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. Airlines reduce, cap fares for Spirit travelers looking to rebook canceled flights (ABC News)
“Spirit Airlines said on Sunday it had almost completed refunding passengers and returning its crew to their home bases following its decision to cease operations over the weekend. Spirit abruptly canceled flights early on Saturday morning, stranding passengers and staff around the U.S., the Caribbean and Latin America, after collapsing under financial pressures that included a sharp rise in fuel costs due to the Iran war. The carrier had more than 4,000 domestic flights scheduled through May 15, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
“The Department of Transportation said on Saturday the majority of airlines will be capping tickets prices for Spirit Airlines travelers who need to rebook their canceled flights. Some carriers have even reduced fares on high volume routes where Spirit used to operate. Spirit began winding down operations early Saturday morning after talks between the airline and the federal government over a $500 million rescue deal stalled.”
Some thought they were helping consumers, but they were actually hurting them... Back in 2024, JetBlue attempted to merge with Spirit. However, that merger was blocked, thinking that the combined company would harm competition in the industry and cause fares to surge.
Did it have to be this way? David Bahnsen put it like this when it comes to the potential benefits of a merger: “The cost synergies, greater use of and capacity for fuel hedges, increased access to capital markets, lower cost of capital, plane resources, parts sourcing, labor structure, gate access, and management talent would have all created a fundamentally different airline. All there would be is a company whose employees would not be out of a job, vendors who would be getting paid, and creditors not losing billions. This is a catastrophic failure of excessive state intervention, and no spin will change that.”
This illuminates the Politician’s Syllogism. “We must do something. This is something. Therefore, we must do this.” An individual or coalition identifies a problem. Often with more rashness than thoughtfulness, this individual or coalition then coalesces around some action to be seen as addressing the problem. Finally, there is the larger push to do said thing in order to address the stated problem. This could include rent control to improve housing affordability, diversity training to promote inclusivity, or, in this instance, blocking a merger for the sake of consumer welfare.
This isn’t the first time a state’s intervention has harmed its people. King David ordered a national census to count the fighting men of Israel. This was more a standard government function, but rather the action of a leader motivated by military pride rather than divine instruction. The intervention was viewed as an act of self-reliance over faith. As a result, a plague struck the nation. As David demonstrated, even the best leaders fail. True leadership is found in the space between making a mistake and acknowledging it. (2 Sam. 24)
5. May Day protests take place around the world (NY Times)
“In dozens of cities across the country on Friday, demonstrators rallied at May Day events to support the cause of workers everywhere and denounce the Trump administration for actions they see as favoring the rich. Organizers behind the coordinated events, titled May Day Strong, asked participants to abstain from work, school and shopping, and to join protests nationwide, imploring the country to prioritize “workers over billionaires.”
“I took my boys out of school so they can learn that people died to give us these luxuries like a weekend,” said Kate Olsen, a 42-year-old photographer demonstrating in Chicago, referring to the sometimes bloody history of the labor rights movement. “We don’t want this prioritizing of billionaires over the working class that actually built this country,” he said. “But honestly, I just want to be an example for my students, to show them it’s important to stand up.”
Billionaires make a lot, but do they keep it? Nobel prize-winning professor William Nordhaus of Yale authored a seminal study back in 2004 that estimated producers only capture a tiny slice of the wealth they create for society. Research shows that entrepreneurs only keep 2.2 percent of the additional wealth they generate. In other words, the rest of us captured almost 98 percent of the benefits of their work. Another study found that “even the most successful of innovators to give the bulk of the benefits of their innovations to strangers in the form of price cuts, expanded outputs, and improved quality.”
Elite overproduction fuels protests here in the US, according to Peter Turchin. The inability of the elites with power to satisfy the concerns of the elites out of power has caused protests. “Elites overproduce themselves through economic and educational upward mobility: More and more people get rich, and more and more get educated. Neither of these sounds bad on its own. The problems begin when money and Harvard degrees become like royal titles in Saudi Arabia. If lots of people have them, but only some have real power, the ones who don’t have power eventually turn on the ones who do.”
Loving, not having, money is wrong. Money is a gift, and the love of money is a trap (1 Tim. 6:10, Deut. 10:14). The generosity of Theophilus funded the work of Dr. Luke, and the contentment of Lydia advanced the kingdom eventually into Europe (Luke 1:1-4, Acts 16:11-40). Having money can be a force for good but loving money (even if you don’t have it) can keep you from experiencing the goodness of life.
4. Drugmakers ask Supreme Court to restore abortion pill access by mail (WaPo)
“Two drug manufacturers asked the Supreme Court on Saturday to temporarily allow patients to continue to access a commonly used abortion pill through the mail. Danco Laboratories filed the first emergency appeal after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in New Orleans issued a ruling Friday making it harder for women to access the abortion pill, mifepristone. Later Saturday, GenBioPro, which manufacturers a generic version of the drug, also formally requested the justices weigh in.
“The appellate court reinstated a requirement that mifepristone can only be picked up in person. It’s unclear when the Supreme Court might rule on the emergency applications. The Friday ruling came in a Louisiana lawsuit against the Food and Drug Administration, which had previously allowed patients to access pills through telehealth and the mail. The rise of the use of such drugs has troubled antiabortion advocates.”
Beware of the bandwagon… A recent survey found that the number of regular churchgoers identifying as pro-life dropped from 63 percent in 2023 to 43 percent in 2025. The same study found that 20 percent of regular churchgoers had “paid for, encouraged, or chosen to have an abortion.”
Contrary to popular belief, just because something is popular doesn’t mean it’s right or true. Known as the bandwagon fallacy, this line of thinking appeals to the masses in order to claim something is good or right. It doesn’t matter if the claim is actually true, all that matters is that the masses are on one’s side…
The pill gives women a choice, but Christians want to give the baby a chance. I am afraid that the pill causes deindividuation, which refers to how separation allows us to act differently. For example, you wait in traffic differently than you wait in line at the grocery store. And in this instance, a small pill can just end a precious life. As Christians, we are to be known for our love, compelled by his love, and, like Solomon, respond in a way that reminds all close to the bandwagon that we are debating the future of a lovely child. (Pro. 31:8-9, Jn. 13:35, 2 Cor. 5:14-15)
Cultural News
3. How much ‘alone time’ do you actually need when vacationing with people? (NY Post)
“Nearly three-quarters of Americans claim to be “the perfect roommate” on vacation (73%), according to new research on “vacation compatibility.” Conducted by Talker Research for Club Wyndham, the survey of 2,000 people found that even the most compatible travelers say they still need time and space to themselves. The average respondent wants two hours a day of “alone time” on vacation.
“Although those surveyed look forward to vacationing with their kids and partner (82%), their friends (60%), siblings (55%), and parents (54%), nearly half said sharing space with others on vacation increases the likelihood of arguments (49%). Results found that vacation-mates usually clash about what to eat (41%), taking a long time to get ready (37%), and making plans (33%). Choosing something to watch on TV (25%) and snoring (23%) are also common points of contention.”
Backstreet Boys want to know the Meaning of Being Lonely, while most just want the time to be lonely… Interestingly enough, young Americans (15-29) spend 45 percent more time by themselves in 2023 than in 2010. In concrete terms, over that 13 year stretch, the number of lonely hours has grown to 6 per day. With those aged 30-44, that lonely number has grown 20 percent; among those 45 and older, that number has grown 10 percent.
But what is the difference between being alone and being lonely? A study found that 66 percent of time alone (counting sleep) can be fine. However, when participants were alone for 75 percent or more of their time, they started to feel most lonely.
Henri Nouwen likened solitude to a furnace of transformation, where we become aware that our worth is not the same as our usefulness. In those intentional moments of solitude, God prunes and shapes. Naval Ravikant put it well: "It’s becoming easier and easier to be social, but exceptional people are built in solitude." (Ps. 68:19, Phil. 4:6-7, 1 Jn. 3:1, Phil.1:6, Ps. 139)
News You Can Use
2. 'Chonkers' the sea lion, SF Pier 39's massive new attraction
Watch it here. “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” (Mt. 6:26)
1. Scientists have created one of the most detailed 3D reconstructions of a human cell ever produced.
Watch it here. “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful…” (Ps. 139:14)
