Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, trouble in the classroom, tariffs, the Pope, a pharmaceutical tax dodging scheme and a Wisconsin judge is arrested for allegedly trying to help an undocumented immigrant.  It’s all part of this week’s News Round-Up.  Here’s a brief selection of stories mentioned:  

–Jim began this edition of Crosstalk with a story concerning the court case titled: Mahmoud v. Taylor.  It concerns parents who want to opt their children out of Montgomery County (Maryland) Board of Education’s mandated storybook readings involving pronouns, transgender children and pride parades.  Jim provided audio from a Supreme Court hearing dealing with this case. 

–Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the Kremlin is ready to reach a deal with the U.S. on Ukraine although he also said some elements need to be fine tuned.

–Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, has condemned Hamas for delaying the release of Israeli hostages, saying that the group should disarm itself.

–Israel’s military campaign against Hamas has triggered a major financial crisis for the terrorist group as they are now struggling to pay their gunmen. 

–Mediators from Qatar and Egypt have presented a new cease-fire framework to Hamas including a multi-year truce, the release of all Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.  The truce is to last 5 to 7 years.

–President Trump said after a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he and the Israeli leader are aligned on every issue.

–Reports from political circles in Tehran suggest that senior IRG sea commanders, along with high ranking officials, including the newly elected president, have warned Khamenei that escalating international pressure and military   confrontation could lead to the inevitable collapse of the Islamic republic.

–Syria’s president told U.S. Representative Cory Mills during a meeting in Damascus that Syria could consider joining the Abraham accords if the right conditions were met.

–Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law that officially ratifies a strategic partnership with Iran. 

–China and Egypt launched a wide-scale, joint military exercise this week near the Israeli border.

–China said on Wednesday that the door is wide open for trade talks with Washington.

–China is reportedly weighing whether to exempt some U.S. imports from its 125% tariffs as the economic fallout from its ongoing trade war with Washington becomes more apparent.    

–The White House has received 18 trade proposals from other countries and that a total of 100 nations seek to reach a deal with the U.S. 

–A coalition of 12 states has sued the Trump administration Wednesday over what they call, “illegal tariffs.”

–Revenue from U.S. tariffs rose to a new all-time high in April, soaring 60% to 15 billion dollars.