First American Pope, Tragic Gaza Pier Failure, Disney’s Malleable Morals: 5/9/25 | The Wrap Up

White smoke from the Vatican signals that a new pope has been elected. A report reveals the Biden administration's $230 million Gaza aid pier really was a massive disaster. Disney announces plans for a theme park in a country where homosexuality is illegal while opposing the so-called don't say gay bill in Florida. And are India and Pakistan marching toward nuclear war? We'll get into all of that in your quick hits right now. What's up guys? Welcome to the wrap-up, where we break down the biggest stories of the week that you might have missed, but definitely need to know. I'm your host, Aaron. White smoke billowed from the Vatican Thursday morning, signaling that the College of Cardinals had elected the new pope. The cardinals began meeting in Vatican City on Wednesday to elect a new bishop of Rome, and they were kept in strict isolation to keep them far from any outside influence from the rest of the world. Cardinal protodacon Dominique Merti declared the election of Cardinal Robert Francis Pvost as Pope to the thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter Square. This announcement followed approximately 24 hours of deliberation by the 133 voting cardinals. Poss appeared on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, dawning the traditional red cape of the papacy, a garment that Pope Francis opted not to wear upon his election in 2013. The 69-year-old pose succeeds the late Pope Francis, who passed away at 88 years old on April 21st due to health issues. The cardinal took the name Pope Leo I 14th and will be the first ever American Pope as Pvos was born in Chicago, Illinois. But he also holds Peruvian citizenship, having lived there for several years as a missionary and later as an archbishop. President Trump responded to the news posting on Truth Social, quote, "It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American pope. What excitement and what a great honor for our country. A recent Pentagon Inspector General report revealed that the Biden administration's Gaza aid pier that intended to deliver humanitarian aid to Gaza became a costly failure, injuring 62 US service members and claiming the life of one soldier. President Biden said in his 2024 State of the Union address that the pier aimed to bypass Israel's land blockades, but rough seas repeatedly damaged the structure, ships ran ground, and logistical failures plagued the mission. The report notes $31 million in damages to 27 watercraft and equipment. In the end, the $230 million project delivered only 20 million pounds of aid, roughly one day's worth for Gaza's population. Humanitarian aid groups slammed the project as quote humanitarian theater. The report highlights inadequate training, equipment, and coordination with Israeli forces. Many in Congress called it a wasteful stunt. While the Pentagon initially downplayed the injuries, claiming only a few non-combat incidents. This failed operation, dubbed Trident, seems to be a testament to mismanaged taxpayer funds and the risks to American service members in poorly planned missions. The Walt Disney Company, known for its vocal opposition to Florida's parental rights and education act, widely criticized as the Don't Say Gay Law, has sparked controversy with its latest venture. Disney is now planning to build a new theme park in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, where homosexuality is illegal and punishable by imprisonment or even death. In Florida, Disney's opposition to the 2022 law, which restricts discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in early grade classrooms, led to a high-profile clash with Governor Ronda Santis. The company filed lawsuits alleging violations of its First Amendment rights, claiming the law promoted discrimination against the LGBTQ community. Yet in Abu Dhabi, Disney is moving forward with a $1 billion theme park project set to open in 2027 at Yos Island. Despite the UAE's strict laws criminalizing same-sex relationships, despite Disney shares trading down around 17% this year, their parks have done well, bringing in almost $9 billion in the second quarter. So, this move seems to say maybe the bottom line really does matter for Disney. Tensions between nuclear armed neighbors India and Pakistan have escalated following India's operation Synindor. a series of precision missile strikes targeting nine alleged terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan administered Kashmir. The strikes launched early Wednesday were in retaliation for a deadly April 22nd attack in Pahalam, Kashmir which killed 26 tourists which India blames on Pakistan-based militants. Breitbart reported India's military claimed the operation successfully destroyed terrorist camps using scalp cruise missiles and hammer bombs. Indian officials including foreign minister Subramanium J Shankar insist the strikes were quote measured non-escalatory proportionate and responsible targeting only terrorist infrastructure but Pakistan denounced the strikes as a cowardly act of war claiming 31 civilians were killed and 57 injured with no terrorist sites hit. Pakistani Prime Minister Shabbaz Sharif vowed a quote robust response and on Wednesday said Pakistan's armed forces were authorized to take quote corresponding actions. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio responded to the news posting on X. I echo President Trump's comments earlier today that this hopefully ends quickly and will continue to engage both Indian and Pakistani leadership towards a peaceful resolution. And now it's time for quick hits. California gas prices could jump up 75% by the end of next year with the expected shutdown of critical oil refineries in the state according to a recent analysis by a USC researcher. That means Californiaifornians would see the $4.82 average as of April climb up to $844 per gallon. While the cardinals gathered at the Vatican to determine the next pope, a group of feminists got together and released pink smoke saying smoke out sexism to protest the allmale papal conclave. Let's look back at what Pope Francis had to say about this. For a little girl growing up Catholic today, will she ever have the opportunity to be a deacon and participate as a clergy member in the church? No. The Alcatraz prison, which was shut down in 1963, might make a return after President Donald Trump directed the Bureau of Prisons, the DOJ, the FBI, and the DHS to reopen and rebuild the prison to hold the quote most ruthless and violent criminals. A federal judge promoted as the first openly lesbian judge west of the Mississippi recently ruled that a school board in Colorado cannot remove sexually explicit profane and quote transgender books from school libraries because of the school board's conservative values. After the New York Knicks beat the Boston Celtics Wednesday night, securing a 2- lead in the NBA Eastern Conference semi-finals, multiple brawls broke out on the streets and police struggled to separate the clashy Knicks and Celtics fans. masked anti-Israel protesters who stormed Colombia University's library, distributed flyers praising the alleged Palestinian terrorist Basel alj as a militant intellectual. The pamphlets created by the radical activist group Unity of Fields included step-by-step instructions on how to cause destruction via sledgehammers and using concrete to block a building's pipes. Nothing convinces people to take your cause seriously like inflicting massive property damage. That's a wrap for this week. Thank you so much for watching and make sure to like, subscribe, and comment below what you thought of these stories and we'll see you here next week on the wrap-up. Thank you so much for watching this video. To help keep PragerU videos free, please consider making a taxdeductible donation today.