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In January, Louisiana mourned the deaths of 14 people after a man drove through a crowd on New Year’s Day; fires in Los Angeles forced 180,000 evacuations; TikTok was banned and went dark for ~14 hours; President Trump was re-inaugurated (photos) and signed a flurry of executive orders that set the pace for his Administration 2.0; and we lost former president and peanut farmer Jimmy Carter.

In February, President Trump rolled out tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China; federal employees got “What did you do last week?” emails as the administration offered six months’ pay to quit; the Eagles soared past the Chiefs in the Super Bowl; and a Delta flight lost a wing and landed upside down (photo)—amazingly, no one died.

In March, a Trump-Zelenskyy Oval Office meeting got heated; federal layoffs continued; Kilmar Abrego Garcia was “mistakenly deported” to El Salvador; an earthquake in Myanmar killed over 1,600 people; and Trump officials accidentally included The Atlantic’s editor in a group chat about Houthi strike plans.

In April, Trump's tariffs brought a 10% baseline levy on imports from nearly all countries… the stock market reacted accordingly, and TikTok got another extension on its sell-or-farewell deadline. Then, Rory McIlroy donned the green jacket at the Masters (pics here); and millions mourned Pope Francis.

In May, Newark Airport’s air traffic controllers took “trauma leave” after several equipment failures, causing weeks of delays; Pope Leo XIV was elected (photos); the U.S. and China agreed to a 90-day trade truce; a Mexican Navy ship hit the Brooklyn Bridge; the White House cut Harvard’s government funding; and former President Biden announced he has cancer.

In June, L.A. erupted in ICE protests and riots, leading President Trump to take the reins of California’s National Guard; Trump and Elon Musk’s friendship hit a rough patch over the “Big Beautiful Bill”; college athletes won the right to be paid; Israel, then the U.S., struck Iran; and a Minnesota lawmaker was assassinated.

In July, a July 4th flood killed over 100 people in central Texas, including 27 girls at a summer camp; the “One Big Beautiful Bill” became law; Sean “Diddy” Combs received a split verdict and was convicted on lesser sex crime charges; the Epstein Saga reignited; the Coldplay kiss cam scandal went viral; and countries around the world began recognizing Palestine as a country.

August kicked off with President Trump’s reciprocal tariffs taking effect; people had a lot to say about Sydney Sweeney’s jeans; Trump and Putin talked peace in Alaska (photos here); then Trump kicked off the federalization of the National Guard in D.C.; and red flags started rising over a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, while Uncle Sam worked to broker peace.

In September, Epstein’s “birthday book” raised eyebrows; the Pentagon started targeting drug boats in the Caribbean; Charlie Kirk was assassinated; the U.S. and China finally reached a TikTok deal; Jimmy Kimmel Live! got suspended, then unsuspended; and the Trump Admin linked prenatal Tylenol use to autism.

In October, the government shut down; Israel and Hamas ceased firing then officially ended the war; National Guard troops deployed in Chicago, Portland, and Memphis; the White House handed out pink slips amid the government shutdown; the NBA faced a betting scandal; the Louvre was heisted (see what was stolen); and Hurricane Melissa tore through the Caribbean, claiming nearly 30 lives.

In November, SNAP benefits resumed, and the government reopened after a record 43 days; the Dodgers won back-to-back World Series titles; former VP Dick Cheney died; Zohran Mamdani won NYC’s mayoral election; Congress moved to release more Epstein files; Uncle Sam drafted a 28-point Russia-Ukraine peace plan; two National Guard members were shot in D.C.; and a deadly Hong Kong fire killed at least 146.

Wrapping up 2025, this month, Congress launched an investigation into a Pentagon strike on a Caribbean drug boat; Bad Bunny was on (almost) everybody’s Spotify Wrapped; Paramount Skydance and Netflix feuded over Warner Bros.; the Fed announced its third-straight interest rate cut; and we celebrated Jesus’ 2025th (ish) birthday!

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
There will come a day when the geopolitical chess moves, market ups and downs, and political feuds of 2025 will be distant memories, but quiet moments of faithfulness—whispered prayers, extended forgiveness, and shared gospel conversations—will have proven to hold eternal weight.

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”
Colossians 3:2–4 (CSB) (read full passage)

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What We’re Listening To
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