Inside Sources Full Show April 21st, 2025: Pope Francis' political legacy, More dysfunction in Department of Defense, Judge rules Utah Fits All Scholarship is unconstitutional

KSL's Inside Sources

Inside Sources Full Show April 21st, 2025: Pope Francis' political legacy, More dysfunction in Department of Defense, Judge rules Utah Fits All Scholarship is unconstitutional

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Published on Apr 21, 2025, 3:35:41 PM
Total time: 01:14:20

Episode Description

Hosts: Adam Gardiner and Guest Host Emily Lockhart 

The political legacy left behind by Pope Francis 
Thousands of people are expected to visit the Vatican to pay their respects for Pope Francis, who passed away at the age of 88. The Pope's legacy wasn't just a spiritual one; it was a political one too. He often spoke up against U.S. Presidents, encouraging them to be more charitable, loving, and peaceful. Kyle Palmer, local Utah Catholic and Principal at Irish Elk, LLC joins Inside Sources to share his takes on the political legacy Pope Francis leaves behind. 
 
China threatens neighboring countries about making trade deals with the US 
President Trump's tariffs have contributed to a volatile global stock market, and foreign countries have been clamoring to meet with the President to negotiate tariffs and new trade deals. China is notably not seeking negotiations right now. But the country is exerting pressure on neighboring Asian countries, warning them of retribution if they make deals with the United States that could put Beijing at a disadvantage. To get some perspective on this and what China could do, the hosts are joined by Dr. Anna Pechenkina, associate professor of Political Science at Utah State University
 
Op-Ed details chaos and dysfunction under Secretary Hegseth’s command 
Between a new op-ed detailing the chaos and dysfunction within the Department of Defense and a new report from The New York Times outlining another instance of sharing sensitive information via Signal, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is in the spotlight today. Will the newest stories lead to his removal by President Trump? The Inside Sources hosts share their thoughts on the growing security issues. 
 
Carelessness abides over how sensitive government information is stored 
Sloppy handling of sensitive documents has become all-too-commonplace among the last two administrations. The latest instance involves a Google Drive folder -- which contained documents like White House floor plans -- being inadvertently shared among employees who weren't supposed to have access. In this day and age, how have we gotten to this point where there's such disregard for protecting sensitive and classified government information? 
 
Judge rules that Utah Fits All Scholarship is unconstitutional 
State lawmakers are preparing their appeal today following last week's ruling by a Utah judge that the Utah Fits All Scholarship program is unconstitutional. It's left a lot of questions for the thousands of children who were beneficiaries of the program. It's also sparked outrage and anger from legislative proponents of the program. The Inside Sources hosts try to answer some of the questions they’ve thought of.  
 
Updates on Utah’s strategic reinvestment bill for higher education 
Utah's strategic reinvestment bill for higher education aimed to cut inefficiencies, help with rising tuition costs, and loosen blockades in high-industry-demand majors like nursing and engineering. Now, House leaders say that shuffling funds could also help the mental health crisis facing Utahns by opening up access for future mental health practitioners. State Representative Karen Peterson sponsored the legislation and joins the show to explain how the bill could affect mental health resources. 
 
Poll: Support strong but waning for Gov. Cox, State Legislature 
Utahns continue to support Governor Cox and the State Legislature -- that's according to new polling from the Deseret News. But the overall support numbers are dropping, a potential indicator of trouble. The group of voters who seem to be waning in their support are more Democratic-leaning individuals. How much of an effect could that actually have? Adam Gardiner and Emily Lockhart discuss.
 
Utah’s innovation blueprint and how it could strengthen America’s place in the global tech race 
While China continues to ramp up and develop its own AI and technology, the United States stands in a unique position that could result in either technological growth or collapse. Sure, it'll take strong federal action to ensure growth. But as a new opinion piece in the Deseret News points out, it'll also take action from each individual state. Utah is in a good position for exactly this kind of thing. Joining Inside Sources to share more about his opinion piece is Matt Waldrip, Managing Partner at Dauntless Capital Partners and the former chief of staff to Senator Mitt Romney
 
More about KSL's Inside Sources

The latest in news and politics with a range of political expert hosts every day. Inside Sources gives a refreshing take on the day's news with each host bringing their unique perspective and expertise to the conversation.