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WORLD NEWS

Power Pivots

Leadership abroad is experiencing some shake-ups.

In South Korea, opposition-led lawmakers impeached President Yoon for his brief-but-alarming attempt to impose martial law. Although he technically remains president, Yoon is suspended from official duties, leaving Prime Minister Han (a Yoon appointee) in charge. The Constitutional Court must decide Yoon’s fate within 180 days.

In France, President Macron tapped centrist ally François Bayrou to be prime minister. It’s an unenviable position; parliament is highly divided and voted out the last guy (also a centrist) after only three months.

In Georgia (the country), lawmakers replaced the pro-West incumbent president with a former professional soccer player and current hardline critic of the West, causing significant unrest. Protestors say the ruling party wants to return Georgia to its Soviet roots despite overwhelming public support for joining the E.U.

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
As Christians, we live as strangers and exiles in our home countries, whether that temporary residence is peaceful, turbulent, or somewhere in between. Seek the good of the land you’re passing through while awaiting the arrival of your true, permanent home.

“This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles I deported from Jerusalem to Babylon: ‘Build houses and live in them. Plant gardens and eat their produce… Pursue the well-being of the city I have deported you to. Pray to the Lord on its behalf, for when it thrives, you will thrive.’”
Jeremiah 29:4-7 (CSB) (read full passage)

U.S. NEWS

That’s Settled

ABC and President-elect Trump have settled up.

Trump sued ABC News and its top anchor, George Stephanopoulos, in March after Stephanopoulos repeatedly stated that Trump had been found “liable for rape” in a civil lawsuit brought by advice columnist E. Jean Carroll; Trump was found liable for sexual abuse but not rape. 

ABC and Stephanopoulos issued a public apology and will provide $15 million to fund Trump’s future presidential library. The settlement avoids a costly trial and hours of court-ordered depositions for both the President-elect and Stephanopoulos. 

Trump’s inauguration fund also saw a bump in donations. Amazon, Meta, and OpenAI’s Sam Altman have each given or pledged a cool $1 million, hoping to smooth over their past rocky relationships with #45/47 and encourage tech-friendly policies from Trump’s second administration. 

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Whether plaintiffs are world-famous or live in obscurity, Christians must always root for justice and fairness. May we continually call our neighbors to side with the final victor and ultimate judge, Christ our king. 

“Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will freely give to the thirsty from the spring of the water of life.’”
Revelation 21:6 (CSB) (read full passage)

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WORLD NEWS

In Syria

Everyone’s got advice for Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the rebel group that toppled the Assad regime and now controls Syria.

Leaders from eight Arab nations met Saturday to discuss the need for an “inclusive” and unifying transitional government. Missing from the meeting was… HTS and two of pre-coup Syria’s biggest supporters, Iran and Russia. 

U.S. Secretary of State Blinken had his own meeting with Arab leaders to discuss the White House’s advice for Syria’s new government, which includes preventing Syria from becoming a “base for terrorist groups,” focusing on humanitarian aid and eliminating chemical weapons stockpiles.

Blinken also announced that Washington had been in “direct contact” with HTS to communicate hopes for Syria’s transition and to urge HTS to locate American journalist Austin Tice, who was kidnapped and imprisoned by Assad’s government in 2012.

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ABOVE ALL, LOVE
The gospel is scandalous because God’s heart is for everyone—terrorists, prisoners, presidents, and those who passionately disagree with you—to know him. He sacrificed his son because he loves his enemies. Ask him to help you love yours. 

“The one who does not love does not know God, because God is love. God’s love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his one and only Son into the world so that we might live through him. Love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins. Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.” 
1 John 4:8-11 (CSB) (read full passage)

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was hospitalized Friday after falling in Europe. During an official trip to Luxembourg commemorating the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Bulge, the 84-year-old representative tripped while going down some stairs. Pelosi had hip replacement surgery at a U.S. military base in Germany on Saturday and “is well on the mend.”
 

Luigi Mangione has pleaded not guilty and retained a high-profile New York attorney to defend against second-degree murder charges in the shooting of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO. Mangione is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Pennsylvania on December 23 regarding charges involving a 3D-printed gun and fake ID; so far, he has fought extradition to New York.
 

McKinsey & Company, an elite consulting firm, has agreed to pay $650M to resolve a federal criminal investigation into its role in the opioid crisis. McKinsey has accepted responsibility for “knowingly and intentionally” conspiring with Purdue Pharma to misbrand prescription drugs and agreed to not work on the promotion, sale, or distribution of controlled substances again.
 

Governor Murphy (D-NJ) has requested federal moolah to investigate mysterious UAV sightings over New Jersey and nearby areas. Despite there being no evidence linking the drones to national security threats or foreign involvement, they’ve sparked serious public concern and speculation since their appearance last month. Meanwhile, President-elect Trump called for the release of more drone-related information or to “shoot them down!!!”
 

Colorado’s Travis Hunter won college football’s coveted Heisman Trophy Saturday night, beating out Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty in the closest vote since 2009. Hunter is a rare two-way player—he played 94% of the Buffaloes’ offense snaps (wide receiver) and 92.9% of their defense plays (cornerback)—and wants to continue playing both positions in the NFL.

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