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WORLD NEWS

Airport Closed

Please fasten your seatbelts––Heathrow is back.

London’s Heathrow Airport, Europe’s busiest, was fully grounded for over 16 hours on Friday after a nearby electrical substation fire sparked a widespread power outage. Locals reported hearing a loud explosion just before midnight Thursday, and the flames (see footage) knocked out electricity to the airport and 16,000 nearby homes.

The outage impacted 1,300 flights to and from Heathrow, disrupting plans for ~200,000 travelers worldwide. Some flights were diverted to other airports, while others made mid-air U-turns back to where they departed.

Emergency generators kept critical systems running, but not enough to maintain normal operations—raising questions about how one transformer fire could shut down a major international hub. Authorities say there’s no evidence of terrorism or foul play, but the cause is still under investigation. 

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Verse to consider when your plans go sideways… “Don’t worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7 (CSB) (read full passage)

SPORTS

Topsy Tourneys

The madness marches on. 

The NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball tournaments got off to a hot start last week. In men’s play, top-ranked Florida ended eight-seed UConn’s chances at a championship three-peat in the Round of 32. Meanwhile, the UConn Lady Huskies did… what the UConn Lady Huskies historically do, beating Arkansas State 103-34 in the women’s opener. 

Perfect brackets have dwindled quickly. The last remaining perfect men’s bracket was busted by the end of yesterday’s games. Meanwhile, in women’s play, Cinderella hopefuls, like 10-seed South Dakota State, left fewer than 200 women’s brackets still perfect as of yesterday. 

The road to the Final Four continues this week, with men’s Sweet 16 matchups tipping off Thursday, while the women’s round of 32 wraps up today. 

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Too often, we let eternally insignificant things, like sports, control our mood and behavior. It’s not wrong to enjoy these things, but remember that whether your bracket is busted, nothing of true importance has changed. 

“Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in everything; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (CSB) (read full passage)

FROM OUR PARTNERS

Crisis in DRC

A decades-long conflict in eastern Congo has gone from a simmer to a boil in recent months. 

Last week, Rwanda-backed rebel group M23 ignored calls for a ceasefire, seizing a strategic town in Congo—one of the most poverty-stricken countries in the world. M23 is one of nearly 100 armed groups that have been vying for control of the mineral-rich area, and the resulting conflict has caught civilians (including many Christians) in the middle, creating one of the world’s most significant humanitarian crises.

Last month, the U.N. Human Rights Council launched an investigation into allegations of atrocities, such as mass killings of civilians, by multiple groups. 

An estimated 7 million people have been displaced, and more than 25 million people—approximately one in four Congolese—face acute food insecurity.

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BE DOERS
We’re asking the TPO Community to join us in partnering with World Concern to help the most vulnerable in the Congo and in countries around the world where World Concern serves by providing life-sustaining nutrition, clean water, medication, and more with the love of Jesus. Every $27 provides someone with these emergency essentials. 

TPO is matching the first $3,000—simply give through this link. 

“If a brother or sister is without clothes and lacks daily food and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, stay warm, and be well fed,’ but you don’t give them what the body needs, what good is it?”
James 2:15-16 CSB (read full passage)

U.S. NEWS

Split Views

The White House is celebrating concessions made by two institutions.

Late Thursday, President Trump rescinded an executive order terminating federal contracts with Paul Weiss, a prominent law firm, saying it had agreed to abandon DEI policies and would provide $40 million in pro bono legal services in support of his administration’s initiatives. 

On Friday, Columbia University announced it had agreed to multiple demands by the Trump administration—including placing its Middle East studies department under new supervision and empowering security officers to arrest on-campus protestors—in hopes of having $400M in federal funding restored.

Critics say the president is conducting a shakedown of private businesses and condemned Paul Weiss and Columbia for giving in to the “extortion.” Supporters say the president is leveling the playing field in areas that have long been tilted toward liberal causes.

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CHOOSE HUMILITY
Culturally hot topics frequently make people think, speak, and act poorly… including us. We can respect others and represent God better if we are quick to listen and slow to speak.

“My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God’s righteousness.” 
James 1:19-20 (CSB) (read full passage)

Pope Francis is home. After a 38-day hospital stay and a public blessing from his hospital window, the pontiff was discharged and returned to the Vatican yesterday. Pope Francis has shown “slow but progressive improvement” after two critical respiratory episodes. His doctors have ordered at least two more months of rest and rehabilitation as he continues to recover.
 

Boeing bagged a big one. After years of setbacks, Boeing landed an estimated $20B contract to build the U.S.’s next-generation stealth fighter, called the F-47. Few details were released, but President Trump said it would be “virtually unseeable” and have “unprecedented power.” The price-per-plane was unknown, but it’s safely out of your budget: it’s replacing the F-22, which cost $143M.
 

Student loans just changed majors. President Trump announced Friday that the federal student loan profile––which includes about $1.6 trillion owed by ~43 million borrowers––will move from the Education Department’s Federal Student Aid (FSA) office to the Small Business Administration. This shift is part of the admin’s effort to dismantle the Education Department and give more educational control to the states.
 

Tesla’s Cybertruck is facing some unplanned disconnection. Elon’s engineers are recalling almost all U.S. Cybertrucks—the metallic monolith’s 8th recall—to fix an exterior trim panel that can fall off while driving. Tesla said only 1% of Cybertrucks are defective and no collisions or injuries have been reported, but it’s summoning 46,000 vehicles produced since November 2023 for precautionary tightening.
 

Boxing legend and indoor grill mogul George Foreman died on Friday at 76. Foreman won Olympic gold at age 19, claimed the heavyweight title at age 24, lost to Muhammad Ali at age 25, and reclaimed the title at age 45 (becoming the oldest heavyweight champ). Outside the ring, he was a preacher and entrepreneur, selling over 100 million George Foreman Grills.

WHIPPED CREAM ON TOP

The fresh feeling of starting a new project…

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Almost half of Americans want their personal data removed from the web… but why join them? If you do, you might miss out on that surprise “free cruise” or winnings for the lottery you never entered!

But… if you’d rather not have hackers treating your data like their personal Pinterest board, click here. TPO readers get 55% off annual plans with code POUROVER.

How I’m Investing in Real Estate
With Roots*

I set up my Roots account in minutes… and just like that, I’m practically a real estate mogul! 

It’s been smooth sailing––no tenant drama or 2 a.m. plumbing emergencies––just hassle-free investing. Roots does all the heavy lifting, and investors can cash out quarterly. 

But what really sold me? Their missional model. Roots aligns the interests of investors and renters, giving responsible renters a stake in the fund and helping more people build wealth who might not otherwise have the opportunity. 

Interested? Move fast; The Roots fund is almost full for Q1, meaning there is limited room left to buy Q1 units. Start your real estate investment journey with Roots for as little as $100.

Nate Wells | Head of Business

*Information contained herein, although believed accurate and compiled from credible sources, is not guaranteed. There can be no assurance the business objectives of the Company will be achieved. Investors may lose all or part of their investment, and distributions with respect to such investment are not guaranteed. Past performance is not indicative of future returns.

Our referral system had some troubles on Friday, but it should be back up and running!

To make things right, we’re extending our LMNT giveaway: get 2+ referrals by tomorrow night, and we’ll send you 5 packs of our favorite LMNT flavors.