The Pour Over Today - Friday, January 7, 2022

Episode Date: January 7, 2022

The Capitol riot one year later, massive unrest in Kazakhstan, rough winter weather, and other top news for Friday, Jan 7th.  Stay informed, while remaining focused on Christ, with The Pour Over. 

The Capitol riot one year later, massive unrest in Kazakhstan, rough winter weather, and other top news for Friday, January 7th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Thanks for joining us. Here's the quote of the day. The most important thing in your life is not what you do, it's who you become. That's what you will take into eternity. Dallas Willard.

Let's jump right in with some espresso shots. Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of the Capitol riot. While both sides of the aisle condemn the actions of the day, that doesn't mean they see eye to eye. Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi led a moment of silence to reflect on the events. Later, President Biden pulled no punches, criticizing former President Trump for, quote, watching it all on television and doing nothing, unquote. Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called the riot, quote, lawless and as wrong as can be, unquote, before condemning Democrats for, quote,

using it as a partisan political weapon to further divide our country, unquote. So far, 725 people have been arrested in connection with the Capitol riot. The majority face charges of disorderly conduct or unlawful or violent entry of a restricted building. Followers of Christ are not identified by their political affiliation, but by their love for others. And yes, that means loving people that you believe have unloving beliefs or stances, aka your enemies. Matthew 5.44 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. You may want to postpone that trip to Kazakhstan. Earlier this week, the Kazakhstani government

lifted price caps on liquid gas used to fuel cars and heat homes, and the prices immediately doubled. Anti-government protests erupted and have grown over the last three days despite the price caps being reinstituted, reflecting broader frustration with the authoritarian government. President Tokayev, whose entire cabinet resigned this week, is struggling to control the country. He instituted a two-week curfew, shut down the internet, and requested policing help from neighboring Russia, which sent paratroopers to serve as quote-unquote peacekeepers. Dozens of people have died, hundreds have been injured, and multiple buildings have been burned down, including the presidential palace. And interestingly, the price of Bitcoin has plummeted. 15% of all Bitcoin is mined in Kazakhstan. Please join us in praying for

peace in Kazakhstan. As strong winter storms completed their march across the U.S., hundreds of drivers in Virginia started their week stuck in traffic for over 24 hours. Icy conditions and rapidly accumulating snow gridlocked drivers along I-95, one of U.S.'s busiest interstate corridors. State troopers walked car to car to check on people as tow trucks struggled to clear vehicles, and it wasn't long before the Good Samaritans showed up. Hundreds of strangers sharing food, water, and warmth have come to light since the ordeal. The storms brought deaths of five people and prompted Virginia Governor Northam to declare a state of emergency. Now, more than 100 million

Americans are gearing up for another round of frigid weather, with windshield alerts covering the Midwest and winter weather alerts stretching from Arkansas to New Jersey. Oftentimes, the most frustrating of situations can produce the greatest opportunity to help others. Whether you find yourself stranded in your car overnight or in line at the grocery store, look for ways to show others the love of Christ. Don't neglect to do what is good and to share, for God is pleased with such sacrifices. Hebrews 13, 16. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates.

Novak Djokovic received a medical exemption from the Australian Open's vaccine requirement, allowing him to play in the tennis tournament. But that didn't get him past the Australian border force. The top-ranked star was detained overnight in the Melbourne airport before being booted from the country. Australia's prime minister said, quote, rules are rules, unquote. The stock market spilled some of its gains on Wednesday after minutes from the Federal Reserve's latest meeting were released, showing the central bank plans on scaling back pandemic-era support

even faster than previously known. The S&P 500 dropped 1.94%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 3.34%. CES, the annual tech convention where the next decade's tech is unveiled, is back in person this week. Some of the usual names, Amazon, Google, and Meta, stayed home, but car manufacturers drove into the spotlight. stayed home, but car manufacturers drove into the spotlight. Philadelphia's deadliest single fire in over 100 years tore through a row home on Wednesday morning, killing 12 people, including eight children. None of the building's four smoke detectors appeared to be working, despite passing annual inspections.

The Grammys had their mic unplugged this week as organizers said there were too many risks related to Omicron to host the ceremony on January 31st. They're postponing indefinitely until it can be held in person. The Sundance Film Festival took a different approach, announcing the show must go on, but it'll be completely virtual. Man, that is all we have for today. Thank you so much for listening. If you think this podcast is helpful or encouraging, please consider giving us a five-star rating. You can do this on Apple Podcasts as well as Spotify. And if that's asking too much, we'll just request that you tell a friend about us. We hope you have a great weekend and we will see you on Monday.