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WORLD NEWS

Ceasefire Negotiations

Russia and Ukraine are taking baby steps toward peace.

In Saudi Arabia last week, Ukrainian and American delegates discussed a 30-day peace plan that Ukraine was “ready to accept.” Meetings left the ball in Russia’s court, and President Putin acknowledged that the ceasefire’s “idea is right,” but questions remained about details and enforcement.

Presidents Trump and Putin had a chance to hammer out some details in a nearly three-hour phone call yesterday. Putin agreed to end strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure, and the White House said negotiations for a Black Sea truce and permanent ceasefire will “begin immediately in the Middle East.” 

Negotiators may have a tall task: Ukraine wants “security guarantees” to prevent future invasions, while Russia says its “key condition” is ending all foreign military and intelligence assistance to Kyiv. 

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CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
Christians should be committed to praying for world leaders to be wise and to work towards peaceful resolutions while simultaneously placing our hope in God, not government. 

“First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” 
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (CSB) (read full passage)

SPORTS

March Madness

The big dances are upon us. 

The Men’s and Women’s NCAA Basketball tourneys are tipping off this week, with men’s play officially starting Thursday and women’s on Friday. Hoping for their one shining moment are men’s top teams Auburn, Duke, Florida, and Houston and women’s #1 seeds UCLA, Texas, USC, and South Carolina (AKA the defending champs). 

You can fill out women’s brackets here and men’s brackets here (you know, if you haven’t already made 25 and hung them on your fridge). 

While college hoops head toward its final buzzer, things on the diamond are just getting warmed up. Japan-native Shohei Ohtani and the LA Dodgers beat the Chicago Cubs in game one of the 2025 season-starting Tokyo Series (game two is this morning); the rest of MLB will celebrate Opening Day on March 27th.

(We’re also covering this story tomorrow in Decaf, The Pour Over for Families. Sign up—for free—here.)

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Verse to consider whether you’re waiting for tip-off, for Opening Day, or for a new season in your own life… “But based on his promise, we wait for new heavens and a new earth, where righteousness dwells. Therefore, dear friends, while you wait for these things, make every effort to be found without spot or blemish in his sight, at peace.” 
2 Peter 3:13-14 (CSB) (read full passage)

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U.S. NEWS

Signed, Sealed, Void?

President Trump is questioning some John Hancocks Joe Bidens.

Sunday, President Trump claimed that former President Biden’s last-minute pardons of the Jan. 6 select committee, Dr. Fauci, several Biden family members, and others were “void” and “vacant,” alleging they were signed using an autopen without then-President Biden’s knowledge. 

Autopens––mechanical devices that mimic signatures––have been used by presidents since Truman, typically on documents of lower-level importance (e.g., letters). In 2005, the DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel issued a memo saying autopens could be used to sign bills into law at the president’s direction; President Obama was the first to do so in 2011.

Legal experts say revoking the pardons would be an uphill legal battle. The White House said President Trump was simply “raising the point” of concern and questions should be directed at former Biden officials.

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CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
Being peaceable, gentle, and open to reason in the face of political controversies is a sign of God’s wisdom in us. Believing you’re right is not an excuse to be harsh or condescending.

“But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peace-loving, gentle, compliant, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without pretense.”
James 3:17 (CSB) (read full passage)

Israel and Hamas’s ceasefire is over (maybe). Palestinian authorities reported that a wave of airstrikes killed hundreds across Gaza early Tuesday. Israeli PM Netanyahu said he ordered strikes because Hamas rejected an extension of the ceasefire’s first phase in favor of phase two; Hamas said the strikes are a “death sentence” for hostages. Negotiators are trying to salvage the deal.
 

A legal battle’s brewing between the White House and the courts. A hearing was held Monday to examine whether the Trump administration defied a district court judge’s order to stop the deportation of alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador over the weekend. The DOJ largely refused to answer questions while the judge defended his authority. Expect SCOTUS to weigh in.
 

Getting a Harvard degree just got more affordable. The Ivy League university announced Monday that it would begin waiving tuition for students whose families earn <$200K a year and cover additional student expenses (insurance, housing, etc.) if families made <$100K. Harvard’s president said the move will open its hallowed halls to a wider “array of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.”
 

As it turns out, Forever21 isn’t forever. The millennial’s mall staple will close all U.S. stores, blaming rising costs and competition from foreign fast-fashion brands. Meanwhile, Pepsi is adding some digestion-friendly fizz to its portfolio, acquiring Poppi––the prebiotic soda brand that’s a favorite among health-conscious consumers––for a gut-healthy $1.65 billion.
 

Astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore are back on planet Earth… just 278 days after their planned arrival; concerns with their Boeing Starliner Spacecraft caused (many) delays. The two returned with another NASA astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut on a SpaceX capsule yesterday evening, splashing down off the coast of Florida, where they were greeted by a pod of dolphins.

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