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ELECTION

Debate Debrief

The dust has (mostly) settled on Tuesday’s debate.

An estimated 67 million people tuned in, up significantly from the 51 million who watched the Biden/Trump debate. Flash polls showed a majority (63%) of debate-watchers believed that VP Harris outperformed former President Trump––a sharp turnaround from 67% believing Trump outperformed President Biden in June––but that it didn’t change many voters’ opinions.

Republicans have been critical of ABC’s moderators for interrupting Trump five times to fact-check his answers and being softer on Harris, not fact-checking her at all. Trump said Wednesday that it was “three to one” and “a rigged deal”; yesterday, he said he would not do another debate.

Minutes after the debate, Taylor Swift endorsed Harris on Instagram, driving nearly 340K people to vote.gov for state-specific voter registration information.

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
The debate may be important for the U.S.’s future but will have little impact on your eternal future. This doesn't mean that we shouldn’t care at all, but we should not let it steal our focus from Christ at the center of all things. 

“[The enemies of God] will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Those with him are called, chosen, and faithful.”
Revelation 17:14 (CSB) (read full passage)

WEATHER

Fire & Water

While the West Coast is praying for rain, southern states are begging for a break.

Hurricane Francine made landfall as a Category 2 storm in Louisiana Wednesday, hammering the state with 100 mph winds and torrential rain and leaving nearly 400,000 homes and businesses without power. A flash flood emergency was issued for New Orleans and surrounding areas after an 8-inch downpour.

Though Francine lost oomph and changed her name to Tropical Storm while moving into Mississippi, she still poses a threat of storm surges, flooding, and tornadoes in the days ahead (track Francine’s path). 

Meanwhile, the arid West remains ablaze. Three major wildfires raging through Southern California’s mountains destroyed dozens of homes and forced thousands to evacuate Wednesday. Other fires continue to burn in Idaho, Oregon, and Nevada, displacing ~20,000 people.

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BE DOERS
We’re asking the TPO Community to join us in supporting relief efforts for Hurricane Francine. We’re matching the first $2,000 given; just email a screenshot of your support.

You can give to any organization—our match is going to Operation Blessing. OB is a faith-based non-profit with boots on the ground and a record of doing great work. OB is a paid partner of TPO.

“[If] one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,’ but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it? In the same way faith, if it does not have works, is dead by itself.”
James 2:16-17 (CSB) (read full passage)

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WORLD NEWS

War Updates

Israel’s ready to make a big concession.

On Sunday, Israel offered safe passage out of Gaza for Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s “chief terrorist” and the alleged architect of the October 7th attack. U.S. officials believe Sinwar is at large in Gazan tunnels, possibly surrounded by hostages as human shields. The proposal also includes releasing Palestinian prisoners.

In exchange, Israel wants all 101 remaining hostages and Gaza “demilitarized and deradicalized.” Hamas hasn’t publicly responded, though negotiators question whether Sinwar wants to leave Gaza. 

Meanwhile, in Ukraine, the U.S. pledged more than $700 million in humanitarian aid during Secretary of State Blinken’s visit to Kyiv on Wednesday. President Zelenskyy also pleaded with the U.S. for missiles they can use to target deeper into Russia—ammunition Ukraine says it “can’t prevail without.” 

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
As we mourn violence and pray for peace around the world, believers are reminded of how good the news is of Jesus’s coming kingdom. His Spirit offers supernatural peace today, and his return promises peace in a renewed earth forever.

“‘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)

Inflation has cooled off enough to break out its fall wardrobe. Annual inflation fell to a three-year low of 2.5% in August, spitting distance from the Fed’s 2% target. While grocery (+2.1%) and gasoline (-10%) prices have steadied over the last year, housing remains stubbornly high (+5%). Everyone’s expecting the Fed to cut rates next week.
 

Turns out America still loves the NFL. Week 1 games averaged a record 21M viewers each, a 12% increase from 2023. The most people since 2019 (123M) watched some of a game. However, despite being the second-most watched MNF premiere, the 49ers' win over the Jets drew 10% fewer viewers than last year, likely due to ongoing ESPN/DirecTV disputes.
 

Numbers are in for colleges’ first enrollment season since the Supremes struck down affirmative action. Harvard reported Black enrollment declined from 18% to 14%, Hispanic enrollment increased from 14% to 16%, and Asian-American enrollment held steady at 37%. MIT and Brown saw declines in minority enrollment, while other ivy-covered schools like Yale and Princeton showed little change. 
 

The show best known for making Millennial parents cry is officially America’s favorite. Bluey, the animated 7-minute kids’ program following a family of Aussie cattle dogs, is the U.S.’s most-watched show of 2024. The smash hit on Disney+ racked up 35 billion minutes watched; Cocomelon (2021-2022’s top kids’ program) and Suits (top show overall in 2023) can’t keepy uppy.
 

Amazon’s taking a page out of Wally World’s playbook, launching a new generic label of budget-friendly food items that’ll ship straight to your doorstep. Bezos’s baby is hoping “Amazon Saver” will attract price-conscious shoppers with most items in the “no-frills” private label brand priced under $5––everything from cookies and crackers to sliced turkey and ham.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

The 2024 iPhone Photography winners…

What We’re Hyping Up
Our cells with Timeline*

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Age like a pro and feel the difference. Get 30% off full-size Timeline products with code TPOENERGY.

How We’re Prayin’
With the Prayer Focus Update*

James says a righteous person’s prayer is “very powerful.” Jesus’s own brother probably knows a few things about talking with Jesus… 

But have you ever felt unsure of where to start when praying for the world? Start with Barnabas Aid’s Prayer Focus Update. 

Barnabas Aid is an international aid agency that supports persecuted believers. Their monthly Prayer Focus Update draws you into the stories of suffering Christians around the world, guiding your prayers through specific requests, pictures of who you’re praying for, and maps to show you where they are. 

Download your free Prayer Focus Update today (also handily available in large print!)