The Pour Over Today - Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks, D.C. Crime Crackdown, U.S. & Mexico v. Cartels, & More | 08.15.25

Episode Date: August 15, 2025

Today, we’re talking about a meet-up between Presidents Trump and Putin in Alaska; increased National Guard presence in Washington D.C.; the U.S. and Mexico working together against cartels; and other top news for Friday, August 15th. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over. OneHope's Thailand Digital Mission⁠⁠ Join over 1 million readers with our free newsletter ⁠here⁠ Looking to support us? You can choose to pay ⁠here⁠ Check out our sponsors! We actually use and enjoy every single one. ⁠Cru⁠ ⁠Surfshark⁠ ⁠Holy Post⁠ ⁠CSB's Back to School Gift Guide⁠ ⁠CCCU⁠ ⁠Upside⁠ ⁠HelloFresh⁠ ⁠Mosh

Hey, this is Bailey at the Poorover. And this is Joe at the Poor Over. Happy Friday. There's still time to reach young people in Thailand who may have never heard the name of Jesus. When you subscribe to our email newsletter this week, we'll donate $2 to One Hope's Digital Mission to share God's Word across Thailand. Click the link in our show notes by the end of today, August 15th, to subscribe. And don't forget to share with all your friends to help us make a huge impact. Now, let's dive into the headlines. Today, we're talking about a meet-up between President Trump and Putin in Alaska,

increased National Guard presence in Washington, D.C., the U.S. and Mexico working together against cartels, and other top news for Friday, August 15. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with the pourover. Here's your quote of the day. Patience is waiting, not passively waiting. That is laziness. But to keep going when the going is hard and slow, that is patience. The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.

Leo Tolstoy. Let's get started with some espresso shots. Presidents Trump and Putin are meeting in Alaska today for highly anticipated peace talks. Putin's hoping to formalize Russia's territorial gains, having seized roughly a fifth of Ukraine's land. Trump wants a ceasefire and described the bilateral meeting as, quote, setting the table for a follow-up with Ukraine's President Zelensky. Ahead of the summit, Zelensky and other European leaders had a, quote, exceptionally constructive video call with President Trump, agreeing to some principles for 47's talk with Russia's number four, including keeping Ukraine at the table for follow-up talks, not discussing peace terms like land swaps, until Putin agrees to a seat. not budging on future security guarantees for Ukraine, like NATO membership, and ramping up economic pressure if Russia won't make a deal. Trump emerged from Wednesday's call,

warning of quote, severe consequences if Putin won't make peace. Pray for the peaceful end to all conflicts worldwide, even as we wait for God's kingdom to come in full. when God's reign of peace will settle every dispute and all nations will walk in his paths. Micah 4.3 says, he will settle disputes among many peoples and provide arbitration for strong nations that are far away. They will beat their swords into plows and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not take up the sword against nation, and they will never again train for war. Military vehicles are cruising down Constitution Ave as part of President Trump's

D.C. crime crackdown. Wednesday, about 800 National Guardsmen and around 500 federal agents were deployed to support local law enforcement. Authorities have made roughly 100 arrests since Monday, including a man who assaulted a federal officer with a subway sandwich. But judicial officials worry D.C. judge vacancies, 15 of 62 seats are currently empty, will cause a bottleneck in the court system. D.C. police chief Pamela Smith said the, quote, enhanced presence will make our city even better. But Mayor Muriel Bowser is criticizing Trump's, quote, authoritarian push, denying that crime is out of control in her city. Meanwhile, Trump is looking to federalize D.C. police long-term, announcing plans to work with Congress to extend the 30-day emergency

authorization giving him control of police. Here's a verse to consider whether you're critical of your government or think it's being unfairly criticized. My dear brothers and sisters, understand this. Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to aim. anger. For human anger does not accomplish God's righteousness. James 1 versus 19 through 20. Mexico and the U.S. are teaming up against cartels. Uncle Sam's southern neighbor handed over 26 suspected high-ranking cartel leaders this week in a deal aimed at dismantling Mexico's transnational

drug networks. The Justice Department announced to the transfer, the second major extradition of the year on Tuesday, promising, quote, severe consequences for the suspects but ruling out the death penalty. Mexico's president Scheinbaum celebrated the neighborly cooperation, quote, against violence and impunity. Shinebaum also clarified that the collaboration would not include the U.S. military entering Mexico's territory. The U.S. Treasury also got involved Wednesday, imposing sanctions on 13 Mexican businesses and four individuals accused of collaborating with a notorious cartel to scam elderly Americans out of 23 million in an elaborate timeshare fraud.

Christians have a hard job. Following our just and merciful savior, we aim simultaneously to celebrate justice, come alongside victims in their pain and demonstrate our love for the guilty. Luke 635 through 36 says, But love your enemies. Do what is good and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the most high. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil. Be merciful, just as your father also is merciful. Hey, it's Emily from the pourover. The kids are heading back to school this month, which means buying school supplies, doling out lunch money, paying registration fees, and replacing my boys' jeans that now look more like capri pants.

I'm trying not to blow the back-to-school budget, and thankfully, I have upside to help. It's a free app that shows you nearby cashback offers on essentials like gas and groceries, and it really couldn't be easier. All you have to do is claim an offer, make your purchase like normal, snap a pick of the receipt, or link your card, and boom, money back in your account. Plus, I can use my cash back on some post-drop-off Starbucks, because I could definitely use a little extra extra caffeine once the school year starts. Download the free upside app and use promo code TPO to get an extra 25 cents back for every gallon on your first tank of gas. That's an extra 25 cents back for every gallon on your first tank of gas, using promo. TPO. In other brews, here's a rapid round of updates.

Amazon shoppers can now turn sudden ice cream cravings into same-day scoops. The online bookstore turned retail behemoth is rolling out same-day delivery for perishable groceries. produce, dairy, and meat, in over 1,000 U.S. cities, with a goal to reach 2,300 by year's end. The expansion aims to push Amazon's cart ahead of other grocery delivery services like Walmart and Instacart. Wildfires across southern Europe have killed at least four people this week and forced thousands to evacuate. Multiple countries, including Spain, Portugal, Albania, Montenegro, Greece, Bulgaria, and Turkey are battling current wildfires, straining resources and prompting five countries to request the EU's help fighting flames.

Authorities say extreme heat, careless farming practices, ill-maintained infrastructure, and suspected arson are to blame. The Kennedy Center has made its picks for the annual honors recognizing artistic excellence. The honorees are George Strait, Kiss, Michael Crawford, Gloria Gaynor, and Sylvester Stallone. In February, President Trump overhauled the Performing Arts Center's board and appointed himself chair. Cotis said he was, quote, very involved in the selection

and will personally host December's awards ceremony. Air Canada's operations are up in the air. The airline began canceling flights yesterday after the Canadian Union of Public Employees issued a 72-hour strike notice for flight attendants saying Air Canada, quote, refused to address core demands related to wages and unpaid work.

The strike, set to begin Saturday, could delay 130,000 passengers' travel plans each day. Looks like dry January's more than just a new year, new me trend. Gallup's Consumption Habits survey reported that just 54% of 21 and older Americans drink alcohol the lowest rate in 90 years. The poll also reported that 53% of Americans view moderate drinking, 1 to 2 bruskeys a day,

as harmful to health, over double the 26% who believed so in 2016. That's all we have for today. Thanks so much 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.

See you Monday. If you're tired of tribal takes and pat answers, check out Theology in the Raw with Preston Sprinkle. It's a podcast that tackles faith, culture, sexuality, and more with honesty and humility. With over 2,000 episodes and guests from across the Christian spectrum, you'll be challenged, encouraged, and reminded you're not alone. Search Theology in the Raw on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.