The Daily Briefing highlights the news of the day and research that reveals the spirit of the day.
The Daily Briefing is a newsletter sent straight to your inbox every morning that provides biblical insight on today's news.
Top News
6. Trump approves sale of more advanced Nvidia computer chips used in AI to China (AP)
“President Donald Trump said that he would allow Nvidia to sell an advanced type of computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. There have been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips to be sold to China as it could help the country better compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities, but there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
“The chip, known as the H200, is not Nvidia’s most advanced product. Those chips, called Blackwell and the upcoming Rubin, were not part of what Trump approved. Trump said on social media that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping about his decision and “President Xi responded positively!” This policy “will support American Jobs, strengthen U.S. Manufacturing, and benefit American Taxpayers,” Trump said in his post.”
In one moment, the Trump administration approved the sale of chips. In the next moment, they arrested businessmen for selling chips. On the same day they announced they would allow the selling of chips, 2 businessmen were arrested for allegedly "violating U.S. export control laws" in a scheme that attempted to smuggle Nvidia chips to China. In a press release, the DOJ said: “These chips are the building blocks of AI superiority and are integral to modern military applications. The country that controls these chips will control AI technology; the country that controls AI technology will control the future."
Will selling Beijing these chips create a sense of dependency within China, giving us more control? Just ask Google, eBay, or Uber, according to Ryan Fedasiuk of AEI. He writes: “These companies each entered China with cutting-edge technology and global market dominance. Beijing dangled access to 1.4 billion more consumers as the ultimate prize. Then, having acquired critical know-how through forced joint ventures, technology transfer mandates, and outright cyber espionage, China developed indigenous replacements and gradually excluded the foreign partners that enabled its rise.”
Keep your enemies close? There is Saul, and there is Mephibosheth… While Saul sought repeatedly to find opportunities to end David’s life, the grandson of Saul was blessed by David’s life. When Mephibosheth was 5 years old, his father, Jonathan, a dear friend of David’s, was killed in battle. After a number of years, David assumed the throne and showed great kindness to his close friend’s son, despite his grandfather wanting to end his life. In this instance, I don’t know if China will turn out to be more in the mold of Saul or Mephibosheth, but I do know our kindness to them shouldn’t lessen our carefulness around them. (2 Sam. 4, 9)
5. Illinois governor signs law seeking to limit immigration enforcement in state (WaPo)
“Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) on Tuesday signed into law a slate of measures that seek to limit immigration enforcement in the state as he pushes back on an aggressive federal campaign of mass deportations. The new law follows months of tension between state officials and President Donald Trump’s immigration authorities after the administration made Chicago a focal point of its crackdown.
“With my signature today, we are protecting people and institutions that belong here in Illinois. Dropping your kid off at day care, going to the doctor, or attending your classes should not be a life-altering task,” Pritzker said in a news release. The bill, signed in Chicago’s predominantly Latino Little Village neighborhood, extends protections for immigrant families and others impacted by federal immigration enforcement. It bans civil immigration arrests at state courthouses or within 1,000 feet of those facilities, and restricts what information Illinois hospitals, childcare centers and colleges can share with immigration authorities.”
Take It To The Limit? Not so fast, Eagles. While Gov. Pritzker is limiting what ICE can do, he is releasing who ICE has already detained. News emerged yesterday that Illinois has released 1,768 criminal aliens with active detainers since January 2025. ICE said the crimes tied to those offenders include homicides, assaults, burglaries, weapons offenses, and sexual-predatory crimes.
While much attention is given to the president, don’t sleep on the power of the governor. In their book The Power of American Governors, Thad Kousser and Justin Phillips document how state and local government total expenditures amount to $2.9 trillion. While less than the federal government ($4.3 trillion), nearly two-thirds of federal funds are transfers (to entities like state and local governments). When they make policy proposals in their State of the State addresses, governors largely get what they want, nearly 60 percent of the time. And when they propose budgets, the legislature accepts nearly 70 percent of their desired changes.
Leadership is a combination of influence and accountability, with the latter determining the quality of the whole. The vision of Nehemiah, the courage of Deborah, and the integrity of Joseph blessed those who followed after them. They both influenced their followers and were accountable to them. But then there was the passiveness of Eli, the pride of Rehoboam, and the insecurity of Saul. The lack of accountability had a detrimental impact on their followers' prosperity. In this instance, there is no question that Gov. Pritzker is exercising great influence over the state, but it remains an open question as to the quality of his accountability to the citizens of the state. (Neh. 2-4, Gen. 37, Judges 5, 1 Kings 12, 1 Sam. 4)
4. Trump says $12 billion bailout plan for farmers will come from tariff revenue (ABC News)
“President Donald Trump announced a total $12 billion in funding to help American farmers during an event on Monday, and said that it would come from tariff revenue. The package includes $11 billion in one-time payments to crop farmers through a new Department of Agriculture bridge payment program. The remaining funds will then go to other crops not covered by that program.
“The administration's new actions also come on the heels of the administration's $20 billion bailout of Argentina, a move many American farmers and lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle criticized… This fall, as China stopped buying all soybeans from U.S. farmers, it purchased soybeans from Argentina instead. So as the U.S. was giving a financial lifeline to Argentina, a country that directly benefited from the trade war, American farmers said they felt left behind.”
Tim McGraw isn’t the only one Down on the Farm… Through the first 9 months of 2025, farm bankruptcies rose by nearly 50 percent compared with the same period in 2024. However, for context, in 2021, the average income of all farm households was $135,281, which was 32 percent higher than the $102,316 average of all US households. USDA data shows that 69 percent of farms with yearly revenues of more than $100,000 receive federal subsidies. 50 people on the Forbes 400 list of the wealthiest Americans received farm subsidies between 1995 and 2014.
Tariffs are to economic growth what a bacon-cheeseburger is to weight loss, according to economist Robert Graboyes. He goes on: “You can lose weight in spite of a mega-cheeseburger-a-day habit, but, realistically, you’ll never lose weight because of that habit. Equivalently, economies can experience economic growth in spite of tariffs, but they never experience growth because of tariffs.”
From Ezra to Jesus in the gospel of Matthew, tariffs have been a tool used to generate revenue for the government and offer protection for certain businesses. However, real-world studies have consistently found that tariffs are borne by the citizens of the country that imposes them. Essentially, farmers are burdened by tariffs and are now being relieved with revenue generated from these tariffs. (Ezra 4, Mt. 17)
Cultural News
3. Who are the loneliest Americans? (USA Today)
“According to a newly released survey from AARP, adults aged 45 and older are lonelier than ever. The association surveyed around 3,300 Americans in August and found that 40% of them reported feeling lonely, a five percentage point increase from the last time the survey was conducted in 2018, and the first time the survey was conducted, in 2010.
“According to the survey, men are more likely to experience loneliness than women. While past surveys found that men and women were more even in loneliness, the difference between the two groups rose this year. For men, 42% of respondents reported feeling lonely, compared to 37% of female respondents reporting feeling lonely.
“Beyond that, finances also play a role in adult loneliness, with 63% of adults with annual incomes of less than $25,000 reporting feeling lonely. Those experiencing unemployment also see higher levels of loneliness, with 34% of retirees and 40% of working adults reportedly feeling lonely, compared 57% of unemployed adults reporting feeling isolated.”
Welcome to the century of solitude. Consider this pandemic/post-pandemic stat: Americans spent more time alone in 2023 than they did in 2021. From 2003 to 2023, in-person socializing plunged by more than 20 percent, according to the American Time Use Survey. And relative to the implications of this, a study found that 5-percentage-point increase in alone time was associated with about the same decline in life satisfaction as was a 10 percent lower household income.
Friendship requires solitude... A 1960s formula regarding the strengthening of friendly bonds identified something counterintuitive: friendship requires solitude. In the early stages, a friendship largely consists of sharing trivial information. Then, it transitions to sharing more private information until disclosure becomes easy. Finally, boundaries are established to position the friendship to flourish. However, the establishment of boundaries requires solitude, which is rare in this digital age. It's hard to draw lines with friends when you are constantly drawn to your friends via social media.
You are my friends… Speaking to his disciples, Jesus tied friendship with him to love for one another. As Frederick Buencher put it: “To be his friends, that is to say, we have to be each other's friends, conceivably even lay down our lives for each other. You never know. It is a high price to pay, and Jesus does not pretend otherwise, but the implication is that it's worth every cent.” (Jn. 15)
News You Can Use
2. Joe Jonas isn't the best parallel parker
Watch it here. “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” (1 Thess. 5:11)
1. Mom Explains to Son How a VHS Tape Works: 'Are You That Old?'
Watch it here. “Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days.” (Job 12:12)
