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WORLD NEWS

Overthrown

Rebel groups finished their rapid advance across Syria yesterday, seizing the capital, ousting President Bashar al-Assad, and ending the country’s 13-year civil war.

Assad’s removal ends his family’s 50-year rule of the country, freeing tens of thousands of political prisoners overnight. The Syrian rebel coalition announced plans for a transitional government, and Syria’s Prime Minister said he’d cooperate and hand over functions to the insurgents.

Russian state media said Assad and his family have been given asylum in Moscow. 

Western leaders have cheered Assad’s fall with caution. Yesterday, President Biden described Assad’s fall as an “act of justice” that brings additional “risk and uncertainty” to the region. He promised humanitarian aid and said the U.S. and its allies are working to promote stability and prevent ISIS from capitalizing on the “new vacuum” of power.

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
There may be good reasons to be worried about the future of your community or the global one. God does not promise good days, but he does promise his presence and a great eternity with him. Stay focused on him; it changes everything.

“Therefore we do not give up… For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an absolutely incomparable eternal weight of glory. So we do not focus on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”  
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (CSB) (read full passage)

U.S. NEWS

Ongoing Manhunt

The manhunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO’s killer has gone nationwide. 

Authorities say the suspect used a fake New Jersey driver’s license to check into an Upper West Side hostel before the shooting. He reportedly arrived in New York City days earlier on a Greyhound bus from Atlanta and fled the city by bus after the shooting. Police later recovered his backpack in Central Park, containing a jacket and Monopoly money.

They have DNA and a partial fingerprint from a discarded Starbucks water bottle but have not publicly confirmed his identity or recovered the murder weapon. NYC Mayor Adams promised, “the net is tightening.”

The killing has provoked a less-than-sympathetic response from the public. In lieu of condolences, many Americans have shared personal stories of difficulties with insurance companies, amplifying anger toward the U.S. healthcare industry.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
Amidst a dark world where crime and societal turmoil persist, Christians find lasting hope in Christ. The Bible assures us that, even in the face of troubles and evil, Christ is our steadfast source of strength and refuge.

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me; God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”
Psalm 23:4; 46:1 (CSB) (read full passage)

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SPORTS

Selection Sunday

The College Football Playoff selection committee unveiled their first-ever 12-team field yesterday.

First-round byes went to: 

• No. 1 Oregon (Big 10 newbies/champions)

• No. 2 Georgia (SEC champs following an OT defeat of SEC newbies Texas)

• No. 3 Boise State (Mountain West champions)

• No. 4 Arizona State (Big 12 newbies/champions)

First-round matchups: 

• No. 12 Clemson (ACC champion) at No. 5 Texas 

• No. 11 SMU at No. 6 Penn State

• No. 10 Indiana at No. 7 Notre Dame

• No. 9 Tennessee at No. 8 Ohio State

Noticeably absent is Alabama. The three-loss Crimson Tide narrowly missed the playoffs as the selection committee favored SMU despite its last-second ACC championship loss. Fuming Alabama fans are wondering about strength of schedule; seemingly every other college football fan is happy.

Start preppin’ snacks––round one kicks off Friday, December 20th. 

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Verse to consider whether you’re shocked that you’re in or shocked that you’re out… “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (read full passage)

President-elect Trump returned to the world stage this weekend, attending Notre Dame Cathedral’s extravagant reopening (see photos) before meeting with world leaders, including Britain’s Prince William, France’s President Macron, and Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy. Yesterday, Trump said he is actively working to negotiate an end to the three-year Russia/Ukraine war and reported that Zelenskyy is ready to “make a deal.”
 

TikTok may soon feel Uncle Sam’s boot. A federal appeals court upheld the law requiring TikTok’s Chinese parent, ByteDance, to sell the app by early 2025 or face a U.S. ban. The bipartisan effort cites security threats posed by China’s access to Americans’ data. TikTok has said it will not sell and plans to appeal to the Supreme Court.
 

The jury in Daniel Penny’s trial will return today to consider the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide (see our quick refresher on the controversial case). On Friday, the judge granted the prosecution’s motion to dismiss the more serious second-degree manslaughter charge after the jury deadlocked; Penny now faces a maximum of 4 years in prison, down from 15 years.
 

South Korea’s President Yoon narrowly avoided impeachment Saturday after his ruling party boycotted a National Assembly vote. The motion, sparked by Yoon’s surprise and short-lived martial law declaration, required a two-thirds majority; opposition leaders plan to try again on Wednesday. If impeached, Yoon would lose power, and an election would follow within 60 days.
 

The USDA will begin testing the nation’s supply of raw and unpasteurized milk for bird flu. The virus, H5N1, didn’t get the winged-animals-only memo and has infected at least 718 herds of dairy cows across 15 states. Nearly 60 people have been infected––mostly farmers showing mild symptoms––and there’s no evidence humans have been infected by drinking cows milk.

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