Axios

Pope Francis' open coffin at the Vatican's St. Peter's Basilica drew tens of thousands of mourners, and his funeral Saturday attracted some 250,000 in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican.

The big picture: Early video shows people lining up for hours to view the open coffin of the Catholic leader, who died on Easter Monday. President Trump is among the world leaders who attended the papal funeral.

The U.S. and Iran concluded on Saturday the third round of nuclear talks and agreed to meet again on May 3, said Omani foreign minister Badr Al-Busaidi, who is mediating between the parties.

Why it matters: The talks in Muscat on Saturday were the first time the parties dived into the technical details of a possible nuclear deal, especially the limitations the U.S. wants to impose on Iran's nuclear program and the sanctions Iran wants the U.S. to lift.

President Trump and Ukrainian President Zelensky met on Saturday in Rome on the sidelines of Pope Francis' funeral and discussed the effort to end the war with Russia.

Why it matters: This was the first meeting between Trump and Zelensky since their explosive Oval Office shouting match in late February, which led to an unprecedented diplomatic crisis.

Sales to China of key commodities, like soybeans and pork, are plunging as the trade war begins to impact the domestic economy.

Why it matters: U.S. farmers export more than $176 billion in agricultural products annually — almost 10% of which is just soybean and pork shipments to China.

Heads of state and royalty were among the 250,000 people gathered in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican for Pope Francis' funeral Saturday morning.

The big picture: Attendees included the Trumps, the Bidens, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Prince William.

White House envoy Steve Witkoff met for three hours on Friday with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin.

Why it matters: The fourth meeting between Witkoff and Putin comes a day after President Trump made a public demand that Russia stop its missile and drone attacks on Ukraine and focus on negotiating a peace deal.

The Trump administration announced an investigation into the University of California, Berkeley, on Friday over allegations it failed to disclose millions in funding from a foreign government.

The big picture: The move comes after President Trump signed an executive order this week requiring higher education institutions to report significant sources of foreign funding.

A defiant President Trump insisted in a new interview that the U.S. is less than a month away from potentially hundreds of trade deals, and that even Chinese President Xi Jinping has called him to talk business.

Why it matters: China denies it, other countries aren't saying it either, Trump won't say who the deals are with or share details, and the global economy is cracking as the saga plays out.

President Trump denied there's any risk Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will "drag" him into war with Iran in an interview with Time magazine, because he will be "leading the pack" for war if he can't get a deal.

Why it matters: Netanyahu is much more skeptical than Trump of diplomacy with Iran, and much more inclined to opt for a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities. Trump has repeatedly said his priority is to negotiate a deal, but that Iran doesn't have much time before he will consider plan b to ensure Tehran never gets a bomb.

The Trump administration wants to empower local schools by dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. The catch: Local school districts nationwide already are struggling with teacher shortages, falling test scores and rising turnover in leadership.

Why it matters: Those measures of instability — along with ongoing debates over what should be taught, and how — are just a few of the problems local systems are facing as the White House signals that less help could be coming.

President Trump issued rare criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin after Russia unleashed a massive missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight just hours after Trump had claimed Putin was ready to make peace.

Why it matters: Trump had been focusing his criticism exclusively on the Ukrainians in recent days as he pushed a "final offer" for peace. Trump insists a deal is close, but neither party to the conflict seems to agree.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday concurred with President Trump's assertion that talks to end the war with Ukraine were "moving in the right direction," according to an excerpt from an interview with CBS News.

Why it matters: Lavrov's comments come hours after Trump issued rare criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin after Russian forces launched a deadly missile and drone attack on Kyiv overnight.