The Pour Over Today - Charlie Kirk Memorial, Looming Government Shutdown, H1-B Visas, & More | 09.22.25

Episode Date: September 22, 2025

Today, we’re talking about Charlie Kirk’s memorial; the looming government shutdown; President Trump hiking the price of H1-B visas; and other top news for Monday, September 22nd. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Government Shutdown Bonus Episode: Apple Spotify Join over 1 million readers with our free newsletter here Looking to support us? You can choose to pay here Check out our sponsors! We actually use and enjoy every single one. Cru Surfshark Holy Post CCCU Upside HelloFresh Mosh LMNT Theology in the Raw Safe House Project Student Life Application Study Bible A Place For You Practicing Life Together Not Just Sunday Podcast

Hey, this is Joe at the Pourover. Happy first day of fall. The autumnal equinox is one of two days each year when the length of day and night are nearly equal. And it means those pumpkin decorations are now socially acceptable. Now for the headlines. Today, we're talking about Charlie Kirk's memorial, the looming government shutdown,

President Trump hiking the price of H1BVs, and other top news for Monday, September 22nd. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with the pourover. Here's your quote of the day. 99% of the failures come from people who have the habit of making excuses. George Washington Carver. Let's get started with some espresso shots. State Farm Stadium was at max capacity yesterday,

about 73,000, for Charlie Kirk's memorial service, with early estimates suggesting millions more viewers online. Turning Point USA, the conservative political organization Kirk co-founded, encouraged attendees to come dressed in their red, white, and blue Sunday best. Security was tight. There was a strict no-bag policy, bulletproof glass around the speaker's podium, and police arrested an armed man who ended up. entered the stadium on Saturday, accusing him of impersonating law enforcement.

The memorial featured over a dozen speakers, including Charlie's wife Erica, President Trump, Vice President Vance, and other Trump administration officials. They pledged to continue turning points conservative activism in high schools and colleges, and repeatedly celebrated Kirk's faith. The event itself included worship music from major Christian artists, scripture readings, and gospel presentations. God doesn't promise a world without troubles, but he does promise peace and victory over sin for all who trust in Jesus.

During times dominated by division and fear, our eternity is secure, and we can cling to his promises. John 16, verse 33, says, I've told you these things so that in me you may have peace you will have suffering in this world be courageous I have conquered the world

I have conquered the world Shutdown season is upon us Friday the House passed a GOP endorsed stopgap bill that keeps funding at current levels through November 21st while adding $88 million

in security upgrades for government officials following the Charlie Kirk assassination. The Senate voted it down 44 to 48, well short of the 60 needed votes. Democrats countered with their own bill, which would extend funding until October 31st, boosts security for government officials by $326 million, restore Affordable Care Act subsidies, and roll back recent GOP-backed Medicaid changes. That proposal also flopped in the Senate. Congress is now in recess until September 29th, just before the current funding expires on September 30th. Without a compromise, federal agencies will begin shuttering, paychecks will pause for many workers,

and public services will face disruptions. The shutdown avoiding clock is officially ticking. P.S. If you want to learn more about how government shutdowns work, Listen to our bonus explainer episode where I'm joined by Jason, our founder, and Kathleen, our managing editor. The link is in the show notes. 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 shut down. 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. Hiring immigrants just got more expensive. On Friday, President Trump signed an executive order that will hike the price of H-1B visas, a program which allows U.S. companies to hire skilled foreign workers. The White House says tech companies have been prioritizing lower-paid immigrants

over Americans and announce that employers like Amazon and Google will now foot a one-time $100,000 bill up from about $1,500 for all future H-1 hires. Critics say the move will make it harder for U.S. companies to attract the world's top talent.

There is another, more expensive, option. Number 47 also ordered the creation of the, quote, Trump Gold Card, an expedited permanent residence document, available for $1 million. President Trump expects the program to generate $100 billion, which he said will be used for, quote, reducing taxes, pro-growth projects, and paying down our debt. Here's a verse to consider whether your job prospects are changing or you're just trying to keep up with the international mathing.

Anyone trusting in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like foliage. Proverbs 11, verse 28. Hey, it's Steph, a writer at the Porover. We recently moved to the big city of Omaha, and in all the hustle and bustle, I totally forgot. to check my new neighborhood for cashback offers on Upside. After some calculating, I realized I missed out on like 20 bucks, which would fund quite a few of the iced honey lattes that fuel my newsletter writing. Don't be like me. Don't forget to Upside.

Upside is a free app that shows you nearby cashback offers on essentials like gas and groceries. All you have to do is claim an offer, make your purchase like normal, snap a pick of the receipt or link your card, and boom, money back in your account. It really couldn't be easier. You just have to remember. Download the free Upside app and use promo code TPO to get an extra 25 cents back for every gallon on your first tank of gas. That's an extra 25 cents back for every gallon on your first tank of gas using promo code TPO. In other brews, here's a rapid round of us. Estonia says Russia intruded on its airspace.

The Baltic country called NATO to its defense after Russian jets entered Estonian skies quote, without permission and remained there for 12 minutes. NATO scrambled jets from Italy, Finland, and Sweden to aid Estonia, calling the incident quote, reckless Russian behavior. Russia, which recently had similar infringements in Poland and Romania, denies any violations. Uncle Sam struck another alleged drug-smuggling boat in International Waters Friday, killing three narco-terrorists. President Trump, who announced the airstrike, didn't mention which cartel was targeted,

or the vessel's country of origin, but said it was en route to America. Meanwhile, Venezuelan President Maduro agreed to meet with the U.S. envoy to overcome media around Venezuela's role in drug trafficking. The UK, Australia, Canada, and Portugal formally recognized a Palestinian state yesterday, breaking from Western precedent to express disapproval of Israel's escalation in Gaza and to breathe life into a two-state solution.

France and others are expected to follow suit this week. Israeli PM Netanyahu said the Allies' recognition rewards Hamas, arguing that a Palestinian state creates a terrorism launch site. The CDC's vaccine advisory panel voted to change COVID-19 vaccine guidance on Friday. The panel, appointed by HHS Secretary RFK Jr., unanimously agreed that the shot should be weighed using, quote, individual-based decision-making in consultation with a clinician for those between six months and 64 years old. The panel narrowly voted down a measure recommending that states require prescriptions

for a COVID vaccine. Ticketmasters in the hot seat. The FTC and seven states have sued Ticketmaster and Parent Company Live Nation, accusing them of hiding fees and teaming up with scalpers to inflate resale prices, leaving artists and fans to pay the price. The FTC said live events, quote, should not cost an arm and a leg to attend. Ticketmaster says the claims misrepresent its business practices. That's all we have for today.

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