The Pour Over Today - Friday, August 5, 2022

Episode Date: August 5, 2022

Today we’re talking about voter turnout over an abortion amendment in Kansas, the aftermath of the U.S.’s visit to Taiwan, research at Yale University that brought pigs back to life, and other top news for Friday, August 5th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Pay What You Want for The Pour Over (and get one of our favorite Bible resources, a Kairos Journal, if you pay annually)

Today we're talking about voter turnout over an abortion amendment in Kansas, the aftermath of the U.S.'s visit to Taiwan, research at Yale University that brought pigs back to life, and other top news for Friday, August 5th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Here's the quote of the day. Any concept of grace that makes us feel more comfortable sinning is not biblical grace. God's grace never encourages us to live in sin, on the contrary, it empowers us to say no to sin and yes to truth. Randy Alcorn. Let's get started with some espresso shots.

Abortion face-offs seem to be setting up camp in the headlines. President Biden signed an executive order directing his administration to find ways to fund cross-state trips for women seeking abortions, a request that is unlikely to go far as the Hyde Amendment generally prohibits federal funds to be used for abortion. Meanwhile, states are trying to etch their stances in old-timey font through constitutional amendments. On Tuesday, nearly 60% of voters in Kansas, a reliably Republican state, voted against an amendment that would have said there was no right to abortion in the state, a reliably Republican state, voted against an amendment that would have said there was no right to abortion in the state, a win for pro-choicers. Other states will have similar votes in November. Broadly, Kentuckyites and Montanans will vote on measures saying abortion

is not protected, while Californians, Michiganders, and Vermonters will vote on measures saying abortion is protected. We are called to love everyone always. That means loving and caring for the unborn, single mothers, those who have received abortions, and people who passionately disagree with you on this topic. 1 Peter 4.8 says, above all, maintain constant love for one another, since love covers a multitude of sins. It's probably time to cancel your solo flight around Taiwan's airspace. Speaker Pelosi's trip to the self-governed island this week enraged China, which claims Taiwan as Chinese territory and opposes any engagement with foreign governments.

While there, Pelosi said America's commitment to democracy on the island, quote, remains ironclad, unquote, and China began conducting live-fire military drills in the area shortly after she left to express its displeasure. Neighboring countries have taken note. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations issued a statement saying they're concerned about quote-unquote miscalculations and serious confrontation between quote-unquote major powers. We wonder who they could mean. In other foreign affair news, the U.S. Senate voted 95 to 1 to approve Sweden and Finland's bid to join NATO. All 30 NATO members must individually sign off. 23 already have,

with more votes expected soon. Depending on where you live, there may be good reasons to be worried or scared about this day, month, or year. God does not promise good days. He promises a great eternity. Stay focused on eternity. It changes everything. Psalm 121, 1-2 says, I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. If someone taking your parking spot isn't life and death, what is? New research out of Yale University may make that question harder to answer. Yale's newly developed OrganX system restored circulation and prompted the repair of damaged cells in pig organs that had been dead for an hour. The breakthrough has researchers

dreaming of the possibilities, especially with organ transplants. Keeping tissue alive after a patient is dead could allow more time for transplants. However, it presents an ethical dilemma. If the organs are alive, is the patient really dead? In other organ transplant news, a Senate Finance Committee report linked dozens of deaths and illnesses to a lack of oversight from the organization in charge of U.S. transplants. Errors included failure to adequately screen donor organs for disease and mismatched blood types. Here's a verse to consider when thinking of pig organs. The life of every living thing is in his hand, as well as the breath of all humanity. Job 12,

verse 10. We believe that the news can actually be a force for good, helping people find rest and comfort in Christ while spurring them on to loving action, instead of, you know, creating division, anger, and a persistent feeling of impending doom. For example, keep this in mind while listening to today's news. Even if everything goes wrong, your eternity is secure. It costs about 20 cents per subscriber per month to operate the pour-over. Many listeners are unable or unwilling to pay, but you can sling four of them on your back and support our staff and mission for just $1 a month. Pay what you want for the pour-over by clicking the link in our show notes. And get one of our favorite Bible resources, a Kairos journal, if you pay annually. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates.

WNBA star Brittany Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison by a Russian court yesterday for smuggling vape cartridges with cannabis oil. President Biden called the sentence unacceptable and demanded her immediate release. The U.S. has proposed a prisoner swap involving Griner to Russia. Air travelers are entitled to a refund if their flights are canceled or significantly changed, but since 87% of complaints to the Department of Transportation are airline refund-related, they've drafted a proposal redefining quote-unquote significantly as a three-or-more-hour delay, added connection, or a downgrade in amenities. Airlines are predictably unenthusiastic about the proposal.

Eleven LIV invitational golfers have sued the PGA claiming anti-competitive behavior after the PGA suspended them for participating in the Saudi-funded startup league. The PGA says the suspension was par for the course after the players ignored warnings and joined the LIV. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods reportedly turned down at least $700 million to be an LIV player. $700 million to be an LIV player. A jury ordered InfoWars founder Alex Jones to pay $4.1 million in compensatory damages for defamation

to the parents of a 6-year-old killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, which Jones called a hoax for years but says he now believes is 100% real. It's not over yet, the jury will consider punitive damages today. Batgirl seems to have met her match, Warner Bros. executives. The movie has already been filmed, costing about $90 million, but executives decided not to release it. The decision is

reportedly due to a change in corporate strategy, but it's rumored that early test screenings were so irredeemably bad that execs worried for the DC brand.