Intro

Join hosts Conner Jones and Micah Tomasella as they navigate a jam-packed news week on Culture Brief, a Denison Forum podcast. They discuss the political climate, including Joe Biden's final days as president, a significant ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, TikTok's brief shutdown, and Biden's last-minute pardons followed by Donald Trump's inauguration as the 47th President, his executive orders, and reactions from his supporters and opponents. 

Then, they dive into the latest sports news, including the NFL divisional round, the college football national championship, and key moments of sportsmanship. Tune in for thought-provoking discussions, faith perspectives, and even a fun segment on a new candy called Soup Drops!

Topics

• (01:03): Biden's Final Days and Middle East Ceasefire
• (05:51): TikTok Shutdown and Revival
• (07:13): Biden's Last-Minute Pardons
• (13:21): Trump's Inauguration and Executive Actions
• (24:12): Trump's Legacy and Unconditional Love
• (25:57): NFL Playoffs Recap
• (30:07): College Football Championship Highlights
• (34:30): News You Can Use: Soup Drops
• (36:2):2 Listener Mailbag and Fast Food Favorites
• (40:43): Big Upcoming Events in Culture

Resources

• Mailbag: culturebrief@denisonforum.org
• DenisonForum.org/subscribe
• What We Know About the Hostage Release - The New York Times
• January 19, 2025: First Israeli hostages, Palestinian prisoners freed as Gaza ceasefire takes force | CNN
• How the Biden and Trump teams worked together to get the Gaza ceasefire and hostages deal done | CNN Politics
• Biden declares decades-old Equal Rights Amendment law — but what happens next? | CBC News
• TikTok starts restoring service in the U.S. after shutting down over divest-or-ban law - CBS News
• TikTok is back online after Trump pledged to restore it | CNN Business
• Biden Pardons 5 Members of His Family in Final Minutes in Office
• Biden sparks outrage with last-minute commutation of man convicted of killing FBI agents - ABC News
• FBI Agents Association Statement on Commutation of Leonard Peltier
• Biden’s Catholic faith both key and complex part of his legacy - OSV News
• Trump and Vance to honor tradition with service at DC's historic St. John's Church
• Bidens Bring Donald and Melania Trump to the White House for Tea Before the Inauguration: 'Welcome Home'
• Donald Trump’s inauguration — as it happened
• Trump signs flurry of executive actions and memos on Day 1 - CBS News
• President Trump’s Historic First Day
• What would be President Trump’s “proudest legacy”?
• NFL fans spot Josh Allen's classy gesture immediately after winning huge Bills-Ravens showdown in AFC playoffs | The US Sun
• NFL Playoffs Briefing: From the expected (Chiefs) to the unexpected (Jayden Daniels) | FOX Sports
• Ohio State holds off Notre Dame to win college football national championship | Fox News
• Progresso launches Soup Drops, a hard candy that's 'soup you can suck on'

About Micah Tomasella

Micah Tomasella is the Advancement Officer 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 Conner Jones

Conner 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 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 Denison Forum Podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.