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SPORTS

Cup O’ Stars

The biggest names aren’t messi(ng) around on the world’s grassiest stage.

Playing in his record sixth World Cup Tuesday, Argentina’s Lionel Messi, 38, added to his GOAT resume, tying Germany’s Miroslav Klose’s men’s all-time World Cup goals record (16) with a hat trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria. However, France’s Kylian Mbappé is nipping at his boots after his brace in France’s 3-1 win over Senegal gave him 14 World Cup tallies.

Star strikers England’s Harry Kane and Norway’s Erling Haaland each found the back of the net twice in their sides’ victories, while Cristiano Ronaldo failed to get a shot on goal in Portugal’s 1-1 draw with DR Congo, who got their first-ever World Cup point.

The U.S. takes on Australia’s Socceroos for Group D supremacy today, with Christian Pulisic questionable to play.

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Verse to consider whether you’re setting records, getting cheers, or feeling like you’re letting people down: “Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable ​— ​if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy ​— ​dwell on these things. Do what you have learned and received and heard from me, and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.” 
Philippians 4:8-9 (CSB) (read full passage)

WORLD NEWS

Deal Details

President Trump and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday, and we finally have the details.

Key terms include: 

• “Immediate and permanent” end to military operations, including in Lebanon

• Strait of Hormuz reopens toll-free for 60 days (future fees still possible)

• U.S. commits to lifting all sanctions and unlocking ~$300B in frozen assets and reconstruction financing

• Iran reaffirms no nuclear weapons

• 60 days to reach a permanent agreement

The details sparked backlash from Israeli leaders and GOP allies for giving Iran large financial benefits while allowing it to keep a civilian nuclear program, uranium enrichment, and some ballistic missiles (a sharp break from years of U.S. red lines). 

Trump dismissed critics, saying that Iran needed to maintain missiles because “other people have some.”

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Governments have different things on their agenda than God’s kingdom does. As global powers maneuver to have their way, God’s agenda is clear and unchanging. 

“What does the LORD your God ask of you except to fear the LORD your God by walking in all his ways, to love him, and to worship the LORD your God with all your heart and all your soul? Keep the LORD’s commands and statutes I am giving you today, for your own good.”
Deuteronomy 10:12–13 (CSB) (read full passage)

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WEATHER

Weathering Weather

Floods, fires, and deadly waves have struck across the country.

Tropical Storm Arthur, the season’s first-named storm, made landfall along the Texas coast Wednesday. Though Arthur has weakened, its remnants could dump up to 20 inches of rain and bring life-threatening flash flooding from Texas to Georgia through Friday.

Near Spokane, Washington, the wind-driven Upriver Fire burned 250 acres Tuesday, destroying at least 15 homes and forcing ~12,000 to evacuate. The fire was 10% contained as of yesterday evening.

Off the California coast, seasonal king tides have created dangerous surf conditions. Two college students died after being swept from a Santa Cruz beach while napping last Wednesday (the stretch’s fifth water emergency in a month), and a 5-year-old died after being taken by waves in Orange County the day prior.

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PRAY WITH US
Thundering God of Glory, you are Lord over the earth, sky, and sea. But the groaning elements are conspiring against us. 

Floodwaters are rising, fires are burning, and waves are stealing lives. Fortify these communities to meet the moment. Let resources multiply and communication flow freely. Open paths of evacuation and stop the paths of destruction. May officials work efficiently and effectively, and may the church be a hiding place for the vulnerable. Be their shelter, O God of refuge. Amen.

Wall Street got Warshed. Kevin Warsh chaired his first Fed meeting Wednesday, holding rates steady at 3.5%-3.75%. The Dow dropped 507 points, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq each shedding ~1.2%, after officials signaled a possible rate hike this year. Warsh also skipped the Fed’s “dot plot” (the Fed’s rate-forecast chart), a notable break from tradition.  
 

Ukraine launched its largest attack on Russia since the start of the war. Thursday, nearly 200 Ukrainian drones hit targets around Moscow, including a major oil refinery, injuring 17 people and disrupting hundreds of flights. Ukrainian President Zelensky called it a “justified” response to Russia’s strike on a Kyiv monastery earlier this week. Russia responded with missile and drone strikes.
 

#44’s presidential center opened with a star-studded ceremony. The Obama Presidential Center debuted yesterday on Chicago’s South Side, featuring performances from Bruce Springsteen, Bono and The Edge, Stevie Wonder, Eddie Vedder, and The Roots. The privately-funded $850M complex (the longest-delayed and most expensive presidential library in history) also houses a Chicago Public Library branch, museum, and playground (take a look around).
 

Luigi Mangione’s attorneys plan to argue he was suffering an “extreme emotional disturbance” when he allegedly killed UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson in 2024. The psychiatric defense would include admitting to the killing, but would bring charges down to first-degree manslaughter (max 25 years in prison) instead of second-degree murder. Mangione currently faces nine felony charges and life in prison.
 

Hey Siri, why is my iPhone so expensive? Apple announced it will be raising prices on its products to offset the surging cost of memory chips (driven by AI’s insatiable appetite for RAM). Outgoing CEO Tim Cook called the increase “unavoidable,” but did not give specifics on timing or scale, leaving the iPhone 18’s September price tag up in the air.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

Some epic bird cinematography…

Where We’re Headed This August (Join Us!)
The Global Leadership Summit*

I’ve attended the GLS five times and—no exaggeration—every time, it’s a 10/10.  

This two-day leadership event (Aug 6-7 this year) draws 60,000 people from across the nation for a reason: it creates lasting impact. Craig Groeschel’s talk on communication still shapes how we operate at TPO years later. (And good news: He’s back this year.)

You can attend in person at the studio audience, join one of 400+ partner sites, or tune in online.  

Register by June 19 at 11:59 p.m. CT to snag the Super Early Bird rate and save up to $200.