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WORLD NEWS

Wait, What?

The U.S. and Israel aren’t on the same page.

The confusion started Tuesday with video of Israeli PM Netanyahu posted on X saying, in English, that the U.S. “has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel." The White House’s Press Secretary responded that they “genuinely do not know what he is talking about,” noting that they’ve only paused one weapons shipment since the start of the war, while billions of dollars worth of weapons have been delivered.

Reports of cancelled meetings between U.S. and Israeli officials prompted a White House statement that no meeting had been officially scheduled. 

Meanwhile, Lebanon-based Hezbollah’s leader issued a televised message, claiming that his group has “new weapons” and warning that war between them and Israel would have “no rules and with no red lines.”

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
War and the evil it exposes are a terrible reminder that the world is not as it should be. Seek peace where you are and trust that the Lord will end all war in his perfect timing. 

“Nations rage, kingdoms topple; the earth melts when he lifts his voice. The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold… Come, see the works of the Lord, who brings devastation on the earth.”
Psalm 46:6–7, 9 (CSB) (read full passage)

OLYMPICS 2024

Paris 2024

The Olympic flame isn’t in Paris yet, but the excitement has begun.

From July 26 to August 11, Paris will become the center of the sports world, hosting millions of spectators for the 2024 Olympic Games. Around 10,500 athletes across 32 sports will compete in 350,000 hours of TV broadcast, watched by billions worldwide. But first, Americans are racing (and leaping) for the coveted spots on Team USA.

This week, record-breaking crowds in Indianapolis watched swim trials inside a converted NFL stadium. Backstroker Ryan Murphy, undefeated 1500-free legend Katie Ledecky, and veteran Caeleb Dressel clinched their spots on America’s roster.

Track & field trials take off today at the University of Oregon, where Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson (sidelined before Tokyo after a failed marijuana test) begin their bids for fastest man and woman on earth.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Sports can teach us a lot about everyday life—the value of teamwork, perseverance, and even loyalty as a fan. The commitment of athletes to their sport encourages us to press on as we seek to win an “imperishable crown” at the end of our faith journey, and the joy of fans for their team can give us a foretaste of the greatest celebration in history. 

“Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown.”
1 Corinthians 9:25 (CSB) (read full passage)

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WEATHER

Heat & Rain

The dog days of summer have Americans panting. 

Yesterday was the summer solstice, the longest day of the year (for people in the northern hemisphere of our tilty planet). It marked the first official day of summer, whose least-desirable weather patterns arrived early.

Blistering heat across the Midwest and East Coast is expected to continue into the weekend, placing millions under heat advisories. Meanwhile, wildfires are blazing in Arizona, California, and New Mexico. Governors have declared states of emergency, thousands have been forced to evacuate, and at least two people have died.

Texas and Mexico met Alberto, the first named storm of what’s expected to be a busy hurricane season. Officials in Mexico downplayed the damage Alberto brought, instead celebrating the storm for bringing much-needed rain across the drought-stricken country.

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Verse to consider when reminded of nature’s power… “The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey him!’”
Matthew 8:27 (CSB) (read full passage)

Russia and North Korea are getting cozy. Their leaders, Putin and Kim, announced a surprise “mutual assistance” agreement in the event either country is attacked, tightening their alliance in the face of heavy international sanctions. The agreement came during Russian President Putin’s first visit to North Korea in 24 years, which was jam-packed with parades and gift exchanges. 
 

Thou shalt hang this poster. A new law made Louisiana the first state to mandate that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public school classroom. Posters with the Commandments and context describing their “historical significance” are required decoration by the start of 2025. Critics have questioned the law’s constitutionality and vowed to challenge it in court.

 
The fasten seatbelt sign is still on at Boeing. On Wednesday, the families of 346 people killed in 737 MAX crashes sent a letter asking the DOJ to criminally prosecute and fine Boeing $24B for “the deadliest corporate crime in U.S. history.” This was just one day after the aerospace giant’s CEO was grilled in a turbulent Senate hearing. 
 

Disney’s Pixar Studios is feeling Joy Sadness Happine$$ about the success of Inside Out 2, the sequel to the 2015 hit about a girl’s emotional life. IO2—in which Riley is now 13 and visited by four new emotions—set a Juneteenth box office record and is the biggest box office success of any kind since last summer’s Barbie. 
 

The “Say Hey Kid” is gone. Willie Mays, widely considered to be the greatest center fielder ever, died Wednesday at the age of 93. His jaw-dropping catch in the 1954 World Series (worth watching) remains an all-timer, he appeared in 24 All-Star games, won 12 Gold Gloves, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

The wild domesticated west…

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