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POLITICS

Third Time’s the Charm

Congress has passed… 81 days of relief from the words "government shutdown."

On Friday evening, the House voted 366-34 to approve Speaker Johnson’s third attempt at a stopgap funding bill after the original bipartisan proposal exploded Wednesday; the Senate said “yay” just after midnight, and President Biden signed early Saturday. Technically, they missed the deadline by a few hours, but there was no disruption to any government services. 

The bill funds the government until March 14th, providing $100 billion in disaster relief, $10 billion in agricultural aid, and reconstruction money for Baltimore’s Key Bridge. President-elect Trump’s eleventh-hour request to extend the debt limit didn’t make the cut. 

Speaker Johnson (R-LA)—whose grip on the gavel may not last through January—called the compromise “a good outcome”; Democrats are bracing for “chaos” in 2025’s GOP-led Congress.

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CHOOSE HUMILITY
It’s easy to throw stones at Congress… But how are the budget conversations at your own house? In all your discussions, demonstrate faith and contentment in Christ through patience and compromises that outdo one another in showing honor and love.

“Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another.”
Romans 12:10 (CSB) (read full passage)

SPORTS

Playoff Snooze

The 2024-25 College Football Playoffs kicked off with a whimper this weekend.

In the 12-team playoff debut Friday night, #7 Notre Dame cruised past #10 Indiana, earning the Irish a Sugar Bowl date with #2 Georgia on New Year’s Day. 

Then, Saturday, #6 Penn State dominated #11 SMU, 38-10, securing the Nittany Lions a NYE Fiesta Bowl matchup with #3 Boise State.  #5 Texas handled #12 Clemson and will head to the Peach Bowl to face #4 Arizona State. Finally, keeping fans off the edge of their seats, #8 Ohio State stomped #9, 42-17, sending the Buckeyes to face Oregon in the Rose Bowl. (See full playoff bracket.)

The blowout-filled weekend reignited controversy over whether the Playoff Selection Committee put the right teams in the ring or whether the 12-team format itself is too big.

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Verse to consider whether your team blows out, gets blown out, or you’d rather just watch Home Alone and drink hot chocolate for the 27th time this season… “Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (CSB) (read full passage)

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WORLD NEWS

Christmas Market Attack

Germany is mourning a Friday evening attack.

A man drove his car through a crowded Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg, killing five people—including a 9-year-old—and injuring 200. The suspect, a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia, was arrested at the scene and charged with murder and attempted murder. He’s lived in Germany for two decades and was active on X (formerly Twitter), where he frequently criticized German authorities and Islam; the attack’s motive is still under investigation. 

Germany’s government is facing criticism for their lack of intervention after Saudi officials claimed they warned German authorities four times in two years to keep an eye on the suspect. 

The tragedy comes eight years after a similar attack that killed 12 at a Christmas market in Berlin.

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ETERNAL 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)

The White House is tossing IOUs on the yule logs. Secretary of Education Cardona announced Friday that $4.3B in student loans would be forgiven for 54,900 debtors who work in public service—part of continued updates to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. It brings the Biden admin’s student debt forgiveness to a record total of $180B for 4.9M people.
 

Unionized Starbucks workers in Seattle, Chicago, and LA went on strike Friday, demanding better pay and staffing. Representing over 10,000 green-aproned employees at 500+ stores, the union vowed to escalate the strike—already its biggest yet—daily until Christmas Eve. Workers argue the coffee giant has room for milk; its new CEO could earn $100M in his first year.
 

Uncle Sam is callin’ off the bounty hunters. The U.S. is removing a $10M reward for the leader of the Syrian rebel group HTS—Ahmed al-Sharaa—after al-Sharaa met with American diplomats and promised that terrorists wouldn’t gain ground in Syria. Previously known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, al-Sharaa reportedly cut ties with Al Qaeda in 2016 and is positioning himself as a “pragmatic” moderate.
 

A last-minute gift from the Capitol… The Senate passed the Social Security Fairness Act Saturday, a bipartisan bill to boost Social Security benefits for more than 3 million retired public sector workers. The act eliminates two policies that previously limited benefits for people who receive pensions from state/local governments—like teachers, firefighters, and police—but has raised concerns over future Social Security funding.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

London’s Christmas tree vs. New York’s Christmas tree….

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