it is she wants to spend: Colorado moms deserve love: Reforming TABOR is a good start

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I might not get to this on the air but it's interesting: How pregnancy changes your body forever — down to the cells

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Some good stuff, but it's a narrow deal and not nearly what Trump made it out to be. Overall, it's a bigger win for the UK than for the US, but I'll take any bilateral win: Landmark economic deal with United States saves thousands of jobs for British car makers and steel industry - GOV.UK

Trump says a trade deal with the U.K. is close, but 10% tariff remains on some items

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Tough call: City wants to eliminate cash payments for scrap metal sales | News | denvergazette.com

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I need to visit this place: Overlooked Colorado canyon home to 2nd-largest collection of natural arches in the world | outtherecolorado.com

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I do think she deserves her own stamp: Melania Trump unveils Barbara Bush stamp: George W. Bush skips event

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Don’t fall for it: Criminals using $20 'distraction' tactic to scam victims | FOX 11 Los Angeles

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I look forward to seeing if it's better at helping us find movies we might like: Netflix Debuts New Home Screen, Its First Redesign in 12 Years - The New York Times (may require subscription)

Netflix's New Layout: What to Know About the TV Redesign - Netflix Tudum

Unveiling Our Innovative New TV Experience Featuring Enhanced Design, Responsive Recommendations and a New Way to Search - About Netflix

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Today's Videos

Yes, it's weighted

Returning to a previous topic, this is Producer Dragon when he was a baby and his mom told him about moths