repstefanik • Original audio 59 likes Today, on the National Day of Prayer, we commit to protecting religious freedom for every American. As President @realdonaldtrump emphasized in his powerful Executive Orders, we must combat antisemitism, root out anti-Christian bias, and restore religious liberty in our nation. Let’s pray for unity, strength, and a future where every believer can worship freely. Edited · 18m

House Passes Antisemitism Awareness Bills May 01, 2025 OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House of Representatives passed two measures aimed at combating antisemitism in public schools and universities. Rep. Emily Gise, R-Oklahoma City, carried both Senate Bill 942 and Senate Bill 991 on the House floor. “These pieces of legislation intentionally focus on clarifying what antisemitism looks like, because for too long, this community has lived in a space of uncertainty without clear protections,” Gise said. “By putting a definition into law, we’re helping ensure that harmful acts are no longer overlooked or misunderstood." As a former student leader with Sooners for Israel, Gise saw firsthand the harassment and isolation Jewish students endured simply for expressing their identity, an experience that left a lasting impression and continues to fuel her commitment to this work. "With the passage of Senate Bill 991 and Senate Bill 942, Oklahoma is taking a firm, unapologetic stand: hate has no home here," Gise said. "These measures bring clarity, accountability, and protection, ensuring that antisemitism is no longer ignored but addressed with the seriousness it deserves. I’m proud to stand with our Jewish neighbors and to help build a future where every student can feel safe, seen and supported." SB942 requires public schools and higher education institutions to integrate the definition of antisemitism into their codes of conduct and include antisemitism awareness in training programs for students and staff. The legislation ensures that antisemitism is addressed with the same urgency and seriousness as racial discrimination. In addition, the House also approved SB991, which adopts the non-legally binding working definition of antisemitism established by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA). The IHRA definition is to be used as a guiding framework for training, education and the recognition and tracking of antisemitic incidents and hate crimes throughout the state. Sen. Kristen Thompson, R-Edmond, the Senate author of both bills, expressed her strong support for the measures’ advancement and said she is encouraged by their passage in the House. "Today’s vote sent a loud and clear message: Oklahoma will not tolerate antisemitism," Thompson said. "I’m grateful to the members who had the moral clarity to support these bills. Those who voted no actively chose to oppose protections for Jewish students and ignore the very real threats they face every day." House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, also praised the passage of SB942 and SB991. “These bills are a declaration that hate has no place in our classrooms, on our campuses or in our communities,” said Hilbert. SB942 and SB991 are now headed to the governor’s desk. Oklahoma House of Representatives seal Share on

Here’s what’s in Trump’s Ukraine minerals deal and how it affects the war Ivana Kottasová By Ivana Kottasová and Victoria Butenko, CNN 7 minute read Updated 1:01 PM EDT, Thu May 1, 2025 An excavator at the Zavalivskiy Graphite mine in Ukraine's Kirovohrad region. An excavator at the Zavalivskiy Graphite mine in Ukraine's Kirovohrad region. Olena Koloda/Bloomberg/Getty Images CNN — Ukraine managed to wrangle some more favorable terms out of the United States before signing the long-awaited minerals deal on Wednesday. The agreement on natural resources was finally struck late on Wednesday, after weeks of tense bargaining that at times turned sour and temporarily halted Washington’s aid to Ukraine. Kyiv eventually convinced US President Donald Trump to drop some of his key demands but failed to make American security guarantees part of the agreement. ADVERTISING Ukrainian officials touted the final accord as an equal partnership between Kyiv and Washington – a notable shift from some of the earlier drafts which were described by Ukraine’s leader President Volodymyr Zelensky as the US asking him to “sell my country.” The signed deal, seen by CNN, does indeed appear to be more favorable to Ukraine than some of the previous versions. Here’s what we know. What’s in the deal? Aid: Crucially, the deal does not call for Kyiv to reimburse the US for the aid it has already received – a key concession from Trump who has long framed the agreement as Ukraine “paying back” the US. Washington initially demanded a $500 billion share of Ukraine’s rare earths and other minerals in exchange for the aid it has already provided to Kyiv. When Zelensky rejected that idea, Trump called him “a dictator.” Instead, the agreement that was inked on Wednesday says that future American military assistance to Ukraine will count as part of the US investment into a joint reconstruction investment fund that will be used to pour money into Ukraine’s natural resources. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko pose after signing the minerals deal in Washington on April 30, 2025. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Ukrainian First Deputy Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko pose after signing the minerals deal in Washington on April 30, 2025. Yulia Svyrydenko/Facebook/Reuters Natural resources: The deal gives the US preferential rights to mineral extraction in Ukraine and states that Kyiv will have the final say in what and where is being mined. Ukraine will also retain the ownership of the subsoil. “All resources on our territory and in our territorial waters belong to Ukraine. It is the Ukrainian state that determines where and what to extract,” said Ukraine’s Economy Minister Yulia Svyrydenko, who signed the deal on behalf her country. And although Trump has referred to the agreement as a “rare earth” deal, the accord signed on Wednesday goes well beyond that by including other natural resources such as oil, natural gas, gold and copper. U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz attend an interview after meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian President Vladimir Putin's foreign policy advisor Yuri Ushakov, at Diriyah Palace, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, February 18, 2025. Related article Analysis: Putin has outmanoeuvred a host of US presidents. Trump is only the latest The tone: In a win for Ukraine, the deal also adopts a strong language on the war with Russia itself. It points at Moscow as the aggressor in the conflict, diverging from some of Trump’s previous false statements about Ukraine and Zelensky being responsible for the war. The deal also spells out the goal of the agreement as “a peaceful, sovereign and resilient Ukraine” – a notable step away from Trump saying earlier this year that, “Ukraine may be Russia some day.” EU guarantees: It also keeps the door open for Ukraine’s potential future membership in the European Union, saying that investment needs to be made in accordance with Ukraine’s obligations as an EU candidate state. It adds that if Ukraine was to join the bloc in the future, this deal would be renegotiated “in good faith.” A boost for the US: But the terms of the agreement also show the US has secured a host of advantages for itself. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent characterized it as a “historic economic partnership,” saying in a statement that it “signals clearly to Russia that the Trump Administration is committed to a peace process centered on a free, sovereign, and prosperous Ukraine over the long term.” The agreement seen by CNN also specifies that the earnings and other payments made as part of the deal will be tax-free and not subject to any levies or duties by Ukraine. It also says that if a conflict arises between the wording of the agreement and Ukraine’s law, the deal will have a legal precedent. What is missing from the deal? Security questions: Ukraine has dropped its key demand that the US provides security guarantees as part of this agreement. It was this demand that ultimately led to the shouty meeting between Zelensky and Trump in the Oval Office in February. Trump then refused to provide security guarantees, saying he wanted Ukraine to sign the agreement first and talk about guarantees later. At the time, Zelensky refused, but Ukrainian officials have since indicated that they believe that US investment and the presence of American companies in Ukraine will make Washington more interested in Ukraine’s security. Exclusive access for the US: While it ensures the US receives preferential access to Ukraine’s mineral riches, the deal doesn’t guarantee any exclusive rights. Existing resources: The deal is limited to new projects, which means the US and Ukraine will have to invest in order to see profits. Existing mining operations that are already generating revenue for the Ukrainian government are excluded. This clause puts a question mark over the benefits of the deal for the US. While Ukraine has large reserves of several valuable materials, the process to extract some of them is expensive and technically difficult. Gavin Mudd, the director of the Critical Minerals Intelligence Centre at the British Geological Survey, told the non-profit Science Media Center that the production of some minerals – such as titanium, lithium or graphite – could be achieved quickly, if the regions where the deposits are are secure. “However, in the case of rare earths, it will take years to ramp up capacity – studies will need to be completed to assess and determine how best to mine the deposits and process the ores and produce rich concentrate, and a new refinery will be needed to produce high purity metals and oxides for use in numerous technologies. All of this sits alongside the need to actually mine the minerals” he said. How does it play into the peace process? The Ukrainian government has in the past made the argument that its mineral deposits are one of the reasons the West should support Ukraine – to prevent these strategically important resources from falling into Russian hands. Experts agree with that idea. Liam Peach and Hamad Hussain, economists at Capital Economics, wrote in an analyst note on Thursday that the agreement “provides some reassurance that the Trump administration is not planning on abandoning Ukraine altogether” because it establishes US economic interests in Ukraine. The deal strengthens Ukraine’s position, but doesn’t necessarily bring the war closer to the end as it is separate from any negotiations with Russia. Those talks appear to be stalling, as Moscow continues to refuse a 30-day ceasefire agreement proposed by the US and agreed by Ukraine. Meanwhile, the devastating war keeps raging. Seven people died in occupied Ukraine Thursday, with Russian and Ukrainian officials trading claims over the attack Shelby Magid, the deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center, wrote in a note that the deal puts the Ukrainians “in their strongest position yet with Washington since Trump took office.” Trump and Zelensky were seen talking to each other privately at the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday. Trump and Zelensky were seen talking to each other privately at the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday. Ukrainian Presidency How was the deal struck? The road to it was incredibly rocky, with the US temporarily suspending aid to Ukraine after the disastrous Oval Office meeting. Negotiations continued behind the scenes in the weeks that followed. In the meantime Trump began losing patience with Putin’s stalling over a peace deal, giving an opening to Kyiv to repair ties. In the end, it seems that the two leaders just needed to talk to each other privately, without cameras and away from aides who have derailed the process in the past. Trump and Zelensky spoke at the funeral of Pope Francis on Saturday. A photograph of the two of them huddled together inside St. Peter’s Basilica showed them in a discussion, leaning towards each other. Zelensky said on Thursday the signing of the minerals deal was “the first result of the Vatican meeting.” “President Trump and I used every minute of our time to the fullest. I am grateful for that,” he said. It was after this meeting that Trump questioned whether Russian leader Vladimir Putin wants a peace deal and floated the idea of imposing more sanctions on Moscow. Just days later, the minerals deal was signed. “Ukrainian officials showed they could manoeuvre and persevere to ultimately get a fair deal. While the Trump administration put tremendous pressure on Ukraine to accept earlier deals, Ukraine managed to show that it is not just a junior partner that has to roll over and accept a bad deal,” Magid said. However, there was some more drama on Wednesday, when a last-minute disagreement over which documents would be signed on Wednesday threatened to derail the deal. Why are the minerals so important? Materials such as graphite, lithium, uranium and the 17 chemical elements known as rare earths are critical for economic growth and national security. They are essential to the production of electronics, clean energy technology, including wind turbines, energy networks and electric vehicles, as well as some weapons systems. China has long dominated the global production of rare earth minerals and other strategically important materials, leaving Western countries desperate for other alternative sources – including Ukraine. The US largely depends on imports for the minerals it needs. Of the 50 minerals classed as critical, the US was entirely dependent on imports of 12 and more than 50% dependent on imports of a further 16, according to the United States Geological Survey, a government agency. Ukraine, meanwhile, has deposits of 22 of these 50 critical materials, according to the Ukrainian government. The country has some of the world’s largest deposits of graphite, lithium, titanium, beryllium and uranium, all of which are classed by the US as critical minerals. Some of these reserves are in areas that are currently under Russian occupation. CNN’s Catherine Nicholls contributed reporting.

PoliticsNo date set for committee vote on bill Senate committee approves amendment to Antisemitism Awareness Act stating criticism of Israeli government isn’t antisemitic Sen. Bernie Sanders proposed the amendment as well as two others. By Grace Gilson May 1, 2025, 8:49 am U.S. politician Bernie Sanders at the launch of his book "It's Okay to Be Angry at Capitalism" at the House of World Cultures in Berlin, Oct. 12, 2023. (Jens Kalaene/dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images) U.S. politician Bernie Sanders at the launch of his book "It's Okay to Be Angry at Capitalism" at the House of World Cultures in Berlin, Oct. 12, 2023. (Jens Kalaene/dpa/picture alliance via Getty Images) (JTA) — An amendment saying that criticism of the Israeli government is not antisemitic was added to the Antisemitism Awareness Act today in a Senate committee hearing. The amendment was proposed by Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Jewish progressive leader, and approved in a 12-11 vote in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The committee adjourned before voting on the bill itself and another piece of legislation, the Protecting Students on Campus Act, which would require schools to share information about how students can file civil rights complaints through the Department of Education. Get The Jewish Chronicle Weekly Edition by email and never miss our top storiesFree Sign Up A date for the committee vote has not yet been announced. If passed by the HELP committee, the bill will move onto the Senate floor for a final vote. Sanders’ was one of seven amendments to be added to the bill, which would codify a widely adopted and controversial definition of antisemitism into U.S. law. That definition, by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, has been adopted by hundreds of governmental bodies and other entities but drawn criticism from the left because it defines some criticism of Israel as antisemitic. “One can criticize the government of Israel for their policies without being antisemitic,” said Sanders, the committee’s ranking member, during the hearing. “This amendment makes it clear that it is not antisemitic to oppose the Netanyahu-led war effort that has killed more than 50,000 people and wounded over 116,000, 60% of whom are women, children and the elderly.” All committee Democrats and Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, voted for Sanders’ amendment. Those opposed said that the amendment and others acted as a poison pill. “Supporting these amendments is an effort to kill this bill, which protects Jewish students from antisemitic acts,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy, the Louisiana Republican who chairs the committee, during the meeting. “The bill includes protections for free speech, so let’s not be naive as to what’s taking place here.” In response, Sen. Ed Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said, “Antisemitism is wrong. Authoritarianism is not the answer. That’s what we’re debating right now.” The Antisemitism Awareness Act was passed by the House last year but stalled in the Senate over concerns that it could punish political speech against Israel. Some Republicans, including Paul, have also criticized the IHRA definition because it identifies the belief that Jews killed Jesus as antisemitic. “This bill would subject to punishment speech claiming that Jews killed Jesus,” Paul said at the hearing. He called the deicide charge “an absurd and insulting insinuation, if the argument is that all Jews are responsible for killing Jesus,” but added, “and yet, the Gospel of John describes the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. It reports Jews present at the trial, including the high priest and crowd called for his crucifixion.” He continued, “Nobody thinks that’s all Jews, but you’re no longer allowed to read John 18 and 19. This is sort of insane.” Paul also said he opposed the bill over a litany of other concerns including fears that it would target comedians. He invoked Jerry Seinfeld as an example. “Have you guys ever listened to comedy? Do you know why Jerry Seinfeld won’t go to colleges because he can’t make any Jew jokes anymore, or Indian jokes, or whatever jokes. Jokes are about silly categorizations of people,” said Rand. He entered into the record a list of the names of 400 Jewish American comedians who he said have referred to Jews in stereotypical language, and who he says may be targeted by the bill. Two other Sanders amendments were also approved by the committee, including one that states the federal government cannot compel schools to violate the First Amendment rights of a student or professor. The measure could impact the Trump administration’s crackdown on pro-Palestinian student activists. “We have already seen attack after attack on freedom of speech and right to dissent. This amendment defends the Constitution of the United States and our First Amendment,” said Sanders. It passed in a vote of 13-10, with all Democrats as well as Paul and Sen. Susan Collins, a Maine Republican, voting in favor. Another Sanders amendment provided protection to students distributing written materials on campus, carrying out school-sanctioned protests, and engaging in “any speech that does not include true threats or incitement of violence,,” according to Jewish Insider. It was approved by all committee democrats along with Paul and Collins. A fourth amendment to the bill was proposed by Markey which opposed the Trump administration’s recent student visa revocations, as well as detainments and deportations of students and faculty at universities for activities protected under the First Amendment. It was approved by affirmative votes from all Democrats and Paul. PJC

We are the dreamers.

How do I do on my first 100 days as the master of THIS IS FICTIONS AND THIS IS YOUR LIFE ON FICTION? I would say I am an asset which can destroy and create worlds. I am mind boggling and unrelenting in my efforts to grapple with the times and places that shake the earth.

I was there inside a tent and my legs were wrapped in healing bands. Someone had saved my life. Perhaps it was my tenth wife!