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Transcript:

Good morning, it is August 22, 2025. Here are today’s stories:

1. Satellite images reveal North Korea is operating a covert missile base 17 miles from China’s border, capable of launching missiles that could reach the U.S. mainland. The site’s proximity to China raises concerns about potential miscalculations among nuclear powers in northeast Asia. This development heightens tensions in a region already fraught with military complexities.

2. Asian markets showed mixed responses on Thursday as investors awaited U.S. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell’s Friday speech, following uncertainty from recent inflation data. Oil prices rose after a decline in U.S. crude stockpiles, while markets fluctuated due to hopes for a Ukraine peace deal after President Trump’s meeting with Vladimir Putin. The anticipation underscores ongoing global economic and diplomatic volatility.

3. U.S. unemployment benefit applications for the week ending August 16 increased by 11,000 to 235,000, slightly above the 229,000 forecasted by economists, per the Labor Department. Despite layoffs remaining low historically, the labor market shows signs of weakening, with only 73,000 jobs added in July and a revised loss of 258,000 jobs for May and June, pushing the unemployment rate to 4.2%.

4. Dr. James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family and a prominent Christian leader who advised five U.S. presidents, died at 89 yesterday morning, according to the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. A psychologist, Dobson was a highly influential figure in American Christianity over the past 50 years. His passing marks the end of a significant era for the evangelical community.

Let’s pray…

Thank you for listening to News on Knees, a community prayer podcast by Story King Media.

If you want to join the movement, I’m calling all believers, anyone who wants to pray for the world, their country, their region, a specific societal issue. Using something as simple as the voice memo app on your phone, record a 1–2 minute prayer and email it to:

storykingmedia@gmail.com,

Simply write the word ‘PRAYER’ in the subject line of the email.

NOTE - Two Rules for Submitted Prayers:

1. Please Keep Obvious Political Bias Out
2. No Personal Requests. Prayers should be about societal issues that are either global, country, state, or region-specific.

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All instructions, links, and news sources will be in the show notes.

I leave you with:

Philippians 4:6-7

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Until next time…

Sources:

1. https://www.thetimes.com/world/asia/article/secret-north-korean-missile-base-is-capable-of-striking-us-shgbsw726
2. https://ground.news/article/asian-markets-mixed-as-investors-await-key-speech
3. https://fortune.com/2025/08/21/unemployment-claims-surge-trump-tariff/
4. https://www.foxnews.com/us/dr-james-dobson-focus-family-founder-advisor-5-presidents-dead-89