Start your week smart: Earth Day, Pope Francis, Alien Enemies Act, Ukraine-Russia truce, ‘50501’ protests
By Andrew Torgan, CNN
(CNN) — Pope Francis gave the traditional Easter blessing earlier today, appearing from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica in front of delighted crowds in what marks his highest-profile appearance since being discharged from the hospital after falling ill with double pneumonia. The 88-year-old pontiff has not led the main Holy Week and Easter services but has made brief appearances, including spending 30 minutes at a prison in Rome on Thursday and a visit to St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday evening.
Here’s what else you need to know to Start Your Week Smart.
Sunday spotlight
Tuesday marks 55 years since millions of Americans from coast to coast came together to celebrate the first Earth Day. Over the subsequent decades, Earth Day has spread around the globe as more and more countries call for environmental regulations to protect the planet’s air, water, forests and wildlife from industrial pollution and greenhouse gases that are harming our climate.
But as other industrialized nations make strides to reduce emissions, the US appears to be shifting into reverse. On the first day of his second term, President Donald Trump signed actions to pull the US out of the Paris Agreement, an international treaty in which nearly 200 countries agreed to work together to limit global warming.
Meanwhile, Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency have been slashing federal workers and eviscerating weather and climate research programs — all at a time when the stakes couldn’t be higher for the planet and humanity’s ability to adapt to the changing climate and the increasing cost of climate-related disasters.
1️⃣ Rising temperatures: The Earth just recorded its 10 hottest years over the last decade. And last year was confirmed to be the hottest since records began 175 years ago, beating the previous record set in 2023. While scientists say that doesn’t mean that we’ve permanently crossed global limits set under the Paris Agreement, we are getting close.
2️⃣ Not a pretty picture: A striking new visualization made by a climate scientist shows the increase in daily global temperatures between 1940 and the end of 2024 compared to the period before humans began burning huge amounts of planet-heating fossil fuels. As the data spirals outwards, it becomes redder and redder as global temperatures ramp up.
3️⃣ Stronger hurricanes: Record-breaking ocean temperatures fueled by planet-warming pollution have turbocharged dozens of Atlantic hurricanes in recent years, making them more potent and dangerous. And this year’s upcoming hurricane season, which spans from June through November, is shaping up to be another busy one.
4️⃣ Predictions of extreme weather events may get worse: Coordinated twice-daily weather balloon launches make up the backbone of weather forecasts across the globe. But due to staffing shortages brought on by the Trump administration, the National Weather Service has cut weather balloon launches at eight sites across the US. Here’s what that could mean for critical weather reports, particularly during severe weather events, like tornadoes, ice storms and hurricanes.
5️⃣ Hope springs eternal: Despite the increasing din of climate-related alarm bells, there are reasons to be hopeful. CNN’s chief Climate correspondent Bill Weir has spent years looking at our warming planet and searching for the most promising solutions and most resilient communities. This is what he found.
Top headlines
• Supreme Court temporarily pauses deportations under Alien Enemies Act
• Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of violating brief Easter truce
• Dozens of ‘high-water incidents’ reported as ‘historical weather event’ unfolds in Oklahoma
• ‘50501’ protesters denounce Trump administration in nationwide rallies while supporting impacted communities
• Half of US states have reported measles cases this year
The week ahead
Monday
The White House will host its annual Easter Egg Roll on the South Lawn, complete with about 30,000 real eggs — despite a national egg shortage due to a bird flu outbreak. The American Egg Board, which donated the 2,500 cartons, said in a statement that the eggs “will be in sizes small and medium, which are not meant for the retail and grocery channels.” Attendees of the event may also notice something different from egg rolls past: prominent corporate sponsorships from companies like YouTube, Meta and Amazon that underscore the close relationships the leaders of those companies have sought to cultivate with the Trump administration.
Wednesday
April 23 is the 20th anniversary of the uploading of the first video clip to YouTube. The 19-second video, titled “Me at the zoo,” features Jawed Karim — one of YouTube’s co-founders.
It’s also the 7th birthday of Prince Louis of Wales, who is fourth in line to the British throne.
Thursday
The US and Ukraine are expected to sign a proposed minerals deal between the two countries. President Donald Trump confirmed the date in response to a reporter’s question during an Oval Office meeting last week. Ukraine’s economy minister also posted on X that the country had signed a memorandum with the US. An earlier iteration of the deal went unsigned following a public argument between Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in February.
Friday
Disgraced former Rep. George Santos will be sentenced after pleading guilty in August to aggravated identity theft and wire fraud charges stemming from fraudulent activity during his 2022 midterm campaign. Prosecutors are seeking a sentence of more than seven years in prison. Santos also owes more than $373,000 in restitution as part of his plea deal.
Saturday
Scores of journalists, celebrities and politicians are expected to attend the annual White House Correspondents’ dinner, with two notable exceptions: comedian Amber Ruffin, who had been tapped to headline this year’s annual fundraising dinner, and President Trump, who skipped the dinner during his first four years in office. The White House Correspondents’ Association announced its decision to change format last month, opting for no comedian performance, and said it would instead celebrate the First Amendment and the free press.
Listen in
One Thing: 🎧 College funding fallout
In this episode of the “One Thing” podcast, CNN’s David Rind speaks to two incoming freshmen about how they feel after choosing Harvard and Columbia amid President Donald Trump’s funding fights. Listen here.
Photos of the week
Check out more images from the week that was, curated by CNN Photos.
What’s happening in entertainment
In theaters
“The Accountant 2” stars Ben Affleck in the follow-up to the original 2016 action film. This sequel seems to lean a bit into the action/comedy genre as Affleck’s Christian Wolff — a forensic accountant with autism who worked for the mob — teams up with his brother Braxton (Jon Bernthal) to avenge the murder of his old friend from the Treasury Department, played by J.K. Simmons. “The Accountant 2” opens Friday.
Nearly 50 years after Cheech and Chong had their breakout hit “Up in Smoke,” a new documentary details the duo’s careers and lasting impact on American pop culture. “Cheech and Chong’s Last Movie” rolls into theaters on Friday. (Cue War’s “Low Rider.”)
What’s happening in sports
At a glance …
In basketball, the NBA Playoffs officially tipped off with a sizzling four-game slate on Saturday. In the night’s finale, the Los Angeles Lakers fell to a heavy defeat in front of their home fans, losing 117-95 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 1 of their Western Conference best-of-seven series. Both teams will return to the court for Game 2 on Tuesday. Elsewhere, the New York Knicks stunned the Detroit Pistons 123-112, the Denver Nuggets beat the Los Angeles Clippers 112-110 in overtime and the Indiana Pacers topped the Milwaukee Bucks 117-98.
The 129th running of the Boston Marathon will take place on Monday, the 250th anniversary of Patriots’ Day in Massachusetts.
Football season may be months away but the rumor mill never stops. The chatter about where former Green Bay Packers and (briefly) New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers may land picked up last week after Rodgers revealed that retirement from the NFL remains a possibility as he weighs his next step. The 41-year-old Super Bowl XLV winner has been heavily linked with the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, but no formal decision has yet been made.
In related news, the 2025 NFL Draft kicks off Thursday in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The Los Angeles Rams, however, will honor Southern California firefighters by conducting their 2025 NFL draft operations from the Los Angeles Fire Department Air Operations headquarters to recognize first responders following the wildfires that swept across the Los Angeles area earlier this year.
And looking ahead to 2028, the Los Angeles Olympic Games will feature a mixed-gender team golf event. The new edition will consist of a 36-hole competition across two 18-hole rounds, with each team consisting of one male and one female player who have already qualified for the singles events. Only one pair per nation will be permitted to take part.
For more of your favorite sports, head on over to CNN Sports as well as Bleacher Report, which — like CNN — is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.
Quiz time!
Looking for a challenge to start your week? Take CNN’s weekly news quiz to see how much you remember from the week that was! So far, 58% of readers who took the quiz got eight or more questions right and 12% got a perfect score. How will you fare?
Play me off …
‘Mr. Blue Sky’
We wish you nothing but blue skies as we celebrate Earth Day this week.
(Click here to view)
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