The Daily Briefing highlights the news of the day and research that reveals the spirit of the day.
The Daily Briefing is a newsletter sent straight to your inbox every morning that provides biblical insight on today's news.
Top News
6. Israel carries out strike in Iran, Israeli official says (WaPo)
“The Israeli military carried out a strike inside Iran in retaliation for a barrage of missiles and drones launched last weekend, an Israeli official said Friday. It was not clear what damage the apparently limited strike caused, but the official — who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters — said it was intended to signal to Iran that Israel had the ability to strike inside the country. A second person familiar with an Israeli briefing on the attack but not authorized to speak about it said the strike was “carefully calibrated.”
“In addition, the US slapped Iran with new sanctions. The sanctions, in response to Iran’s drone attack on Israel last week, seek to “degrade and disrupt” the Iranian drone program, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said yesterday. They also target Iran’s steel production by cutting off companies from banks that use the US dollar. The sanctions appear to be an attempt to punish Iran for its attack without further inflaming tensions in the Middle East."
Nitty Gritty Band aren’t the only ones Going Fishing In The Dark… Consider the Octopus Doctrine. Coined by then-Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett, this refers to Israel directly attacking Iranian personnel, not just the tentacles (proxies) like Hamas and Hezbollah. “The Iranians don’t love dying, but it is very easy for them to send others to die. While we’re shedding blood fighting their tentacles, the octopus’s head is lounging in its chair enjoying itself… It is time to aim at the head of the octopus and not its tentacles.”
Are you familiar with breakout time? This refers to the amount of time needed to produce enough weapons-grade uranium for a nuclear bomb. Reports suggest Iran has a breakout time of potentially less than 2 weeks. Iran has enriched uranium to 84 percent purity. 90 percent is needed for a nuclear weapon. However, most of their stockpile is still about 60 percent.
A nuclear Iran would be a nightmare, but God is appearing to Iranians in their dreams. Earlier this week, the Washington Times highlighted the story of Meesha. The Iranian government has killed this single mother’s husband, brother, and father. One day, during her prayers, she kept trying to say Muhammad, but Jesus kept coming out. The Son of God started appearing in her dreams, urging her to trust and follow him. And the same God who brought peace to Meesha’s life is the same God who can bring peace and justice to this situation. (Ps. 122, 1 Kings 3)
5. Orange Founder Reggie Joiner and CEO Kristen Ivy Resign After ‘Inappropriate Relationship’ (CL)
“Orange announced that its founder and chief creative officer, Reggie Joiner, “voluntarily resigned” after admitting to “past inappropriate adult relationships”—including one with newly announced CEO Kristen Ivy, who has also resigned.
“Orange, which hosts one of the largest family ministries conferences in the world, describes itself as “a team of ministry leaders, educators, researchers, counselors, writers, editors, artists, musicians, and producers all committed to supporting churches and families as they nurture the faith and future of the next generation.”
“The 63-year-old Joiner co-founded North Point Community Church alongside Andy Stanley and for 11 years served as the church’s executive director of family ministry. Joiner and his wife, Debbie, have four adult children. Ivy started at Orange in 2006 and has been instrumental in the development of Orange’s elementary school, middle school, and high school curriculums. In September 2023, Orange introduced Ivy as its new president and CEO.”
Practice makes imperfect? One study found that 16 percent of married adults had committed infidelity at least once in their current marriage. While there are a variety of factors that contribute to someone having an extramarital affair, a strong predictor centers on their intimate partners prior to their marriage. If they were intimate with someone prior to saying I Do, they have a higher chance of saying I Will to someone other than their spouse.
What drives someone to cheat? A recent study of users of Ashley Madison, a dating service for married adults, identified 2 main drivers that motivate people to seek out affairs: lack of satisfaction and yearning for autonomy. Cheaters were unsatisfied in their relationship and they also desired the release from their commitments.
The roof is caving in, but there are hallelujahs all around… One of the most moving songs from Penny and Sparrow is entitled A Woman Caught. Inspired by the woman at the well (Jn. 4), this powerful song captures the heartbreak from infidelity. In the song, the woman “doesn’t have much practice being honest,” not “loving anybody else but herself.” The man describes feeling like the “roof is caving in,” and yet there are “hallelujahs all around.” How? Because of a Holy Night, a thrill of hope which causes a weary world to rejoice. Penny and Sparrow beautifully insert this Christmas classic in the song, a divine reminder that though your partner’s love may fail, your God’s love won’t.
4. Kennedy family makes ‘crystal clear’ its Biden endorsement in attempt to deflate RFK Jr.’s candidacy (AP)
“President Joe Biden scooped up endorsements from at least 15 members of the Kennedy political family during a campaign stop Thursday as he aims to undermine Donald Trump and marginalize the candidacy of independent Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
“Kerry Kennedy, a daughter of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, niece of former President John F. Kennedy and sister of the current presidential candidate, delivered the endorsements in Philadelphia by calling Biden “my hero.”
“We want to make crystal clear our feelings that the best way forward for America is to reelect Joe Biden and Kamala Harris for four more years,” she said. She never directly mentioned her brother, but insisted “there are only two candidates with any chance of winning the presidency” this year, framing the campaign as a choice between Biden and Trump, with no room for a third party contender.”
Stand By Your Man – Tammy Wynette sang it and the Kennedys are doing it. The role of celebrities in politics goes back to the 1920 presidential campaign. Warren Harding earned the endorsement of film stars Al Jolson and Mary Pickford. Jolson even composed a little diddy for the Ohio Republican: Warren Harding, You’re The Man For Us!
Political endorsements are like week-old leftovers: little upside and potentially significant blowback. Celebrities can be polarizing, but they often legitimize how people are already feeling. This is known as The O Effect, named after Oprah Winfrey. A recent poll found that 65 percent of respondents said political pronouncements from Hollywood stars have no bearing on their decisions at the ballot box.
You are the company you keep... and the supporters you attract. In the biblical narrative, we read about the power of a friend (Pro. 13:20-25). People can negatively rub off on you or positively sharpen you, but they always reveal a part of you (1 Cor. 15:33, Pro. 27:17). I tend to think endorsements matter, but I agree with Dan McLaughlin that you can tell a man's vices by his friends and his virtues by his enemies.
Cultural News
3. 1 in 3 workers admit to regularly napping on the clock, survey says. (Fortune)
“Occasionally falling asleep at work is par for the course, according to a new survey by sleep wellness company Sleep Doctor, with 46% of respondents saying they nap during the workday at least a few times a year. What’s more, 33% reported doing so weekly—9% once per week, 18% several times per week, and 6% daily.
“It’s not just remote and hybrid employees who are catching z’s during work hours. About 27% of in-person workers reported napping at the office on a weekly basis, compared to 34% of remote and 45% of hybrid workers. In-person employees napped in these locations: Car: 50%; Desk: 33%; Company-designated napping place: 20%; Return home: 14%; Bathroom: 9%.”
Are you, like Depeche Mode, singing Just Can’t Get Enough…sleep? Many Americans carry around a sleep debt. In 2013, 34 percent of Americans got at least 8 hours of sleep. Today, that number is 26 percent. About 20 percent sleep less than 5 hours a night.
Do you suffer from revenge bedtime procrastination? This describes a person who won’t go to bed when they should because their inner dialogue tells them to stay up. Whether it is working on that project or watching that episode, this person indulges in the moment to the detriment of their tomorrow. Shakespeare put it like this: “Weary with toil, I haste me to my bed, the dear repose for limbs with travel tired, but then begins a journey in my head.”
Churchill described naps as a “blessed oblivion,” Salvador Dalí championed micro-naps, and Albert Einstein daytime-dozed with a spoon. Sleep is the tangible reminder that we aren’t God; he is. A medicine for anxiety, sleep is the mechanism by which we acknowledge that God cares for us and supplies everything we need for the work he has set out before us. Rest stops us but also reminds us of the One who sustains us (Mark 2:27, 1 Pet. 5:7, Ps. 73:26).
News You Can Use
2. Watch this dog that can solve math problems with her paw
Watch it here. “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground’ (Gen. 1:26)
1. If Airlines Were Honest
Watch it here. “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” (Lk. 14:28)
