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WORLD NEWS

The End of Assange’s Saga

The world’s best-known embassy shelterer is about to walk free.

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been wanted since 2010 for releasing ~500K documents about the U.S. campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan. Assange argued he exposed serious abuses by U.S. armed forces and claimed the case against him was politically motivated. The government says the leaks were illegal and endangered the lives of American personnel.

The 52-year-old hacker spent seven years evading arrest in London’s Ecuadorian Embassy before his asylum was revoked in 2019 and Assange was moved to a high-security London prison. 

After 13 years of legal back and forth, Uncle Sam and Assange came to a deal: Assange will plead guilty to conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate classified national defense information, and prosecutors will consider previous jail time sufficient to cover his sentence.
 
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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Whether plaintiffs are world-famous or live in obscurity, Christians must always root for justice and fairness. May we continually call our neighbors to side with the final victor and ultimate judge, Christ our king. 

“God now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world in righteousness by the man he has appointed. He has provided proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.”
Acts 17:30-31 (CSB) (read full passage)

WORLD NEWS

Terrorism in Russia

Twenty-five are dead in southern Russia after terror attacks on Sunday evening.

Gunmen opened fire in coordinated attacks across two cities in Russia’s Dagestan region, a majority-Muslim republic on the Caspian Sea. A police station, synagogue, and Orthodox churches celebrating Pentecost were all targeted; fifteen police officers, one Orthodox priest, and six of the “militant” gunmen were killed. At least 46 others were hospitalized for injuries.

Russian officials said the gunmen were “adherents of an international terrorist organization,” but no group has claimed responsibility. The attacks come three months after an ISIS affiliate group killed more than 140 people in a Moscow concert hall. 

The Kremlin has faced increasing security challenges as it focuses resources and attention on the war with Ukraine, now in its third year.
 
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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Our world is overwhelmed by violence and spiraling anxieties. Turn to Jesus for mercy, who himself suffered violence and loss at the hands of those who hated him. Pray that the hope Jesus offers through his compassionate people will turn hearts to the Lord, the only source of true comfort. 

“I always let the Lord guide me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Therefore my heart is glad and my whole being rejoices; my body also rests securely. For you will not abandon me to Sheol; you will not allow your faithful one to see decay. You reveal the path of life to me; in your presence is abundant joy; at your right hand are eternal pleasures.”
Psalm 16:8-11 (CSB) (read full passage)

SPONSORED

I Am N

When ISIS militants swept through Iraq 10 years ago, they branded the homes of Christians and churches with the Arabic letter "n," or ن, signifying "Nazarene."

The message was clear: convert to Islam, leave, or die.

The Voice of the Martyrs’ new book I Am N shares the stories of those Christians—those “N”s—and the persecution they faced from Islamic extremists. Hearing their courage will deepen your faith in a God who shines in a dark and hurting world.  

Right now, any TPO readers who support Christians being persecuted in Iraq and beyond will receive a free copy of I Am N. We’re matching the first $2,000 given through this link.

SPORTS

Hoist the Cup

For the first time ever, the Florida Panthers are NHL Champions. 

After starting the finals series strong (3-0), Florida lost three in a row to the Edmonton Oilers, setting up Monday night’s Game 7. The Panthers came out on top, winning 2-1 and becoming the first team in history to hoist the Stanley Cup just one season after losing the finals. 

One person (probably) not attending the victory parade: Oilers center Connor McDavid—this year’s postseason MVP. It’s the sixth time a losing team’s player has earned the NHL’s Conn Smythe Trophy; McDavid had the fourth most postseason points ever (42).

Tennesee is also etching its name in history after winning its first-ever national title in baseball on Monday. The Volunteers defeated in-conference challengers Texas A&M 6-5 in Game 3 of the College World Series.
 
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A verse to consider whether you feel like jumping for joy or you’re having a hard time handling disappointment…  “Sing to him; sing praise to him; tell about all his wondrous works! Boast in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice. Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.”
1 Chronicles 16:9-11 (CSB) (read full passage)

Car dealerships across North America have been stuck in park for days due to a ransomware attack on CDK Global, a company whose software processes car sales for over 15,000 dealerships. CDK reportedly paid “an extortion fee in the tens of millions of dollars” to regain control of its systems, which could take “days” to fully come back online.
 

Europe is threatening to take a (big) bite out of Apple. On Monday, E.U. regulators charged the tech giant with violating its new digital competition law, saying Apple’s App Store makes it needlessly difficult to make purchases through other (cheaper) methods. Apple says it’s “confident” it’s in compliance but faces a penalty of $38B (a lot, even for Apple).
 

Monday, two federal judges temporarily blocked the Biden administration from forgiving more student loans, siding with red states who sued the admin for exceeding executive authority. Starting in July, the Education Department had planned to cancel up to $20K in debt for 43 million borrowers under Biden’s repayment plan known as SAVE (already used to cancel $5.5B in debt). 
 

The Israeli Supreme Court unanimously ended draft exemptions for ultra-Orthodox Jews who are in seminary since the law governing the exemption expired last year. An estimated 63,000 Haredi men will now be eligible for military service while PM Netanyahu tries to get conservative and secular lawmakers to agree on a new conscription law.
 

Houston… Boeing has a(nother) problem. Two NASA astronauts are stuck in space after the Boeing Starliner that took them to the International Space Station suffered a series of issues, including helium leaks and five thrusters that abruptly stopped working mid-flight. The return flight from their supposed-to-be nine-day space stint is now scheduled for “TBD” within a 45-day window.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

Throwing different boomerangs…

Our New Streaming Platform
QAVA (pronounced “ka-vahhhh”)*

Are you leading a small group that is dominated by awkward silence?

Preparing engaging content that sparks meaningful content week after week is, uh… daunting. Bible studies can be so hit or miss, but QAVA introduces some certainty with consistently great videos to spark meaningful conversation.

QAVA is a streaming platform with quick, vetted, engaging content to bring your small group into deeper conversation with Scripture and one another. 

See if QAVA reenergizes your small group; use code POUROVER for a free 30-day trial.

How We’re Searching the Interwebs
Freespoke*

The internet can be a scary place… especially during election season. But did you know your browser can actually help you wade through online mayhem?

Freespoke is a search engine that does a few important things differently:

• Labeled media biases on news results (“left,” “middle,” or “right”)

• A new election page delivering news and info from all viewpoints (which will come in handy after tomorrow’s debate…)

• No adult content—they’re a partner in protecting families from bad content

Plus, when you search “The Pour Over,” we’re the top result (not some coffee brewing method), and that search is kept private.

Try searching on Freespoke and search beyond the bias.