The Pour Over Today - Friday, April 15, 2022

Episode Date: April 15, 2022

Today, we’re talking about the Brooklyn subway shooter, a police shooting, gridlock at the southern border, and other top news for Friday, April 15. A quick note, we’ll be taking Monday off to celebrate the empty tomb, but will be back in your earbuds on Wednesday. Happy Easter!Sponsored by the Ask Dr. E podcast. Search for “Ask Dr. E” on your podcast platform of choice.

Today we're talking about the Brooklyn subway shooter, a police shooting, gridlock at the southern border, and other top news for Friday, April 15th. A note before we dive in, we'll be taking Monday off to celebrate the empty tomb, but we'll be back in your earbuds on Wednesday. Happy Easter! Today is Good Friday, when we remember the darkest event in history, the crucifixion of the Son of God. While we will soon celebrate his resurrection, today we mourn that he died because of our sin. Here's the quote of the day. It is to the cross that the Christian is challenged to follow his master. No path of redemption can make a detour around it. Hans Urs von Balthasar.

Let's get started with some espresso shots. Frank James, the 62-year-old man accused of shooting 10 people and injuring a dozen more on the Brooklyn subway car, was arrested Wednesday after he called the tip hotline on himself, ending a 30-hour manhunt. James' YouTube channel had several years' worth of videos filled with rants about racism and violence in the U.S., in addition to complaints about mental health care in NYC. Still, no apparent motive for the attack has been provided. For now, James will be in jail. At his first court appearance yesterday, prosecutors began building their case that this was a premeditated act of terrorism, while his defense simply requested that James receive a psychiatric evaluation. He was denied bail and, if convicted,

faces life in prison. 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. Revelation 21.4 says, He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more. Grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away. Protesters hit the streets in Grand Rapids, Michigan, after police released video of a traffic stop gone wrong. On April 4th, a white police officer pulled over 26-year-old

Patrick Leoya, a Black Congolese refugee, because the plates didn't match the car. After being asked for his driver's license, Leoya ran away. The officer tackled him in a nearby yard, and a fight ensued over the officer's taser, which was fired twice but didn't hit anyone. The officer ended up laying on Leoya's back and shot him in the back of the head, killing him. Authorities have promised an independent investigation, but the officer's name will not be released until that is completed. Protesters say it's just the latest example of police using excessive force against Black people, and they are calling for the officer's arrest. Here's a verse to consider when shootings, sadness, and fear dominate the news. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock where I seek refuge, my shield, and the

horn of my salvation, my stronghold. Psalm 18.2. Texas Governor Abbott is taking the border into his own hands. Spurred by President Biden's announcement that he'll be revoking Title 43, which allows for quick deportation of migrants over COVID concerns, Governor Abbott has announced his own initiatives meant to reduce border crossings, which are historically high, curb human trafficking, and hinder drug trafficking. These initiatives involve extra inspections of commercial trucks crossing the border, which has gridlocked some of the world's busiest trade bridges and disrupted the supply chain. Another initiative has been sending charter buses of undocumented migrants to Washington, D.C. The White House has called the extra border inspections, quote, unnecessary and redundant, and the charter buses a, quote, publicity stunt.

Culturally hot topics like how to best govern the southern border frequently make people think, speak, and act poorly, including us. We can respect others and represent God better if we are quick to listen and slow to speak. James 1, 19-20 says, everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, for human anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. does not accomplish God's righteousness. This podcast is brought to you by Ask Dr. E. The Ask Dr. E podcast is like having a wise pastor for a dad without ever having to worry that your bad attitude may end up in this week's sermon. So it's pretty awesome. Dr. Michael Easley has had a long and fruitful ministry career, including being the president of Moody Bible

Institute, and he's now answering your biblical and theological questions in bite-sized podcasts. Each week, he answers questions like, is it ever okay to lie? What about burial versus cremation? And what does the parable of the fig tree mean? The episodes are 10 minutes long, laid back, rooted in scripture, and packed with wisdom. Search for Ask Dr. E on your podcast platform of choice. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. Russia's Moskva warship is now a playground for fish. Ukraine claims to have hit the warship with a missile, but Russia blamed a fire caused by faulty ammunition

and, quote, stormy seas for its sinking. Separately, President Biden authorized another $800 million in military assistance to Ukraine on Wednesday, which brings the total U.S. aid to $2.6 billion. Stores across the country are having to ration baby formula. Already strained by supply chain woes, the formula industry was hit hard when Similac, one of the most popular formula brands, had a major recall in January. Since then, parents have been turning to other brands to fill their bottles, which is causing shelves to empty out quickly. Elon Musk has offered to buy Twitter for $43 billion in cash, saying the platform, quote, needs to be transformed privately. He later

said his interest lies more in the importance of the platform, not in the economics. Investors in Twitter and Tesla care about the economics, though, so both stocks dipped with the news. The CDC announced that masks will fly free for a couple more weeks, extending the federal transportation mask mandate that was set to end on Monday through May 3rd due to an uptick in COVID cases. Meanwhile, Shanghai remains almost completely locked down with no end in sight as cases there hit record highs. That's all we have for today. Thanks so much for listening. If you're thinking, I want to help more Christians stay informed while remaining focused on Christ, here's a breakdown on how you can best support us. If you're listening on the Apple Podcast app,

give us a five-star rating and drop us a review. We do actually read these and take them to heart, like this one from username David James Allen. This is the best news source on the market. Thank you for delivering the news in a non-biased way while encouraging us listeners to stay Christ-centered. Keep up the great work. Thanks so much for taking the time out of your day to submit a review. We are so grateful for your feedback. 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 rest of your weekend, and we will see you back here on Wednesday, April 20th.