Briefly with OZY

Acting on evidence that Iran or its proxies may be preparing to strike U.S. forces, the White House has ordered an aircraft carrier strike group and bombers to the Middle East. Meanwhile, investigators are seeking the cause of a fire that engulfed the back of a Russian airliner as it made an emergency landing in Moscow Sunday, killing 41 onboard.

President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart chatted on the phone Friday about a variety of subjects, including what Trump called the “Russian hoax.” But he didn’t tell Putin to back off from 2020 election meddling that the FBI is worried about. Meanwhile, Friday’s jobs report showed the lowest unemployment in 50 years.

Critics are casting U.S. Attorney General William Barr as a “defense

lawyer for the president” after the feud between congressional Democrats and

the country’s top lawyer heats up. Meanwhile, Following the evacuation of more

than 1 million people, Cyclone Fani hit the eastern state of Odisha today with

heavy rains and winds of up to 124 miles per hour.

U.S. Attorney General William Barr has refused to testify before a Democrat-controlled House committee after appearing before a Republican-controlled Senate panel. Meanwhile, Florida legislators have passed a bill that helps arm public schoolteachers while restricting gun purchases.

More turmoil awaits Venezuela after clashes erupted yesterday

between government troops and forces loyal to opposition leader Juan Guaidó.

Meanwhile, special counsel Robert Mueller sent Attorney General William Barr a

letter in late March saying he disagreed with Barr’s four-page public summary of

Mueller’s 448-page report.

President Donald Trump sued Deutsche Bank and Capital One

yesterday in a bid to stop them from cooperating with subpoenas issued by

House Democrats. Meanwhile, notorious ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has

appeared on camera for the first time in five years.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s Socialist Party secured 29 percent

of the vote in Spain’s general election yesterday. Meanwhile, houses of worship in

Southern California tightened security yesterday after a shooting at an area

synagogue during Passover services Saturday left one woman dead.

Sri Lankan security forces raided what they called a safe house for an extremist group suspected in the Easter Sunday bombings that killed 253 people, many of them worshipping in churches. After explosions inside, authorities found 15 killed, including six children. Meanwhile, U.S. Attorney General William Barr is set to answer congressional questions about his handling of the Mueller probe's final report.

Some mosques in Sri Lanka held Friday prayers despite warnings of fresh attacks following Sunday’s bombings, which were claimed by ISIS. Meanwhile, North Korean state media reported that leader Kim Jong Un told Russian President Vladimir Putin that the U.S. acted in “bad faith” during recent talks.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un have discussed efforts to diffuse international tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear program. Meanwhile, the former U.S. vice president has officially announced his plans to run for next year’s Democratic nomination.