Monday, December 12, 2022

This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview.Part I (00:13 - 09:00)Welcomed Back into the Arms of Vladimir Putin: The Merchant of Death Returns to Russia in Brittany Griner ExchangeViktor Bout’s Release Is Hailed in Russia as a Kremlin Victory by New York Times (Richard Pérez-Peña)Part II (09:00 - 16:11)A New Morality of Hostage Takers: Why the U.S. (And Other Democratic Nations) Will Get the Short End of the Stick in Government International Hostage SituationsU.S. Reluctantly Embraces New Era of Hostage Diplomacy by Wall Street Journal (Aruna Viswanatha and James T. Areddy)Part III (16:11 - 18:48)‘A Role Model and Inspiration to LGBTQI+ Americans’: The Political Pressure on the Biden Administration That Led to the Swap for Brittany GrinerBrittney Griner Swap Puts Spotlight on Americans in Russia by New York Times (Valerie Hopkins, Anatoly Kurmanaev and Jonathan Abrams)Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, December 8, 2022 by The White HousePart IV (18:48 - 28:55)There’s a New “Independent” in the Senate? Kyrsten Sinema Changes Political Affiliation — But This Is an Unfolding Story, With Interesting WrinklesKyrsten Sinema Switches to Independent, Complicates Democratic Control of Senate by Wall Street Journal (Eliza Collins and Lindsay Wise)Sign up to receive The Briefing in your inbox every weekday morning.Follow Dr. Mohler:X | Instagram | Facebook | YouTubeFor more information on The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, go to sbts.edu.For more information on Boyce College, just go to BoyceCollege.com.To write Dr. Mohler or submit a question for The Mailbox, go here.