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WORLD NEWS

Pinched at the Pump

Average U.S. gas prices crossed $4 a gallon yesterday—the highest since August 2022—as the Iran War rattles global oil markets.

Prices are up 35% after a month of war, with California hurtin’ the most at $5.89/gallon (see state averages). 

President Trump warned Monday the U.S. would “obliterate” Iran’s oil infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz doesn’t reopen, and floated that U.S. troops may “take the oil” from Iran or seize Kharg Island, an Iranian export hub.

The mood is mixed in international group chats: Spain closed its airspace to U.S. planes involved in the war, while Gulf countries are reportedly urging Washington to keep fighting. Meanwhile, POTUS told the U.S. allies like the United Kingdom to “go get your own oil” and not expect Uncle Sam to help.

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PRAY WITH US
Though higher gas prices might be tame in comparison, they remind us that war doesn’t only affect soldiers and their families, politicians, and citizens in areas of active conflict. As the ripple effects of war are felt at home, the scope of our prayers only widens.

Compassionate God, Your people and Your creation continue to reel from the effects of war.  We call upon You to restore and redeem: draw near to the dying, heal the wounded, soothe the anxious, and provide for those who don’t have enough. Give leaders and decision-makers wisdom, creativity, and a thirst for righteousness. Amen.

WORLD NEWS

Moonbound

NASA’s gearing up to launch humans around the moon.

The Artemis II mission lifts off this evening at 6:24 p.m. ET (barring bad weather, but forecasters give 80% odds for favorable conditions), sending four astronauts on a nine-and-a-half-day trip around the moon. Commander Reid Wiseman is leading the crew alongside pilot Victor Glover, mission specialist Christina Koch, and Canadian astronaut Jeremy Hansen. 

The mission will carry them about 4,700 miles past the far side of the moon (see their flight path), where crew members will catch firsthand glimpses of parts of the lunar surface no human has ever seen.

Riding along is a mascot named Rise, a stuffie designed by a California second-grader (see it here), chosen from 2,600 entries across 50 countries, inspired by Apollo 8’s Earthrise photo. Rise is the mission’s official “zero-gravity indicator.”

(We’re covering this story at a 7th-grade reading level with biblical reflection and action steps in Decaf: The Pour Over for Families. Sign up free to get it in your inbox tomorrow!)

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Verse to consider when marveling over the vast reaches of space and its origins…

“He stretches the northern skies over empty space; he hangs the earth on nothing.”
Job 26:7 (CSB) (read full passage)

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His Father Wanted Him Dead

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POLITICS

Citizenship Test

The Supreme Court is robin’ up today to hear arguments on birthright citizenship.

On inauguration day #2, President Trump signed an executive order denying birthright citizenship to children without at least one parent with permanent legal status, arguing the 14th Amendment doesn’t apply to parents with illegal or temporary legal status. 

POTUS-SCOTUS tensions have been rising since the High Court’s decision to reject many of Trump’s executive-ordered tariffs. Now, the Supremes must determine whether #47’s birthright order violates the Constitution or a 1940 federal law defining citizenship; a ruling is expected in June.

Meanwhile, SCOTUS ruled against Colorado’s ban on youth conversion therapy. Yesterday’s 8-1 decision sided with a Christian counselor, who argued the ban on using counseling to change a minor’s sexual orientation or gender identity violates the First Amendment. 

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Whether justice is served or subverted in American courts, we can count on perfect justice and inexhaustible mercy from the courts of heaven. The Lord is not swayed by the power and wealth that tempt us toward partiality, and his verdicts restore what sin has broken. 

“The Rock—his work is perfect; all his ways are just. A faithful God, without bias, he is righteous and true.” 
Deuteronomy 32:4 (CSB) (read full passage)

Frequent flyers are rejoicing. Major U.S. airports are returning to normal after being disrupted by the DHS shutdown, which left 60,000+ TSA officers unpaid for 44 days. Four-hour wait times dropped to mere minutes Monday as back pay hit workers’ bank accounts—the result of an emergency directive President Trump signed Friday ordering TSA workers to get paid.
 

The new East Wing is (tentatively) coming with a bulletproof basement. President Trump announced Sunday that the U.S. military is building a “massive complex” under the White House’s 90,000 square-foot ballroom, saying the event space is “essentially… a shed for what’s being built underneath.” Then yesterday, a federal judge ordered construction to halt over historical preservation laws; the DOJ’s expected to appeal.
 

European art thieves struck again. Four hooded nabbers forced open a door at an Italian museum on the night of March 22—the museum kept it on the DL in hopes of catching the thieves returning—and made off with works by Renoir, Cézanne, and Matisse in under three minutes. The paintings are valued at ~$10.3M. No arrests have been made.
 

The Women’s Final Four is giving major déjà vu. UConn, South Carolina, UCLA, and Texas (all #1 seeds) are headed to the Final Four… again. This quartet has dominated the tournament, winning every game by at least twelve points. Semifinal action tips off Friday in Phoenix, where the Gamecocks will look to end defending champion UConn’s 54-game win streak.
 

Air Canada’s CEO, Michael Rousseau, is bidding au revoir stepping down later this year after backlash for his English-only condolences following March’s fatal LaGuardia crash. Prime Minister Mark Carney said Rousseau’s statement showed a “lack of judgment and lack of compassion,” especially given Canada’s official bilingual status, Air Canada’s Montreal headquarters, and Antoine Forest—one of the pilots killed—being a French-speaking Quebecer.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

Hoppy Wednesday!

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How We’re Changing The Way We Think About AI
With research from Gloo*

When you ask AI about forgiveness, relationships, or suffering, you’re not getting a neutral answer. You’re getting a worldview. But whose? Gloo, a faith technology platform, tested 19 AI models to find out. 

The results: every model defaulted to secular, humanistic frameworks when questions touched character, faith, and meaning. Not a single one reached the Gloo “Flourishing AI Christian threshold” across seven dimensions. AI is already a discipleship voice for millions. Gloo is working to align what that voice says with your faith values.

Read about why AI’s non-neutrality affects everyone in Gloo’s latest blog.