The Pour Over Today - iPhone Debut, AI Alarms, Trump Admin Ideas, & More

Episode Date: September 11, 2026

The Pour Over is a Christ-first, politically neutral news podcast. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, we cover the day's biggest stories in ~10 minutes, and pair the biggest headlines with brief biblical reminders. Looking to support us? You can choose to pay ⁠here⁠. https://thepourover.org/remembering-9-11/ On today's episode: Apple Releases New iPhone Lineup Anthropic Employee Raises Alarm Bells Trump Floats $5k Bonus to American Adults One Year Passes Since Charlie Kirk’s Assassination Houthis Seize Strategic Port SCOTUS Blocks Missouri’s Redrawn Map LIV Golf Files for Bankruptcy Girl Scouts Release New Cookies Thanks to our sponsors: The Voice of the Martyrs: Get a free copy of Tortured for Christ | vom.org/TPO Wild Alaskan: $35 off your first box | code: TPO Safe House Project: Give now | SafeHouseProject.org/TPO New Living Translation: Get your copy | https://links.thepourover.org/NLT_Pod Quince: Free shipping | quince.com/tpo AdelFi: Apply for the Harvest Bundle | https://adelfibanking.com/pourover Upside: extra 25 cents back for every gallon on your first tank of gas | code: TPO Life Recovery Bible: Get your copy | https://links.thepourover.org/Tyndale_Sept2026 LMNT: free 8-pack with purchase | https://links.thepourover.org/LMNT_Podcast Serving Orphans Worldwide: Give a gift to feed a child for a month | https://servingorphans.org/thepourover MORE FROM TPO: ⁠Free newsletter⁠ ⁠Watch TPO on YouTube⁠ ⁠Download the TPO App⁠ Unless otherwise noted, all scripture references are from the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) translation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey there, this is Joe. And this is Eva. It's Friday, September 11th, the 25th anniversary of the terror attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Pennsylvania. Of those lost, 343 were firefighters who ran toward danger to save their neighbors. As we remember and reflect, we're praying for those first responders making the same choice today. Pray with us at the link in the show notes. Now for the headlines.

Today, we're talking about Apple debuting its new iPhone lineup, a former anthropic employee accusing AI of racing too fast towards smarter systems, President Trump suggesting a $5,000 bonus for Americans if Republicans win midterms, and other top news for Friday, September 11th, stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with the pourover. Here's your quote of the day. But don't stop worshipping. Never give up in the desert.

You don't know how wide it is, and you may be almost across. Donald S. Whitney. Let's get started with some espresso shots. A new era of the iPhone is unfolding. Wednesday, Apple announced three freshly picked iPhones coming soon, the 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and Duo. Apple's first empanada foldable phone. The duo is the biggest,

7.6 inches unfolded, thinnest 5.2 millimeters unfolded, and priciest iPhone yet, starting at $1,99, folded and unfolded. Ripe for release in October, the multifaceted mobile was, quote, designed for durability,

and allows users to FaceTime in two directions and multitask by opening two windows at once. The 18 Pro and Pro Max will drop next week, featuring, quote, the most advanced pro camera system in an iPhone, juiced up battery life, the all-new A-20 Pro Chip, and four colors.

Absent from the announcement, a standard iPhone 18. Analysts expect the amateur version will be announced next spring. Our ultimate purpose is to glorify God, the creator of the universe, great innovator, and inventor of everything. However you engage with your own phone,

remember to use technology, to point others to eternal hope in Him. Colossians 1, verse 15 through 16 says, He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for everything was created by him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible,

whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities, all things have been created through him and for him. A former anthropic and open AI researcher resigned. Then, sounded the AI alarm, In a viral post Tuesday, Jacob Coxon said the premier AI labs are, quote, gambling with our lives as they race toward ever-smarter systems. Coxon wanted a temporary ban on making models smarter, saying Anthropic understands the dangers but is racing, quote, to get there first,

because rivals wouldn't act responsibly. Anthropics' alignment science lead echoed Coxon's concerns, putting his personal odds above 10% that AI, quote, could kill all humans within the next decade. It's the threat of recursive self-improvement, or RSI, that has industry leaders sweating. With RSI, AI could improve itself faster than humans can track, making sci-fi scenarios like hacking critical infrastructure or building deadly bio-weapons more plausible. Others questioned if the motive behind the post was more of a, quote, well-funded PR operation. Will you join me in praying for the AI industry?

All-powerful God. From your mind comes all that we can see and know. From the abundance you've given us, we have created a mind of silicon, all-knowing, always available, hyper-speedy, and never-needy. Turn our creation into redemption. For engineers writing code, may they desire peace over profits. For executives setting vision and direction, may they work for shalom over market shares. For lawmakers setting policies, may they champion long-term dignity over short-term domination. And for all of us, tempted to bow to and trust and deify what we've built, turn our eyes to Christ,

and whom all things hold together. Amen. President Trump promised to cut all American citizens a $5,000 check if Republicans hold both chambers in the midterms. In his nearly two-hour remarks at the Dallas RNC Convention Wednesday night, number 47 suggested the money would have to be spent on American soil and could be paid for by tariffs. VP Vance said the payments were, quote, fundamentally a dividend for American workers.

However, critics liken it to a, quote, vote-buying scheme and question if tariff revenue is enough to cover around $1.3 trillion in payouts. Earlier Wednesday, the Trump administration also floated only counting citizens and permanent residents in the 2030 census and dropping race and ethnicity questions. Officials say the framers intended to count inhabitants with lasting residents, critics say it violates the 14th Amendment

and miscounting could yield insufficient funding and representation. Curious about censuses? Census, Sensi? Come back tomorrow for TPO explains where we'll break it down. Here's a verse to consider whether politicians let you down or deliver big. Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the Lord. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert

with no hope for the future, but blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Jeremiah 17, verses 5 through 8.

Somewhere in America, a kid is waiting for a way out. Last year alone, the National Cyber Tip Line logged more than 113,500 reports of possible child sex trafficking. Reports come in every day, but identified is not safe. Someone still has to get them out. That's what Safehouse Project does. They train communities to spot trafficking and make sure that when a kid is ready to leave, they have a safe ride, a safe place, and care that leads to lasting freedom. And that's where you come in.

Just $40 covers a safe ride from captivity to freedom. When a kid finds the courage to run, your gift makes sure the way out is there. Give a kid the way out. Go to safehouseproject.org slash TPO or tap the link in the show notes to give now. In other bruce, here's a rapid round of updates. Yesterday marked one year since Charlie Kirk's assassination by a rooftop sniper at Utah Valley University. The conservative activist's organization Turning Point USA held a, quote, deliberate act of

remembrance in his honor at UVU, and Republicans commemorated him at their midterm convention in Dallas. The anniversary also revived debates about Kirk's legacy, with some students protesting the memorial. Iran-backed Houthis seized a strategic port on Yemen's Red Sea coast yesterday. after days of fighting Saudi-backed Yemeni government forces. The capture of Moka, the chocolate-e-lates namesake, complicate Saudi Arabia's oil exports as Iran squeezes Hormuz shipments to the northeast,

and U.S. crude oil passed $100 per barrel yesterday, its highest since May, as U.S.-Iran fighting also escalated this week. SCOTUS blocked Missouri from using its new congressional map in the midterns. The Republican proposed map, which could have added another GOP House seat, was already used in Show Me State primary voting. Over 300,000 Missourians petitioned against redistricting, calling it a, quote, power grab. The RNC said the ruling, quote, pulls the rug out from under, the voters who cast primary ballots last month. Live Golf, the rival league that poached PGA golfers using massive payday,

filed for bankruptcy Tuesday. Despite Saudi Arabia's public investment fund driving $5 billion into Liv since 2022, the league puttered out without fan or TV traction and participating golfers may never get their full bag. Liv says it's restructuring toward player ownership and will return to the links in 2027. Move over thin mints, there's new cookies in town.

Girl Scouts of the USA will expand its menu next. year, debuting blueberry muffin-flavored patch pals for man's best friend and crunchy oatmeal sparkables for families avoiding the nine major food allergens. Allowing more families and beloved pets to participate, the new cookies will be available exclusively online starting in January. That's all the headlines for today, but here's some good news to take to go. You are a new creation in Christ. He has given you a new identity as his ambassador, created and empowered.

powered to share his love in this broken world. As always, thanks for listening, TPOFam. 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're grateful for your support and hope you have a great weekend. Catch you on Monday. We've all gone through seasons where we want to study the Bible deeper and, if we're honest, enjoy scripture more. The New Living Translation is designed to capture the deep layers of meaning in God's Word, make them clear and vivid, and help Bible reading be as engaging as it is accurate. Plus, the NLT's attention to cadence and rhythm make it one of the most enjoyable translations

to read and listen to. Check out the New Living Translation for yourself. Just click the link in the show notes or go to New Living Translation.com forward slash TPO.