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Passengers and crew foiled an attempted hijacking on a FlyDubai flight on Wednesday.

FlyDubai Flight 1073 was two hours into its trip to Tel Aviv from Dubai when the co-pilot stabbed his captain in an attempt to crash the plane. The aircraft’s wounded captain managed to unlock the cockpit door, allowing crew and passengers (including a plumber and dentist) to help subdue the assailant. One untrained passenger helped regain control of the 737 Max, which had dropped 14,000+ feet during the altercation, and an off-duty pilot aboard made an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia (see passengers’ on-ground relief).

Upon landing, Captain Smit Machchhar was hospitalized while the co-pilot was arrested.

Machchhar has been lauded as a hero by officials for his “immense courage and an unwavering resolve,” and is in stable condition. Meanwhile, an international investigation into the attacker’s motive is underway.

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PRAY WITH US
God of Mercy, come near to us as this act of violence implodes any sense of order and security, upends any semblance of peace. Heal physical wounds, and hold fast the anxious who fear the journey over the jet bridge and into a cloudy expanse of helpless dependence.

God Who Stoops Down, You sent Your Son to confront the powers of darkness to disarm, dethrone, and banish them. He entered a violent world and suffered at the hands of violent men to buy a costly redemption. You have come near to us in Jesus, shining Your piercing, cleansing light in bitter darkness. We cling to You. Bring Your justice and restoration and hope. Amen.

Tennessee has paused all executions after an inmate survived two lethal injections Wednesday.

Christa Pike was sentenced to death for killing a classmate in 1995 at age 18, and she would’ve been the first woman executed in Tennessee in over 200 years. She received two doses of pentobarbital, administered ~60 minutes apart, but witnesses heard her breathing and snoring before she was hospitalized.

Days prior, Pike’s lawyers sought a stay of execution, citing her undisclosed history of abuse and mental illness. The Supreme Court allowed the execution in a last-minute 6-3 vote.

With complications in three of Tennessee’s last four scheduled executions, Gov. Bill Lee (R) paused the year’s final execution and ordered a third-party review of what went wrong. The Department of Correction said it followed protocol, calling lethal injection “consistently effective.”

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
We live in a sinful, broken, and unfair world that is marred by sin. Even as we work and pray for justice, we can take comfort knowing that this is not our home and, through Christ, all things will ultimately be made right because of His perfect love and mercy.

“The life of every living thing is in his hand, as well as the breath of all humanity.”
Job 12:10 (CSB) (read full passage)

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American forces closed their last major air base in Iraq Wednesday after more than two decades.

The withdrawal from Erbil Air Base in the northern Kurdistan Region (see map) marks the formal conclusion of Operation Inherent Resolve, the anti-ISIS mission that the U.S. and Iraq agreed to begin wrapping up in 2024 (see a timeline of the conflict).

Washington is transitioning to a “bilateral defense relationship” with Baghdad, providing training and intelligence support.

President Trump touted the “victory” for the U.S. and Iraq over ISIS, “which has been completely decimated,” and Iraq’s PM marked “the completion of national sovereignty.” Iran-backed militias celebrated the drawdown of “occupation forces,” while some Iraqi and Kurdish security officials warn the withdrawal gives Islamic State cells more breathing room to regroup, further destabilizing the region amid the Iran war.

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Verse to consider when a chapter closes and the future is uncertain… “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil.”
Proverbs 3:5-7 (NLT) (read full passage)

SCOTUS allowed the Trump admin to resume third-country deportations… for now. Tuesday’s 6-3 ruling says immigrants with final removal orders can be quickly deported to countries other than their country of origin, pausing a lower-court order that blocked third-country deportations over immigration law and due process concerns. The High Court will hear full arguments on the practice in December.


Jane Doe reportedly told Cornell police she could say “with 100% confidence” she was sexually assaulted, according to a transcript from the university’s 2024 investigation. Doe described being “totally incapacitated” and coerced. The prosecutor who originally determined the case didn’t meet the threshold for criminal charges said he never saw the transcript; Cornell said it provided all its findings. Shaken by this story? Pray with us here.


The White House had a busy TuesdAI. Tech leaders across the doomsaying spectrum signed a “morally binding” pact to self-police AI, pledging internal audits and outside reviews. Earlier, President Trump unveiled America.gov, a chatbot to simplify finding federal services and (beginning next year) fill out government forms or track application statuses.


Bad news for banana bread… Gene-edited bananas that resist browning got a marketing thumbs-up from the UK’s environmental department last Friday, the second-to-last step before hitting shopping trolleys. Biotech company Tropic used CRISPR technology to switch off the brown-causing enzyme, keeping ‘nanas fresh a few days longer. Backers tout reduced waste, while critics are suspicious of genetically-modified food.


A new “chonkian” has been crowned. Bear 89, affectionately nicknamed Backpack for riding on his mom’s back as a cub, won Katmai National Park’s annual Fat Bear Week competition Wednesday after a claw-biting final round of voting (see Backpack’s before and after). The Alaskan brown bear reportedly got it from his mama, Holly, the “Duchess of Density,” who earned her title in 2019.

I need this iron…

Where We're Giving Hope
Behind bars, with Prison Fellowship*

Prison Fellowship turned 50 this year. Half a century of getting Bibles, Christian resources, and church volunteers inside prisons in all 50 states, and encouraging them after they come home.

The demand hasn't let up. Prison is one of the few places where someone has nothing but time to read and a real reason to go looking for God, and Prison Fellowship says requests for Bibles come in faster than they can fill them.

So, TPO community, let’s tackle this together. We'll match the first $2K given through our link! Every gift is a chance to put God's Word where it's already wanted.

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