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 extends ceasefire indefinitely as Iran says it won’t join talks now (WaPo)
“President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he would extend a ceasefire with Iran hours before it was due to expire, pledging to refrain from attacks until discussions with Tehran “are concluded, one way or the other.” Trump made the announcement of an indefinite ceasefire as talks scheduled to take place between U.S. and Iranian delegations in the Pakistani capital were postponed amid uncertainty about the broad strokes of a deal. Vice President JD Vance and other U.S. negotiators remained in Washington instead of leaving for Islamabad as originally planned.
“Trump said he made the decision to hold off on attacking at the request of Pakistani officials mediating the talks. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif issued a statement on X thanking Trump “for graciously accepting our request to extend the ceasefire to allow ongoing diplomatic efforts to take their course.” Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, said Tuesday evening that talks would resume only after Washington ends the blockade.”
Allowing Pakistan to mediate is the equivalent of hiring a child molester to teach in kindergarten, according to Michael Rubin. It’s a shocking comparison, but is it a false one? Earlier this month, the Pakistani Defense Minister described Israel as “evil,” “a curse for humanity,” a “cancerous state,” and asserted Israel is guilty of “genocide.” And a Pakistani nuclear scientist (A.Q. Khan) helped Iran establish its nuclear program.
But what about their thoughts on the US? The Pakistani government officially labeled the SEAL Team Six’s raid that killed Osama Bin Laden a “deep disappointment.” More than 67 percent of Pakistanis regretted Bin Laden’s death. “No country needs to defeat the United States militarily when it allows adversaries to mediate on their behalf to craft deals that transform victory into defeat.”
There are gardeners and landowners… Jesus once shared about a landowner who wanted to cut down a fig tree that hadn’t produced fruit in 3 years. However, the gardener, acting as a mediator, asked for more time. He reached a deal with the landowner: if the tree bore fruit next year after the gardener's investment, great; if not, he would cut it down. In this moment, we need gardeners like Abigail, who know how to de-escalate situations and reach peaceful ends. I don't know if Pakistan is a good gardener, but count me skeptical of their fruit. (Lk. 13, 1 Sam. 25)
5. House Democrat resigns ahead of possible expulsion vote over alleged financial crimes (WaPo)
“Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-Florida) resigned from Congress Tuesday to avoid a possible expulsion vote from the House on allegations that she used Federal Emergency Management Agency money mistakenly sent to her family’s health care company during the pandemic to boost her 2022 campaign for Congress. Cherfilus-McCormick announced her resignation minutes before she was set to appear at an Ethics Committee hearing called to determine her punishment.
“Rather than play these political games, I chose to step away so that I can devote my time fighting for my neighbors in Florida’s 20th District,” she said in a statement in which she characterized the ethics process as a “witch hunt.”
“Relatedly, Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer is leaving the Trump administration, the White House confirmed Monday. White House communications director Steven Cheung said Chavez-DeRemer is taking a position in the private sector. The Labor Department’s inspector general’s office is nearing the end of a monthslong investigation into a whistle-blower’s allegations of professional misconduct by Ms. Chavez-DeRemer and her closest aides. The claims include that she was having an affair with a member of her security team and used department resources for personal trips.”
Vince Lombardi was a winner on the field but was he right off it, namely: winners never quit and quitters never win? In his book The Dip, Seth Godin argues this isn’t the case, noting that winners frequently quit the right things at the right time. “Persistent people are able to visualize the idea of light at the end of the tunnel when others can't see it. At the same time, the smartest people are realistic about not imagining light when there isn't any.”
There are 3 curves, according to Godin: the dip, the cul-de-sac, and the cliff. The dip is the long slog between starting and mastering. Successful people don’t just ride out the dip; they lean into it and push through it. Then there is the cul-de-sac, which refers to a dead end. You just work and work and work and work and never make any forward progress. If you’re here, get out. Then there is the cliff, referring to something you can’t quit, like smoking. Your willpower pales in comparison to your desires. “Quitting the projects that don't go anywhere is essential if you want to stick out the right ones. You don't have the time or the passion or the resources to be the best in the world at both.”
Jonah eventually gave up, Balaam changed his plans, and Paul quit to pursue other options. There are times when we need to persist despite the odds, and there are other times when we need to hang it up. A leader often has a position but always has influence. When the leader loses the latter, as it appears in these situations, it often means they need to step away from the former. (Jonah 3, Num. 22, Phil. 3)
4. FBI Director Kash Patel sues The Atlantic for $250 million over story on alleged drinking, absences (CBS News)
“FBI Director Kash Patel filed a defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic magazine on Monday, saying a recent story about his alleged frequent drinking and absences included "false and obviously fabricated" claims. The 19-page lawsuit, filed in the District of Columbia, is seeking $250 million in damages. Sarah Fitzpatrick, the reporter who wrote the story, is also named as a defendant.
“Patel and the FBI have repeatedly denied allegations in the story, which included allegations that Patel often drinks to excess. The piece, which cited multiple unnamed current and former officials, also said that Patel's "irregular presence at FBI headquarters and in field offices" has delayed "time-sensitive decisions" that require the FBI director's input.”
Beer For My Horses? Well, Americans aren't drinking it… The percentage of US adults who say they consume alcohol has fallen to 54 percent, the lowest by one percentage point in Gallup’s nearly 90-year trend. In 1830, the average American adult was consuming about 3 times the amount we drink today.
Patel isn’t the first leader with questions about alcohol. In 1758, George Washington first won elected office… by allegedly over-serving voters. Legend has it he gave them 144 gallons of alcohol, enough to win him 307 votes in Virginia’s House of Burgesses. In addition, he also used this same tactic to win over his troops during the Revolutionary War. However, in 1789, his views changed, calling alcohol the “ruin of half the workmen in this Country.”
Christians differ over the alcohol issue. Some view alcohol as a stumbling block, asserting that for the sake of your brother and sister, you should not partake (Pro. 20:1, 21:17, 1 Tim. 3:8, Titus 2:3, 1 Cor. 8:9). Others have no problem with drinking alcohol in moderation. They understand alcohol as a symbol of joy (Amos, John 2), with a celebratory root and also a healing effect (Ps. 104:14-15, Judges 9:13, Ecc. 10:19, 1 Tim. 5:23). And in this instance, the old saying proves true: in wine (and with time), there is truth. (Lk. 8:17).
3. Virginia passes redistricting measure that could help Democrats retake the House (WaPo)
“Virginia voters approved a referendum to draw new congressional districts that could add as many as four Democratic seats to the House of Representatives, the Associated Press projects, awarding Democrats an advantage in the national redistricting war begun by Republicans. Democrats and their allies poured at least $64 million into the Virginia campaign in a high-stakes bid to counter President Donald Trump’s push to add Republican seats in other states. Voters rewarded the effort, continuing momentum Democrats built with big wins in Virginia’s statewide elections last fall.
“If Democrats were able to pick up four extra seats in Virginia, it would give the party a slight edge over Republicans in the national battle for control of the House — though redistricting efforts in Florida and other Southern states could yet change the math. The high-profile contest drew a strong turnout for an out-of-season ballot measure election. The Associated Press estimated that 3 million Virginians cast ballots, or 48 percent of registered voters, compared with 55 percent of voters in last year’s gubernatorial election.”
Queen is Looking For Somebody To Love, and elected officials are looking for supporters to include in their district. Known as gerrymandering, this technique dates back to the Founding, referring to how officials manipulated the boundaries of their districts to favor their particular party.
In January 1812, Elbridge Gerry, a Democratic-Republican, and his party held majorities in the Massachusetts legislature. With the release of the 1810 census, the Democratic-Republicans drew state senate districts designed to keep the opposition Federalists in the minority status. The Boston Gazette, a Federalist newspaper, published a cartoon morphing a senate district into a winged and clawed salamander. “The Gerry-mander. a new species of Monster.”
Instead of voters choosing their leaders, leaders choose their voters. A Georgetown study found that House turnover averaged over 45 percent per election in the 1800s. In the 1940s, incumbent reelection hovered around 84 percent. Today, a Brookings study found that House incumbents have been reelected more than 98 percent of the time since 1998. Fewer than 40 seats, out of 435, will be considered competitive based on the 2020 election results. 10 years ago, that number was 73.
Republicans will cry foul with this, also pointing to Illinois and New York. Democrats will respond by highlighting Texas and Tennessee. Each side is choosing their voters but ultimately God has chosen us to love our neighbors by, among other things, voting our conscience. They are fighting to represent us, and we should be considerate when choosing them. (Phil. 2:5-8, Rom. 12:1-2, Mt. 22:36-39).
News You Can Use
2. 9-month-old baby with Down syndrome says his first word ever.
Watch it here. “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” (Ps. 139:14)
1. When you start to realize you are a boomer now.
Watch it here. “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” (1 Cor. 13:11)
