Rawdogging the Conclave

Plus: Trade deal, Columbia arrests, and more...

Mainstream media is not sure how to report on the Papal conclave: How can I tell? Because CBS said, on the air, that the cardinals choosing the next Pope are "rawdogging" the conclave—as in, they are barred from using their phones or any other electronic devices. ("Rawdogging" is slang for, uh, lots of things, and has recently been used to describe simply enduring something with no preparation, no aids, no devices; i.e. one can "rawdog" a flight by just staring out the window.)

I should hope the cardinals aren't "scrolling Instagram" as the CBS commentator suggests; it's a holy time of discernment. It would be such a dereliction of duty to tune out and turn your mind over to the control of the algorithm.

https://t.co/B7CRn10Ler pic.twitter.com/a7BITgLQFN

— Alex Griswold (@HashtagGriswold) May 7, 2025

For a much more informed take on the conclave, consider Bishop Robert Barron's observation that Catholics are yearning for a "quiet papacy" (in contrast to a "heroic" papacy).

Barron cites theologian John Henry Newman, who argued that the Pope is not so much a player, but a referee in the life of the Church. Monks and mystics "live out the liturgical life of the church, the prayerful life of the church"; you have people doing the "corporal works of mercy"—tending to the poor and needy; but the role of the Pope is to be the "adjudicator of disputes." Barron notes that this is contra many people's expectations, but "there's some instinct for the Newmanesque understanding of the papacy." This is the type of observation and forecasting CBS could focus on: taking the church's role seriously, as there are some 60 million adherents in the U.S. alone, and not attempting to dumb it down or put it in TikTok slang terms. People can handle seriousness.

Trump will sign U.K. trade deal: Later today, President Donald Trump will announce a trade agreement with the United Kingdom. "The agreement with the United Kingdom is a full and comprehensive one that will cement the relationship between the United States and the United Kingdom for many years to come," the president wrote on Truth Social. "Because of our long time history and allegiance together, it is a great honor to have the United Kingdom as our FIRST announcement. Many other deals, which are in serious stages of negotiation, to follow!"

"Both nations have discussed lowering British tariffs on U.S. cars and farm goods, as well as removing British taxes on U.S. technology companies," reports The New York Times. The current 10 percent tariffs, imposed on all nations around the globe, are in effect on the U.K. (though they have not been targeted with "reciprocal tariffs"—the implementation of which have been delayed—because it imports more from us than it exports to us). The full details aren't yet clear but are expected to be announced this morning around 10 a.m.

If Trump's threatened tariffs simply result in tons and tons of trade deals, where the countries opposite us—in a hurry to negotiate—lower their tariffs on us to zero, great. The gambit will have been worth it, if the final outcome is a world full of free trade. But a) this is a maximally disruptive way to achieve that, and b) that doesn't seem likely.

Still, a trade deal that might remove barriers is a step in the right direction.

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Scenes from New York: "More than 70 people were arrested after masked protesters occupied Columbia University's main library Wednesday, according to a law enforcement official," reports Bloomberg. "Police entered Butler Library hours after protesters, many wearing face coverings and keffiyehs, took over part of the building and draped Palestinian flags along its walls. The number of arrests is likely to increase as police activity continues, said the official, who asked not to be identified speaking publicly about the situation." Organized by Columbia University Apartheid Divest, the group claims it renamed the library the Basel Al-Araj Popular University. The university's acting President Claire Shipman apparently called the police and has alleged there are people not affiliated with the university embedded among the protesters.

This would not be the first time; back in May, city officials reported that about 30 percent of the 112 people arrested at a Columbia protest were not in fact students or affiliated with the university in any way. (The idea that outside agitators play a significant role in these "student" protests has been repeatedly downplayed by student organizers and others who are sympathetic to these protests.)

The Trump administration has revoked $400 million in funding for the university, due to its seeming inability to curb antisemitism on campus. Columbia has cycled through three presidents since last year: Minouche Shafik, who resigned in 2024, was replaced by an interim pick, Katrina Armstrong, who stepped down in March. Claire Shipman now replaces her, and appears to be less reluctant to call the cops than her predecessors.

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QUICK HITS

• "The United States and Israel have discussed the possibility of Washington leading a temporary post-war administration of Gaza, according to five people familiar with the matter," reports Reuters. "The 'high-level' consultations have centered around a transitional government headed by a U.S. official that would oversee Gaza until it had been demilitarized and stabilized, and a viable Palestinian administration had emerged, the sources said."
• "The Federal Reserve held interest rates steady on Wednesday but said the risks of higher inflation and unemployment had risen, further clouding the U.S. economic outlook as its policymakers grapple with the impact of President Donald Trump's tariffs," reports Reuters.
• The government was ordered to return Rumeysa Ozturk to Vermont from Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody in Louisiana:

BREAKING: Second Circuit panel, one day after arguments, unanimously rejects government's arguments and orders that Rumeysa Ozturk be transferred to Vermont no later than May 14. https://t.co/qXVOLnSG4D pic.twitter.com/3e9RaHREs3

— Chris "Law Dork" Geidner (@chrisgeidner) May 7, 2025

• I love Casey Means. What a good surgeon general pick!

NEW: The White House is tapping Casey Means, a holistic doctor and prominent MAHA advocates for surgeon general, replacing Janette Nesheiwat's withdrawn nomination.https://t.co/hA0Jpqy78z

— Sarah Owermohle (@owermohle) May 7, 2025

• In case you missed it: