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POLITICS

Diplomatic Discord

Tensions boiled over in the Oval Office Friday.

The near-final U.S.-Ukraine minerals deal unraveled live on camera as Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy clashed with President Trump and VP Vance. Zelenskyy refused to sign without security guarantees against Russia, prompting Vance to push diplomacy over military assistance. When Zelenskyy dismissed past ceasefires as failures, Vance called him ungrateful. Trump said Zelenskyy was disrespecting the U.S. and “gambling with World War III.”

Trump then canceled their press conference, lunch, and deal signing—and showed Zelenskyy the White House door. 

Most Republicans have praised President Trump for “standing up for America,” while Democrats have called Trump’s actions an “embarrassment” that benefitted Putin. European leaders quickly rallied behind Zelenskyy, who, on Saturday, thanked Trump for U.S. support but urged him to stand “more firmly” behind Ukraine.

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Verse to consider when tensions are high… “My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.” 
James 1:19-20 (CSB) (read full passage)

POLITICS

RE: “What did you do last week?”

DOGE is doubling down on its demands for productivity reports.

Friday night, all federal employees received a second email requesting another list of five accomplishments from last week. The now-weekly “pulse check” faces legal challenges from labor unions who say it violates rulemaking procedures (providing notice of impending new policies and allowing for a comment period).

Meanwhile, the layoffs keep coming. The Social Security Administration announced 7,000 layoffs Friday, and the Ed Dept offered employees a $25,000 buyout ahead of “a very significant” workforce reduction.

As DOGE works to streamline operations, President Trump is streamlining… words. After nearly 250 years without one, Trump signed an executive order designating English as the U.S.’s official language to “cultivate a shared American culture;” critics say it “directly contradicts” America’s diversity.

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CHRISTIAN REFLECTION
It’s easy to throw stones at a government’s operations obstacles… But how are the chores and honey-do discussions going at your own house? In all your conversations, demonstrate faith in Christ through patience and compromises that outdo one another in showing honor and love. 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The law is not against such things. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.” 
Galatians 5:22–25 (CSB) (read full passage)

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U.S. NEWS

And the Oscar goes to…

Awards season came to a red-carpeted close last night at the 97th Academy Awards.

The Oscars went to…

• Anora, for Best Picture

• Adrien Brody (The Brutalist), for Best Actor

• Mikey Madison (Anora), for Best Actress

• Kieran Culkin (A Real Pain), for Best Supporting Actor 

• Zoe Saldaña (Emilia Pérez), for Best Supporting Actress 

Award-show buzz started early when Han Solo Indiana Jones Harrison Ford stepped down as a presenter thanks to a case of shingles. Alas, the star-studded show went on, hosted by late-night TV host Conan O’Brien, featuring a wicked performance from Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, a dress-code-breaking Adam Sandler, and tributes to James Bond, Quincy Jones, and Gene Hackman. 

Big winner Anora took home five statuettes—the most of any nominated film last night. Check out the full list of winners here. 

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Whether we’re actors, directors, newsletter writers, business people, teachers, plumbers, or stay-at-home moms, Christians have an opportunity every day to honor God in our work with the gifts he’s given us and to show the love of Christ to those around us as we do. 

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” 
1 Corinthians 10:31 (CSB) (read full passage)

No spending, no swiping, no shopping—that was the plan. On Friday, a grassroots movement critical of corporate greed and billionaire influence led an “economic blackout,” urging Americans to stop all non-essential spending for 24 hours in protest of a “rigged” economic system. Despite social media buzz and some celebrity support, retail analysts saw “no immediate signs of consumer restraint.”
 

Friday, Iowa became the first state to remove gender identity protections from its civil rights code. Governor Kim Reynolds (R) said the bill—which also legally defined males and females based on their reproductive organs at birth—is “necessary to secure genuine equal protection for women and girls.” Aime Wichtendahl, Iowa’s first transgender representative (D), said the bill aims to “stigmatize” and “erase” transgender individuals from public life.
 

The race for NYC Mayor is getting crowded. On Saturday, former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo became the eighth—and highest profile—Democrat looking to unseat current Big-Apple Boss Eric Adams in June’s primary election; one Republican and one Independent are also running. Cuomo left the governor’s mansion in 2021 amid sexual harassment allegations; he denies wrongdoing.
 

Kurdish militants have declared a ceasefire with Turkey after their jailed leader called for them to disarm and disband. Saturday’s statement from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization, aims to end 40 years of armed conflict, which has killed tens of thousands. The group wants Kurdish autonomy and their leader’s release; Turkey didn’t immediately respond.
 

Skype is signing out for good. Microsoft, which acquired the video call pioneer for $8.5B in 2011, announced it’s shuttering Skype on May 5 and migrating users to Microsoft Teams. The few remaining Skypers weren’t the only ones upset with Microsoft this weekend; a faulty software update caused a global Outlook outage, leaving users email-less for hours on Saturday.

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