Lear Jet Crash
A private jet carrying nine people plummeted to the ground at a very high speed in Palm Beach County, Florida on Sunday. The jet exploded into a massive fireball on impact, killing all nine onboard and producing a giant crater at the impact site.
A Record Heist
Approximately $6.3 billion in cryptocurrency was stolen last week by hackers in what is being described as the largest crypto heist in history. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) says the North Korean regime is responsible for the theft, which was conducted under the moniker of TraderTraitor.
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.
Cherish and Build
Here is the truth: God’s Kingdom is neither far away nor far off! It is here and it is now! Don’t take my word for it. These are the words of Jesus when asked when the Kingdom of God would come: “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in your midst” (Lk. 17:20-21).
Uncomfortable Mercy
The truth is that justice and mercy are not meant to act as a teeter-totter. God did not design us to embody both principles in a fashion that requires one to ebb while the other flows. To the contrary, He designed—and Jesus lived out—a tension between justice and mercy in order that they would both advance together.
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).
Flying Cars
Tesla, the world’s highest valued automobile company according to market capitalization, launched its new Roadster model by literally launching it upside-down to demonstrate its ability to flip mid-air and land safely (see video). While the new hotrod is not yet available for delivery, the “flying” model was originally expected to cost a cool $250,000, and many industry experts now expect that figure to be even higher.
Israeli Elections
The polls are closed in Israel, but it could be weeks before a government is formed and a prime minister named. Early results show Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party and Gadi Eisenkot’s Yashar party in the top two spots, but as is typical in Israeli elections, neither party has secured a majority of seats in the Knesset and negotiations are underway to form a coalition government alongside other smaller political parties. Once a sufficient coalition is formed, a prime minister will be named and the government filled out according to that negotiation.
World Series Set
Major League Baseball’s World Series is now set. The Milwaukee Brewers will represent the National League against the American League’s Tampa Bay Rays, with game one of the best-of-seven series set to be played on Friday. The Brewers have never won the World Series and will be playing in it for only the second time, while this will be the third appearance for the Rays, who have also never won the title.
Oregon School Shooting
Three students ages 11, 8, and 5, and a teacher are dead after a 16-year-old opened fireinside a Bend, OR special needs classroom last week. A 7-year-old student and another teacher are injured but expected to recover. The shooter, identified by authorities as a former student at the school, was shot and killed by the father of two other students who entered the school after hearing gunshots. Authorities credit that father and a teacher who confronted the shooter with saving lives by stopping the attack.
Formation and Friction
it would be a mistake (and a very easy one to make) to assume that all removal of friction is a good thing. Why? Because friction is essential to formation.
Saudi Airports Attacked
King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia has been struck several times this week by missiles fired by Houthi rebels. King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, Saudi Arabia was also struck, and the Iran-backed Houthis claimed responsibility for that attack, as well. Thirteen people are confirmed dead in the attacks, and more than 300 injured.
Public Execution
The Pentagon announced the execution of convicted mass shooter Nidal Hasan will be by firing squad and livestreamed on December 3, 2026.
Say Less
In this way, “say less” is a reminder that I don’t need to vindicate, self-affirm, or brag on myself, and that remains true even if nobody else does my vindicating or affirming for me.
Why? Because my reward—and yours, if we will indeed be content to allow it—is in heaven.
There is more I could say, but given the topic, let’s leave it there. Let’s say less!
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.
Out of Iraq
The United States has closed its last base in Iraq, ending a 12-year mission to eradicate ISIS and potentially ending a 23-year stretch of near-constant presence in the country since the 2003 post-9/11 invasion.
AI Rebranded
AI is dominating the news. Every week brings new stories about the technology’s potential for both good and ill. Perhaps the pithiest description for this dynamic is that you should expect the technology to accelerate both the good and the bad, and it will be up to you to parse between the two. To the extent that is true, it will be a far more important discipline than which moniker you choose to use for the technology.
Strategically (Dis)Engaged
Which is it? Strength and engagement or restraint and disengagement? Yes! As with so many things in God’s Kingdom, it’s a tension of both.
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.