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
7. Violence erupts in Mexico after cartel leader "El Mencho" killed in military operation (CBS News)
“Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the powerful and long-pursued head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and one of the world’s most-wanted traffickers, died following a Mexican military operation on Sunday, handing the country a consequential victory as it looks to show tangible results to the Trump administration. The US State Department urged American nationals in parts of Mexico to “seek shelter and remain in residences or hotels” until further notice.
“Oseguera, a former police officer, led the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, or CJNG, as it became one of the “most powerful and ruthless criminal organizations” inside Mexico, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Violence erupted in several states in Mexico after security forces from multiple federal branches of Mexico’s military carried out the operation in the town of Tapalpa in the western state of Jalisco. Officials said suspected members of organized crime unleashed a wave of violence following the operation, torching buses and businesses while clashing with security forces.”
The iron river is flooding… The iron river refers to the roughly 500,000 firearms allegedly smuggled into Mexico from the US yearly. With these weapons, cartels reportedly control about one-third of Mexico’s territory. Every year, tens of thousands of Mexicans are killed; however, cartels routinely avoid direct violence against US citizens to avoid retaliation. But recently, handwritten cartel banners known as narcomantas have appeared in tourist resort areas, threatening to kill Americans.
The war on drugs resulted in a type of real war… In the early 2000s, when Mexican leadership declared a war on drugs, there was a sharp escalation in violence, with cartels targeting law enforcement, military personnel, and government officials. Entire police forces resigned in fear, and public officials were assassinated in broad daylight. Routinely, Mexican cartels kidnap, torture, and kill Mexican government officials and security agents and their families (as well as journalists and civil society activists).
Gideon’s departure… The sudden absence of a leader often results in the presence of chaos. While a leader isn’t always a force for good, they are a source of order. When Gideon passed, Abimelek seized the opportunity to assume leadership, causing chaos and killing family members. Abimelek was compelled by ambition; these cartel members are out for revenge. And as Matthew Henry noted about this moment: “Those who thirst for blood shall have enough of it.” (Judges 9)
6. DHS reverses course on suspending TSA PreCheck after outcry (WaPo)
“The Department of Homeland Security reversed course Sunday morning after saying that it would suspend TSA PreCheck because of the partial government shutdown. “TSA PreCheck remains operational with no change for the traveling public,” the Transportation Security Administration said in a statement. “As staffing constraints arise, TSA will evaluate on a case by case basis and adjust operations accordingly.”
“A DHS official, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal processes, said the change was “based off of conversations the secretary had with the White House and TSA.” The Global Entry program, however, will remain paused, according to the official. TSA PreCheck and Global Entry are two popular programs that allow some travelers to move more quickly through airport security. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem had said in a statement Saturday that the agency was “making tough but necessary workforce and resource decisions” and prioritizing the “general traveling population” at airports and ports of entry.”
Changing your mind isn’t a sign of weakness but of confidence, according ot David McRaney. In his book, How Minds Change, McRaney highlights how we are prone to assimilate information that fits into our existing beliefs, resist/ignore information that conflicts, and accommodate when contradictions can no longer be explained away. Mind change, for McRaney, is a model update, not a fact swap.
Why is it so hard to change a mind? Consider the bathroom scale. “When the bathroom scale gives us bad news, we reweigh ourselves a few times to make sure. When it gives us good news, we step off and go about our day.” The digits aren't just telling us our weight; they are telling us something about who we are. “We protect identity more fiercely than accuracy.”
Get back on the scale… This illuminates why it can be so hard for an intelligent person to change their mind: they have more information to draw on to spin the number on the scale. “The more intelligent you are, and the more educated, the more data at your disposal, the better you become at rationalising and justifying your existing beliefs and attitudes, regardless of their accuracy or harmfulness.”
Don’t run like the prodigal son… This wayward son was set on living his idea of the good life, to the extent that he even asked his dad for his inheritance early so he could live it up… until he was utterly down. There came a point when he was willing to admit he was wrong and make things right, trading present pain for future humiliation. This was both a humbling trade and a revealing one. As Adam Grant notes: “If you define yourself by your opinions, questioning them is a threat to your integrity. If you see yourself as a curious person or a lifelong learner, changing your mind is a moment of growth.” (Lk. 15)
5. Armed man shot and killed after "unauthorized entry" into Mar-a-Lago perimeter, Secret Service says (CBS News)
“A man armed with a shotgun was shot and killed early Sunday morning after making an "unauthorized entry" into the secure perimeter at President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, the U.S. Secret Service said. The Secret Service said in a statement that the incident occurred at around 1:30 a.m. Speaking at a news conference later Sunday morning, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said the security detail detected that an individual had made his way into the inner perimeter of Mar-a-Lago near a gate on the north side.
"They confronted a white male that was carrying a gas can and a shotgun." Bradshaw said the individual was ordered to drop the gas can and shotgun, at which point he put down the gas can and "raised the shotgun to a shooting position." The deputy and Secret Service agents then fired their weapons and "neutralized the threat," Bradshaw said. He said the individual was declared dead at the scene.”
Have we entered an era of dark passions? William Galston, in his book Anger, Fear, Domination: Dark Passions and the Power of Political Speech, writes how “rational self‑interest does not always drive human events; the passions matter, and evil is real.” He goes on: “The fact that there are dark passions doesn’t mean that there aren’t lighter passions, more productive passions.” However, Galston contends that defenders of this grand experiment must understand and address these emotions rather than assuming empathy or reason will prevail.
The dark passions are engines of political behavior, especially in polarized eras, according to Galston. Fear narrows the moral imagination and exaggerates threats. Anger fuels retribution, especially when loss is perceived or predicted. “Hatred cannot be appeased; it can only be opposed.” And domination directly contradicts the democratic ethos, transforming a political contest with tradeoffs into a zero-sum struggle for supremacy.
The dark passions are old ones… From Abimelek to Absalom to Jezebel, the biblical narrative is replete with individuals driven by anger and compelled by dreams of domination. Despite their attempts to gain power, they all, like Satan, can only receive power if it is given. And while I don’t understand why God would allow certain individuals to have power, I trust that nothing can happen outside of his good plan… including an armed man with a can of gas. (Judges 9, 2 Sam. 15, 1 Kings 16)
4. Trump says he will raise global tariffs to 15% after Supreme Court decision (CBS News)
“President Trump said on Saturday that he is going to raise his global tariff to 15%, up from 10% he imposed on Friday, after the Supreme Court struck down a set of sweeping global tariffs. Mr. Trump said in a social media post that he was making the decision "Based on a thorough, detailed, and complete review of the ridiculous, poorly written, and extraordinarily anti-American decision on Tariffs issued yesterday," by the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Infuriated by the high court's ruling, Mr. Trump signed a proclamation on Friday that enabled him to bypass Congress and impose a 10% tax on most imports to the United States. The law allows the president to impose a levy of up to 15% for 150 days, although it could face legal challenges. Mr. Trump went on to say that his administration would "determine and issue the new and legally permissible Tariffs, which will continue our extraordinary successful process of Making America Great Again." Most of the president's previous levies hinged on a law called the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, or IEEPA, which the Supreme Court ruled Friday cannot be used to impose tariffs.”
Do you appreciate the bulwark of liberty? Justice Gorsuch, in his concurrence, noted that “most major decisions affecting the rights and responsibilities of the American people (including the duty to pay taxes and tariffs) are funneled through the legislative process for a reason.” This “legislative process helps ensure each of us has a stake in the laws that govern us and in the Nation’s future. For some today, the weight of those virtues is apparent. For others, it may not seem so obvious. But if history is any guide, the tables will turn and the day will come when those disappointed by today’s result will appreciate the legislative process for the bulwark of liberty it is.”
In Federalist 47, James Madison argued that distributing the powers would prevent any one group from gaining too much power. In The Federalist 51, Madison stressed the importance of accountability. “In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and the next place, oblige it to control itself."
In the biblical narrative, Nathan checked David, Paul confronted Peter, Peter called out Ananias, and a donkey redirected Balaam (2 Sam. 12, Gal. 2, Acts 5, Jonah 1, Num. 22). To varying degrees, we all have power. And while checks on power aren’t always desirable, they often function to keep power from having us. (Heb. 4:13, 2 Cor. 5:10)
Cultural News
3. USA beats Canada in OT to win first hockey gold since 1980 'Miracle on Ice' (Yahoo!)
“Forty-six years to the day after the U.S. men’s hockey team paved the way to Olympic gold with a miracle, it earned gold again, this time with a sudden-death stunner. Jack Hughes instantly moved into the annals of U.S. Winter Olympic history when he received a pass from Zach Werenski 1:41 into overtime and fired the puck between the legs of Canadian goaltender Jordan Binnington to beat Canada 2-1 and send Santagiulia Arena into a raucous celebration. The victory earned the U.S. a golden sweep in hockey at these Winter Games, coming three days after the U.S. women also beat Canada in overtime.
“The US Olympic team went into Milan and Cortina and sledded, skied, and skated out with 12 gold medals (and 33 total medals), the country’s most-ever in a Winter Olympics, while Norway finished with the most golds (18) and medals overall (41).”
Beating Canada was great; honoring a late teammate was glorious. Johnny Gaudreau would have likely been a part of the US team, but he died in 2024 after he and his brother were struck and killed by an alleged drunk driver. Throughout the Olympics, the team hung his jersey in the locker room, and when the time came for the gold medal to hang around their necks, they made sure the Gaudreaus were honored. The team brought 2 of Gaudreau’s children onto the ice for the ceremonial team picture. Watch it here.
A medal isn’t everything, but it is something… A recent study analyzed the faces of Olympic athletes when they received their medals on the podium. It found that despite their better performances, Olympic silver medalists seemed less happy than their bronze-winning peers. The researchers concluded that expectations can either dampen or elevate our self-perception. In this instance, bronze medalists were happy simply to make the podium, and silver medalists were saddened to not secure the gold.
A loss leaves you with a stinging pain, and a win provides you with a fleeting feeling. While all of us would rather be in the latter camp than the former, both sides are left with a nagging suspicion that there must be something more. This morning, family and friends of Johnny hold a combination of the 2 feelings, glowing in the win but being reminded of their great loss. But perhaps the only thing better than that gold medal this morning is knowing Johnny is walking the streets of gold for all of eternity. (Ecc. 3:11)
News You Can Use
2. Dogs and sticks...
Watch it here. “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Pro. 13:12)
1. Mike Tirico With An Incredible End to the Olympics.
Watch it here. “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.” (James 1:12)
