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U.S. NEWS

(Another) Delay

Voters will now head to the polls before former President Trump is sentenced in his New York hush-money case.

Friday, Justice Merchan moved the sentencing date from Sept. 18 to Nov. 26 to “avoid the appearance” that the decision “has been affected by or seeks to affect the approaching Presidential election.”
 
The rescheduling is a win for Trump’s legal team, which was pushing to delay on grounds of election interference. Trump said the “witch hunt” was postponed because “everyone realizes… I did nothing wrong”; prosecutors deferred to the judge’s timeline but noted that the jury “swiftly and unanimously convicted” Trump.

The GOP nominee’s legal calendar now looks clear. His Florida classified documents case was dismissed; the SCOTUS’s immunity ruling delayed the D.C. federal election interference case; and his Georgia election case is also stalled.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
In this divisive political climate, believers have an opportunity to show that our ultimate allegiance is to Christ. Imitating our just and merciful Father, root for justice and retain love for all parties—both the accused and the accusers, whether world-famous or unknown—desiring restoration, not revenge.

“The Rock—his work is perfect; all his ways are just. A faithful God, without bias, he is righteous and true.”
Deuteronomy 32:4 (CSB) (read full passage)

ECONOMY

Mixed Report

Uncle Sam isn’t failing economics… but his grades are slipping.

The U.S. economy added 142,000 jobs in August, which was less than expected but a nice bump up from July’s worryingly low 89,000. The leisure and hospitality sector added the most jobs (+46,000), followed by health care (+44,100) and construction (+34,000). The largest losses came in manufacturing (-24,000), retail (-11,100), and information (-7,000).

Unemployment dropped from 4.3% to 4.2%.

With the labor market’s cooldown and inflation’s slow but steady descent towards its 2% target, the Fed is fixin’ for a rate cut next week. The jury is still out on whether it’ll lower rates by 0.25 percentage points (typical) or opt for a larger-than-normal 0.50 percentage point drop.
 
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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Our hope is never contingent on the economy’s ups and downs; it’s secure in what Christ has already done. Regardless of whether the economy gets better or worse in the coming days, everything eventually ends well for followers of Christ.

“Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you… You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials.” 
1 Peter 1:3-4, 6 (CSB) (read full passage)

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SPORTS

A Sporty Weekend

Football is allll the way back.

Friday, Philadelphia beat Green Bay 34-29 in the NFL’s first Brazil game. The loss isn’t the only thing Packers fans are hanging their cheeseheads over… their QB, Jordan Love, will be out for 3+ weeks after spraining his MCL late in the game. 

Saturday’s highlight was a jaw-dropping upset—28.5-point underdog Northern Illinois beat #5 Notre Dame in South Bend—and Sunday’s headlines included Tom Brady’s commentating debut in the Browns-Cowboys game and Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill’s detainment for a driving violation near Hard Rock Stadium. Hill was released and scored a TD in the Dolphins’ victory. 

In non-football news, the U.S. Open wrapped with Belarus’s Aryna Sabalenka victorious on Saturday and Italian Jannik Sinner beating out America’s Taylor Fritz on Sunday, continuing the U.S. men’s two-decade Open drought.  

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Sports can teach us a lot about everyday life—the value of teamwork, perseverance, and even loyalty as a fan. Athletes’ commitment to their sport encourages us to press on as we seek to win an “imperishable crown” at the end of our faith journey, and the joy of fans for their team can give us a foretaste of the greatest celebration in history.

“Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown.”
1 Corinthians 9:25 (CSB) (read full passage)

A manhunt is underway after a shooting in rural southeast Kentucky near I-75 on Saturday night. Nine vehicles were struck, and five people were injured. Authorities have narrowed in on one suspect, a 32-year-old White man who is roughly 5’10”, 150 lbs, and considered to be armed and dangerous. It’s unclear what motivated the shooting.
 

Three Israeli civilians were shot and killed Sunday while crossing from Jordan into Israel’s West Bank. According to the IDF, the gunman––a retired Jordanian soldier––drove a truck to the Allenby Bridge Crossing from Jordan’s side and opened fire before Israeli security forces “eliminated” him. The crossing was closed following the incident.
 

No Slurpee for you. The Japanese parent company of 7-11 rejected a $38.6B takeover offer by the owner of Circle-K, saying it “grossly undervalues” the iconic convenience store chain. 7-11 also worries that, even if Circle-K upgrades to a Big Gulp-sized offer, it does not have a solid plan to overcome the inevitable antitrust lawsuits by U.S. regulators.
 

Vaping is sooo 2019. Teen vaping has hit a 10-year low, falling to nearly ⅔ of its peak in 2019 (when Juul was most popular). Notably, health officials are celebrating that the decline of teen vaping has not coincided with a rise in teens using other nicotine products, even as sales of Zyn (nicotine pouches) surge among adults.
 

Super Bowl LIX 59 has found its superstar. Rapper Kendrick Lamar will headline the halftime show on February 9 in New Orleans. The 37-year-old––who has 17 Grammys and a Pulitzer Prize for music––said he plans to “remind the world why” rap music is the “most impactful genre.” Last year’s performance by Usher was the most-watched halftime show in history.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

Photos from this year’s Westminster Dog Show…

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