Starship Explosion
An unmanned SpaceX Starship rocket exploded last week shortly after blastoff from Texas. The resulting debris field included parts of Florida and temporarily grounded flights at Orlando International Airport. It is the second mid-air explosion in two months for the Starship program, which touts its mission as including eventual manned travel between points on Earth, the Moon, and Mars. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and SpaceX are investigating the cause of the incident.
Dueling Budgets
German Elections
Germany has a new presumptive Chancellor and the prospect of a new coalition government after German voters went to the polls and awarded the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party more than 28% of the seats in parliament.
Ukraine Aid Paused
The United States has paused military aid to Ukraine in an effort to speed peace talks between Russia and Ukraine. The move comes days after a tense Oval Office meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Tariffs Take Effect
U.S. tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico are now in effect, and the previous U.S. tariffs on China have been doubled. Canada and China responded with retaliatory tariffs on U.S. goods, and Mexico announced it will do the same this weekend.
To Respond or Not to Respond
Federal employees are in a bit of a bind as a result of mixed messages from their chain of command. Over the weekend, employees of agencies across the federal government were instructed by Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to report by email what they had accomplished last week, or else be terminated.
Mayor Under Fire
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is under fire but may soon be exonerated from federal prosecution. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has asked for the corruption charges pending against him to be dropped.
Tariffs
It was a wild news week on the tariffs front. First, U.S. President Donald Trump announced new tariffs on goods imported from China, Canada, and Mexico. Goods from Mexico were to be subject to a 25% tariff when entering the U.S., while goods from China were to be subject to a 10% rate, and goods from Canada were to face either a 10% (energy goods) or 25% markup (non-energy goods).
Buyout on Hold
A U.S. federal judge has put on hold an offer put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump to buyout federal employees. The offer, which the White House says has already been accepted by 65,000 federal workers, is to voluntarily separate from the federal workforce with severance pay until the end of September rather than comply with a return to full in-office schedules.
Education Should Prioritize Communication, Not Pronouns
In today’s classrooms, students are increasingly bombarded with lessons on personal pronouns while basic communication skills—reading, writing, and speaking with clarity—fall by the wayside.
Peace Talks
Senior officials from the United States and Russia met in Saudi Arabia Tuesday to open discussions about ending the war in Ukraine. Secretary of State Marco Rubio led the U.S. delegation and was joined by national security advisor Mike Waltz and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff.
Confirmed
U.S. President Donald Trump’s new cabinet is rapidly being confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Those who have already been confirmed include:
Tragedy over the Potomac
It had been nearly 15 years and approximately eight billion passengers since the last fatal commercial airline crash in the United States. That streak ended tragically over the Potomac River near Washington, DC, when an American Airlines flight with 64 people onboard collided mid-air with an Army Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers.
Blockbuster Trade
“Maybe it’s an April Fools’ Day joke in February.”
That was my first though when I saw the news. But no, it wasn’t April Fools’ Day, and it wasn’t a joke.
Eyes of the World
The eyes of the world (an average of about 127.7 million pairs of them) were on Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Sunday, as the Kansas City Chiefs attempted to win a third straight championship.
A Full Workweek
As has become customary in American governance, it was a very full first week for the new Trump administration. The number and scope of executive orders and actions was likely even higher and broader than normal due to the fact that Republicans are also in control of both chambers of Congress.
First Steps of Freedom
A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas has begun, with the release of three Israeli hostages in exchange for 90 Palestinian prisoners. While the deal offers a temporary reprieve, lasting peace remains uncertain, and believers are called to seek both justice and peace (Ps. 34:14, Is. 1:17).
12:01 p.m.
Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th President of the United States, marking a historic return to office and the beginning of a wave of executive orders. As political power shifts, believers are reminded that our ultimate citizenship is in heaven (Phil. 3:20) and true freedom is found in Christ (Gal. 5:1).
Senate Actions Reflect Christian Values of Leadership, Justice, and Remembrance
The Senate recently unanimously passed two resolutions that echo Christian values of justice, compassion, and the importance of remembering God’s work in history.
Pardons, Pardons, and More Pardons
In a historic use of presidential pardon power, outgoing President Biden issued pardons for political and personal allies, while incoming President Trump granted sweeping clemency to January 6 defendants. As believers, we are reminded that while human leaders act with personal and political bias, God alone grants true justice and mercy (Psalm 103:6-8).