The Pour Over Today - Monday, December 19, 2022

Episode Date: December 19, 2022

Today, we’re talking about holiday prep in Congress, crypto fallout, World Cup wraps ups, and other top news for Monday, December 19th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Sponsored by Voice of the Martyrs

Today we're talking about holiday prep in Congress, crypto fallout, World Cup wrap-ups, and other top news for Monday, December 19th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. Here's the quote of the day. If you can't see very far ahead, go ahead as far as you can see. Dawson Trotman. Let's jump in with some espresso shots. Trotman. Let's jump in with some espresso shots. Congress is dashing through the snow to wrap up work before Christmas. On Thursday, the Senate passed an $858 billion annual defense budget in

an 83-11 vote that raises military pay, provides billions to Ukraine and Taiwan, and repeals the COVID vaccine mandate for service members. Meanwhile, congressional leaders have agreed on a bipartisan framework for next year's budget, which Speaker Pelosi says will likely include banning TikTok from government devices. Speaking of speakers, Representative Kevin McCarthy's quest to become Speaker of the House has been bumpy. McCarthy can only spare four GOP votes, and there are currently five reps vowing opposition. Finally, the final episode of the two-season January 6th committee will reportedly air today. Members are expected

to vote to send criminal referrals against former President Trump to the Department of Justice. Our hope is never contingent on a political outcome. It's much more secure than that. Regardless of whether things get worse or better during your lifetime, everything eventually ends up well for followers of Christ. Psalm 121, 1-2 says, I lift my eyes towards the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. CZ says the arrest of FTX's SBF is NBD for Binance. Don't worry, we'll translate that. Last week, Sam Bankman-Fried, known as SBF, was arrested following the collapse of his crypto exchange FTX and confidence in the entire crypto system was shaken,

prompting customers to hurriedly withdraw funds from other exchanges, like Binance. Last Monday through Wednesday, Binance saw $6 billion in its own customer withdrawals. Binance CEO Zhang Pengzao, known as CZ, said the massive withdrawals were, quote, managed with ease and promised that he has the reserves to back up all customer deposits. But you'll have to take his word for it because on Friday, the international accounting firm Mazars stopped all work with crypto companies, including verifying Binance's proof of reserves. CZ maintains that Binance will survive any crypto winter, but FTX's swift fall from $32 billion to bankruptcy is the chillest cold front yet. While there's nothing inherently wrong with owning cryptocurrency, we should be wary of the

often obsessive tendencies its volatility brings out in people. Seek to steward your money well over the long term, not bet on a big windfall. Proverbs 13.11 says, Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. Argentina did it. It's a World Cup finals match already being described as one of the greatest of all time. After trailing most of the game, France made two goals to tie the score in regulation and then answered Argentina's extra-time goal, only to lose in a shootout. French star Kylian Mbappe scored all three of France's goals and earned the tournament's

Golden Boot Award for most goals scored. Argentina's legendary captain Lionel Messi scored two and won his first World Cup, Argentina's first since 1986. Meanwhile, the greatest comeback, or choke depending on who you're rooting for, in NFL history took place Saturday. The Vikings came back from being down to the Colts 33-0 at halftime to win at OT 39-36. There's so much we can apply from sports to our real lives. Teamwork, perseverance, even loyalty as a fan. The commitment of athletes to their sport can encourage us to not give up as we seek to win an imperishable crown at the end of our faith journey.

1 Corinthians 9.25 says, Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown. This episode is sponsored by Voice of the Martyrs. Let's face it, as Christians living in the U.S., we're unlikely to face real persecution. There's intense persecution happening right now to Christian brothers and sisters who are proclaiming the gospel amid Islamic extremism in Africa. Voice of the Martyrs aims to provide medical care, furnish temporary shelter, supply food, and deliver Bibles to frontline workers and Christians displaced from their homes. One generous donor provided $900,000 to the cause,

and they're asking for help in doubling the impact of this gift by December 31st. Prayerfully consider contributing to the important work being done in Africa. Learn more and donate via the link in the show notes. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. Russia hit Kiev with one of the heaviest missile barrages of the year late last week. The attacks targeted critical infrastructure, knocking out power, water, and the subway system in much of the capital city. Meanwhile, Russia is deploying a new strategy to boost troop morale, musicians on the front line. Also, Texas Mayor Oscar Leeser declared a state of emergency in his city, saying that he couldn't keep residents safe and is requesting additional resources as migrant crossings overwhelm officials. Governor Greg Abbott also announced Texas would construct 14 miles of border wall following an agreement with private property owners for building on their land. Elon Musk suspended journalists from Twitter for doxing after they reported on an account that tracks the location of his private jet, but reinstated them after polling his followers.

Meanwhile, the Twitter Files Part 6 was released on Friday. It reveals that the FBI coordinated with Twitter executives to censor certain users. Brittany Greiner was released from a military medical facility on Friday, returning home to Arizona. In her first public statement since being released from a Russian penal colony, she said she planned on playing in the WNBA this season, thanked supporters, and promised to use her platform to advocate for Paul Whelan and other Americans imprisoned abroad.

Well, it's official. Suspending 200 gallons of water with 1,500 exotic fish in a $14 million 52-foot-tall tank is not a great idea. The tank, which was in a Berlin hotel, burst over the weekend, sending fish, water, and glass through the lobby and into the street. 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 5-star rating and drop 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 we hope you have a great day. We'll see you on Wednesday.