An Arrest & An Acquittal

Police arrest a 26-year-old suspected of killing UnitedHealthcare’s CEO; a Marine veteran acquitted in a high-profile case; an update on Syria three days after rebels overthrew the government; and other top news for Wednesday, December 11th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over.

Read Time: 5 min 54 sec | Listen to Podcast

─────── December 11, 2024 ───────

QUOTE OF THE DAY
“A Christian life is an unending engagement on the battlefield.”
Watchman Nee

ESPRESSO SHOTS

U.S. NEWS

Arrested

A 26-year-old man was arrested in connection with last week’s fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO in NYC. 

A five-day manhunt ended Monday at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania––nearly 300 miles from NYC––when a customer recognized the suspect from police photos and an employee alerted authorities. 

Law enforcement found him in possession of a 3D-printed pistol and silencer, consistent with what was used in the shooting. The suspect was also reportedly carrying nearly $10,000 cash (including foreign currency), multiple fake IDs (including a New Jersey ID used at a hostel before the shooting), and a three-page handwritten manifesto expressing “disdain for corporate America” and the insurance industry.

The suspect––who had no criminal record and an Ivy League education––faces second-degree murder charges in NYC and is being held without bail on gun charges in Pennsylvania.

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ABOVE ALL, LOVE
Believers have a challenging assignment. We’re called to love victims, suspects, police, and online commentators alike. Like our enemy-loving Savior Jesus, look for restoration rather than revenge.

“Friends, do not avenge yourselves; instead, leave room for God’s wrath, because it is written, ‘Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay,’ says the Lord. But ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him something to drink. For in so doing you will be heaping fiery coals on his head.’ Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good.”
Romans 12:19-21 (CSB) (read full passage)

U.S. NEWS

Acquittal

On Monday, a Manhattan jury found Daniel Penny not guilty of negligent homicide in the death of Jordan Neely. The verdict came three days after Penny’s second-degree manslaughter charge was dismissed. 

Penny, a Marine veteran, was charged after using a chokehold on Neely, a former street performer who was threatening passengers on a NYC subway in May 2023. The case sparked debates and protests around issues like public safety, homelessness, race, mental illness, vigilantism, and valor (here’s a quick refresher). 

Similarly, the trial’s conclusion was met with mixed emotions. Penny’s lawyers stated that he “finally got the justice he deserved.” Meanwhile, Neely’s father—who filed a civil suit against Penny seeking “reasonable, fair, and just” damages last week—called the system “rigged.” 

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Verse to consider when responding to a case that’s bound to divide people… “The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who cultivate peace.” 
James 3:18 (CSB) (read full passage)

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WORLD NEWS

The Road to Damascus

It’s been three days since Syrian rebels toppled the regime of Bashar al-Assad.

Mohammed al-Bashir, leader of the ousting rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has been named caretaker Prime Minister until March 1. Bashir has been running a part of northwest Syria and will take the helm in Damascus to ensure that public services continue.

Meanwhile, Israel is responding to Syria’s turmoil.

Since Sunday, Israel has launched over 300 air strikes on Syrian weapons storehouses (in addition to 75 strikes by the U.S.) and moved its military into a UN-patrolled demilitarized zone on its border with Syria. Israel says it wants to create a “sterile defense zone” and prevent extremists from capitalizing on the chaos; the U.N. says it is overstepping and violating “the [1974] disengagement agreement.”

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
As we pray for peace around our war-battered world, believers are reminded of how good the news is of Jesus’s coming kingdom. His installation as King of the new heavens and earth will be quick and uncontested, ousting his enemies forever and securing permanent peace.

“‘For I will create new heavens and a new earth… The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like cattle, but the serpent’s food will be dust! They will not do what is evil or destroy on my entire holy mountain,’ says the Lord.” 
Isaiah 65:17, 25 (CSB) (read full passage)

IN OTHER BREWS…

Israel’s Prime Minister is commuting from the war room to the courtroom. Benjamin Netanyahu stood behind the witness stand for the first time Tuesday, facing three 2019 corruption indictments related to trading regulatory favors for lavish gifts and flattering media coverage. Bibi denies the “absurd” allegations; he’ll testify three times/week for several months while leading a “seven-front war.”
 

Betcha can’t count to 10 septillion. That’s how many years it would take the world’s fastest conventional computer to complete a task that Google’s new quantum computer chip, called Willow, completed in five minutes. Willow’s breakthrough comes from its consolidation of qubits (learn what in the world those are). Google hopes to release a commercially viable quantum computer by 2029.
 

The Mets came up with an expensive solution to their losing problem: Juan Soto. The 26-year-old Dominican just fielded a 15-year, $765 million contract—the largest in sports history. Billionaire owner Steve Cohen hopes the ex-Yankee outfielder/slugger will be a home run for New York’s other team. Btw, Juan, 10% of $765 million is $76.5 million (in case your pastor asks).
 

It’s the end of the Eras. Taylor Swift wrapped up her historic 21-month tour in Vancouver Sunday. Over 10 million Swifties swapped friendship bracelets at 149 shows across 21 countries. The tour raked in over $2 billion in gross ticket sales—nearly double any other tour ever—with Swift giving out $197 million in bonuses to her tour team along the way.
 

A Nevada commissioner rejected Rupert Murdoch’s attempt to amend his family trust and give full control of his media empire (which includes Fox News, WSJ, and others) to his son Lachlan. The 96-page ruling accuses the father-son duo of acting in “bad faith” to sideline Murdoch’s other three (more liberal) children and lock in his empire’s right-wing editorial stance.

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