ACTUAL NEWS: Monday, April 28th 2025 Daily Briefing

Lately, the news has been tough — and let’s be honest, exhausting. But now more than ever, we need to keep our heads on a swivel, dive deeper, and stay grounded in facts and in each other. That’s what ONEST is about. It’s not just a platform for news — it’s a space to learn, connect, be inspired, and thrive, even in uncertain times.

With that in mind, I’m making a few updates to strengthen what we do here:

📰 The Daily Briefing (soon to be called News Briefing) will now arrive on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays — giving me space to conduct deeper analysis and more interviews, and bring you sharper, more informed reports.

🇨🇦 Canada Edition will continue every Saturday as our dedicated spotlight on Canadian politics, business, and culture.

🌞 Sunday Edition will grow — with virtual trips through museums, art installations, cultural events, and topics that remind us there’s more to life than just politics.

🎙️ And finally, I’ll be launching a brand-new interview series: More Than Politics — honest, human conversations with political leaders that go far beyond slogans and soundbites.

This is the platform we’re building together — not just for news, but for real connection, resilience, and reflection. Because when we’re informed and inspired, we’re stronger.

If you value this work and are able to support it, ONEST remains fully donation-based — and every contribution goes directly toward keeping this platform alive, independent, and growing.

Let’s keep showing up. Let’s keep telling the truth. And let’s keep building something real — together.

QUICK HITS

Mark Carney Wins Federal Election, Set to Lead Liberal Majority Government

Follow Canadian election here.

Mark Carney has won Canada's federal election, with CBC projecting a Liberal majority government. The victory caps a stunning rise for Carney, a former central banker turned political leader, who led the Liberals to reclaim dominance after months of trailing the Conservatives in national polls.

Carney’s campaign emphasized economic stability, experienced leadership, and a strong stance against U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive trade policies, which had fueled a wave of Canadian nationalism. His message resonated with voters seeking stability amid international tensions, ultimately securing the Liberals over 52% of the popular vote compared to the Conservatives’ 41%.

The Liberals flipped key ridings across the country and made significant gains in battleground regions, including a personal win for Carney himself in the Ottawa-area riding of Nepean.

Carney, 59, pledged during his campaign to defend Canadian sovereignty, rebuild economic partnerships, and prioritize growth to strengthen public services and national defense.

Mark Carney is now officially the elected Prime Minister of Canada, projected to lead a Liberal majority government.

P.S. Congratulations, Canada! YOU did it!! 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦

Russia has issued a plan for the capitulation of Ukraine.

According to Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, the conditions are:

Demilitarization and “denazification” of Ukraine
Permanent neutrality — Ukraine must pledge not to join NATO
International recognition of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia
Lifting of all sanctions against Russia and the return of frozen Russian assets
Rejection of U.S. proposals to transfer control of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant to Ukraine and Washington
Repeal of Ukrainian language laws that restrict the use of the Russian language, culture, and the Russian Orthodox Church

Most of it is business as usual, but notably, the final demand reveals that Russia’s project in Ukraine would not end with a ceasefire. Instead, it would pave the way for Russia to re-establish its influence through a network of spies, propagandists, and puppet politicians—who would work to erode Ukrainian sovereignty from within.

Ukraine has agreed that past U.S. aid to Kyiv will not be part of the minerals deal it aims to finalize with Washington, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Sunday.

North Korean state media declared “victory” regarding the DPRK’s involvement in Kursk, claiming it helped “liberate” the region alongside Russia. Kim Jong-un ordered the construction of a monument to honor North Korean soldiers killed fighting for Russia. This marks the first time North Korea has officially acknowledged its involvement in the war.

In an interview aired Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that Russia would continue to strike Ukraine.

"Kyiv must take some steps in this regard. So far, we haven't seen any actions," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, according to Russian media.

President Putin announced a ceasefire during the WWII Victory Day celebrations, to last from May 8 to May 10 (do not trust it).

Russia has also published the list of WWII Victory Day parade attendees.

JD Vance: "I think there's this weird idea in the mainstream media that if this goes on for a few more years, the Russians are going to collapse, the Ukrainians are going to take back their territory, and everything is going to go back to what it was before the war, but that's not the reality we live in."

Reduced trade at U.S. ports: The Port of Los Angeles estimates that the volume of goods arriving during the week beginning May 4 will be one-third lower than the same period last year. Container tracking service Vizion reported that bookings of twenty-foot shipping containers from China to the United States in mid-April were 45 percent lower year-over-year. Traders appear to be “kicking decisions down the road” amid the ongoing Washington–Beijing trade war, according to the International Chamber of Commerce’s secretary-general.

Question: “Are you worried about empty shelves?”

Secretary of the Treasury Bessent: "We have some great retailers. I assume they pre-ordered."

Bessent also commented on the “bespoke deals” the President is negotiating.

Fox Host:"Trump's approval rating on taxes: 38% approve, 53% disapprove.On the economy: 38% approve, 56% disapprove.On inflation: 33% approve, 59% disapprove." (Fox News polling)

Trump, unsurprisingly, did not like that.

Also… this:

CNN reports that the Navy has lost a $60 million fighter jet at sea after it fell overboard from an aircraft carrier. A U.S. official said that initial reports indicated the USS Harry S. Truman made a hard turn to evade Houthi fire, which contributed to the aircraft falling overboard.

President Trump signed a new set of executive orders, including:

Targeting sanctuary cities
Requiring that all truck drivers must be able to read and speak English

Additionally, Trump signed this EO:

"Within 90 days, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the heads of agencies as appropriate, shall increase the provision of excess military and national security assets in local jurisdictions to assist State and local law enforcement.

Within 90 days, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall determine how military and national security assets, training, non-lethal capabilities, and personnel can most effectively be utilized to prevent crime.

This mechanism shall include the use of private-sector pro bono assistance for such enforcement."

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

TODAY IN HISTORY

1789: Captain William Bligh of the British ship Bounty and 18 of his men were set adrift by mutinous sailors led by the master's mate, Fletcher Christian.

1881: Gunfighter Billy the Kid escaped from prison in Mesilla, New Mexico, where he had been convicted of murder and sentenced to death; he was killed several months later by Sheriff Pat Garrett.

1945: Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, “Il Duce,” who, after a series of military misadventures, became unpopular even among his fellow Fascists, was captured while trying to flee Italy and was executed on this day.

1947: Norwegian ethnologist and adventurer Thor Heyerdahl and a small crew set sail from Peru aboard the primitive raft Kon-Tiki and arrived in Polynesia three and a half months later.

1952: The Allied occupation of Japan came to an end after seven years of rapid social and economic change following the country's surrender in World War II.

1967: At the height of the Vietnam War, American boxer Muhammad Ali refused induction into the U.S. Army, citing religious reasons; his subsequent conviction was eventually overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.

1969: French leader Charles de Gaulle resigned his presidency.

1996: Australian gunman Martin Bryant began a killing spree that left 35 people dead and 18 others wounded in the Port Arthur area of Tasmania, Australia; it was the country's worst mass shooting and led to stricter gun controls.

2001: American businessman Dennis Tito became the first space tourist when he was launched into orbit aboard a Russian supply mission to the International Space Station; he paid approximately $20 million for the six-day trip.

2003: Apple launched the iTunes Store, which gave users the ability to purchase and download music from the Internet directly to their iTunes library; in 2010, the store sold its 10 billionth song.

2004: American television network CBS broadcast photographs depicting harsh treatment of Iraqi inmates at the Abu Ghraib prison in U.S.-occupied Iraq, initiating a national debate on torture and the Geneva Conventions.

QUICK ACTUAL NEWS

NATIONAL

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Monday touted the early results of its immigration crackdown, despite concerns over the lack of due process, displaying photos of alleged criminal offenders on the White House lawn. This was followed by President Trump signing an executive order targeting cities and states that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
The chair of the Federal Communications Commission said Monday that "all options remain on the table" in the agency's ongoing investigation into a 60 Minutes interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
Two Democratic officials recently fired from a credit union watchdog have sued President Donald Trump and other senior government officials, stating that their removal was "patently unlawful."
The Trump administration announced plans to ease the impact of automotive tariffs on Tuesday by alleviating some duties placed on foreign parts used in domestically manufactured cars and by preventing tariffs on imported cars from stacking on top of existing duties, officials said.
CEOs and senior executives from Nvidia, Johnson & Johnson, Toyota Motor, Eli Lilly, and SoftBank Group are among the more than two dozen business leaders scheduled to visit the White House on Wednesday for an event highlighting U.S. investments, officials told Reuters.
The U.S. House Judiciary Committee on Monday proposed transferring the Federal Trade Commission's antitrust work to the Department of Justice as part of a budget reconciliation package. The plan would allocate funds to move staff and cases from the FTC to the DOJ and mirrors a Republican bill aimed at consolidating federal antitrust enforcement under one agency.
Two U.S. citizen children were deported to Honduras alongside their undocumented mother. Their lawyer claimed the mother had no choice but to take her children with her—an assertion the government denies.
In Colorado, federal agents raided a nightclub and detained more than 100 individuals identified as undocumented migrants. Among those detained were more than a dozen active-duty U.S. military members.
Food banks are struggling. In some of the country's poorest regions, the quantity and quality of government food deliveries have declined.
Congress returned from recess today, with Republicans preparing to unveil proposed spending cuts.
Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker criticized the “simpering timidity” of some Democrats. Some within the party view him as a potential presidential contender.
In response to a terrorist attack in Kashmir, India ordered nearly all Pakistani nationals to leave the country—a move that has divided mixed families.
On 60 Minutes, journalist Scott Pelley publicly criticized the show’s parent company, Paramount, explaining the resignation of the executive producer. Pelley said Paramount “began to supervise our content in new ways.”
A federal judge on Monday ordered the Trump administration to turn over the names of any migrants recently flown from the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay to El Salvador, to determine whether their deportations violated a standing court order.
The Secret Service reported that a suspect has been arrested in connection with the theft of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's purse at a Washington, D.C., restaurant. Noem later stated the individual had been living illegally in the United States.
As Elon Musk scales back work with the Trump administration, he is reportedly laying the groundwork to become a major Republican political donor for the upcoming midterm elections, according to four people with direct knowledge of the matter.
Seven Democratic senators have requested information from the U.S. Justice Department regarding changes made to its civil rights division under President Trump’s administration, including the reassignment of several career officials from leadership roles.
The head of the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust division on Monday outlined a vision for “America First” antitrust enforcement during her first public speech, describing it as a way to limit corporate regulation.
The Trump administration issued an emergency waiver on Monday allowing the nationwide sale of higher-ethanol gasoline blends this summer, citing the need to boost fuel supply and lower costs during peak driving season.
The Federal Communications Commission on Monday voted to open a review of decades-old spectrum sharing rules between satellite systems. The review seeks to allow greater use of spectrum for space activities, potentially lifting restrictions that limit the power and coverage of systems like SpaceX’s Starlink.
Major automakers have urged Congress to block California’s landmark plan to end the sale of gasoline-only vehicles by 2035—a policy now adopted by 11 other states—warning that shipments could soon be impacted.
U.S. law firm Jenner & Block on Monday asked a judge to permanently block President Trump’s executive order punishing the firm over its association with a prosecutor who investigated Trump’s 2016 campaign ties to Russia.
White House Border Czar Tom Homan announced Monday that Fort Bliss in Texas could soon be ready to house migrant detainees.
Wells Fargo announced Monday that it had cleared its twelfth consent order since 2019 and moved closer to addressing long-standing regulatory issues. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau lifted a 2018 consent order related to Wells Fargo's compliance risk management, bringing the bank closer to shedding its $1.95 trillion asset cap.

GLOBAL

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Monday that many of the United States’ top trading partners had made "very good" proposals to avert U.S. tariffs, adding that one of the first deals likely to be signed would be with India.
The risk of a global recession this year remains high, according to a majority of economists surveyed in a Reuters poll, with many saying U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs have severely damaged business sentiment.
Foreign ministers from the BRICS group of developing nations met Monday to coordinate a joint defense of the global trade system in response to the barrage of new tariffs imposed by President Trump.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced Monday that Mexico will increase its water shipments to Texas to address a shortfall under the 1944 treaty governing water-sharing between the two countries.
Roman Catholic cardinals will begin a secret conclave to elect a new pope starting May 7, according to a senior Vatican source. The date was decided during a closed-door meeting of cardinals—the first gathering since the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday. An official announcement is expected shortly.
A massive blackout across much of the Iberian Peninsula on Monday was triggered by a sudden and significant drop in power supply that caused the grid interconnection between Spain and France to trip, according to Spanish grid operator REE.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Monday that the United States would decide this week whether to continue Ukraine peace talks or prioritize other issues.
Over the past six weeks, the U.S. military has struck more than 800 targets in Yemen during its air campaign against the Houthis.
Israeli forces struck a residential suburb south of Beirut, targeting Hezbollah positions. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the country's security chief—whom he is seeking to dismiss—of lying to Israel’s Supreme Court.
The United States urged India and Pakistan to work toward a "responsible solution" after India publicly blamed Pakistan for last week's attack in Kashmir. Pakistan denied responsibility, while India’s navy conducted missile tests yesterday.
An explosion at the port of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on Saturday killed at least forty people and injured hundreds more. Officials blamed the blast on chemicals, though a source with ties to Iran’s military told the New York Times that the explosion involved sodium perchlorate, an ingredient used in solid-fuel missiles.
The U.S. imposed sanctions Monday on three vessels and their owners for delivering oil and gas products to Yemen's Houthis, intensifying pressure on the Iran-backed group amid ongoing Red Sea shipping attacks.
Negotiations held in Cairo aimed at reaching a ceasefire in Gaza were reportedly on the verge of a “significant breakthrough," according to two Egyptian security sources speaking to Reuters. However, Israeli officials denied any breakthrough, according to Axios reporter Barak Ravid.
In South Korea, former presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung overwhelmingly won the primary for the opposition Democratic Party, which currently leads polls ahead of the June 3 election. Lee has adopted more centrist positions compared to the party’s traditional pro-labor platform and supports renewed dialogue with North Korea. A senior South Korean trade official said Seoul would not finalize a trade deal with Washington before the election.
A reported U.S. airstrike overnight on a migrant detention center in Houthi-controlled Yemen killed at least sixty-eight African migrants, according to Houthi television. The U.S. military did not immediately comment.
U.S. Central Command previously said it had struck over 800 Houthi targets and killed hundreds of fighters since March 15.
Somalia appointed a new defense minister Monday as the country continues to battle al-Shabaab militants. Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre named Ahmed Moallim Fiqi Ahmed—former foreign minister and national security chief—to the role. Al-Shabaab militants recently advanced to within thirty miles of Mogadishu before being repelled by government forces.
Events Today:
- Canada and Trinidad and Tobago hold national elections. Follow Canadian election here. Follow Trinidad and Tobago election here.
- BRICS foreign ministers met in Brazil.
- European Union countries bordering the Adriatic, Baltic, and Black seas launched a connectivity summit in Poland.
Coming Tomorrow:
- Japan’s Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru begins an official visit to the Philippines.

TOMORROW AT THE WHITE HOUSE

Tuesday, 4/29/25

8:30 AM “Unleashing Economic Greatness” presser with Leavitt and Bessent

4:10 PM DJT delivers remarks to the Michigan National Guard

6:00 PM DJT delivers his "100th Day in Office Achievement Speech"

MEME OF THE DAY

POSTS OF THE DAY

ICYMI

Canadian prosecutors have charged a 30-year-old Vancouver resident with murder after he drove an SUV through a crowd at a Filipino community festival in the city, killing at least 11 people—aged between 5 and 65—and injuring dozens more, police said on Sunday.
The first 27 satellites for Amazon's Kuiper broadband internet constellation were successfully launched into space from Florida on Monday, marking the start of the long-delayed deployment of an internet-from-space network that will rival SpaceX's Starlink.

An explosion at Iran’s largest shipping port killed at least 40 people. Authorities said foul play is not suspected.

The tuition-free primary school founded by Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan will close at the end of the 2025–2026 school year.

"The Twist" singer Chubby Checker, pop icon Cyndi Lauper, and grunge rock pioneers Soundgarden are among the acts selected for induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this year.

Meta is trying to get ahead in the AI assistant race with racy “digital companions,” according to a Wall Street Journal investigation. The report revealed that Meta product managers, following CEO Mark Zuckerberg's guidance, advocated for “loosening boundaries” to allow AI assistants to generate “explicit content for romantic role-play.” The WSJ found that Meta’s AI sometimes escalated conversations into sexually graphic exchanges—even when users were underage or the AI assistants were programmed to act as minors. A Meta spokesperson responded by calling the reported use-case “so manufactured that it’s not just fringe, it’s hypothetical,” but acknowledged that the company had “taken additional measures” to tone down its bots.

Starting Friday, products from Temu and Shein sourced from China will be subject to a 120% tariff or a $100 fee per postal item. Sellers of these inexpensive goods have already begun raising prices. Bloomberg found that Shein increased the price of thick kitchen cleaning towels by 377%—from $1.28 to $6.10—between April 24 and April 25. CNN also reported a similar trend: a set of two patio chairs on Temu jumped from $61.72 to $70.17 overnight, though the price later dropped to $57.89. Closing the de minimis loophole—which allowed international shipments valued under $800 to bypass tariffs—will disproportionately affect low-income Americans. According to economists from Yale and UCLA, 48% of shipments under the $800 threshold went to the poorest ZIP codes in the United States.

That's all from me for now. Thank you for reading.

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