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. Trump warns Iran to accept defeat "before it is too late" as Israel says key commander killed (CBS News)
“As the Iran war nears the four-week mark with no clear end in sight, President Trump repeated on Thursday that the U.S. was "well ahead of schedule" in meeting its objectives. "We estimated it would take approximately four to six weeks to achieve our mission, and we're way ahead of schedule," the president said during a Cabinet meeting. "So we estimated it would take approximately four to six weeks to achieve our mission," he added. "Twenty-six days in, we're extremely, really a lot, ahead of schedule."
“The head of the U.S. military's Central Command said Thursday that Israel's killing of the commander of Iran's Revolutionary Guard naval force "makes the region safer" and signals that the IRGC navy is "on an irreversible decline." Alireza Tangsiri commanded the IRGC naval forces for eight years, "during which time the IRGC harassed thousands of innocent merchant mariners, attacked hundreds of vessels with one way attack drones and missiles, and killed countless innocent civilians," Cooper said in a post on social media.”
Does it seem like we live in a time of social acceleration? One researcher argued that the "decay-rate" of our experiences is constantly increasing, largely due to 3 factors: technological (devices perform faster to give us more free time), pace (because we can do things faster, we should be able to do more), and frenetic standstill (the feeling of running faster yet still staying in the same place, creating “time famine.”) In this instance, are we expecting too much out of Iran too quickly and not realizing how good it is acutally going?
The war is going better than you think, according to Bret Stephens. He offers a compelling tour of recent military conflicts to show the great success inherent within this current moment. Consider Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Widely considered a brilliant military success, the U.S.-led coalition lost 75 aircraft, 42 of them in combat. With Iran, 4 manned aircraft have been destroyed, 3 to friendly fire and one in an accident. Not a single manned plane has yet been lost over Iran. In terms of duration, that operation lasted a full 6 weeks and is remembered as lightning-fast. This current war is roughly 4 weeks old.
But what about oil? In March 2012, the price of Brent crude closed the month at around $123 a barrel. That would be about $175 a barrel in today’s dollars. Today, it is hovering around $107. Stephens concludes: “If past generations could see how well this war has gone compared with the ones they were compelled to fight at a frightening cost, they would marvel at their posterity’s comparative good fortune. They would marvel, too, at our inability to appreciate the advantages we now possess."
Are we proceeding to Egypt on horseback? In Isaiah 30, we read about the rebellious hurry of Judah, rushing to Egypt to form a military alliance in order to protect themselves from the invading Assyrian army. Without consulting God, they “took refuge in the safety of Pharaoh.” While God “longs to be gracious” to the people of Judah, they “flee on horses… ride on swift steeds.” Obviously, Egypt isn’t a factor in this moment, but our impatience can be. John Piper put it well: “The strength of patience hangs on our capacity to believe that God is up to something good for us in all our delays and detours.”
5. Olympic Committee Announces a Broad Ban of Transgender Athletes in Women’s Events (NY Times)
“The International Olympic Committee banned transgender athletes from competing in the women’s category at the Olympics, after telling its members to conduct mandatory genetic testing for women’s competitions.
“The decision, the most consequential since Kirsty Coventry was elected last year as the first woman to serve as president of the I.O.C., followed a board meeting and months of speculation over the organization’s policy on one of the most contentious issues facing global sports. The rules will be applicable from the next Olympics, in Los Angeles in 2028.
“As Ms. Coventry, a decorated Olympic swimmer from Zimbabwe, campaigned to lead the organization, she frequently said how important it was to protect the women’s category amid broader — and often bitter — debates about the participation of transgender athletes in sporting competitions.”
Female athletes have lost nearly 900 medals to transgender competitors worldwide who have participated in women’s sports, according to a recent study by the UN. More than 600 female athletes in more than 400 women’s division events across 29 different sports were defeated by transgender-identifying men.
This is less about winning and more about fairness – especially when the margins are so close. A study found that the winning margin (the difference in performance by which a competitor misses a gold medal, any medal, or making the final) in elite swimming events during the last three Olympics is less than 1 percent equally for both male and female events.
The IOC isn’t banning; it's preserving. These guidelines are meant to keep the game fair and the players safe. When lines are crossed, fairness and safety are threatened. As Jezebel repeatedly demonstrated throughout her life, crossing lines perpetuates injustices and hurts innocent people. This announcement doesn’t ban transgender people from the Olympics. It preserves and reserves female sports for women and girls. (Eph. 4:15, Pro. 31:8-9, 16:11, James 2:1-5).
4. Army extends maximum recruitment age to 42, allowing older recruits to join (ABC News)
“The U.S. Army is expanding its recruiting pool, raising the maximum enlistment age from 35 years old to 42, according to new service regulations reviewed by ABC News. The move isn’t without precedent. The service lifted the cap to 42 years old in 2006, during the height of the Iraq War, before lowering it back to 35 a decade later.
“Bringing the limit back up puts the Army more in line with the Air Force and Navy regulations, which both cap enlistment at 41. The Marine Corps caps recruits at 28 years old, though older applicants can potentially enlist with special permission.
“Two sources familiar with the decision told ABC News the change has been in the works for months and is not tied to the ongoing war with Iran. Instead, it reflects a longer-term effort by the Army to widen the recruiting pipeline amid persistent shortfalls. The average age of recruits is going up marginally, going from 21 years old in 2010 to nearly 23 years old last year, service data reviewed by ABC News shows.”
The Dixie Chicks may be Ready to Run, but they represent the minority. A recent study from the Pentagon showed that 77 percent of young Americans would not qualify for military service without a waiver due to being overweight, using drugs, or having mental and physical health problems. This represents a 6 percent increase from 2017 Department of Defense research.
While fewer Americans qualify for service, more Americans are signing up to serve. The Defense Department reports that military recruiting efforts have reached levels unseen in over a decade. The 5 service branches accomplished their recruitment mission for fiscal year 2025 with an average completion rate of 103 percent. Military enlistment was 12.5 percent higher in fiscal year 2024 than in fiscal year 2023. There were 225,000 new recruits in the former and 200,000 in the latter.
More Zebulun/Naphtali than Reuben/Dan... In Judges 5, after the Israelites defeated the Canaanite general Sisera, Deborah and Barak sang a victory song that specifically praised those who "willingly offered themselves." The song celebrates the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali, who "risked their very lives" on the battlefield. But regarding Reuben and Dan, they “did not come to the help of the Lord" and stayed with their sheep or ships instead of volunteering. General George Patton was right: "It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived."
Cultural News
3. A Nordic nation is the world’s happiest country for the ninth year in a row (CNN)
“According to the latest edition of the World Happiness Report, the three happiest countries in the world are Finland, Iceland and Denmark. Finland was named the happiest country in the world for a record 9th time in a row, with Iceland, at No. 2, and Denmark in third place in the ranking, which is compiled by the Wellbeing Research Centre at the University of Oxford, and included in the annual report on global happiness... The US is in 23rd place this year, while Canada took the 25th spot, and the UK ranked 29th.
“Researchers look at six factors including GDP per capita, life expectancy, generosity and perceptions of freedom and corruption to help account for variations among countries. The rankings are based on a three-year average, which smooths out spikes and dips occasioned by big events such as war or financial downturns.”
Don’t Worry, Be Happy… eating popcorn with chopsticks. One of my favorite studies involved eating popcorn with chopsticks and increased levels of happiness. The researchers found that when people do something new, they pay more attention to it. And when they pay attention to something they enjoy, they enjoy it more. Thus, eating popcorn slowly with chopsticks increased happiness.
Shawn Achor, in his book The Happiness Advantage, writes that happiness is not a pleasurable mood but a work ethic that requires a different framework. Unfortunately, our current framework believes happiness comes only when we are successful. For Achor, happiness is the joy we feel striving after our potential. Instead of focusing on what we don’t have, Achor argues that happiness is found when we focus on what we do have – essentially, exercising gratitude.
Achor doesn’t argue for Scripture but rather indirectly supports Scripture (Phil. 4:8-9, 1 Thess. 5:18). Happy moments drench us in the reality of God’s goodness. Happy moments spill into this broken world and remind us God loves us, faithfully provides for us, and is not giving up on us (Matt. 7:7-10, Ps. 119:68, Phil. 4:19, 2 Tim. 2:13). Some places may be happier than others, but the opportunity to experience happiness is as close as the shadow on your right hand...
News You Can Use
2. Guaranteed Laugh: Internet Comments Good for the Soul…
Watch it here. “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” (Pro. 17:22)
1. Soldiers Guarding the Tomb of Jesus…
Watch it here. “Take a guard,” Pilate answered. “Go, make the tomb as secure as you know how.” (Mt. 27:65)
