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. Third US service member killed as war expands. (NY Times)
“U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) launched another round of strikes against Iran on Sunday, extending its military campaign into a ninth straight night. “CENTCOM began conducting a new wave of strikes against Iran at 7 p.m. ET today for the ninth consecutive night,” the command said in a post shared on X. The US has reported the death of another American service member, who was killed in northern Iraq during the controlled detonation of a downed Iranian drone. US Central Command also said it has located unidentified remains in Jordan, where a separate Iranian attack left two US troops dead and one missing in action.
“President Donald Trump said Sunday that the U.S. military campaign against Iran is focused on ensuring Tehran has no path to obtaining a nuclear missile. "Well, we feel very badly. But you know, those great people, those great patriots were out there fighting so that Iran could not have a nuclear weapon," Trump said. "Iran has been very, very badly damaged. They've lost everything almost militarily. They've got very little left," he added. Trump said Iran retained some missiles, drones and manufacturing capability but no longer controlled the strategic situation.”
There’s no substitute for strategy, according to Hal Brands. Writing in Bloomberg, Brands writes that “neglecting the fundamentals of that craft can doom even a superpower to disappointment and defeat.” At the core, strategy is the “art of making power matter.” It involves “using what we have to get what we want, in a world full of enemies and other sources of frustration. Done well, strategy maximizes the impact of a country’s power. Done poorly, it can bring catastrophe.”
Brands identifies 5 strategic missteps relative to the war with Iran: falling prey to the short-war illusion (great powers often believe the first blow will be the final blow); strategic empathy (inability to see the world through the enemy’s eyes); neglect of second-order consequences (failing to anticipate the success and significance in closing the Strait); the persistent gap between means and ends (unwillingness to commit the neccessary resources to achieve the desired ends (like troops)); and the failure to build consensus (lack of outreach to allies and Congress).
Remember Ai… Following a massive victory at Jericho, Joshua sent spies to scout the small, nearby city of Ai. The spies returned with a flawed assessment, underestimating the enemy's strength. Relying on a superficial evaluation, they told Joshua, "Not all the people will have to go up against Ai; send only two or three thousand men... for the people in Ai are few." From Thucydides to Napoleon to Vietnam to Ai, we learn how power is important, but strategy is essential. Hal Brands put it well: “Having more money and bigger battalions is helpful — but strategy is most valuable when it unlocks novel sources of advantage or produces an outcome different than cold military math might suggest.” (Josh. 7)
5. Taylor Farms recalls lettuce in 27 states amid cyclosporiasis outbreak (ABC News)
“Fruit and vegetable producer Taylor Fresh Foods says it is voluntarily removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market amid an ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak across the country that has sickened more than 1,600 people.
“According to a recall notice from the Food and Drug Administration, issued Saturday the shredded lettuce was sold in 27 states between June 29 through July 16: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and Wisconsin.
“In the recall notice, the company said: "We are actively removing the implicated products. The company has stopped receiving product from the implicated lot, suspended distribution of the iceberg lettuce from Central Mexico, notified our customers, and we are continuing to work with the FDA, CDC, and state authorities."
Contrary to Michael Buble, some Americans aren’t Feeling Good… But is this recall a sign of hospitality? In his book Unreasonable Hospitality, Will Guidara writes that there is “no better way to show someone you care than being willing to offer them a correction; it's the purest expression of putting someone else's needs above your own, which is what hospitality is all about.” According to Guidara: “Praise is affirmation, but criticism is investment."
The customer is always right, according to Guidara. While he chronicles how he transformed a respected NYC restaurant into the world's top restaurant, he also writes about the value of getting the details right. "The way you do one thing is the way you do everything, and we found, over and over, that precision in the smallest of details translated to precision in bigger ones." But when you fall short, you don’t rationalize the mistake; you own it. "If you've corrected a guest because you don't want them to think you've made a mistake, you've made a much bigger mistake."
Be like Zacchaeus. As a chief tax collector for the Roman Empire, Zacchaeus had grown wealthy by extortion and cheating his fellow citizens. After a personal encounter with Jesus, his perspective radically shifted. Zacchaeus did not just offer a private apology; he took public responsibility by intentionally correcting his wrongs. In this instance, Taylor Farms is showing such intention. Guidara put it well: "Intention means every decision, from the most obviously significant to the seemingly mundane, matters. To do something with intentionality means to do it thoughtfully… The little things matter. People can feel perfection." (Lk. 19)
4. Andrew, Tristan Tate arrested in Miami after British prosecutors bring new charges (ABC News)
“Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, the controversial social media influencers, were arrested Saturday evening in Miami, after British prosecutors brought new charges of rape and sex trafficking against them, according to U.S. and U.K. authorities. The U.S. Marshals Service confirmed to ABC News the brothers were taken into custody into Miami. The Crown Prosecution Service said in a news release that the brothers were charged in connection with sexual offenses involving four women that allegedly took place between July 2010 and August 2017.
“Andrew Tate, 39, was hit with "seven further counts of rape, three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation, three counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and 19 additional charges for offences relating to indecent images of a child and extreme pornography," prosecutors said.”
Are you familiar with fanbaiting? This refers to how ideas that divide spread further than ideas that everyone agrees with. Tate, to a large degree, epitomizes this. He is a polarizing figure, largely because he is speaking of a great need in our culture (the need for a restoration of masculinity) but doing so in an absolutely disgusting fashion (the degradation of women).
I have a PhD but not the kind Andrew Tate coined… The “Pimpin’ Hoes Degree” was launched in 2018. Tate provided instructions on how to build your social media platform to have “relations” with as many women as possible. This degree was part of a larger business centered on his webcam empire. Tate convinced 2 of his 5 girlfriends to start a webcam business with him and his brother, Tristan. The brothers created the schedules; the women performed for and interacted with the men. Tate says that at one point he had 75 women working for him in 4 locations, generating $600,000 a month. While the women thought the money was being split 50/50, Tate boasted how he kept 70 percent and told them the difference was going to "tax."
According to Tate, true freedom means “being able to do whatever you want, wherever you want, whenever you want.” In reality, Tate wasn’t free because he was enslaved to the harshest taskmaster there is: one’s own desires. (James 4:1-2)
Cultural News
3. The massive boomer wealth transfer will mostly benefit the already affluent, Visa report finds (CBS News)
“The so-called "great wealth transfer" — the passing of assets from the baby boomer generation to their heirs — will mostly benefit younger Americans who are already affluent, according to a July report from Visa Business and Economic Insights. And while the wealth transfer will be significant, the value of assets that are passed down could be much smaller than some previous estimates pegging it as high as $124 trillion, according to the report.
"When people throw around $100 trillion, they don't think about all the deductions that have to come from it," Visa chief economist Wayne Best told CBS News. "You have to subtract liabilities, and boomers actually have a lot of mortgage debt." Baby boomers are sitting on $93 trillion in assets, a sum that will shrink to $36 trillion in inheritable assets after subtracting liabilities, retirement spending, charitable giving and taxes.
“The report also expressly excluded the wealth of the top 1% of U.S. households, or those worth at least $13 million, because their spending patterns are not reflective of the population at large. That means that on average, inheriting households will receive $515,000.”
Ketih Urban has a Better Life, but how about you? An illuminating study found that over half (51 percent) of adults say they’re in a better financial position than their parents were at their age. Among households earning $100,000 a year or more, 79 percent say they’re doing better than their parents. 55 percent among those earning $50,000 to $74,999 a year.
Feelin’ Alright is one thing, Joe Cocker, but are we alright? Or more specifically, does the data indicate that today’s kids are doing better financially than their parents? A fascinating Pew analysis compared the inflation-adjusted income of parents with that of their children roughly 30 years later. 93 percent of children who grew up in the bottom income quintile were better off than their parents. Among those in the middle three-fifths, 86 percent grew up with higher incomes than their parents. And even among those in the top income quintile, 70 percent were better off.
The love of money is a bad thing, but money can be a good thing. The generosity of a few wealthy people supported the spread of the gospel to Europe and commissioned Luke to write his account of the work of God. Money can be a good thing, but we can’t let it become a god thing. Tim Keller put it well: “Money is one of the most common counterfeit gods there is. When it takes hold of your heart it blinds you to what is happening, it controls you through your anxieties and lusts, and it brings you to put it ahead of all other things.” (1 Tim. 6:10, Lk. 1, Acts 1, 16)
News You Can Use
2. Maine baker selling 2,500 cookies a week after viral video puts roadside stand on the map (WABI)
Watch it here. “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace…” (1 Pet. 4:10)
1. Eccentric-looking Seattle raccoon named ‘Jimothy’ goes viral (KIRO7)
Watch it here. “For every kind of beast and bird, reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind.” (James 3:7)
