On Wednesday, as Israel marked Yom HaZikaron (Day of Remembrance) to remember the tens of thousands of Israelis who have died defending the Jewish state, fires broke out, raging in the Judean Hills, and Palestinians celebrated while giving instructions to ignite more fires.
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A national state of emergency has been declared here in Israel due to the fires. Praying for everyone’s safety. 🙏🏻 <a href="https://t.co/l8DdvyiKr7">pic.twitter.com/l8DdvyiKr7</a>
&mdash; Montana Tucker (@montanatucker) <a href="https://twitter.com/montanatucker/status/1917549830986944842?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Arab arsonists are starting fires all over Jerusalem. 3 have been arrested so far. 
The photos and videos out of Israel are harrowing.
Greece and Italy are reportedly sending fire fighters to assist. <a href="https://t.co/uDAkH2KRbN">pic.twitter.com/uDAkH2KRbN</a>
&mdash; Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 (@MarinaMedvin) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarinaMedvin/status/1917587081192431876?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Palestinian terrorists are calling for more arson on social media. <a href="https://t.co/QWTGBDB4z2">pic.twitter.com/QWTGBDB4z2</a>
&mdash; Marina Medvin 🇺🇸 (@MarinaMedvin) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarinaMedvin/status/1917596563053989948?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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How do you react to a whole group of people who actually set your country on fire? And to those, easily identifiable, who support it on social media? Right suggestions only. <a href="https://t.co/gEJKjq1luY">pic.twitter.com/gEJKjq1luY</a>
&mdash; An Israeli mother (@IsraMum) <a href="https://twitter.com/IsraMum/status/1917580160825516129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The roaring fires near Jerusalem forced the closure of Israel’s main artery, Highway 1. Fire and Rescue Commissioner Eyal Caspi <a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-852084">announced</a> that the alert level had been raised to the highest degree. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar reached out to Greece, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, and Bulgaria for aid, although any help was not expected before Wednesday night.
Palestinians who hate Israel routinely refer to all Israelis as “settlers.” The terrorist group Hamas exhorted Palestinians to &#8220;burn whatever you can of groves, forests, and settler homes,&#8221; on Telegram, adding, &#8220;Youth of the West Bank, youth of Jerusalem, and those inside Israel, set their cars ablaze&#8230; Gaza awaits the revenge of the free,” The Jerusalem Post <a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-852155">reported</a>.
The Jenin News Network Telegram channel urged Palestinians to &#8220;burn the groves near the settlements&#8221; on Telegram as well.
Palestinian news channel “Akhbar Filastin” posted on X, “A call to the revolutionary youth and all the heroes of the West Bank.. Settlers&#8217; homes and the surrounding areas are your target. Burn them with your Molotov cocktails and set fire to the grass near the settlement outposts.”
“Israeli police reportedly arrested or detained three suspects in connection with fires that broke out on Wednesday,” JNS <a href="https://www.jns.org/israeli-police-arrest-three-in-connection-with-jerusalem-area-fires/">reported</a>.
Knesset member Zvi Sukkot stated, “As the fires spread, calls are being published on Arab networks to ‘set fire to the occupied forests and settlements,’ and there is a real concern, based on past experience, that Palestinians will attempt to set additional fires in Judea and Samaria and throughout the country.”
Yom HaZikaron ends Wednesday night, at which time Yom Ha’Atzmaut (Independence Day) begins. All Independence Day performances and activities were canceled.

TOPSHOT-ISRAEL-FIRE

Dangerous Fires Rage In Israel, National Emergency Declared. Palestinians Call For More Arson.

Fires

Hamas

Israel

Palestinians

Terrorism

World

A deal with India is &#8220;very close,&#8221; Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday, signaling what could be a major breakthrough in negotiations with a significant trade partner.
Many foreign countries, including India, face a 10% baseline tariff after President Donald Trump announced a 90-day pause for harsher &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; tariffs he unveiled at the beginning of April. The tariffs for India could rise to 26%, which was the initial rate, if a deal is not reached.
At a White House press briefing, a reporter asked Bessent if he had anything to share on whether &#8220;something could happen&#8221; this week or the next. He <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2025/04/29/bessent_trade_talks_with_india_korea_japan.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chose</a> to focus on India.
&#8220;I think we’re very close on India,&#8221; Bessent said. &#8220;India — just a little inside baseball. India, in a funny way, is easier to negotiate with than many other countries because they have very high tariffs and lots of tariffs.&#8221;
He added: &#8220;So, it’s much easier to confront the direct tariffs when, as we go through these unfair trade deals that have been put in over decades, that the non-tariff trade barriers can be much more insidious and also harder to detect. So, a country like India, which has the posted and ready tariffs, it’s much easier to negotiate with them. I think the India negotiations will move well.&#8221;
Last week, Vice President JD Vance travelled to India and met with the country&#8217;s prime minister, Narendra Modi.
Vance <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/1914650218940805207" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the United States and India finalized the “terms of reference” for a trade negotiation, adding that he believed it was a &#8220;vital step toward realizing President Trump&#8217;s and Prime Minister Modi&#8217;s vision because it sets a roadmap toward a final deal.&#8221;
India, along with Japan and South Korea, seem to be making the greatest amount of headway in talks with the United States.
These &#8220;Asian trading partners and allies,&#8221; Bessent said, &#8220;have been the most forthcoming in terms of doing the deals &#8230; Vice President Vance was in India last week. I think that he and President Modi made very good progress, so I could see some announcements on India. I could see the contours of a deal with the Republic of Korea coming together, and then we&#8217;ve had substantial talks with the Japanese.&#8221;
Because Japan and South Korea have elections coming up in the months ahead, Bessent sees an opportunity to reach agreements with them sooner rather than later.
&#8220;I think from our talks that these governments actually want to have the framework of a trade deal done before they go into the elections to show that they have successfully negotiated with the United States,&#8221; Bessent said. &#8220;So, we’re finding that they’re actually much more keen to come to the table, get this done, and then go home and campaign on it.&#8221;
Trump implemented the &#8220;Liberation Day&#8221; tariffs by declaring a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/04/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-declares-national-emergency-to-increase-our-competitive-edge-protect-our-sovereignty-and-strengthen-our-national-and-economic-security/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">national emergency</a> to combat what his administration says are unfair trade practices, protect American workers, and strengthen national security. While most countries received a 90-day reprieve, the United States <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-issues-90-day-pause-on-most-tariffs-raises-chinas-to-125" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increased</a> the overall tariff level on China to 145%. Beijing responded by <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/11/china-strikes-back-with-125percent-tariffs-on-us-goods-starting-april-12.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raising</a> tariffs on U.S. goods to 125%.
Bessent would not say during the briefing whether Trump administration officials have been talking with their counterparts from China about tariffs, but he did <a href="https://grabien.com/story?id=525096" target="_blank" rel="noopener">express</a> the view that, &#8220;over time, we will see that the Chinese tariffs are unsustainable for China.&#8221;

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

Sorry, China: Bessent Says Deal With Massive Trade Partner ‘Very Close’

China

Executive

Global Politics

India

Japan

Scott Bessent

South Korea

Tariffs

Trade War

Author JK Rowling responded to a comment from Boy George, the former lead singer of Culture Club, claiming &#8220;she hates men,&#8221; which is just a small part of the backlash she’s received since the United Kingdom&#8217;s Supreme Court ruled that the definition of a woman is determined by biological sex.
The billionaire “Harry Potter” author has been a controversial figure for years as critics labeled her a TERF (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) for stating her belief that men cannot become women. These criticisms went mainstream again last week when actor Pedro Pascal <a href="https://fox59.com/news/entertainment/last-of-us-actor-pedro-pascal-calls-harry-potter-author-heinous-loser/">accused</a> Rowling of exhibiting “heinous loser behavior” for celebrating the court ruling.
Pascal, who has a trans-identifying sibling, recently attended the U.K. premiere of Marvel’s “Thunderbolts” wearing a “Protect the Dolls” T-shirt, which was created to benefit a charity for trans-identifying people. The actor spoke out about these issues in the past, saying, “A world without trans people has never existed and never will… I can’t think of anything more vile and small than terrorizing the smallest, most vulnerable community of people who want nothing from you, except for the right to exist.”
Boy George, 63, responded to a user on X who had commented on a post about Pascal. The original post stated that Pascal &#8220;doesn&#8217;t hate women.”
Boy George replied, “Stop this nonsense that if you don&#8217;t agree with [JK Rowling] you hate women. She hates men. This is where this truth lies. She cannot differentiate between a &#8216;trans&#8217; woman and a biological male. Which is weird with her imagination?”
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🙄I&#8217;m married to a man, George. I do not hate men. I simply live in reality where men &#8211; however they identify &#8211; commit 98% of sexual assaults, and 88% of victims are female. Trans-identified men are no less likely than other kinds of men to pose a risk to women or girls. <a href="https://t.co/0zC3p99WyL">https://t.co/0zC3p99WyL</a>
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1916282326205579346?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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And then Rowling weighed in, shooting down the singer’s assertions. “I&#8217;m married to a man, George. I do not hate men,” the author wrote along with an eye roll emoji. “I simply live in reality where men &#8211; however they identify &#8211; commit 98% of sexual assaults, and 88% of victims are female. Trans-identified men are no less likely than other kinds of men to pose a risk to women or girls.”
&#8220;I hate to point this out*, but accusing me of hating men because I don&#8217;t think trans women should be given access to all women-only spaces does rather suggest that (in spite of your feverish assertions to the contrary) you&#8217;re well aware that these are, in fact, men. *I don&#8217;t,&#8221; she <a href="https://x.com/jk_rowling/status/1916456363393155436">wrote</a> in a follow-up X post.

JK Rowling

JK Rowling Responds To Boy George Claiming ‘She Hates Men’

JK Rowling Responds To Boy George Claiming She 'Hates' Men

Celebrities

Pedro Pascal

Transgender

United Kingdom

Nike is getting blasted for its insensitivity in using a phrase associated with the Holocaust only three days after Yom HaShoah, when Jews around the world mark the murder of six million Jews by the Nazis in the Holocaust.
Nike installed signs along the London Marathon route emblazoned, “Never again, until next year.”
“As a Jew living in London, I felt shocked, hurt, and angry to see the use of words in this context, even if no doubt in reference to the temporary pain of running 26 miles,&#8221; retired British judge Nigel Litman <a href="https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/antisemitism/article-851847" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Walla.
He continued:
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“Never Again” is a phrase related to the Holocaust and the murder of six million Jews. It is directed as a prayer to the world that it will not allow such a horror to repeat itself. And over the past 18 months, it has been used more than ever, as we mourn the barbaric slaughter of more than 1,000 Israelis and long for the return of hostages kidnapped to the tunnels of Gaza. The fact that the phrase is used as a marketing tool for the marathon is very indicative of the way it is treated. In fact, to chant ‘never again, until next year’ is exactly what Hamas promised: to repeat October 7 over and over again.
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“I am not arguing that Nike meant an antisemitic act, but it demonstrated how a serious and important comment is thrown aside as of little importance, despite the fact that for many Jews it is of enormous importance,” he concluded.
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Boycott Nike <a href="https://t.co/sntTQ9Fg9W">pic.twitter.com/sntTQ9Fg9W</a>
&mdash; Eye On Antisemitism (@AntisemitismEye) <a href="https://twitter.com/AntisemitismEye/status/1916873782381203492?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The idea that <a href="https://twitter.com/Nike?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Nike</a> would make light of the holocaust using Hitler-red imagery in a post-October 7th world is stunning. 
Heads need to roll. 
WTF Nike? <a href="https://t.co/5kHx3sdB7a">https://t.co/5kHx3sdB7a</a>
&mdash; Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillAckman/status/1916929342296166809?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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I will &quot;never again&quot; purchase anything from Nike. <a href="https://t.co/lPx99oOsqV">pic.twitter.com/lPx99oOsqV</a>
&mdash; Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) <a href="https://twitter.com/EYakoby/status/1916862588282904667?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Nike&#39;s ad at the London Marathon — to Never Again buy Nike. <a href="https://t.co/Egs4M06vfL">pic.twitter.com/Egs4M06vfL</a>
&mdash; dahlia kurtz ✡︎ דליה קורץ (@DahliaKurtz) <a href="https://twitter.com/DahliaKurtz/status/1916841999136604413?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2025</a></blockquote>
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One month after the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre of over 1,200 Israelis, a &#8220;digital media marketing specialist&#8221; at Nike accused Israel of “massacring civilians.”
“Much of what is Israel claims about Palestinian resistance is pure projection. The killing of children, massacring civilians, the r*pe, torture, hostage-taking, and imprisonment that Israel accuses of Palestinians of occurs on a much greater scale by the Israelis,” James Rehwald wrote, The Washington Free Beacon <a href="https://freebeacon.com/democrats/meet-the-nike-marketing-specialist-who-says-israel-not-hamas-is-massacring-civilians/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, adding, “Nike CEO John Donahoe nearly a week after the attack sent an internal email to employees decrying the &#8220;horrific attacks in Israel&#8221; but did not mention Hamas, prompting pushback from some Jewish employees.”

Nike Swoosh Logo

Nike Blasted After Posting ‘Never Again’ Signs During Marathon 3 Days After Holocaust Memorial Day

General

Holocaust

London

Marathon

Nike

Foreign donations to American universities surged during the Biden administration, with Qatar, the largest source of such funding in the past 40 years, and China, the second-largest, significantly ramping up their donations.
According to a new report from the Network Contagion Research Institute shared exclusively with <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/explosion-in-foreign-funding-for-american-universities" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Free Press</a>, the amount of foreign funding for American universities during the Biden administration — $29 million —  equaled the total over the last forty years.
“The floodgates opened during the Biden era,” NCRI’s co-founder Joel Finkelstein told The Free Press. &#8220;This isn’t just a financial issue—it’s a national security crisis. Hostile powers are buying influence on American campuses at an industrial scale.”
Last week, President Donald Trump signed an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/04/transparency-regarding-foreign-influence-at-american-universities/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order</a> that required institutions of higher education to “report significant sources of foreign funding,” while noting, “But, because section 117 has not been robustly enforced, the true amounts, sources, and purposes of foreign money flowing to American campuses are unknown. From 2010 to 2016, according to one study, universities failed to disclose more than half of reportable foreign gifts. Even when foreign funding is reported, its true sources are often hidden.”
Trump pointed out that during his first term, “the Department of Education opened investigations on 19 campuses from 2019-2021, which led universities to report $6.5 billion in previously undisclosed foreign funds. Yet the prior administration undid this work, moving the Department of Education’s specialized investigatory work on foreign funds to a unit ill-equipped to perform it, undermining investigations, and hindering public access to information on foreign gifts and contracts.”
The order authorized the Secretary of Education to “take appropriate steps to require universities to more specifically disclose details about foreign funding, including the true source and purpose of the funds,” while adding that the “Secretary and the Attorney General shall hold accountable higher education institutions that fail to comply with the law concerning disclosure of foreign funding.”
“<a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2024/10/american-universities-continue-to-underreport-foreign-money/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A 2024 study</a> published by the National Association of Scholars found that universities failed to disclose at least $1 billion in foreign funding since Biden took office, the majority of which came from authoritarian countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey,” The Free Press reported, adding, “While Qatar holds the designation of a <a href="https://www.defense.gov/News/News-Stories/Article/Article/2917336/major-non-nato-ally-designation-will-enhance-us-qatar-relationship/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">major non-NATO ally</a> of the United States, the country is also known for <a href="https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2023/12/19/10-things-to-know-about-hamas-and-qatar/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">harboring the leaders</a> of Hamas and <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/world/middle-east/article/qataris-are-exporting-political-islam-to-west-vgcs9fnsv?region=global" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exporting political Islamism</a>, including by supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, across the Middle East.”
The NCRI analysis examined donations disclosed to the federal government, as required by law for donations of more than $250,000. This means that a significant amount of undisclosed funds may also be being donated. The Free Press <a href="https://www.thefp.com/p/campus-rage-middle-eastern-roots-qatar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously reported</a> that 200 or more American colleges and universities illegally withheld information regarding an estimated $13 billion in undisclosed contributions from foreign countries.
“An official on Trump’s antisemitism task force told The Free Press that they are actively investigating ‘alleged connections between foreign malign actors and student groups on campus.’” The Free Press revealed. “The official said the task force was scrutinizing connections between both student groups and faculty who have ties to universities such as Birzeit in the West Bank, which Israeli officials have <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-arrests-8-palestinian-students-suspected-of-planning-terror-attack/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously accused</a> of having <a href="https://www.ynetnews.com/article/sjhksv5o0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ties to Hamas</a>.”
Last year, an NCRI <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/social-psychology/articles/10.3389/frsps.2024.1408913/full">study</a> in Frontiers of Social Psychology found “providing massive financial support to campuses with ascendant illiberalism serves the interests of foreign actors hostile to the U.S. in particular or liberal democracy in general.”
“It is notable that the universities exploding with anti-Israel protests have the strongest relationships with governments whose national interests are at direct odds with the United States,” The Free Press concluded.

five hundred riyal qatari banknotes stacks isolated on white background, 3d render, qatar money 500 riyal

Foreign Funding Of U.S. Universities Surged During Biden Admin, New Report Says

American Universities

Education

Foreign Funding

Qatar

A massive explosion at a strategic Iranian port killed at least 14 people and injured 750 others on Saturday, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency in the coastal city that serves as a vital shipping hub for the Islamic Republic.
The explosion occurred at the port of Bandar Abbas in southwestern Iran, sending a massive plume of thick gray smoke into the air, with footage showing the blast originating in what appears to be a warehouse facility, according to videos <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/26/middleeast/iran-bandar-abbas-port-explosion-intl/index.html">geolocated</a> by CNN.
Iranian government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani indicated the explosion likely involved chemical containers, stating that they were stored in a “corner of the port that likely contained chemicals which exploded.”
However, she cautioned, “Until the fire is extinguished, it&#8217;s hard to ascertain the cause.&#8221;
Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni confirmed that six people remain missing as firefighters battle the blaze amid challenging high winds.
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BREAKING: Massive explosion hits the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas <a href="https://t.co/PDNvcmCVOi">pic.twitter.com/PDNvcmCVOi</a>
— BNO News (@BNONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/BNONews/status/1916063449383153959?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The state-controlled oil company denied responsibility for the explosion, with state media company IRIB reporting that the explosion took place in the chemical and sulfur section of the port.
The blast caused widespread destruction, shattering windows within a radius of several kilometers and leaving buildings at the port complex severely damaged, with reports indicating some people may be trapped in collapsed structures.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has <a href="https://x.com/drpezeshkian/status/1916111653445284183">ordered</a> an investigation into the incident and dispatched the interior minister to the region to &#8220;examine the dimensions of the accident&#8221; and conduct &#8220;a comprehensive assessment&#8221; to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Health authorities have advised citizens to remain indoors, avoid outdoor activities, and keep windows closed due to significant air pollution concerns, while many Iranians were seen lining up at health centers to donate blood for the injured.
The now-decimated facility is a critical infrastructure asset for Iran, spanning 2,400 hectares with 35 shipping berths and handling approximately 70 million tons of cargo annually, including oil shipments and general cargo, per CNN.
Regional governor Mohammad Ashouri Taziani confirmed that injured people were being transferred to local medical centers in Bandar Abbas, while the port has been closed and all maritime operations suspended until further notice.

TOPSHOT-IRAN-PORT-EXPLOSION

Massive Explosion Rocks Major Iranian Port, Killing 14 And Injuring 750

Explosion

Iran

Middle East

Oil and Gas

President Donald Trump on Saturday morning criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for continuing to hit Ukraine, and suggested Putin needs to be &#8220;dealt with differently&#8221; moving forward.
The same morning, minutes before Pope Francis&#8217; funeral, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-meets-with-zelensky-at-vatican-ahead-of-popes-funeral-very-productive?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Meets+With+Zelensky+At+Vatican+Ahead+Of+Pope’s+Funeral%3A+‘Very+Productive’" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky</a> in St. Peter’s Basilica. Both sides signaled that the meeting was &#8220;good&#8221; and &#8220;productive.&#8221;
&#8220;There was no reason for Putin to be shooting missiles into civilian areas, cities and towns, over the last few days,&#8221; Trump said in a Truth Social post. &#8220;It makes me think that maybe he doesn’t want to stop the war, he’s just tapping me along.&#8221;
Trump added that Putin might have &#8220;to be dealt with differently, through &#8216;Banking&#8217; or &#8216;Secondary Sanctions?&#8217; Too many people are dying!!!&#8221;
Notably, 50 senators &#8212; 25 Democrats and 25 Republicans — <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-senators-push-sanctions-if-russia-stalls-ukraine-peace-efforts-2025-04-01/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> a bill earlier this month that would impose additional sanctions on Russia.
<div id="attachment_912587" style="width: 849px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-912587" class="wp-image-912587 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-26-at-1.20.33-PM-839x576.png" alt="" width="839" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-26-at-1.20.33-PM-839x576.png 839w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-26-at-1.20.33-PM-300x206.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-26-at-1.20.33-PM-768x528.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-26-at-1.20.33-PM-1536x1055.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-26-at-1.20.33-PM.png 1680w" sizes="(max-width: 839px) 100vw, 839px" />Truth Social: Screenshot</div>
Trump&#8217;s post also said the idea that Ukraine would get back Crimea is &#8220;ridiculous,&#8221; and slammed former President Barack Obama for allowing Russia to take the territory. Zelensky has said that he won&#8217;t recognize Russia&#8217;s control of Crimea.
&#8220;[The New York Times&#8217; Peter Baker] wrote that Ukraine should get back territory, including, I suppose, Crimea, and other ridiculous requests, in order to stop the killing that is worse than anything since World War II,&#8221; Trump wrote. &#8220;Why doesn’t this lightweight reporter say that it was Obama who made it possible for Russia to steal Crimea from Ukraine without even a shot being fired.&#8221;
In a Time magazine article published on Friday, Trump said he would facilitate a deal between Russia and Ukraine, but noted that Putin would have liked to &#8220;take the whole thing,&#8221; referring to Ukrainian territory.
<p class="self-baseline font-graphik text-body-large text-black-coffee rich-text mb-6 focus-visible:outline focus-visible:outline-black-coffee focus-visible:outline-2 focus-visible:outline-offset-2 focus-visible:shadow-focus-color text-left">&#8220;Yeah, I think Putin will [make peace],&#8221; Trump <a href="https://time.com/7280114/donald-trump-2025-interview-transcript/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. &#8220;I think Putin would rather do it a different way. I think he’d rather go and take the whole thing. And I think that because of me, I believe I&#8217;m the only one that can get this thing negotiated. And I think we’re a long way. We&#8217;ve had very good talks, and we&#8217;re getting very close to a deal. And I don&#8217;t believe anybody else could have made that deal.&#8221;
On Friday, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/team-trump-arrives-in-russia-as-ukraine-hit-by-more-strikes-top-russian-general-assassinated?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Team+Trump+Arrives+In+Russia+As+Ukraine+Hit+By+More+Strikes%2C+Top+Russian+General+Assassinated" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrived</a> in Moscow to speak with Putin and other top Russian officials and push for a peace deal.
Putin advisers Yuri Ushakov and Kirill Dmitriev said the meeting was &#8220;constructive and useful,&#8221; and brought the United States and Russia &#8220;closer together&#8221; on Ukraine and other issues, <a href="https://www.axios.com/2025/04/25/witkoff-putin-meet-moscow-trump-peace-plan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Axios. Additionally, Witkoff and Putin discussed the possibility of resuming direct negotiations between Russia and Ukraine.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-meets-with-zelensky-at-vatican-ahead-of-popes-funeral-very-productive?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Amanda+Prestigiacomo&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Meets+With+Zelensky+At+Vatican+Ahead+Of+Pope’s+Funeral%3A+‘Very+Productive’" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump Meets With Zelensky At Vatican Ahead Of Pope’s Funeral: ‘Very Productive’</a>

Donald Trump/Vladimir Putin

Trump Says Putin Might Have To Be ‘Dealt With Differently’

Donald Trump

Ukraine-Russia War

Vladimir Putin

Volodymyr Zelensky

President Donald Trump and Ukraine&#8217;s President Volodymyr Zelensky met early Saturday in St. Peter&#8217;s Basilica at the Vatican to discuss peace talks between Ukraine and Russia.
The last face-to-face meeting Trump had with Zelensky took place in February at the White House, and did not end well, with Trump saying Zelensky was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-cancels-meeting-sends-zelensky-packing-he-can-come-back-when-he-is-ready-for-peace" target="_blank" rel="noopener">not ready for peace talks</a>.
Trump and Zelensky met minutes before the start of Pope Francis&#8217; funeral, which took place at 10 a.m. Rome time and 4 a.m. Eastern. Pope Francis passed away on Easter Monday, drawing leaders from around the world to Rome.
The meeting <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/26/europe/zelensky-trump-talks-pope-funeral-intl/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> lasted about 15 minutes, and Trump and Zelensky will continue such talks. The meeting this go-around, according to both sides, went more smoothly than the last face-to-face.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Behind Scenes, Vatican City—President Trump sat down to meet privately with Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine this morning in St. Peter’s Basilica… <a href="https://t.co/zzC78AgbNh">pic.twitter.com/zzC78AgbNh</a>
— Dan Scavino (@Scavino47) <a href="https://twitter.com/Scavino47/status/1916097251954278581?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm9y4ze6g00023b6mu3rvhrjv@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true" data-analytics-observe="off">Zelensky said on X that they had a &#8220;good meeting&#8221; and thanked President Trump.
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm9y4zifh00063b6mykc3w9nn@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true" data-analytics-observe="off">“We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered,” Zelensky wrote. “Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to become historic, if we achieve joint results. Thank you [President Trump].”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Good meeting. We discussed a lot one on one. Hoping for results on everything we covered. Protecting lives of our people. Full and unconditional ceasefire. Reliable and lasting peace that will prevent another war from breaking out. Very symbolic meeting that has potential to… <a href="https://t.co/q4ZhVXCjw0">pic.twitter.com/q4ZhVXCjw0</a>
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1916089502088524203?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm9y2sojk000c3b6mb0t99v0x@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true" data-analytics-observe="off">A White House spokesman said the pair “met privately today and had a very productive discussion,&#8221; according to a CNN report.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Trump and Zelensky met in St. Peter’s Basilica for about 15 minutes (pictures per Team Zelensky) <a href="https://t.co/PP7iwK6qzi">pic.twitter.com/PP7iwK6qzi</a>
— Mathieu von Rohr (@mathieuvonrohr) <a href="https://twitter.com/mathieuvonrohr/status/1916069398537724361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
On Friday, Trump said Russia and Ukraine were “very close” to a peace deal, and called for top leadership of the countries to “finish it off.”
Trump made the comments on Truth Social just as he landed in Rome for Saturday&#8217;s funeral. On the same day, Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/team-trump-arrives-in-russia-as-ukraine-hit-by-more-strikes-top-russian-general-assassinated?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Team+Trump+Arrives+In+Russia+As+Ukraine+Hit+By+More+Strikes%2C+Top+Russian+General+Assassinated" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrived</a> in Moscow to speak with President Vladimir Putin and other top Russian officials and push for a peace deal.
“Just landed in Rome. A good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine,&#8221; the president said. &#8220;They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to ‘finish it off.’ Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Nothing like some tough diplomacy in one of the most beautiful places in the world. <a href="https://t.co/v23MhfVoBJ">pic.twitter.com/v23MhfVoBJ</a>
— Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelgwaltz/status/1916105166484316187?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
Trump also said earlier on Friday that Zelensky needs to sign a mineral deal with the United States, saying that he was “at least three weeks late.”
“Ukraine, headed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has not signed the final papers on the very important Rare Earths Deal with the United States,” Trump posted online. “It is at least three weeks late. Hopefully, it will be signed IMMEDIATELY. Work on the overall Peace Deal between Russia and Ukraine is going smoothly. SUCCESS seems to be in the future!”
Leif Le Mahieu contributed to this report.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-lands-in-to-rome-for-pope-francis-funeral-heres-what-to-expect?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Mairead+Elordi&amp;category=News+and+Analysis&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=Trump+Lands+In+Rome+For+Pope+Francis%E2%80%99+Funeral.+Here%E2%80%99s+What+To+Expect." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trump Lands In Rome For Pope Francis’ Funeral. Here’s What To Expect.</a>

Funeral Takes Place For Pope Francis

Trump Meets With Zelensky At Vatican Ahead Of Pope’s Funeral: ‘Very Productive’

Italy

Pope Francis

Vatican

President Donald Trump said Friday that Russia and Ukraine were &#8220;very close&#8221; to a peace deal, and called for top leadership of the countries to &#8220;finish it off.&#8221;
Trump made the comments on Truth Social as he landed in Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis. Trump&#8217;s special envoy Steve Witkoff <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/team-trump-arrives-in-russia-as-ukraine-hit-by-more-strikes-top-russian-general-assassinated?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Team+Trump+Arrives+In+Russia+As+Ukraine+Hit+By+More+Strikes%2C+Top+Russian+General+Assassinated" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrived</a> in Moscow on Friday to speak with President Vladimir Putin and other top Russian officials and push for a peace deal.
&#8220;Just landed in Rome,&#8221; Trump posted on Truth Social. &#8220;A good day in talks and meetings with Russia and Ukraine. They are very close to a deal, and the two sides should now meet, at very high levels, to &#8216;finish it off.&#8217; Most of the major points are agreed to. Stop the bloodshed, NOW. We will be wherever is necessary to help facilitate the END to this cruel and senseless war!&#8221;
That post came just hours after he called for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to sign a mineral deal with the United States, saying that he was &#8220;at least three weeks late.&#8221;
&#8220;Ukraine, headed by Volodymyr Zelenskyy, has not signed the final papers on the very important Rare Earths Deal with the United States,&#8221; he posted. &#8220;It is at least three weeks late. Hopefully, it will be signed IMMEDIATELY. Work on the overall Peace Deal between Russia and Ukraine is going smoothly. SUCCESS seems to be in the future!&#8221;
The deal over rare earth minerals was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rubio-says-trump-will-likely-be-done-with-ukraine-russia-peace-talks-if-no-progress-is-made-soon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">supposed</a> to be signed months ago, but came to a standstill in February after Zelensky was asked to leave the White House following a contentious meeting with Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Last week, several Ukrainian officials signaled that the country was coming close to finalizing the agreement.
At the same time, Trump has pushed both Zelensky and Putin to stop the hostilities and come to the negotiating table. Witkoff&#8217;s arrival in Russia came after Ukraine was hit with a pair of deadly air strikes this week and Russian Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a high-level military official, was killed in a car bombing in Balashikha.
Before Witkoff&#8217;s arrival, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/sergey-lavrov-russia-urkaine-ceasefire-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> CBS News that his country &#8220;ready to reach a deal&#8221; on Ukraine.
&#8220;The President of the United States believes, and I think rightly so, that we are moving in the right direction,&#8221; he said. &#8220;The negotiations continue, and until the end of the negotiations, we cannot disclose what it is about.&#8221;
As he was leaving for Rome, Trump <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1915758936667390137" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that he thought negotiations with the two countries were &#8220;coming along,&#8221; but added that they were &#8220;very fragile&#8221; at the moment.
While en route to Rome, Trump declined to tell reporters on board Air Force One whether he would be meeting with Zelensky while at the funeral. Trump also said that he would soon be talking to Witkoff about how his meeting with Putin went and said he hadn&#8217;t heard about the car bomb assassination of Moskalik.
&#8220;He’ll be calling me,&#8221; Trump said, according to a transcript provided by the White House foreign pool service. &#8220;They just left the meeting. I haven’t been briefed yet. But, he had — I hear, a pretty good meeting.&#8221;

ITALY-VATICAN-RELIGION-POPE-FUNERAL-TRUMP

‘Stop The Bloodshed’: Trump Says Russia And Ukraine Are ‘Very Close’ To Peace Deal

Russia

Ukraine

In a reversal from the Biden administration’s policy, the Trump administration&#8217;s Department of Justice has stripped the United Nations Relief Works Agency (UNRWA) — which has been accused of working with Hamas during the October 7, 2023, massacre of more than 1200 people in Israel — of immunity from prosecution. That decision will enable the billion-dollar lawsuit filed by the October 7 victims&#8217; families to move forward.
In a  letter from the United States Attorney, Southern District of New York, to U.S. District Judge Analisa Torres regarding the case Estate of Tamar Kedem Siman Tov et al. v. UNRWA, the text stated:
<blockquote>
The complaint in this case recounts atrocious crimes committed by Hamas on October 7. And its factual allegations, taken as true, detail how the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine (&#8220;UNRWA&#8221;) played a significant role in those heinous offenses. Previously, the Government expressed the view that certain immunities shielded UNRWA from having to answer those allegations in American courts. The Government has since reevaluated that position, and now concludes UNRWA is not immune from this litigation. Nor are the bulk of other defendants.
</blockquote>
The lawsuit<a href="https://unwatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/001-UNRWAComplaint.pdf"> states</a>:
<blockquote>The atrocities committed by Hamas in the October 7 Attack were not only acts of terror, genocide, and crimes against humanity, they were torts in violation of the law of nations. Because, as detailed below, the Defendants’ actions aiding and abetting those torts in violation of the law of nations, including but not limited to their funding of Hamas, occurred in significant part in the State of New York and in this federal judicial district, this Court has subject matter jurisdiction and venue over Plaintiffs’ claims against these Defendants. Many of the Plaintiffs separately have claims against Defendants for aiding and abetting Hamas’ violations of the Torture Victim Protection Act of 1991 (“TVPA”), which requires no such New York nexus.</blockquote>
“The US administration&#8217;s determination that UNRWA lacks diplomatic immunity could substantially facilitate Israel&#8217;s efforts to end the agency&#8217;s operations within Israeli territory,” Israel Hayom <a href="https://www.israelhayom.com/2025/04/25/trumps-doj-strips-unrwa-of-immunity/">pointed out</a>. “The lawsuit presents evidence alleging UNRWA orchestrated a $1 billion money laundering operation that funded Hamas, while simultaneously reducing humanitarian aid to Gaza residents and playing a critical role in the October 7 attack.”
Documents shared with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/12/08/world/middleeast/hamas-unrwa-schools.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a> last December impelled the media outlet to admit that senior staff at UNRWA schools doubled as members of Hamas’ military wing.
As shown by the detailed records kept by the Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ military wing, which were seized by Israel, at least 24 people employed by the anti-Israel UNRWA in their schools were members of Hamas or Islamic Jihad. “A majority were top administrators at the schools — principals or deputy principals — and the rest were school counselors and teachers, the documents say,” The Times reported. “Almost all of the Hamas-linked educators, according to the records, were fighters in the Qassam Brigades.”
“The Constitution does not grant immunity to foreign sovereigns or organizations. Instead, such immunity &#8216;is a matter of grace and comity on the part of the United States,’” the letter continued. “The interactions among two treaties, one statute, and one proposed convention govern whether UNRWA is entitled to such grace here. First, the International Organizations Immunities Act of 1945 (‘IOIA’) creates the ‘default rules’ for the immunity enjoyed by international organizations in the United States. Although apparently aimed at many of the same entities that now comprise the United Nations (‘UN’) system, id., the JOIA applies to any ‘public organization in which the United States participates pursuant to any treaty or under the authority of any Act of Congress &#8230; and which shall have been designated by the President through appropriate Executive order as being entitled to enjoy the privileges, exemptions, and immunities provided in this subchapter.’&#8221;
“In other words, Congress controls in the first instance whether the United States participates in such ‘public organizations’ and it empowered the President to decide whether to extend immunity to these organizations including ‘at any time to revoke the designation’ entitling the organizations to immunity,” the letter explains.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The Trump DOJ has reversed the Biden admin&#39;s position and made it clear that UNRWA and its employees are not entitled to immunity for their atrocious terroristic conduct. 
File this under the category of &quot;things that should not have to be said but thank God someone said them.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/iRVSFZdV4v">pic.twitter.com/iRVSFZdV4v</a>
&mdash; Mark Goldfeder (@MarkGoldfeder) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarkGoldfeder/status/1915591397521969386?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&nbsp;

UNRWA – Palestine – Photo Illustration

Trump DOJ Strips Hamas-Linked UN Agency Of Immunity For October 7 Massacre

Courts

Department of Justice

Lawsuit

October 7

Trump Administration

United Nations

UNRWA

Russia <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/25/europe/russia-strikes-ukraine-trump-vladimir-intl-hnk/index.html">reportedly</a> continues to hit Ukraine with deadly strikes after President Donald Trump issues a rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin. A group of religious parents sue their school district over their children&#8217;s forced exposure to LGBTQ content. And, the White House is warning parents and teens about the rise in child exploitation, enlisting the help of country music star John Rich.
It’s Friday, April 25, and this is the news you need to know to start your day. If you’d rather listen to your news, today’s edition of the Morning Wire podcast can be heard below:
<iframe style="width: 100%; max-width: 660px; overflow: hidden; border-radius: 10px;" src="https://embed.podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/russian-derails-ceasefire-talks-combating-sexual-extortion/id1576594336?i=1000704872841" height="175" frameborder="0" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation"></iframe>
<h2>Russia Bombs Ukraine, Frustrates Peace Efforts</h2>
<div id="attachment_912089" style="width: 848px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-912089" class="size-large wp-image-912089" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Miffed-Don-838x576.jpg" alt="" width="838" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Miffed-Don-838x576.jpg 838w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Miffed-Don-300x206.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Miffed-Don-768x528.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Miffed-Don-1536x1056.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Miffed-Don-2048x1408.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 838px) 100vw, 838px" />(Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)</div>
Topline: Russia attacked Ukraine’s capital with a series of missiles and drones on Thursday, and <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/25/europe/russia-strikes-ukraine-trump-vladimir-intl-hnk/index.html">according</a> to CNN, inflicted another round of strikes on Friday. The surprise attacks have derailed United States-led ceasefire negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.
Thursday’s attack on Kyiv left at least a dozen dead and dozens more wounded, and also killed what momentum there was toward a ceasefire. The following night, Moscow reportedly launched another round, killing at least eight more people. Before the attacks, the White House had sounded optimistic about a deal, but after Russia&#8217;s Thursday attacks, the President <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioT5YuxsrU8&amp;t=4m">appeared</a> much less sanguine.
<blockquote>TRUMP: We’re in the midst of talking peace and missiles were fired, and I was not happy with it…
REPORTER: …If the bombs keep falling, will you consider additional sanctions for Russia, or what will you do?
TRUMP: I’d rather answer that question in a week, I want to see if we can have a deal. No reason to answer it now, but I won’t be happy, let’s put it that way. Things will happen.</blockquote>
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been willing to work with the United States on peace terms – more willing since his disastrous White House meeting in February. Since then, Zelensky has agreed to sign a minerals deal with the United States, and last month, he said Ukraine would agree to a full ceasefire to set up peace negotiations. But Moscow never bought in – all they could agree to was a 30 day pause on attacks against energy infrastructure.
Over the weekend, diplomats released a proposed peace deal constructed by the United States and Europe that recognized Russian control of Crimea and accepted Russia’s control of land in Ukraine’s east. It would also ban Ukraine from NATO membership and start the United States and Russia on a path of economic normalization – with all sanctions lifted from Russia. The proposal didn’t set limits on Ukraine’s military – something Moscow had wanted – and it included the minerals deal with the United States. Notably, it did not include any security guarantees from either the United States or Europe for Ukraine. Vice President JD Vance called it a “very fair proposal.”
Zelensky has already said that giving any occupied territory over to the Russians would be a red line. Zelensky has also taken issue with how the Trump administration has approached the negotiating table. “We would like to have this common understanding that Russia is the aggressor, not [Ukraine],&#8221; Zelensky told Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro in an interview this week.
<h2>SCOTUS Hears Case On Religious Opt-Outs From LGBTQ Curriculum</h2>
<div id="attachment_912091" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-912091" class="size-large wp-image-912091" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Let-Kids-Be-Kids-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Let-Kids-Be-Kids-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Let-Kids-Be-Kids-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Let-Kids-Be-Kids-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Let-Kids-Be-Kids-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Let-Kids-Be-Kids-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Let-Kids-Be-Kids-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Let-Kids-Be-Kids-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by OLIVER CONTRERAS/AFP via Getty Images)</div>
Topline: The Supreme Court looks poised to rule in favor of religious parents who want the right to opt their kids out of LGBTQ material at school.
In 2022, Montgomery County Public Schools, Maryland’s largest school district, introduced a new gender and sexuality curriculum. At first, they allowed parents to opt their kids out, but then, the school district decided it was too difficult to allow opt outs and made attendance mandatory. In response, a group of parents that included Muslims, Catholics, and a Ukrainian Orthodox Christian brought a case against the school district.
One of the books in the new curriculum is called “Prince and Knight,” about a prince who rejects princesses and falls in love with a knight. Another book is called “Born Ready” about a boy named Penelope, and another book tells the story of a girl attending her uncle’s same-sex wedding, and yet another book is called “Pride Puppy” about a puppy who gets lost during a Pride parade.
“They can keep the books,” one plaintiff said on the steps of the Supreme Court. “They can read it to their children if there are parents who feel this is appropriate for their 3-year-old, 4-year-old and elementary kids, they can teach it to them, but we don’t think it’s right. We don’t want it read to our kids.”
The more conservative justices seemed highly skeptical of the school district’s arguments. Justice Brett Kavanaugh quizzed the lawyer for the school superintendent about why it’s supposedly too hard to let parents opt out their children from reading LGBTQ books in class. “The plaintiffs here are not asking the school to change its curriculum. They’re just saying look, we want out. Why isn’t that feasible?”
Even some of the usual critics seemed sympathetic to parents in this case. Teachers union boss Randi Weingarten of the ​​American Federation of Teachers admitted she would not actually recommend these books to elementary schoolers, although she still called for “inclusivity.”
<h2>John Rich Promotes Awareness Of Sextortion</h2>
<div id="attachment_912093" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-912093" class="size-large wp-image-912093" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Hidden-Hoodie-Guy-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Hidden-Hoodie-Guy-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Hidden-Hoodie-Guy-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Hidden-Hoodie-Guy-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Hidden-Hoodie-Guy-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Hidden-Hoodie-Guy-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Hidden-Hoodie-Guy-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Hidden-Hoodie-Guy-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Photo by dashu83 via Getty Images)</div>
Topline: Country music star and entrepreneur John Rich has teamed up with the Department of Homeland Security to warn Americans about the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dozens-of-teen-boys-take-their-own-lives-as-online-sextortion-cases-spike">dangers of child sexual extortion</a>.
The Department of Homeland Security has a campaign called “Know2Protect” – you can find that on the DHS website. Its goal is to raise national public awareness about a rapidly growing crime called sexual extortion – also known as sextortion. Sextortion is when a predator coerces or tricks a minor into sending them sexually explicit images or video footage, and then threatens to release that material unless the minor either produces additional explicit content or gives them money. A Daily Wire investigation covered this topic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/dozens-of-teen-boys-take-their-own-lives-as-online-sextortion-cases-spike">in-depth</a> earlier this month, but in summary, there were 36 million reports of suspected online child exploitation in 2023 alone.
John Rich is amplifying DHS’ awareness effort. The country star heard about sextortion a few months ago, after his wife and 15-year-old son attended a related talk from DHI Special Agent Dennis Fetting. Immediately, Rich reached out to DHS with ideas to get out something more accessible to the public. This week, Rich, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and Agent Fetting hosted a livestream event on sextortion. It was <a href="https://x.com/johnrich/status/1915190100058923202">reposted</a> online by President Trump, and so far, it has racked up millions of views.
“I&#8217;m fully aware of the dangers that are out there for our kids right now,” Rich said. “They are being targeted on apps, video games, social media – places you would never dream of, like innocent sounding games like Roblox, Minecraft, things like that, where predators are acting like they&#8217;re another kid and they&#8217;re creating a relationship with your kid, and then they lower the boom, then they start to extort and extort. They do everything from force the kids to send nude pictures of themselves, to take pictures of their parents&#8217; credit cards front and back so they can extort money. They threaten them with killing their family, burning their house down, posting the pictures all online. It results in kids, some of them becoming suicidal – it’s a major, major problem. So to me, millions of parents needed to hear about this.”

RUSSIA-POLITICS-RELIGION

Morning Brief: Russia Bombards Ukraine Amid Peace Talks, SCOTUS School Case & Sextortion Awareness

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Sexual Abuse

Canada&#8217;s Conservative party has narrowed the gap with Prime Minister Mark Carney&#8217;s ruling Liberals to only 3.6 percentage points, just four days before Monday&#8217;s national election.
According to a rolling three-day CTV News-Globe and Mail-Nanos poll, the Liberals hold 42.9% support with the Conservatives at 39.3%.
The 3.6-point gap has narrowed significantly from 5.6 points just a day earlier, a significant momentum shift toward opposition leader Pierre Poilievre&#8217;s campaign focused on economic concerns and public safety under Liberal governance.
&#8220;We can&#8217;t afford a fourth Liberal term of rising costs and crime,&#8221; Poilievre <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/canada-election-race-tightens-conservatives-narrow-gap-with-liberals-poll-says-2025-04-24/">told</a> reporters in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on Thursday, pledging to scrap electric-vehicle sales mandates, per Reuters.
His campaign has emphasized domestic issues, while Carney has focused heavily on U.S. tariffs and potential “threats” posed by President Trump.
Paul Thomas, a professor emeritus at the University of Manitoba, suggests the polls may be tightening because of the &#8220;diminished sense of crisis&#8221; regarding relations between the United States and Canada.
He noted that voters&#8217; focus appears to be shifting back to cost-of-living concerns, while Poilievre&#8217;s softening of his campaign tone may also be attracting support.
The Conservative surge follows the release of the party&#8217;s extensive platform and the two candidates’ debates last week.
In recent years, Canada has implemented a federal carbon tax, stricter gun control measures, and substantially increased immigration targets – policies that opposition parties argue have contributed to the country&#8217;s cost-of-living crisis.
While Carney has made United States relations the centerpiece of his campaign, his rhetoric in recent weeks has become increasingly dramatic in an attempt to exploit the fear of American overreach that many Canadians appear to have.
“In this crisis, we have to prepare for America’s threats to our very sovereignty. They want our land, our resources, they want our water, they want our country,” Carney alarmingly <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/19/mark-carney-unveils-plan-to-trump-proof-canada-00299654">declared,</a> per Politico.
Even with a popular vote victory, pollsters caution that the Liberals might secure only a minority government, leaving Carney dependent on smaller parties to govern.
The New Democratic Party, currently polling at 7.2%, could become the kingmaker in a closely contested parliament.
This shift, combined with the Conservative Party&#8217;s recently released detailed economic plan, appears to be resonating with voters concerned about domestic issues.
The election represents a clear contrast between Carney&#8217;s focus on external threats and international relations versus Poilievre&#8217;s emphasis on so0-called kitchen table economic concerns.
With just days remaining before Canadians cast their ballots, both campaigns are intensifying get-out-the-vote efforts in key battleground districts, particularly in suburban areas around Toronto and Vancouver, where elections are typically decided.
The three-day CTV News-Globe and Mail-Nanos poll was conducted among 2,000 eligible voters from April 18 to 21, and has a margin of error of 2.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, per Reuters.

CANADA-VOTE-POLITICS-DEBATE

Conservative Party Surges Ahead Of Canadian Election As Concerns Over Trump Seem To Wane: Poll

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