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. Record-long Department of Homeland Security shutdown ends (NBC News)
“The House on Thursday approved a Senate-passed bill that would fund much of the Department of Homeland Security, ending the record 75-day shutdown of the sprawling federal agency. President Donald Trump, who had urged lawmakers to pass the bill, signed the measure into law Thursday afternoon, funding DHS agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard, the Transportation Security Administration and the Secret Service through the end of September.
“The House's action came right against a critical deadline. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin had warned lawmakers that if they did not pass funding by Thursday, emergency funding would run out and thousands of workers would not be paid.
“The House and the Senate also passed a short-term bill to prevent a key foreign spying program, known as FISA Section 702, from expiring Thursday. Members of both parties said it would be devastating for national security if authorization for the program expired. Congress agreed to a 45-day extension for FISA before it departed for a weeklong recess. Trump signed the measure into law Thursday evening.”
Pain is less a source of frustration and more a lesson to be learned, according to Ray Dalio. In his book Principles, Dalio writes: “Instead of feeling frustrated or overwhelmed, I saw pain as nature’s reminder that there is something important for me to learn.” In this instance, the pain of a shutdown yielded lessons about funding prioritization. “Every time you confront something painful, you are at a potentially important juncture in your life—you have the opportunity to choose healthy and painful truth or unhealthy but comfortable delusion.”
What are Dalio’s principles for discovering answers to life's painful lessons? “I just want to be right—I don’t care if the right answer comes from me… I saw that the only way I could succeed would be to: seek out the smartest people who disagreed with me so I could try to understand their reasoning; know when not to have an opinion; develop, test, and systemize timeless and universal principles; and balance risks in ways that keep the big upside while reducing the downside.”
From Jacob wrestling with God to the persistent widow petitioning the unjust judge, the Scriptures are littered with examples of persistence and endurance amid painful life lessons. As Spurgeon noted: “By perseverance the snail reached the ark.” While our elected officials failed to keep the government open for a time, they endured and finally succeeded in reopening it… because of principles. (Gen. 32, Lk. 18)
5. Biden admin ‘zealously’ probed ‘traditional’ Christians — even keeping tabs on priests: DOJ report (NY Post)
“The Biden administration “zealously” investigated, penalized, and engaged in “aggressive prosecutions” of Christians “with traditional biblical views” — ignoring their conscientious objections and even secretly keeping tabs on Catholic priests, a Department of Justice task force found. The DOJ-led Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias released 14 findings Thursday, confirming the 46th president’s officials “forc[ed] Christians with traditional biblical views to choose whether to live in accordance with their faith or risk violating federal law.”
“Pro-life defendants were ultimately sentenced to an average of 14 months, while pro-abortion defendants were sentenced to an average of 3 months,” the report reads. The egregious bias spanned across numerous agencies under the former president, with the report even detailing bias against Christians by the Internal Revenue Service.
“In one matter, the Biden IRS denied a Christian organization’s application for tax-exempt status because its ‘[B]ible teachings are typically affiliated with the [Republican] party and candidates. This disqualifies you from exemption under IRC Section 501(c)(3),'” the report reads.”
Are we living in a negative world? Aaron Renn, in his book Life in the Negative World, traces how we have moved from a positive world for Christians to a neutral one to a negative one today. Before 1994, we lived in the “positive world” where the culture had a positive view of Christianity. From 1994 to 2014, we lived in the “neutral world,” where the culture was neither positive nor negative toward Christianity. But since 2014, the societal landscape has shifted and Christian morality is seen as undesirable, so we must find new strategies for living faithfully in a world that opposes true Christianity.
Renn believes that “for the first time in the four-hundred-year history of America, the culture as a whole and key institutions of society have turned negative toward Christianity and Christian morality.” He suggests that evangelicals should “have a firm resolve as to what they believe to be true and then have the courage to speak it clearly.”
Are you familiar with the suppressed evidence fallacy? Also known as cherry picking, this refers to selecting evidence in order to persuade the audience to accept a position, and withholding evidence that would go against the position. In a negative world, would the DOJ put out this type of report? How positive was the world when Jim Crow was alive and well?
The world wobbles… GK Chesterton noted that we should be cautious of the fantasy of progress and the myth of decline. “The world is what the saints and the prophets saw it was; it is not merely getting better or merely getting worse… There is one thing that the world does; it wobbles.” One moment, King Nebuchadnezzar was throwing people into a fire for refusing to worship him. The next moment, he was worshipping God. I don’t think the world is negative, but I do think we need to stay sober, refusing to lose poise in the face of bad news and becoming complacent when we see good news, knowing that the best is yet to come. (Dan. 3, Phil. 3)
4. LIV Golf to lose investment from Saudi Arabia, fund says (ABC News)
“LIV Golf will lose its financial backing from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund after the 2026 season, the fund announced Thursday. "PIF has made the decision to fund LIV Golf only for the remainder of the 2026 season," a representative for the PIF, Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, told ABC News on Thursday.
"The substantial investment required by LIV Golf over a longer term is no longer consistent with the current phase of PIF's investment strategy," the statement continued. "This decision has been made in light of PIF's investment priorities and current macro dynamics. The LIV Golf Board has created a committee of independent directors to evaluate strategic alternatives for its future beyond PIF's funding horizon."
“As LIV’s sole backer, the PIF poured $5+ billion into the league since co-founding it in 2021. It reportedly spent $100 million per month on LIV this year. And the league is bleeding money."
Michelle Branch isn’t the only one singing Goodbye To You… Roughly 90 percent of startups fail. But why? Consider bad bedfellows and dog food, according to Tom Eisenmann in his book Why Startups Fail.
First, there is bad bedfellows. This refers to other parties besides the founders (like employees, strategic partners, investors, etc.) failing to provide the necessary support and feedback required for success. Examples could include inadequate industry experience, inflexible employees, and poor feedback loops with key stakeholders.
Then there is the dog food, or false starts as Eisenmann refers to it. This concerns failing to research customer needs before testing products. A good idea needs to be market-tested before it is scaled out. The dog needs to eat (and like) the dog food.
This is a Demetrius moment... In Acts 19, a riot in Ephesus erupted due to Pauls' message about God's love. Demetrius was a local silversmith who made shrines of Artemis. He brought in a lot of business for other local craftsmen as well… until Paul started teaching. Whether it’s silver shrines or sovereign funds, in the marketplace of ideas, past performance is not indicative of future results.
Cultural News
3. We’re All Talking to Each Other Less Than We Did a Decade Ago (WSJ)
“Digital interactions are replacing face-to-face interactions with loved ones and strangers. And the rise of AirPods means we’re all tuned into our own little worlds, appearing unapproachable for conversation. The result: We’re speaking much less than we did a decade ago. Yes, someone counted our daily words.
“In 2005, we spoke about 16,632 words every day. By 2019, that number had fallen to 11,900, according to researchers at the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the University of Arizona. All told, our speaking decreased about 28% in that time period. And it’s very likely that loss has widened in the years following the pandemic, say those researchers. In the course of a year, at least 120,000 words we each might have once said now go unspoken.
“The researchers wondered whether the phenomenon was driven by younger people, so they divided the sample. The difference was slight but noticeable: Each year, people under 25 lost an average of 451 words a day, while those older than 25 lost 314 words a day.”
Talk To Me? Not so fast, Stevie Nicks. In his incredible book Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart, Nicholas Carr writes how communication technologies transform “how we talk, how we see other people, how we experience the world.” Carr highlights how, despite their promises, these innovative technologies are making it harder to form healthy relationships.
Quality over quantity, according to Carr. Contrary to popular belief, more communication isn’t always better. “The computer is so quick to sense and fulfill our desires that it never allows us the opportunity to examine our desires, to ask ourselves whether what we choose, or what is chosen for us, is worthy of the choosing.” He concludes: “It’s important to be honest about our own complicity. We’re not being manipulated to act in opposition to our desires. We’re not hostages with Stockholm syndrome. We’re being given what we want, in quantities so generous we can’t resist gorging ourselves. The manipulation is secondary to and dependent on the pleasure.”
Technology is incredible, but don’t let it become unbearable. God created boundaries, such as the water and the land. The water and land are both good, but when they transgress their boundaries, problems arise. Carr argues for a need to find a space “beyond the reach of technology’s liquefying force.” He rightly notes: “The fear isn’t that we will reveal, and hence lose, the essence of our soul… The fear is the opposite: that we will be reduced to a kernel. In allowing ourselves to be pinned down, we will sacrifice the self’s flexibility and freedom.” (Gen. 1, Gal. 5:1-2)
News You Can Use
2. So we all have the same dad
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. A young girl seeking a role model becomes one herself
Watch it here. “Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity…” (Titus 2:7)
