France Burns While the French President Attends a Concert
As France burns, as Great Britain and much of Europe prepare to follow suit, and as America faces days of reckoning ahead, it becomes clearer than ever that nothing on this earth is more permanent than understanding God and the future of the human soul.
When Does Conviction Become Extremism?
We live in a culture where people are increasingly comfortable describing those they disagree with as extremists.
The word appears regularly in political commentary, social media debates, and conversations about religion, culture, and public policy. Sometimes it describes individuals or organizations that genuinely advocate violence or threaten public safety. Other times, it seems to mean little more than someone whose beliefs fall outside what we consider reasonable.
That distinction matters.
Midterms
U.S. voters went to the polls in record numbers this week to cast their midterm ballots. The majority of both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House was at stake, and Democrats took control of both chambers.
South American Elections
Civilization is not at state in these elections. This opening is no longer a surprise to you, but it is still true. As we reiterate it a third time, let us underscore again that how we steward governance—including who we elect—matters! It does.
U.S. Elections
My friend, you can be at peace even amid tumultuous political times. The tactic of fear-mongering has long been a tool of the enemy, who uses it to paralyze you and rob you of power, love, and sound thinking (1 Tim. 1:7). The antidote is simple (not to be confused with easy): Don’t take the bait. Instead, set your eyes on the eternal (2 Cor. 4:18) and your heart toward service of others (Philip 2:5-8).
Botched Execution
A capital punishment went awry in Tennessee last week. Christa Pike, who was convicted of murder in 1995 and sentenced to death, was given two doses of a drug intended to be lethal but was transported to the hospital after losing consciousness but remaining alive. Pike was to be the first woman executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years, and Tennessee Governor Bill Lee suspended the one remaining execution scheduled for this year, pending a third-party review of the state’s procedure.
Access Restored
Access to White House grounds for recently banned media outlets has been temporarily restored by a federal judge who ruled the outlets were likely to prevail in their litigation claiming violations of the First Amendment.
Xi in DC
Chinese President Xi Jinping spent three days in Washington, DC last week as part of an ongoing effort to strengthen diplomatic relations between the United States and China. President Xi and U.S. President Donald Trump discussed many issues, including artificial intelligence (AI), the U.S.-Iran war, and economic relations between the two countries, which are the two largest economies in the world.
Has America Been Gaslit Regarding Transgender Suicides?
A growing body of evidence from outside the United States suggests that virtually no evidence supports the contention that restricting gender transition interventions contributes to rising suicide rates. Contrary to such contentions, a large-scale study of health data on Finnish youths who sought care from gender clinics undermines the claim that gender-transition interventions improve the mental health of gender-care recipients. Indeed, the study found that serious mental health problems increased dramatically among adolescents and young adults who underwent gender-transition interventions.
Press Pool Banned
The White House has banned reporters from CNN, MS Now, and Politico from accessing White House grounds or participating in White House press events. In response, the White House TV pool, which is composed of ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC is boycotting coverage of the White House and the president during the ban. The three banned outlets have filed a lawsuit seeking to be reinstated on First Amendment grounds. President Trump responded that it was not a restriction of a free press but rather a crackdown on fake news.
A Deal with Greenland
The U.S., Greenland, and Denmark have a deal, but it is not the long-discussed U.S. acquisition of Greenland. Instead, the three countries signed a deal to afford the U.S. expanded military presence in the country and reaffirm Greenland’s status as a self-determined territory of Denmark. Perhaps most significant is the agreement that no non-NATO military base will be permitted in Greenland. The leaders of the three countries signed the deal during meetings at the United Nations, and Denmark and Greenland will need to ratify it before it can take effect.
Midterm Convention
Election Day is less than seven weeks away, and Republicans held a “Midterm Convention” in Dallas last week to make their pitch to voters. President Donald Trump headlined the event, and party leaders hope it will help buck the historical trend of midterms cutting against the party in power. Democrats, on the other hand, hope to take control of both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House, as well as build momentum for the presidential election in 2028.
Why Did the Biden Administration Target Catholic Priests?
In 2023, the FBI’s Richmond Field Office during the Biden Administration issued an internal assessment titled “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities.” The assessment claimed, largely without credible evidence, that white supremacists and other domestic extremists were increasingly attempting to co-opt or infiltrate “radical-traditionalist Catholic” communities. Properly appreciated, this document is inconsistent with the First Amendment right of all Americans—Catholics included—to freely exercise their religion, without government interference.
Venezuela Oil Deal
What will exist or be more fruitful in 100 years because of what you do today? If this is a difficult concept for you to grasp, start by thinking about the blessings you enjoy that exist because of those who lived a century ago. What does their forethought inspire in you? How can you emulate that today in a way that will be similarly reflected on long after your time on Earth has passed?
Raided and Seized
Former U.S. Rep. Eric Swalwell had his electronic devices seized and his home searched by federal agents over the weekend as part of an ongoing investigation of alleged sexual assault. The former Congressman resigned from Congress in April of this year after allegations intensified, and he ended a once-promising bid to be the next Governor of California. Federal authorities must now decide whether to bring charges against Swalwell.
A Trillion or Forty
How are you stewarding that which God has entrusted to you? What is your family’s debt-to-GDP, per se? Since we know our hearts follow our treasure, what does your spending allocation say about your heart’s condition?
Unfriendly Neighborhood
Canada is the second largest trading partner for the U.S., making up approximately 13% of U.S. trade, and the U.S. is by far the largest trading partner for Canada, accounting for approximately 76% of all Canadian trade. The sheer size of this economic activity is likely to mean consumers feel the price pressure of these tariffs sooner and more significantly than has been the case for recent trade negotiations.
From Lincoln to Washington
As we pray for the troops and their families, let us live in the light of John 15:12-13: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” A decision to serve and be subject to a deployment like this one is a decision to put another’s life ahead of your own. It is an act of great love, and it is one way to emulate the love of Jesus. As we lift up in prayer those who are serving, let us also look for ways that we too can model the sacrificial love of Jesus!
Two Continuing Resolutions
The U.S. Senate approved a continuing resolution (CR) in the early morning hours of Saturday to fund the government through December 11, 2026. The measure, which includes several extraneous items, differs from the CR passed by the U.S. House, which includes funding through December 4, 2026. To avert a government shutdown at the end of September, the two chambers will need to align on a uniform version of the CR to send to the president for his signature.
NATO On, Peace Deal Off
World leaders, including Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky, gathered in Turkey for the NATO Summit this week as the U.S. and Iran appear to have abandoned the recently brokered peace agreement. Strikes between the U.S. and Iran intensified, especially in and around the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. President Donald Trump said the resumption in fighting is because, “I got to know them.”