The Pour Over Today - Friday, February 10, 2023

Episode Date: February 10, 2023

Today, we’re giving an update on the devastating earthquake in Turkey, LeBron James’ new record, another restructure at Disney, and other top news for Friday, February 10th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Support World Concern here Sponsored by The Exiles in Babylon Conference - Use code TPO15 for 15%-off off all tickets

Today, we're giving an update on the devastating earthquake in Turkey, LeBron James' new record, another restructure at Disney, and other top news for Friday, February 10th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Here's the quote of the day. When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear. Thomas Sowell. Let's start with some espresso shots.

The death toll from the earthquakes that devastated parts of Turkey and Syria has surpassed 20,000. Both countries' presidents have faced criticism for a slow response. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan acknowledged problems in relief efforts, but blamed the weather and scale of disaster before asserting it's now under control. He declared a three-month state of emergency in damaged areas, publicly pledged to rebuild every destroyed home within a year, and said each person affected would receive the equivalent of $531. Erdogan, a controversial leader, is up for re-election in May. $41. Erdogan, a controversial leader, is up for re-election in May. In Syria, President Bashar al-Assad is requiring aid to flow through Damascus, the capital he controls, which critics say is causing delays. Rebel-held areas are under a blockade, and the first UN aid convoy didn't

reach northwest Syria until yesterday. The promise of heaven does not remove the pains of this world, but it does give us hope, strength, and peace during life's most difficult seasons. Join us in praying for the families and first responders in Turkey and Syria. We've partnered with World Concern, which has boots on the ground if you'd like to financially support the recovery efforts. Check out the link in the show notes. Psalm 23 verse 4 says, Even when I go through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me. The LA Lakers' LeBron James became the NBA's all-time leading scorer Tuesday night, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's previous record. Once James passed the 38-year-old record

of 38,387 points, the game was paused and Abdul-Jabbar himself stepped onto the court to congratulate the new record holder. Resale tickets for the game were listed for as much as $75,000 and celebrities including Jay-Z, Denzel Washington, Bad Bunny, and Woody Harrelson were in attendance. Now that he's crossed this milestone, LeBron's stated goal is to play until he can share the floor with his 18-year-old son, Bronny. Meanwhile, the NBA trade deadline passed yesterday, bringing some blockbuster swaps. It was a rough week for Brooklyn Nets fans who traded away their two-star players Kyrie Irving to Dallas and Kevin Durant to Phoenix. There's much we can apply from sports to our real lives. Teamwork, perseverance, even loyalty as a fan.

The commitment of athletes to their sport can encourage us not to give up as we seek to win an imperishable crown at the end of our faith journey. 1 Corinthians 9 verse 25 says, Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we have an imperishable crown. The House of Mouse is being remodeled again. Bob Iger, Disney's CEO from 2005 to 2020, who recently returned after a brief retirement, announced the company is restructuring for the third time in five years. The goal? Cutting $5.5 billion in costs. Selflessly,

Donald Duck is doing his part by continuing to forego pants. During a call that also teased new installments of Toy Story and Frozen, Iger announced that the restructure would create three divisions, Entertainment, ESPN, and Parks and Products, and cut 7,000 jobs. Old Big Ears isn't the only one keeping layoffs in the headlines. Zoom announced it's telling 1,300 employees, 15% of staff, to log off permanently. Dell is letting go of 6,500 employees, 5% of staff, and the buy-, pay later company Affirm is parting ways with 500 employees, 19% of staff. Layoffs and economic uncertainty can make anyone anxious, yet difficult times give Christians the incredible opportunity to share rather than hoard what God has given us,

remembering Jesus' command for radical generosity. Hebrews 13 verse 16 says, Don't neglect to do what is good and to share for God is pleased with such sacrifices. This podcast is sponsored by the Exiles in Babylon Conference. What are you doing March 23rd to March 25th? How about being challenged to think biblically, not partisanly through tough topics like the future of the church, disability in the church, women in ministry, and more. The Exiles in Babylon conference has amazing speakers to teach and have conversational debates on these crucial topics.

Different views will be presented. No question is off limits. No political party will be praised and Jesus will be upheld as Supreme. If that sounds refreshing, go register for the Exiles in Babylon conference. You can attend live. Come say hi, the pour over will be there or virtually from your living room. Use code TPO15 for 15% off all tickets. Check out the link in the show notes.

In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. Ukrainian President Zelensky made surprise visits to London, Paris, and Brussels this week, where he thanked Western leaders, including King Charles, for their support and repeatedly requested fighter jets to help in the battle against Russia. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said nothing is off the table. Former Twitter execs told the Republican-led House Oversight Committee that blocking the New York Post's article on Hunter Biden's laptop two weeks ago before the 2020 election was a mistake. However, they maintained that it was their mistake, not made in response

to any pressure from government officials. Hogwarts Legacy, an expansive role-playing game, is launching officially today, but gamers who coughed up a few extra galleons received early access. Topping out Steam's weekly sales, the game became Twitch's most-watched single-player game ever. The success comes despite boycott calls from transgender activists, who have criticized some of Potter author J.K. Rowling's tweets as trans-exclusionary. K. Rawlings tweets as trans exclusionary. New Zealand officials announced their largest drug bust ever after finding $300 million worth of cocaine floating in the ocean. Authorities believe that the drugs were eventually headed to Australia and were deposited at a floating drop point along the way. The 3.5 tons of cocaine is estimated to be enough to supply the entire country for a year.

That's all we have for today. Thanks so much for listening. If you're listening on the Apple Podcasts app, give us a five-star rating and drop a review. If you're listening on Spotify, give us a follow and hit the notification bell to never miss a new episode. We appreciate your support and hope you have a great weekend. We'll see you on Monday.