Read Time: 5 min 57 sec | Listen to Podcast

Happy Monday!
This week, we’re campaigning for fellow believers in Nigeria who face unimaginable persecution.

Not everyone is in a position to give financially, so we’re providing another option: The Pour Over will donate $2 for every referral this week. No limit.

Let’s make a huge impact.

POLITICS

Passing the Torch

President Biden has dropped out.

Yesterday, in a post on X, the President announced he’s ending his reelection campaign following a much-criticized debate performance and weeks of pressure from within his own party.

Biden called serving as president the “greatest honor” but said it was best for the party and country that he “stand down and focus solely on fulfilling [his] duties as President for the remainder of [his] term.” Shortly after, he (and many others) endorsed VP Kamala Harris.

While Harris is the instant favorite, she’s not guaranteed the nomination. Delegates who had previously pledged to vote for Biden will be free to vote for anyone they choose at next month’s “open” Democratic convention. Harris says she intends to “earn and win” the nomination, though it’s unclear who she might compete against; a few potential contenders—like California Governor Newsom—endorsed her yesterday.

__

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Our goal is to keep the big things big and the small things small. It’s not that an open convention isn’t important; it’s just not God-of-the-Universe important. No matter what happens in the 2024 U.S. election, God will remain in control.

“The life of every living thing is in his hand, as well as the breath of all humanity.”
Job 12:10 (CSB) (read full passage)

TECH

*Slams Laptop Shut 'til Monday*

As it turns out, the world is one bad software update away from chaos.

Friday morning, U.S. cyber-security firm CrowdStrike initiated a faulty update that crashed Microsoft’s Windows, triggering the infamous “blue screen of death” for millions around the world. Broadcasters were forced off-air, customers lost access to healthcare, banks went offline, and government offices were locked out of systems. It seems airlines were hit hardest (see timelapse); over 2,000 flights were canceled, 30,000 were delayed, and air freight could take weeks to recover.

CrowdStrike’s CEO confirmed the outage was caused by an internal error and not a cyberattack, but many analysts are questioning whether cybersecurity is an overly concentrated industry. 

By Friday evening, most things were back up… except CrowdStrike’s stock price, which remained down 11%.

__

Verse to consider when unexpected circumstances have you flustered or frustrated… “Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and dearly loved, put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another if anyone has a grievance against another. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you are also to forgive.”
Colossians 3:12-13 (CSB) (read full passage)

SPONSORED

The Most Dangerous Country for Christians

Did you know that more believers are killed for their faith in Nigeria each year than everywhere else in the world combined? In fact, an estimated 7,000 Christians were targeted and killed last year alone. 

Nigeria’s complex societal landscape is composed of violent clashes and extreme Christian persecution in its northern states ruled by Sharia. Attacks are often brutal, involving property destruction, abductions, sexual violence, and death. 

Facing this reality, continuing to bring the hope of Christ is vital. 

OneHope and its local partners and churches are dedicated to continuing to deliver gospel resources, even in the most dangerous of places. Join their cause; TPO is matching the first $5K donated.

WORLD NEWS

Incoming

Israel is fighting a multifront war.

On Friday, a drone launched by Houthi rebels struck Tel Aviv—a large city in northern Israel that’s been mostly undisturbed throughout the war—killing one civilian. In response, Israel carried out a retaliatory airstrike on a key port in Yemen, hoping to disrupt the flow of weapons to the Houthis.

Farther north on Saturday, Israel reported that ~45 Hezbollah projectiles targeted an Israeli village but caused no injuries. Lebanon’s Hezbollah said the rockets were in retaliation for an Israeli drone strike that wounded children.

Before the weekend’s strikes, the UN’s top court said Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem violates international law, calling on settlers to evacuate from the territories Israel “confiscated” in the 1967 war. Israel’s foreign minister called the nonbinding decision “fundamentally warped, one-sided, and wrong.”

__

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Pray for the peaceful end to all conflicts worldwide, even as we wait with hope for God’s kingdom to come in full—for the day when God’s reign of peace will settle every dispute, and all nations will walk in his paths. 
 
“He will settle disputes among many peoples and provide arbitration for strong nations that are far away. They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will never again train for war.”
Micah 4:3 (CSB) (read full passage)

Russia sentenced Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison on Friday. Gershkovich, a 32-year-old American, was arrested on contested espionage charges in March 2023 and tried in a closed courtroom this month. The WSJ called his conviction a “sham,” and the U.S. government is seeking his immediate release through diplomatic channels.
 

Are we sending the right squad to Paris…? The WNBA All-Star team—including Olympic snubs like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese—beat the U.S. Women’s Olympic team 117-109 on Saturday. Arike Ogunbowale, the game’s MVP, scored a record 34 points. The Men’s Olympic team narrowly avoided losing their own tune-up game Saturday, defeating South Sudan 101-100.
 

The Secret Service is backtracking. Saturday, the agency admitted to turning down requests from former President Trump’s detail for additional event security over the last few years, something they previously denied. The law enforcement agency said it relied on “state or local partners” when “resources were not provided.” Congress will look for answers during Secret Service Director Cheatle’s hearing today. 
 

Former President Trump is back to rallying. The GOP nominee held his first post-assassination attempt rally Saturday. Running mate J.D. Vance and extra-extra security joined less-bandaged Trump in Michigan—a swing state—where he distanced himself from Project 2025 (see our explainer) and criticized Vice President Harris amid the whispers that President Biden was preparing to drop out.
 

Think twice before packing that sandwich; a listeria outbreak linked to deli meat is spreading across the country. The bacteria is blamed for two deaths (one in Illinois, one in New Jersey) and 28 hospitalizations across 12 states. The CDC hasn’t issued a recall but advises pregnant, elderly, or immunocompromised people to avoid eating meats sliced at deli counters.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

Dear Major League Soccer teams, someone please draft this dog…

How We’re Traveling
Protected by Surfshark One*

You can wear your (back-in-style) fanny pack on your front and keep your kid on a leash, but how do you protect your data while traveling? 

On just one trip, you may…

• Use your IP address and email to log in to hotel or airport WiFi

• Link your streaming accounts to an Airbnb TV

• Plug your phone into a compromised charging station

• Use your credit or debit card…a lot

Protect your virtual valuables with Surfshark One’s full array of security features, including VPN, Antivirus, Alert, Search, and Alternative ID.  

Get Surfshark One today and rest easier—even in the hostel—knowing your online identity is safer. TPO readers get 80% off and three extra months with this link.

What We’re Interested In
Miso Robotics*

The $1T fast food industry isn’t immune to the 3M-person labor shortage, which makes Miso Robotics’ AI-powered robots so impactful. With 2.5M+ baskets of food fried for brands like White Castle, they're leading the charge in fast food automation. 

Now, they’re getting an even bigger catalyst: NVIDIA handpicked Miso and gave them special access to their cutting-edge AI vision tech. 

Share in Miso’s growth by becoming a shareholder—and earn up to 10% bonus stock.

Disclosure: This is a paid advertisement for Miso Robotics’ offering. Past performance is not indicative of future returns. Investing involves risk. Please read the offering circular at  invest.misorobotics.com for additional information on the company and risk factors related to the offering.