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U.S. NEWS

NYC Manhunt

UnitedHealthcare’s CEO Brian Thompson was fatally shot Wednesday morning.

The masked gunman waited outside Thompson’s hotel in Midtown Manhattan for several minutes before firing at him from 20 feet away in what police called a “brazen and targeted” attack.

The suspect––a white male wearing a black hoodie, face mask, gray backpack, and white sneakers––fled on foot and was last seen in Central Park on an electric bike. Authorities have released photographs and are offering a $10,000 reward for information leading to the shooter’s arrest; they do not believe the public is in danger.

Detectives found a phone and water bottle, and they discovered the words “deny,” “defend,” and “depose” written on bullet casings. Thompson’s wife said he had received threats––believed to be over denied insurance claims––though a motive for the shooting is unclear. 

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
While mourning with victims and praying for our enemies, Christians have hope in the face of a violent world. The servant of God, who himself did no violence, has been afflicted by his Father on our behalf so that we can live in the Lord’s peaceful presence forever. 

“Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains; but we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.”  
Isaiah 53:4-5 (CSB) (read full passage)

U.S. NEWS

Admin Assembly

President-elect Trump’s administration continues to take shape.

Trump announced a fresh wave of nominees this week, including Fiserv CEO Frank Bisignano for Social Security, billionaire entrepreneur and civilian spacewalker Jared Isaacman for NASA, and former Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) to lead the Small Business Administration. 

#47’s transition team also agreed to the typical FBI background checks for cabinet nominees after weeks of declining, following pressure from Senate Republicans. 

Meanwhile, Pete Hegseth, tapped for Defense Secretary, is doing reputation rehab after weeks of public scrutiny. He appeared on The Megyn Kelly Show denying alcohol abuse allegations and a 2017 rape accusation, while his mom joined the effort on Fox News. Trump is reportedly considering names to replace Hegseth, including Gov. DeSantis (R-FL), Sen. Ernst (R-IA), and Sen. Hagerty (R-TN). Still, Hegseth assured Kelly that Trump has his back.

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Verse to consider amidst political controversies… “Be compassionate and humble, not paying back evil for evil or insult for insult but, on the contrary, giving a blessing... For the one who wants to love life and to see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit, and let him turn away from evil and do what is good. Let him seek peace and pursue it, because the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer.” 
1 Peter 3:8-12 (CSB) (read full passage)

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WORLD NEWS

Oh, Là Là

The French government crumbled like an overbaked croissant on Wednesday.

An unlikely alliance of leftwing and far-right lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to support a no-confidence motion, ousting Prime Minister Barnier after only three months in office. Moderate-conservative Barnier didn’t have many allies in the ideologically divided Parliament, and MPs didn’t appreciate the PM using special constitutional powers to force a budget bill through Parliament without a vote.

Now, the shortest-tenured PM in French history will tender his resignation. But elections can’t take place until summer, so Barnier is expected to serve as caretaker PM in the meantime.

President Yoon of South Korea may soon be booted from office, too. Following Tuesday’s surprise and short-lived declaration of martial law, the opposition submitted a motion to impeach; the defense minister who recommended the unpopular decision has already resigned.

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Verse to consider when an exciting opportunity doesn’t go as you planned… “Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! I say, ‘The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him.’”
Lamentations 3:22-24 (CSB) (read full passage)

Bitcoin crossed a major milestone on its journey #tothemoon. Bitcoin surpassed $100,000 for the first time on Wednesday night following President-elect Trump’s pick of Paul Atkins, a crypto-friendly former regulator, to lead the SEC. Bitcoin has surged 40% since Trump’s win in November; he campaigned on making the U.S. the world’s “crypto capital.”
 

The seating chart is finally settled in the House. A narrow win for Adam Grey (D-CA) in the last outstanding race secures a 220-215 red-seat majority. The trifecta of GOP control probably won’t be a total trample for the elephants; three red seats will be vacant initially due to cabinet nods, so Republicans can’t afford to lose a single vote.
 

The Supreme Court seems poised to uphold Tennessee’s ban on transgender medical intervention for minors. The DOJ argued the law banning interventions like puberty blockers and hormone treatments for minors amounts to sexual discrimination. Tennessee’s Solicitor General argued the law protects minors from “risky, unproven medical interventions” that carry “irreversible” effects. The Supremes’ final decision is expected this summer.
 

Google found another thing AI does better than humans (sorry): weather forecasting. GenCast analyzes tons of real weather data, then predicts the next most likely weather pattern… and it was better than the current best forecast 97% of the time. Forecasters are buzzing about the possibilities for things like natural disaster preparation and wind turbine efficiency.
 

‘Tis the Spotify Wrapped Season, and once again, Taylor Swift is the most-played artist of 2024. With over 26.6 billion streams, Swifties dominated globally, followed by The Weeknd, Bad Bunny, Drake, and Billie Eilish. Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso” claimed the top song, while The Joe Rogan Experience claimed the global top podcast (for the fifth consecutive year).

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

Check out these unphotogenic pets…

How We’re Ending the Year Generously
By donating to Operation Blessing*

When crisis strikes, hope can’t wait. And Operation Blessing (OB) is ever-ready to provide strategic, ongoing relief through core programs—disaster relief, medical care, hunger relief, and clean water—thanks to generous partners devoted to being God’s hands and feet in the world. 

Every dollar donated to OB creates lasting change, and right now, every dollar given through year-end will be matched up to $125,000, doubling your impact and doubling OB’s ability to empower people in need through compassionate, Christ-centered relief and development programs.

Support Operation Blessing’s mission of bringing help and hope to a hurting world by donating to their “Where Needed Most” fund today.

How We’re Cleaning Up after Black Friday
With Incogni*

How many times did you enter your email to snag that sale last week? 

More online shopping means more data collection, which means more spam calls/texts, identity theft, and phishing. Oof. To shop safer next time, you can avoid public Wifi, provide the minimum personal info, and disable tracking… but to reverse the damage of the data-sharing binge, we recommend Incogni.

Incogni communicates with data brokers to remove your info from their databases, keeping things like your SSN, physical address, phone number, or email address private. 

Protect your family’s data as you shop this year. Use code POUROVER for 58% off annual plans!

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Our Christmas Gift Guide features 18 small businesses from your fellow TPO Readers. So… whatcha waiting for? Support small Christian businesses this year!