Americans remember the one U.S. visit by Pope Francis

In so doing he followed in the footsteps of his three predecessors… but It was Francis… the first-elected Pope from the Western Hemisphere… who became the first to address a joint session of the US Congress at the invitation of then-House Speaker, John Boehner. During that same trip, he addressed the UN General Assembly, as had Popes Benedict 16th, John Paul the 2nd, who did so twice, and Pope Paul VI. Also, like Pope Benedict, Pope Francis stopped at New York City’s Ground Zero Memorial and Museum to remember those who died during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Trump calls Fed Chairman Powell a “major loser”

President Trump continues to blast Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. Upset with the Fed’s decision not to aggressively lower the central bank’s key short-term interest rate, the president is unleashing a flurry of criticism. Last week he threatened to fire the chairman and he began this week by calling Powell a “major loser.” The president claimed online there is “virtually no inflation,” but overall inflation remains above the Fed’s 2 percent target.

U.S. Eyes Africa As Potential Source Of Rare Earth Minerals

House GOP Won’t Take Up DC Funding Bill

House GOP leaders won’t bring up the District of Columbia funding fix bill on the floor this week. Details from reporter Bernie Bennett.

VERBATIM: Speaker Mike Johnson and District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser spoke Monday on a call to discuss a path forward on legislation to restore the capital city’s full spending powers, according to one person granted anonymity to share details of the private conversation.

Still, there are no plans to bring the bill to the House floor in the coming days before the chamber leaves for a two-week recess.

President Donald Trump says that he wants the House to take up the funding fix, saying the chamber should vote on it “IMMEDIATELY” to “clean up our once beautiful Capital City, and make it beautiful again.”

Bernie Bennett in Washington.

Nine Christians arrested in China

Nine Christians arrested in China

VERBATIM:  They were holding house church services and also handing out Bibles to anyone who wanted one.  Those acts are against the law in China where the Communist Party would like to stamp out Christianity altogether.  The nine believers face multi-year prison sentences and large fines.  China is in the midst of a broad crackdown on religious faith that is designed to sublimate all belief systems to the government even as it seeks to expand its influence around the world.  MH SRN NEWS

AM SPORTSCAST – 4-22-25

AM SPORTSCAST – 4-22-25