In this week’s Brief: We’re talking about the global tug-of-war over rare earth minerals and what the U.S. is doing to loosen its reliance on China. We also dive into the daring, Hollywood-worthy heist at the Louvre. And we tackle updates on the government shutdown, the "No Kings" protests, Ukraine and Israel before sharing our World Series predictions. Plus, don’t miss a big announcement at the end of the episode about what’s next for Culture Brief!

From politics and global affairs to pop culture and faith, Conner and Micah offer grounded, thoughtful insight on what’s shaping the world right now—and what it means for believers. Plus, don’t miss a big announcement at the end of the episode about what’s next for Culture Brief!

• (00:47): What are rare earth minerals?
• (05:54): US-Australia deal on rare earth minerals
• (11:54): Spiritual application: Planning with faith
• (15:26): The Louvre heist: A Hollywood-style robbery
• (25:46): Reflecting on the value of human life
• (29:16): Mailbag: Responses to last week’s audiobook hot take
• (32:17): Ukraine's plea for Tomahawk missiles
• (34:24): "No Kings" protest across the country
• (36:41): Government shutdown and economic impact
• (38:58): Fragile ceasefire in the Middle East
• (41:06): World Series and NBA updates
• (43:17): Big announcement!

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• NOTE - you can catch Conner & Micah on last week’s Faith & Clarity podcast episode discussing the spiritual implications of the AI Bible, euthanasia, congressional term limits and freedom of speech.

Links mentioned in this episode:

• Can’t Believe the Louvre Robbery? These 6 Heist Movies Are Just as Wild.

Other articles on this week’s top headlines:

• U.S., Australia Deal Advances Critical Minerals Ambitions, While Detail Light - WSJ
• Reuters: ROI US-Australia critical minerals deal
• US and Australia sign critical-minerals agreement as a way to counter China
• Australia and the US have signed a critical minerals deal to take on China’s monopoly. Here’s what you need to know
• Apple inks $500M deal with US-based rare-earth mine operator MP Materials
• United States-Australia Framework For Securing of Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths – The White House
• Time is running out to save stolen Napoleonic jewelry - Denison Forum
• Historic jewels stolen in ‘national disaster’ for France: What we know about missing Louvre treasures | CNN
• How the Louvre Jewelry Heist Unfolded - The New York Times
• Louvre Robbery May Have Been More About Stones Than Art, Experts Say
• Politico: 'No Kings' protests against Trump bring a street party vibe to cities nationwide

Conner Jones is the Director of Performance Marketing at Denison Ministries and Co-Hosts Denison Forum's "Culture Brief" podcast. He graduated from Dallas Baptist University in 2019 with a degree in Business Management. Conner passionately follows politics, sports, pop-culture, entertainment, and current events. He enjoys fishing, movie-going, and traveling the world with his wife and son.

Micah Tomasella is the Director of Advancement at Denison Ministries and co-hosts Denison Forum's "Culture Brief" podcast. A graduate of Dallas Baptist University, Micah is married to Emily, and together they are the proud parents of two daughters. With an extensive background in nonprofit work, finance, and real estate, Micah also brings experience from his years in pastoral church ministry.

Denison Forum exists to thoughtfully engage the issues of the day from a biblical perspective through The Daily Article email newsletter and podcast, the Faith & Clarity podcast, as well as many books and additional resources.