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U.S. NEWS

Ramping Up

Campus protests are only escalating as the semester winds down.

Monday night, masked counterprotesters surrounded UCLA’s encampment, throwing fireworks and attacking pro-Palestinian protesters. Classes were canceled, and an investigation is underway.

Tuesday night, police breached Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall, which students had vandalized and blockaded nearly 20 hours prior, and arrested over 100 protestors. Mayor Eric Adams (D-NY) warned that “professional outside agitators” are “co-opting what should be a peaceful gathering.” He encouraged parents to get involved “before the situation escalates.”

In response, the House passed the Antisemitism Awareness Act 320-91 on Wednesday. The bill requires the Education Department to enforce anti-discrimination laws according to a broader “antisemitism” definition that includes calling for the harming of Jews and harassing individuals over Israel’s actions. The bill’s future in the Senate is unclear.

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CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
On campus, across the world, or in the living room, Christians conquer evil and injustice with good. The Lord’s radical command is to respond to toxic speech with kind words, to disrespect with compassion and care, and to bullying with honor. This light exposes the darkness for what it is, and Jesus promises that light will win in the end.

“Finally, all of you be like-minded and sympathetic, love one another, and be compassionate and humble, not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing, since you were called for this, so that you may inherit a blessing.”
1 Peter‬ ‭3‬:‭8‬–9‬ ‭CSB‬‬ (read full passage)

U.S. NEWS

Add and Subtract

Abortion is back in the political spotlight.

Two Arizona state Republican lawmakers joined all their Democratic colleagues to repeal a near-total abortion ban (all stages of pregnancy) from 1864. A 15-week abortion ban passed in 2022 became Arizona’s prevailing law when Governor Katie Hobbs (D) signed the repeal yesterday.

Meanwhile, Florida moved in the opposite direction. On Wednesday, the state’s 15-week abortion ban was replaced by a six-week ban.

The battles aren’t over. This November, at least three states (including Florida) and possibly eight more (including Arizona) will have abortion measures on the ballot. Each referendum is different, but many propose a constitutional amendment enshrining abortion access until fetal viability (~24 weeks).

See each state’s current abortion stance with this map.

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ABOVE ALL, LOVE
We are called to love everyone always. That means loving and caring for the unborn, single mothers, women who have received abortions, and people who passionately disagree with you on this topic.

“Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs. Love finds no joy in unrighteousness but rejoices in the truth.”
1 Corinthians 13:4-6 (CSB) (read full passage)

SPONSORED

The Critical Moment

The critical moment between freedom and slavery is when the next victim of human trafficking is in transit. 

Typically lured away by the promise of marriage or a too-good-to-be-true job offer, victims often voluntarily leave their homes having no idea what’s about to happen (like forced labor, sexual exploitation, or organ harvesting).

This moment, right before slavery, is when Love Justice International steps in.

Focusing on the prevention side of anti-trafficking work, “transit monitoring" is the innovative approach Love Justice employs. Since 2006, they've “intercepted” more than 58,000 people from being trafficked and helped authorities make over 1,450 arrests.  

Head to Love Justice International’s website and watch their videos to learn more about them.

ECONOMY

No Change

The central bank is unimpressed by inflation’s “lack of further progress.”

As expected, the Federal Reserve kept interest rates steady on Wednesday, at a 23-year high, for the sixth straight meeting. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell indicated recent inflation data shows “it will take longer than previously expected” to consider cutting rates but settled investors' queasy stomachs by saying a rate hike is “unlikely.”

The stock market rallied on that news, a remarkable shift considering investors started the year hoping for as many as six rate cuts – now most expect just one.

Meanwhile, consumer confidence dropped to a 21-month low, dragged down by the cost of food and gas, and fears of a worsening job market. The number of job openings has declined over recent months but remains well above pre-pandemic numbers.

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Verse to consider whether your portfolio is experiencing hockey stick growth or not… “I know how to make do with little, and I know how to make do with a lot. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being content—whether well fed or hungry, whether in abundance or in need.” 
Philippians 4:12 (CSB) (read full passage)

The United Methodist Church repealed its ban on LGBTQ clergy Wednesday. Delegates at the denomination’s General Conference decisively voted (692-51) to remove a rule forbidding “practicing homosexuals” from being ordained or appointed and passed a measure prohibiting punishment for performing or refusing to perform same-sex marriages. Since 2019, over 7,600 Methodist congregations have disaffiliated over LGBTQ issues.
 

Please… don’t come back. Popular destinations grappling with over-tourism are taking steps to become less appealing; Venice just became the first city in the world to charge an entry free, the Japanese town of Fujikawaguchiko is erecting a screen to block views of Mt Fuji, and Barcelona removed a popular bus route from online apps to hide it from visitors.
 

In St. Louis, Missouri, the wheels on the bus aren’t going round and round. The St. Louis Public Schools district is offering to pay families to drive their kids to school after the district’s bus vendor faced service-disrupting walkouts over hate crime allegations. Rising tensions have the district looking for new options all through the town.
 

Half of a Texas dairy farm’s cats died after exposure to bird flu (H5N1) in raw milk. The current avian flu outbreak is the worst in U.S. history among birds and has infected 0.1% of cattle herds. While the findings raise concerns about mammal-to-mammal transmission, health agencies reiterate that human infection is “unlikely” and pasteurized milk is safe.
 

Ryan Garcia's left hook may have had a little extra juice. The boxer tested positive for the PED Ostarine (a drug that can stimulate muscle growth) the day before and the day of his high-profile win against opponent Devin Haney last month. Garcia has 10 days to request his backup sample be tested – if positive, the win stands to be overturned.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

Check out this impressive Japanese flower art…

What We’re Learning
How to read the Bible like a Seminary Professor*

What a treat! 

Dallas Theological Seminary has pulled footage from one of its most celebrated professors – Dr. Howard Hendricks, who passed in 2013 – teaching one of his most timeless courses… and made it available for free.

This course is designed for anyone who wants to:

• learn more about God’s Word and the truth it holds

• grow in your ability to read and interpret Scripture

• deepen your walk with the Lord by applying the Bible to your life

I just signed up (they send the first lecture instantly) and am adding this to my quiet time for the next week. Join me (did I mention it’s free)!

Jason Woodruff | Founder

What We’re Excited For
The free Untangle Your Emotions online Bible study*

Have you ever wished there were a little more Biblical clarity on how to deal with your emotions?

This summer, bestselling author Jennie Allen is walking through how to embrace and understand God’s intentional gift of emotions. In the free, six-video study, you’ll dive into scripture to study how people in the Bible — yes, including Jesus — dealt with emotions.

The course includes weekly emails, free videos, personal study resources (like prayer guides), access to an online community, and an exclusive Ask Me Anything with Jennie Allen herself. 

If your emotions feel tangled… sign up for this free Bible study. It starts June 10th – sign up today!