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 says he’s banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House (WaPo)
“CNN, MS NOW and Politico said their journalists were denied access to the White House grounds early Saturday and that their press passes were confiscated, a day after President Donald Trump said he would ban them — and that other media organizations would follow.
“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America,” Trump wrote in a Friday post on Truth Social. “Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.” Trump has repeatedly feuded with news organizations and at times has tried to ban them and their journalists from White House grounds or certain presidential events.”
Welcome Back? Not so fast, Kotter... However, Mr. Trump isn't the first president with a contenious relationship with the press. In an audio recording, then Pres. Nixon threatened to fire his press secretary Ron Ziegler if he ever let a Post reporter in. “I want it clearly understood that from now on, ever, no reporter from The Washington Post is ever to be in the White House. Is that clear?”
It hasn’t always been adversarial… During his tenure as the U.S. minister to France, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.” However, his relationship with the press turned when he assumed the office, stating, “Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper. Truth itself becomes suspicious by being put into that polluted vehicle.”
The state has a monopoly on force, but not on truth – hence the reason for the press, to hold the government and others accountable. In the Scriptures, we read about the value of accountability. David repented because of it and Saul needed more of it (2 Sam. 12, 1 Sam. 15). The people perish without vision but those in power stray without accountability – especially from the press.
5. Trump’s ambassador to U.N. says there’s no timeline on Iran war’s end (WaPo)
“President Donald Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations said Sunday he would not put a timeline on the end of the Iran war, which has dragged on for nearly seven months despite Trump’s initial insistence that it would be over within four or five weeks. “I think time — with the president’s strategy and Operation Economic Fury — is on the president’s and on the United States’ side,” Mike Waltz told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
“Waltz said the U.S. naval blockade was having the intended effect of ratcheting up the pressure on Iran’s economy. But Iranian officials said this weekend they have no intention of backing down, adding that, to end the war, Washington must agree to its demands, including releasing frozen Iranian assets and lifting the blockade on Iranian shipments.”
Unlike Elton John, I hope this war isn’t going to be a long, long time… The Center for Strategic and International Studies has found that since 1946, more than half of interstate wars have ended in less than a year, and that when such wars persist for more than a year, they last more than a decade on average.
Are you familiar with the bargaining model? This is one of the leading approaches to the study of war termination. Drawing on rational-choice theory, this model is built upon the idea that the main cause of war is poor or incomplete information. If each side knew the strengths and weaknesses of the other side, there would be no need for war. However, at the core, war becomes the testing ground to discover those abilities, and once combat settles the question of who is stronger, a peace agreement is reached on that basis.
In the Scriptures, some battles lasted mere days (Jericho), others lasted years (Canaan), however, every battle was formative. "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." In this instance, we don't know the date regarding the end of the war, but we do know we will be shaped by it. John Flavel was right: “Did Christ finish His work for us? Then there can be no doubt but He will also finish His work in us.” (Ex. 23)
4. Trump says planned 250-foot arch will be ‘military complex’ for drones, snipers (WaPo)
“President Donald Trump on Sunday said his proposed 250-foot triumphal arch will now be a “top grade” military complex that will house drones, snipers and ammunition. In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that he has agreed to convert the arch “at the strong request” of the U.S. military, and “for National Security purposes.”
“Trump’s new claims about the arch, which come as veterans groups, historic preservationists and others attempt to stop the project, resemble his arguments for the need to build a ballroom at the White House. Trump initially said the ballroom was needed to entertain guests but more recently has said it was a “desperately needed National Security structure.” That argument also has become central to the administration’s legal claims that the ballroom must be built.”
Execution over strategy, according to Frank Slootman. In his book Amp It Up, he writes how if you “don't know how to execute, every strategy will fail, even the most promising ones." While some speculate on the rationale and strategy behind these construction projects, Slootman argues that "success always trumps popularity."
There are 5 key steps in the amp it up process. First, raise your standards. "Culture is not about making people feel good per se, it's about enabling the mission with the behaviors and values that serve that purpose." Then, align people with culture. "Putting gasoline into a car's tank won't matter if the engine isn't working." Next, you sharpen your focus. "Work on fewer things at the same time, and prioritize hard." Then you have to pick up the pace. "In most fields, incrementalism is merely a lack of audacity and boldness. Maybe you won't lose, but you won't win either.” Finally, transform the strategy. "People yawn when offered merely marginal change."
From Jonathan sneaking out of the camp to attack a Philistine outpost alone to Esther approaching the king without being explicitly summoned, the Bible is littered with examples of bold actions that were followed by unexpected results. This is a bold action from Pres. Trump, but as Jay Yang notes: "Most people don't miss opportunities because they're not capable, they miss them because they're afraid." (1 Sam. 14, Est. 4-5)
Cultural News
3. Using woke alternative words doesn’t actually cause psychological harm: study (NY Post)
“Over the last decade, a growing movement has sought to scrub words considered harmful or offensive from the lexicon, replacing them with alternatives proponents say are less psychologically distressing to hear and read. But new research suggests there’s little evidence that the swap actually improves well-being — and in some cases, people prefer the originals.
“Most were everyday words and phrases that the guides considered potentially offensive because of their history or associations, rather than outright insults or slurs — though a few of those made the list, too. For example, some guides recommend swapping “master bedroom” for “primary bedroom” because of the former’s alleged ties to slavery. Others suggest replacing “pipeline” with “pathway” over concerns about the term’s association with companies transporting crude oil through tribal lands and polluting local water supplies.”
Are you familiar with folk politics? Coined by Nick Srnicek and Alex Williams in their 2015 book Inventing the Future, this refers to political strategies that favor immediacy, direct action, and small-scale steps. They argued that these tactics, like changing words, while well-meaning, are strategically insufficient for confronting large-scale issues.
From political correctness (PC) to empathetic correctness (EC)... The PC ideology attempted to unite individuals by avoiding expressions that excluded or marginalized. Today, the EC ideology has taken that one step further by seeking to protect the inner soul from conflict. Whereas political correctness sought to guard against external conflict, empathetic correctness seeks to guard against exposure to negative feelings and emotions.
Sticks and stones will break your bones but words? In the biblical narrative, we encounter a God who openly welcomes free speech and fierce debate (Is. 1:18). Abraham pleaded with God concerning Sodom, Moses begged God to spare the Israelites, and Hezekiah eagerly requested God to grant him more years (Gen. 18, Ex. 32, 2 Kings 20, Luke 24). In the land of free speech, we can’t forget the value of gracious speech.
News You Can Use
2. Dog greets intruder with toy during break-in
Watch it here. “But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into.” (Mt. 24:43)
1. Why a little kid decided not to run away from home after all
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 put aside childish things.” (1 Cor. 13:11)
