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WORLD NEWS

Double Strike

Thousands of protesters gathered across Israel yesterday to demand that their military “bring everyone home” and end the escalation in Gaza.

Monday morning, Israel struck southern Gaza’s Nasser Hospital, targeting a suspected Hamas surveillance camera. A second blast hit the same spot ~10 minutes later in a controversial “double tap”—a tactic infamous (and controversial) for killing civilians. The strikes killed at least 20 people, including several medical professionals and journalists who came to the scene after the first strike.

The attack—which raises the war’s civilian death toll to include 189 journalists and 1,500+ health workers—sparked widespread outrage. The E.U. called the strikes “completely unacceptable,” and the U.N. demanded “justice.”

Monday night, PM Netanyahu said Israel doesn’t target civilians and "deeply regrets the tragic mishap that occurred," adding that the military is conducting a "thorough investigation."

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Death is all around us, and the darkness weighs heavily on our hearts and our world. But believers have hope because Emmanuel is present with us in the darkness, and our Living God has removed the sting of death so that it’s powerless against those who love Him. 

“‘Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the Lord’s work.” 
1 Corinthians 15:54-58 (CSB) (read full passage)

U.S. NEWS

Pink Slip

President Trump is saying “you’re fired,” to Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over fraud allegations. 

While it has never happened, the president is allowed to remove a Fed governor “for cause.” Trump, who has expressed repeated displeasure over unchanged interest rates, says it’s be-cause of mortgage fraud. Her termination letter (read it here) states Cook “may have made false statements on one or more mortgage agreements”—referring to 2021 loan documents that list houses in both Michigan and Georgia as her primary residence. 

Cook, appointed by former President Biden in 2022, has lawyered up, arguing that Trump “has no authority” to issue a pink slip and saying she will “continue to carry out” her duties. If her firing stands, Trump can appoint a more dovish (think: willing to cut rates) replacement.

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Verse to consider whether your job security feels ironclad or a little iffy… “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)

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U.S. NEWS

Executive Orders

President Trump’s Sharpie is back in action.

On Monday, he signed an executive order directing federal prosecutors to pursue criminal charges against people who burn American flags at protests. It goes against a 1989 Supreme Court 5-4 decision, which ruled that flag burning was protected under the First Amendment, setting up fresh legal battles.

Trump also signed an order targeting cashless bail—a system generally used for defendants of non-violent crimes, allowing them to be released while awaiting trial without having to pay upfront.

The order directs AG Bondi to identify states and cities using cashless bail and threatens to cut federal funding until their policies change. Critics say removing cashless bail will punish low-income defendants and risk jail overcrowding; supporters say it keeps dangerous criminals off the streets.

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RADIATE HOPE
As Christians, we ought to honor governing authorities (Romans 13:1) but offer our devotion exclusively to Christ. We wave the flag of our home country—heaven—as ambassadors for Christ, pointing others to the only true source of freedom.

“Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.” 
Philippians 3:20 (CSB) (read full passage)

Phoenix caught a sneeze from the desert on Monday. Strong winds from a desert thunderstorm kicked up a haboob (aka a massive wall of dust) that rolled through the entire metro. Near-zero visibility within the sand cloud meant major flight delays, clogged traffic, 57,000 homes and businesses without power, and some seriously apocalyptic pics. (see here)
 

Keurig Dr Pepper is adding an extra shot of caffeine to its portfolio. The beverage conglomerate is acquiring JDE Peet’s (owner of Peet’s Coffee) for $18B, hoping to boost sluggish coffee sales and create a "resilient and diversified" coffee business amid tariffs and pricey beans. Once the merger is complete, the company plans to split its coffee and soda units into separate companies.
 

Travis Kelce popped the question, and baby, Taylor Swift just said yes. The couple shared pics of their lush courtyard garden proposal on Instagram—complete with a dazzling yellow-gold boulder diamond and the caption, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married.” It’s been two years since a failed meet-cute and friendship bracelet gifting sparked their headline-grabbing relationship.
*We’re also covering this story tomorrow in Decaf, The Pour Over for Families. Sign up—for free—here.
 

A federal judge said the Trump admin is “absolutely forbidden” from deporting Kilmar Abrego Garcia without further hearings. Abrego Garcia was taken into ICE custody on Monday after being released from a Tennessee jail last week. ICE is seeking to deport him to a “third country,” likely Uganda, as previous court orders bar him from being returned to his native El Salvador.
 

xAI is calling a foul in the AI race. The Elon-Musk-owned company filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and Apple, accusing the pair of deprioritizing other chatbots (like xAI’s Grok) in the App Store and making ChatGPT the primary AI system in Apple products in an “anticompetitive scheme.” OpenAI—whose CEO Sam Altman has ongoing beef with Musk—is calling the suit “harassment.”

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

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