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Happy Friday!

QUOTE OF THE DAY
“You do not need a great faith, but faith in a great God.”
Hudson Taylor

POLITICS

Debatable

Mark your calendars for some POTUS ping-pong ahead of the summer Olympics.

Wednesday, President Biden released a video accepting former President Trump’s invitation to debate “anytime, anywhere,” telling the former president to “make my day, pal.” 

Biden’s acceptance came with some new rules for the game:

• No audience

• No 3rd-party candidates (looking at you, RFKJ)

• Microphones must be muted after speaking time is up

By yesterday, both candidates had accepted invitations for a June 27 matchup on CNN (which is before either candidate will have officially accepted his party’s nomination) and a September 10 debate on ABC. 

The unconventional debates will sideline the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, which has arranged debates since 1987; Biden criticized the org for being “unable or unwilling to enforce the rules in the 2020 debates.”

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
The debate may feel important for the U.S., but will you remember it in 1,000 years? Viewing the events of our lives from an eternal perspective doesn’t mean we stop caring, but it reminds us to keep our focus on Christ at the center of all things. 

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief; on that day the heavens will pass away with a loud noise, the elements will burn and be dissolved, and the earth and the works on it will be disclosed. Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, it is clear what sort of people you should be in holy conduct and godliness as you wait for the day of God and hasten its coming.”
2 Peter 3:10-12 (CSB) (read full passage)

WORLD NEWS

Serious but Stable

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot at a political rally on Wednesday. He’s in serious condition but is expected to recover. 

No one else was injured in the incident, and one suspect (who authorities believe was acting alone) has been charged. Officials think the assassination attempt was politically motivated ahead of the spring elections. 

It’s a blow to a deeply polarized nation. Fico, a controversial populist leader, returned to power last year, bringing pro-Russian sympathies and a reluctance to aid Slovakia’s neighbor, Ukraine. His policies — including a public broadcasting overhaul and penal code changes — have angered critics who believe he’s pushing the country into autocracy.

In the wake of the shooting, leaders from both Slovakian parties have called for unity.  Russian President Putin, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, and President Biden have all condemned the attack.

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ABOVE ALL, LOVE
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 in our hearts 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)

SPONSORED

Closed Door, Open Window

The 10/40 Window is a dangerous place to walk with Jesus.

It’s a rectangular region between 10 and 40 degrees north latitude that stretches from North Africa to Asia (see map) and is home to two-thirds of the world’s population. Nestled in the corner of this window is the sixth-most deadly place for Christians: Nigeria.

The terrorist group Boko Haram traffics, abuses, and martyrs thousands of Nigerian Christians every year, but OneHope is reaching into the darkness to bring God’s Word to 250,000 Nigerian children.

Join TPO in bringing good news to a generation in desperate need of hope. Each dollar reaches three children, and we’re matching the first $2k given here.

SPORTS

Streaming Sports

It’s become an annual tradition: creative NFL schedule releases.

The once-boring announcements have become a battle of one-upmanship littered with celebrity cameos and NFL teams lighting up social media with fun-veilings of next season’s schedules (watch them all here). The season kicks off at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday, September 5th, where the Chiefs — beginning their quest for a three-peat — will face the Ravens.

The 2024 season includes five international games: one in Germany, three in England, and the first-ever game in Brazil. In a surprise move, Christmas Day games will be available exclusively on Netflix — the streaming giant’s latest move into live events.

Speaking of sports… Caitlin Clark added another feather to her headband. Her debut WNBA game on Tuesday drew 2.1 million viewers, the most for a WNBA game since 2001. 

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Sports are fun and a great diversion but can also become an obsession. Keep your affections with Jesus, allow your hobbies to be hobbies, and keep everything in its proper place.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus / Look full in his wonderful face / And the things of earth will grow strangely dim / In the light of his glory and grace.”
Helen H. Lemmel, 1918 (Scriptural basis: Hebrews 12:2)

The Dow Jones briefly topped 40,000 yesterday for the first time ever, boosted by news that inflation eased in April. Core CPI (an inflation metric that excludes volatile food and energy prices) came in at 3.6%, the smallest annual increase in three years. Grocery prices dropped 0.2% from March to April, the first decrease in a year.
 

Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. declined last year but remain near historic highs. Overdose deaths in 2023 topped 100,000 for the third year, nearly doubling 2015’s number, but dropped 3% from 2022. Fentanyl remains America’s deadliest drug; meth and cocaine deaths keep rising, while heroin deaths have plunged.
 

The Biden Administration and House Republicans are feuding over audio from President Biden’s interview with Special Counsel Robert Hur. Yesterday, the White House asserted executive privilege to block a subpoena for the audio, arguing that Republicans would use clips for political purposes. In response, the House Judiciary Committee advanced contempt of Congress proceedings against Attorney General Merrick Garland.
 

King Charles III appears to be in his Red era. The first official portrait of the new-ish monarch was unveiled Tuesday, and it’s strikingly… red. The artist, UK-based Jonathan Yeo, painted it over three years and said he chose the “vivid” red color to provide a "contemporary jolt.” Critics have been less kind, with one saying it’s a “stylistic mess.”
 

McDonalds is set to offer a limited-time $5 value meal to lure back penny-pinched customers beginning June 25th. Franchisees originally voted down the promotion (McChicken or McDouble, four-piece nuggets, fries, and drink) over concerns that the promotion would Hamburgle their profits, but Coca-Cola added marketing funds to make the deal more appealing.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

The new grooming style for poodles…

What We’re Reading Weekly
Help the Persecuted’s Prayer Newsletter*

We make lots of jokes at TPO, but writing about the news can be grim. We need reminders that God is powerful and at work — even in places where Christians face incredible hardships. 

Each week, Help the Persecuted’s Prayer Network newsletter takes us around the world and into the lives of Christians facing violence, disinheritance, loss of livelihood, and even risk of death. It includes stories of jaw-dropping faith along with personal prayer requests so you can bear the burdens of these brothers and sisters.

It’s a perspective shift, a positive way to get involved, and it’s free. Subscribe here.

What We’re Subscribed To
The Veritas Forum*

If you’re a deep thinker and a question asker — and if easy answers or clichéd responses drive you crazy, especially when it comes to questions about faith, God, and meaning — then you should be getting The Veritas Forum newsletter. 

The Veritas Forum explores challenging questions:

• Is belief in the supernatural irrational?

• What does it mean to be human?

• Does science make faith obsolete?

They host vibrant discussions around meaning, identity, and truth with scholars from MIT, Harvard, and more. Get curated videos and podcast episodes straight to your inbox twice a month. Subscribe to The Veritas Forum newsletter here.