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The world is watching

Rebecca Morin   Paste BN

Howdy! Rebecca Morin here. My hyperfixation for this week is this failed book festival that’s been dubbed by some as the 'Fyre Fest of book festivals.'

World affairs take center stage

There’s an escalating crisis between two sworn – and nuclear-armed – enemies. The United States is laying out the next steps to end the Russia-Ukraine war. And the highly anticipated the papal conclave began Wednesday to find the next pope. Pope Francis, who was an outspoken proponent of human rights, died last month. President Donald Trump attended the late pope’s funeral. Over the weekend, an AI image of Trump as the next pope – something he said he knew nothing about – was posted to his social media account. Over 130 elector cardinals from around the globe gathered in the Sistine Chapel to vote for Pope Francis’ successor – whether it be someone who will continue Francis' progressive agenda or one who will push the church in a more conservative direction. What to know about the secretive pope selection process.

  • India launched military strikes against Pakistan Wednesday, after tensions between the two nations spiraled. India said the missiles targeted "terrorist infrastructure" in Pakistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, the divided Himalayan territory that India also controls a section of. At least 26 civilians and 46 were wounded in India’s attack, Pakistan said. India’s army said at least 10 civilians were killed and 35 injured in cross-border shelling by Pakistani troops in Kashmir. What to know about the crisis. 
  • Back in Washington, D.C., Vice President JD Vance said Ukraine and Russia must begin directly talking as part of the next steps in negotiations to end the war between the two countries. Vance said at the Munich Leaders Meeting that the Trump administration believes Russia is "asking for too much" and that it’s "probably impossible" for the United States to mediate the conflict without at least some direct conversations between the nations.
  • Former President Joe Biden criticized Trump for pressuring Ukraine to surrender territory to Russia, calling it “modern-day appeasement” in his first interview since leaving office in January. Biden said that "anybody that thinks (Putin’s) going to stop" after territorial concessions "is just foolish.” 

A politics pit stop

Wait-and-see?

President Donald Trump has been pressing the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates. But economists are expecting the Fed to hold rates steady on Wednesday – sticking to its wait-and-see approach on the economy. Economic signals so far this year have been mixed. Job growth was robust in April and the first quarter saw solid consumer spending growth. But the first three months of the year also saw the U.S. GDP shrink for the first time in three years amid trade uncertainty. How tariffs are influencing the Fed’s decisions.

Got a burning question, or comment, for On Politics? You can submit them here or send me an email at rdmorin@usatoday.com.

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