The Lion

05/09/2026

Oklahoma boosts school choice tax credit cap by $25 million in response to rising demand

Oklahoma will raise the cap on its tax credit-based school choice program by $25 million – enough to fund about 4,000 additional students – for the 2026-27 school year as demand continues to rise. Gov. Kevin Stitt and the Republican-controlled Legislature approved the funding, which will boost t...

05/09/2026

Russia and Ukraine have agreed to a three-day ceasefire from Saturday to Monday, President Donald Trump announced Friday on Truth Social.

Trump said he requested the ceasefire and it will include “a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each Country.”

“I am pleased to announce that there will be a THREE DAY CEASEFIRE (May 9th, 10th, and 11th) in the War between Russia and Ukraine. The Celebration in Russia is for Victory Day but, likewise, in Ukraine, because they were also a big part and factor of World War II,” Trump wrote on Friday.

“This Ceasefire will include a suspension of all kinetic activity, and also a prison swap of 1,000 prisoners from each Country. This request was made directly by me, and I very much appreciate its agreement by President Vladimir Putin and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Hopefully, it is the beginning of the end of a very long, deadly, and hard fought War. Talks are continuing on ending this Major Conflict, the biggest since World War II, and we are getting closer and closer every day. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”

Click here for the full story: https://readlion.com/trump-announces-3-day-ceasefire-between-russia-ukraine/

05/09/2026

WATCH: ‘It’s all private sector’: Job growth continues as federal government shrinks

The federal government has shed nearly 350,000 jobs since President Donald Trump was elected in late 2024, or 11.5% of its workforce, but U.S. employment continues to rise. “It’s all private sector,” investor Kevin Hincks told Nicole Petallides on the Schwab Network on Friday. “It’s quite ...

05/09/2026

Blue state victory: New York to opt in to federal school choice program; will other states follow?

New York, one of the biggest – and bluest – states, is likely to opt in to the new federal school choice program. Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, made the announcement Thursday at a private meeting with a Jewish religious education organization, Chalkbeat reports. A spokesperson for Hochul confir...

05/09/2026

Cyber attack hits thousands of colleges and universities

A global cyber attack disrupted online learning systems at colleges and universities around the world this week, locking students out of coursework and exams near the end of the spring semester. The attack targeted Canvas, a widely used online learning platform owned by Instructure. Schools across t...

05/09/2026

A Missouri legislative committee advanced a bill designed to end America’s reliance on foreign adversaries for critical medicines and minerals.

Sen. Kurtis Gregory, R-Marshall, is sponsoring the bill to offer millions of dollars in yearly tax credits to Missouri companies producing those vital supplies.

Gregory said the legislation is purely about national defense and restoring critical supply chains back to American soil.

“For instance, the F-35 fighter jet requires 900 pounds of different critical materials, some of which are able to be found in Missouri,” Gregory said during a February committee hearing, listing minerals such as cobalt, nickel and gallium.

Industry leaders testified the current situation leaves the country vulnerable to foreign influence.

Click here for the full story: https://readlion.com/missouri-lawmakers-push-to-sever-supply-chain-reliance-on-china-india/

05/09/2026

US deficit projected to hit $2 trillion, double fiscal target

(The Center Square) – The federal government is projected to post a $2 trillion deficit in fiscal year 2026, double the 3% of GDP target that has bipartisan support in Congress, according to Treasury’s quarterly refunding documents. The $2 trillion figure in fiscal year 2026 is up from $1.7 tril...

05/08/2026

WATCH: Report: Washington high schools rank near bottom in personal finance literacy

(The Center Square) – A new report finds Washington state ranks near the bottom in the nation when it comes to financial literacy education for high school students. WalletHub compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia using 11 key metrics, ranging from whether students are required to ta...

05/08/2026

Speaker Mike Johnson and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner opened the 75th National Day of Prayer Thursday morning in the U.S. Capitol, celebrating 250 years of America and all that God has blessed her with.

“Our Founders did their best to set up our nation in accordance with his guidelines and principles. And my friends, that is why God has blessed America for 250 years,” Johnson told the crowd gathered in Statuary Hall. “He is the one that has endowed us with our inalienable rights, among those of the rights of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.”

The theme of this year’s National Day of Prayer comes from 1 Chronicles 16:24, “Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples.”

Click here for the full story: https://readlion.com/johnson-opens-national-day-of-prayer-credits-god-for-blessing-250-years-of-america/

05/08/2026

Only one LA mayoral candidate was willing to give straight answer on illegals voting

(Daily Caller News Foundation) – Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt was the only person to give a straight answer when asked whether illegal aliens and non-citizens should vote in U.S. elections during a Wednesday debate. The moderator of the mayoral debate asked each candidate, including...

05/08/2026

President Donald Trump will meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing next week, where official talks on the AI race could be on the docket.

The White House and the Chinese government are weighing the launch of official discussions about AI amid concerns about the competition becoming the newest arms race, The Wall Street Journal first reported. If held, the talks between the two countries on AI would be the first of Trump’s second term.

“The competition with China is fierce. China is a significant competitor in AI,” former AI czar David Sacks said on Fox News last year.

“But China is doing their best to innovate, to work around the restrictions we try to place on them,” he added. “And so, they are a significant competitor, and we, basically, can’t get complacent here.”

Click here for the full story: https://readlion.com/ai-race-may-be-on-the-docket-for-trumps-meeting-with-xi/