Hamas Ceasefire Offer and Pope Francis’ Funeral – 4/26/2025

Hamas has proposed releasing all hostages for a five-year ceasefire with Israel, while global leaders and mourners gathered in Rome for Pope Francis’ historic funeral, marking the end of his transformative 12-year papacy. Domestic issues in the U.S. include significant ICE deportations, rising financial fears among Americans, and multiple regional incidents involving crime and natural disasters.

United States

• Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth removes former Obama NSA Susan Rice from the Pentagon’s Defense Policy Board.
• NFL coach reportedly labels Shedeur Sanders’ interview as the “worst” ever, citing Sanders’ attempts to dictate terms, per Tom Pelissero.
• ICE deports an estimated 100,000-150,000 illegal immigrants over the past four months.
• Adam Schiff reports luggage theft in San Francisco, notes cashier’s claim that Democrats are “a**holes,” signaling a major party image issue.
• Arizona state employee Josh Castro faces federal charges for allegedly smuggling migrants, charging up to $12,000 per person.
• Scott Jennings condemns Democrats, alleging two judges aided illegal immigration, calling it “outrageous” and urging public accountability.
• President Trump reportedly plans to deport illegal immigrants to Rwanda if they cannot be returned to their home countries.
• LendingTree survey reveals 25% of Americans use “buy now, pay later” loans for groceries, with 41% missing payments, per CNBC.
• Woman with UnitedHealthcare pays $600 monthly but faces rising costs, including $125 for preventative care and $40 for medication.
• Former Arizona Department of Agriculture employee allegedly arrested for smuggling criminal aliens at the southern border.
• Mississippi Governor Reeves pushes for significant reductions in Medicaid and other federal programs, per Bloomberg.
• Trump administration allegedly deported a 2-year-old U.S. citizen to Honduras without access to legal counsel, per ACLU.
• Amazon sellers reportedly raise prices on numerous products due to Trump’s tariff policies, per CBS.
• Trump administration’s NIH directive reportedly cuts funding for critical academic research on rare neurological diseases, per PBS News.
• Federal judge scrutinizes ICE for allegedly deporting a U.S.-born toddler from Baton Rouge without due process, per MSNBC.
• Young tech experts leading DOGE aggressively cut federal spending, cancel contracts, and dismantle agencies, reportedly disregarding laws, per CNN.
• Harvard resists Trump administration pressures, fostering a campus atmosphere of frustration and fear, per NBC News.
• Polls show declining American trust in Trump, with concerns over his focus on economy, immigration, and potential overreach of power, per The Guardian.
• U.S. Air Force member Mohamad Hamad, 23, faces 10 years for plotting attacks and building bombs, saying he’s “been a terrorist since he was a kid,” per New York Post.
• Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers instructs state employees to delay ICE requests, demand warrants, and avoid cooperation without legal counsel.
• DHS Secretary Noem says Jocelyn Nungaray’s death highlights need for border security, reopens VOICE office for victims of illegal alien crime.
• AI tool RibbonFold reveals how misfolded proteins drive Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, aiding drug development, per SciTech Daily.
• Ozempic may trigger depression by altering dopamine, raising mental health concerns, per NDTV, Current Neuropharmacology.
• Meta trial reveals Zuckerberg’s buyouts of Instagram and WhatsApp aimed to “neutralize competitors,” per WIRED.
• 64% of Americans fear financial ruin more than death, driven by inflation and Social Security doubts, per Newsweek.

Western States

• Authorities arrested a man after seizing 71 explosive devices from his Utah County home, per KUTV2News.
• A Mesa house fire sent a child to the hospital and prompted the rescue of two dogs, per ABC15 Arizona.
• Whooping cough cases rise in 2025, with CDC noting its “whoop” sound and danger to infants, per FOX 10 Phoenix.
• Oregon ER visits average over 5 hours, new Oregon Health Authority data reveals, per KOIN 6 News.
• Portland’s MAX Blue Line faces two weeks of service disruptions starting Sunday, per KOIN 6 News.
• Three girls under 15 were found in a stolen car after a crash in Simi Valley, per KTLA 5.
• Two men arrested for stealing thousands in merchandise from a Corona Ulta Beauty store, per KTLA 5.
• Eight arrested and one wanted in connection to 600 stolen drones in Henderson, per FOX5 Las Vegas.
• A mountain lion was spotted roaming backyards near Boulder Highway in Las Vegas, per FOX5 Las Vegas.
• An 11-year-old boy hit by a car while riding a scooter in Roy is out of a coma, per KUTV2News.
• Former Cardinals player Wesley Leasy was detained at gunpoint at Sky Harbor Airport, mistaken for a homicide suspect, per FOX 10 Phoenix.
• Rain, snow, and cold temperatures hit Southern California, with snow expected at higher elevations, per KTLA 5.
• Las Vegas police investigate a homicide near Harry Reid International Airport, per FOX5 Las Vegas.
• A church daycare worker allegedly threw a child to the floor during nap time, per FOX5 Las Vegas.

International

• Hamas reportedly offers to free all remaining hostages in exchange for a five-year ceasefire with Israel.
• Zelensky seeks long-term U.S. security aid modeled on Israel’s partnership.
• A 6.3-magnitude earthquake in Esmeraldas, Ecuador, injures over 30, damages 800+ buildings, and causes widespread power outages.
• Pakistan’s PM announces readiness for a neutral investigation into the Kashmir attack.
• Pope Francis’ coffin is entombed in Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major, marking the first papal burial outside the Vatican in over a century.
• Mark Carney warns Trump may demand “major concessions” from Canada and take seriously his desire to make Canada a U.S. state, per Bloomberg News.
• Trump and Zelenskiy held a brief 15-minute meeting at the Vatican before Pope Francis’ funeral, signaling Trump’s push for a Ukraine peace deal by April 30, per Bloomberg News.
• Global mourners gathered to celebrate the first millennial saint but instead mourned the passing of Pope Francis, per The Associated Press.
• Canadian polls indicate Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal Party is likely to win Monday’s election despite a narrowing lead over Conservatives, per The New York Times.
• Pope Francis, known for his humble style and global influence, was laid to rest by the Roman Catholic Church after a transformative 12-year papacy, per The New York Times.
• Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and others of exploiting her as a teen trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein, has died at 41, per PBS News.
• Trump questions Putin’s willingness for peace after meeting Zelenskiy, criticizing missile strikes on civilian areas, per PBS News.
• French President Macron says Ukraine is ready for an unconditional ceasefire, as confirmed by Zelensky in Rome meeting.
• Palestinian President Abbas names Hussein al-Sheikh as PLO vice president, positioning him as successor, per Reuters.
• Pope Francis’ funeral draws 250,000 to St. Peter’s Square, with a simple wooden casket marking his humble legacy, per Reuters.
• Russia’s Cosmos 2553 satellite shows signs of orbital decay, risking debris and collisions, per Reuters, Metro News, Japan Times.
• Tens of thousands protest in Dublin against Ireland’s mass-immigration policies in a historic demonstration.
• AI agents could revolutionize companies by automating tasks, but managing them risks chaos without smart systems, per Foundry / Kurt Muehmel.
• A Louisiana woman sues a restaurant for refusing service, claiming her attire violated their dress code, per FOX5 Las Vegas.

South Asia

• Indian and Pakistani forces clash with heavy weapons at the Line of Contact in Kashmir’s Leepa Valley.
• Pakistan reportedly deploys self-propelled howitzers to its border with India amid rising tensions.