The Pour Over Today - Friday, April 1, 2022

Episode Date: April 1, 2022

Today we’re talking about a draft in Russia, the expected end of an impactful immigration policy, Facebook’s smear campaign against TikTok, and other top news for Friday, April 1st. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over.Sponsored by Medi-Share:https://links.thepourover.org/medicare_04_01

Today we're talking about a draft in Russia, the expected end of an impactful immigration policy, Facebook's smear campaign against TikTok, and other top news for Friday, April 1st. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Here's the quote of the day. Satan's greatest success is in making people think they have plenty of time before they die to consider their eternal welfare. John Owen. Let's get started with some espresso shots. Turns out misinformation is a door that swings both ways in Russia. Earlier this week, Russia promised to scale back attacks in northern Ukraine. Despite this, bombing has continued in the outskirts of Kiev and in the northern city of Chernihiv. Attacks were concentrated on medical

facilities, including 50 hospitals. When it comes to poor information, Putin apparently has been receiving some. U.S. and British intelligence report top advisers to the president have been, quote, too afraid to tell him the truth and are censoring reports of military losses and the full impact of sanctions hitting their economy, which is expected to shrink by 10 percent this year. Putin at least knows he'd like more troops, and he ordered a draft of nearly 135,000 Russian men ages 18 to 27, which starts today and ends in mid-July. We live in a sinful, broken, and unfair world that is marred by sin. Even as we work and pray for peace, we can take comfort knowing that this is not our home, and through Christ, all things will ultimately be made right. Psalm 23, 4 says, Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no danger, for you are with me.

Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. The end of Title 42 is near. Title 42 allows Border Patrol officials to rapidly turn away most undocumented migrants without a hearing to prevent COVID-19 from spreading. But the CDC says COVID is no longer an immediate danger. The Department of Homeland Security put out a statement saying that if the policy ends, they'd expect a, quote, significant increase in border crossings, potentially up to 18,000 a day. That's up from 7,000 a day, already high by historical standards. It's a polarizing topic. Democrats generally say revoking the order is long overdue, with Senate Leader Schumer calling a policy that turns away asylum seekers, quote,

terrible and inhumane. On the other hand, Republicans generally say ending Title 42 would overwhelm border officials and increase illegal immigration, with Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat, asking the CDC to, quote, renew this common-sense policy. While the Bible does not speak to government policies, it specifically calls out foreigners and strangers as groups that Christians should love and treat fairly in their personal lives. Matthew 25, 35 says, For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you took me in.

In the war for social media dominance, Facebook isn't afraid to play dirty. The Washington Post revealed that Facebook's parent company Meta hired the political consulting firm Targeted Victoria to run a smear campaign against TikTok. That's the dancing app the youths are using, for our older readers. The report claims this firm accelerated harmful trends on TikTok, such as, quote, devious licks, which involve trashing school bathrooms, and, quote, slap a teacher, which is pretty self-explanatory, in order to paint the app as harmful and dangerous for children. In response to the report, Targeted Victoria claimed, quote, key points are simply false, and Meta said that TikTok should face scrutiny commensurate with its level of success.

At this point, it's unclear if the report will trigger an investigation of further foul play by the media giant. Our goal is to keep the big things big and the small things small. It's not that battles between Facebook and TikTok aren't important. They're just not God of the universe important. Stay focused on eternity. It changes everything. Colossians 3, 2 through 4 says, set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. This podcast is brought to you by MediShare. Have you ever stared at a $2,000 per night Airbnb listing thinking to yourself, you know, if I got 14 other people to come with me, this would be doable? Well, that's essentially what MediShare is, with a few tweaks. Instead of an Airbnb, it's your healthcare costs. And instead of 14 friends,

it's 400,000 fellow Christians. And instead of you having to make things happen, it's MediShare taking care of everything. No, seriously, their concierge-style approach is part of why they have a 98% satisfaction rate. If you want to lower your healthcare costs, take some time to see if MediShare is right for you. We've got a link for you in the show notes. Health care sharing is not the best option for everyone, but it is an excellent option for many. Take the time to research if it's right for you and your family. In other brews, we've got a rapid round of updates. A federal investigation into Hunter Biden is reportedly intensifying. Investigators are examining whether the president's son violated foreign lobbying laws or laundered money when he was making international business deals.

These included a multi-million dollar consulting arrangement with a Chinese energy company that Republicans allege is, quote, effectively an arm of the Chinese government. Hunter Biden denies any wrongdoing. Chinese government. Hunter Biden denies any wrongdoing. Mark Vande Hei, a NASA astronaut, safely returned to Earth aboard a Russian Soyuz rocket. Despite concerns that the sourness between the U.S. and Russia might disrupt the plans, Vande Hei spent the most continuous time in space of any American, 355 days. The U.S. men's soccer team celebrated their 0-2 loss to Costa Rica on Wednesday because it was good enough to secure their place in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Going into the game, the team needed to lose by fewer than six points to make the cup, which they didn't qualify for in 2018. The Academy says they asked Will Smith to leave immediately after he slapped Chris Rock, but he refused.

They're now investigating potential punishments, including suspension and expulsion from their ranks. If he were expelled, he would never be nominated for another Oscar or attend another awards ceremony. 67-year-old Bruce Willis has retired. His family members made the joint announcement, saying that the diehard actor has been diagnosed with aphasia, a language disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate. Willis has acted for nearly 40 years and his movies have grossed over $5 billion worldwide. That's all we have for today. Thanks so much for listening. If you're listening on the Apple Podcast app, give us a five star rating and drop us a review. If you're listening on Spotify, give us a follow and hit the notification bell to never miss a new episode.

And finally, the simplest way to help us grow is to send this episode to a friend. We hope you have a great weekend and we'll see you back here on Monday, April 4th.