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Providence and Sydney are still reeling from weekend shootings.

The manhunt continues for the gunman who killed two students and injured nine others Saturday at Brown University. Police took a person of interest into custody Sunday morning but later released him; the FBI is offering a $50,000 reward for information about a 5’8” man “with a stocky build” (see the wanted poster).

In Australia, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says ISIS ideology motivated the father-son shooters who killed 15 people at a Bondi Beach Hanukkah celebration Sunday morning. The “meticulous, calculated, cold-blooded attack” was the country’s largest mass shooting in nearly three decades. 

Ahmed al Ahmed, a 43-year-old local fruit shop owner, is being praised for his bravery after video showed him tackling and disarming one of the shooters (watch the heroic-but-scary moment here). Ahmed was injured but is recovering well.

(Want to process how you can talk about this violence with the kids in your life? Sign up here to get Decaf: The Pour Over for Families in your inbox tomorrow!)

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PRAY WITH US
The hope of resurrection doesn’t mean we don’t grieve real tragedies like these shootings, but it does mean that death won’t have the final word. Pray for the injured and the families of those lost, that they would turn to Christ for healing, comfort, and hope.

“O Lord… be merciful to those now wounded. Be present with those now bereaved… Your heart is always inclined toward those who suffer. Now let your mercies be active through the hands, the words, and the compassionate care of those who willingly enter this sadness to console and to serve.” 
Every Moment Holy, page 149 of Volume 2 

Hollywood hitmaker Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, 68, were found dead on Sunday.

The couple was reportedly stabbed to death in their Brentwood home Saturday night, after Reiner got in a heated exchange with his 32-year-old son Nick at Conan O’Brien’s holiday party. Nick, who has a history of drug addiction and mental health struggles, has been charged with two counts of murder and is being held without bail.

Tributes have poured in for Reiner, who won Emmys for his acting in “All in the Family,” and directed classics like “A Few Good Men,” “When Harry Met Sally…,” and “The Princess Bride.” His wife, Michele, was a Hollywood photographer and producer. 

President Trump sparked bipartisan criticism for posting that Reiner, an outspoken liberal activist and Trump critic, died as a result of “Trump Derangement Syndrome.”

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
We’re reminded again that our world is marked by darkness and violence, and Christians are right to long for God’s Kingdom to come. As we wait with hope and rock-solid confidence, let’s share the light and peace of that Kingdom with everyone we encounter.

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. Then the one seated on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new.” 
Revelation 21:4-5a (CSB) (read full passage)

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Ford is putting its electric vehicle plans in reverse. 

On Monday, the Michigan automaker announced it’s pulling the plug on larger EVs (think: the F-150 Lightning and E-Transit van) to focus on smaller EV models and hybrids, citing “lower-than-expected demand, high costs, and regulatory changes.” Ford expects to tally $14B in one-time restructuring charges in this year’s books and another $5.5B in 2027.  

The Blue Oval’s also revving up for the AI race, announcing it will convert two existing plants into data center battery storage. 

Meanwhile, iRobot Inc. is biting the dust. The Roomba vacuum-maker filed for bankruptcy Sunday, then announced it would be acquired by its manufacturer, Picea Robotics, after owing over $3M in unpaid tariffs. iRobot said its products would continue operating despite the filing—good news for cats who like to ride around on their vacuum thrones.

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Verse to consider when you’re not sure if your own ideas are worth putting in drive or sweeping into the bin… “Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God—who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly—and it will be given to him.”
James 1:5 (CSB) (read full passage)

President Trump and the BBC are officially suiting up. Weeks after threatening legal action, POTUS filed a $10B defamation lawsuit against the BBC for allegedly broadcasting a “false, defamatory” image of Trump in a documentary by editing his January 6 speech in “a brazen attempt” to influence the 2024 election. The BBC plans to defend the case but declined further comments.

The FBI says it foiled a NYE bombing plot targeting five locations across Los Angeles. Four members of a “far-left, pro-Palestine, anti-government, and anti-capitalist” group were arrested last week after bomb-making components were found at their desert campsite. Attorney General Bondi credited the FBI and prosecutors for thwarting what would have been “a massive and horrific terror plot.”

The U.S. and Ukraine are targeting “shadow fleets”—oil tankers used to evade sanctions. Ukraine struck two of the clandestine Russian vessels in the Black Sea, and the U.S. is preparing to seize more Venezuelan tankers following last week’s first-of-its-kind commandeering. Continuing its pressure on Venezuela, Uncle Sam struck three alleged drug boats in the Pacific Monday, killing eight.

Despite not wanting much for Christmas, Mariah Carey got an early present. The singer’s holiday earworm “All I Want for Christmas is You” officially broke the record for the most weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 charts. Last week’s return to the summit marked its 20th week at No.1, surpassing Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road.”

New labor data suggests a cooling economy. Delayed by the government shutdown, the latest jobs report showed payrolls rose by 46k in November after falling by 105k in October, with unemployment climbing to a four-year high of 4.6%. Meanwhile, some analysts say the losses largely reflect federal layoffs starting to appear in the data, while private-sector hiring was stronger than expected.

Ever seen... foot juggling?

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