The Pour Over Today - Stopgap Bill Passed, College Football Playoffs, Attack in Germany, & More | 12.23.24

Episode Date: December 23, 2024

Today, we're talking about Congress passing a bill to halt a government shutdown; College Football playoffs; a deadly tragedy in Germany; and other top news for Monday, December 23rd. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with The Pour Over Today. Please support our TPO sponsors! TPO Gift Guide: https://thepourover.org/gift-guide-2/ Upside: https://links.thepourover.org/Upside CCCU: https://www.mycccu.com/tpo/ The Voice of the Martyrs: vom.org/TPO CSB Gift Guide: https://links.thepourover.org/CSBGiftGuide HelloFresh: hellofresh.com/freepourover

It may be nearly Christmas Eve, but it's not too late to shop TPO's Christmas Gift Guide. Bless the children of persecuted believers this year by gifting a Christmas care pack full of personal care and spiritual essentials. Or snag your family and friends a subscription to Dwell's audio bible for a last-minute gifting win. Check out all of TPO's favorites in the gift guide, linked in today's show notes. Now for the news. gift guide linked in today's show notes. Now for the news. Today, we're talking about Congress passing a bill to halt a government shutdown, college

football playoffs, a deadly tragedy in Germany, and other top news for Monday, December 23rd. Stay informed while remaining focused on Christ with the poor over today. Here's the quote of the day, In the absence of a biblical morality, a new elite will always come forward to dictate arbitrary absolutes to society. Francis A. Schaeffer. Let's get started with some espresso shots. Congress has passed 81 days of relief

from the words government shutdown. On Friday evening, the House voted 366 to 34 to approve Speaker Johnson's third attempt at a stopgap funding bill after the original bipartisan proposal exploded Wednesday. The Senate said yay just after midnight and President Biden signed early Saturday. Technically, they missed the deadline by a few hours, but there was no disruption to any government services. The bill funds the government until March 14th, providing $100 billion in disaster relief, $10 billion in agricultural aid, and reconstruction money for Baltimore's Key Bridge.

President-elect Trump's 11th hour request to extend the debt limit didn't make the cut. Speaker Johnson, whose grip on the gavel may not last through January, called the compromise a good outcome Democrats are bracing for chaos in 2025's GOP-led Congress. It's easy to throw stones at Congress, but how are the budget conversations at your own house?

In all your discussions, demonstrate faith and contentment in Christ through patience and compromises that outdo one another in showing honor and love. Romans 12.10 says, Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another. The 2024 and 25 college football playoffs kicked off with a whimper this weekend. In the 12-team playoff debut Friday night, No. 7 Notre Dame cruised past No. 10 Indiana, earning the Irish a Sugar Bowl date with No. 12 Georgia on New Year's Day. Then, Saturday, No. 6 Penn State dominated No. 11 SMU 38-10, securing the Nittany Lions a New York's EFESA Bowl matchup with No. 3 Boise State.

No. 5 Texas handled No. 12 Clemson and will head to the Peach Bowl to face number four Arizona State. Finally, keeping fans off the edge of their seats, number eight Ohio State stopped number nine 42 to 17, sending the Buckeyes to face Oregon in the Rose Bowl. The blowout filled weekend reignited controversy over whether the playoff selection committee put the right teams in the ring, or whether the 12-team format itself is too big. Here's a risk to consider whether your team blows out, gets blown out, or you'd rather just watch home alone and drink hot chocolate for the 27th time this season.

Rejoice always. Pray constantly. Give thanks in everything, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5, 16-18 Germany is mourning a Friday evening attack. A man drove his car through a crowded Christmas market in the city of Magdeburg, killing five people including a nine-year-old and injuring 200. The suspect, a 50-year-old doctor from Saudi Arabia, was arrested at the scene and charged with murder and attempted murder.

He lived in Germany for two decades and was active on X, formerly Twitter, where he frequently criticized German authorities and Islam. The attack's motives are still under investigation. Germany's government is facing criticism for their lack of intervention after Saudi officials claim they warned Germany authorities four times in two years to keep an eye on the suspect. The tragedy comes eight years after a similar attack that killed 12 at a Christmas market in Berlin.

While mourning for victims and praying for our enemies, Christians have hope in the face of a violent world. The servant of God, who himself did no violence, has been afflicted by his Father on our behalf so that we can live in the Lord's peaceful presence forever. Isaiah 53, 4 and 5 says, Yet he himself bore our sicknesses, and he carried our pains. But we in turn regarded him stricken, struck down by God, and afflicted.

But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities. Punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds." In other brews, here's a wrap-around of updates. The White House is tossing IOUs on the EUL logs. Secretary of Education Cardona announced Friday that $4.3 billion in student loans would be forgiven for 54,900 debtors who work in public service, part of continued updates to the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program. It brings the Biden admin's student debt forgiveness to a record total of $180 billion for 4.9 million people.

Unionized Starbucks workers in Seattle, Chicago, and LA went on strike Friday, demanding better pay and staffing. Representing over 10,000 Green Apron employees at 500-plus stores, the union vowed to escalate the strike, already its biggest yet, daily until Christmas Eve. Workers argue the coffee giant has room for milk. Its new CEO could earn $100 million in his first year. Uncle Sam is calling off his bounty hunters. The U.S. is removing a $10 million reward for the leader of the Syrian rebel group HTS, Amid al-Sharah, after al-Sharah met with American diplomats and promised that terrorists wouldn't gain ground in Syria.

Previously known as Abu Mohammed al-Jilani, al-Sharah reportedly cut ties with Al-Qaeda in 2016 and is positioning himself as a pragmatic moderate. A last-minute gift from the Capitol. The Senate passed the Social Security Fairness Act Saturday, a bipartisan bill to boost social security benefits for more than three million retired public sector workers. The act eliminates two policies that previously limited benefits for people who received pensions from state-slash-local governments, like teachers, firefighters, and police, but has raised concerns

over future social security funding. 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 Merry Christmas.

We'll be back with the news on Friday. If you love inspiring testimonies of courageous faith, look no further. The Voice of the Martyrs is offering TPO listeners free access to a film called Sabina, Tortured for Christ, the Nazi Years. It tells the powerful true story of a woman's journey to faith in Christ and the risks she took to share the gospel with soldiers from the army that killed her family. Visit vom.org slash TPO to claim your free copy today.