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. Dolly Parton, Queen of Country Music, Dies at 80 (NY Times)
“Dolly Parton, a rags-to-riches daughter of Appalachia who for six decades ruled country music with an outsize personality and prairie wit that enshrined her as one of the 20th century’s most cherished American originals, died on Tuesday in Nashville. She was 80. Parton died “after bravely facing a brief battle with cancer,” her publicist Marcel Pariseau later said.
“Ms. Parton’s life, as depicted in autobiographical songs like “Coat of Many Colors” and “My Tennessee Mountain Home,” was the stuff of make-believe, from her hardscrabble beginnings in Appalachia to her glittering stardom in Nashville and beyond. The iconic “9 to 5” and “Jolene” singer sold more than 100 million records, successfully crossed over into Hollywood to earn multiple Golden Globe nominations, launched a theme park, and inspired countless country artists. She was also known for her philanthropic efforts to improve literacy, inspired by her father, who was illiterate. She was, quintessentially, a uniter of people. In 2019, The New York Times ran a story with the headline “Is There Anything We Can All Agree On? Yes: Dolly Parton.”
She told us you can’t make old friends, but a lot of us feel like we lost one yesterday. Her career spanned 6 decades and multiple industries, from duos with Elton John to T-Mobile commercials with Miley Cyrus. She had an affinity for asking obvious questions, like Do I Ever Cross Your Mind? Or Why’d You Come In Here Looking Like That? She knew the answer, and more than that, she knew we needed her voice to provide a soundtrack to pivotal moments in our own lives…
Dolly was delightfully disciplined, refusing to wade into the latest controversy that seemed to consume every waking moment. Others could give their opinion, but Dolly gave of herself. She brightened the futures of millions of kids by sparking a love of reading. She shared her sunshine of optimism during times of loss for our country. Essentially, she didn’t just sing I Will Always Love You, she did it.
Her grandfather was a preacher, and she was a saint, blessing the world with her music and her life. “God is my co-writer and my co-pilot. Anything that I do, I always keep God first and foremost because I feel like that’s where I draw my strength.” Dolly Parton is resting in peace this morning, and sadly, we no longer have a great source of peace with her passing. We lost the treasure that gave us Islands in the Stream, but her life reminded us that no man is an island. (Mt. 25)
5. Sen. Darline Graham of South Carolina, with Trump’s backing, wins GOP nomination to run for a full term (WaPo)
“Sen. Darline Graham won a special primary runoff in South Carolina on Tuesday, securing her spot in the November election for a full six-year term and notching a high-profile win for President Donald Trump’s struggling endorsement streak. Graham, the sister of the late Lindsey Graham, defeated Rep. Ralph Norman after receiving Trump’s backing and benefiting from the president’s rallying in South Carolina and dipping into his political super PAC to boost her campaign.
“Trump backed Graham for the full term after the state’s governor, a Republican, appointed her to temporarily fill the seat shortly after her brother’s death last month. The race sharply divided conservatives in South Carolina and beyond, with many endorsing Norman despite Trump’s pick. Unlike in the state’s gubernatorial primary in June — when Trump initially endorsed Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, who ultimately failed to gain traction with a majority of GOP voters — this time, the president was motivated to get his candidate over the finish line.”
REM is Losing My Religion but is Pres. Trump losing his influence? This year alone, 10 candidates Pres. Trump endorsed lost their races, matching 2018, 2020, and 2024 combined. However, this wasn’t one of those losses…
Influence is less about a person and more about the connections between people, according to a fascinating study out of Yale. When social ties cluster too heavily around a few central influencers, large-scale behavior change actually stalls out. Behavior changes require social reinforcement from multiple peers—not just a single top-down stamp of approval. Without those critical peer-to-peer interconnections, new ideas get trapped in isolated silos instead of rippling through the crowd.
Many will attempt to influence you, but the Scriptures should guide you. There are influential figures, like Priscilla, who can lead you in the right direction. And there are also individuals like Rehoboam, whose influence proved to be detrimental. At the core, the biblical narrative trumps the political narrative relative to influence. We are more than players in a political square but kingdom builders with a view of eternity. It is better to be out of step with others if that means you are walking in faith with your King. (Mt. 5:38-42, Jn. 13:33-35, 2 Cor. 5)
4. 49ers owner pleads no contest to two misdemeanor charges in Ohio (ABC News)
“San Francisco 49ers owner Jed York was arrested over the weekend in Ohio and pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and possessing criminal tools. York was arrested Sunday morning at a mobile home community in East Palestine, Ohio, and was released after posting a $5,000 bond. York used a pseudonym and responded multiple times to a fictitious ad for a prostitute prior to his arrest in Ohio over the weekend, according to an incident report obtained Tuesday by ESPN.
“Court records show that York initially was charged with engaging in prostitution, but prosecutors amended that to disorderly conduct. Records also show that York had a cellphone returned to him and that $160 that was seized was to be given to the Mahoning Valley Human Trafficking Task Force as part of the plea agreement. York also completed on online course.”
Is prostitution like making a Subway sandwich? Sex work is having a moment, with various influential cultural figures, like John Oliver and Bill Maher, making an argument for it. In an impassioned segment a few years back, Oliver declared, “Sex work is inarguably labor. It is a job. And people do it for the same reason people do any job.”
The US has witnessed a dramatic growth in the commercial sex industry, according to the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law. Internet technology has led to a rise in such things as escort services, allowing more Americans to purchase adult material and sexual services from private spaces than before.
Equating sex work to a Subway employee is like offering a drink to an alcoholic. Research indicates that when prostitution becomes decriminalized or legalized, the market expands, increasing both demand and the flow of trafficking. Consider Germany. Sex tourism boomed with an estimated one million men buying sex each day. However, sex-trafficking cases also increased significantly in Germany following legalization.
Similar to Amnon, a growing number of Americans are looking for Tamars (2 Sam. 13). However, as we know to be true, people aren't objects to be used but image-bearers to be loved. Tragically, we can’t always hear Tamar’s cry, but thankfully God does.
Cultural News
3. Target pulls 'offensive' Halloween costume critics accused of evoking blackface: 'We are deeply sorry' (Fox News)
“Target has apologized for a circus clown Halloween costume that critics accused of evoking blackface and 19th-century minstrel shows following online backlash. The costume was sold as the "Kids' Glows Under Blacklight Circus Clown Halloween Costume," according to the since-deleted listing.
“Target removed the "offensive" costume and said that it should never have been featured in its stores. "As a company, we know we got this wrong, and we are deeply sorry. The costume is offensive and should never have been part of our assortment. It is no longer available for sale," company spokesperson Brian Harper-Tibaldo said in a statement to FOX Business. "We know this is especially hurtful for our Black guests, team members and partners. Removing the costume is an important first step, and the company is looking closely at how this happened and what needs to change to ensure this won’t happen again," he continued.”
People don’t change easily, or heal quickly, according to Danya Ruttenberg. In her book On Repentance and Repair, Ruttenberg asserts that there has been a historical tendency in the US to emphasize the need to forgive wrongs more than to repair or right a wrong. “Repentance is not dependent on receiving forgiveness—the perpetrator can do the work and free themselves of their obligations regardless of their victim’s response.”
Drawing on the work of Maimonides, Ruttenberg identifies the 5 components to repentance: naming and owning the harm (reveals accepantce of responsibility); starting to change (involves commitment to stop doing the harmful behavior); restitution and accepting consequences (being open to receiving the ramifications from the wrong behavior); apologize (in the presence of others, owning the wrong behavior and committing to perpetuating the right behavior); and making different choices (providing evidence through actions of living right). “Forgiveness is a gift, and it is wrong to demand it of victims.”
As Christians, we find mercy in confession and show grace in error (Pro. 28:13, Col. 3:13). John Maxwell put it well: “An individual must be big enough to admit their mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.”
News You Can Use
2. Cat steps into record book with 29 toes
Watch it here. “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Ps. 139:14)
1. My favorite clip of Dolly.
Watch it here. “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms.” (1 Pet. 4:10)
