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. Suspect in Charlotte train stabbing facing federal charges, possible death penalty (ABC News)
“The suspect in the fatal stabbing of a Ukrainian woman on Charlotte's light rail system late last month is now facing federal charges that would make him eligible for the death penalty, according to the Justice Department. Decarlos Brown Jr., 34, who was arrested on Aug. 22 after he fatally stabbed 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, was charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Western District of North Carolina with committing an act causing death on a mass transportation system, which could make him eligible for the death penalty, the DOJ said on Tuesday.
"The outrage over the Charlotte killing is a part of a pattern in which President Trump and his allies highlight horrific crimes to bolster their case that the country is plagued by “American carnage,” as Mr. Trump put it in his first inaugural address, despite statistics that show crime is dropping. In Charlotte, overall crime was down by 8 percent in the first half of this year compared with the same period last year, according to the police, while violent crime was down by 25 percent."
Her death is tragic and illuminating. Enter the Fox News effect. This refers to the propensity of some media outlets to avoid featuring certain stories because Fox News is covering it. The latter’s emphasis on a story results in members of the former group disregarding it. In this instance, the story has expanded over the past few days, not just concerning the tragic murder of a woman but also the coverage of the murder.
This expanded story triggers our psychological immune system, according to Keith Payne. In his book Good Reasonable People, Payne writes how, similar to our biological immune system, the psychological system consists of a variety of processes we use to defend our sense of self as a good and reasonable member of our group. Drawing on motivated reasoning, we not only defend our sense of self but we also denigrate other groups, largely drawing on broad stereotypes. With regards to this story, the story is no longer about the tragic murder of an innocent girl, but the failed policies of the other side.
Wives for Benjamin… At the end of the book of Judges, we read how the leaders twisted the rules and failed to uphold the law in extraordinary ways, resulting in the slaughter of the people of Jabesh-gilead and the taking of Shiloh’s daughters. All of this was done to provide wives for the remaining men in the tribe of Benjamin. In this instance, some will, to a certain degree, rightfully complain about the coverage of the story, but we all can agree that the failure to enforce the law results in tragedies because evil individuals will break the law. (Judges 19-21)
5. Israel attacks Hamas leaders in Doha, drawing condemnation from Qatar over "cowardly strike" (CBS News)
“Israel's military said Tuesday that it had "conducted a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization," amid reports of large explosions in Qatar's capital city, Doha. Qatar's government quickly issued condemnation of what it called a "cowardly Israeli strike," which it said had violated international law.
“The Israel Defense Forces did not confirm the location of the strikes in its statement, but said it targeted leaders of Hamas who, in the IDF's words, had for years "led the terrorist organization's operations, are directly responsible for the brutal October 7 massacre, and have been orchestrating and managing the war against the State of Israel." The IDF subsequently confirmed to CBS News that its original statement referred to an operation carried out Tuesday in Doha, which it said was called "Summit of Fire."
“Hamas’s military wing claimed responsibility on Tuesday for a bus stop shooting a day earlier in Jerusalem that killed at least six people and wounded several others ahead of Israel’s anticipated offensive in Gaza.”
Who was reportedly killed? Writing for the Washington Examiner, David Harsanyi pointed to Khalil al-Hayya, who praised the rape of women and murder of children as “a source of pride for our people,” and bragged about using Palestinian civilians as “shields for the resistance.” Then there is Khaled Meshaal, one of the founders of modern Hamas whose net worth has ballooned somewhere to around $5 billion.
The CEO of Hamas, Zaher Jabarin, siphoned billions of international aid to the group and procured funding from Iran and Qatar. Jabarin is reportedly an expert in preparing explosive devices and explosive belts for suicide attacks. He led armed attacks against Israeli targets during the 1990s before his arrest by Israeli authorities in 1993. Finally there is Khaled Mashal, who promised the group would “repeat the October 7 attack time and again until Israel is annihilated.”
God does not desire any to perish -- whether that is one person or thousands of people at the hands of one person. Some will plan an attack or an assassination, but ultimately God’s ways trump our schemes. As Deuteronomy 32:39 says, “See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god beside me; I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand.”
4. Trump calls Epstein birthday letter a 'dead issue' (NBC News)
“President Donald Trump declined to discuss the letter to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein that House Democrats released on Monday, calling it a dead issue. "I don’t comment on something that’s a dead issue," Trump told NBC News in a brief phone call Tuesday morning. "I gave all comments to the staff. It’s a dead issue."
“Democrats on the House Oversight Committee posted on X an image of a lewd note Trump allegedly sent Epstein for his 50th birthday. The letter was part of a slew of documents released Monday, which stemmed from a subpoena the GOP-led committee sent to Epstein's estate. The president has denied that he wrote the letter. White House officials on Monday dismissed it, arguing that the signature did not match the president’s current signature. Earlier instances of the president’s signature, though, appear similar to the signature on the letter. Speaking to reporters outside a Washington restaurant Tuesday night, Trump again denied writing the letter, saying, “It’s not my signature, it’s not the way I speak.”
Is this the latest example of Trump Derangement Syndrome? Consider Miles’ Law. Coined by Rufus Miles, this refers to how an individual's perspective on an issue is often shaped by their position within an organization. Essentially, where you stand depends on where you sit…
For some, this represents ingroup favoritism. This is the tendency to show preference for and give better treatment to people within one’s social gorup. When a friend makes a mistake, they receive the benefit of the doubt, rationalizing away the error and/or extending grace.
For others, this is another example of outgroup derogation. While I give my friends grace, I give my enemies strict judgment. We are more likely to interpret neutral or even positive actions with suspicion. Armed with a pre-determined narrative, someone who exercises out-group derogation squeezes both bad and good facts into their story arc for that individual.
Be like Micaiah. He refused to share only what the king wanted to hear, so he was slapped by a fellow prophet. Because he stood tall, the lie didn’t move forward. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn was right: “You can resolve to live your life with integrity. And let your credo be this: Let the lie come into the world, let it even triumph. But not through me.” (1 Kings 22)
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Cultural News
3. Trump exhorts Americans to pray for U.S. ahead of 250th anniversary (WaPo)
“President Donald Trump bowed his head in prayer. He pledged to issue new federal guidance on protecting prayer in public schools. And then he launched an initiative imploring Americans to gather in groups of 10 to hold weekly prayers ahead of the celebration of the nation’s 250th anniversary. “America has always been a nation that believes in the power of prayer,” he said during remarks on Monday morning at the Museum of the Bible in Washington. “And we will never apologize for our faith. Ever, ever, never, never. We will never surrender our God-given rights.”
“The White House posted guidelines for prayer on its website, and potential New and Old Testament scriptures to read. They recommended that 1 million Americans dedicate one hour a week to praying for the country, providing a 22-page booklet branded by the White House with prayers and proclamations throughout American history. “To have a great nation, you have to have religion — I believe that so strongly,” Trump said. “There has to be something after we go through all of this, and that something is God.”
Living On A Prayer? You can sing that again, Bon Jovi. Roughly 44 percent of Americans say they pray each day. In 2007, that number was 58 percent. When it comes to the form of the prayer, 94 percent of those who prayed did so alone, with 82 percent being silent prayers and 13 percent being audible.
A recent study sought to determine the value of prayers after a tragedy. The researchers found that Christians in the experiment valued a prayer from a Christian stranger, on average, at $4.36. A prayer from a priest registered at $7.17. Non-religious people were willing to pay about $1.66 to avoid a prayer from a priest. On average, they would pay $3.54 to avoid one from a Christian stranger.
As Christians, we see prayers as a gift but some view our prayers as a burden. Some may not want us to pray with them, but we can still pray for them. Jesus loved us to death – literally. He gave his life for us, and we can consider ways to give our neighbors life in the midst of their particular season. (Lk. 5:22-24)
News You Can Use
2. Dad Sending His Kids to College
Watch it here. “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” (Eph. 6:4)
1. 35-Foot Sunflower in Indiana Sets New World Record
Watch it here. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” (1 Cor. 3:6-7)
