The Pour Over Today - Monday, September 20, 2021

Episode Date: September 20, 2021

An FDA panel does not recommend boosters, Border Patrol sees another surge of visitors, Gabby Petito grips the nation, and other top news for September 20th. Stay informed, while remaining focused on Christ, with The Pour Over.

Happy Monday. It is September 20th, and you're listening to The Pour Over. Thanks for joining us. Here's the quote of the day. God's definition of what matters is pretty straightforward. He measures our lives by how we love. Francis Chan. In a 16 to 2 vote, an influential FDA advisory panel overwhelmingly rejected recommending a third booster shot for all members of the Pfizer fam. Members cited a lack of safety data and had questions over the value of a third arm prick, when the original doses have so far shown to provide lasting protection against severe illness and death, though protection against mild cases wanes. Later on Friday, the panel voted

unanimously to recommend boosters for people in at-risk groups, including everyone ages 65 and up. The panel's recommendation, which is non-binding but usually adopted, dealt a blow to the Biden administration, which began pushing for boosters last month. Pfizer and BioNTech weren't thrilled either. Their stocks were down 1.3% and 3.6% respectively. When discussing divisive topics such as COVID vaccines, remember that both your stance and how you take your stance reflect on Christ. We should not be willing to sacrifice relationships to win an argument. James 3.17 says, But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason,

full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. Border Patrol agents have seen another surge in visitors at their Southern office. Apprehensions exceed 200,000 in both July and August, and most recently over 14,500 migrants have set up camp in the small border town of Del Rio, Texas. The group is predominantly made of Haitian migrants, and the living conditions are less than ideal. Most people are living under a bridge with no running water. Many of the Haitians have lived on mainland Latin America for years after leaving Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. The U.S. sent three flights carrying Haitians back to Haiti yesterday to relieve the overflow and deter more migrants, but not everyone is happy about it. Multiple Democratic lawmakers urged President Biden

to halt the deportations due to Haiti's instability. The missing persons case of Gabby Petito has taken the country by a storm and unleashed numerous social media sleuths. Here's some background. Gabby Petito, 22, and her fiancé, Brian Laundrie, 23, were traveling across the country in their van. Brian returned to Florida on September 1st without Gabby, and Gabby's parents reported her missing on September 11th. People are most interested in Brian, who refused to speak with law enforcement and was himself reported missing on Friday, but apparently hasn't been seen since Tuesday. Police have not said Brian is a suspect in Gabby's disappearance yet, the internet is less convinced, and now want to know why his parents waited days to report him missing. A body,

quote, consistent with description, unquote, of Gabby was found in Wyoming last night. Authorities are searching for Brian in Florida. We live in a broken world where sadness and fear reign. There may be good reasons to be scared or feel uneasy about this day, month, or year. God does not promise good days. He promises a great eternity. Job 12.10 says, In his hand is the light of every living thing and the breath of all mankind. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates. Four civilians, including a St. Jude physician and childhood cancer survivor, splashed down on Saturday evening in a fully autonomous SpaceX capsule after a three-day

extraterrestrial joyride. It was the first ever flight to Earth's orbit without an astronaut and managed to raise an out-of-this-world $200 million for St. Jude Children's Hospital. In another bizarre twist to South Carolina's double homicide mystery, 53-year-old Alex Murdaugh, a prominent lawyer whose wife and son were found dead in June, turned himself in for hiring a hitman to kill himself so his surviving son would receive a $10 million life insurance payout. Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry, who served as acting

president since the assassination of President Moise, has come under scrutiny as possibly masterminding the assassination of his predecessor. On Tuesday, Henry replaced the chief public prosecutor who'd been seeking charges against him, potentially plunging the country into more political turmoil. Last week, North Korea conducted ballistic missile tests and is reportedly expanding a uranium enrichment plant, a sign it's boosting production of bomb materials by as much as 25%. enrichment plant, a sign it's boosting production of bomb materials by as much as 25%. Disarmament negotiations between North Korea and the U.S., which first began under President Clinton, are currently lying dormant. It's not just your local Chipotle. Organizations across the country are feeling the labor shortage. In Massachusetts, Governor Charlie Baker has called on 250 members

of the National Guard to drive school buses. They're there to help no matter the crisis. And that's all we have for today. Thanks for joining us. We will see you on Wednesday. Have a great day.