ACTUAL NEWS: Monday, April 21st 2025 Daily Briefing

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Today, the world woke up to the heartbreaking news from the Vatican: Pope Francis has passed away.

The first Latin American pontiff in history, Pope Francis died at age 88 on Monday at 7:35 a.m. local time at his residence in Vatican City. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, he led the Catholic Church for 12 years. Known for his deep commitment to service, Pope Francis championed equality, welcomed same-sex marriage, and confronted devastating issues within the Church—such as clerical abuse—by personally meeting with survivors.

He prayed for peace around the world. Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy expressed his sorrow, recognizing the Pope’s compassion toward Ukrainians: “He knew how to give Hope.” Worshippers leaving a Catholic church service in the city of Lviv mourned his loss, though some still harbored hurt that the pontiff had not taken a more forceful stance against Russia’s aggression. Notably, nine months ago, Francis reportedly interrupted his vacation to meet with the No. 2 of the Moscow Patriarchate.

The Moscow Patriarchate, which has openly blessed rockets and declared a “Holy War” against Ukraine, continues to face scrutiny. The Estonian Parliament has officially designated the Moscow Patriarchate as a sponsor of Russian aggression:

“The calls of the Moscow Patriarchate contain an inherent danger to Estonia's security and survival, including a direct threat to the public and constitutional order in Estonia.”

Although the Vatican has not released details about the meeting with the Moscow clergy, the fact it occurred has left a mark. Still, the sorrow surrounding the loss of a leader who once humbly declared “Who am I to judge?” and opted for compassion over culture wars is palpable. Pope Francis will be remembered for his efforts to acknowledge and apologize for the legacy of colonialism, and for building a more inclusive, modern Church. Many now see the Church as fundamentally different than it was 12 years ago—thanks to him.

World leaders issued an outpouring of heartfelt messages following the Vatican’s announcement early on Easter Monday:

Meanwhile, in Washington, the annual Easter Egg Roll took a different tone.

As per tradition dating back to 1878, the White House hosted 42,000 guests. But this year, everything was monetized: companies shelled out up to $200,000 to brand parts of the event. “Reading Session sponsored by Amazon.” “Photo Booth provided by Meta.” The event was a logo-fest.

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump appeared on the White House balcony, alongside a new version of the White House bunny (usually a Secret Service agent in disguise).

Trump gave a speech praising “high enrollment in the military draft,” while the official White House account posted a crude jab at Biden, calling his past administration a “nursing home.”

On MAGA-aligned accounts, clips resurfaced—like Biden being rushed offstage by the Easter bunny in 2022—which they frame as signs of senility. I was there. It was storming. Biden was told to move along quickly to make space for others before the next rain delay. That’s it.

This reminded me of summer 2024, when Trump-aligned media campaigns backfired spectacularly—partly because I managed to inject the truth just as they were about to go viral.

Biden “freezing” at the Obama/Clooney fundraiser He stopped to talk to TikTokers who were heckling him. Obama intervened.
The infamous “pooping” rumor in France (Normandy) They cut the clip before he sat down—he had just bent forward.
“Greeting the air” in Italy at the G7 He was waving at a parachutist who had landed—cut from the frame in the viral version.

These went viral—but also led to mass online harassment. As they say, it’s a thing.

Back to the Easter Egg Roll: The First Lady hosted a children’s reading session.

“Happy Easter! What a beautiful crowd!” she said. After reading Bunny with a Big Heart, she asked the kids what they learned.“Yes, we need to make friends and take care of them as well,” she told one child.“Kindness, yes,” she responded to another.“I hope to see you next year.”

The book, about an egotistical rabbit who didn’t value his friends and family, might’ve been unintentionally revealing. Or maybe I’m just reading into it.

In other news, the U.S. has fully adopted Russia’s position on Ukraine.

Today, the U.S. negotiating team declared its willingness to recognize Crimea and the four occupied territories as Russian. NATO membership for Ukraine? Off the table.

General Keith Kellogg, once considered Ukraine’s strongest supporter, echoed Kremlin propaganda on national TV.

What’s next? Confidential proposals were submitted last Thursday. Ukraine is expected to respond swiftly. Rubio, Witkoff, and Kellogg will attend upcoming talks in London—Witkoff will visit Russia afterward.

Meanwhile, Russia appeared smug, now pondering what more to demand—because it’s already getting everything it couldn’t have dreamed of a year ago.

The Kremlin stated Monday that President Trump’s NATO stance gave Moscow “satisfaction,” though it declined to comment on his “hopes for a peace deal.”

Yesterday, I went live with the latest Weekly Recap. If you missed it, you can watch the replay!

TODAY IN HISTORY

1509: Following the death of Henry VII, his son ascended the British throne as King Henry VIII, beginning a reign that would transform England’s religious and political landscape.

1526: Bābur, ruler of Kabul, defeated Sultan Ibrāhīm Lodī at the Battle of Panipat, establishing the Mughal dynasty in India.

1789: John Adams was sworn in as the first vice president of the United States, nine days ahead of George Washington’s presidential inauguration.

1800: French troops under General Jean-Baptiste Kléber recaptured Cairo, briefly reinstating French control over Egypt.

1836: General Sam Houston led Texan forces to victory over the Mexican army under General Santa Anna at the Battle of San Jacinto, securing Texas’s independence from Mexico.

1918: Manfred von Richthofen, known as the “Red Baron” and Germany’s top fighter ace in World War I, was shot down and killed near Amiens, France.

1934: The Daily Mail published the so-called “surgeon’s photograph,” an image purportedly showing the Loch Ness monster—later exposed as an elaborate hoax.

1966: Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie I arrived in Jamaica, where he was revered by Rastafarians as the Second Coming of Christ; the visit is commemorated annually as Grounation Day.

1986: In a highly publicized live TV special, journalist Geraldo Rivera opened a vault in Al Capone’s former Chicago headquarters—only to find it empty, disappointing an audience of 30 million viewers.

2002: French President Jacques Chirac faced far-right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen in a surprise runoff during the presidential election; Chirac went on to defeat him decisively two weeks later.

QUICK ACTUAL NEWS

NATIONAL

The U.S. Department of Justice has backed away from its plan to dismantle its Washington-based tax division and reassign prosecutors to regional offices across the country, according to an internal email obtained by Reuters.
Paul Atkins, a former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission member (2002–2008) known for his business-friendly stance, was sworn in on Monday as SEC Chairman, the regulator confirmed in a statement.
President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social Monday that his administration cannot provide every individual facing deportation with a trial, claiming “to do so would take, without exaggeration, 200 years.”
Trump’s public approval rating has dipped to its lowest point since his return to the White House, as
Americans grow increasingly uneasy about his efforts to expand executive power, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll that concluded Monday.
The Food and Drug Administration is suspending a quality control program for fluid milk and other dairy products due to reduced capacity within its food safety and nutrition division, an internal email seen by Reuters revealed.
U.S. stocks tumbled Monday after Trump escalated his public attacks on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, sparking fears about the Fed’s independence and adding to investor anxiety over the administration’s erratic trade war policies.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit Monday against Uber Technologies, accusing the company of enrolling some users in its Uber One subscription service without their consent and making misleading claims. The service, priced at $9.99/month, offers discounts on Uber’s ride-hailing and food delivery platforms.
President Trump met with executives from major retailers Monday afternoon to discuss the economic impact of broad-based tariffs on their businesses, according to a White House official.
After New York missed Sunday’s deadline to roll back its congestion pricing program, the U.S. transportation secretary warned Monday that the state would face “serious consequences” if it fails to comply within the next month.
Walgreens has agreed to pay $300 million to resolve allegations by U.S. prosecutors that it unlawfully filled millions of invalid opioid prescriptions, the Justice Department announced Monday.
The Trump administration planned to deport dozens of Venezuelan migrants detained in Texas under a rarely used 1798 wartime law—without judicial review and in defiance of a prior U.S. Supreme Court ruling, lawyers told the justices Monday.
A federal judge on Monday questioned whether the Trump administration's notice to Venezuelan migrants facing deportation—under that same wartime law—complied with the Supreme Court’s mandate that they be given the chance to contest their removal in court.
Four Democratic members of Congress arrived in El Salvador on Monday in an effort to pressure the Trump administration to release Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran man wrongly deported and now detained in one of the country's most notorious prisons.
President Trump warned Monday that the U.S. economy could slow unless the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates immediately. He reiterated criticism of Fed Chair Jerome Powell, who has said rate cuts aren’t justified until it's clearer the administration’s trade policies won't stoke long-term inflation.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reportedly shared sensitive details about a March strike on Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in a private group chat that included his wife, brother, and personal attorney, a source familiar with the exchange told Reuters.
After attending the White House Easter Egg Hunt, Hegseth posted a personal update on social media.
It has been reported that allegedly The White House is currently considering replacing Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary.
Dan Caldwell, a top advisor to Hegseth, issued a joint statement Saturday with two other ousted Pentagon officials disputing the legitimacy of the internal leak investigation that led to their dismissal earlier in the week.
A U.S. Department of Justice attorney said Monday that Alphabet’s Google must face strong restrictions to prevent it from using AI technologies to extend its dominance in online search, as the government’s landmark antitrust trial began.
The U.S. Supreme Court declined Monday to hear CSX's appeal to revive its antitrust lawsuit against Norfolk Southern, which it accused of unlawfully blocking access to a crucial East Coast freight terminal, costing CSX hundreds of millions in profits.
Minnesota can no longer enforce its law prohibiting people under 21 from obtaining permits to carry handguns in public, after the Supreme Court declined to hear the state’s appeal of a lower court ruling that struck down the age restriction.
The Supreme Court also heard arguments Monday on a provision of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) that requires insurers to provide preventive care—such as cancer screenings—at no cost to patients.
Republican Senator John Kennedy criticized the Trump administration Sunday for its handling of Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s wrongful deportation and for the president's controversial statement suggesting some violent U.S. citizens should also be deported.

GLOBAL

Major U.S. stock indexes fell more than 3% on Monday, and the dollar index slid to a three-year low, as President Donald Trump’s ongoing attacks on Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and the central bank’s monetary policy unnerved investors.
A second Boeing aircraft, originally designated for a Chinese airline, was en route back to the United States on Monday, according to flight tracking data—appearing to be another casualty of President Trump’s escalating trade war and retaliatory tariffs with Beijing.
The U.S. State Department on Sunday said it would welcome an extension of the one-day Easter ceasefire declared by Russian President Vladimir Putin—though the Kremlin had already clarified that no such extension was ordered. In fact, Putin personally announced that shelling would resume.

Whether there was ever a meaningful ceasefire remains unclear.
Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Finance Minister Jens Stoltenberg will meet with President Donald Trump in Washington on Thursday, according to the Prime Minister’s office. The White House meeting will address the security situation in Europe, NATO, the war in Ukraine, and matters of trade and business.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Monday that Tokyo has no intention of terminating the 2019 U.S.-Japan trade agreement, but will continue to raise “grave concerns” over the inconsistency between that deal and President Trump’s latest round of tariffs targeting automobile imports.

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