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POLITICS

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A debate about the debate may be the only Trump-Harris face-off voters get.

Vice President Harris wants to sub in for President Biden on September 10’s ABC debate sequel to CNN’s June blockbuster. However, former President Trump says the ABC arrangement 1) is a conflict of interest given his lawsuit against the network and 2) ended with Biden’s candidacy. Instead, he wants a full audience Fox News debate on September 4.

Harris’s camp says Trump's “running scared,” and she won’t discuss other debates until he follows through on his commitment. Trump said, “I’ll see her on September 4th or, I won’t see her at all.”

Meanwhile, Harris has taken the lead in the funding race after raising a whopping $310 million in July. Her campaign currently has $377 million in cash; Trump’s has $327 million.

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
The debate (or lack thereof) may feel important for the U.S., but will you remember it in 1,000 years? Seeing things from an eternal perspective doesn’t mean we stop caring about our lives now, but it reminds us to keep our focus on Christ.

“Then I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse. Its rider is called Faithful and True, and with justice he judges and makes war… And he has a name written on his robe and on his thigh: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.” 
Revelation 19:11, 16 (CSB) (read full passage)

OLYMPICS

Medals on Medals

It was a podium-packed weekend.

Team USA’s highlights included gold medals for:

• Swimmers in the world-record-setting 4x100 mixed and women’s 4x100 medley relays

• Bobby Finke’s world-record-setting 1500m swim

• Katie Ledecky’s 800m swim (her fourth consecutive 800m gold)

• Masters Champ Scottie Scheffler 

• Simone Biles’s vault (beam and floor still to come)

• Noah Lyles’s 100m dash (we’re talking thousandths of a second)

Meanwhile, Women’s boxing is taking gold in controversy. 

Two medalists from Taiwan and Algeria are facing scrutiny after the International Boxing Association (IBA)’s president said, “They have XY chromosomes.” The results reportedly came from eligibility tests conducted last year by the Russian-led IBA, which is currently banned from the Olympics for alleged corruption. The Olympic President said it’s “not a transgender issue,” saying both athletes were born, raised, and have always competed as women.

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Verse to consider when you’re tempted to brag about how your country is the first to 3,000 total Olympic medals… “God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
James 4:6 (CSB) (read full passage)

SPONSORED

Let’s Get the Gospel to 15,000 Children

How many kids could you fit in your car for carpool? Maybe five? Picture five people in your car; now consider this… one in five Christians in Africa is persecuted.

Right now, Nigeria is the most dangerous country in the world to be a Christian. It’s a bleak reality: sharing about Jesus could cost you everything, even your life. 

Christians in Nigeria—especially the next generation—desperately need the hope of God’s Word to combat the darkness they face.

OneHope is dedicated to reaching Nigeria’s youth. Every dollar donated gets the Gospel into the hands of 3 Nigerian children. You can help, and we can, too. Donate to OneHope this week; TPO is matching the first $2K given.

ECONOMY

Drop

The stock market had a brutal end to the week.

The U.S. added a worse-than-expected 114,000 new jobs in July, and unemployment rose to 4.3%, its highest point in nearly three years. This sparked concerns over a broader economic slowdown and sent the stock market tumbling.

Between Thursday and Friday, the Dow Jones fell 1,135 points (2.8%), and the tech-heavy NASDAQ officially crossed into a “correction” (down 10% from a recent high). Leading the charge downhill was Intel. The chipmaker revealed drastic plans to lay off 15,000 employees and suspend its dividend to shareholders in Q4; its stock plunged 26% on Friday.

The poor economic numbers make it more likely that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates soon, something investors (and people wanting lower mortgage rates) eagerly await.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Whether the economy surges or collapses, God will remain in control. In the midst of uncertainty on earth, set your hope on the abundance we will enjoy with Christ when he comes. 

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”
1 Peter 1:3-4 (CSB) (read full passage)

The U.S. is bolstering its military presence in the Middle East following last week’s Hezbollah and Hamas assassinations. U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin announced that the Pentagon will deploy cruisers, destroyers, and fighter jets to “increase our readiness” to support Israel while emphasizing that the U.S.’s priority is still to prevent a wider war. 
 

TikTok is back in (still in?) the hot seat. The DOJ sued TikTok on Friday, accusing the company of violating privacy laws concerning the collection of children's data. The suit, which follows a Federal Trade Commission investigation, alleges ByteDance collected the personal information of children under 13 without requiring parental consent and failed to honor deletion requests from parents.
 

Debby may not be so Little… the Tropical Storm was expected to strengthen into a hurricane overnight before hitting land in Florida’s Big Bend region this morning. As of Sunday, the majority of Florida’s west coast was under a Tropical Storm Warning with expected winds of up to 73 mph. (Keep an eye on storm progression here.) 
 

Defense Secretary Austin is taking the reins in the case against 9/11 plotters. Last week, a controversial plea deal with the Al-Qaeda attacks’ architects took the death penalty off the table if the terror suspects pleaded guilty and answered victims’ family members’ questions. Following strong backlash, Austin has assumed direct oversight of the case and revoked the deal. 
 

Tensions are mounting in Venezuela’s contested presidential results. The U.S. acknowledged Edmundo González as the winner of Venezuela’s presidential election, saying official tally sheets from 80% of polling stations give González an “insurmountable margin” over incumbent Nicolás Maduro. Protesters took to the streets in Caracas Saturday in support of González, while the government-run National Electoral Council maintains Maduro won.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

Mama swan carrying her babies…

What’s Topping Our School Supply Lists
Mr. Pen Pens*

Get ahead this back-to-school season with Mr. Pen. Their collection of aesthetically pleasing, smooth-writing products (which our team is actually obsessed with) will make you want to write more just to use them.

Your first task can be using them to mark off your supply list… from highlighters and pens to folders, rulers, erasers, and more, Mr. Pen has you covered. 

Founded by teachers in Louisiana, Mr. Pen is on a mission to equip everyone with accessibly priced tools to learn in school and enjoy the Bible.

Shop Mr. Pen’s Back to School Bundles or build your own and save 15% on bundles over $50. 

What We’re (Finally) Doing
Making a will*

I’m married, have a daughter (and another on the way!), a home, and savings… and it’d be a financial/legal mess if I died. 

Well, it would’ve been. I finally made a will. *Takes bow*

I put my info into the tool that was built by lawyers, and it made me state-specific documents. I’m a bit annoyed at myself; it was a ~20-minute step-by-step process… yet I’ve been putting it off for years. 

August is “Make a Will” month, and code WILLMONTH will get you 25% off Ramsey’s Last Will & Testament packages. So, if you’re an adult without a will, take this quiz to find out if you can make one online today.

Jason Woodruff | Founder