The Pour Over Today - Friday, August 12, 2022

Episode Date: August 12, 2022

Today, we’re talking about a good inflation report at last, assassination plots out of Iran, further developments in the Mar-a-Lago raid, and other top news for Friday, August 12th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Sponsored by the Christian Standard Bible (CSB)

Today, we're talking about a good inflation report at last, assassination plots out of Iran, further developments in the Mar-a-Lago raid, and other top news for Friday, August 12th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Here's the quote of the day. My home is in heaven, I'm just traveling through this world. Billy Graham. Let's get started with some espresso shots.

Let's get started with some espresso shots. Yesterday, Attorney General Merrick Garland broke his silence on the FBI's raid of Mar-a-Lago. Garland said he, quote, personally approved the decision to seek a search warrant for former President Trump's Florida residence and announced that the Justice Department had requested a federal court unseal that warrant, an unusual request that acknowledges the extraordinary public interest in the unprecedented raid. He then condemned the, quote, unfounded attacks on the Justice Department agents and prosecutors. FBI agents Garland himself and the judge who signed the warrant have been facing verbal attacks and death threats. Yesterday, an armed man tried to break into the FBI's Cincinnati office. The suspect fled from

officers before an hours-long standoff ended in gunfire exchange, and the suspect was fatally shot. Whether the incident was in response to the Mar-a-Lago raid is not known. Culturally hot topics frequently make people think, speak, and act poorly, including us. We can respect others and represent God better if we're quick to listen and slow to speak. Romans 12, 18 says, if possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Inflation dropped to 0%, sorta. On a monthly basis, the consumer price index was unchanged from June to July. That's 0% inflation. But prices are still 8.5% higher than they were last July. Even though that lofty annual rate is in fact down from June's 9.1%, economists want to see Uncle Sam string a few months together

before popping the confetti cannons. The decline was primarily driven by decreased gas prices, which dipped below $4 a gallon nationally after hitting $5.02 in June, but was offset by increases in shelter and food costs. The stock market cheered the news, jumping 2.1% on Wednesday. The Federal Reserve was also seen breathing a sigh of relief, but is expected to continue aggressively raising interest rates to make sure inflation continues to deflate. Here's a verse to consider whether inflation is up, down, or flat. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again, rejoice. Philippians 4.4 The Justice Department announced criminal charges against a member of Iran's Islamic

Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC, a terrorist organization, for trying to assassinate two Trump administration members. Sharam Poursafi, an Iranian national who remains at large, allegedly offered an undercover FBI informant $300,000 to kill former National Security Advisor John Bolton and $1 million to kill former Secretary of State Mike Papio. The hits were likely retaliation for the 2020 U.S. airstrike that killed IRGC Commander Qasem Soleimani. airstrike that killed IRGC Commander Qasem Soleimani. Two days before the charges were announced, the EU put forward a final negotiation to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. Bolton, who was, quote, embarrassed at the low price offered for his assassination, says the Biden administration should walk away as attempts to, quote, appease Iran encourage threats against

U.S. officials. It's easy to become angry and indignant over world events, but followers of Christ are called to live in the tension of desiring change while also loving the very people they work against and remembering that everyone's life has value. Ephesians 2.10 says, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. This podcast is brought to you by the Christian Standard Bible. Sermons are great. We love Christian books. And of course, watching interpretive dances of Christian history is our favorite pastime.

But there's no substitute for actually reading the Bible. Just one problem. There are literally hundreds of different English translations of the Bible. Our favorite translation is the one you will actually read. And for us, that's the CSB. The Christian Standard Bible is the product of over 100 biblically-minded scholars from 17 denominations dedicating years to translating God's Word. It's both trustworthy and understandable.

You can check it out via a link in our show notes. In other brews, we've got a rapid round of updates. Former President Trump sat for a deposition led by a political rival of his, New York Attorney General Letitia James, as part of the investigation into the Trump organization's business practices. It was uneventful. Trump refused to answer all questions but one about his name, instead asserting his Fifth Amendment right to avoid self-incrimination. The Chicago Cubs and Cincinnati Reds played the second edition of MLB's Field of Dreams game in Dyersville, Iowa yesterday. Throwback jerseys, a manual scoreboard, and 159 acres of corn added to the retro feel in a tribute to the iconic 1989 film. Pew Research published a report on teen social media usage in America, showing 95% use YouTube in first place and 67% use TikTok in second place, including 16% who say they are on the tack, quote, almost constantly. Also,

teens hate Facebook. Only 32% use the platform, down from 71% in 2015. Sorry, Zuck. U.S. officials are getting thrifty with limited monkeypox vaccines. The FDA issued an emergency use authorization to deliver the vaccine intradermally, that's under the top layer of skin, instead of the traditional subcutaneous method. The change requires one-fifth the dose per patient and effectively quintuples the vaccine supply, but raises some efficacy concerns. Scooch over Netflix, there's a new king of streaming, Disney. Mickey Mouse announced 221.1 million subscribers across his platforms, that's Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+, surpassing Netflix's 220.7 million for the first time.

Disney celebrated by introducing ads to its $7.99 a month tier and raising the ad-free price to $10.99 per month. Now it's time for the Pour Over's Pick of the Week. This week, it's the Serve Strong, Finish Strong podcast. It hits everyone eventually. You aren't where you thought you would be by your age. Maybe it's your career, your relationships, your spiritual life, finances, your body, or all of the above.

But eventually, you awaken to the general dissatisfaction in life and morality. This podcast features interviews with people in their third quarter, 40s and 50s, who are pivoting careers, shunning retirement, and making the most of their lives and having the time of their lives. Don't just leave a legacy, live it. If you want to have an excellent fourth quarter, check out the podcast, Serve Strong, Finish Strong, anywhere you listen to podcasts.

That's all we have for today. Thanks so much for listening. If you're listening on the Apple Podcast app, you can give us a five-star rating and drop a review. If you're listening on Spotify, you can 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'll see you back here on Monday, August 15th.