The Pour Over Today - CIA in Venezuela, Gaza Ceasefire Update, Pentagon Press Pledge, & More | 10.17.25

Episode Date: October 17, 2025

Today, we’re talking about U.S. ops in Venezuela; Israel and Hamas swapping hostages’ and prisoners’ remains; DOD reporters handing in their badges over a controversial press pledge; and other top news for Friday, October 17th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Join over 1.5 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 A Place For You Practicing Life Together Not Just Sunday Podcast Quince Courage for Life Study Bible She Reads Truth

Today's episode is brought to you by our lead sponsor, Safe House Project. Hey, this is Zan at the Poor Over. And this is Bailey at the Poorover. Today, we're talking about U.S. ops in Venezuela. Israel and Hamas swapping hostages and prisoners remains. DoD reporters handing in their badges over a controversial press pledge and other top news for Friday, October 17. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with the pourover.

Here's your quote of the day. God is awesome. He doesn't need you to be awesome. He wants you to be obedient. Matt Chandler. Let's get started with some espresso shots. The CIA's going undercover in Venezuela. On Wednesday, President Trump confirmed that he authorized the CIA.

to conduct potentially lethal covert operations in Venezuela, increasing pressure against Nicholas Maduro, the country's authoritarian president who was empowered despite credible evidence that he lost re-election. It's rare for a president to comment on intelligence operations in foreign countries, but Trump acknowledged the operation, saying Venezuela has, quote, emptied their prisons into the states and smuggled in, quote, a lot of drugs. Uncle Sam reportedly plans to continue combating narco-terrorism by sea and is also, quote, looking at land. Maduro responded over Venezuelan airwaves saying, quote, no to CIA orchestrated coups, later saying he was mobilizing forces to defend the country.

The day before, Trump announced the U.S. has conducted its fifth recent strike on a vessel off the coast of Venezuela, killing six alleged, quote, narco-terrorists. Here's a verse to consider when conflict is heating up in your own home. Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. Instead, he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, he humbled himself by. by becoming obedient to the point of death, even to death on a cross. Philippians 2, verses 5 through 8.

Israel and Hamas are continuing their hostage prisoner exchange. Since Monday, they've traded 90 deceased Palestinians for eight Hamas-held bodies, seven of which have been identified as hostages. Hamas says it needs, quote, special equipment to reach 19 remaining hostage bodies, which are buried under rubble that may contain explosives. Israel is demanding that Hamas make a, quote, greater effort to return them. The delay is raising fears that the ceasefire won't hold. The U.S. says Hamas hasn't broken the truths and intends to, quote, honor it.

Meanwhile, in Gaza, Israel is preparing to open the Rafa crossing. the sole Gaza-Egypt border entry for people, but humanitarian aid will only come through Israel-Ghasa border entry points. Hamas is reasserting control where Israel has withdrawn, clashing with rival militias and those accused of collaborating with Israel. As we mourn violence and pray for peace to hold in the Middle East, believers are reminded of how good the news is. of Jesus's coming kingdom. His spirit offers supernatural peace in our hearts today, and his return promises unbreakable peace in a renewed earth forever. Isaiah 65 verses 17 and 25 say, For I will create new heavens and a new earth. The wolf and the lamb will feed together,

and the lion will eat straw like cattle, but the serpent's food will be dust. They will not do what is evil or destroy on my entire holy mountain, says the Lord. Dozens of defense reporters turned in their Pentagon badges on Wednesday instead of signing a new press, quote, pledge from War Secretary Pete Hegeseth. The new rules first introduced last month took effect Tuesday night, prompting a mass exodus from the building's press offices. Over 30 major outlets, including ABC, NBC, CBS, The Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, AP, Newsmax, and even Hegss's former employer, Fox News, refused to sign. Only one major outlet, one American news, agreed.

The pledge bars journalists from obtaining or using any unapproved material, even if it's unclassified. A restriction critics say lets the Pentagon, quote, spoon-feed. information and control the narrative. Hegseth defended the move saying, quote, Pentagon access is a privilege, not a right, and the building now has the, quote, same rules as every U.S. military installation. Reporters say they'll keep covering the Pentagon regardless. Controversial policies are likely to spark heated debate. Remember that both your stance and and how you take your stance, reflect on Christ. Pray with us with this prayer from every moment holy.

O Lord, let those who claim your name do no harm to it by their abrasiveness and impatience. But rather, speaking your precious truth and love, let them present your story winsomely that it might be well loved and that others might be drawn to your goodness, your beauty. Human trafficking isn't just an over-their problem, it's happening right here in the U.S.

An estimated 300,000 people are being trafficked in America right now, and most were first sold as children. Even when they get a chance to run, sometimes there's no safe way out, and they get pulled right back in. Safehouse Project is helping children get to safety and stay there by equipping communities to spot, trafficking and funding urgent escapes.

They cover what's needed in those crucial moments, a way to escape, shelter, and resources for lasting freedom. Trafficking in the U.S. is at crisis levels and requests for help to escape are higher than ever. Just $40 provides a safe ride that takes a child from captivity to freedom. Safehouse Project can't miss the moment when a child is ready to escape, and your gift makes sure they don't. Give a child the way out.

Go to safehouseproject.org slash TPO or check the link in the show notes to give now. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. It's day 17 of the government shutdown and the Senate's still in a standoff. Yesterday, the Upper Chamber failed to pass a temporary spending bill for the 10th time and the standalone defense spending bill, which previously had bipartisan support. Meanwhile, a U.S. District Judge temporarily blocked the Trump admin from laying off thousands of federal workers.

An old map-drawing fight is reigniting. After hearing Louisiana v. Calais on Wednesday, the Supreme Court appears poised to weaken the 1965 Voting Rights Act by narrowing Section 2, which prohibits maps that dilute minority voting power. Louisiana was forced to add a second majority black district, but non-black voters now argue that the change violated the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. The Big Apple boss race is heating up. Zohan Mamdani, a Democratic socialist New York State Assemblyman since 2021, held a double-digit poll lead over former Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Silwa, ahead of

last night's mayoral debate. Cuomo, running as an independent, has gained some ground on Mom Donnie with three weeks until Election Day. Facebook has scrapped an ICE lookout page. The Justice Department said META complied with its request to remove a page allegedly being used to harass ICE agents in Chicago. Attorney General Pam Bondi said it was part of a coordinated effort to, quote, docks and target, about 200 officers deployed under President Trump's immigration enforcement push. META said the page violated its coordinated harm policy. Cressless, UFO-shaped PB&J is feeding a legal battle between Smuckers and Trader Joe's. The Uncrustibles maker is suing the Hawaiian shirt grocery chain for infringing on Smucker's

trademarks. pie-shaped, crimped, one-spit, turquoise branding with its copycat. Smuckers said it spent $1 billion developing the Goodwill surrounding the favorite snack shared by fifth graders, firefighters, and NFL players, especially the Denver Broncos. That's all we have for today. Thanks so much for listening, TPOFam. If you're listening on the Apple Podcasts app,

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