Chaos, conclaves and other concerns

Daily operations at the Department of Defense have been described
as “total chaos” by a former department spokesperson. In a
Politico op-ed,  recently fired John Ullyot
questioned  Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s leadership
and capability. President Trump defended Hegseth, but reports say
the White House might be replacing him.  Several of Trump’s
cabinet leaders have come under fire for focusing on the more
forward-facing aspects of their jobs. Should the day-to-day
management of key departments be a concern right now?


Leaders worldwide are expected to gather in Rome this weekend for
the funeral of Pope Francis. His leadership of the Catholic
Church was regarded as a progressive shift from several of his
predecessors, especially around the acceptance of LGBTQ
worshippers and the treatment of migrants. He had recently
clashed with Vice President JD Vance over Vance’s use of Catholic
theology to defend the Trump administration’s immigration policy.
KCRW discusses the political legacy of Francis and how the next
pope could impact American politics.


How much does the language we use around issues like immigration
influence policy? Plus, we answer a listener question on
viewpoint diversity.