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WORLD NEWS

Swapped

Yesterday, Turkey coordinated the most extensive, multi-country prisoner swap in decades.

Turkish officials said 16 prisoners held in Russia and Belarus were swapped for 10 prisoners held in the U.S., Germany, Poland, Slovenia, and Norway. Included were three Russian-held Americans—WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich (held since 2023), ex-Marine Paul Whelan (held since 2018), and radio journalist Alsu Kurmasheva (held since 2023)—whom the United States considered wrongly detained. (See the first photo of them freed.)

They were reunited with their families on American soil last night. 

Meanwhile, 13 freed prisoners were flown to Germany, and 10 were flown to Russia. Most notable among those released to Russia was Vadim Krasikov, a high-ranking member of Russia’s FSB intelligence service who was serving a life sentence for murdering a critic in a German park in broad daylight.

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
The promise of heaven does not remove the pains of this world, but it does give us hope, strength, and peace during life’s most difficult seasons. Join us in praying for healing, peace, and strength for those released, as well as for the many who remain wrongly imprisoned worldwide.

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock where I seek refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
Psalm 18:2 (CSB) (read full passage)

WORLD NEWS

Middle East Escalations

Three high-profile assassinations were announced in rapid succession this week. 

Israel claimed responsibility for killing Hamas’ military leader in a Gaza airstrike last month. Later, it said it killed Hezbollah’s most senior military commander in an airstrike on Beirut, Lebanon, on Tuesday in retaliation for the July 27 strike on The Golan Heights. 

Iran then announced that Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in Iran’s capital, Tehran, on Wednesday. The NYT reported that Haniyeh was killed by a remote-controlled bomb hidden months ago. Though Israel has not publicly claimed responsibility, Iran, who backs both Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza, ordered a direct retaliatory strike on Israel.

Meanwhile, reacting to an “imminent threat” to U.S. forces, the U.S. conducted an airstrike on the Iran-backed Kataib Hezbollah in Iraq, killing four militants.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Christians don’t need to gloss over evil to maintain our joy and hope. Our Savior Jesus confronted darkness directly and overcame it through his death and resurrection. Pray for the Middle East with renewed thankfulness for eternal hope in our dark world. 

“So you also have sorrow now. But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you. In that day you will not ask me anything. Truly I tell you, anything you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.… I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
John 16:22–23, 33 (CSB) (read full passage)

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POLITICS

Election Season

As you can tell by the ads... the 2024 campaign is heatin' up.

On Wednesday, former President Trump gave an interview before the National Association of Black Journalists in Chicago that started contentious and ended early. He criticized the host for asking questions “in a hostile manner” and sparked controversy discussing her heritage, saying VP Harris now “wants to be known as Black.”

A spokesperson for Harris, who is the daughter of a Jamaican father and an Indian mother, responded that Trump “cannot unite America, so he attempts to divide us.”

Speaking of Harris, she’s (almost) official. Democratic delegates began casting virtual votes to nominate VP Harris as their candidate—she's running unopposed. Harris has said her veepstakes will end no later than Tuesday, promising to appear at a Philadelphia rally with her running mate.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
During any election season, it’s easy to see the shortcomings of our opponents and cast ourselves in the right. When we find ourselves grumbling about others, we must remember to check our own hearts. 

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
Matthew 7:3-5 (CSB) (read full passage)

The sun rose in Paris. In similarly shocking news, Simone Biles and Katie Ledecky won gold medals. Biles won the women’s all-around, repeating her 2016 feat and earning her sixth gold. Defending champ/teammate Suni Lee took bronze. Ledecky became the most decorated U.S. female Olympian ever (13 medals), dominating the 1500m freestyle and grabbing silver in the 4x200.
 

Double-check your boar lunch meat. Following a deadly listeria outbreak, Boar’s Head is “immediately and voluntarily” expanding its recall to seven million pounds of liverwurst, ham, beef salami, bologna, and other ready-to-eat meats produced at a Virginia plant. The outbreak has claimed two lives and sickened nearly three dozen in 13 states. Check product numbers here.
 

Delta Airlines is lawyering up, saying it has “no choice” but to sue after CrowdStrike’s global IT outage cost the airline $500 million in lost revenue and customer compensation. In other airplane news, Boeing has appointed its new CEO, aerospace veteran Robert Ortberg, tasked with turning around the storied company after years of scandals, financial losses, and regulator scrutiny.
 

The Federal Reserve appears ready to cut interest rates soon. Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said Wednesday that interest rates could be cut “as soon as the next meeting in September;” a change from his typical vague-on-timing statements. Not to be outdone by some Yankees, the Bank of England cut interest rates yesterday for the first time since 2020.
 

The accused mastermind behind the 9/11 terror attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, has agreed to plead guilty alongside two accomplices in exchange for life sentences, avoiding the death penalty. Their trials were repeatedly delayed (evidence linked to “enhanced interrogation techniques,” like waterboarding, is inadmissible). Families of 9/11 victims were notified of the deal before the public via letters.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

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