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. Tennessee passes new congressional map that splits state's only majority-Black district (ABC News)
“As protesters accused them of racial gerrymandering, Tennessee state lawmakers passed into law on Thursday a new congressional map that could allow Republicans to flip the state’s lone Democratic-held seat, notching the GOP another win in the mid-decade redistricting scramble. Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill into law Thursday afternoon.
“The session was interrupted by chaotic scenes with lawmakers shouting over protesters' voices and at one point forcing police clear the balcony above the House floor before it voted on the new map. The new map breaks up the state’s current 9th Congressional District, which is primarily made up of Memphis, and the state’s only majority-Black district. The district is currently represented by Democratic Rep. Steve Cohen.”
To The Left, To The Left? Not so fast, Beyonce. This new map is anything but that. Similar to the maps in left-leaning states like California, Virginia, and Maryland, the new Tennessee map has been highly reconfigured for partisan purposes that benefit the right…
Don’t succumb to affective polarization… This functions as a blindness, a curse of knowledge, where partisans believe they are reasonable while viewing the opposition as irrational. There are some, including former AGs, who fall into this trap, justifying one state’s attempt to reconfigure a map and degrading another state’s similar efforts.
Beware of dances… During a banquet, King Herod Antipas made a rash promise to Herodias' daughter because of her dance skills. He said she could have whatever she requested, so she asked for the head of John the Baptist. Even though he didn't want to execute John, the King did so anyway because he feared losing face in front of his guests. In this instance, we shouldn’t be afraid to call things what they are – this map may be highly partisan but it’s not greatly unique. Maps are being re-drawn to benefit those in power but we have been tasked to love and live peaceably with those in and out of power. (Rom. 12, 1 Pet. 4)
5. U.S. strikes Iran in response to attacks on warships, military says (WaPo)
“U.S. forces on Thursday launched a new round of military strikes on Iran in response to attacks on American warships, officials said, casting fresh doubt on efforts by Washington and Tehran to reach a negotiated settlement that would end hostilities. President Donald Trump said Thursday that U.S. retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets were “just a love tap” and confirmed a ceasefire is in effect.
“The “self-defense strikes” came after the destroyers USS Truxton, USS Rafael Peralta and USS Mason were attacked with “multiple missiles, drones and small boats,” U.S. Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, said in a statement.
“No American vessels were hit, the statement said, and U.S. forces responded by striking Iranian military facilities deemed responsible, officials said in the statement. They included missile and drone launch sites, command-and-control locations, and positions from which Iranian forces were surveilling U.S. forces and gathering intelligence, the statement said.”
Wars always take much less time to start than you think they will, and last much longer than you thought they could, according to Niall Ferguson, and Iran is no exception. A popular theory to explain this dynamic is asymmetric information: one side knows its own strength, while the other remains in the dark. The side with better information pretends to be stronger to win a better deal; the side with the poorer information is reluctant to accept any claim, believing the other side may be bluffing – although they don’t know to what extent.
In his classic Every War Must End, Fred Iklé observed that to “bring the fighting to an end, one nation or the other almost always has to revise its war aims.” To revise,” Iklé seems to suggest “to decrease” or “to moderate.” Essentially, one side must lower its goals. “Those with power to start a war frequently come to discover that they lack the power to stop it.”
While almost every war begins with a disagreement, the methods to conclude a war are rarely uniform. A dispute over water rights between Abraham and Abimelech was settled not on the battlefield, but through a diplomatic exchange of livestock at Beersheba. Gideon brought an end to the Midianite threat through a divine panic triggered by broken jars and blaring trumpets. And Joshua’s forces utilized a fake retreat to draw the defenders of Ai into a fatal ambush. Whether through a signed treaty or a strategic trap, these stories remind us that while the spark of war is often predictable, the path to peace requires a much more diverse set of tools. (Gen. 21, Joshua 8, Judges 7)
4. Homeland Security, Secret Service say $1B for White House ballroom would also fund 'other critical missions' (ABC News)
“Amid intensifying scrutiny of the Senate Republican proposal to spend up to $1 billion on security for the new White House ballroom, top Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Secret Service officials say the money would also be spent on "other critical missions." Those missions, they said, would include securing "frequently visited venues" outside of the White House.
“In a letter to congressional leaders obtained by ABC News, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Secret Service Director Sean Curran described the proposed billion-dollar package as "critical funding to address urgent needs in response to the unprecedented increase in threats against the President and other public officials."
More Than A Woman? More like more than the GDP, Bee Gees. Earlier this week, we learned that US debt held by the public now exceeds 100 percent of GDP, those figures being $31.27 trillion and $31.22 trillion. On top of the $31.3 trillion in federal debt, there’s another $88 trillion (some estimates are higher) in unfunded liabilities for major entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare.
Are you familiar with Ferguson’s Law? Named after the 18th-century philosopher and historian Adam Ferguson, this refers to the idea that if any great power spends more on servicing its debt than on defense, it ceases to be a great power for very long. Examples include the Ottoman Empire, Spain, France, and even post-WWI Britain. In March 2024, the US hit that mark, when interest payments exceeded 3.2 percent while defense spending sat at 3.0 percent.
No soup for you? The ballroom illuminates a larger conversation around wants and needs. Esau needed replenishment after a hard day’s work, but he specifically wanted Jacob’s stew. He confused his cravings with his requirements, eating the stew but losing the future. Calvin Coolidge was right: "There is no dignity quite so impressive, and no one independence quite so important, as living within your means." (Gen. 25)
3. Rubio meets with Pope Leo at the Vatican, discuss 'peace' in the Middle East (ABC News)
“U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed “efforts to achieve a durable peace in the Middle East” in talks at the Vatican on Thursday aimed at easing tensions following U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticisms of Pope Leo XIV. Rubio met with Leo and then Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin in a visit that lasted 2½ hours.
“U.S. State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said that Rubio and Leo discussed the situation in the Middle East “and topics of mutual interest in the Western Hemisphere. The meeting underscored the strong relationship between the United States and the Holy See and their shared commitment to promoting peace and human dignity,” he said.
“In a separate statement about the Parolin meeting, Pigott said that the two diplomats discussed “ongoing humanitarian efforts in the Western Hemisphere and efforts to achieve a durable peace in the Middle East. The discussion reflected the enduring partnership between the United States and the Holy See in advancing religious freedom,” the statement said.”
“The pope? How many divisions does the pope have?” This was the response from Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin, responding to Winston Churchill’s suggestion of involving Pope Pius XII in peace negotiations at the height of WWII. Decades later, the Vatican remains strong and the Soviet empire has collapsed.
They were watching him, but God was watching over him… Pope John Paul II, during his 1979 visit to Poland, famously urged Poles to “be not afraid” of tyranny, catalyzing the anti-communist Solidarity movement. Records indiate that there were significant Communist efforts to corrupt, blackmail, and ultimately destroy the Catholic Church in central and eastern Europe. When Yuri Andropov, the head of the KGB at the time, learned of John Paul’s election, he asked his station chief in Warsaw, “How could you possibly allow the election of someone from a socialist country as pope?”
It's been said that the hardest part of the olive branch is the splinters you get while offering it. Like Abigail with David, Secretary Rubio is working with the Pope in his efforts to make peace. It may not be easy, it isn't always reciprocal, but it's always worth it. Ken Sande put it well: “Do all you can to be reconciled to others, but remember that you cannot force others to do what is right." (Acts 15, Rom. 12:18)
News You Can Use
2. Pres. Trump in Star Wars
Watch it here. “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” (1 Cor. 11:1)
1. Normal People Eating a Sandwich vs An Influencer Eating a Sandwich
Watch it here. “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” (Ps. 34:8)
