The Pour Over Today - Friday, February 24, 2023

Episode Date: February 24, 2023

Today, we’re talking about the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, conflict in Palestine, more developments in AI, and other top news for Friday, February 24th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Sponsored by LMNT

Today we're talking about the one-year anniversary of the war in Ukraine, conflict in Palestine, more developments in AI, and other top news for Friday, February 24th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Here's the quote of the day. Be constantly committed to prayer and to reading Scripture. By praying, you speak to God. In reading, God speaks to you. Saint Cyprian of Carthage.

Let's start with some espresso shots. A year ago today, Russia's President Putin ordered 200,000 soldiers into Ukraine in the largest European invasion since World War II. The UN can confirm at least 8,000 civilian casualties, but warns the actual number is likely much higher. Last November, the U.S. military estimated 40,000 civilians have been killed and well over 100,000 Russian soldiers killed or wounded. They estimated Ukraine had suffered similar casualties. Nearly 14 million people have been displaced, and 18 million need humanitarian assistance. Still, there's no

simple way to prevent the one-year-old war from becoming a toddler. President Putin gave a two-hour speech during which he reiterated that the invasion was to demilitarize and denazify Ukraine. He blamed the West, specifically the United States, for perpetuating the conflict and did not mention peace. Speaking from Poland after a surprise visit to Ukraine, President Biden declared that Kyiv stands strong and, most importantly, stands free. His remarks served as a reminder that Ukraine was expected to fall quickly to Russia, which had the clear military advantage. Ukraine's comedian-turned-President Zelensky, who set the tone of the war with his famous line, I need ammunition, not a ride,

has proved to be a prolific fundraiser. At least 40 countries have provided aid to Ukraine, with Uncle Sam leading the pack. The U.S. has sent over $75 billion to Kiev, including $46.6 billion in direct military aid. Followers of Christ should not become cynical, desensitized, or unmoved by stories of those in need, but endlessly willing to help. Continue to pray and seek or create opportunities to care for those impacted by the war in Ukraine. Galatians 6, verse 9-10 says, Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don't give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all,

especially for those who belong to the household of faith. One of the West Bank's bloodiest periods in years continued this week. On Wednesday, the Israeli military conducted a daytime raid in the West Bank that left 11 Palestinians dead, including a 16-year-old boy and a 72-year-old man and 100 more wounded. Israel says the raid was to arrest three terrorists who were planning attacks. All three men were killed. On Thursday, Palestinian militants launched six rockets from the Gaza Strip at southern Israel. The violence comes less than two months after Israel elected a new hardline government which elevated officials who have pushed for tougher action against Palestinian

militants and promised to completely annex the West Bank, a territory both sides claim as their own. The U.S. officially supports a two-state solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict and again called for de-escalation after this week's violence. Pray for peace in the Middle East, for wisdom for our leaders to help broker an end to the conflict, and for God to use you to be a peacemaker wherever you go. Matthew 5 verse 9 says, Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. This episode of the podcast is brought to you by Element. When you sweat, it's not just water seeping through your skin. So when you replenish after

sweating, you should drink more than just water. You should replenish everything you lost in the correct ratio without unnecessary fillers. It sounds simple, but it's not what most sports drinks do. Enter Element, a tasty electrolyte mix with everything you need and nothing you don't. This means lots of salt with no sugar. Element is giving the pour-over listeners eight single-serve packs free with any order. This is a great way to try all eight flavors or share Element with a friend. Don't worry, they offer no questions asked refunds. It's truly risk-free, so try it today. Check out the link in our show notes. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates.

Who knew there was so much gold in Utah? The Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon Church, has agreed to pay $5 million in fines for using shell companies to obscure its reported $38 billion investments from the SEC. While the church agreed to the fines, it maintains it complied with all legal requirements. Amazon's new frontier? Healthcare. The company closed a $3.9 billion deal to buy primary care provider One Medical. Amazon already owns online pharmacy PillPack and has launched virtual clinics for chronic conditions. Prime members also get

prescription perks. CEO Andy Jassy says he believes the healthcare experience can be easier, faster, more personal, and more convenient for everyone. The Southern Baptist Convention, SBC, ousted its second largest church, Saddleback, in Southern California and four smaller churches for ordaining women and installing female teaching pastors, a violation of the SBC's statement of belief. Saddleback was founded by Rick Warren, best-selling author of The Purpose Driven Life, who retired last year after 42 years. The family of Malcolm X is suing the FBI, CIA, and NYPD for $100 million, saying government officials conspired to and executed their plan to assassinate the civil rights leader in 1965. The agencies declined to comment. Two of the three men previously convicted of killing Malcolm X were exonerated and released

from prison in 2021. The AI takeover is happening fast. Microsoft has added its chatbot across more products, but not before making tweaks to prevent it from expressing desires to steal nuclear codes or profess its love to users. Meanwhile, Spotify announced a new AI-powered DJ, its love to users. Meanwhile, Spotify announced a new AI-powered DJ and sci-fi publishers have shut down submissions after experiencing a flood of AI-written stories. 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.