Morning Run with Amy and TJ and iHeartRadio podcast. Good morning everyone, and welcome to Morning Run. It is Friday, May ninth. I'm Amy Robox and I'm TJ.
Holmes And on this Friday Morning Run Ill Papa Americano. The world is reacting as the Vatican makes history.
Yes, we have the very.
First American Pope, Pope Leo the fourteenth hometown of Chicago, who they are bursting with pride today. And of course one of the first things we needed to know cubs or white sox.
That is so American of us. All right. President Trump announces what he calls an historic trade deal with the UK, and he also announced yesterday he is tapping a Fox News host and a former judge to be DC's top prosecutor.
Also, former President Biden admits it's his fault. Yeah, he takes responsibility for President Trump being in office and believes he could have won had he stayed in the race. Also, travelers listen up from collisions to near missus, to massive delays and yes, even crashes. But the FAA now says it is going to fix our nation's air traffic control problem. But it's not going to happen immediately.
And autopsy reveals that shooters missed their marks in last month South Carolina firing squad execution, causing unnecessary prolonged suffering. Plus Next on the Run, Bill Gates says he is accelerating his timeline to give away all of his money. It was supposed to happen after he died.
And also on the run this morning.
Last night, did you catch it, the Laney Wilson Show took place.
It's also known.
As the Country Music Awards, but it has become her show. Who wrote she did it once again? She is wildly impressive, just her hold on country music. Right now, we'll get into country music to big Night.
All right, looking forward to that. But we begin our run in Rome, where we have a new pope, and yes, for the first time in Vatican history, he is American. His name Pope Leo the fourteenth.
He used to be called Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost. Yet the sixty nine year old is originally from Chicago.
So after that white.
Smoke rose up from the chimney in the Sistine Chapel just after one o'clock Eastern yesterday, Pope Leo came to the balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica and addressed a crowd of more than one hundred and fifty thousand people. His first words is, Pope, this is the first greeting of the Risen Christ. May the peace be with you. This is the peace of the Risen Christ.
He spoke mostly in Italian, some in Spanish, but nothing in his native English. He referred to Pope Francis's Easter address the day before he died, saying this we still hold in our ears, that weak, yet ever courageous voice of Pope Francis. As he blessed Rome, who gave his blessing to the world, to the whole world. Pope Leo asked his followers to build bridges through dialogue and to be one single people, always in peace.
He was most recently a bishop in northern Peru, even has dual citizenship citizenship in Peru in US, but of course the roots are in Chicago. President Trump was quick to congratulate the new pope, posting on social media that what a great honor for our country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo the fourteenth. It will be a very meaningful moment.
And of course, famous Chicagoans chimed in. I loved what Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson posted on x saying, everything Dope, including the Pope, comes from Chicago. Congratulations to the first American Pope, Leo the fourteenth. We hope to welcome you back home soon.
Even that not I like that. This they're already talking about. This pope is going to be a pop culture pope in a way. That's everybody. American culture is everywhere.
Everybody loves him.
But he now is like a homeboy in a lot of yeahs. Even this his fandom we're going to get into in a second. But you talk about the famous Chicagoans. Why it went the mayor and then Barack Obama. I don't know, Rose, but the other famous guy from Chicago you might have heard up. He put on a message as well, saying, quote, Michelle and I send our congratulates to a fellow Chicago and his holiness, Pope Leo the fourteenth.
This is a historic day for the United States, and we will pray for him as it begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church and setting an example for so many regardless of faith. That's a good point, Rose, We should always remember about the Pope. He represents more than we always say. He's the leader of the one point four billion Catholics. He's a lot too more than that.
Oh, he sets the tone for the world, truly on the moral path that we should all be on, or at least that he says we should all be on. You know it even brought together to the historic and current enemies. Both President Zelenski and Putin congratulated the new Popa within moments of each other, and that a fun reaction from the President of Villanova saying, not in his wildest dreams did he ever expect that a Villanova alum
would become pope. Pope Leo graduated from Villanoa University back in nineteen seventy seven with a bachelor's degree in math.
This has the Okay, I'm going to look it up.
It has to be the first university ever have a national championship and a pope.
We should look at.
I guarantee you that is true.
Going to the Vatican, the Pope is going to be busy over the next several days. Yeah, he doesn't get the rest now that he's won the election. Earlier this morning, Pope Leo celebrated Mass in the Sistine Chapel. Then on Sunday he's going to recite a prayer from the balcony of Saint Peter's Basilica.
And then on Monday morning, this will be very interesting. The new Pope is going to speak to accredited journalists where he is expected to give a prepared speech. We all cannot wait for that. Also, the Empire State Building here in New York City shined last night golden white in honor of Pope Leo the fourteenth.
All right, we're going to continue our run here talking about the Pope, but a lot of weird sports headlines.
I say weird. It's only weird.
That we're talking about the Pope and talking about sports in the same sentence.
Because we're talking about America.
Because we're talking about America. That's okay, simple enough. But as soon as folks heard that he was from Chicago, naturally the next question to be asked, Cubs or white socks. Well, the Cubs spoke up pretty quickly, in particular on social media, and that got a lot of attention.
Yeah, they posted a picture of the marquee at Wrigley Field which read, hey, Chicago, he's a Cubs fan. Even Illinois Senator Dick Durbin was reportedly telling people, I hear he's a Cubs fan. It was reported on Chicago radio as well, and.
They were all wrong. But don't take our word for it. Take it from the New Pope's brother who told a local TV station that his brother is absolutely a White Sox fan and has always been. He said they actually came up together and they would go to games. So that's a pretty good source.
Yeah, I feel like he is a trusted source. Indeed. So then the White Sox changed their marquee to say the new Pope is actually a White Sox fan, and later put out this statement family always knows best, and it sounds like Pope Leo the fourteenth long lifelong fandom falls a little closer to thirty fifth and shield. Some things are bigger than baseball, and in this case, we're glad to have a White Sox fan represented at the Vatican. A pin stripes White Sox jersey with his name on it,
and a half and a hat. Sorry I can't read, so he's got a jersey and a hat are already on the way to roam. This will be so interesting to see how the White sox do will they have divine terrible? They've been terrible, so things could change, is my point.
If it does, then I'm gonna get on board and i might convert.
This actually is the case.
But we have another sports connection to tell you about for pop Leo the fourteenth. This one has to do with the New York Knicks. Knicks fans are claiming him right now as well, and believe they've given what's currently happening with the team. His election can't be a coincidence. Okay, this one, Robes takes a little more explaining a little more of a deep dot.
That's right. The Knicks are playing the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference semifinals. They were not the betting favorite to win the series, but are now up two to oh after they improbably won the first two games on the road and had to come back from twenty points down in both games to win the closing moments.
Yes, it is remarkable.
It is a miracle that they are up to oh right now. It is absolutely stunning. Fans call it divine for this reason. The Knicks are famously led by three former Villanova superstars. Some of those stars were on Villanova's national championship team just several years ago. The pope is a graduate of Villanova.
Coincidence, we think not.
This is hilarious and it's just gonna get funnier as we follow the White Sox and the next All right, next up on the run.
You know.
Some hopeful news for air travelers. The FAA says it has big plans to make our skies safer, saying it will modernize our nation's air traffic control system over the next three years.
Yeah, just in the nick of time. Apparently this is long overdue. The plan includes phasing out the outdated technologies that don't meet today's demands. From the fatal collision at Reagan National Airport at the beginning of the year, we had ongoing delays we've been seeing at Newark Airport after air traffic controllers lost all contact with pilots. That was just last week. There have been mounting political and public pressure for something to change.
That's right. President Trump said, we are currently using data and communicating through equipment that is from the nineteen sixties. Wow, that is deeply concerning. We're flying today, we're flying today, and we're flying. Yes, that's oh, that's so good to hear. But here's what he had to say to all of those frustrated and honestly frightened passengers in some situations, he said, I'm sorry what you're going through with the terminals, but we're going to get them fixed up.
Yeah.
I Meanwhile, the Transportation Secretary said his agency will need help from Congress to make the necessary changes. When he says he needs help, what it really is is give me money, Give me money, give me money from Markey. Top Republicans and Democrats on the House Transportation Committee spoke up quickly, vowing to make this a bipartisan effort.
Yeah, it was. Actually, when you read the quote, it was a shocking display of camaraderie and bipartisanship. And then you know what, you start to think, and it makes sense because everyone regardless of political affiliation, kind of gets the importance of air safety these days. So that's at least a good step in the right direction. But this is concerning. This is what the FAA had to say about the current state of our current air traffic systems.
These outdated systems are showing their age, which leads to delays and inefficiencies. The lack of funding for major investments in key air traffic infrastructure such as radars, telecommunications, and facilities, is now putting the aviation sector at risk. Can't wait to fly today, babe?
All right, well, LU could dig you on our run for now? And this ron has to do with this leg takes us into the pond, I guess you should say, because Trump unveiled a new trade agreement with the UK yesterday, as the first agreement between the US and any country since Trump announced his Liberation Day tariffs last month.
So the US is going to adjust those twenty five percent tariffs on steel and aluminum and lower auto tariffs from twenty five percent to ten percent on the first one hundred thousand British vehicles to enter the country, and the UK will still be subject to that ten percent tariff Trump imposed on all imported goods.
In exchange, the Brits will lower tariffs on certain US products like ethanol, beef, and machinery. Both sides admit there are still details to be ironed out. I hope so, because we've been looking at this and reading it all day. I don't know what's why hot, I don't either these deals. There's a deal we're going to be nicer to each other on tariffs. I guess that's bottom line. But this is at least a de escalation.
Yes, And speaking of de escalation, there is a glimmer of hope in the trades standoff we have currently with China. Trump hinting to reporters yesterday that those tariffs may come down between the two countries as talks are set for this weekend in Switzerland. I love what Trump said, Well, you can't get any higher. It's at one hundred and forty five, so we know it's coming down one hundred and forty five percent. That's, of course, the tariff percentage we have imposed on all Chinese imports.
We shall see. We continue to run here now on this Friday morning. With President Trump, continuing his Fox News hiring spree, is now appointing a Fox News host and former judge to serve as the top prosecutor in DC. You could probably guess which one we're already talking about, he said on social media. Jeanine Pirou will be interim US Attorney for the District of Columbia.
Why on an interim basis, Well, if you were to nominate her to the position full time, that would require Senate confirmation, and this way Trump can avoid or at least delay that process.
At least delay he's trying to get around it. Here's what you're saying, right.
Trump hosted Bureaus the broadcasting resume online, saying, in addition to her legal career, Janine previously hosted her own Fox News show Justice with Judge Janine for ten years and it's currently co host of the five, one of the highest rated shows on television. So he's touting her TV credentials rather.
Than her lead.
Yes, I put that in because you know how important rating. Sorry to President Trump, and so Jeanine Piro, of course having one of the highest rated shows that made her perfectly capable for this job. He also did say Janine is incredibly well qualified for this position and is considered one of the top district attorneys in the history of the state of New York. She is in a class by herself. Congratulations, Jeanine.
Okay, WISO is a big deal. It's a big deal because of the office she's going to be in charge of. It's uniquely important, as local and federal prosecutors are going to be under her for the district and will represent the United States in federal court. The office handles everything from smaller local cases to major cases involving national security. All you hear about this office all the time, but it's wildly important. Handles a lot of big cases.
It certainly does.
We will continue here on this Friday Morning, Ron. When we come back, President Biden says, my bad, it's on me that President Trump is in the White House again. Also, a botched execution in South Carolina will explain what happened there. Also Bill Gates, well, you knew he's going to give away his money, but he's going to do it faster than we thought.
Stay with us, Welcome back to this Friday Morning Ron, And next up on the Run, Former President Biden says he's responsible for President Trump being re elected partially. He was on the view yesterday alongside his wife, doctor Jill Biden.
Yeah.
Biden was asked if he felt responsible for Kamala Harris's loss.
He was asked directly.
His response was, I was in charge and he won, so I take responsibility. However, he also said he wasn't surprised that she lost because the other side quote went the sexist route. He continued by saying this I've never seen quite as successful and consistent campaign, undercutting the notion that a woman could lead the country, and a woman of mixed race.
He repeated that he thinks he could have beaten Trump head to head, but said he only stepped aside because he did not want a divided Democratic Party. He also took the opportunity to say that President Trump has had the worst one hundred days that any president has ever had.
Trump is rubbing off on him, because that sounds exactly like something Trump.
With another superlative.
Yes, continue on the run here now with the story we followed here on morning Run, and we thought it was over, but there now is a disturbing update about a story we talked about here last month, a rare firing squad execution of South Carolina inmate Michael Mady. His attorneys now saying it was a botched execution. In fact, they call it a massive botch their words, in which Maddy suffered greatly, they said, because the executioners shooting him
missed their target. We debated here. Road is a story we followed pretty closely, but we debated about putting in this morning because its quite frankly, some of these details.
Are chill up.
They certainly are. This is according to his attorney. Pathologist who reviewed the autopsy findings concluded the bullets largely missed his heart, instead hitting other organs and prolonging the time for him to die. They say he likely suffered excruciating pain for up to a full minute, rather than the fifteen seconds that doctors say it should have taken if they had actually hit his heart.
It all sounds awful, but there is a thing cruel and unusual. It is supposed to be unconstitutional. For whatever reason they deemed that the fifteen seconds isn't necessarily cruel and unusual. He said, yes, you're going to experience pain, but it's not supposed to be what they say this guy went through. He chose firing squad execution because South Carolina is one of the few states that offers that
as an option to inmates. Cover is put over the inmates head a target, a literal target placed over the heart, and then three volunteer shooters all fire live rounds at that target with bullets designed to do the most damage and to stop the heart quickly.
His attorneys have filed a notice of botched execution with the state Supreme Court asking for answers and remedies, saying that what happened to Mady was not humane. Apparently there were only two bullets. There was some confusion as to why there wasn't a third one. They said it took him four minutes to die. I believe by what I read and that is and that he was actually making moaning noises. I mean, it's a very disturbing story that
certainly needs to be investigated, looked into. This should not happen to anyone.
Yes, he is a convicted cop killer, yep, but this is not.
Who we are.
We just see exactly not supposed to have people suffer in this manner. This will get for sure another look and a follow up. We do want to continue now on this morning Run.
With Bill Gates.
He has changed his mind and decided to give away his fortune much quicker than he had originally planned. The Gates Foundation has pledged to give two hundred billion dollars away over the next twenty years to help people live healthy, productive lives.
Gates donation would be the largest philanthropic donation in modern history. The two hundred billion dollars is more than what the Gates Foundation currently confund it's not completely in their endowment right now, so the balance will actually come from Bill gates personal fortune.
Yeah, he's going to distribute, he says, virtually all of his wealth through his foundation over the next two decades. Originally the plan was to distribute all of the money twenty years after his death, but Gates said he started to rethink that timeline a few years ago.
That's pretty cool. It's really incredible because this money, he says, we'll have three primary goals. First, he wants to end preventable deaths of moms and babies around the world. Second, he wants to prevent deadly infectious diseases, which has been certainly a huge cause of his over the past decade at least. And he wants to bring millions of people out of poverty by giving giving them ways to help themselves, you know, instead of just giving the money. He wants
to create paths for employment, paths for opportunities. So this is a really lofty goal and a really incredible gesture to the world.
I like the timeline moving up in two respects. One of them seems selfish, but in one respect, yeah, you could get this money.
Out there quickly and you can see the impact.
You want to be around to see it and maybe even guided or direct.
Cool, that's the selfish one.
I don't want to be dead and all of a sudden the world becomes a wonderful place because of me, and I didn't see it. Yeah, I want credit for it while I'm alive. Everybody, Hey, give me some awards. I'm sorry, that's just me, that's not Bill Gates.
Folks, all right, for the final leg of our run. Well, we all know it as the Academy of Country Music Awards. That's what it's officially called, but unofficially it's become the Landy Wilson.
Show, Superstars Linger at another Stella Knight. At last night's sixtieth annual ACMs. I get that, right, Am. There are others in the CMTS.
And CMAS, CMAS is the CMA's okay, but we're saying too many acronyms ACM.
I want to make sure I give them all the credit. The Academy of Country Music Awards. Last night, she Laney Wilson won the biggest prize.
Of the night.
This is the all coveted Entertainer of the Year, and this is the second year in a Row. She's won that award.
Dang all right. Well, she's also won awards for last Night for Album of the Year, Female Artist of the Year, and Artist Songwriter of the Year. One of the biggest highlights of the night happened right off the top. The show opened with nearly a fifteen minute medley of country music hits and stars from the past fifty years. How cool is that?
Okay, we're talking about Clint Black. We're talking about names like Winona Judd, Reeba MacIntyre, Leanne Rhymes I read somewhere. This was her first return to the show in many years for some reason, but she was there. But another highlight of the night was Alan Jackson. He got a Lifetime Achievement Award last night.
We are huge fans of his. We've been playing one of his songs at nauseum over the past couple of weeks. Other top awards last Night Song of the Year Dirt Cheap by Cody Johnson, Duo of the Year Brooks and Dunn.
Didn't realize they have. They have a duo over the Year and a group of the Year.
Do all war shows.
Having no I think that might just be a country basic thing.
Because I guess there are a lot of duos. Yeah, well that makes sense.
But the Group of the Year was Old Dominion and then Male Artist of the Year was Chris Staples and Alan Jackson had a cool moment. The Lifetime Achievement Award is a new one that they're actually naming after him. He's the first recipient of it. He got up there and made a joke. He said, usually I hear from people and they name their dogs after me, So this ain't bad.
They named their dogs after me.
A lot of fans come up and say they name their dog.
He's got that song that I've been singing for much of my life, isn't it wayde On Younger on the chat Ahuci is that Yeah, we should play that when we get off.
To Atlanta, right past the Shadoo.
Yeah, yeah, yeah exactly.
All right, folks, before you go and get your weekend started, something we would like for you to take.
With you on this Friday. It's our quote of the day.
Just because it's not on the news doesn't mean it's not happening. TJ. You got to explain this one.
This came to me. Benjamin Watson is his name. A lot of people might not recognize the name. But we were on robes a shoot for Good Morning America several years ago in New Orleans, and he was a part of it and just standing to the side. We weren't on TV at the time. We were just having a little private conversation and he was talking about something and something not getting enough attention in the news. He said, folks don't realize just because it's not in the news
doesn't mean it's not happening. He's making a point that there were so many other things to pay attention to that we're not paying attention to.
And I just loved how he said.
Like I said, some of the quotes I get from my pastor or a random person, this was a random conversation I had with him, and I loved it, and I wrote.
It in I Love it too. I hadn't thought about it, but it's so true. And we get tunnel visions sometimes and we're almost told what to think about and told what to care about. But it's important to look around you and see what's important actually in your life, not necessarily what you're being told to pay attention to. So let's give it to you one more time, just because it's not on the news doesn't mean it's not happening.
And if you get a chance, reach out to Benjamin Watson. He's now a commentator for SEC Network for football. Every time I see him on, I send him a text say hello again, and oh, I'm telling you that moment with him.
I wrote that down.
It meant that much to me at the time, so it's really cool you get a chance reach out to him and let him know that his words are still reverberating through the country. And with that, folks, we always appreciate you running with us.
I'm TJ.
Holmes and I'm Amy Robock. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone,