In this week's Brief: Trump lands in Beijing for the most consequential meeting of his presidency. We break down what's at stake as the world's two superpowers sit down—from trade and AI to Iran, Taiwan, and religious freedom for persecuted Chinese Christians—and why we should all be praying for what happens in that room.

Then we preview the summer blockbuster season—from “The Mandalorian and Grogu” to “Toy Story 5”, Christopher Nolan's “The Odyssey”, “Spider-Man”, and more. Conner is joined by guest competitor Anna Joy Baxley as Micah hosts them through predictions on which films will flop, break even, or bust the block in Year Two of our annual Bust the Block game.

Plus, the Hantavirus scare hits American shores after a deadly cruise ship outbreak, the UFO file drop finally arrives and delivers… gray blurry videos, and a reminder that no matter what shakes the world this summer—our faith doesn't shake with it.

Topics

(0:00) Introduction
(1:58) Trump heads to China
(6:01) Pray and respond like Jesus
(14:29) Summer movies kickoff
(18:38) Mandalorian and Grogu
(25:17) Toy Story 5 predictions
(26:35) Screen addiction themes
(27:31) Supergirl box office bet
(31:17) Moana live action debate
(33:03) Nolan Odyssey hype
(40:32) Hantavirus cruise quarantine
(44:33) UFO files faith check
(46:32) Conclusion

Resources

Send us your thoughts, questions, and topic ideas: culturebrief@denisonforum.org
Culture Brief Instagram
Watch on Youtube
Sign-up for a Denison Forum newsletter: DenisonForum.org/subscribe

Articles on this week’s top headlines:

About AJ Baxley

Anna Joy Baxley is a Graphic Designer at Denison Ministries and an artist who seeks to know the Lord more deeply and glorify him in all she creates.

About Conner Jones

Conner Jones is the Director of Performance Marketing at Denison Ministries and Co-Hosts Denison Forum's "Culture Brief" podcast. He graduated from Dallas Baptist University in 2019 with a degree in Business Management. Conner passionately follows politics, sports, pop-culture, entertainment, and current events. He enjoys fishing, movie-going, and traveling the world with his wife and son.

About Micah Tomasella

Micah Tomasella is the Director of Advancement at Denison Ministries and co-hosts Denison Forum's "Culture Brief" podcast. A graduate of Dallas Baptist University, Micah is married to Emily, and together they are the proud parents of two daughters. With an extensive background in nonprofit work, finance, and real estate, Micah also brings experience from his years in pastoral church ministry.

About Denison Forum

Denison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of the day from a biblical perspective through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast, the Faith & Clarity podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.