Culture Brief - Christian perspectives on the week's biggest news, sports & pop-culture stories Trump’s tariffs, financial anxieties, a Masters preview & hot take, plus more trending news | Ep. 14
Join hosts Conner Jones and Micah Tomasella for an insightful episode of Culture Brief. This week, they discuss some of the most pressing news topics with spiritual insight: The impact of new tariffs announced by President Trump and their potential effects on the US economy, stock market, and everyday prices. Get the latest sports updates, including a recap of March Madness, Alex Ovechkin's record-breaking goal in the NHL, and the excitement surrounding The Masters golf tournament and a related hot take.
Topics
- (00:16): Economic chaos and tariffs
- (02:13): Impact of tariffs on everyday life
- (04:09): Market reactions and public sentiment
- (11:00): China and the trade war
- (12:51): Faith over fear: Finding peace in uncertainty
- (19:44): Sports update with Micah
- (22:42): Gretzky and Ovechkin: Celebrating hockey legends
- (23:46): Masters week: The pinnacle of golf
- (31:23): The spiritual side of sports fandom
- (34:56): Hot take: Wearing Masters apparel
- (41:15): Check-in section: Updates and news
Resources
- Mailbag: culturebrief@denisonforum.org
- DenisonForum.org/subscribe
- Culture Brief on Instagram
- Stocks fall, soar on “fake news,” then fall again
- Trump announces sweeping new tariffs to promote US manufacturing, risking inflation and trade wars | AP News
- Volkswagen’s Audi freezing all US imports due to Trump’s 25% autos tariff
- Jaguar Land Rover pauses shipments to US as Trump says impact of tariffs ‘won’t be easy’ – as it happened
- How a false X post about pausing tariffs led to multitrillion-dollar market swings
- Treasury Secretary Bessent says China's escalation was 'big mistake,' country playing with 'losing hand'
- 2025 Masters: Tee times, groupings announced for Rounds 1-2 - PGA TOUR
- Putin hails Ovechkin as 'legendary master' of ice hockey after he breaks NHL goal record | Reuters
- Florida roar back to break Houston hearts and capture third NCAA title | NCAA Tournament 2025 | The Guardian
- Houston Falls To Florida In The 2025 NCAA Championship, 65-63
- How to watch 2025 Masters: TV schedule, streaming, tee times
- What watching sports says about our souls
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 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 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.