Monday, January 12, 2026

This is The Briefing, a daily analysis of news and events from a Christian worldview. Part I (00:14 – 13:51) Aldrich Ames and His Deadly Betrayal: The Death of CIA Turncoat for Soviets Raises Massive Issues Aldrich Ames, C.I.A. Turncoat Who Helped the Soviets, Dies at 84 by The New York Times (Tim Weiner) Part II (13:51 – 20:23) Yet Another Problem with Surrogacy Emerges: Many Surrogate Mothers are Incurring Insurmountable Medical Expenses Surrogacy Is a Multibillion-Dollar Business—but Surrogates Can Be Left With Big Debts by The Wall Street Journal (Katherine Long) Part III (20:23 – 24:27) Let’s Face the Truth About Surrogacy: There’s Massive Moral Problems in Even the Best Cases, and Many Surrogates are Hired by LGBTQ Couples Part IV (24:27 – 26:56) Not Every Reproductive Act is Morally Acceptable: Babies are An Unalloyed Good, But Not Every Means of Conception is Good of Morally Acceptable Spycraft and Soulcraft on the Front Lines of History by Thinking in Public (R. Albert Mohler, Jr.