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Happy Monday!
Before you get to perusing the headlines, take a moment to remember that the stories you’re about to read are important, but they’re not God-of-the-universe important. Keep the big things big, the small things small, and stay focused on eternity. It changes everything.

QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Compassion means entering the suffering of another in order to lead the way out.”
Rosaria Champagne Butterfield

Britain’s prime minister might be saying toodeloo soon.

PM Starmer is expected to announce his resignation after facing pressure from his own Labour Party. Starmer led Labour to a landslide victory in 2024 (ending the Conservatives’ 14-year reign), but his inability to tame the cost-of-living crisis, policy U-turns, and scandals (including hiring then firing Epstein associate Peter Mandelson) tanked his support.

Unlike American presidents, British prime ministers aren’t elected by the public. Voters elect their local Members of Parliament (MPs), and the majority of MPs directly select one member to be Prime Minister (PM). So, if you lose your party’s favor favour, they can oust you.

Starmer’s latest blow came on Friday when rival Andy Burnham won a parliamentary seat, positioning him to make a formal challenge to lead the Labour Party and the country.

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Politicians and world leaders come and go, often disappointing supporters and opponents alike. Put your hope in the Lord, who has no term limit, who rules with compassion, and who executes justice perfectly.

“But the Lord sits enthroned forever; he has established his throne for judgment. And he judges the world with righteousness; he executes judgment on the nations with fairness. The Lord is a refuge for the persecuted, a refuge in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you because you have not abandoned those who seek you, Lord.”
Psalm 9:7–10 (CSB) (read full passage)

After days of doubt, the U.S. and Iran began direct peace talks in Switzerland yesterday.

Talks were supposed to begin Friday, but neither side showed up due to continued fighting between Israel and Hezbollah (an Iran-funded militant group) in Lebanon. The deal calls for a ceasefire on all fronts, including Lebanon, but Israel was not included in the peace talks and insists its conflict in Lebanon is separate from the war in Iran.

In response, Iran said it had re-closed the Strait of Hormuz, a statement disputed by Washington, who said “Iran doesn’t control the Strait. Traffic continues to flow.”

But the tides have already turned back. Israel and Hezbollah have re-committed to a ceasefire, and Vice President Vance landed in Switzerland yesterday morning to begin negotiations with an Iranian delegation.

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Verse to consider when maybes are multiplying in your own corner of the world: “The person who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence indeed is the LORD, is blessed. He will be like a tree planted by water: it sends its roots out toward a stream, it doesn’t fear when heat comes, and its foliage remains green. It will not worry in a year of drought or cease producing fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:7-8 (CSB) (read full passage)

In parts of Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and the Middle East, the orphan crisis is growing, and food is running out.

In some places—like Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo—violence and unrest are only making food scarcer. Children’s homes are struggling to survive in these fragile communities.

Serving Orphans Worldwide is combating the crisis, and you can help. 100% of your gift will provide hungry children and babies with nutritious meals, emergency groceries, life-saving formula, and long-term food security.

Join Serving Orphans Worldwide in feeding as many hungry orphans as possible. Donate today—just $12 feeds a child for a whole month and teaches children the gospel. Plus, TPO is matching the first $4K given!

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The U.S. is through to the World Cup's Round of 32.

The Stars and Stripes beat Australia’s Socceroos 2-0 in Seattle on Friday for their first back-to-back World Cup wins since 1930. Beyond Alex Freeman’s juuuuust onside header (watch it), the U.S. benefited from an opponent’s own goal for the second straight match. With their group victory sealed, Captain America Christian Pulisic is expected to stay in street clothes for Thursday’s match against Turkey.

In much-smaller-target sports news, golfer Wyndham Clark won his second U.S. Open title at Shinnecock Hills, finishing 4-under, after setting a course record to open the tournament.

Meanwhile, in baseball, Oklahoma and North Carolina battle for the College World Series title tonight in the winner-take-all final game of Omaha’s yearly eye-black festival.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Sure, it’s “just a game,” but sports are an opportunity to experience camaraderie with fellow fans and to enjoy the thrill of watching athletes do what God created them to do. As you watch athletes compete, thank God that He also made you to do beautiful things, and pray that you’d bring Him glory in all you do.

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10 (CSB) (read full passage)

At least one tourist died in a massive fire at a resort in the Dominican Republic Friday. Nine others are being treated for injuries and authorities evacuated ~1,700 tourists from the resort town. The cause of the blaze is still under investigation, but authorities say wind conditions and the hotel’s thatched roof caused the flames to spread rapidly.

The new Air Force One is first class. The U.S. military finished modifications to the $400M luxury Boeing 747-8 gifted to the U.S. by the Qatari government last year. Mods include upgraded security, comms, advanced tech, and a new paint scheme (check it out). Critics have argued accepting the gift from a foreign government creates a conflict of interest and may be unconstitutional.

The Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool’s glow green-up’s making headlines. Less than two weeks after a new $14M+ blue paint job, Washington’s watering hole will likely need to be drained due to algae and peeling paint. Multiple people have been arrested for reportedly vandalizing the pool, including a three-time Olympian who says he was “curious” to see what the paint felt like.

SCOTUS got into the weeds on marijuana use and gun ownership Thursday. The High Court unanimously sided with a Texas man who challenged a federal law banning unlawful drug users from having firearms, citing the Second Amendment. The narrow ruling said it’s wrong to “conclude that anyone who regularly uses marijuana is categorically violent and dangerous” without further proof.

Amazon MGM Studios said “cut!” to their Sam Altman film. The streaming giant dropped Artificial, a nearly-finished film about OpenAI’s 2023 leadership crisis when Altman was briefly fired and rehired, months after investing $50B in the AI company. The Andrew Garfield-starring film reportedly portrays both Altman and Elon Musk unsympathetically and is now on the market, seeking new distribution.

What’s cooler? The illusion or his mustache...

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