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WORLD NEWS

Shaken Up

Taiwan’s biggest earthquake in 25 years rocked its east coast on Wednesday.

In a rural region all too familiar with earthquakes, the 7.4-magnitude quake and its more than 100 aftershocks triggered landslides, toppled buildings, and sent tsunami warnings as far as Japan and the Philippines. 

Ten lives have been lost, over one thousand people are injured, and rescuers are hurrying to rescue 700 who remain trapped.

Though tragic, it marks incredible progress in the island nation’s disaster prep. A similar quake in 1999 killed 2,000 people and collapsed over 100,000 buildings. Since then, Taiwan has reorganized its disaster response, reinforced buildings and bridges, and implemented strict construction codes. This time, train service and electricity were largely restored within 24 hours, and nuclear power stations and chip fabrication plants were mostly unaffected.

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ABOVE ALL, LOVE
Christians can hold conflicting emotions in tension. When you’re called upon to grieve and celebrate simultaneously, look to Jesus — who routinely experienced multiple feelings at the same time. 

"Father, if You are willing, take this cup away from me – nevertheless, not My will, but Yours, be done."
Luke 22:42 (CSB)

WORLD NEWS

NATO’s Big 7-5

It was a muted celebration of NATO’s diamond anniversary.

At NATO headquarters in Brussels yesterday, a marching band played, and birthday cake was served as they looked back on 75 years of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Formed in the aftermath of World War II, NATO was created to fight the spread of communism, deter nationalist militarism, and encourage European political integration.

During the celebration, the Foreign Minister of Ukraine (which is not a member of NATO) told members he didn’t want to “spoil the birthday party” but pleaded with them to help provide more air defense for his country’s ongoing war with Russia, specifically for U.S.-made missiles.

On that front, Ukrainian President Zelenskyy lowered the “minimum conscription” age from 27 to 25 in an effort to bolster the army’s ranks.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Christians don’t need to gloss over evil to maintain our joy and hope. Our Savior Jesus confronted darkness directly and overcame it through his death and resurrection. Pray for those suffering as the result of war with renewed thankfulness for eternal hope in our dark world.

“So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you. In that day you will not ask me anything. Truly I tell you, anything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.… I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
John 16:22–23, 33 (CSB)

SPONSORED

Lacking Daily Food

Somalia is caught in the crosshairs of natural disasters, global conflicts, widespread poverty, and disease outbreaks.   

East Africa is coming off its worst drought in 40 years, which has left tens of millions of people without access to clean water, killed millions of livestock, and decimated crops. They became very reliant on imported food, and 90% of Somalia’s wheat came from Russia and Ukraine… which stopped coming.

Now, two in five children in Somalia suffer from acute malnutrition, and a cholera outbreak is spreading in some areas. The food shortage, coupled with humanitarian aid being focused on Europe and the Middle East, has been the perfect storm and led to an alarming increase in child malnutrition. 

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BE DOERS
We’re asking the TPO Community to join us in partnering with World Concern to help get emergency nutrition packs (a peanut paste fortified with nutrients), water, and hygiene products to those with the most need. 

Every $12 feeds a child for a month. We’re matching the first $2,000; just give through this link.

“If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and 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?”
James 2:15-16

BUSINESS

2024’s Other Big Vote

History’s most expensive boardroom showdown failed to unseat the Magic Kingdom’s king. 

The majority of Disney’s board members were up for reelection at this year’s annual shareholder meeting, and a few activist investors wanted fresh faces with fresh ideas. 

The biggest threat came from billionaire Nelson Peltz. Unhappy with “mismanagement” and “woke” messaging at the House of Mouse, Peltz ran a $25 million campaign to win board seats and redirect Disney. 

Disney’s current board, including CEO Bob Iger, spent almost $40 million campaigning to stay the course. They also hoped that recent initiatives like sports streaming and video game investments paired with strong first-quarter earnings would secure shareholder confidence. It seems to have worked; nearly 75% of shareholders voted on Wednesday to keep the board as-is.

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Verse to consider whether you’re going to battle in the boardroom or watching Frozen for the umpteenth time…“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Colossians 3:2-4 (CSB)

Women's collegiate basketball is shattering records. Monday’s Iowa-LSU game drew more viewers than any women’s college basketball game ever (12.3M), and that’s not the only record it broke. It was also the biggest women’s sports betting event in history… and the tournament’s not over. But if you want to attend tonight’s Final Four, tickets are double the price of the men’s.
 

According to Forbes, billionaires are billionairing. There are now 2,781 global billionaires (a record) worth $14.2 trillion combined (another record). The richest are Frenchman Bernard Arnault ($233B), Elon Musk ($195B), Jeff Bezos ($194B), and Mark Zuckerberg ($177B). This year, 141 new billionaires joined the list, including Taylor Swift ($1.1B) and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman ($1B).
 

Loving audiobooks may soon affect your wallet. Spotify will reportedly raise monthly rates by $1-2 to cover audiobook costs in some markets, including the U.K. and Australia, this month and in the U.S. later this year. But don’t fret yet; Spotify’s new "basic" plan that doesn't include audiobooks will be available at the current $10.99 premium rate.
 

Bird flu has migrated into a Texas plant of the largest producer of fresh eggs in the U.S. (Cal-Maine Foods), prompting a “depopulation” of 1.6 million laying hens and a production standstill. The virus is unlikely to make humans sick but may hurt your wallet… egg prices have cracked their highest point since April 2023. 
 

You can’t “just walk out” of Amazon Fresh anymore. The tech that promised to track customers’ grocery purchases with cameras rather than a cashier is being yanked from stores. Consumers didn’t love being constantly watched, and humans still needed to verify accuracy behind the scenes. Now, Amazon says it’s turning to smart carts to offer a self-checkout on wheels.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

The art of synchronized walking…

What We’re Taking
Bioma’s Gut Health Quiz*

‌I love this quiz for one simple reason… it offers solutions beyond just trying to sell you something!

My quiz results were unexpected. They gave me practical tips like which foods to steer clear of, suggested stretches and activities to ease gut discomfort, and explained why my gut acts up sometimes.

It’s not an everyday thing, but my tummy doesn’t always feel quite right. While I don’t want to get too personal, Bioma does. Instead of dishing out generic advice, they dig into your specific issues to give spot-on recommendations.

Take Bioma’s 1-minute Gut Health Quiz, and if you decide to purchase their probiotics, use code TPO10 for 10% OFF + FREE SHIPPING.

Jason Woodruff | Founder

What We’re Drafting
Epic Will* 

In May 2021, my mom passed away after a 10-year cancer battle. As our family mourned, I had to take care of lots of logistics… but thankfully, her will let me avoid any legal mess. Our family misses my mom every day, but we celebrate that she’s with Jesus — maybe even doing some heavenly gardening.

Recently, my wife and I welcomed our fourth child (pray for us), and I updated my own will. Epic Will helped me do it in just 13 minutes. With easy explainers and safe online storage, I’m reassured that my family will be taken care of in any event. I highly recommend checking out Epic Will. 

Nate Wells | Head of Business