The Pour Over Today - Friday, January 6, 2023

Episode Date: January 6, 2023

Today, we’re talking about the voting (and voting and voting) for Speaker of the House, robot (er, tech) updates, sentencing in the college admissions scandal, and other top news for Friday, January 6th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Sponsored by Beekeeper’s Naturals

Today we're talking about the voting and voting and voting for Speaker of the House, robot or tech updates, sentencing in the college admissions scandal, and other top news for Friday, January 6th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Here's the quote of the day, action springs not from thought, but from a readiness for responsibility. Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Let's start with some espresso shots.

There's still no Speaker of the House. After six dead-end votes earlier this week, Republican leader Kevin McCarthy made even more concessions to detractors in his party, including promising desirable committee assignments to try and secure the required 218 votes. It was all for naught as rounds 7 through 10 of voting looked remarkably like rounds 1 through 6, aside from a few curveballs, including a couple of votes for Donald Trump. This is now the longest protracted Speaker election since 1859. Without a Speaker, the House can't swear in its members, so nothing can happen. No security clearance is granted, no oversight conducted, no payments for

staff, and no new laws considered. Republicans insist progress is being made in the form of productive discussions, while Democrats say it's the Republicans' problem to fix. Even when our government struggles to govern, when it seems like life is stuck, what a gift to know that God is in control and working to bring good into the world. Romans 8 verse 28 says, We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. to his purpose. If you've been fishing for 2023's next big thing, a trade show in Vegas may be the hotspot you've been looking for. Ending Sunday, the four-day Consumer Electronics Show is the largest tech trade show of the year. Exhibits from around the world, except Russia, range from

startups showcasing AI-powered self-driving strollers to airlines announcing free Wi-Fi to frequent flyers to BMW unveiling a customizable color-changing car. There was big tech news outside of Vegas as well. Microsoft's Bing, that search engine you use to find Google, is reportedly planning to launch a new search option powered by the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT. It's also clear layoffs didn't go out of fashion in 2022. Amazon announced it's eliminating 18,000 jobs, while Salesforce is letting go of 7,000 employees. The world has different priorities than God does, and many eternally insignificant things, like flashy new tech, are compelling for a season. These things may not be wrong to follow, but neither should they consume

our attention. Romans 12, verse 2 says, Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. pleasing, and perfect will of God. William Rick Singer, mastermind behind the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal, now a major motion picture, will be working on his own credit hours, behind bars. He has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison and ordered to pay $10 million in restitution. The former kingpin orchestrated bribes, test proxies, and other side-door techniques to get the children of the ultra-wealthy,

notably actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman, into elite universities like Georgetown, USC, and Yale. In 2019, Singer pleaded guilty and cooperated with authorities to nab some former clients, but he dealt more dirty deals by warning others before the feds could reach them. In total, the group of over 50 parents he worked with earned a two-thirds admission rate to prison. Publicly, Singer stated, I have lost my ethical values and I have so much regret. Christians should pursue justice while retaining love for both the victims and the guilty, desiring restoration, not revenge. Matthew 5, verse 44 through 45 says,

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven. For he causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. This episode of the podcast is sponsored by Beekeepers Naturals. Turns out there's a reason tea with honey helped your sore throat. And no, it wasn't just because mama stirred in extra love. It was the bees. Beekeepers Naturals is leveraging that same bee power to disrupt the traditional medicine cabinet by creating everyday nature-powered medicine that actually works. Their products use nature-sourced ingredients

like Bee Propolis and the bee's natural medicine which contains vitamin B and C, zinc, and over 300 other beneficial compounds. Our top recommendation is their Propolis Throat Spray. Add a spray to your daily routine to support your immune system, or spray it to soothe a scratchy, uncomfortable throat. They even have a kid spray. To get 20% off, check out the link in our show notes. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin showed remarkable improvement yesterday in his recovery after suffering cardiac arrest during Monday night's game. Hamlin is awake and interacting with family members, but remains in critical condition. One of the first questions he asked in writing was,

did we win the game? His doctor replied, yes, Damar, you won the game of life. Say hey to XBB 1.5, the latest COVID sub-variant, not Elon Musk's newest kid. Causing cold-like symptoms and accounting for over 40% of U.S. cases, the freshest flavor is around five times more transmissible than the OG Omicron. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization wants more reliable data saying China is undercounting COVID deaths. Bomb Cyclone, Storm parade, or pineapple express, no matter what you call this weather event, it's bringing grief to California.

Massive rainfall, flooding, and landslides have prompted evacuation warnings throughout the northern part of the state and caused at least two deaths. The FDA announced it will allow retail pharmacies to offer prescription abortion pills in the U.S. for the first time. Walgreens and CVS both said they will sell them in states where it's allowed. The FDA will also allow the pills prescribed through telehealth to be mail-ordered, with the DOJ clearing the way for the USPS to continue delivering them.

The new year brought about some new state laws. Effective January 1st, 23 states have higher minimum wages, jaywalking is no longer a crime in California, you can carry a concealed handgun without a permit in Alabama, and if hallucinogenic mushrooms are your thing, you won't be arrested in Oregon. 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.