The Pour Over Today - King Abdullah II’s Visit, a Nor’easter, & More | 02.14.24

Episode Date: February 14, 2024

Today we’re talking about King Abdullah II of Jordan visiting the White House to discuss the Israel-Hamas war, the latest out of Congress, an election-impacting storm, and other top news for Wednesday, February 14th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over Today. Please support our TPO sponsors! LMNT: https://links.thepourover.org/LMNT0103 A Jew and a Gentile Discuss: https://links.thepourover.org/JewGentileDiscussPod Holman Handbook Series: https://links.thepourover.org/HolmanHandbook TUVU: https://www.tuvu.com/tpo

Today's episode is brought to you by our lead sponsor, Crew. Today we're talking about King Abdullah II of Jordan visiting the White House to discuss the Israel-Hamas War, the latest out of Congress, an election-impacting storm, and other top news for Wednesday, February 14th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with the pour over today. Here's the quote of the day. Don't pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees. Corrie Ten Boom. Let's get started with some espresso shots. King Abdullah II of Jordan paid a visit to President Biden on Monday, and the topic of the day was the war in Gaza. Discussions involved Palestinian aid efforts,

hostage release deals, and working towards a two-state solution. Biden reiterated the White House's proposal for a six-week pause in fighting, while Abdullah called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. Abdullah asked that escalations in the West Bank and Jerusalem's holy sites not be ignored, and both leaders expressed concern for displaced Palestinians in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza where millions of exposed and vulnerable Palestinians are sheltering. Meanwhile, Israel announced that its military rescued two hostages being held in Rafah early Monday.

Airstrikes carried out to cover the rescue killed more than 60 Palestinians, including women and children. War is a heavy burden that impresses upon us our world's need for restoration. Jesus came to bear that burden of sin, lighten our load, and restore our world. Pray that the Middle East would experience that restoration and glorify the Messiah, Jesus. Matthew 11, 28-30 says, It's been a busy week in Congress. On Monday, House Republicans proposed a new warrantless surveillance package reauthorizing the government to spy on foreigners,

a controversial move due to the potential for intelligence community abuses. In the wee hours of Tuesday, after an overnight Republican filibuster, the Senate passed its wartime aid package 70-29. The bill includes $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel and U.S. operations in the Middle East, $8 billion for Indo-Pacific allies like Taiwan, and $10 billion in humanitarian aid to war zones. and $10 billion in humanitarian aid to war zones. The bill is not likely to survive the Republican-controlled House because it funds foreign aid without border security and adds to Uncle Sam's $34 trillion debt.

Meanwhile, the lower chamber voted again on impeaching Homeland Secretary Mayorkas over his handling of the southern border. The vote narrowly passed last night, but is unlikely to survive the Senate. If our hope is based on political negotiations and outcomes, then we live in fear because we could lose everything. But if our hope is rooted in the eternal security provided by Christ, then we can weather any storm. Fights of love, what depths of peace.

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease. My comforter, my all in all. Here in the love of Christ I stand. Getty and Townend, 2001. A Nor'easter brought lots of the wet stuff to the Northeast yesterday, canceling schools and clocking the single snowiest day in NYC since January 2022. More than 250 car accidents were reported in New Jersey during the course of the storm. Nearly 130,000 people in Pennsylvania and 12,000-plus in western New Jersey were without power Tuesday afternoon after the region saw more than a foot of snow. The weather may have played a role in NYC's politics. Snow piled up during prime voting hours in the tight special election to replace

ousted Representative George Santos. Turnout was so low during the heaviest snow yesterday morning that a Republican super PAC hired private snowplows to help clear favorable precincts more quickly. Late last night, the Democratic candidate Tom Suozzi declared victory over Republican Mozzie Pillip. Here's a verse to consider when the weather snarls your plans. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3, 5, and 6. With over 1,000 translations and every type of decorative edition,

it's easy to forget how many people can't even get their hands on a single copy of the Bible in their native language. This is why we've partnered with Crew. Crew has missionaries in almost every country, but they need more Bibles. One missionary said, I have never seen such a thirst for the Word of God in my country. Let's quench that thirst. For just $24 a month, you can provide three people with Bibles every month. As a bonus, Crew will provide meals to 12 hungry individuals

through their humanitarian ministry and send you a free TPO coffee mug. Simply text TPO to 71326 or visit give.crew.org slash TPO. Again, that's texting TPO to 71326 or give.cru.org slash TPO. Message and data rates may apply. Available to U.S. addresses only. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. A 36-year-old woman opened fire in Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church Sunday afternoon. Off-duty officers at the Houston megachurch returned fire, killing the suspect. Two others were injured, including the suspect's child, who she brought with her and is in critical condition. While a motive remains unknown, investigators found anti-Semitic writings by the shooter,

and the rifle used bore a Palestine sticker. Despite January's chill, inflation didn't cool as much as expected, sending stocks sliding. Annual inflation clocked in at 3.1%, down from 3.4% in December, but notably higher than economists' expectations of 2.9%. Fingers are being pointed at the cost of rent, which is up 6% in the last year.

Don't count on delivery for Valentine's dinner. Thousands of drivers for Uber, Lyft, and DoorDash are planning to strike today in protest of low pay and unsafe working conditions. While Lyft recently promised its drivers a minimum 70% share of ride earnings, Uber and DoorDash don't seem worried. Neither anticipate a significant impact, saying driver earnings are strong. Super Bowl 53 was the most watched broadcast in U.S. television history, with a record 123.4 million people tuning in, 7% more than in 2023.

President Biden made his TikTok debut during the game, with an informal Q&A posted by AtBidenHQ, his re-election campaign. The account is drawing bipartisan criticism over security concerns with the app. Calvin Kipdom, the world record holder for the fastest marathon, died alongside his coach in a car accident in western Kenya on Sunday. alongside his coach in a car accident in western Kenya on Sunday. In his record-setting Chicago race last October, the 24-year-old was 36 seconds away from clocking in under two hours. Competitors and dignitaries offered condolences to the family of the rising star,

whose greatness was cut short. And 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 day. We'll see you on Friday.