The Situation Report for May 8, 2025. Rep. Crenshaw covers escalating conflicts in the Middle East and South Asia, as well as new developments in the Trump Administration’s domestic and military agenda. All the most important news you might have missed in under 15 minutes.

President Trump closes the Ukraine critical minerals deal

India launches retaliatory airstrikes against Pakistan

Israel’s plan for complete control of Gaza

Department of Education resumes collections for student loan borrowers

Make Alcatraz Great Again

Defense Secretary orders a reduction in Pentagon leadership

Supreme Court allows President Trump’s military transgender ban to take affect

If you read nothing else: “80 Years After VE Day, We Remember that Victory is Rooted in Virtue.”

Wednesday, May 7th marks the beginning of the conclave – the Catholic Church’s process of electing the next pope. Conclaves have traditionally been portrayed in our culture as shrouded in intrigue and back-room politicking. But, as theology expert Dr. Joseph Capizzi shows us, the 2000-year-old tradition is not that mysterious. He walks us through how cardinals elect a new pope, the political considerations they use to evaluate candidates, and how the Pope’s power in the world has changed over millennia. He evaluates the legacy and controversy surrounding Pope Francis. He explains why the Catholic Church is growing in Africa, Asia, and among young American men. They end with a discussion of how Christian moral theology evolved to address, and ultimately reject, the practice of slavery.

Dr. Joseph Capizzi is the Dean of Theology and Religious Studies at The Catholic University of America. He teaches in the areas of social and political theology, with a special interest in peace and war, citizenship, political authority, and Augustinian theology.

The Situation Report for May 1, 2025. Rep. Crenshaw covers some of the most significant policy moves by the Trump Administration which you may have missed over the past week. He reflects on the legacy of Pope Francis and the origins of America’s National Day of Prayer. And he gives background on the rapidly escalating tensions between nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan.

President Trump unleashes deep sea mining for critical minerals

Pope Francis passes away

Threat of war escalates between India and Pakistan

RFK Jr. bans synthetic food dyes

President Trump makes a deal with Mexico in the water-sharing dispute

Origins of the National Day of Prayer

If you read nothing else: “The Dinner That Helped Save Europe”

Alex Plitsas is a counterterrorism expert and Army veteran who ran psychological operations in the Global War on Terror. He joined Rep. Crenshaw for a retrospective on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the decade of Russian escalation that led to its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and the evolving threat of the Mexican drug cartels. A clear-eyed look at some of America’s greatest national security threats.

Alex Plitsas leads the Counterterrorism Project for the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative. He serves on the board of the Special Operations Association of America. Follow him on X at @alexplitsas.

The Situation Report for April 10th. Rep. Crenshaw breaks down the latest on tariff negotiations, a major Supreme Court ruling on immigration enforcement, two key House votes that you should know about, the Trump Administration’s crackdown on schools that promote harmful gender ideology, and a breakthrough in genetic engineering.

President Trump pauses Liberation Day tariffs.

But China isn’t spared – here’s why that’s necessary.

The Supreme Court sides with the Trump Administration on deportations.

The House votes to rein in rogue, activist judges.

The reconciliation bill passes. What happens next?

The Trump Administration helps women take back women’s sports.

America - the new manufacturing hub for extinct species.

If you read nothing else this week: Investigation of ranch in northern Mexico reveals some details of Jalisco cartel's operations, by Fabiola Sánchez

Tax season is here, and so is the debate about what you owe and why. Cato Institute’s Adam Michel joins us to break down the policies behind your tax return—from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to what’s at stake if key provisions expire in 2025. We cover how the law affected everyday Americans, why claims about corporations and the rich not paying their “fair share” fall apart, and what an ideal tax system could actually look like.

Adam Michel is the Director of Tax Policy Studies at Cato Institute. Read his updates on tax and fiscal policies at https://adamnmichel.substack.com/ and follow him on X at @adamnmichel.

On the latest Situation Report, Rep. Crenshaw covers President Trump’s tariff announcement, the Administration’s big changes to the federal workforce, the drama unfolding in the House over proxy voting for new parents, what Tuesday’s elections mean for the House, and much more. All the real news and clear analysis you need to know in less than 20 minutes.

President Trump’s Liberation Day tariffs

The executive order that stops federal unions from jeopardizing national security

Secretary RFK Jr. downsizes the Department of Health & Human Services

Vice President Vance goes to Greenland

Behind the House drama over Rep. Anna Paulina Luna’s bill to allow proxy voting for new parents

How the Florida congressional elections and Rep. Elise Stefanik just changed the makeup of the House

The Wisconsin Supreme Court election

Texas and Mexico fight over water rights

Recommended reading: Gerard Baker on “Faith, Freedom and the Long Thread of Technology”

Ralph Goff is a 35-year veteran of the CIA and a 6-time station chief who served in Europe, the Middle East, and Central and South Asia. He gives an inside look into how the CIA manages their agents and assets in some of the most dangerous regions on earth. We discuss the state of play with Russia, the Middle East, and Mexico. We cover fact vs fiction in Hollywood and the real skillsets that make for a good spy. And we look at how the Trump Administration will restore public trust in the intelligence community and strengthen our capabilities to counter adversaries like Russia and Iran.

Ralph Goff also served as Chief of CIA’s National Resources Division, working extensively with “C Suite” level US private sector executives in the financial, banking, and security sectors. Today he is a risk management consultant and contributor for The Cipher Brief.

On the latest Situation Report, Rep. Crenshaw covers what was learned from this week’s House Intel Committee hearing on Worldwide Threats, his push for congressional leadership to start taking the Mexican drug cartel threat seriously, Secretary Kennedy’s action to change America’s tap water, and much more. All the real news and clear analysis you need to know in less than 20 minutes.

The Signal chat leak

Why we need a Select Committee to Defeat the Mexican Drug Cartels

Israel-Hamas ceasefire breaks down

The IRS Hunter Biden whistleblowers get their due

The long overdue dismantling of the Department of Education

The fluoride rebellion

A stem cell breakthrough for damaged corneas

The F-47 stealth fighter

SpaceX brings the NASA astronauts back home

Recommended reading: Dreaming the Dream of a Free Lebanon

How did a small offshoot of Al Qaeda overthrow a major country in the Middle East and establish a diplomatic dialogue with the United States? Dr. Aaron Zelin is one of the foremost experts on jihadist movements past and present. He joined Rep. Crenshaw to discuss the fall of the Assad regime in Syria and the rise of its vanquisher – the jihadist group known as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Dr. Zelin analyzes the conditions that led to the shocking revolution in Syria, its geopolitical implications, and the “pragmatic” jihadism of HTS. A comprehensive overview of Sunni extremism, the complex motives of HTS leadership, and how it all fits on the global chessboard.

Dr. Aaron Zelin is the Gloria and Ken Levy Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where he also directs the Islamic State Worldwide Activity Map project. He is the founder of jihadology.net, where you can find translations and analysis of jihadi source materials. Follow him on X at @azelin.