Just sharing.

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What is Greenland?​

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Greenland is a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. ​

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Previously a Danish colony, it formally became part of the Kingdom of Denmark after WWII. Referendums in 1979 and 2009 handed Greenland control over most of its internal affairs (courts, policing, official language), while Denmark kept responsibility for foreign policy, international representation, and defense.​

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Think: Greenland runs the house, Denmark holds the deed.​

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Why does the U.S. want Greenland?
Location, location, location. ​

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Greenland sits between North America and Europe at the mouth of the North Atlantic, anchoring a strategic military and trade corridor known as the GIUK gap (Greenland-Iceland-United Kingdom). Plus, Greenland is rich in rare-earth minerals used in everything from iPhones to fighter jets—markets China currently dominates. Plus plus, as the Arctic ice melts, new trade routes are opening that could shave thousands of miles off current shipping journeys.​

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Why now?
This isn’t a new crush.​

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The U.S. has been eyeing Greenland since 1867, shortly after snagging Alaska. In 1946, President Truman made the U.S.’s first offer of $100M to buy Greenland, but Denmark held their (literal) ground. ​

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And Uncle Sam isn’t the only one—eight countries have Arctic claims, and global superpowers (including Russia and China) are racing to get their hands on the region.​

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Could the U.S. actually buy Greenland?
Theoretically, yes. Practically… it seems extremely unlikely.​

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Modern international law treats land as belonging to a people, not just the government that rules it, so it’ll be more difficult than when the U.S. simply cut a check for Alaska or Louisiana. Uncle Sam would need a green light from Greenlanders (who have said “naamik”), Denmark (which has said “nej”), ⅔ of the U.S. Senate (to pass a treaty), and a majority of U.S. Congress (to approve funding).​

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Still, there could be options aside from Greenland becoming a territory that could give U.S. more access to its minerals and geography. Catch up on President Trump’s conversations about that prospect here.​

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
No matter what earthly kingdom (or country) we belong to, our ultimate citizenship is in God’s heavenly Kingdom, which does not change. Let us live with unshakeable confidence in light of this truth.​

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“Our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly wait for a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humble condition into the likeness of his glorious body, by the power that enables him to subject everything to himself. So then, my dearly loved and longed for brothers and sisters, my joy and crown, in this manner stand firm in the Lord, dear friends.”
Philippians 3:20-4:1 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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Another Fatal Minneapolis Shooting​

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A man was fatally shot by federal officers during an immigration operation in Minneapolis on Saturday.​

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Federal authorities identified the man as Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old U.S. citizen and ICU nurse. ​

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What happened?
Videos show Pretti filming ICE agents with his phone, before appearing to try and intervene after an ICE agent pushes a woman to the ground. An officer appears to pepper-spray Pretti in the face before dragging him to the ground. Several agents surround Pretti, and moments later, multiple gunshots are heard.​

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The videos have fueled sharply different accounts of whether the officer’s actions were justified.​

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What are the dueling accounts?
DHS Secretary Noem said that Pretti “approached US border patrol officers with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun.” She suggested he intended to “kill law enforcement,” and that the officer “fired defensive shots” after Pretti “violently resisted” being disarmed.​

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Minnesota Governor Walz (D) called the DHS’s account “nonsense,” and demanded President Trump recall the “3,000 untrained agents out of Minnesota before they kill another American in the street.” Pretti’s parents say that, while their son had a permit to carry the firearm, he was “clearly not holding a gun when attacked” by ICE agents, but had “his phone in his right hand and his empty left hand is raised above his head.”​

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What now?
Separate—non-collaborative—state and federal investigations.​

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Meanwhile, Governor Walz deployed the National Guard to aid local law enforcement as anti-ICE protestors rallied near Minneapolis city hall, despite dangerously cold weather this weekend. And Senate Democrats say they will block a spending bill that includes $10B in funding for ICE, which must be approved by Friday to avoid a partial government shutdown.​

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PRAY WITH US
Good Shepherd, we come to You in a dark valley; lead us beside quiet waters and still our burdened souls. With your goodness and mercy, relentlessly pursue those who are mourning. Lead law enforcement in paths of righteousness, that they will be fearless when confronting wolves but discerning and gentle when they meet lambs. ​

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Still the anxiety, anger, and fear in Minneapolis and across the country. Give investigators insight and give courts discernment, and grow Your people’s faith that You will soon right every wrong. May we be beacons of light and hope while we wait on You. Amen.
(Scriptural basis: Psalm 23)​

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Brutal Winter Blast​

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Winter Storm Fern left at least two dead and over a million Americans powerless from New Mexico to New England this weekend.​

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Thick layers of ice and heavy snow blanketed 34 states—at least 24 of which have declared emergencies—with the highest threat of destructive ice stretching from Texas to Virginia. Flight cancellations are piling up, and a growing list of schools across the country have called off classes for Monday as roads become impassable.​

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Lawmakers are urging people to stay home, while forecasters warn of crippling accumulations, record subzero temperatures, and the storm’s unusually long duration.​

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Temps aren’t expected to get above freezing until later this week, and sunny days followed by frigid nights could instigate a melt-and-refreeze cycle, prolonging Fern’s effects even after she winds down late tonight. ​

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See live updates for your area here. ​

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
Massive weather events and natural disasters remind us that all of the world has been broken by sin. But Christians can look forward to an eternity where there’s redemption not just for people, but for creation itself. ​

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“For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children.”
Romans 8:20-21 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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Moderating in Minneapolis​

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The Trump administration is making some changes after backlash to Minneapolis’s second deadly ICE shooting.​

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President Trump announced Monday that he’s sending border czar Tom Homan to Minnesota to manage on-the-ground ICE ops, overseeing the roughly 3,000 federal agents there. Homan—a veteran ICE official who’s historically more focused on deporting violent criminals than hitting deportation quotas—will take over for controversial Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino.​

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Meanwhile, Trump and Democratic MN leadership are striking a more cooperative tone. ​

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Monday, #47 had “very good” calls with Governor Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Walz and Trump reportedly agreed that MN officials will cooperate with feds on “immigration enforcement,” the number of federal agents in the state will be reduced, and MN will “conduct independent investigations” into the shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.​

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(Want to process how you can talk about Minneapolis with the kids in your life? Sign up here to get Decaf: The Pour Over for Families in your inbox tomorrow!)

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RADIATE HOPE
Believers can be at the forefront of de-escalating tension in our communities, meeting anger with compassion and humility. Whether you’re out demonstrating, chatting with a frustrated friend in your living room, or watching from the sidelines, you are positioned to radiate hope. ​

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“The darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother or sister is in the darkness until now. The one who loves his brother or sister remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him.”
1 John 2:8-10 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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Big Tech on Trial​

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A landmark case on social media’s harm to teens hit the stands yesterday. ​

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The plaintiff, a 19-year old woman identified as KGM, alleges that the companies behind Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat built addictive algorithms that caused her serious mental-health struggles. ​

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While Big Tech has long been shielded from liability for user-generated content under the 1996 Communications Decency Act, this is the first of ~22 similar cases (representing ~1,600 plaintiffs) targeting platform designs—features like infinite scroll, autoplay, and algorithmic recommendations. Plaintiff lawyers are borrowing from a Big Tobacco-era playbook, introducing internal documents to show companies understood their products’ harms while publicly denying them.​

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Tech firms claim the case cherry-picks evidence and ignores safety tools already in place. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is expected to testify; Snap and TikTok have already settled.​

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
As courts discuss the effects of social media, it’s a good moment for personal reflection on social media’s effect on our lives, relationships, and heart-habits. Whatever tools or technology we adopt, our aim should be to use them wisely and in ways that increase the fruit of the Spirit in us. ​

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“Walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh… The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.”
Galatians 5:16, 22-23a (CSB) (read full passage)​

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Shutdown Deal​

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A deal was reached to avert a partial government shutdown, but hurdles remain ahead of tonight’s midnight deadline.​

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Earlier this week, Senate Democrats vowed to block a six-bill spending package unless the Department of Homeland Security was overhauled to “rein in ICE and the violence.” They proposed reforms to ICE include prohibiting roving patrols and masks, requiring body cameras, and implementing clearer use-of-force rules. ​

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Last night, President Trump and Senate Minority Leader Schumer (D-NY) reached a deal to keep five of the bills untouched—funding Defense, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Health and Human Services, Labor and Education through September—while maintaining the current levels of DHS funding for two weeks while negotiations continue.​

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At least a weekend-long shutdown remains likely, as any changes need to pass the House, which is not scheduled to return to session until next week.

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ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE
If our hope is based on political negotiations or economic security, then we live in fear because we could lose everything. But if our hope is rooted in the eternal security provided by Christ, then we can weather any storm—even a government shutdown. ​

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“My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’s blood and righteousness… On Christ the solid Rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand.”
Edward Mote, 1863 (Scriptural basis: Ps 18:2; Matt 7:24; Heb 13:8)​

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Minnesota​

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The two ICE agents who fatally shot Alex Pretti in Minneapolis were placed on administrative leave. ​

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection called the leave “standard protocol” and said it went into effect Saturday, the day of the shooting, walking back CBP official Greg Bovino’s statement on Sunday that the agents were still working “in other locations.” ​

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The update follows newly released footage showing a confrontation between Pretti and ICE agents 11 days before he was killed. At a protest, Pretti was recorded yelling, spitting at agents, and kicking the taillight of a federal SUV before being tackled and released.​

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Meanwhile, President Trump has doubled down, saying Pretti shouldn’t have carried a gun to a protest—despite Pretti’s legal permit and never raising the weapon—drawing rare public criticism from the NRA and other Second Amendment groups.

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CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
When discussing divisive topics, remember that both your stance and how you take your stance reflect on Christ. We should not sacrifice relationships to win arguments.​

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“If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Romans 12:18 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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What is the FBI’s Most Wanted list?​

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The FBI’s Most Wanted list is how the bureau mobilizes the public to help track down people accused of serious crimes. The most well-known version is the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list, which has existed for more than 75 years.​

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Where did the list come from?
In 1950, a reporter unintentionally sparked a cultural phenomenon when he asked the FBI to name its “toughest guys.” The story drew widespread public attention and tips, prompting the FBI to formalize this media moment into a long-running law enforcement strategy.​

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How does someone land on the list?
There’s no fixed formula… but FBI leadership generally asks two questions:​

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1. Are they a danger to society?
2. Would nationwide publicity aid in their capture, or would it be a waste? (i.e., if they’re already famous for other reasons, more publicity doesn’t usually help).

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Fugitives are typically wanted for violent crimes (think: murder, kidnapping, gang activity), terrorism, or major financial fraud, but the key consideration isn’t the type of crime so much as the threat to public safety and whether tips would be helpful.​

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Does someone have to be convicted to be on the list?
Nope. Individuals are usually charged or indicted, but not convicted. The list’s purpose is apprehension, not a declaration of guilt.​

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Can someone come off the list?
Yep. If they’re arrested, confirmed dead, or (less commonly) removed because their case no longer fits the criteria. (Hear us talk about how many times that’s happened in today’s TPO Explains episode.)​

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Are there rewards involved?
For anyone listed on the Ten Most Wanted list, a minimum reward of $250K is offered for information, however amounts can vary widely. The largest reward ever offered for a top-ten lister: $25M for Osama bin Laden.​

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Does the list actually work?
Historically, yes. Of the 537 fugitives who have been on the list over the years, 500 have been apprehended, and 163 were located with help from public tips.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
The injustice in our world stirs up longing in us for a better world, where justice always wins, and righteousness is never corrupted. Christians have a hard job. Imitating our just and merciful Father, we simultaneously celebrate justice that comes, comfort victims in their pain, and, all the while, demonstrate our love for the guilty. ​

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“But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful, just as your Father also is merciful.”
Luke 6:35-36 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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[td] Hi friends,​ ​ [td] “Why aren’t you outraged?”​

[td] Let’s come to Him now:​ ​ [td] [td] [td] Almighty Father, forgive my prayerlessness. I have been worldly and distracted and self-dependent and rebellious. There are no sneaky officials or tyrannical kings or hungry lions1 in my way— only my own coldness of affection and hardness of heart. Spirit of the Living God, Warm me and soften me and draw me near. Grow love where there is contempt in me; grow joy when I am dull and despairing; grow peace in my restless discontent and chaos; grow patience in places of hurry and agitation; grow kindness that overcomes my harsh severity; grow goodness where I have selfish ambition; grow gentleness that quiets my quick, sharp tongue; grow faithfulness where I am wayward and fickle; and grow self-control that’s stronger than my fleshly cravings.2 Peacemaking Savior, do Your redeeming, renewing, healing, helping work in Minneapolis and in places of unrest in my own life. Stir up my zeal for Your Kingdom, my desire for Your presence, and my desperation for Your intervention so that my first instinct is to come to You— whether in celebration, mourning, or pleas for help. You meet me, You hear, and You answer.3 Amen.​

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The Pour Over gets this question often in the wake of contentious and tragic headlines—like the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by ICE in Minneapolis. The question begs another question…​

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What does the world need from believers in moments like these?​

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Daniel, the biblical superstar of upholding faith in a hostile culture, points the way forward. When his government overreached and promised to violently enforce its law against prayer, Daniel “got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously” (Daniel 6:10 ESV). ​

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If someone told you that, for 30 days, you could move the levers of government against injustice but you couldn’t pray, would you think that’s a fair trade? ​

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Daniel didn’t. The only outcome that was unacceptable to him was prayerlessness. His place before the God of Israel was so important that he’d die in the lions’ mouths before giving it up for even a month. ​

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And he’s not even shaken up about it. Everyone in Daniel’s world is worked up and stressed except him, the one facing death. He’s calm as a Veggie Tales cucumber, because he’s leaving injustice in the hands of a quite sovereign, plenty powerful King. He might ask us,​

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Why aren’t you prayerful?​

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“The Lord mighty in battle.”

Psalm 24:8

Well may our God be glorious in the eyes of his people, seeing that he has wrought such wonders for them, in them, and by them. For them, the Lord Jesus upon Calvary routed every foe, breaking all the weapons of the enemy in pieces by his finished work of satisfactory obedience; by his triumphant resurrection and ascension he completely overturned the hopes of hell, leading captivity captive, making a show of our enemies openly, triumphing over them by his cross. Every arrow of guilt which Satan might have shot at us is broken, for who can lay anything to the charge of God's elect? Vain are the sharp swords of infernal malice, and the perpetual battles of the serpent's seed, for in the midst of the church the lame take the prey, and the feeblest warriors are crowned.




The saved may well adore their Lord for his conquests in them, since the arrows of their natural hatred are snapped, and the weapons of their rebellion broken. What victories has grace won in our evil hearts! How glorious is Jesus when the will is subdued, and sin dethroned! As for our remaining corruptions, they shall sustain an equally sure defeat, and every temptation, and doubt, and fear, shall be utterly destroyed. In the Salem of our peaceful hearts, the name of Jesus is great beyond compare: he has won our love, and he shall wear it.

Even thus securely may we look for victories by us. We are more than conquerors through him that loved us. We shall cast down the powers of darkness which are in the world, by our faith, and zeal, and holiness; we shall win sinners to Jesus, we shall overturn false systems, we shall convert nations, for God is with us, and none shall stand before us. This evening let the Christian warrior chant the war song, and prepare for tomorrow's fight. Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world.

 

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Critical Deals​

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Uncle Sam spent Monday makin’ money moves to put pressure on Russia and China. ​

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First, President Trump announced that he and Indian PM Modi reached a U.S.-India trade deal: ​

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• New Delhi will stop buying oil from Russia (India’s currently one of Moscow’s top customers), eliminate tariffs and “non-tariff barriers against” the U.S., and purchase more American goods
• Washington will cut tariffs on Indian imports from 50% to 18%

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Then, hoping to reduce America's reliance on Chinese-mined minerals, the White House announced “Project Vault,” a first-of-its-kind initiative to stockpile critical minerals used in tech (think: everything from iPhones to fighter jets).​

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The proposal—similar to the U.S. oil reserves—has secured $1.67B in private cash and a $10B federal agency loan. The news of the to-be-squirreled-away ores caused domestic mining shares to surge.

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CHRISTIAN RESPONSE
Regardless of whether the broader economy is struggling or thriving, Christians should seek to give generously of our time, talents, and resources to those in greater need. Reach out to your local church to see where help is needed. ​

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“Don’t neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices.”
Hebrews 13:16 (CSB) (read full passage)​

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