WORLD NEWS

D.C. Dialogues

President Trump met with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy and Israeli PM Netanyahu yesterday as Senator Lindsey Graham’s funeral brought the leaders to Washington.

Zelenskyy came to Pennsylvania Avenue first, sporting a bolstered POTUS approval rating thanks to Trump’s recent appreciation of Ukraine’s battleground strength. Zelenskyy pushed to revive stalled peace talks and for firm commitments on Patriot interceptor missile production as Russia escalates ballistic attacks on Kyiv.

Netanyahu’s visit followed, his POTUS approval rating down after opposing Trump’s pursuit of negotiations with Tehran. In his first White House visit since the war began, Bibi presented #47 with intelligence on Iran’s nuclear expansion to argue for a return to fighting-not-talking.

The leaders then gathered to mourn Lindsey Graham, a strong ally to both Ukraine and Israel, at Washington National Cathedral; Trump eulogized the “true American original.”

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ABOVE ALL, LOVE
You likely have no control over what’s being said behind the White House’s closed doors. But there’s nothing stopping you from infusing God’s love and blessing into every room you enter today and toward every person you meet. Focus on where you have influence, and fill it with God’s love.

“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13:34-35 (CSB) (read full passage)

WEATHER

Pyrocumulonimbus

Unprecedented weather in Europe is feeding unprecedented wildfires… which are feeding (more) unprecedented weather.

The largest wildfires ever recorded in France and Spain (see maps), fueled by weeks of back-to-back heat waves and drought, are resisting relentless efforts by 4,000+ firefighters. Temperatures will keep climbing this week, with no rain expected. The fire is also making its own weather…

France’s Gironde blaze built a massive black “fire cloud” (pyrocumulonimbus), a thunderstorm created by extreme fire conditions whose wind and lightning further feed flames (read our explainer here).

Meanwhile in southwest Japan, first responders are racing to extinguish fires and rescue trapped people after a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck yesterday, killing at least three and trapping several inside a partially collapsed shopping mall.

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PRAY WITH US
Heavenly Father whose son carried our sorrows, thank You for all those who voluntarily, boldly enter into trauma to lift its burden from their neighbors. Savior who came to serve and not be served, thank You for those who serve and protect at great personal cost. Lifegiving Spirit, guard these guardians, giving them diligence and courage for moments both mundane and heroic. Heal traumatized minds, give rest to tired bodies, and root Your peace in shaken souls.

God our Protector, thank You for raising up ordinary people to stand bravely between the vulnerable and harm. We long for the day when disaster no longer pursues, and there will be no threats left because You’ve destroyed every last enemy. We wait for that day with gratitude for our earthly protectors.

We’re covering extreme weather tomorrow 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.

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“Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”
Matthew 25:40 (CSB) (read full passage)

US NEWS

Dear Diary

Dr. Fauci’s diary is now in the public eye.

Saturday, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) published a 1,141-page journal written by Fauci from 2019 through 2022. Fauci and Paul have long disagreed over COVID-19’s origins, with the doctor saying evidence indicates a spillover from animals to humans (likely at a market in Wuhan, China) and the senator positing a leak from a Wuhan lab.

Paul accused Fauci of lying to the public, pointing to Fauci’s January 2020 entry: “we know the market was not the source, it was the amplifier.” Fauci supporters point to a caveat in the same entry to highlight his consistency: “somewhere the virus jumped from animals to humans.”

The release preceded today’s Senate hearing where the retired scientist is expected to answer whether his public COVID statements matched his private beliefs.

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Verse to consider when you feel frustrated by conflicting reports or overwhelmed with unanswered questions…“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
Proverbs 9:10 (CSB) (read full passage)

The Fed’s question of the day: hold or hike? The central bank kicked off its two-day policy meeting yesterday, which will crescendo with an interest rate decision this afternoon. Markets expect the nation’s rate-setters to hold course, with a hike predicted for their September meeting, though rising inflation from the Iran war could make the final call a close one.


Three died, and at least four were injured in a shooting at a Seattle food festival Sunday. Investigators believe three shooters from two gangs firing at each other caught bystanders in the crossfire. A two-year-old was among those hospitalized. One shooter was killed, a 15-year-old is being held on firearms and assault charges, and officials are searching for a third suspect.


Temporary Protected Status expired Monday for over 300,000 Haitians and ~6,000 Syrians, following a June Supreme Court ruling. DHS says conditions in Haiti and Syria have improved (TPS lets migrants stay in the U.S. while their home country is unsafe), while critics argue both countries remain in crisis. ICE is reportedly preparing to ramp up deportations of Haitians.


Bryan Kohberger, who pleaded guilty to murdering four University of Idaho students last year, filed a petition Monday to reopen his case. After announcing his innocence from prison Sunday, Kohberger claimed his guilty plea hinged on his lawyers’ “false promises.” The former criminology Ph.D. student must prove his plea was coerced or involuntary in order to withdraw it.


Stranger than (science) fiction? On Saturday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman declared that AI has reached “the singularity”: where AI surpasses human intelligence and advances too quickly to control. While two OpenAI models’ recent autonomous “escape” to hack another AI company might support Altman’s claim, skeptics point to AI’s continual human dependence and say, “rapid progress” alone doesn’t prove the singularity.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

How many times have I watched this? Yes…

What I’m Packing This Summer
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Emily Hansen | Partnerships Manager

How Christians Are Learning to Be Better Business Leaders
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