The Pour Over Today - Friday, February 25, 2022

Episode Date: February 25, 2022

Today we’re talking about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, how countries are responding, how it’s impacting the global economy, and other top news for Friday, February 25th. Stay informed, while remaining focused on Christ, with The Pour Over.Sponsored by LMNT:https://links.thepourover.org/LMNT_02_25

Today we're talking about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, how countries have been responding, how it's impacting the global economy, and other top news for Friday, February 25th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Here's the quote of the day. Give light and the darkness will disappear of itself. Desiderius Erasmus Thursday morning, Russia attacked Ukraine. Around 5 a.m. local time, Russia attacked Ukraine from the north, east, and south. Rockets launched at Ukraine's capital, Kiev,

and ground troops invaded from Crimea. Russian troops captured the decommissioned Chernobyl power plant and an airport 25 miles north of Kiev, among other places. There were at least 57 people killed and 160 wounded Thursday. In a televised address, President Putin said an attack was necessary to prevent a genocide against Russian speakers in Ukraine, and his goal is the, quote, demilitarization and denazification of the former Soviet state. He also criticized the United States and its allies for ignoring Russia's security demands, namely guaranteeing that Ukraine will never join NATO. Not all Russians are on board, though. More than 1,700 anti-war protesters were arrested across Russia yesterday. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who is a native Russian

speaker and Jewish, denounced Putin's claims of genocide and Nazism in Ukraine as a false pretext for invasion, saying that, quote, Russia has embarked on a path of evil. He described Russia's actions as a full-scale war, introduced martial law, and requested support from Western nations. The rest of the world's response? Sanctions, sanctions, and more sanctions. Leaders of NATO, an alliance between the US, Canada, and much of Europe, reiterated that they will not send troops directly into Ukraine or Russia. Instead, they've announced a new wave of sanctions aimed at cutting off Russia from the global economy and restricting its access to semiconductors needed for defense hardware, all while trying to limit the impact on global energy markets. And then there's China,

who's declined to condemn Russia's actions and has approved large purchases of Russian wheat, blunting the impact of Western sanctions. If our hope is based on physical or economic security, then we are right to live in fear because at any moment we could lose everything. If our hope is based on physical or economic security, then we are right to live in fear because at any moment we could lose everything. If our hope is rooted in the eternal security provided by Christ, then we can weather any storm, even war, even economic collapse. Psalm 18.2 says, 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.

The Russian-Ukraine war has dethroned both coronavirus and Elon Musk's Twitter account as the chief market movers. On the heels of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, U.S. stocks opened down 2.5%, but ended up 1.5% as investors recovered from the shock. Conversely, Russian stocks saw their largest single-day drop in history, down 33% on Thursday, and their currency, the ruble, hit its all-time low. Bitcoin also dropped before making gains later in the day, denting the crypto status as digital gold for investors in times of adversity. Despite sanctions being pointed at Russian banks and not Russian energy companies, energy prices are still soaring. The price for a barrel of oil topped $100 for the first time since 2014, and natural gas prices skyrocketed as much as 57% in parts of Europe. A verse to consider as stock prices swing

aggressively in both directions. Instruct those who are rich in the present age not to be arrogant or to set their hope on the uncertainty of wealth, but on God who richly provides us with all things 1 Timothy 6.17 Thank you. packs for just the cost of shipping, which is around $5. And they'll even refund that if you don't like it. It's truly risk-free, so try it out today by clicking the link in our show notes. In other brews, we've got a rapid round of updates. The People's Convoy, which is basically California's version of Canada's Freedom Convoy, but with less maple syrup, is headed towards D.C. in protest of COVID restrictions. It's currently about 70 trucks and pickups promising a safe, lawful, and peaceful journey, but Washington is preparing for a larger crowd and has deployed the National Guard. Three former Minneapolis police officers were convicted of violating George Floyd's civil rights and showing deliberate indifference to his need for medical attention while Derek Chauvin

kneeled on his neck. The officer's defense had argued they were deferring to Chauvin as the senior officer on the team. Sanofi and GSK are hoping that they aren't too late to the party. The team is seeking approval for their COVID vaccine in the U.S. and Europe after phase three trials showed it was 100% effective at preventing hospitalization. Globally, COVID cases have declined 45% in the past 30 days. The future of New York's investigation into former President Trump and his business is a bit murky. On Wednesday, the two lead prosecutors abruptly resigned after the new Manhattan district attorney indicated that he had doubts about moving forward with the case.

Well, thanks so much for listening with us today. If you're looking for a quick and easy way to support this podcast, we would really appreciate it if you left us a five-star review on either Apple Podcasts or Spotify. We do take the time to read every single review that's posted, like this review from user Scottinthe503. Sometimes the news can be a latte to take in,

and it can really put your attitude on ice. This podcast is a brave-age snapshot of important news, and it doesn't try to roast the left or the right. Brew up your cup of joe while meditating on Hebrews with The Pour Over. Thanks for the kind words and the coffee-related puns. We hope you have a great weekend, and we'll see you back here on Monday.