Wednesday Night #2249

The Papacy
The news early on Easter Monday that Pope Francis, first Latin American pontiff who ministered with a charming, humble style, dies at 88 was anticipated for some time. But nonetheless came as a shock, as he had appeared to be on the mend after his latest hospitalization.
It seems we are not alone in thinking that the meeting with JD Vance may have hastened the pontiff’s death —Pope Francis’s last sacrifice in a lifetime of sacrifice: granting an audience to JD Vance
The tributes in the media are beautiful,  particularly the very long one in the Globe & Mail (see Long reads below)
Pope Francis’ funeral is to be held Saturday, with public viewing starting Wednesday
For those who have not read or seen Conclave, AP has published an excellent guide to what happens next (see Long reads).
Now the fun begins: Which cardinals are seen as contenders to be the next pope?

As the world mourns Pope Francis, her family and friends are slowly coming to terms with Margaret Lefebvre‘s death on April 10. The funeral will be held at the Church of the Ascension of Our Lord in Westmount on Friday, April 25th at 11 am and will be followed by a reception at the McGill Faculty Club. Her obituary was published in the Globe & Mail and Montreal Gazette. Please offer condolences or a memory on her Guestbook.

Substack has become the source for much valuable -documented- opinion from such as historians Heather Cox Richardson and Timothy Snyder; Robert Reich ; and Wednesday Nighter Byron’s The Upside of Dissonance , as well as increasingly leading to less well-known authors of often vituperative opinion. One such is Mary Geddry whose “Bargaining with the Tiger – Trump bluffs, the markets panic, the Pentagon leaks, ICE smashes, and the tiger does not flinch” is an entertaining, caustic summary of the past days’ events.

A few weeks ago, we mentioned the Longfellow poem Paul Revere’s Ride On Saturday night, Boston’s Paul Revere House sponsored a recreation of the famous ride Crowds cheer 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s famous ride as some alluded to the need for an uprising against the tyrant would-be king in Washington. (See Long reads)
While catching up on our history of the American Revolution, we came across this diverting item.
Did the Midnight Ride of Sibyl Ludington Ever Happen?
What to make of the alluring legend of the New York teen who warned that the Redcoats were coming
A 2015 report in The New England Quarterly says there is little evidence backing the story and whether the ride occurred has been questioned since at least 1956.

Earth Day 2025 –Our Power, Our Planet™
Tuesday, April 22, 2025, the 55th anniversary of Earth Day
Founded in the US by late Senator Gaylord Nelson, the date April 22 was chosen initially to fall when college students weren’t on spring break or taking final exams, so professors could answer calls to action in educating students on the importance of protecting the environment. Historians estimated that the first Earth Day, in 1970, saw 20 million Americans participate in demonstrations. Today, Earth Day call-to-actions are happening globally, with many focused on climate change and finding innovative ways to lessen personal environmental impacts.

Before examining the Trump regime’s record to date, a quick, and by no means exhaustive, tour of the world, starting with Wednesday afternoon’s comments from Trump:
Trump reinserts himself into Canadian politics, saying ‘as a state, it works great’
Days before the federal election and after more than a week without commenting on Canada, U.S. President Donald Trump resurfaced his 51st state rhetoric Wednesday afternoon.
The president was speaking to reporters from the Oval Office, when he repeated his false claim that the United States “subsidizes” Canada to the tune of $200 billion a year.
“I have to be honest, as a state it works great. As a nation — consider the fact that what they do as a nation, 95 per cent of what they do is they buy from us and they sell to us,” Trump said.
Trump just handed Mark Carney how many more votes/seats?
Which brings us to Andrew Caddell‘s rueful commentary on the dangers of political forecasting;
To err is human, to predict malign
” In a Sept. 18, 2024, column, I wrote
…it will be hard for [Carney] to appeal to your average pipefitter, farmer or barista: his 13 years at Goldman Sachs give him an air of privilege and wealth …. Whether the leader is named Trudeau or Carney, it looks as if the Liberals are toast.”
I also had the temerity of writing a column last November that began: “It is sometime in the future. Pierre Poilievre has been elected to lead a Conservative government with an overwhelming majority.”
I admit: if the polls are right, I will be proved very, very wrong on April 28. The question must be posed: despite what seemed like a sure thing back in November, how is Conservative Leader Poilievre losing, and how has Carney beaten the spread?”

Australia is in general election mode -Election Day is May 3. Like Canada, Trump’s actions appear to be influencing the voting trend.
Early voting in Australia election has begun – The beginning of voting coincides with a slump in popularity of the opposition Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton, who has struggled to shake off perceived ideological closeness to U.S. President Donald Trump. (Sounds familiar?)
India downgrades Pakistan ties after attack on Kashmir tourists
Israel, Palestine, Gaza
Reports of the misery of Gaza’s people as Israel continues to launch deadly attacks under the guise of pursuing militants have, sadly, become routine. The Gaza health system is near collapse due to the Israeli blockade; Germany, France and Britain urge Israel to allow in aid, but nothing happens and the US continues to supply arms (Marco Rubio: Military Assistance to Israel)
Aftershocks and lack of resources hinder recovery work 3 weeks after Myanmar’s deadly earthquake
Frequent strong aftershocks continue to shake central Myanmar almost daily, increasing fear and uncertainty among affected residents. The good news is that the Myanmar junta has extended the post-earthquake truce
In the absence of USAID, China’s swift, efficient response has great impact on relief efforts in Myanmar earthquake. reports the Global Times. Despite the source, this is credible.
Rwanda said on Wednesday it was in talks with the U.S. over a potential minerals deal, a development that follows similar ongoing talks between Washington and Rwanda’s neighbour Democratic Republic of Congo. The great Trump protection racket! So far, not doing much good for the DRC where At night, crime and fear stalk M23-run areas

Putin’s War
The U.S. has put forward a proposal to end Putin’s War that Putin loves and Zelensky has rejected out of hand. Is there anything to be salvaged, or are we back to square one?

Mon, Jan 20 – Wed, Apr 30, 2025 The First 100 Days
Donald Trump’s first 100 days: 10 key moments
Since his return to the White House, President Donald Trump has turned US foreign policy upside down, sent shock waves through the financial markets and turned the Oval Office into one “happening” after another.
Trump Promised ‘Big, Beautiful’ Deals. Delivering Has Been Tougher.
He quickly opened a dizzying number of negotiations to, naming just a few of his aims, end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours, bring peace to the Middle East and usher in dozens of trade deals in record time.
Leaving aside the mess in the Middle East and the Trump Tariffs muddle…
Carl Bildt, former prime minister and foreign minister of Sweden, comments on Trump’s 100 Days of Failure in Ukraine
Further signs of Trump’s failure to secure peace in Putin’s War on Wednesday: Kremlin dragging its feet over Ukraine peace deal as impatient US takes anger out on Zelenskyy
NOT, so far, a glorious period as described by such as Doug Sosnik (Why Trump’s 100-Day Blitz May Lead to a Historic Bust); Dana Milbank  (Trump is wrapping up 100 days of historic failure); and Robert Reich Robert Reich (Trump’s Three Unwinnable Wars: China, Harvard, and the Supreme Court)

And then there are the Security hiccups
U.S. Intelligence and National Security
The Ship of Fools sails on
With Latest Missteps, Veneer of Discipline in 2nd Trump Term Falls Away
The mistakes, miscommunications and flip-flops are piling up after an early run defined by a flood of major policy changes that were rolled out at breakneck speed.
‘Full-blown meltdown’ at Pentagon after Hegseth’s second Signal chat revealed
Existence of group chat including Hegseth, his wife and others prompt calls for defense secretary to step down
Kristi Noem’s Bag, With Security Badge and $3,000, Is Stolen

Trump regime and immigration
Bukele Proposes Deal That Would Free Deported Venezuelans
President Nayib Bukele said he would free the Venezuelans that the Trump administration deported to El Salvador if Venezuela releases the same number of prisoners, including members of the opposition.
Politicians’ attacks on immigrants lack solid evidence: New data set the record straight
The data set, called the Immigrant Exclusion from Social Programs Index (IESPI), measures how much immigrants’ access to pensions, health care, unemployment benefits, housing benefits, social assistance and active labour market programs compares to that of native-born citizens.

Ron Meisels reminds us Who holds U.S. Debt and forwards an updated chart from GZERO
The Graphic Truth: The foreigners who hold US debt
The US is the world’s biggest debtor, with more than $35 trillion of securities outstanding.
About a quarter of that is held by foreign investors, a detail which has drawn considerable attention since Donald Trump began walloping the world with tariffs to rebalance US trade ties and military alliances. That’s because if countries upset – or merely uneasy – about Trump’s policies sell those securities in response, the debt servicing costs for the US rise. This is no small matter on $35 trillion worth of paper.

Varia
Quebec says no special recruitment measures to attract U.S. doctors, researchers (Sigh!)
Unlike Quebec, other Canadian provinces — Ontario, British Columbia, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Saskatchewan — have decided to facilitate the recruitment process to cash in on the potential surge in interest.

Along with the news regarding targeting of the Smithsonian and Kennedy Arts Center, the latest is the deeply disturbing DOGE Visits National Gallery of Art to Discuss Museum’s Legal Status.
The move is the latest from Elon Musk’s unofficial cost-cutting agency to exert influence beyond traditional federal agencies.

Why did we think that Erik Prince (former CEO Blackwater) had crawled back into the hole whence he came? Obviously we were not paying attention; recently it was announced that Prince had reached a deal with the DRC Congo to help secure mineral wealth – details are appropriately murky; he is also involved in a security operation in Ecuador. Most chilling is the older news that the Notorious Blackwater founder is lobbying allies in White House for private contractors to assist in mass deportations

Byron points us to What do Americans think money can and can’t buy?
A new YouGov survey explores the limits of what Americans believe money can and can’t buy, asking about 20 goods not available in most stores. While many say money can purchase political influence, social status, and fun, far fewer think it can secure other qualities, including morality, humor, or intelligence. Men and younger adults are more likely than others to see money as a path to intangible gains.

Huge rabbit rescued from kill farm is now therapy bunny, drives mini truck
Alex The Great is a 4-year-old, 28-pound rabbit from San Francisco who has built fame as a spokesrabbit for pet products — as well as an in-demand therapy bunny.

Long reads
Pope Francis: A lifetime serving the poor and challenging Catholic Church orthodoxy
The people’s Pope
Francis, dead at 88, fought for peace and served the poor from the slums of Buenos Aires to the Vatican’s highest office
What are the church’s rites for the death of a pope and the election of a new one?
The death of a pope starts a centuries-old ritual…
Robert Reich Trump’s Three Unwinnable Wars: China, Harvard, and the Supreme Court
The Trump regime overreaches
They’ve dared China, Harvard, and the Supreme Court to blink.
But guess what? They’ve met their matches. None of them has blinked — and they won’t.
BE REVERE OR GET OUT OF THE GODDAMN ROAD
On the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s midnight ride, the alarm must ring again — louder, sharper, and aimed squarely at the lawlessness of a tyrant in power