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. Congress veers toward government shutdown after GOP revolt led by Trump, Musk (CBS News)
“The federal government moved closer to a weekend shutdown Thursday, after the House overwhelmingly voted down Speaker Mike Johnson’s new plan to extend the deadline despite support from President-elect Donald Trump and his billionaire adviser Elon Musk.
“The GOP proposal would have extended federal operations into mid-March, sent more than $100 billion to natural-disaster survivors and suspended the country’s borrowing limit for two years. But it needed the support of two-thirds of the House to pass, and it went down by a 235-174 vote, with one member voting present. It wasn’t clear Thursday night what the next move will be.
“Johnson spent the day negotiating the new plan with his fellow Republicans, after Trump and Musk rallied the GOP on Wednesday against a bipartisan proposal that Johnson had worked out with Democrats earlier. Democrats — furious over Musk’s push to get the GOP to abandon the previous deal — refused to cooperate on Thursday with Johnson, who needed their support for the measure because some hard-line Republican lawmakers still opposed the new plan.”
I’ve Got The Power – an 80s pop group sung it but who really has it? Speaker Johnson? President-elect Trump? Elon Musk? Pres. Biden? And what type of power do they have? In 1959, John French and Bertram Raven identified 5 bases of power: legitimate, reward, expert, referent, and coercive.
Legitimate entails a person has the formal right to make demands, and others are expected to be compliant (government official, police officer, etc.); reward concerns compensating someone for compliance (raises, promotions, compliments, etc.); expert is based on a person’s skill or knowledge, with the person exerting influence due to insight; referent consists of a person’s attractiveness, worthiness, or respect (celebrities, influencer, etc.); and coercive power comes from the ability to punish someone for noncompliance. In this instance, it appears reward and coercive power are at work.
How can we achieve success in negotiations? Find your seat, pass the bread, and open the blinds. A study out of Columbia Business School found that “the challenge of negotiation is compounded by the fact that people often don’t know how others see their assertiveness.” Essentially, know yourself and be yourself; not a Corleone. Concerning the bread, research has shown that dining together significantly increases the chances for success. And relative to the blinds, keep your options (and the windows on a beautiful day) open. The more options, the greater the bargaining power.
From Jacob to Abraham, we come from a long line of shrewd negotiators. Our shrewdness isn’t rooted in selfishness but rather in stewardship, in the position we have and the power we hold. We have been entrusted with resources, which we will one day have to give an account for. This doesn’t preclude you from using your power, but it should prompt you to be cautious so as not to abuse your power. (Pro. 15:21, 13:16, Gen. 30, 18)
5. Georgia court disqualifies DA Fani Willis in Trump's election racketeering case (USA Today)
“A divided Georgia Court of Appeals disqualified the prosecutor in President-elect Donald Trump's state election racketeering case on Thursday, ruling Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis carried the appearance of impropriety in her decisions about who to prosecute and what charges to bring.
“Willis had acknowledged a romantic relationship with a special counsel she hired onto the case, Nathan Wade. After fiery hearings earlier this year, Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee ruled Willis showed "a tremendous lapse in judgment" but that she could remain on the case. The court said while it recognizes that "an appearance of impropriety generally is not enough to support disqualification, this is the rare case in which disqualification is mandated and no other remedy will suffice to restore public confidence in the integrity of these proceedings."
There are 2 distinctive stories relative to the loss of trust here in the US, according to a new study: ideological and social. The first story of distrust is a familiar one, largely concerned with the “us vs. them” skepticism that corresponds to ideology and partisanship. Research has shown that we have greater levels of distrust for those who don’t hold the same ideology.
Then there is the social story of distrust. This is rooted in experiences of belonging, dignity, and equality. This distrust is found more locally than nationally, illuminating failures to live up to expectations in the places we live and the relationships we hold. Trust requires integrity, and when someone or something doesn’t fulfill their commitment, distrust creeps in.
Trust is valuable and fragile. We easily break it and safely guard it; we quickly lose it and slowly earn it. Gideon, Thomas, and Peter lacked trust at moments in their lives. Yet God was patient with Gideon, persistent with Peter, and gracious with Thomas. Fani Willis lost the trust of the public, which isn’t to say she can’t earn it back, but it does reveal an enduring truth: it’s hard to discover the truth and share the truth when you can’t be trusted. (Judges 6, Jn. 21, 20)
4. U.S. deportations at highest level since 2014, ICE report shows (WaPo)
“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported 271,484 immigrants to nearly 200 countries last fiscal year, the highest tally in a decade, according to the agency’s annual report published Thursday. Deportations by ICE during Trump’s first term peaked at 267,260 during the 2019 fiscal year, data show. Under Trump, deportees were more likely to be individuals arrested in the interior of the United States, rather than recent border-crossers.
“Federal immigration officials said several factors drove the overall increase in Enforcement and Removal Operations during the past year, particularly to El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, which accepted more flights transporting those deported from the United States.”
This was a big number, but not the biggest number. I apologize for the terminology but consider Operation Wetback. Implemented in 1954 under the Eisenhower administration, this program is considered to be the largest mass deportation of undocumented workers in United States history. As many as 1.3 million people were subjected to military-style tactics to remove Mexican immigrants—some of them American citizens—from the US. They were shoved into buses, boats, and planes and sent back to alleviate the labor shortage.
Then there was the “Mexican repatriation” efforts from 1929 to 1936. During the times of the Great Depression and Pres. Hoover, there was pressure to increase employment and ease any strain on the social safety net. A slogan from Hoover during that time promised, “American jobs for real Americans.” Some consider these efforts to be the largest deporation event, with an estimated 1.8 million people deported. However, there are some estimates that indicate roughly 60 percent of the people deported were American citizens.
Remember King Shallum. In the Scriptures, we read how the government is “God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.” The government doesn’t show favor toward one group but works so that all groups may live “peaceful and quiet lives.” In Jeremiah, when speaking to King Shallum, God reminds the king about the dangers of allowing lawlessness to normalize. In this instance, while some have come to the US to find peace, they have ended up disturbing the larger peace. (Rom. 13, Jer. 22, 1 Tim. 2)
Cultural News
3. Study finds Pittsburgh among the best cities in America to celebrate Christmas (CBS News)
“With the Christmas holiday just one week away, a new study from WalletHub took a look at the best cities in the United States to celebrate. So, if you're a Pittsburgher and you've got Christmas cheer, good news - according to the study, we're the second-best city in the U.S. to celebrate the holiday! WalletHub's study (click here to access the full list) considered several factors in the study including things such as the number of affordable, high-quality restaurants, average beverage prices, restaurant costs, the number of food banks per capita, and online giving. According to WalletHub, Americans are projected to spend nearly $1 trillion from November 1 until December 31 this year.
"Pittsburgh is the second-best place for celebrating Christmas in 2024, in part because it's a great place for getting treats and presents," the study read. "Pittsburgh is among the top cities when it comes to the number of candy stores and chocolatiers per capita, and it has the third-lowest average price for a bottle of wine."
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas… But how? Research shows that there are 7 primary experiences attached to the contemporary Christmas holiday: spending time with family; participating in religious activities; maintaining traditions; spending money on others to buy gifts; receiving gifts from others; helping others; and enjoying the sensual aspects of the holiday (good food and drink, rest, etc.).
John Gottman calls these holiday experiences “rituals of connection.” Similar to traditions, these rituals anchor a family by being mindful of the past and anticipating a future together. Rituals include activities such as attending a Christmas Eve candlelight service, participating in a meal with family and friends, or adding a unique twist to the exchanging of gifts. At the core, rituals thicken the bonds between individuals.
Be less like the innkeeper and more like an animal this Christmas – the former didn’t have room for Jesus but the latter made room for the son of God. In the frenzy of giving gifts this holiday season, don’t forget about the greatest gift ever given -- the reason for the season. (Phil. 3:1)
News You Can Use
2. Every sports talk radio show on the “Is Die Hard a Christmas movie?” debate
Watch it here. “When words are many, transgression is not lacking, but whoever restrains his lips is prudent.” (Pro. 10:19)
1. 18 children find forever homes just in time for the holidays
Watch it here. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27)
