This Week in News: 4/18/19

Retrotone News

Episode 15: April 18, 2019

TITLE: This Week in News: 4/17/19

SUBTITLE: Paris mourns, Trump Vetoes, Carter Lives and Tiger Wins, Again!

EPISODE DESCRIPTION:

INTRO

Here is a snappy summary of the news – a weekly digest of the latest events and happenings at home and abroad. I’m your host, Rodge Bigsby and this is your Retrotone News Minute!

Greetings Mr. & Mrs. America and all the baguettes sur la table Francais. Passez-vous le fromage!

1) IN WORLD NEWS...

HOPE RISES FROM THE ASHES: A RESURRECTION IN PARIS

Paris is mourning after its beloved Notre Dame went up in flames on Monday night. Tourists and Parisians stood along the Seine, reflecting, crying, chanting French prayers as the cathedral burned before their eyes. In the wake of this tragedy, stories of hope emerge. Many at the scene jumped into action to save some of Notre Dame’s greatest artworks and religious artifacts. Paris' Deputy Mayor for Tourism and Sports, Jean-Francois Martins told CBS: "We made a human chain, with our friends from the church... as quick as possible, to get all the relics," noting that the Crown of Thorns believed to have been worn by Jesus Christ on the cross was among the items rescued, as well as the Blessed Sacrament. France (and really the whole world) have come together in a profound sense of solidarity, reflecting the very goodness and beauty of Notre Dame herself. As of Wednesday morning, they had raised almost a billion dollars towards reconstruction. President Macron addressed the French nation, saying: “The fire at Notre Dame reminds us that our history never stops and we will always have challenges to overcome. We will rebuild Notre Dame more beautiful than before.” Nous sommes là pour vous la France!

4) IN AMERICAN MILESTONES...

CARTER LIVES AND LEADS… SLEEVES ROLLED UP!
Former president Jimmy Carter hit a major milestone last month. At 94 years and over 200 days old, Carter is now the longest living president in our nation’s history, surpassing George H.W. Bush, who set the record in 2017. And the once peanut farmer turned POTUS shows no signs of slowing down. Why just this weekend, the “Deacon” phoned POTUS to follow up on a letter he penned, discussing the chilly U.S. and China trade climate. Carter, who normalized diplomatic relations with China in ‘79, Politico reports, detailed a thought-provoking difference between the two superpowers’ trajectories. Where China has been at war with no one – you heard it folks – NO ONE in the past half a century, the U.S. has remained at war, while in contrast, China ramped up investment in infrastructure, education, and domestic advancement. Maybe it’s time we bring our men and women back home, a get to building!

AND NOW A WORD FROM OUR SPONSORS…
(Classic Coffee Commercial?)

WELCOME BACK FOLKS!

2) IN POLITICS…

COZY UP TO THE BARR, IT’S MUELLER TIME
By the time you hear this message, the men and women at the highest levels of our Republic will be knee deep into dissecting 100’s of pages of the long-awaited, highly anticipated, yet radically redacted Mueller Report. Why... there’s bound to be more blackout in one copy of this titanic thesis than all the ink on the presses of the Washington Post. Some of Mr. Mueller’s investigators have told associates that Attorney General Barr played down the criminal implications for Mr. Trump when he first shared his summary of the 640-page dossier in a mere 4-page glosser. Lawmakers are already expected to be demanded the full text of the document as early as Friday, following the release to the public and Congress. It’s all about access to partial facts… even Amazon Primers will be able to order a copy of the report on Kindle for 7.99, paperback for 9.20. Will it be the full edition? Who knows!

3) AND IN THE ART OF THE VETO…
TRUMP KILLS ANOTHER BILL
Trump says, give ‘em the whole nine yards -- in a blow to rare bipartisan collaboration on the Hill, President Trump vetoed the Yemen War Powers Resolution. This is his 2nd veto since signing on as Commander in Chief. The bill passed the House 247-175. Sixteen Republicans voted yes with Democrats and one voted present. In the Senate the vote was 54 to 46, with seven Republicans voting with Democrats. In an expected move, Trump saw the resolution as an affront to his administration’s Middle East policy. Meanwhile, the US and Saudi Arabian governments continue to funnel arms to the war torn region, in an ongoing struggle that’s killed an estimated 60,000 people, with 10,000,000 others on the precipice of famine. Rodge says, bring the boys and girls back home!

5) IN SPORTS…
TIGER IS OUT OF THE WOODS AND BACK ON TOP OF THE TEE
(MUSIC: sample of rap beat? “Don’t Call it a Comeback”)

NPR reports… wait, does anyone golf at NPR? Anyway… Tiger Woods won over the hearts of millions once again, and clinched his fifth Masters title at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday, a whopping 11 years since his last major win! Woods won his fifth title on Sunday, marking an incredible comeback from injury and personal hardship that ended a nearly 11-year-long drought. Atta’ Boy Tiger, green looks good on you!

LET’S PAY TRIBUTE TO GRIEVING ALLIES IN FRANCE WITH BIGSBY’S BEAT OF THE WEEK
Today, we join Parisians to pay homage to Notre Dame with a cherished catholic hymn, Wine In The Streets. Espérons et prions pour la France…

SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwOR7Ei6wPM

ACTUAL FOOTAGE: https://www.today.com/news/notre-dame-cathedral-fire-crowds-gather-sing-hymns-t152201

6) SIGN OFF STATEMENT:

And that's one for the Republic! I'm your host Rodge Bigsby and this has been news from Retrotone, a service of Evergreen Podcasts.

Until next time… make a good day!

** Yoo-Ha! Hashtag, RodgeBigsby.