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U.S.-Iran peace is under review.

Yesterday, Iranian officials said they were looking over the latest U.S.-proposed framework, which includes three stages: 

The latest peace push comes amid mixed messages about the state of the conflict. After announcing the war was “terminated” Friday—which Iran denied—President Trump said Wednesday that the conflict would end if Iran agreed to Uncle Sam’s terms; if not, “the bombing starts.” Mediator Pakistan said it “expects an agreement sooner rather than later.” 

Israel-Lebanon peace has also been rocky. Wednesday, IDF launched airstrikes targeting Hezbollah in Beirut—the first on the capital city since the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire began. The two countries will meet in Washington next week for renewed negotiations.

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Negotiations progress and regress, and leaders succeed and let us down—but our hope is not ultimately in presidents, policies, or even achieving earthly peace. As you pray for peace in the Middle East, keep your hope in the Lord, who alone brings lasting justice, provision, and deliverance.

“Do not trust in nobles, in a son of man, who cannot save. When his breath leaves him, he returns to the ground; on that day his plans die. Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea and everything in them. He remains faithful forever, executing justice for the exploited and giving food to the hungry.” 
Psalm 146:3-7 (CSB) (read full passage)

*Warning: this story discusses suicide and self-harm.

A New York-based federal judge released a purported suicide note from Jeffrey Epstein Wednesday. 

Epstein’s former cellmate claimed he discovered the note after the sex offender’s first suspected suicide attempt in July 2019. Epstein died less than three weeks after the note was found in what authorities concluded was a suicide. It was sealed in a courthouse vault until the New York Times requested its release.

Also Wednesday, Commerce Secretary Lutnick faced House Oversight Committee questioning about a 2012 lunch on the financier’s island. Lutnick had claimed he cut ties with Epstein in 2005 but recent files revealed the later island visit. Lutnick told the committee they met because he was vacationing nearby, saying their interactions didn’t constitute a relationship.

Committee Chair Rep. Comer (R-KY) said the secretary was “transparent,” while critics accused him of being “evasive.”

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Whether those accused are world-famous or live in obscurity, Christians must always pursue justice and fairness. May we continually call our neighbors to side with the final victor and ultimate judge, Christ our king.

“Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life.’”  
Revelation 21:6 (CSB) (read full passage)

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Ted Turner, the media mogul behind the launch of CNN and the commencement of the 24/7 news cycle, died Wednesday at 87.

Turner died peacefully after a battle with Lewy body dementia, a diagnosis he publicly disclosed in 2018. The “Mouth of the South” founded CNN in June 1980 with a risky ~$20M initial startup cost, transforming a sleepy three-network industry into the round-the-clock news machine that now shapes how the world tunes into breaking events. 

Beyond cable, the Atlanta-based magnate built TBS and TNT, owned the Braves through their ‘95 World Series run, became America’s largest private landowner (~2M acres), and pledged $1B to the UN in 1997.  

Tributes poured in across the dial; admirers say Turner revolutionized real-time news, while critics counter that his cable revolution also seeded today’s outrage-driven media polarization.

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Verse to consider when your time on earth draws to a close… “Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?” 
John 14:1-2 (CSB) (read full passage)

Tuesday elections handed both parties big Ws. Five incumbent GOP state senators in Indiana—all of whom rejected a President Trump-backed redistricting plan—lost their primaries to Trump-endorsed challengers. In Michigan, Democrat Chedrick Greene won a state senate special election in a swing district, continuing a nationwide special-election streak for the party and allowing the bellwether state’s Dems to hold their narrow majority.

Assaults against Jewish people in the U.S. hit a 46-year high in 2025. A Wednesday report by the Anti-Defamation League found that, while antisemitic incidents were down 33%, physical assaults rose 4%—including the first deaths from antisemitic attacks on U.S. soil since 2022. Antisemitic incidents have surged worldwide since Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel.

“Marco…” “Leo…” Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a quick trip to Vatican City yesterday for an even-quicker visit with Pope Leo XIV. The pair discussed the “need to work tirelessly in favor of peace” in the Middle East—a conversation that follows recent tensions between the White House and the Vatican over the U.S.-Iran War.

Hey Siri, write me a check. Apple agreed Tuesday to a $250M class-action settlement over its falsely advertised “Apple Intelligence” Siri features. Owners of an iPhone 15 Pro/Pro Max or any iPhone 16 (purchased June 10, 2024-March 29, 2025) can claim $25-95 per device; ~37M bad apples devices qualify. The final approval hearing will be held on June 17.

Three passengers have been evacuated from the hantavirus-infected cruise ship MV Hondius. The travelers—two with confirmed cases and one suspected—were airlifted to the Netherlands Wednesday as the ship set sail for the Canary Islands. Meanwhile, officials are contact-tracing dozens of passengers who disembarked following the first fatality; at least one of those has tested positive for the now-confirmed Andes strain.

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