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U.S. NEWS

Cabinet

President-elect Trump’s cabinet picks are stirring the pot.

Chris Wright––founder of a multi-billion dollar fracking company––has been nominated for Energy Secretary, where he’s expected to accelerate fossil fuel development. There's an increasingly public battle for Treasury Secretary. 

Critics say 47-elect’s cabinet won’t be structurally sound, often citing his nominees’ lack of experience and non-traditional views (e.g., Defense Secretary nominee Peter Hegseth left the Army National Guard as a Major in 2021 and has advocated against women holding combat roles; Health and Human Services nominee RFK Jr. is an environmental lawyer who has criticized how the U.S. handles vaccines). Supporters say the non-traditional picks are just what is needed, often saying what’s historically been done “isn’t working.” 

President-elect Trump is pushing to fill his cabinet positions through “recess appointments,” which would temporarily bypass Senate confirmation hearings. 
 
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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Politicians rise and fall, stirring controversy and letting down supporters and critics alike. But our hope doesn’t rest on changing leadership––it rests in the Lord, who reigns with compassion, wisdom, and justice that never wavers. 

“But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for judgment. And he judges the world with righteousness; he executes judgment on the nations with fairness. The Lord is a refuge for the persecuted, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you because you have not abandoned those who seek you, Lord.”
Psalm 9:7–10 (CSB) (read full passage)

SPORTS

Buffering

Netflix’s latest live sports broadcast––the Tyson-Paul fight––wasn’t exactly a knockout.

A whopping 60 million+ households tuned in to see 27-year-old Jake Paul face off against 58-year-old Mike Tyson, but thousands ended up venting on social media, and millions turned to spectators’ live streams, due to buffering issues. Down Detector logged 85,000 complaints about the event, and Netflix acknowledged that the “mega-event” put their “systems on the ropes.” 

Ultimately,  YouTuber Prizefighter Paul won by unanimous decision after eight rounds… although critics called the “tough to watch” fight a “snooze.” Tyson showed flashes of aggression early, but, after the match, Paul said he never felt Tyson’s power. Both still cashed in big: Paul earned $40M; Tyson took home $20M. 

Now, Netflix hopes to get back in fighting shape before its upcoming NFL and WWE live events.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Whether we’re Youtubers, athletes, newsletter writers, teachers, plumbers, or anything in between, we have an opportunity every day to honor God in our work with the gifts He’s given us, and to show the love of Christ to those around us as we do.

“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.”
1 Corinthians 10:31 (CSB) (read full passage)

FROM OUR PARTNERS

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 $5,000; 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 (CSB) (read full passage)

WORLD NEWS

Strategic Target

New details are emerging about Israel’s retaliatory strike on Iran last month.

On October 25, Israel struck “military targets” across Iran and killed five Iranian service members. Recent U.S. intelligence revealed that the strike had a bigger impact than initially known: it completely leveled Iran’s tippy-top secret active nuclear weapons research facility called Taleghan 2. 

International allies had urged PM Netanyahu to avoid striking Iranian nuclear facilities for fear of triggering a wider war. But Taleghan 2 was not a registered part of Iran’s nuclear program, so it couldn’t acknowledge the significance of the attack without revealing the Islamic Republic’s nuclear non-proliferation treaty violation.

With the strike, Israel demonstrated insight into Iran’s most classified activities. To resume nuclear development, Iran would have to replace destroyed equipment, which will be nearly impossible to procure secretly.

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Verse to consider when global news makes you feel like you’re inside a spy movie… “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all those who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” 
1 Timothy 2:1-2 (CSB) (read full passage)

President Biden and China’s President Xi met for (likely) the last time at Peru’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Xi—already looking ahead to Trump's “America First” administration—emphasized that U.S.-China relations are vital for “the destiny of humanity.” Meanwhile, Biden took the opportunity to urge Xi to dissuade North Korea from deepening its support for Russia’s war on Ukraine.
 

A Southwest flight was “struck by gunfire near the cockpit” in Dallas on Friday night as it was preparing to take off for Indianapolis. There were 99 people on board, but no one was injured; the Boeing 737 returned to the terminal, and passengers deplaned while the city’s police and fire departments shut down the runway to investigate.
 

Conan O’Brien will host the 97th Academy Awards in March, giving four-time host Jimmy Kimmel a break. The 61-year-old comedian, famous for Late Night and Conan, joked, "America demanded it and now it's happening: Taco Bell's new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme… In other news, I'm hosting the Oscars." Academy officials dubbed him the “perfect” fit for the job.
 

President Biden has given Ukraine the green light to use long-range American weapons inside Russia, a significant reversal of U.S. policy and something Moscow previously said would constitute an act of war. The change allows Kyiv to use the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) in response to the deployment of 10,000 North Koreans for Russia’s war effort.
 

Granny dAIsy to the rescue. The UK’s largest mobile network has introduced a chatbot named dAIsy meant to frustrate phone scammers. She mimics an older woman with “all the time in the world” to ask scammers questions about the interwebs and chat about her cat Fluffy while fraudsters try to get her (fake) bank deets. Watch dAIsy at work.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

Serious drawing skills (on a potter’s wheel)…

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