President Donald Trump has directed his administration to speed up reviews of certain psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine. That drug and other psychedelics remain banned under the government’s most restrictive category for illegal, high-risk drugs. But the administration is taking steps to ease restrictions and spur research on using the drugs for medical purposes, including conditions such as severe depression. Trump signed an executive order Saturday that he says will help “dramatically accelerate” access to potential treatments. Veteran organizations and others say ibogaine shows promise for conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid addiction. But ibogaine is known to sometimes trigger potentially fatal heart problems.

Pope Leo XIV has denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” that is fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace. Saturday's remarks were his strongest condemnation yet. Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica on the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan and as a fragile ceasefire held. History’s first U.S.-born pope didn’t mention the United States or President Donald Trump in his prayer, which was planned before the talks were announced. But Leo’s tone and message appeared directed at Trump and U.S. officials, who have boasted of U.S. military superiority and justified the war in religious terms.

The Trump administration has taken a new tack in celebrating Easter. On social media, several key Cabinet departments openly embraced the core Christian tenet of Christ's resurrection. The Department of Homeland Security and the State Department declared, “He is risen.” The Defense Department shared a post from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with a similar message. The Justice Department also chimed in. The posts sparked mixed reactions, with some people expressing joy and others criticizing the promotion of a particular faith by government agencies. Hegseth hosted a Christian worship service at the Pentagon last week, emphasizing military might against enemies.