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. U.S. set to impose 50% tariffs on Canada after failed talks; Canada to match them "dollar for dollar" (CBS News)
“The U.S. imposed 50% tariffs on $20 billion worth of Canadian products early Saturday after last-ditch negotiations failed to resolve the latest strain in already tense relations between the historic allies. Canada's leader said it will retaliate beginning Sept. 8.
“In a call with reporters late Friday, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Canada had declined to finalize the trade deal under the terms that had been agreed to earlier this week. He told Fox News on Saturday that there are "no new planned talks with the Canadians."
"We're moving forward with measures that respond to Canadian retaliation," Greer said, adding: "After a year of that retaliation, we've said enough, and so we've taken countermeasures. Our interest is in protecting American workers and protecting American supply chains. We've been offering to bring the Canadians along on that path, really to cut the tariffs on them, on steel, on tariff autos, even lumber, things that are sensitive for them, and they've always had the best deal, and they still would have an even better deal, but they didn't want that."
“Canadian Prime Minister said Saturday in Ottawa that "in the coming days, we will release the details of these new tariff measures, which will come into force the Tuesday after Labor Day." The dollar-for-dollar retaliation would target steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper and electronics.”
Economist Douglas Irwin identified the US experience with tariffs in 3 phases: revenue, restriction, and reciprocity. Revenue refers to tariffs being imposed to increase tax dollars. However, evidence indicates near complete pass-through of the 2018–2019 tariffs to US consumers. This costs US consumers and the firms that import foreign goods an additional $3 billion per month in added tax costs and $1.4 billion in lost income.
Then there is the restriction, referring to the reduction of imports and protection of domestic producers. A recent paper found that tariffs likely did more harm than good, keeping firms smaller and lowering US manufacturing productivity. Tariffs did raise the number of US firms in a given sector, but they did so in part by protecting smaller, less productive firms.
Finally, there is reciprocity, with a tariff action causing an escalatory tariff reaction from the other country. But an International Monetary Fund paper found that unexpected tariff shocks lead to slight decreases in the trade deficit at the expense of persistent gross domestic product losses.
With tariffs, it’s hard to determine who wins but it is easy to identify who loses: consumers. Similar to former Pres. McKinley and his deployment of tariffs, Pres. Trump is attempting to make sure Americans have a “full dinner pail.” This McKinley campaign slogan referred to creating conditions which offer the chance for prosperity for the larger populace. Like everything under the sun, tariffs aren’t new. From Ezra to Jesus in the gospel of Matthew, tariffs have been a tool used to generate revenue for the government and offer protection for certain businesses. Their effectiveness has been questioned in the past, and their efficacy, yet again, will be revealed here in the not-too-distant future. (Ezra 4, Mt. 17)
5. Iran confirms meeting with Pakistani mediators after Trump announces new sanctions (CBS News)
“The head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohsen Rezai, said that any country joining the U.S. in sanctions as part of President Trump's attempt to pressure the country's economy would be considered an enemy. However, there are signs of growing differences within the Iranian leadership. President Masoud Pezeshkian said Tehran “cannot continue with war forever” and he defended the agreement reached with the US in June, despite the supreme leader’s purported misgivings.
“Egypt's foreign minister spoke to his Iranian counterpart by phone on Saturday in an effort to restart negotiations to end the war. Iran permitted some Iraqi oil tankers to transit through the Strait of Hormuz after repeated requests from Baghdad, according to state media reports on Saturday.
“U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who is due to hold a press conference at 2 p.m. ET on Monday, has threatened to impose “the toughest sanctions in history” on Iran. Iran’s economy is already under huge pressure from international sanctions, its infrastructure has been hit repeatedly and thousands of people have been killed in airstrikes on the Islamic Republic since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on February 28.”
How is the Iranian regime still in power? The Atlantic Council identified 3 drivers that could break the regime’s grip over the country: “First, Iran is unable to export enough oil to support its reserves; second, the regime’s internal cohesion begins to crack and results in a weakening of Iranian military power regionally; and third, hyperinflation in the country produces widespread, sustained popular unrest.”
Strikes may come externally, but the revolt will have to come internally…. maybe tomorrow, or maybe decades from now. “So, in truth, the regime might fall tomorrow… Or, the regime might hold on for another three decades, and our grandchildren might still be concerned about the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear weapons program. The future is written with courage, and it is a difficult thing, given the cost, to wish young Iranians of any stripe or class to take to the streets again.”
Jericho fell in 7 days, and the conquest of Canaan took 7 years. Every battle is unique yet also formative. Consider what God told Moses regarding Canaan: "I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the wild beasts multiply against you. Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased and possess the land." It appears God isn’t just interested in the outcome of the battle, but the refining of souls. As John Piper noted: “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.” (Ex. 23)
4. Dr. Oz says MMR is "not a lethal vaccine" despite Trump's comments (CBS News)
“Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said Sunday that the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, known as MMR, is "not a lethal vaccine," despite President Trump's claims in recent days. "No, the MMR vaccine is not a lethal vaccine," Oz said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan."
“Cases have risen to their highest levels in 35 years, and an executive order signed by Mr. Trump earlier this month suggested that the MMR vaccine should be given as three separate shots. During the executive order signing, Mr. Trump claimed without evidence that the MMR vaccine, if not separated, could be "lethal." The vaccines are not currently on the market in the U.S. as separate shots. "Together there could be a possibility they are quite lethal," Mr. Trump said. "Separately it looks like they are not at all lethal, but just very effective."
“Oz stressed on Sunday that the president wants Americans "to get vaccinated as their doctors recommend, as long as they have a choice in the matter… We want patients to get the treatments that their doctors are recommending to them, but we also want parents to have the autonomy to decide what their kids receive," Oz said.”
Eric Liu memorably noted that we don’t need fewer arguments today; we need less stupid ones. “America doesn’t just have arguments; America is an argument—between Federalist and Anti-Federalist world views, strong national government and local control, liberty and equality…” In this instance, the argument isn’t over vaccines, but rather the mandate surrounding them.
Research has found that there are at least 5 features of a better argument: take winning off the table (“Rather than victory, the goal should be truth-seeking.”); prioritize relationships and listen passionately (“The most constructive and rewarding arguments often begin with the end in mind: maintaining a good relationship afterward.”); pay attention to context (“Every fight we have today is a recapitulation of one of those core American arguments.”); embrace vulnerability (While you may not have started the argument, we all remember a time when things got too heated and an olive branch was needed.); and be open (“You won’t change their mind if they sense you aren’t willing to have your mind changed.”).
We need to disagree better. Like Paul at the Jerusalem Council, we reason with one another and bear with each other. We show grace to the other side because God showed grace to us when we disagreed with him. He didn’t stop engaging with us, but sent his son to die for us. (Rom. 8, Col. 1, Acts 15)
Cultural News
3. Students who use AI score great on homework, but bad on tests: large-scale new study (NY Post)
“Artificial intelligence is great for schoolwork — until you can’t use it on the test, a large-scale new study shows. Students who used AI to write their homework got better scores and finished their work in record time —but did worse on exams than kids who did things the old-fashioned way,
“After six months, the students using AI saw their homework scores rise by almost one-fifth (18%) across all subjects, a joint study by David Stromberg of Stockholm University of Victor Lei and Wu Yanhui of the University of Hong Kong found.
“All the while, the time they took to complete each assignment dropped from 64 minutes to 45, according to The Economist. But when it came to exams, students who used AI for their homework scored 20% below their classmates who hadn’t, the study showed. Experts say the rise of AI may have broken the relationship between homework grades and the amount of knowledge retained for tests.”
Lean On Me? Not so fast, Bill Withers. One study found “a significant negative correlation between frequent AI tool usage and critical thinking abilities.” Another study concluded that “after just ~10 minutes of AI-assisted problem solving, people who lost access to the AI performed worse and gave up more frequently than those who never used it.”
I Surrender All (to Jesus, but not to AI). If you are going to engage AI, don’t become someone who “cognitively surrenders.” This refers to those who are passive agents of the technology, instead of active users with it. Instead of questioning it, pushing back on the output, you simply believe it and heed its direction.
Be like Solomon. When he first became king, he asked for wisdom and was then tested to use that wisdom. When presented with 2 women claiming to be the mother of a single surviving infant, Solomon applied a type of behavioral psychology to uncover the truth, commanding the child to be cut in 2 — knowing that true maternal devotion would prioritize the child's life over victory in the dispute. Instead of passively receiving both testimonies, he creatively found ways to determine the truth. We have always known it is better to give than to receive, and in this moment, we are reminded yet again that receiving information pales in comparison to the wisdom found in giving careful consideration. (1 Kings 3, Acts 20)
News You Can Use
2. Darth Vader told the San Diego city council he is in favor of flock cameras!
Watch it here. “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.” (Pro. 15:3)
1. Why an Instagram bench-rater gave out his first 10/10 in 7 years
Watch it here. “A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.” (Pro. 31:10)
