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. Susan Crawford wins Wisconsin Supreme Court race, defying Elon Musk (NBC News)
“Susan Crawford has won a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, NBC News projects, allowing liberals to maintain their narrow majority on the battleground state’s highest court — and defying Elon Musk after he spent millions of dollars to oppose her.
“Crawford, a Dane County circuit judge who was backed by Democrats, secured a 10-year term on the court over Brad Schimel, a Waukesha County circuit judge and a former Republican attorney general. As the first major battleground state election of President Donald Trump’s second term, the technically nonpartisan contest became the most expensive state Supreme Court race in U.S. history.
“Republicans won the special elections Tuesday to fill two House seats in Florida, withstanding a well-funded effort by Democrats to flip the solidly red districts. In Florida’s 1st Congressional District, the state’s chief financial officer, Jimmy Patronis (R), defeated gun-control activist Gay Valimont (D), according to an Associated Press projection. And in the state’s 6th Congressional District, the AP projected that state Sen. Randy Fine (R) prevailed over teacher Josh Weil (D).
“The GOP margins of victory were notably smaller than when Trump carried each district by more than 30 percentage points in November. With almost all the votes counted in each contest, Fine was leading by 14 percentage points and Patronis by 15 points.”
Americans vote… a lot. We are invited to enter the ballot box to elect roughly 519,682 officials for national, state, and local offices — from the president to school board members. And this doesn’t even include the one-time propositions and other initiatives put to voters…
With the number of votes Americans take, are we reading too much into a special election? Is this really a referendum on a singular person or event? This propensity, popularized by Louis Althusser, is known as overdetermination. It describes a situation where an event or phenomenon is not caused by a single factor but by a complex interplay of multiple forces rather than a simple cause-and-effect relationship.
In his book American Covenant, Yuval Levin makes a compelling point about what differentiates the US from others. “Our form of government is distinct. In most other democracies, winning an election means controlling the agenda for a time. But in the American system, winning an election only grants you the ability to compete for such control with other actors in the system, some of whom have been elected by overlapping but not identical electorates, and all of whom can make their own claims to legitimate authority.”
Rendering to Caesar is more a picture than a window… Voting is less a window into your soul and more like a picture in your home. The window provides a more expansive view, unfortunately making your life more political than it likely needs to be. Whereas a picture is more limited in nature, serving as a snapshot in time and part of a larger room and an even larger house. We have been invited by God to love our neighbor through voting, rendering to Caesar that which is his. However, while the image of Caesar is on the coin, the image of God is on us. If voting was the only way to love your neighbor, that would be one revealing window. But voting is a way, not the only way, to love your neighbor, making it one compelling, yet limited, picture. (Mk. 12)
5. Justice Dept. says it will seek death for Luigi Mangione in UnitedHealthcare killing (WaPo)
“Attorney General Pam Bondi said she has directed federal prosecutors to seek capital punishment for the man accused of killing a health-care executive in Manhattan last year — the first time the Justice Department will pursue the death penalty during the Trump administration.
“Luigi Mangione is charged with fatally shooting UnitedHealthcare chief executive Brian Thompson while he was in New York attending a conference, leading to a high-profile manhunt. Mangione was captured days later eating at a fast-food restaurant in Pennsylvania.
“He faces state murder charges, but New York does not have the death penalty. He was also charged with murder in a federal complaint in December, although no indictment has been unsealed in federal court.”
This is a bold move, countering a twisted response… A recent survey found that more than 41 percent of respondents supported the Thompson assassination. That number seems unbelievable, but then you read about how a DC bar hosted a love letter event for Mangione, or you watch the SNL audience clap and cheer for the alleged murderer, and the number becomes a little more believable.
Is the death penalty a deterrent? One study found that each execution results, on average, in 18 fewer murders. Another study found that each execution deters an average of 14 murders annually. However, another study found that deterrence wasn’t rooted in the actual penalty (death) but rather the certainty of getting caught and punished in some form.
The shedding of blood requires some type of response, which is why God appoints leaders to wield the sword against those who do wrong. The state wields the sword to carry out justice, restrain evil, and, if necessary, utilize capital punishment. Opinions vary on the death penalty but there is no question that justice will be done, in heaven if not on Earth. (Rom. 13)
4. Cory Booker breaks modern record for longest speech from Senate floor (WaPo)
“Sen. Cory Booker (D-New Jersey) broke a record Tuesday night for the longest U.S. Senate floor speech of the modern era, surpassing Sen. Strom Thurmond’s 1957 remarks inside the chamber that lasted 24 hours. Booker began delivering remarks Monday evening, vowing to use his time to disrupt “the normal business of the United States Senate for as long as I am physically able” to protest President Donald Trump.
“In his concluding remarks, Booker characterized the situation facing the country as “a moral moment.” Booker received loud applause when he yielded the floor after being at the lectern for 25 hours and 5 minutes. “It’s not left or right. It’s right or wrong. It’s getting into ‘good trouble,’” he added, referencing the inspiration for his marathon speech — John Lewis, the late Democratic congressman and civil rights leader.”
The Black Crowes Talk To Angels and Sen Booker talked… a lot. This was the longest speech but not the most unique tactic. In August 1957, Sen. Strom Thurmond began a filibuster intended to prevent the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1957. He started speaking at 8:54 pm and lasted until 9:12 pm the following day, a duration of 24 hours and 18 minutes. According to a 2013 Vanity Fair review, Sen. Thurmond took steam baths every day to dehydrate himself so that he wouldn't have to leave the Senate chamber to use the bathroom.
Before Sen. Thurmond, there was the Tiger of the Senate. Sen. Wayne Morse set the old record back in 1953 protesting against the Submerged Lands Act, talking for more than 22 hours straight. His speech was long and his reputation was poor. For example, Clare Booth Luce had issues with Sen. Morse, commenting that he had been kicked in the head by a horse as a child. She was later forced to resign her newly confirmed ambassadorship.
Protests took on a variety of forms in the biblical narrative. Ezekiel laid on his side for more than a year to symbolize the sin of Israel. Abraham went back and forth with God in an attempt to spare Sodom and Gomorrah. And Jonah protested the plans of God by running from God. Protests are a lot like reading glasses: good ones bring clarity to chaos; bad ones only add to the chaos. (Ez. 4, Gen. 18, Jon. 1)
Cultural News
3. The fastest, most-accurate fast-food drive-throughs, and more! (WaPo)
“Before the pandemic, two-thirds of fast-food sales came through the drive-through window, according to Revenue Management Solutions…. That figure soared to 83 percent as lockdowns hit, and recently has settled back down to 63 percent. As prices soar and delivery proliferates, drive-through traffic continues to fall; by January it was down more than a quarter from its pre-pandemic level.
“In fact, long wait times at Chick-fil-A are the only constant in a fluctuating dataset. On average since 2016, Chick-fil-A and McDonald’s take the longest, while Dunkin’ and KFC have the shortest waits. Much of that has to do with popularity. Chick-fil-A had an average of five vehicles waiting to holler at the speaker (or tablet-wielding employee) in a given lane at a given time over the past five years, almost double second-place McDonalds.
“The Intouch Insight shoppers also measure how much of their order each chain got right. The Georgia-based chicken slingers consistently come in near the top on that one as well, with 92 percent accuracy since 2019. Burger King and McDonalds are next, with 88 percent, while KFC has struggled at 81 percent.”
Alan Jackson enjoys a Drive but does he enjoy a drive-through? We have entered into the era of “drive-through optimization.” Drive-through traffic increased 30 percent from 2019 to 2022. Meanwhile, the number of people eating inside fast-food restaurants in the first half of 2023 fell by 47 percent from the same period in 2019. Drive-throughs now account for two-thirds of all fast-food purchases.
Busyness has replaced leisure as a symbol of status, according to researchers. This is linked to the advancement of knowledge-intensive economies. “In such economies, individuals who possess the human capital characteristics that employers or clients value (e.g., competence and ambition) are expected to be in high demand and short supply on the job market. Thus, by telling others that we are busy and working all the time, we are implicitly suggesting that we are sought after, which enhances our perceived status.” In this increasingly “busy” world, there is great value in the convenience of fast food…
NT Wright once observed that when Jesus’ disciples were troubled and the Son of God himself was facing the prospect of death, he didn’t share a theory but rather offered them a meal. Sometimes a weary soul needs a hearty meal more than an intricate answer. The food may be coming out quicker, but don’t rush those meals with friends. (1 Pet. 4:8)
News You Can Use
2. Granddaughter shares video of grandparents' tender goodbye after 66 years together
Watch it here. “He who finds a wife finds a good thing.” (Pro. 18:22)
1. 'This is a miracle': Son saves his stepdad's life by using CPR learned in health class
Watch it here. “And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.” (Titus 3:14)
