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WORLD NEWS

Open-Ended

Conflict between Hezbollah and Israel continues boiling over.

On Friday, following the unprecedented detonation of Hezbollah’s electronic devices, an Israeli airstrike struck Beirut, Lebanon, killing at least 45 people. Among the dead were women, children, and 19 Hezbollah fighters, including a top Hezbollah commander wanted by the U.S. for the 1983 embassy bombings that killed hundreds of American service members.

On Saturday, Israel struck ~300 Hezbollah targets, including thousands of rocket launchers. On Sunday, Hezbollah launched more than 100 rockets, missiles, and drones deep into northern Israel, wounding at least three people near the city of Haifa.

Hezbollah, which primarily operates out of Lebanon and is funded by Iran, says Sunday’s strikes are the beginning of an “open-ended battle”; Israel vowed to take “whatever action is necessary” to eliminate Hezbollah and bring displaced northern Israelis home.

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Verse to consider when the suffering and darkness in our world feel overwhelming… “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… In him was life, and that life was the light of men. That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome it.”
John 1:1, 4-5 (CSB) (read full passage)

POLITICS

Homestretch

There are 43 days until election day.

New filings show that VP Harris enters the homestretch with a fuller piggy bank ($404 million) than former President Trump ($295 million) after raising $189 million in August, quadruple Trump’s $44 million haul. Expect that money to be spent on ads, not debate prep; over the weekend, Trump declined Harris’ request for a CNN-hosted rematch on October 23rd, saying it’s “too late” as “voting has already started.”

Meanwhile, Georgia is still nailing down its election-day procedures. 

In a 3-2 vote, the state’s Republican-majority election board voted that all precincts must hand count ballots to confirm figures from voting machines before certifying results. The decision was opposed by Democrats and some Republicans who say it’ll create errors and delays, but praised by many conservatives for prioritizing accuracy over speed.
 
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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Believers must balance engaging in politics (which can be important and impactful) with a calm, unshakable confidence in God (whose plans are not dependent on who wins in November). 

“Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 3:20 (CSB) (read full passage)

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SPORTS

In Sportsworld

Some big names are sporting new bosses and new titles.

Stumbling sales pushed Nike to just do it make some changes. On Thursday, the board announced it’s replacing CEO John Donahoe with Elliott Hill, who started with Nike as an intern in 1988. Hill takes over next month and Wall Street is excited; the stock swooshed 8% upon the news.

Meanwhile, New Balance-wearing LA Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani is in a league of his own. Thursday night, he created the 50/50 club, becoming the first baseball player in history to steal 50 bases and hit 50 home runs in a single season.  

Finally, WNBA voters unanimously named Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark Rookie of the Year and Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson league MVP (for the 3rd time). 
 
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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Sure, it’s “just a game,” but sports are an opportunity to experience camaraderie with fellow fans and to enjoy the thrill of watching athletes do what God created them to do. As you watch athletes compete, thank God that He also made you to do beautiful things, and pray that you’d bring Him glory in all you do.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10 (CSB) (read full passage)

A small Kentucky town is reeling after a sheriff shot and killed a judge. State police say the two were arguing in the judge’s chambers when the murder occurred. Shortly after, the sheriff turned himself in and was charged with first-degree murder. The sheriff was reportedly well-known and liked; his motive for shooting the judge remains unclear. 
 

The Secret Service released a five-page summary of security failures that allowed former President Trump to be shot in the ear on July 13th. It mentions “complacency” by some on the advance team, poor coordination with local police, and an “over reliance” on mobile devices (instead of radio) leading to critical communication being siloed. A full report is expected soon.
 

DIY flu shots, anyone? On Friday, the FDA approved FluMist nasal spray as the first self-administered flu vaccine. Although it’s been around since 2003 for use by healthcare providers, FluMist—made by AstraZeneca—can now be purchased by adults for home use on themselves or their kids, provided they have a prescription from their doc. 
 

North Carolina’s GOP gubernatorial candidate, Mark Robinson, is accused of calling himself a “Black Nazi” and posting a myriad of other inappropriate comments on an adult website’s message board 10+ years ago, before entering politics. Robinson denied the allegations, calling them “tabloid trash.” Some Republicans have said Robinson needs to better explain how the allegations are false or leave politics. 
 

Microsoft is going nuclear to power AI. The tech giant is teaming up with Pennsylvania’s infamous Three Mile Island nuclear plant to power its data centers as the AI race heats up. Microsoft is partnering with Unit 1 of the nuclear plant; Unit 2 was shut down after a 1979 meltdown exposed two million people to minor amounts (X-ray levels) of radiation.

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How We’re Prayin’
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